A Discussion Group, more informal than a SIG and charging no dues, assists NSN members in contacting other members who share a common storytelling interest. You must be a member of NSN to join a Discussion Group.
How to Form a Discussion Group:
Step 1: Discussion Group organizers send a written request to the NSN Board stating the name of the Discussion Group, a description of its purpose, and the name, email, and phone number of the contact person.
Step 2: NSN Board reviews the request to see if it a) overlaps the purpose of another Discussion Group; b) is consistent with the mission of NSN; and c) jeopardizes the legal or financial status of NSN.
Step 3: If the request meets these criteria, existence of the Discussion Group will be posted on Storynet.org and on the Storytell listserv.
How are SIGs and Discussion Groups Related?
A Discussion Group may elect to change into a SIG if its members want a more formal structure and more services from NSN. SIGs may elect to change into Discussion Groups if they cannot maintain a membership level of 20 NSN members for a period of one year or if they want a less formal structure.