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MEMBERSHIP
NEWSLETTER
EVENTS
MEMBERSHIP
- What
are the criteria for membership?
You must be a woman who lives in San Francisco and is expecting a child
or has at least one child younger than 5 years old. Our organization is
intended solely to support mothers and to explore the issues that arise
in motherhood.
- What
does it cost and how is the money spent?
Both our initial and renewal fees are $75 for membership for one year.
This covers the administrative and operating expenses of our group
including various programs such as educational, kids activities, social
events, Just For Moms events, playgroups, newsletter and more. We also
pay a monthly fee per member to our online service provider, BigTent,
who handles our roster, calendar, and event payments. Any credit card
charges made to GGMG will be listed on your statement as "BigTent".
- Can
I pay by check?
We STRONGLY
urge our members to make payments with a credit card because we receive
the contents of our mailbox every two weeks and your account may expire
between visits. If you are renewing your membership and your account
expires between visits to the mailbox, you could experience an
interruption in your newsletter delivery. If you wish to send a check,
it should have the name that you joined GGMG with (if not, please write
it on the check) so that we can easily update your account. Send the
check to:
Golden Gate Mothers Group
PO Box 475866
San Francisco CA 94147
- What
are the benefits of joining GGMG?
We have so many! We host a general meeting once a month on a topic that
is important to our members, and we publish a fantastic newsletter 10
times a year. We provide an opportunity for you to join a playgroup
with your child and we have an online forum where you can communicate
via email with other members about the joys and pains of motherhood in
SF. We host several annual family events and many Moms-only events
during the year. We schedule fun and entertaining events for members
and their children in the city several times a month. But the most
important benefit is we have over 3700 members who have pledged to
support you and each other as mothers.
- How
do I join?
Go to our Membership
page and submit your name and
email address to start the process. You will receive an email
invitation to complete an application. Once you've submitted your
application, it will be reviewed for approval. Once your application is
approved, you will receive an email from BigTent inviting you to
activate your membership.
- How
do I renew my membership?
You will receive a renewal invite 60 days prior to the expiration of
your membership. BigTent will also send two renewal reminders. Just
follow the instructions for renewal.
- When
does my membership expire?
- Click on “my big tent” on the black banner at the
top of the page then select “settings”.
- To the left, you'll see several items to choose from. Click on
“membership info”.
Under “Golden Gate Mothers Group” you will see the
date your membership will expire
- How
do I get a membership card?
You will be mailed a membership card after joining GGMG, and after
renewing. Cards are mailed out at the beginning of every month (if you
join or renew early in the month you can expect your card the following
month).
If you lose your card, you can request a replacement card by submitting
a support case at BigTent
Help.
Please note that there
is a $15 charge for replacement cards.
- What
do I do if I want to end my membership?
Contact our Membership Committee chair so she can convince you to stay!
If, however, you do wish to end your membership, you can contact our
Membership Committee Chair at membership@ggmg.org
and she will remove you from our roster. You will no longer receive our
newsletter and all group benefits will be terminated. We do not refund
any membership fees.
- I
joined, but I'm moving out of San Francisco. Can I remain in GGMG?
Absolutely. While our meetings and almost all of our activities for
children, mothers, and families are based in San Francisco, we do have
members who continue their membership for our very informative online
forum and newsletter. You will still continue to receive our newsletter
only if you reside in the United States. If you should move outside of
the United States, you may pay the additional shipping cost to continue
to receive the newsletter.
- Can
I use my membership for professional purposes?
We at GGMG take our members' privacy very seriously. As such, we
currently do not allow members to have access to the personal
information of other members. You must agree to a legally binding
agreement when you apply that you will not use any member information
you many gain through our forum or playgroups (names, addresses, email
addresses, phone numbers, etc.) for commercial purposes, which means
you cannot use member information to benefit your business, a family
business, a friend's business, or ANY business you have a direct or
indirect interest in. Further, ALL member information, both personal
and anything posted on our forum, is confidential and legally owned by
GGMG and for the personal use of members only. You may not solicit
other GGMG members. GGMG reserves the right to suspend or terminate
your membership for any violation of this policy.
- How
do I find a particular group member?
Want to find someone and send them an email?
Depending on your groups' privacy levels, you can click on "my groups"
in the upper black banner and choose your group from the drop down menu.
Under the group name, you'll see a tab titled members.
