Welcoming new members can feel like a school orientation with a lot first-day jitters.
Consider adopting traditions or a small list of things you’d like to do when each new member joins your pool. This practice is best when an “on-boarding” role is assigned to a co-founder or a pooler. Pando will be here to help introduce new poolers, set up the initial suggested meeting agenda and provide assistance in generating topic ideas.
Overall, keep it simple.
Pando provides a lot of content to absorb and also is a part of their welcome team. Your “welcome routine” can look something like this and be taken on by your onboarding member:
- Once you see they are signed onto Treehouse, our Pando-run communication platform, or your communication platform, send a warm welcome note and ask them to introduce themselves in the group chat. Your pool also might have a specific intro channel on Treehouse; this is also a good spot for them to send an intro message.
- Reach out to new poolers and make sure they are added to any non-Pando-run communication tools.
- Show up to the first pool meeting and begin the meeting with an introduction and welcome. Make sure to emphasize to existing members that this meeting should be attended.
- Feel free to help encourage some break-out 1:1’s for the new candidate and pool mates.
It might seem unneeded but making sure you have a small checklist like the one above guarantees new members will feel warm and open to their new Pando community. After their first meeting, getting them involved in 1:1’s or the group chat will help foster more comradery over time.

Key Takeaway:
- Create a small list of traditions for welcoming new members.
- Assign an on-boarding role to a founder/pooler to help this practice.
- Make your checklist and welcome new members.