Frequently Asked Questions

Questions about joining:

Who can become a member?
Are there age requirements for my child(ren)?
After I join, will I be required to do anything specific?
I am currently a member of a MOMS Club chapter in my hometown, but will soon be moving to Leesburg. Can my dues transfer to you?

Questions about the way the club operates:

How do the playgroups work?
What if I live in a really small apartment and don't feel I have room for the entire playgroup?
Where do you meet?
What is the difference between the chapter's two Yahoo Group e-mail lists?
My membership is up for renewal next month, but I'm not certain I'll have the time to be involved again. Can I let my membership lapse and come back later?
I'm interested in running for office. Can you tell me about the positions?

Q. Who can become a member?

A. All member moms must live in ZIP Code 20176 and choose to stay at home with their child(ren). Our definition of "staying at home" means that you either stay home full-time, work part-time outside of the home, or have your own home-based business.

Q. Are there age requirements for my child(ren)?

A. No, there are no age restrictions. Some moms will join immediately after giving birth to their first child; others may have one or more older children. You don't have to leave the group when your children enter school (we know you still need support as your children grow!). However, the majority of the children in our chapter tend to be between the ages of 0 and 7.

Q. After I join, will I be required to do anything specific?

A. No. As long as you pay and maintain your dues of $25 per year, there are no other requirements, although we hope you will make the most of your membership by getting involved in service projects, playgroups or attending events right away. Once you and your child make friends, we feel certain you'll want to participate as much as possible.

Q. I am currently a member of a MOMS Club^® chapter in my hometown, but will soon be moving to Leesburg. Can my dues transfer to you?

A. We're really sorry, but MOMS Club^® International does not allow transfers. You'll have to join our chapter as a new member and pay $25. By the way, you can only officially belong to one chapter at a time, so you will not be able to renew your membership at your old chapter after you move to Leesburg.

Q. How do the playgroups work?

A. When you join, you will be asked whether you'd like your child to be part of a weekly playgroup or not. If you say yes, our Playgroup Coordinator will do her best to place you and your child in a group with other children in the same age bracket. You are welcome to bring older or younger siblings to the playgroup, and you can join more than one playgroup if you have more than one child,

Playgroups meet once a week on a day and time that suits the participants best. The playgroup leader will create a rotation schedule, and each participating mom will host when it is her turn. If someone cannot host on their day, an option is to switch dates with someone else or suggest that the playgroup meet at a park or other public venue so the group can continue despite the hosting mom's absence.

Upon joining the chapter, each mom agrees to abide by our Playgroup Rules, which have been formed to protect both the members and the hosting moms. Click here to view our Playgroup Rules in PDF format.

Q. What if I live in a really small apartment and don't feel I have room for the entire playgroup?

We try to limit each playgroup to 6 moms and their children so that hosting moms are not overwhelmed with too many people in their house. This also allows the participants to get to know each other well, forming lasting friendships that will probably continue for many years.

Q. Where do you meet?

A. All-Member Meetings (AMM's) take place once a month, typically in the last half of the month and always on a weekday. We try to rotate the day of the week so that moms who may not ever be able to attend on a Tuesday, for example, might be able to meet the following month if the day switches to a Monday.

AMM's are held in the Meeting Room of the Rust Library, 380 Old Waterford Road, Leesburg VA 20175. Activities during the rest of the month take place at various venues or members' homes.

Q. What is the difference between the chapter's two Yahoo Group e-mail lists?

A. Our chapter has two different e-mail lists, both provided by Yahoo Groups.

The first one, momsofleesburg at yahoogroups dot com (spelled out to avoid spam) is our official list, for chapter business only. This list can be used to promote events, gather RSVP's, advertise meetings and speakers, and notify the entire membership about things they need to know.

The second list, MCLChat at yahoogroups.com, is an optional list that has members of both the Leesburg North and South chapters. Participants can post anything they want to this list (within reason). Typical topics are asking for doctor recommendations, announcing child-related items for sale, discussing family-friendly vacation spots, asking for ideas about Halloween costumes, etc. Many of our members tell us that the Chat is one of their favorite things about belonging to our chapter.

Q. My membership is up for renewal next month, but I'm not certain I'll have the time to be involved again. Can I let my membership lapse and come back later?

A. Yes, but the officers must vote to allow you back into the chapter.

Q. I'm interested in running for office. Can you tell me about the positions?

A. Our Board consists of a president, administrative vice president, membership vice president, secretary and treasurer. Officers are voted upon in May and have a short transition period before officially beginning on July 1.

In addition to the officers, there are other moms who volunteer in appointed capacities. For example, we have a Playgroups Coordinator, a Sunshine Committee Coordinator, a Newsletter Editor, etc.