Frequently Asked Questions

If you don't find your question answered on this page, we'd appreciate it if you would contact the co-organizer using the Contact page on our website. You'll get a personal reply, and maybe your question will eventually appear here.

[-] Where do the donations go?

Expenses, that's all. No one associated with the Free Range Ukulele Society of Oak Park gets paid for their time or efforts, and even the fabulous prizes are donated. The money pays for:

• the hard-copy versions of the song-sheet packets we print every week,
• the every six months Meetup dues,
• the three-year GoDaddy registration and privacy fees for the FreeRangeUkuleleSociety.com domain name, and
• the biennial fee 247-Host.com charges for hosting this websiteFreeRangeUkuleleSociety.com.
• Occasionally, if a majority of the organizers agrees, we pick up the cost of unexpected expenses.

Meetup members can get a more detailed breakdown of our expenses by sending a message to the Treasurer anytime they want. Non-members can e-mail the Treasurer through our website with more generic questions.

[-] Is this the ukulele group that Terri Hemmert talks about?

Yes. Terri mentions the group, especially during her Sunday morning “Breakfast with The Beatles” radio program on WXRT (93.1 FM).

[-] What is a “Meetup Group?”

A Meetup Group is a group of people with a common interest who found each other through the Meetup.com website. The Free Range Ukulele Society of Oak Park Meetup (http://bit.ly/1gQWtMI) is one such group.

[-] Do I need to be a Meetup.com member?

Strictly speaking, no. However if you read through these questions you'll find that Meetup.com members who have joined the Free Range Ukulele Society of Oak Park Meetup (http://bit.ly/1gQWtMI) have some benefits, so becoming a Meetup.com member is highly encouraged. Membership in Meetup.com is free.

[-] Do I need to call ahead?

No. Just show up by 7 p.m. on Thursday night and introduce yourself. The Eastgate Café (EastgateCafe.net) is very small and you won't have an any problem finding the group there.

[-] Do I need a ukulele?

Well, it's called a ukulele society, so having a ukulele would be nice. If you don't own one now, you'll find a nice selection of ukuleles here:

• Tobias Music, Downers Grove, Illinois
• The Different Strummer, Chicago, Illinois
• Uncle Jon's Music, Westmont, Illinois
• Hogeye Music, Evanston, Illinois
• WONDERWALL Music Shoppe & Emporium, Chicago Heights, Illinois

However we are also a singing group, so, if you like to sing, don't let not owning or knowing how to play a ukulele stop you from coming.

[-] Are beginning ukulele players allowed?

Absolutely! The Free Range Ukulele Society of Oak Park Meetup Group is open to everyone, beginners as well as experienced players.

[-] As a beginner, how well do I need to play before I come?

You don't need to know how to play at all. We occasionally have participants who come with no ukulele, and no ukulele skills. In those cases someone will put a loaner uke into their hands, show them how to play a couple of chords, and by the end of the meetup they've played their first songs. Some of our regular participants started this way.

[-] Do I need a songbook?

No. Song-sheets and song-sheet packets are provided.

By the way, another reason why Meetup.com membership is encouraged is that members are able to RSVP to meetups which helps the group organizers know how many packets to print.

[-] Are the song-sheet packets for sale?

No. We go into more detail about that on our About Song-sheet Packets website page.

[-] How much does it cost?

A donation is requested to defray the cost of group expenses. See the “Where do the donations go?” question on this page for more details. The suggested donation is $5.00.

Our venue, the Eastgate Café (EastgateCafe.net), does not charge the group for the use of their dining room, so we encourage our participants, as an act of courtesy, to order a little something at the meetup, or maybe even come early to have dinner—their food is wonderful!

[-] Who are the song leaders?

Anybody who wants to do it. There are no other requirements. Sometimes there will be a request for volunteer song leaders. Sometimes people have put together a song-sheet packet themselves which they will lead, so having volunteer leaders is up to them. Otherwise anyone can come to the front at any time to lead, or help lead, whenever they're so moved.