Book Club - new member wants to take over

[Airworld]

I’m just wondering what people think, although this hasn’t actually happened yet and what I’ve been told could be incorrect.

I’ve been in an informal book club based at my gym (national chain) since it started up two years ago by another member. The gym themselves have no involvement whatsoever.

A woman came along to a session (held 10am once a month) a few months ago and we’ve not seen her since, aside from around the gym. One of the gym staff attends and has just told me that this woman told her that she is going to take over hosting the group, the WhatsApp group, and as she has a lot of time on her hands she will be making it a formal group.

Apparently she was not impressed that we spend about 15-20 mins discussing that month’s book and the rest of the time chatting over coffee. We take it in turns to choose the next book. I must impress that this is a very informal group, everyone seems happy and they keep coming back.

If this was me I’d come along for a few months and basically ‘read the room’, maybe bring some book questions along and suggest we look at and discuss some and see what the reactions are etc?

We are so informal we don’t even have a host as such, I took over as admin of the WhatsApp when the original founder moved away. We have our next meeting this week and I’m just wondering how to respond if this woman does try to take over and dictate how we are run. I don’t think the other members will be thrilled somehow.

@BaconAndAvocado

Haha! Your group sounds like mine (would not have it any other way)· Some read the book, others don't always and one not at all (she has early dementia but is a friend and mum of one of the group!)

Sometimes we only remember to mention a book as we are leaving! We don't read the same book at the same time, we each choose a book and pass it on (except that some of us have audio). We have a great natter and often talk about films as one of us have various memberships, arrange theatre trips and recently have arranged our Christmas lunch out (this Friday, yay!).

Despite most of the others being retired we have trouble getting free dates for anything as they seem so busy!

Too serious and it would be joyless. I am glad it is kept to us 5 and no one else or the dynamics would change. Ditto not inviting any men.

Exactly the same thing happened with our poetry group.
Everyone lost enthusiasm for it when it was taken over by a new, loud and opinionated woman.

I wish I had taken the initiative now and not just let things drift.
It was 50% poetry and 50%friendly chat. Such a diverse group too. All ages and backgrounds, we probably wouldn’t have encountered each other in the normal run of life. It just made it that much harder though to get a general consensus about the invading woman.
0h well.