Discussion Groups and Local Clubs

The Objectivist Center is happy to provide assistance to independent campus and community Objectivist discussion clubs.

Please note: The Center neither officially endorses, nor attempts to control, the activities or statements of local clubs. Because they are completely autonomous groups — and not "chapters" or "affiliates" that publicly represent the Center — TOC keeps its relationships with local organizations informal, independent, and unofficial. Of course, the Center reserves the right to associate with groups or not on a case-by-case basis, as we determine whether a continuing relationship with a particular group serves our mutual interests.

Among the services that the Center will perform for local Objectivist groups:

1. PUBLIC ADVERTISING. As a first step, we will include your organization in the public database of Objectivist discussion groups here on our Web site. This searchable database will help other Objectivists in your area find you and participate in your activities. Also, we provide an Objectivist Discussion Group Events Calendar, a section of the groups database searchable by month, state, country, and keyword. It is regularly updated and includes descriptions for both past and future events. If you'd like to be included in the database and have your events included in the calendar section, please send to TOC, clubs@objectivistcenter.org, all relevant information:

• the exact name of your group
• its purposes and a description of its activities
• approximate number of members
• dues (if any)
• contact information (e. g., your contact person's name, phone and fax number, addresses for mail, e-mail, and Web site)
• meeting places and dates

Please send us frequent updates on your meetings, programs, and progress.

2. HELP IN FINDING NEW MEMBERS. The Center can put you in contact with TOC members and other Objectivists in your area who may be interested in participating with your club. For privacy reasons, TOC cannot send to you the names of people on our mailing list. However, we can contact people on our mailing list who live in zip codes that you specify, and tell them about your group. To do this, we'll photocopy, address, and mail out to those people an introductory letter provided by you or we can email the announcement. The cost for this service is only one dollar per name mailed. Please allow seven to ten business days for your request to be processed. If you are interested, please contact TOC (phone: 800-374-1776; e-mail: clubs@objectivistcenter.org).

3. PRACTICAL ADVICE.

Please see the interview with Marsha Enright titled, "How to Run an Objectivist Salon," posted on this site. Marsha offers many tips on organizing and maintaining an Objectivist discussion group, based on her extremely successful Chicago club, the New Intellectual Forum.

4. FREE LITERATURE. We also wish to expose broader audiences to the full range and quality of our tapes, publications, and other offerings. As you develop your group, we'd be happy to supply each of your members with a copy of our Objectivism Store catalog, our new Summer Seminar brochure, and a free copy of Navigator, our monthly publication. Simply let us know how many of each item you'd like, and we'll send them out to you, free of charge.

5. PERMISSION TO PLAY IOS/TOC TAPES AT YOUR PUBLIC MEETINGS. As a further aid to your club programs, TOC can grant you permission to play taped lectures and taped courses from past TOC events at your club meetings. Contact TOC at clubs@objectivistcenter.org to obtain permission.

Audiocassettes featuring outstanding speakers on a wide variety of topics are available through our Objectivism Store catalog, and we add to these offerings regularly.

6. Navigator. A complementary subscription to Navigator for the club leader.

7. YOUR FEEDBACK. Finally, we're always open to your specific ideas and requests. Don't hesitate to contact us on any issue in which we can better serve your needs and interests. Once again, direct your comments or questions to TOC at clubs@objectivistcenter.org.