Starting Your Own Junto Club
In the previous piece, I alluded to the challenges facing those seeking to start a Junto Club in today’s world. We obviously do not live in Colonial Philadelphia and face far more distractions than Franklin and his club members did. That being said, starting your own Junto Club is a necessary and worthy pursuit.
Why You Should Start a Junto Club
Human beings are social creatures, therefore interactions with others are paramount to our livelihood. These interactions are also necessary for fostering valuable relationships with people outside our normal social circles. It is often these relationships that lead to us advancing farther than our own egos and skills allow.
To quote the great Isaac Newton “If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of Giants.” Anybody who claims growing solely on their own is lying. That is not to say association with others is the only factor in one’s growth or lack thereof; growth is a combination of your effort and your positioning.
Like any venture, when two or more parties enter into a mutual relationship, there is a contract. In the case of your Junto Club, that contract dictates you provide as much effort and value to the other club members as they provide to you. This notion will be the basis for every rule of engagement and recruitment strategy we are about to discuss.
Modern Junto Club Framework
The following rules of engagement and recruitment strategies for the modern Junto Club are meant to serve as a framework. They are not carved into stone and should be modified as needed to serve the needs of you and your community.
Rules of Engagement
- Every member is required to initiate a minimum one topic of conversation and ask a minimum three questions per meeting
- When another member is speaking, everyone is required to be silent unless a question is asked to the group. We are here to mutually improve one another, not improve ratings of our TV network
- If a member has a question, it must be asked in a calm, non-accusatory manner. Again, not going for ratings
- Absolute language is prohibited. If you feel your conviction is absolute, it must be qualified with language such as “based on what I’ve experienced”, “I have observed”, or similar phrases
- The responsibilities of the moderator (YOU) will be as follows:
- Scheduling each meeting and ensuring adequate attendance
- Initiating the first topic of conversation at every meeting
- Providing a list of discussion topics during each meeting
- Ensuring abidance of the Rules of Engagement
6. Recruitment and, if necessary, removal of members
7. Every week on a rotational basis, each member will be required to write a 1000-word essay on a topic of his or her choosing as well as moderate a discussion around said topic. This topic will be the only one the moderator does not initiate
8. Politics will NOT be discussed
9. Financial means are not an obstacle to entry. The meeting location should allow for navigation of this potential issue
Recruitment Strategies
- STAY LOCAL. The Junto Club was never intended to nor will ever leverage a digital medium
- Seek members from a variety of locations. Do not limit yourself to places you frequent, including your place of work
- Each member must have a unique vocation, hobby, or skillset. No two members can share two of those three items
- No age limitations, within reason
- Recruitment is not always necessary. There is a critical mass of individuals and any members added beyond that critical mass will upset club dynamics
To reiterate, these rules and strategies are meant to provide a framework for your Junto Club. The intent of the club is for mutual improvement so any modifications to the framework must be made in that spirit which is lacking in many of these modern-day equivalents. Furthermore, the only binding force is the unwritten effort and value contract discussed earlier in this piece. If followed, this contract will keep your club together for a very long time.
The Best Benefit of a Junto Club
I would be remised if one final point was not discussed. The formation and operation of your Junto Club is a tremendous opportunity for you, the moderator, to gain valuable experience as somebody on the journey to being more. Not only will you improve tangible skills such as public speaking, researching, and group organization, you will also go through a critical process of self-reflection.
Exposure to others who are stronger than you in particular areas will force you to reevaluate yourself and grow. The Junto Club may not be competitive in nature, but by participating in one you are accepting a challenge. Do not be afraid of this challenge. Instead, be grateful you even have the chance to take it on in the first place.
Be More.
Become Polymathic.
Quote of the Week: “If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of Giants.” — Isaac Newton
