More on Choosing a Public Meeting Place

If you want to call a public meeting, most cities have rooms or auditoriums in libraries, schools or community centers. Government buildings are usually free and you can call the "facilities management" office of the city or county government, or the mayor's office for information about rooms and auditoriums for public use.

Universities have excellent facilities, including auditoriums that students and faculty members can often use free of charge. Other nonprofit groups or churches will sometimes rent facilities at a reasonable rate. Hotels also have meeting rooms for rent.

Search a school's website for a student organization that might like to co-sponsor a Journey for Justice public meeting with you. Find a faculty member with interest in the issue. Criminal justice and chemical dependency professors are obvious people you might contact. Educational institutions often have excellent facilities.

To use a civic building or school, you will have to fill out paperwork. Very Important! An approved application or permit should be in hand before you begin to publicize the event. It could take several weeks to get an application approved, especially if it has to be submitted to and approved by a council or governing body. If you are denied a permit, politely ask exactly why. Appeal any unsupported denial immediately to higher authorities.

You will want to inspect the facility you plan to use. It should be clean, large enough to hold the audience you expect to attract -- not empty. I's better to err on the side of not having enough space as opposed to an empty looking large room. Is it accessible to the handicapped with good parking, and in a convenient area where people you have invited can move with ease?

You will need to publish exact driving directions, and depending on your area, driving directions from a multitude of directions. You must also know bus routes and any other mass transit instructions. All of this information can be posted on the website. General, but good instructions, should be published on any flyers and for the newspaper event listings.