The preliminary idea would be that a bunch of people (the tribe) meet regularly (~monthly) to learn something. The format of the meeting would be that a participant with experience would show the others the ropes. This could include a presentation, a demonstration, and perhaps some project if possible. Next time, it would be someone else in some other place. Naturally, it would be possible to making "continuing series" that build upon previous "lessons".
Of things I could imagine:
- Rendering lard -> Making soap from scratch
- Smelting waste metal -> Aluminum cast
- Complete bicycle teardowns and reassemble -> Hacking bicycles
- Soil mixing, composting, indoor gardening
- How to fix broken tech and flip it on ebay
- Changing oil and rotating tires -> Replacing brake pads
(*) ERE meetups in general have been of the hanging-out variety. What I'm exploring here are meetups that focus on finishing a particular project.
If any of the above sounds highfalutin, what I'm really talking about is just a "study group for all things of potential practical [renaissance man] relevance" and the main question is how to arrange for this?
I imagine starting with a small local group (sourced here on the forum) of founding members. Each member should have something to contribute (as defined above). Perhaps we can finish with a potluck but unlike regular ERE meetups, the goal is to "get something done". Also, it will be hosted at the member's/presenter's home or wherever is appropriate (e.g. sailing would take place on the water).
I suspect it's a good idea to make it somewhat exclusive/harder to "get in" to avoid people showing up once or whenever it's convenient according to their schedule. I don't want this to be a "consumable experience" where people pick and choose passively. Rather I'm thinking that it should be a collaborative learning experience where someone has something to teach/show and others want to learn.
As such, maybe invite-only for new members [by existing members] might be the way to go?! In particular, maybe it should be required for new members to teach/demonstrate something on their first meetup. However, while I think it's good to somehow set a barrier on entry, I'm not sure whether this is the best approach. I'm sort of trying to replicate the structure of a lodge (I'm not a member of a lodge) where they have rituals that require too much effort for the posers ... but I'm not sure what it should be for something like this.
So my question is: Can this be done? Is it viable?