September 26 - Goodenough Community
Transcription
September 26 - Goodenough Community
On-Line News of the Goodenough Community System: The American Association for the Furtherance of Community Convocation: A Church and Ministry Mandala Resources, Inc. Sahale Learning Center The EcoVillage at Sahale September 19, 2012 A Road to Choose? What Is a Good Question? An editorial by John L. Hoff Yesterday Colette asked me, “John, would you be willing to write a formal editorial comment on the theme of this week’s ‘Village eView’? Our focus will be on questions. In the next week I would like you to do the same for an issue on answers.” My immediate response was “yes,” and I noticed I liked the idea of writing on something specific. I noticed also that I appreciated the opportunity to think about the subject of questions. I hope you will enjoy this focus too. Language enables some interesting mental playfulness. Don’t you think? When I think about questioning, I remember that it is the heart of education, which at its best is a process of guided inquiry. The word “education” comes from the Greek language (educare, to draw out) and was best defined by Socrates (469 BCE to 399BCE) who gave us the process of guided inquiry often referred to as the Socratic method. This is a pleasant, natural, intuitive exploration of a subject wherein two or more people are drawing each other out and organizing their thoughts together. It wasn’t until around 800 CE that questioning became a matter of putting someone on the spot, requiring an answer. King Charlemagne popularized direct questions by inventing the question mark. When I am relaxed among friends and we are pursuing a common interest I can sense my own interest in the questions that I raise. When I am in the company of people who are trying to find the right answer, I can feel how guarded I become when others expect me to have an answer. 1 In” the Goodenough Community,” a term which we use to describe a large group of persons who have traveled with us by attending programs, sharing learning and healing while contemplating the question, “what more do I want for my life?” The Goodenough Community (GEC) has always been primarily a learning community in which we supported each other by facing some of the hard questions required by growing up and being more responsible. It is to this learning community that we are now turning with some questions. When I conclude this statement I will list three questions. Our council is preparing a questionnaire that will both guide our collective reflection and put us as individuals on the spot by asking about our needs and desires. You can expect this questionnaire soon as well as some telephone calls and emails from members of the Council as they guide the inquiry into the future priorities and program of the GEC. We are genuinely interested in what you might need or want—by way of support, healing and learning. With regard to the art of questioning there is a recent development that involves making a statement then adding a question that requires a relevant answer. I conclude that there are at least two kinds of good questions: a question that asks about our general interest and another question that requires a specific response. I think we need both kinds of questions, yet I know I like that respectfulness of guided inquiry. Here are some: 1. A variety of acknowledged wise thinkers are stating that for humanity to survive we will have to learn to live once again in community. How do you understand that statement? 2. Community involves acknowledging you cannot be human alone. How have you come to know the truth in this statement? 3. Being interdependent and learning to enjoy it is the communitarian challenge. The Goodenough Community involves a multidisciplinary methodology for personal and social transformation. How have you experienced our method working in your life? Imagine me putting my hand on your arm and in a voice that demands your intention I say to you, “I have a question for you.” Now take a moment to learn from what you just experienced: What was your experience when you were told you would be asked a question? What words will you use to describe your feelings? What thoughts were happening in your mind intellectually? JLH Question: Are you still having a conversation on Sunday and Monday evenings? Yes, you are welcome to join on Sunday evening, September 30 from 7:00 to 9:30 and on Monday evening October 1 at 6:00 if you have interest in organizations or programs. 2 We are born with all the wisdom, playfulness, and imagination we need; we just sometimes need a reminder to return to our senses and get out of our own way. Let go of whatever fears, assumptions, distractions, resistance, and busyness may be hampering you. Allow yourself to think and feel and live that way. ~Marc Lesser (Zen teacher and author, CEO of ZBA Associates executive coaching, consulting Question: Is there anything being offered this fall for my mental and emotional healing? Response from John L. Hoff: I have received some expressions of interest in a small group experience that focuses on mental and emotional healing. Last week I suggested that Colette and I would offer leadership for this on either Tuesday or Thursday night for six weeks. We have had some positive response and repeat our offer. Contact [email protected] or 206 963 4738 if you are interested. What Is The Process of Change in Our Emerging Community? Russ Cowgill Change has been described as the only constant in the universe. There have been long periods of history where change was slow, some periods of backward movement and some chaotic explosions of rapid movement. I don’t think anyone would argue that we seem to be in one of those chaotic periods. When considering the potential an optimist might point to the renaissance and a 3 pessimist to darker times such as the rise of fascism that lead to WWII. I would argue that any numbers of possibilities exist depending on the choices people make; however, windows of opportunity don’t remain open indefinitely. We are at a choice point! As the title of this article suggests the decision to continue as a community is not in question but the question is