SPARC Book Club - "Unreasonable Hospitality: The Field Guide"

The SPARC Book Club brings members together around timely ideas that stretch our thinking, strengthen our leadership, and help us connect the day-to-day work of summer and auxiliary programs to the larger educational mission of our schools.  It is also a casual way to connect with our auxiliary and summer programs colleagues!

For 2026–27, we will offer three SPARC Book Club selections connected by a simple progression:

Purpose • Experience • Leadership

WINTER: EXPERIENCE

Unreasonable Hospitality: The Field Guide — Will Guidara

Auxiliary programs are fundamentally in the “experience business”. With this book club discussion, we will focus on creating experiences people remember.

Every registration, arrival, parent interaction, staff orientation, camp day, pickup, field trip or overnight adventure, on campus rental experience, meal, performance, and unexpected challenge creates an opportunity to communicate what our program and our school values.

Building on the principles of Unreasonable Hospitality, a 2025 SPARC Book Club selection, this practical field guide invites leaders to consider how small, intentional choices can transform ordinary interactions into extraordinary experiences.

SPARC Discussion Query:

What does unreasonable hospitality look like in an auxiliary program?  How can we build it in?

Members will examine the entire journey of participants, families, employees, and customers and identify opportunities to reduce friction, strengthen relationships, create moments of welcome and belonging, and empower staff to deliver exceptional experiences.

Participants will be encouraged to leave the discussion with at least one experience, process, or interaction they intend to redesign.

Check out our Book Club page to see what else we'll be diving into and to see our list of past reads.