“Calendar*” by dafnecholet on Flickr
Feel free to steal/modify this for your group:
Hi there! I know it can be hard to find time for gaming. But I need to establish a few ground rules.
From now on, at the end of each session, we’re going to agree on a date and time for the next session. By that I mean, before we leave, we’re going to spend just a few moments working out a date/time for next session. We don’t have to all agree, but we’ll come to a majority vote.
If you don’t verbally commit to attending, I’ll assume you’re not coming.
I need you to let me know by phone/email/text/Discord/Facebook at least 24 hours before a session if you can’t make it. I have to plan encounters, which I can’t do effectively if your fighting force is sudden reduced by one or two characters. I just won’t have enough time to plan. If I don’t receive enough warning ahead of time, another player will play your character.
If you show up without having committed, that’s great, and I’ll do my best to fit you in. I’d always rather have more players. Just be aware that I’ll have optimized the game for a smaller number of players, so the experience might be a little rougher than it would otherwise have been.