Meeting Via Zoom
30 June 2020
The world has changed thanks to Covid 19 and chapter meetings, conferences and other meet ups have had to be cancelled while we’ve all been in lockdown but some RNA members have been making use of Zoom to have virtual meet ups. Lin Treadgold was pleasantly suprised to discover how easy using Zoom is and has written us a short post about the Exeter Chapter Zoom Meet Up. Over to you, Lin!
I admit I’m a bit of a computer technophobe. When Zoom was first announced, it sounded daunting. I put off looking at it for several weeks. Jean Fullerton sent out a mail encouraging RNA Chapters to join Zoom. I knew the dreaded download was inevitable if I was to continue with Exeter Chapter meetings. We had all been apart far too long. We needed each other.
On 10 June I set the time to meet at 01.30pm. The ‘dreaded meeting’ turned out to be a great success. Three of the members found it difficult to get online, but after a while, they were encouraged to click on the link on Facebook Chapter page, and all was well. I sat, all morning, feeling apprehensive that the first-ever Zoom meeting was not going to work. Would I end up apologising to everyone?
However, after logging in at the correct time and date, we finally met up. Yes, it was that easy! All I had to do was accept the person waiting to come into the room, and there they were. When you reach my age, everything to do with technology is a daunting prospect.
We had nine members join us, including Jean Fullerton, and as this was our first meeting, we chatted about what we wanted from Zoom in the future. Zoom kindly gave us unlimited time to talk, and that’s exactly what we did. Lots of chatting and discussion of all things about writing. It was fantastic to see our newest members joining us, and we even had Lizzie Lamb as our special guest calling all the way from Leicester. Lizzie had asked me about Zoom and also decided to try it as well. As an experiment, she joined our meeting and loved every moment. Look out Leicester Chapter!
Zoom can provide a wealth of social activities. We have all promised to bring wine next time and have a virtual wine bar. We are now working on ideas for future meetings. A quiz? Book reviews? The list is long.
If anyone is interested in bringing Zoom to your Chapter, I’m happy to help. I would certainly recommend it as all our members are back together after three months of lockdown. Fantastic concept. Please mail me for further support. lin.treadgold@yahoo.co.uk Don’t miss the fun.
Lin is the group organiser for the Romantic Novelists’ Association, Exeter Chapter, and enjoys art, photography, and wildlife. After sailing around the world in her youth, she has acquired plenty of life experiences to assist with her future novels. For more information about the author and her work visit.
