When the pandemic shut things down worldwide, and we are encouraged to practice social distancing, I thought this was an opportunity to reach out to my fellow contestors and connect. I decided to take the in-person contest club experience and put it online.

My goal was to make mimic an in-person meeting format as closely as possible. If you don’t know what happens at club meetings, let me describe that to you.

Meetings take place at various venues.

Coffee Shop

This option was where my club met. We showed up with our laptops, netbooks, and iPads, grabbed a drink, and sat around the biggest table we could find for 2-hours. We talked about what we won, what giveaways we were focusing on, and generally helped each other enter and win. We even had a club Facebook Group where we shared referral links.

Some clubs have drawings at the meetings. Members bring in stamps, envelopes, scratch lottery tickets, 50/50 raffles, trading unused prizes, etc.

Home

This is more casual than meeting in public as the meeting may go longer because some clubs combine meetings with a potluck lunch or dinner.

Other places people meet are at restaurants, libraries, community centers, etc.

Our club has morphed over time. We started meeting at a restaurant on Sundays for lunch. Then the service wasn’t great, so we moved locations. It was more of a social event as we didn’t bring computer equipment. Then we tried meeting at a member’s home to use the WiFi plus a projector to try and learn from each other. More of a classroom feel. Not sure how long before we shifted to a coffee shop, but once we moved we stayed there until the pandemic moved us online.

Online Meeting

In keeping with the in-person-style meeting, we:

• have a Round Robin introduction
• share a recent win or favorite prize
•  help each other win by
  • asking questions
  • answering questions
  • sharing current sweepstakes

I am moderating the meeting and hosting it, but this isn’t a workshop where I teach and you learn. This is a group effort. No different than if we met in person. Also, I am asking everyone to pay $1 to help cover my hosting costs. (Zoom is not free for me to use.) I have limited it to 20 people per meeting. Any bigger than that, and there won’t be enough time for everyone to participate.

What You Need

We hold the meetings on Zoom. I am sure by now you know what to do, but just in case … you need a computer or device with a camera, a microphone, and speakers. Most cell phones, tablets, netbooks, and laptops have them built-in. Bring a cuppa coffee or tea, plus a notepad to take notes. There is also a chat room where we can share links to giveaways and handles to tag new friends.

After you register, you will be emailed a custom link to join the meeting.

Other Ways to Meet

Once the lockdowns ended, in-person clubs and conventions resumed. You can find details on my website and SweepSheet:

• Meet Fellow Sweepers
• Clubs

Consider attending a convention, as there is nothing like a room full of like-minded winning enthusiasts.

If you haven’t already, I recommend you read The Prize Winner of Defiance OH or watch the movie (or both, as they are slightly different.) You will get a glimpse into contest clubs in the 1950s.

If you choose to attend, I can guarantee you will have fun.

Will you be joining us online?