Date of the Month Club Official Rules

The challenge is simple. Chosen members ante up and then promise to go on one date with someone new every month for an entire year. The question is…do we have the guts to get out there and meet people?

The Basics

1. The first rule of Date Club is to never talk about Date Club. Ok, there may be circumstances in which it is permissible to talk about Date Club, but we’ll cross that bridge when Oprah calls. Otherwise, zippy the lippies.

2. Date Club members must remain anonymous. None of us wants the world to know just how pathetic we are. We’d rather not be laughed at in public after we spill cappuccino on our Chinos while out with lucky Mr. March.

3. Members must go on one date with someone new every month for a year.

4. For the purposes of this challenge (and because, technically, it’s actually a year so no brain cells were harmed in the making of this rule) this “year” will be defined as beginning January 1, 2010 and ending December 31, 2010.

5. Members may solicit dates by any means necessary (yes, even Sadie Hawkins style), except for by telling them about Date Club, paying them off or clubbing a baby seal.

6. A date with someone the member already knows can only qualify as an official Date Club date if the known person asked the member out and not vice versa. And as long as they aren’t somehow directly related or go by the name of Roman Polanski. Because…ick.

7. There are no limitations on what type of activity counts as a “date.” But we shall endeavor to be proper ladies.

8. To qualify as a “date,” the activity must be one-on-one. Group gatherings do not count as Date Club sanctioned dates. Being at a Lakers game at the same time as Jake Gyllenhal does not count as a date with Mr. Gyllenhal. (Trust me, I tried.)

9. However, a date with someone a member meets in a group can qualify, as long as there is a separate activity and time arranged. So, if Jake introduces himself and asks one of us out…it better be me.

10. A date must be at least 30 minutes long. Because, really, everyone deserves at least a half an hour to make an impression. Besides, as the saying goes, “once you’ve sprung for valet, you might as well stay.”

11. A date qualifies as a Date Club sanctioned date no matter who pays. But somebody SHOULD pay. Dining and dashing, while thrifty, is stealing and is not condoned by the Date Club.

12. Members can go on second dates with qualifying dates, but only the first date counts as a Date Club sanctioned date. Subsequent dates only qualify as fun. This is about making oneself available to meet new people, not latching onto the first lucky sucker who buys one a lager.

13. Banking dates is not allowed. Going on 3 dates in February, while ambitious and enjoyable, does not count as quota fulfillment for March and April. New months require new dates. Those boys won’t go bad in a few weeks. Keep them on ice.

14. Date Club members are hot and worthy of choosing who they spend time with. No member is obligated to accept a date they do not want to accept. Members are encouraged to step outside of the their dating boxes, but only if it seems like fun. Or Jake Gyllenhal.

15. Date Club members must post to the blog at least once a week so we can live vicariously through them. And/or see that we are not the only goobers out there who aren’t quite doing this right.

16. Date Club members cannot drop out of the challenge for any man (even Mr. Gyllenhal) unless he asks first to be exclusive. And as long as it is made clear to him what fun times and amazing club sisters he is asking the member to abandon.

17. Date of the Month Club members must wholly enjoy themselves and embrace their freedom to go out and get to know eligible bachelors without being required to tie themselves down to the first hunk they meet. Unless, of course, it’s Jake Gyllenhal.

The Stakes

1. Members will each put a $50 ante into the “pot” in order to join the challenge.

2. If a member is unsuccessful in securing a date in any given month, she must throw $10 into the pot. And then make sure the guys in her general vicinity haven’t all completely lost their minds.

3. Shares of the pot will be divided amongst qualifying club members when the challenge is complete at the end of the year. Club members receive one share of the pot for each month they are in the challenge.

4. If a member drops out of the challenge for any reason, especially if she decides to tie herself down to one fella (ahem…Jake), she forfeits her ante and any shares of the pot when it is divided at the end of the challenge.

5. A member can buy back into the pot for $10 if, for example, her new love turns out to be a bed wetter or an ending-of-the-movie ruiner. Members who buy back in will get one share of the pot for each month they were in the challenge.

6. Members agree that money isn’t worth fighting over. But boys are.