How to establish and organize BUNCO parties?

[happy2bamom]

I've played BUNCO once, and would like to organize a group to play once a month. How do I go about organizing such a group. Finding 12 people to ask isn't a problem, I am wondering how to establish the expectation that each person would serve as host once a year (we would meet once a month and rotate where it is held)? Should I send out official invites that would maybe explain the overall plan? (If so, any suggestions on wording of the invite would be appreciated)

Do we establish a hosting schedule for the year, or month to month just ask for a volunteer? Also, do I ask people to make a yearlong commitment upfront or just keep it as an open group and send out informal invites each month? Do I establish official "subs" for the group, if so how do I do this?

Basically I need to know how to get the group established and running. The BUNCO part is easy, the organization of it is what I struggle with. TIA

[KBecks]

There's gotta be some internet web page that has all the answers to these questions -- aren't there web pages somewhere for BUNCO enthusiasts? forums even?

I've heard of BUNCO but never played. It sounds similar to starting a playgroup. I think keeping things a little flexible is a good idea. The playgroup I belong to has an "organizer" that sends emails each week to remind what's going on, time and host, and that's very helpful.

[gatorsmom]

Oh, how ironic! I just organized a BUNKO group with some church friends. I've been a member of a couple of BUNKO groups over the past 6 years so I can tell you what has worked for our groups. It won't run smoothly unless you get a commitment from 12 women. We've always set up a calendar at the first meeting and had the women sign up for a month to host it. Since some women don't want to be a hostess (because they don't have the room for 12 people, hate to cook for a crowd or whatever) then they might be interested in being on a substitute list. A sub list is great because again, someone might not want to be a hostess, or they might not want to make the monthly commitment, or they want to try it out before joining. And there will always be members looking for someone to fill in for them. Bunko nights will NOT work if too many people just don't show up.

Here's the email I sent recently to try to recruit members:

Twelve women commit to playing for a year. Each one chooses the month that they will host the game at their house. This includes making appetizers or dinner for the other 11 women (no husband or children, however), they buy the awards for the winners of that night's game (money for the awards comes from dues paid at the BUNKO the month before) they set out 6 candy dishes at the 3 tables where the game is played, they make sure their husband and children are out of sight! Dessert is brought by the person who is hosting BUNKO the following month.

Each month, everyone but the hostess chips in $5. This money then goes home with the next month's hostess to pay for the prizes on the night she hosts.

Bunko itself is a dice game. There are three tables with 4 women at each table. The 2 across from each other are partners for that round. The round starts with the head table ringing a bell and then the three tables take turns rolling three dice hoping to get a 6. The player rolling the dice gets to roll again when she rolls at least one six. She and her partner get a point for every six she rolls. When she fails to roll at least one six, the dice are passed to the next player at the table. She and her partner count a point for every 6 they get. Again each player keeps rolling until she fails to roll at least 1 six. When someone at the head table gets 21 points they ring the bell signalling the other 2 tables to stop rolling. Every set of partners counts up their points to see who got the most sixes. Each set of partners must move to the next table but cannot be partners for the next round. They switch. The people move to different tables depending on if they lost the round or won the round. BUNKO is yelled out when someone rolls 3 sixes. The person who rolled the sixes gets 3 points. Whoever grabs the 3 sixes off the table get extra points. At the end of the night whoever rolled the most sixes gets a prize, whoever rolled the fewest sixes ggets a prize, whoever rolled the last BUNKO gets a prize and whoever rolled the most BUNKOs gets a prize.

If someone isn't able to come to a BUNKO game, they need to call a substitute who can go play for them. (that's important because otherwise the host will have to throw in the money for that absent person. Besides, the game can only run smoothly when there are 4 people at every table.) It's a really, really easy game to learn, most new people pick it up in the first 3 rounds. The nice thing about this game is it's cheap and it's a chance to get away from the kids and to make friends with people in the group. Most people sit at the table chatting while they are rolling dice and since the players switch tables (and partners) after each round, everyone gets a chance to know everyone else. Husbands and children are not allowed to be there- even the hostess's hubby and children! But all breast feeding babies are welcome.

[happy2bamom]

Thank you so much! That is SO helpful. I'm off to put together my email!

[MartiesMom2B]

If you don't want to have to buy prizes you can just divvy up the money for the winners. That's what we do in my bunko group. We each put in $5.00. I forget how we divide the money at the end though.

-Sonia
Mommy to Martie
& Li'l Girl Bunny to come Feb. 2007
http://bd.lilypie.com/Kchhm4/.png (http://lilypie.com)

[gatorsmom]

Frankly, I think we should do that with this new group. Every host says it's a pain to go out and get something IN ADDITION to cleaning the house, making a meal and getting everything set up BUNKO night.

btw, we have also contributed $5 for the night and we give a $10 gift card to the person who threw the LAST BUNKO, $10 to the person with the MOST BUNKOs, $20 to the person with most wins, and $20 to the person with the most losses. That always works well for us.

[MartiesMom2B]

We have to have a card that tells us how to split everything. I think it's for Last Bunko, Most Bunkos, Most Wins, Most Losses, and a $5.00 drawing for anyone who hasn't one. At the start of your next bunko session, I'd take a vote on the money prize instead. How it works in our group now, is that if a space comes up in bunko we ask the person who has alternated the most if they'd like to join.

-Sonia
Mommy to Martie
& Li'l Girl Bunny to come Feb. 2007
http://bd.lilypie.com/Kchhm4/.png (http://lilypie.com)