Click on members and then search by your friend's name. When you find
them, click on the profile picture and it will take you to their
profile page where you'll find their email address. Or, from this page,
you can send them "Tent Mail".
NEWSLETTER
- When
should I expect my newsletter?
Our very popular newsletter contains articles, advice, events, and
other club news. We print ten newsletters a year; July/August and
December/January are double-issues. We print the newsletter at the end
of the month so it is ready to mail in the beginning of the next month.
Depending on when you paid your dues, you will receive the next or
following month's newsletter. Past issues of newsletters are available online.
To change your delivery address, sign into www.bigtent.com,
click on Settings, then Contact Info, then Add a New Address; once
you've entered the new address, click Set Primary to make that your
primary mailing address. For other delivery problems, please email membership@ggmg.org.
- How
do I advertise in the newsletter?
Members are permitted free classified
advertising
for such things as inquiring about a nanny or selling an item with a
small monetary value (like a stroller). The newsletter accepts
advertising from outside sources, and you can view our ad rates here.
(Members do not receive discounts on our advertising rates.)
- Can
I submit an article to the newsletter?
Absolutely! Our Newsletter Committee is always looking for members to
participate in writing articles for the newsletter. Please read our newsletter
article guidelines and let the
committee know you are interested!
EVENTS
- How
do I find an event?
There are several different ways to view events for the calendar.
1) When you first log in, you're immediately taken to your "what's new"
tab under "my bigtent." To your left, you'll see a box called "Upcoming
Events". This list will be integrated to include upcoming events for
each group you are a part of. You can click on the title to be taken to
the event and read more.
2) The second way to view events is to look under your Group's name, by
clicking on "my groups" from the black banner. The bottom left of your
group's "buzz" page will display upcoming events. You can click on
"view all" to see a more comprehensive list.
3) The third way to view events is to click on your group's name under
"my groups" listed in the upper black banner. Once inside your group,
click on the "events" tab. You'll see featured events on the left, and
upcoming events on the right. If you click on "View my calendar" you'll
see an integrated calendar of all events for all groups you are a part
of.
- How
do I register for a GGMG event?
Sign into BigTent,
go to My Groups > Golden Gate Mothers Group > Events.
Click on the title of the event you want to attend. Events with a
calendar icon next to their titles have an RSVP. Under event details,
select how you want to RSVP and click Process RSVP.
- If the
event costs money, you will be required to pay with a credit card at
the time you RSVP.
- GGMG
does not offer refunds if you change your RSVP. If you're unable to
attend, you may sell your space using the GGMG classifieds.
- For
free events, please fill your space if you're unable to attend as a
courtesy to fellow members and the participating venues.
- How
do I pay for a GGMG event that requires payment?
At the time you RSVP, you will be asked for your credit card
information to pay for the event.
- How
do I find out which events I've successfully registered for?
To see your events, sign into BigTent,
go to My Calendar, and pick the month that you want to view. All events
are shown on the calendar, and the ones you have registered for are
outlined in RED.
This is also a good way to go through all the month's events - you can
see everything available, click on whatever you want and register right
then and there.
- I
signed up for an event, but now I can't go. How do I cancel?
Sign into BigTent,
go to My Calendar, and find the event in question. Click on the event
and choose Change RSVP. We do not provide refunds, but feel free to
find another member who is willing to take your place and pay you for
your spot; you can do this by posting to the Classifieds. Please inform
the event organizer of any of these cancellations or swaps so they know
whom to expect at the event.
- Can
my caregiver bring my child to a GGMG Kids Activity?
In general, caregivers including fathers, nannies and grandparents, are
invited to bring members' children to GGMG Kids Activities events. Each
caregiver may bring up to two children. The exceptions are New Moms
events, which are limited to GGMG members and their very young infants.
However, attendance at GGMG Social Events (the large weekend events
including the Easter Egg Hunt, Halloween Party and Summer Fair) is
limited to members and their immediate families.
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PLAYGROUPS
WEBSITE
& BIGTENT
GGMG's online
community and forums are hosted by BigTent.
After signing in, select Golden Gate Mothers Group from the "my groups"
dropdown at the top of the page. Then you can access GGMG's Forums,
Events, Reviews, Classifieds, Files, and more.
Email
FAQs
Forum
FAQs
Classifieds
FAQs
Miscellanous
FAQs
PLAYGROUPS
- My
baby is too little to play. Why should I join a playgroup?
