Support Groups

I've been researching starting a support group. I've thought about it off and on for some time, usually coming to two conclusions: Pro- it would be great to have a support resource, and Con- it seems like I have to be the captain of every ship I board in life... please couldn't someone else initiate this? Well, no one has, and I've recently shed one of the boats I was captaining, so now may be the time.

Thus far, I've found some helpful starting-up tips. In the list below, points with an (*) are elements that vary in the models I've looked at, but are in my list of how I'm considering structuring a local group.

Free community event listings and fliers should be enough PR to get started.*
For the best group dynamic, a maximum of 8 participants is recommended.
Meeting place should be a free venue (such as a library or other place where meeting slots can be booked).
Group is limited to adults (18+), birth/first parents and adoptees only.
A professional facilitator (psychologist, therapist, etc) is not required and, from what I've seen, not recommended.

I'm most excited to discover that a "professional" moderator is not recommended because (a) I won't need to find one and (b) I don't need to serve as moderator because we don't need a "host" for the meetings.

So initiating a group is looking much more like rowing a rowboat than piloting a tanker. I'll keep adding tips as I learn them. Meanwhile, it looks like the biggest "problem" would be getting a group larger than 8. That's a problem that's managable- it would be great!