This is a new thread based on this request from Calvin Tong in another thread:

"I am President for IBM Ring 216 in San Jose, CA. Our membership has grown steadily for the past few years through word of mouth, our new website, monthly email newseltters, and with our Facebook presence. I think the combination of all these communication methods are enabling the effectiveness of our communications and it also enables magic seekers to more easily find us. Our new membership is becoming a good mixture of all ages. Lately, more teenagers interested in magic have been reaching out to me looking for assistance and advice in setting up an organization. My Ring 216 meetings are too late for them to attend, they don't have a means for transportation, and the benefits for being a "youth member" of national IBM is not easy for them to financially justify to their parents. I would love to hear more "out of box thinking" that would help youth groups succeed, things to be careful of, etc...Calvin Tong"

Transportation and expenses are common hurdles for youth members and parents. A progressive Ring can find ways around them with a little effort.

National & Ring membership and lesson costs can be covered through youth group fundraisers such as car washes, yard & bake sales, ice cream socials, benefit showcase, and so on. One adult Ring showcase or dinner show can cover membership expenses for youth members for the year. Allocate collected funds among youth members based on their support and participation in fundraisers and club events. The harder they work in support of the club, the more they receive to apply towards their membership expenses from the proceeds.

Transportation is a more difficult nut to crack. My Ring serves the Tri-City area of Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill; an area of around a thousand square miles. Our Ring meets monthly in the Southwest corner of this spread out area. Some of our members experience a 90-minute to 2-hour crosstown round trip commute to attend meetings and lectures. This can be a sincere hardship on teen members.

Finding a meeting site in a convenient central location or along public transportation routes is not always possible. Promoting carpools from defined areas is one solution. Just be mindful of the I.B.M. Policies for Youth Safety.

Another idea we're looking at is creating "Links" - multiple youth sub-chapters more conveniently located at or near the junior & senior high schools around the area. After-School programs at YMCA's, Boys/Girls Clubs, and community recreation centers are generally very receptive to this idea - and usually provide their own transportation from the schools. Our problem, of course, is finding at least two safe and skilled adult mentors willing to take responsibility for each remote "Link" in their part of the city. These Links would join the club as a whole for fundraisers, lectures, and social events.

These are a few ideas to get the conversation started.