It’s a great idea to do some sort of welcome activity for a new member right at the start of the Forum meeting. While some groups use this time to play a prank or joke on the new member, I’m going to steer you away from that as it can backfire since you most likely don’t really know the person, and they could take it the wrong way.
Instead, have each current member share for under one minute their answer to these two questions:
- Why are you excited for the new member to join the group?
- What do you hope to learn from the new member?
This process will make the new member feel welcomed and valued right off the bat, which will, in turn, calm their nerves.