Pidgin, Facebook chat plugin, and sending to a messenger "group"

[Noudess Icescout]

I have typically used facebook messenger.  Once I add 3 of my friends to 
a conversation, that conversation lasts forever until I close it.

I want to use pidgin instead.  I have installed it, as well as the 
facebook plugin, and I can chat with facebook friends.  But I can't find 
a way to send to 3 friends at once.  I made a pidgin group, but that 
doesn't seem to help, it seems more like an organizational tool.

I have noticed, that now, if I send a message in my facebook 
conversation (in facebook) a pidgin chat window pops up and I can use 
that forever thereafter until I close it.

Is there any way to initiate this from within pidgin?

Paul