Members

I. RSVP’s

Signing up for an Event

i. Hosting. Everyone is asked to host in some capacity.

ii. Menu items. Each Member is asked to sign up to bring an entrėe (main dish) two to three times per year (depending on the group’s size and rotation), and Members should sign up for different menu categories each month so that each person can have an opportunity to bring a variety of menu items.

iii. Menu item protocol. Members are asked to bring generous portions for the quantity they signed up for, with their menu item fully cooked/prepared in a serving container with serving utensils, unless otherwise specified by the Event Host. Please do not ask the Host to use their oven or cook top.

iv. Invitations. Guests are invited in organized tiers.
Do not RSVP until you have received an invitation.
The first tier of invitations goes out to Members who have recently hosted and/or are scheduled to host.
The second tier of invitations goes out to current Members.
The third tier of invitations goes out to new guests, who are invited by that month’s host and the Group Chair.

v. Wait List. When the RSVP’s are full, Members will be able to sign up for the wait list. By signing up for the wait list, the Member agrees to be responsible for bringing whatever menu item opens (which could be the entrée).

vi. Cancellations. If you have RSVP’d for a menu item, you may cancel that item and sign up for another available item for up to 7 days of the event.*

vii. Drop-ins. RSVP’s are required. If you don’t RSVP with the item you are bringing within the respond by date, you may not attend the event/dinner.

* Cancellations & Promptness
Cancellations: If a Member must cancel within 7 days of the Dinner, they are expected to send the item that he or she signed up for with another Member or find a Member who has not already signed up to take his or her place. The Event Chair often puts a considerable amount of time and cost into planning the menu, table arrangements, centerpieces, seating, and place settings.

II. New Members

Inviting New Members

i. Group Chair & Event Chair must approve: With permission from both the Group Chair (see III) and the Event Chair (see IV), new Members may be invited.

ii. New Member Menu Item: The Member who invited the new Member is responsible for the Menu item the guest signs up for.

Full explanation
If the Group Chair is accepting new Members, and someone wants to invite a new guest, each guest must be approved by both the Group Chair and the person who is hosting that month. It is preferable that Members invite new guests on the month they are hosting. Otherwise please ask the Group Chair to talk to that month’s Event Chair about it. Please do not ask the Event Chair directly without the prior approval of the Group Chair. New Members add additional responsibilities to the Group Chair and to each subsequent Event Chair throughout the year, so it is up to the Group Chair to discern whether there are sufficient accommodations for a new Member and whether the Group Chair has the time to expand his or her responsibilities. The person who invited the new guest is responsible for the item the guest brings, so if the new guest cancels, the Member who invited the guest should bring the Menu item the guest committed to bring.

III. Group Chair Role

Responsibilities and Guidelines for Group Leaders

i. Decides on the Group’s demographics, if any, such as males, females, mixed, singles, marrieds, geographical boundaries or neighborhoods, interests or hobbies, professions, etc.

ii. Invites the initial guests

iii. Approves new members of their DinnerTwine Group

iv. Decides when the Group is closed to new Members

v. Decides if there are any limits on the Group’s size (ex. 12 Members max). If there is no maximum, then the Group Chair sets forth the minimum and maximum that each Event Chair can stipulate for their event.

vi. Decides/coordinates which week and which day of the week the group meets each month (ex. 1st Thursday of each month)

vii. Monitors Event Chair (host) signups for the year and reminds the Event Chairs (hosts) of their upcoming dinner/event

viii. Manages Group activity and interactions and makes any necessary decisions pertaining to the Group or its Members as needed.

ix. Enforces the rules of DinnerTwine for the Group’s order and benefit.

IV. Event Chair Role

Responsibilities and Guidelines for People Hosting an Event (an Event Chair)

i. Each Member of DinnerTwine should be an Event Chair (i.e. host an event) at least once a year (or more depending on the Group’s rotation).

ii. The Event Chair hosts the dinner and decides on that evening’s theme, providing the venue, tables and seating provisions, beverages and eating utensils.

iii. If the Group is an open group and does not have an established limit on the number of Members allowed in the Group, such as a 12 or 8 Member group, then the Event Host may state the maximum number of RSVP’s allowed for their dinner (within the parameter set by the Group Chair) when the invitation goes out. RSVP’s will close when the last slot is filled.

iv. If participation is low for a given event, the Group Chair shall consult with the Event Chair, and the Group Chair shall decide whether or not the Event should be canceled.

v. If the Event Chair (the host) needs to cancel within 7 days of the event, he or she must find another Member willing to host the Event. Failure to host on the day the Member signed up to host or to find an alternative venue for that day will result in immediate exclusion from the Group.

V. Privacy

Protecting Your Privacy
DinnerTwine does not give out phone numbers, email addresses or home addresses of Members except for a roster of guests which is given to the Event Host for the Event he or she is hosting. The roster includes information on each guest and the items he or she is bringing. Members of DinnerTwine may message other Members on the website and comment on their activity, but spamming activity is prohibited.