FAQs
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Frequently Asked Questions about the Laughing Cat
When and where do you meet?
We meet at 6:30pm on the 2nd and 4th Thursday of the month at the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church.
TVUUC is located at 2931 Kingston Pike, and we meet in Room B - the second room past the fire doors down the hallway. (There is usually a greeter in the lobby area who will be glad to assist you if you need help finding us.)
Some months (usually November and December) there will be only one meeting
(on the 2nd Thursday). Our Scheduled Topics page
has the latest schedule of meetings.
How long do meetings last?
Meetings generally last for about 2 hours, although some folks often shift the discussion to a local coffee house or restaurant and chat well beyond that. It's also not unusual for someone to come in a bit late, or to leave a bit early because of jobs, child care, transportation arrangements, or previous commitments.
What are the meetings like?
Our meetings are very informal - we have a starting topic or activity that
we work with for however long interest lasts. After that, we let the conversation
and questions go where they will (within reason). Reasonable questions are
always welcome, and sometimes the specific interests of the folks on a particular
evening will shift our topics quite a bit from the planned route.
We share our own experiences and thoughts, sometimes we agree and sometimes
we disagree, but we usually end up learning something along the way. And generally
we have a lot of fun - most of our regulars enjoy jokes, puns and occasional
tall tales, so you can expect to have a good laugh as well.
How much does it cost?
There is no cost involved in attending the Laughing Cat, although we do welcome treats for the snack table, or a donation to the “kitty” for activity supplies.
How do I sign up/register?
The Laughing Cat is an open forum; there are no requirements other than common
courtesy, and no applications other than showing up.
What is the Laughing Cat email list for?
The Laughing Cat email list is an announcement-only forum for notices about
Laughing Cat events, and for information about meeting topics. There are usually
two reminder notices sent for each meeting, one about 5 days before the meeting,
and one about a day before.
Some topics have articles or other information available. These articles (usually
2 to 5, each sent in a separate post) are sometimes from a variety of viewpoints,
and we never require anyone to read them to participate - they are simply
to share perspectives on the topic in a way that lets us kill fewer trees
than having lots of handouts at meetings.
If I can't come to meetings, can I still be on the email list?
Of course! While the list is intended for meeting regulars, it is open for
anyone who finds the material useful. It should be kept in mind, however,
that the articles are intended for discussion and debate - not everything
that is posted is from a generally accepted source.
How old do I have to be to attend meetings?
There are no specific age limitations for participation, although we have
asked younger teens to bring a parent when they attend.
I have a small child; can I bring them to the meetings?
We have had children of various ages attend meetings with their parents. Generally,
however, most young folks find our conversations to be rather boring - and
our discussions can go into areas that may not be appropriate for younger
ears.
While we leave it to individuals to determine what is appropriate for their
family, we ask parents to remember that this is an adult forum, and we reserve
the right to ask parents to remove their children from the area if they disrupt
the meeting in any way.
What's the starting topic for the next meeting?
Starting topics are updated quarterly, and are posted to the Laughing Cat
email list, and to the web site here. Past topics
are also available here.
I have an idea for a topic . . .
If you have an idea for a topic - or if there is a past topic that you'd like
us feature again - let us know at a Laughing Cat meeting, or drop us a note
at laughingcat@gate.net.
Are you a "real" class or just a study group?
The Laughing Cat isn't really either one - it's a discussion group and workshop forum. We do sometimes have guest speakers and sometimes topics work though a related or progressive series for a time, but our main purpose is simply providing a forum for discussing and working with topics related to various forms of Paganism and to Traditional Initiatory Witchcraft paths.
There are occasional in-depth workshops or other related forums scheduled. These are usually announced at regular meetings when they are available.
If you would like more information, email laughingcat@gate.net.