The shape

A Local Circle is small monthly walk in a city. We meet, we walk together for about ninety minutes, and we go home. The first twenty minutes are silent. After that, people walk and talk if they want. There is no signup, no fee, no membership, no app required to come.

Your job as the leader is small but real: pick a loop, pick a cadence, send the email the day before, show up. That’s the whole job.

The loop

Pick a route once. Walk it forever. A good loop:

Is about three miles. Long enough to settle into; short enough that anyone can do it.
Starts somewhere unmistakable. A landmark, not an intersection.
Has a restroom near the start and a place to gather afterward (a coffee shop counts).
Is reachable by transit or has obvious parking.
Is the same every month. Familiarity is the point.

Walk the loop yourself a few times before you announce it. Notice the light at 8 AM. Notice where it gets loud. Adjust.

The cadence

Pick a date pattern that doesn’t require remembering. “First Saturday of every month.” “Last Sunday.” A rule, not a calendar entry. Then you never have to plan.

Pick a time. 8 AM is a good default — early enough that the day is yours afterward, light enough that it feels generous to be out.

The first walk

Show up fifteen minutes early. Stand somewhere visible. If anyone comes, introduce yourself. At the start time, say one sentence: “We’ll walk together for the first twenty minutes in silence. After that we can talk if we want. Ready?”

Then start walking. That’s the whole protocol.

When nobody shows up

Walk the loop alone. Sit at the meeting spot for the first ten minutes in case someone is late. Then go. The walk happens whether anyone joins you. That’s the deal you’re making with yourself.

It will happen. It happens to almost every leader, sometimes more than once. It is not a sign that the circle is failing. It’s a sign that showing up is the practice.

When fifty people show up

At the start, say the same one sentence. Walk in front. Don’t try to herd. People will spread out into clusters; that’s fine. The silent stretch keeps the group cohesive on its own.

If it stays large month over month, consider splitting into two loops at different times rather than scaling one walk. Keep each circle small enough that people learn each other’s names.

Talking to your circle

Once your city is set up, you’ll have a single email address (e.g., boston@walk.lc). When you send a message from your own address, it broadcasts to everyone subscribed in your city. When anyone else writes to it, they get added to the list (subject “add me”), removed (body “stop”), or forwarded to you.

Send one email the day before each walk. That’s the rhythm. A template:

Subject: Saturday morning, 8 AM — reminder The Boston Circle walks tomorrow at 8 AM. We meet at the Common, by the bandstand. About three miles, ninety minutes. First twenty minutes silent. Bring water. Bring a friend if you’d like. See you then, — Anna

That’s the whole template. Don’t pad it.

Ready?

Email start@walk.lc when you’ve scouted your loop and picked a cadence. Tell us your city, your loop, and your first walk date. We’ll set up the email address, the seal, and your city page on walk.lc.

After that, you’re on your own — in the best way. We’re here if you need us, but the circle is yours.