Les - I was referring to another Les who writes and reads his own poems - not yourself methinks. Sorry for any confusion.
I admire anyone who starts anything going in the way of live music.
Do your beginners find they can pick up tunes by ear at some point and then start experimenting, or does it inhibit them from this?
I've heard a singing group start with a note and then told to find other notes that harmonise, before being given the words and music for the main part of the practise.
I've also been in a workshop where we were just given the chords and told to make tunes round them - mostly on the arpegios - before the workshop leader put the actual tune above what we were doing. That might make a very interesting variation with your group.
FloraG