10 Minutes a Month — Easy Tribal Potluck Dinners

(Editors note: AmalgamatedAmalgamations is a family project aimed at providing hand-holding for building community. We’ll be adding information on recipes, disaster planning, etc. Some will be here but most will be on our website.)

Why potlucks?

Simply: potluck dinners scale. More people showing up = more food. And sharing food and conversation is the keystone tribal/family activity.

I started organizing potlucks my last few years in college. I’d make a huge pot of beans for veggie burritos. The only rule: no one could take leftovers home. We’d eat for the rest of the week.

Here are the results of decades of learning.

Simplest: Anarchist Potluck

• Set a day, time, and location.
• Invite people.
• Refuse to offer suggestions or coordinate what folks bring.
• If everyone brings salad, order pizza.

A bit more complex

• Same as above but…
• Make a big main dish (stew, pasta, chili, etc) to avoid a possible ‘order pizza’ event.
• Let folks know what it will be.

If you must —

• Organize the event.
• Announce your main dish.
• Ask for RSVPs with intended contribution.