I'm a young adult Catholic who lives in Northern Virginia. I have several friends and one family member who went through the Little Dates Club program. The organizers are very intent on marketing it, and it is a very creative and sincere idea. But it was a disaster for nearly everyone I've met who's gone through the program.
It is true that male participants receive nine phone numbers, but this can also lead to problematic situations. As mentioned above, one male participant put all of the girls' numbers he received in a group chat together to "vet" them all at once in a very demeaning manner; two of my friends were in this group chat (they reported him to the organizers, and he was removed).
Regardless of the feedback participants have provided, the organizers are still marketing the Little Dates Club as a "success." This is not to disparage the organizers at all; they are very devout and thoughtful moms who are looking to remedy a dysfunctional dating environment that seems to be inherent in NOVA. But there's a flip side to the Little Dates Club story: The program has had very little success. If anything, it just added to my single friends' list of uncomfortable dates.
Thank you for your comment. They are sorry some of your friends feel it was uncomfortable. The goal of the club is to help people encounter each other as a gift and make new connections, wherever God may lead them. This club is just one way for young adult Catholics to meet one another, and there are many other ways. ( That fellow you mentioned above, despite being reminded twice not to send a group text, did so anyway. They addressed the situation immediately, as you mentioned. Everyone in this club is an adult, and not everyone is going to follow the guidelines they have laid out.)
The club is trying to add structure and guidelines around going on dates, and it hopes to help people be more open and to encounter Christ in another person, through a simple date. In terms of success, the goal is to help normalize going on dates. In the first three sessions, over 1300 new connections were made, aside from second and third dates and beyond, relationships that have developed, and a few engagements (not bad for the first year, and it doesn't seem like a disaster). The program is growing every session; they have more and more participants each time, and many repeat participants as well. That session last summer was a pilot program, and since then they have incorporated feedback at each step along the way and continue to offer formation for participants to help them on their dating journey. Everyone is on a journey, and the founders continue to pray for all participants, past, present, and future, including your family member and your friends who participated. They hope all is well for them.
I would be interested in finding out if the organizers of the Little Date Club could share their format, advice. Do they have a book/pamphlet or website? It seems like a good idea and something that can be reproduced in other places.
Thank you for your interest. Yes, the organizers would be happy to share their format and resources. There has been interest from Sacramento, New Orleans, Alabama, Los Angeles, and Mexico, so they are currently forming a nonprofit so that people in other locales can begin chapters in their own cities. The best way to reach them is at the following email address: LittleDatesClub@gmail.com . They would be happy to talk with you and to share resources. They look forward to being in touch.
I'm a young adult Catholic who lives in Northern Virginia. I have several friends and one family member who went through the Little Dates Club program. The organizers are very intent on marketing it, and it is a very creative and sincere idea. But it was a disaster for nearly everyone I've met who's gone through the program.
It is true that male participants receive nine phone numbers, but this can also lead to problematic situations. As mentioned above, one male participant put all of the girls' numbers he received in a group chat together to "vet" them all at once in a very demeaning manner; two of my friends were in this group chat (they reported him to the organizers, and he was removed).
Regardless of the feedback participants have provided, the organizers are still marketing the Little Dates Club as a "success." This is not to disparage the organizers at all; they are very devout and thoughtful moms who are looking to remedy a dysfunctional dating environment that seems to be inherent in NOVA. But there's a flip side to the Little Dates Club story: The program has had very little success. If anything, it just added to my single friends' list of uncomfortable dates.
Thank you for your comment. They are sorry some of your friends feel it was uncomfortable. The goal of the club is to help people encounter each other as a gift and make new connections, wherever God may lead them. This club is just one way for young adult Catholics to meet one another, and there are many other ways. ( That fellow you mentioned above, despite being reminded twice not to send a group text, did so anyway. They addressed the situation immediately, as you mentioned. Everyone in this club is an adult, and not everyone is going to follow the guidelines they have laid out.)
The club is trying to add structure and guidelines around going on dates, and it hopes to help people be more open and to encounter Christ in another person, through a simple date. In terms of success, the goal is to help normalize going on dates. In the first three sessions, over 1300 new connections were made, aside from second and third dates and beyond, relationships that have developed, and a few engagements (not bad for the first year, and it doesn't seem like a disaster). The program is growing every session; they have more and more participants each time, and many repeat participants as well. That session last summer was a pilot program, and since then they have incorporated feedback at each step along the way and continue to offer formation for participants to help them on their dating journey. Everyone is on a journey, and the founders continue to pray for all participants, past, present, and future, including your family member and your friends who participated. They hope all is well for them.
I would be interested in finding out if the organizers of the Little Date Club could share their format, advice. Do they have a book/pamphlet or website? It seems like a good idea and something that can be reproduced in other places.
Hello, Louise,
Thank you for your interest. Yes, the organizers would be happy to share their format and resources. There has been interest from Sacramento, New Orleans, Alabama, Los Angeles, and Mexico, so they are currently forming a nonprofit so that people in other locales can begin chapters in their own cities. The best way to reach them is at the following email address: LittleDatesClub@gmail.com . They would be happy to talk with you and to share resources. They look forward to being in touch.
Thank you! I will get in touch with them.