Playgroups are designed with the mother in mind, so that she has her
own small support system and resource within our large club. And they
are organized according to a variety of factors including the child's
birthday, your neighborhood, your work status, etc so the mothers are
experiencing the same thing at about the same time. Our playgroups are
a wonderful way to establish yourself with a small group of women whose
primary goal is to support one another through the challenges of
motherhood. If you have additional questions, email playgroups@ggmg.org.
- I
only want to join a playgroup. Do I have to be a member?
Yes. Organizing playgroups for our members is one of the many benefits
of our organization and you must become a member to receive this
benefit.
- How
do I join a playgroup?
All GGMG members now have the ability to join a playgroup online. Just
go to ggmg.org/groups.php,
find the group you would like to join and click on the group's name.
You will then be taken to BigTent to complete the registration process.
More information on joining a playgroup can be found on our Playgroups page.
- How
do I leave a playgroup?
If you are finding that your playgroup is just not right for you, you
can choose to leave at any time. To do so, sign into BigTent
and go to 'Settings'. In the left-hand column choose 'Membership Info'.
You will then be presented with a list of groups you belong to. Find
the group you would like to leave and click 'Leave group'. You might
also want to send a note to your playgroup leader letting them know you
have decided to leave the group.
- What
if I want a playgroup based on something other than age?
If you are interested in, or would like to facilitate a playgroup based
upon criteria other than the age of your child (e.g. ethnicity,
religion, neighborhood, single moms, first time moms over 40, adoptive
moms, etc) be sure to check out the list of existing special interest
playgroups. If you don't see a
group that matches your criteria, send us an email at playgroups@ggmg.org
with your specific request and we would be happy to create a new group
for you.
WEBSITE
& BIGTENT
Email
- How
do I stop the emails?!?
- Click on “my big tent” on the black banner at the
top of the page then select “settings”.
- To the left, you'll see several tabs to choose from. Click on
“email options”.
- Under Forums, check all the forums listed and change "Change
Notification to" Web Only, than click Save.
- Under Classifieds, check No and make sure the other options are
unchecked, then click Save.
- Under BigTent Blink, choose "Do Not Send", then click Save.
- Under Personal, set Bookmarks to "None", uncheck other options, then
click Save.
After that, you should no longer receive any BigTent emails.
You are still able to view the forums, classifieds, etc., online, and
you can change these settings at any time.
- How
do I change the type frequency of emails I'm receiving from BigTent?
You can change your email settings at any time:
1) Click on “my big tent” on the black banner at
the top of the page then select “settings”.
2) To the left, you'll see several tabs to choose from. Click on
“email options”.
3) Under “My Email Options” you can select each
category that generates emails and customize how you want to be
notified.
4) Click on “Forums” and you may change your
preference to:
-None, hidden: you will not see this forum in BigTent or receive any
emails from it.
-Web Only - you will not receive any emails from this forum but you can
view the forum in BigTent.
-Summarize in Blink - the Blink is like an electronic digest that comes
to your email box on the days and times you specify in the next tab to
the left "BigTent Blink"
-Email Daily Message Digest (topics only) - an electronic summary of
forum postings listed for the day or every 25 posts on the forum - you
can click on any post to read more on it. Comments are not included in
the digest but can be viewed online.
-Email Daily Message Digest (topics and comments) - an electronic
summary of forum postings AND comments listed for the day or every 25
posts on the forum - you can click on any post to read more on it (this
means that the topic will be included in the digest as often as it is
commented on)
-Email Every Topic (Comments web Only) - This option will send you
emails of all the original forum topics. If you want to read the
responses, or comments, you'll have to log into the site
-Email Every Message and Comment - This option will send you every
original forum topic and the comments connected to it.
5) Click on “Classifieds” and you may choose
whether you want to receive an email for every classified posting, a
daily digest, or nothing. You may also specify if you want to receive
emails if a classified listing meets a keyword based criteria you
select.
6) Click on BigTentBlink to turn this update on or off.
7) Click on "Email Format" to specifiy your preferred email format.
Visit BigTent
Help here for more detailed
instructions on changing your email settings.
- I
am not receiving some emails. Why?
Emails may end up in your SPAM folder. You might want to modify your
SPAM filter to accept any email with BigTent in the sender name and/or
add the email aliases to your contacts: ggmg_general@lists.bigtent.com,
ggmg_caregiver@lists.bigtent.com, ggmg_classifieds@lists.bigtent.com,
no_reply@lists.bigtent.com. Also, anonymous posts are currently
moderated; the message you were looking for may still be in the queue
for moderation, or may not have been approved because it did not adhere
to the forum's
policies. Occasionally there are
also the usual delivery problems associated with email.
