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I want to start a Herp Group. How do I? Please reply.

>>I want to start a Herp Group. How do I? Please reply.

Well the first thing you want to do is see if you can find a few people in the area that are interested in herps as well. I would then find a meeting spot (your home, a coffee house, or maybe a free public room at a community center or school) where you could meet. Spend a couple of bucks and print up some fliers advertising the meeting and see if you can post these up at local pet shops, public bulliten boards (like at grocery stores, the library, etc.) and even try a college campus or two. You can also try checking out Meetup.com which can help you find people locally through the internet. Checkout herp.meetup.com/ for the page specifically about herps. Put up a web site. For a herp society you can get free webspace hear at Kingsnake or there are other of free webspace providers out there as well.

Once you get a steady group of people together start looking into your State's laws and procedures for setting up a non-profit organization. You'll have to draft a set of by-laws (plenty examples of these on-line) and elect officers among other things. Each State has their own rules about this, but it should be fairly easy to find out how to do this with a couple minutes of searching on Google or with a phone call or two.

Once you have gotten this far keep promoting the club. Try and have interesting meeting topics to attract visitors. Work with local pet shops and animal shelters who can spread your name out there. If you have time try to do outreach programs with your herps. Try getting on Public Access TV or even local morning shows.

In the beginning it might be slow going, but eventually if you can attract enough people it can definately grow. If you do end up forming your own herp society then let me know so I can list you in our directory of herp societies and help you spread the word.
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A.J. Sokolik
asokolik@wnyherp.org
Western New York Herpetological Society

Send an email to billwatts@cox.net and ask for "A Blueprint for a Blue Ribbon Herp Society". ~Bill~
The Louisiana Gulf Coast Herpetological Society, Inc.