Join A Club (the fate of America depends on it)

Check out the small groups we are launching and share your interests here.
Liz Joyner
The Village Square
Founder + President

Check out the small groups we are launching in 2023 and 2024 and share your interests here.

Interested in becoming a small group leader? We’re offering $300 stipends all year. Check out the details here.

Below are longer descriptions of some of the clubs we’re offering:

Wine Over Politics:

Peggy and Dennis Gallant are hosting a “Wine Over Politics” group and they would love for you to join. They themselves get regular practice at navigating differing  political views from one another and often enjoy wine during these conversations! You don’t have to be a wine drinker to join, but beware – there could be some whining over politics going on! They would love you to join if you’re looking for a once a month Friday night outing. The meetings will be held at different spots around town and will center around timely topics. They hope this group will prove that even if we don’t all agree on the topic at hand, we do agree we need to be engaging one another to learn from one another.

Civic Stitch n Bitch with Lea Marshall and Liz Joyner:

Here’s the official promo language straight from Madison Ave: Bring your knitting, needlepoint, or a snack. Or just an open hand to hold to a wine glass. We’ll hang out. One rule, we only “bitch” about the ways that our civics isn’t working for ALL OF US (it’s a countercultural mental exercise). We’re going to stitch up this ugly ole divide, whether it’s with yarn or relationships. You should know that Lea and Liz are political opposites with a very long friendship where they’ve figured out “the power of and” (and a bunch of other things they’ll likely “bitch” about).  

Gratitude Note-writing Group

Gratitude is good for the soul. Come meet up with others who will use the time to carry out the simple but hard-to-prioritize act of writing thank-you notes.  Spread good cheer by composing notes you’ve been meaning to write, getting ready for Mother’s/Father’s Day, or picking some unsung civil servant heroes to shine a light on (ideas will be provided).  Bring your favorite pen and notes/stationery if you have it.  If your collection of stationery outpaces your note-writing, bring your extras to share!  Computers for digital thank-you’s are fine too.

Positive Posse Group:

“February 17th is National Random Act of Kindness Day! Join the ‘Positive Posse’ Group to share love and light with fellow Tallahassee humans.  We’ll be holding positive message signs from 12 to 2 p.m. on the corner of Magnolia and Mahan to spread joy.  We have several signs available for holding or you can bring your own.  Your sign must be positive with no angle or partisanship and readable from a distance.”

Podcast Club:

Group will listen to certain podcasts and then meet to discuss. Meetings will almost certainly include coffee… or tea… or wine. Regardless of one’s choice of beverage, it will be a chance to libate (moderately, liberally, or conservatively) and talk about keeping/saving the Republic.  Which is a big job, so it requires us to stay hydrated.

Trail walking with Kate Kile:

Come join us for a Saturday morning walk in the woods! We gather the first Sat of the month at 9am and walk for about an hour. We’ve picked easier trails to accommodate all abilities and we especially love little humans and four legged friends. There are so many wonderful trail gems all around Tallahassee to explore together. Come breathe some fresh air, feel the forest carpet under your feet and make some new friends. Everyone is welcome!

Thursday Night Think Piece Club:

It’s probably true that we need to be doing a little more thinking these days? So we’re going to do just think. Do you remember the buzzy feeling last long think piece you read that really opened up your mind and made you see the world anew? We’re going to talk about some of them. We’ve got a few in mind of our own, but participants will help us choose more.

Sobremesa:

Sobremesa is one of those beautiful Spanish words that doesn’t exist in the English language, so it can be difficult to translate. It’s a word that can be both a verb and a noun. The direct translation is “upon the table,” however the real meaning of the world encompasses so much more. When you get togehter with friends or family for a meal in Latin America, the experience is not just limited to the meal itself. Sobremesa is the time you spend in deep, meaningful conversation, relaxing together – sometimes for hours – well after dessert has been served. You talk, drink, debate, laugh and fully enjoy each other’s company. You… sobremesa.  The conversation is rarely shallow or boring. It’s not a time for small talk. As you may know, once people have eaten delicious food and enjoyed a bottle of good wine (or two) they can talk about anything. That’s what makes the conversation after a meal so much richer than any during it. There’s no subject too heavy, provative, or immature for the the table to discuss, if it is done so with good manners and much respect.