- How
do I change my email address in the online forums?
Your primary and sign-in email address is the address you use to sign
in to your BigTent group as well as the email address at which you
receive group announcements and forum messages.
To change your primary email address:
- Click on “my big tent” on the black banner at the
top of the page then select “settings”.
Click "personal info," then click "change" next to your email address.
- Click "Add another email address" and enter your new email address in
the box. Click "Add."
- An email will be sent to your new address so that you can verify it.
(Please note: The email comes from no_reply@lists.bigtent.com, so
please check your spam or junk folder if you have difficulty finding
it.)
- Click the link provided in the confirmation email to verify your new
address. You'll be taken to back to your BigTent "settings" page.
- Click "make primary" next to your new email address. You'll need to
enter your password for security reasons.
- Once you add a new primary email address, you'll also have the option
to remove your old email address. Remember that after you change your
primary email address, you'll need to use this address to sign in to
BigTent.
Forums
- How
do I post to a forum?
We have two forums: one for General Parenting questions, and one for
Caregiver-related topics (nannies, babysitters, etc.). We have a
separate section for Classifieds and business Reviews, so do not post
items for sale or wanted to the General Parenting or Caregiver forums.
For more information see: What can I post to the
online
forums?
There are several different ways to post to the forums.
1) Open the "Quicklinks" menu on the right-hand side of the page and
select "Start a topic". Check the appropriate forum for your post
(choose only one), type in your topic and message, and click Post
Topic. Your message will be posted online and e-mailed to members who
receive postings via email.
2) Or you can click on the "forums" tab. (If you don't see the "forums"
tab, click on "my groups" in the black banner at the top of the page
and select "Golden Gate Mothers Group".) Click the blue "Start a Topic"
box. Check the appropriate forum for your post, type in your topic and
message, and click Post Topic. Your message will be posted online and
emailed to members who receive postings via email.
3) Or you can post via email. Questions for the General Parenting
forums should be sent to ggmg_general@lists.bigtent.com.
Caregiver-related messages should be sent to ggmg_caregivers@lists.bigtent.com.
Your message will be posted online and e-mailed to members who receive
postings via email.
- Can
I post to the forums via email?
Yes, you can. Questions for the General Parenting forums should be sent
to ggmg_general@lists.bigtent.com.
Caregiver-related messages should be sent to ggmg_caregivers@lists.bigtent.com.
Your message will be posted online and emailed to members who receive
postings via email.
- How
do I create a bookmark to follow a conversation I am interested in?
You can follow any topic you find interesting, or any classified
listing, calendar event, or journal entry by bookmarking it.
To do this, for instance, find a topic you want to read. Once you're in
the post, at the top, in a blue link, you'll see "Bookmark Now..."
Once you've added the bookmark, go to your "What's New" page by
clicking on "my bigtent" in the upper right hand side of the black
banner. Here you'll find a box to the right that includes "quicklinks"
as well as a list of any bookmarked items that have been updated.
You can also see any bookmarked items that have new activity by
clicking on "bookmarks" under "my bigtent".
Forum topics you start are automatically bookmarked.
- How
do I post a private comment to a forum topic?
Want to post a comment to the author of a forum topic or anonymous post
and not reveal your identity to the group?
You can do this by posting a private comment that will only reveal your
identity to the author of the forum topic.
To do this follow these steps:
- Sign into BigTent and go to "my groups" in the black bar at the top.
Next, click on the name of your group.
- Click the "forums" tab and click the topic you wish to comment on.
- Go to the comment box, enter your comment and check the box
underneath it labeled "Private Comment". Click the "Post Comment"
button.
Your comment will only be viewable by the author of the topic and
yourself.
- What
can I post in the forums?
We have two forums: one for General Parenting questions, and one for
Caregiver-related topics (nannies, babysitters, etc.). Please post to
the most appropriate forum only.
We have a separate section for Classifieds, so do not post items for
sale or wanted to the General Parenting or Caregiver forums.
Our online forums are an excellent way to communicate with other
members, but we do have strict
guidelines
governing our online forums because of the high number of messages.