how to respond to the changing landscape as it impacts the lives of those who consider the Goodenough Community a part of their lives. That encompasses a broad spectrum of people. The prevailing winds indicate greater need for community than ever before. Adding to the mix are issues of succession and financial stress. There is enough fearful thinking in the world today. I think this is a time for bold vision that reaches out encompassing more. If we can bring more people in there will be an expansion of resources, more talented people to bring needed vitality to existing programs and projects. We could realize some of those much needed plans that have laid dormant for much to long like Mandala Resources Incorporated, About Community and The Village without Walls. I think this is the vision we hoped to attain but put on hold. You may remember that I am working with John on a new web site that reflects fully the vision and work of the Goodenough Community. Now that vision is evolving and the plan is to create a site that looks to the community we are becoming. Stay tuned! Love, Russ Cowgill Can you offer help to the Community Center? Irene Perler Many of us have conscience about the community center needing some care. We are selecting two opportunities for participating: Sunday afternoon September 30 from 1:00 to 4:00 and Saturday, October 13 from 1:00 to 5:00. There will be tasks for all abilities and inside as well as outside tasks. Thanks! Are you interested in wrestling with an issue, dealing with a relationship, or maturing yourself? There is some interest in a 6 to 8 week series of what might be called Group Counseling where individuals could describe and work with issues they are facing. I hear people wanting to go deeper and be more plain spoken about what challenges them. In response to this Colette and I are offering to provide our leadership and we are talking about the possibility of Tuesday or Thursday evening. If you are interested, send us an email. 4 Will You Help? What Goes Up, Must Come Down Can you help take down the white tent? October 5, 6, 7 Welcome Jim home by letting him know you can help! Please email Jim Tocher [email protected] and Colette Hoff [email protected] While Jim will need a crew, there will be tasks for all abilities! And of course, good meals to support the effort. RSVP is important as always. Your life is an answer to what question? What was important to me this week? The deAnguera Blog: Seattle Healing Arts 5 This was a weekend I spent at Sahale helping Colette with serving Seattle Healing Arts, the medical group established by Dr. Fernando Vega, a good community friend. Mostly I washed dishes. There was no planned program The weekend was a social time for our guests and it gave us all the opportunity to know each other better. We worked on several puzzles they had brought and I perused a couple of their books. One was called God’s Hotel, a story about a unique San Francisco Hospital that gave its patients old fashioned holistic care. They even had green houses and chickens for their patients. Saturday evening everybody adjourned to the Swamp. We even featured Katie Couric interviewing Sarah Palin. Since it was my birthday, my favorite Baily’s drinks were on Colette. I never saw such a happy group of medical people in my life. I asked Fernando how everybody managed to gather around him. He said it just happened. Serendipity? I believe it. For me, there is no such thing as a random event. All events have their place in a mortal life time. Do you realize the Swamp will be open once again during tent take down next month? It used to be open just during Lab but now the Swamp is staying open longer and longer. Pam and Elizabeth briefly floated building a yurt like semi permanent structure. May be if we added a heater, the Swamp could open even during New Year’s. Now that would be a blast. A place to party in all that snow. Thanks for the dedication and hard work in keeping the place open and making it better with each passing year. Oh yes, the salmon are definitely spawning. Our guests loved it but now the dead fish are really starting to stink. I could even smell them up at Kirsten’s place. Come on, bears do your duty and eat them up! I even found a fish skin and jaw on the road by the Weavery. Some crow must have delivered it. Even though this was a working weekend for Colette and me, we both had fun with it and it felt much like Lab. Work can be fun if done with the right frame of mind. I suggested the possibility of assigning two people to each chore in the future such as cleaning toilets even if only one person is needed. That would allow those people to work off each other’s energy. They could sing songs or be goofy. 6 Guess who had the most fun at the Swamp? Yours truly naturally! As human beings we have developed our minds to the point that we think about things as an inner dialogue between a questioner and someone who answers. This fits quite nicely into our tendency to see things as polarities and our need to see issues as having advantages and disadvantages. JLH Consider this question: Is there a question that occurs to you—that you would hate answering? Your life is an answer to what question? What Programs & Events are being offered in the Goodenough Community System 2012? (For more information on any of these events and programs, go to www.goodenough.org) Presenting Our Cultural Programs For the Goodenough Community, cultural life is an arena for creative expression. All programs and events are open to the public and we welcome your interest and participation. 