First Fridays Network meets - 3 May 2024 - The Palms food court - 1.30pm-ish or 2-ish to 4-ish

 

Kia ora koutou

First Fridays Network meets - 3 May 2024 - The Palms food court - 1.30pm-ish or 2-ish to 4-ish

Last month we met at Eastgate - this month we will meet at the Palms in Shirley.  We are not sure if we like malls - but at least there is plenty of space, and we do not stand out as a group.  We also wondered if we could meet earlier than 2pm - so - let's just arrive when it suits us - I aim to be there before 1:30pm.  I cannot visualise the mall - so if there's more than one food court, let's use cell phones if we cannot find each other (Elaine - 021993259).  As to how long we go on - actually, there is no limit.  The "First Fridays Network meeting" is simply an opportunity to get together and chat about meaningful things - and figure out where we will meet in June.

See below for more details - we can clarify these details on Friday.

Ngā mihi

Elaine

About the First Fridays Network : We are exploring new territory around how people can get together with future friends and find things we might like to get more involved in - we are figuring it out together, gradually, along with other similar networks and groups.  The following are things we have sort of agreed:

• We meet somewhere on the First Friday of each month.  Initially we met in libraries: Tūranga, Riccarton, South, Eastgate (although most of us did not get beyond the Food Court).  That's Nov, Dec, Feb, March - and we met in my house in January. 
  
• This kind of meeting is hosted by N4W:AoNZ - or Networking for Wellbeing : Aotearoa New Zealand. Basically, the big idea behind all this is to find ways to foster collectivity - so it is easy for people to get together with others - but without being tied to responsibilities - you turn up if it suits you and you don't if it doesn't. 
  
• We chat in small groups - that way it is easier for new people to join in - and for those who have been around a while to get to know each other a little better.  Maybe we move around a little - so we are not in the same group all the time. Toward the end of the session we get together and see if anything has come up that we want to share - and figure out where we will meet next time.
  

And we are gradually figuring things out.  For example ..

• We welcome new people - we are all hosts!  (This is what a network is for us - new people are welcomed - you are welcome to bring others along. Groups that are working on a particular project are not as open as this.)
  
• We explore ideas and look for things we might do in the next month.
• Last month there was a focus on "Flourishing" - that group met for the first time yesterday.
  
• The month before some of us figured out that we would get together to sort out some problems with using cell phones and computers.
  
• We can hear about what other groups or networks within N4W:AoNZ are doing - and maybe join in.
  
• For example, another network "First Impressions" which meets on Saturdays has decided to go to the Court Theatre's production of Some Brilliant things on Saturday, 4 May at 4pm.  You could also join in - just make your own booking - let me know, and we'll see you there. 
  

Basically, the First Fridays Network comes together because we can - on a Friday afternoon, once a month.