When you joined GGMG, you agreed to adhere to our forum policies. We
reserve the right to suspend or terminate your participation in the
online forum, or your membership with GGMG, due to violations of these
policies. We reserve the right to change our policies at any time.
- How
do I search the forums?
Click on the Forums tab; the search box is at the top. You can search
all forums or just a particular forum, topics only or topics and
comments, and filter by screen name/e-mail address or date. Note that
Classifieds and Reviews have their own tabs, which you would browse or
search separately.
- Why
hasn't my forum posting shown up yet?
Posts that are submitted anonymously are moderated and must be approved
before they appear on BigTent. Normally postings are reviewed and
accepted within 24 hours. If, after 24 hours, your posting does not
appear, please review our forum
policies,
and if you have any questions please contact webmaster@ggmg.org.
Classifieds
- How
do I post an item for sale in the Classifieds listings?
- Click on the "classifieds" tab. (If you don't see the "classifieds"
tab, click on "my groups" in the black banner at the top of the page
and select "Golden Gate Mothers Group".) then click "add listing".
- Add the listing type, category, title, and description.
- Add optional information such as price, location, your contact info,
notification options, listing expiration, and sharing with other
groups.
- Click "Add more details" to add photos, condition, payment
information, and tags.
- Click "Add listing".
- You can edit any of the information on your listing at a later date.
However, once your listing has posted, you can move the expiration date
to today or to three or seven days from now. By default, listings are
active for 30 days. However, you can select an active time period
between two and 60 days when creating your listing.
You may also post a Classifieds listing via email by sending an email
to ggmg_classifieds@lists.bigtent.com.
The subject line will become the title of your post. Be sure to include
the name and description of the item, the listing type (e.g., for sale,
for trade, looking to borrow, etc.), and the price (if applicable) in
the body of your message. Your post will appear in your group's
Classifieds area in the category "mixed bag".
- How
do I find items for sale or wanted to buy?
There are several ways to search or monitor the classifieds listings:
1) You can search by keyword or listing type by clicking on the
“classifieds” tab. (If you don’t see the
“classifieds” tab, click on “my
groups” in the black banner at the top of the page and select
“Golden Gate Mothers Group”.) then click "search
& browse”.
2)If you can't find a specific item you're looking for, use
BigTent’s notification system to ping you when it becomes
available.
- Click on “my big tent” on the black banner at the
top of the page then select “settings”.
- To the left, you'll see several tabs to choose from. Click on
“email options”.
- Under ‘My Email Options” click
‘Classifieds:
- Enter keywords for the item you're seeking in the field provided.
- Click ‘Save”
- You can then choose to get updates via email, in your Blink, or on
BigTent when a matching listing is posted.
3)You can also daily digest of classifieds listings.
- Click on “my big tent” on the black banner at the
top of the page then select “settings”.
- To the left, you'll see several tabs to choose from. Click on
“email options”.
- Under ‘My Email Options” click
‘Classifieds”
- Check the box to receive the daily digest
- Click "Save”.
4)To receive every new classifieds listing via email at the time it's
posted.
- Click on “my big tent” on the black banner at the
top of the page then select “settings”.
- To the left, you'll see several tabs to choose from. Click on
“email options”.
- Under ‘My Email Options” click
‘Classifieds”
- Check the box to receive an email for every new listing
- Click "Save."
Miscellanous
- HELP!
I can't sign in!
If you forgot your password, click the "Forgot Password" link on the BigTent
sign in page. If you still have problems signing into BigTent, go to www.bigtent.com/help
or e-mail support@bigtent.com.
- How
do I add a picture and update my profile page?
To update your profile, and add information for your administrator and
group members to see, click on "my bigtent" in the upper left hand
corner of the black banner and then choose
“settings.”
To your left, you'll see several tabs with information that can be
updated or added.
Profile picture 1 is the picture of you that is going to be represented
next to all your postings and calendar RSVPs. To add a picture, click
on "change." If you choose "Flickr" you can find some pre-loaded
pictures by keyword (called tags here) and use them as your
representative picture. - If you click on Upload, you can find a
picture on your computer and upload it. Once it's uploaded, it appears
below the upload box. You'll need to be sure to click on it to make
sure it is selected as your picture. You can also choose a picture from
the web by clicking on that option.
If you fill in "About Me" information, this will be found on your
profile for all members to read about you. Same with interest tags and
affiliation tags (Think of the word tag as the more commonly used word
"keyword").
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