What is a supporters’ group? Is it a rowdy section of fans yelling for one team and against another? Is it a place to tailgate before games? Is it a brand to identify with, to tattoo on your bicep? Is it an excuse to get drunk with friends?

Maybe a supporters’ group is some of those things to some people. But more than any of them, to the people who know a good one, a supporters’ group is a community. It’s the people, the faces, the voices, a family united behind a common goal of supporting … something — most often a team, and in this case, a Major League Soccer team that many hope will someday take the field in the city of Charlotte.

The Mint City Collective gathered for its first informational meeting Monday night at NoDa Brewing in Charlotte to begin to lay the foundations of an MLS supporters’ group in the Queen, err, Mint City. And many familiar faces from the Charlotte soccer scene were there to help. Jay Landskroener, one of the founders of Jack’s Militia, stands as the new group’s first president. Active “Jacks” Kendall Jackson, Matt Garner, and Jason Bailey were there in support. Queen City Outlaws president Sarah Nesbitt and Roaring Riot founder Zack Luttrell are active members, too. Not a bad start, that.

The meeting began with beers (with a touch of irony, I chose NoDa’s 1775 Pale Ale in lieu of something minty), a meet and greet, and then a summary of the effort so far from Landskroener. Since launching just a few weeks ago, the group has had over 150 members sign up through its website and gathered over 1,600 followers across social platforms.

The name of the group was inspired by a desire to “help Charlotte find its identity through soccer,” staying separate from the elsewhere-used “Queen City” moniker but relating to everyone’s impression of Charlotte as a banking-focused “money” town with a history. Charlotte was home to the first branch mint in the United States, opening in 1838. The Mint Museum is still a popular attraction in town. And yes, Bank of America Stadium is indeed located at 800 S. Mint Street.

As for how a supporters’ group functions without an actual team to support, Landskroener stressed a three-pronged approach for the coming months: Engage, embrace, and events. “Engage” essentially boils down to awareness, getting people to know there’s an effort to bring MLS here — sharing the group’s page, wearing shirts, talking about it, and distributing merchandise. “Embrace” refers to the group’s desire to welcome all sorts to the Collective, “from diehards to casuals,” families, singles, kids, college students … everyone. And “events,” well, they’re planning on hosting and attending some events.

The biggest of those? The USWNT Victory Tour match Oct. 3. (If you haven’t bought tickets yet, you should probably do that.) Sarah from QCO spoke most about this effort, as the group needs volunteers to help pull off what the Collective hopes will be yet another showcase for Charlotte as a soccer town. Contact her and the Outlaws if you’d like to help.

Other events, committees, chapters, and merchandise are in the works, but it was clear from the start that the Mint City Collective is a brand new group. It’s one that still needs more voices to come forward, more members with skills and talents that can turn the “grassroots” side of the effort to bring soccer to Charlotte into something Don Garber and MLS have to take notice of.

Without that grassroots side, will Charlotte still get an MLS team? Maybe … everyone knows money talks when it comes to Major League Soccer (and all professional sports in America, really). But with David Tepper’s money, the Panthers’ push for a team, and a potentially strong Mint City Collective in the wings, soccer fans in Charlotte hope that the league won’t be able to resist Charlotte as an MLS expansion town for much longer.