Choose the gathering interval so that it lines up with the rehearsal ladder of 1, 3, 7, 14 and 30 days: a weekly meeting lets any item first told at one session be reviewed at the next, again two sessions later and again about four sessions later. Keep the format short, fixed in order, and written into a log so that attendance and the items rehearsed can be audited.
Part of Story Circle System
A regular gathering format is the schedule, agenda and record that make a story circle repeatable and auditable.
The Interval Is Set By Rehearsal, Not By Habit
The corpus gives a spaced-repetition ladder for new material at 1, 3, 7, 14 and 30 days after first learning, with the warning that using the skill in real work within a day beats any schedule (Teaching Methods). A gathering cannot host every rung, but it can host the later ones if its interval divides them. The carrier article suggests weekly or biweekly without saying why; this is the reason to prefer weekly where the community can sustain it.
What You Need
- A fixed slot — same day and time, protected from work parties
- A short agenda — five or six parts in the same order every time
- A log — date, attendees, items told, who told them, corrections
- A calendar of items — what is due for review at each session
Worked Example: Which Session Reviews What
A weekly circle (7 days between sessions) first tells an item at session 0.
| Session | Days since first telling | Ladder step it serves |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7 | the 7-day review |
| 2 | 14 | the 14-day review |
| 4 | 28 | close to the 30-day review (two days short) |
The 1- and 3-day rungs fall between sessions, so they need informal use: telling the item to a family member that evening, or using it in work. A fortnightly circle (14 days) hosts only the 14- and 28-day points, and its 7-day step is missing; either add a short mid-week check or accept a weaker schedule for new items.
Method: A Fixed Agenda
Step 1: Open with the community’s fixed phrase or act.
Step 2: Review due items. Read the calendar of items; have the assigned carriers tell them.
Step 3: Check. The checker marks differences and rules.
Step 4: New material. Tell new stories or lessons once; mark each for later shaping.
Step 5: Assign carriers and due dates.
Step 6: Close and write the log.
Keep the session within the community’s attention; a session that overruns loses its audience, and the later parts, which are the assignments, are the ones people skip.
Common Mistakes
- Missing sessions and never catching up — if a session is skipped, the items due slip; move them to the next session and note it.
- Always the same teller — rotate, or one person becomes the only carrier.
- No log — without it, a skipped item is invisible.
- Holding the circle where work cannot be put down — pick a time when the people who need the items can attend.
Fire, night and crowds
If the gathering is held at night or around a fire, the safety rules in Story Circle System apply to every session, not just the first.
What’s Next
- Learn next: Roles: Teller, Listener, Checker — who does what at each step
- Combine with: Seasonal Calendars — scheduling around the work year