7 Women’s Culture The first gathering of the women’s culture will be Saturday October 27 from 10:00 to 2:00 at the Community Center. Harvesting in our Friendships as Men Over the summer I’ve talked with many men friends about my desire to host a men’s gathering at Sahale this fall. I’ve heard your interest and now have a date to share. Here’s our working outline for the weekend: Theme: Men on the Road Less Traveled Where: Sahale Learning Center When: October 26 – October 28, Friday evening through Sunday afternoon Basic cost: 2 nights room and board at Sahale $130.00 We will be having: Good food and spirits o Collaborative meal prep as a good men’s activity for those who enjoy the kitchen A little work together time (2-3 hours max) on a Sahale outdoor project o Firewood production is important for us this time of year and we have a dandy new wood splitter Time for getting real with each other in good conversation o Engage our elders about lifelong men’s work as friends o What’s needed now in your life as a man? o What do you want to see for young men in this time? o What’s up with “the men’s movement” in your life? I’m looking forward to hearing from you about your interest and, of men you’d like to invite. I want your help to make this a meaningful and energizing gathering for us all! Brother Bruce A Fall Harvest Weekend Workshop 2012, November 2 to 4 Join the men and women of the Goodenough Community for a weekend of canning, pickling, making large quantities of applesauce, juicing grapes, and making apple cider. All participants will come away with some products and 8 good memories. November 2 to 4 at Sahale Learning Center. Suggested donation: $35.00. Have you ever noticed how uncomfortable it feels when someone asks you a question about your own failings and limitations? ************** Puppet Show: Hansel and Gretel Sept. 30, 2012 11:00 am & 1:00 pm Presented by: Willow Branch Puppet Theater Group With 6 silk and wool marionettes & 4 felted wool animals Held at: Seattle Waldorf School’s Huckleberry Hall 2728 NE 100 Seattle, 98125 Visa/MC Advance Reservations: $7 child/senior $8 general Call: 206-985-2059 At the Door: $8 child/senior $9 general *********** The Okanogan Family Faire is Oct 12-14. Here's their official link: http://www.okanoganfamilyfaire.net/Default.htm Hope you can come! Love, Connie 9 In 1973, the Barter Faire was created to help a community connect and barter surplus harvest and goods for other goods needed for winter. Through the years, the Okanogan Family Faire (OFF) has become an annual event attracting vendors, musicians, artists and crafts people from communities, near and far. The Okanogan Family Faire is a non-profit organization registered in the state of Washington, Okanogan County. The purpose of this charitable corporation is to provide community events which support public education on a broad range of traditional, rural, economic, and spiritual values that reflect respect for the diversity of all people, wildlife and earth. ************** You are invited to the 5th Annual 2012 Northwest Permaculture Convergence Friday, October 5, 2012 at 2:30 PM - to -Sunday, October 7, 2012 at 6:00 PM (PT) Fort Flagler State Park 10541 Flagler Road Nordland, WA 98358-9656 10 ********* And some additional permaculture events -> Seedsaving as an Activist Practice Saturday, September 29, 2012, Shoreline, WA -> Bastyr University Certificate in Holistic Landscape Design September 2012 - August 2013, Kenmore, WA -> Oregon State University's Advanced Online Permaculture Design Practicum September 24 - December 7, 2012, OSU online Ecampus -> Northwest Permaculture Convergence October 5 -7, 2012, near Port Townsend, WA -> Introduction to Permaculture 4 Monday evenings, October 15 - November 5, 2012, Portland, OR -> Northwest Ecobuilding Guild Retreat October 19 - 21, 2012, Port Orchard, WA -> Inland Northwest Permaculture Conference November 9 - 11, 2012, Missoula, MT -> 22nd Annual Lost Valley Permaculture Design Course December 3 - 16, 2012, near Eugene, OR -> Oregon State University Online Permaculture Design Course January - March 2012, online E-campus ******************************************* Seedsaving as an Activist Practice Saturday, September 29, 2012 7 - 9 pm Shoreline Community College 16101 Greenwood Ave N. Shoreline, WA Free! Seedsaving gives us the unique opportunity to dance with life and play a distinct role in our nourishment. We can nurture plants for the special qualities that sustain us in uncertain futures. As corporations 11 attempt to take control of our genetic diversity, seed saving becomes an important political act. Come join us to learn how you can take responsibility for your own food supply by saving your own seed from your garden. We will be discussing harvest of cultivated and native seeds as well as flowers and vegetable crops. Seed saving is a great localized buffer against the globalization of our food supply as it encourages diversity & increases the resilience in our gardens to pests and diseases. For more information, visit www.digginshoreline.org ************************************************************** Fall 2012 Bastyr University Holistic Landscape Design Certificate Program Cultivate your love of plants and the planet into a unique and important skill set that combines ecological landscape design, regenerative, local food systems and community garden apothecaries. Be part of the REAL grassroots healthcare movement! Bastyr’s Certificate in Holistic Landscape Design (CHLD) is 1-year, four-season program that uniquely integrates: Convenient Friday evening & weekends format Site visits, regional experts, guest instructors and hands-on education Over 140 hours dedicated to the ecological principles & practices of Permaculture Landscape Design More than 30 hours focused on the theory and practice of Rudolph Steiner’s Biodynamic farming methods Horticulture series focused on the cultivation and utilization of a wide variety of medicinal & edible plants from various traditions and cultures Emphasis on the Soil-Foodweb through classes like Soil Ecology, Mycology, Biointensive IPM & Plant Health Skills for creating a livelihood working with plants through classes like Horticultural Business Practices, Horticultural Research & Grant Writing and the HLD Practicum Electives include: Herbal Medicine Making for All Asian Medicinal Plant Horticulture Medicinal Field Botany & Plant Identification Herbal Medicine throughout Oregon Cascade Herb Experience Flower Essences Introduction to Aromatic Medicine Whole Foods Production The Chef’s Pantry Northwest Herbs Ethnobotany For more information, check out http://www.bastyr.edu/academics/areas-study/certificate-holisticlandscape-design 12 By Elizabeth Jarrett-Jefferson B Biirrtthhddaayyss –– H Haavvee aa w woonnddeerrffuull ddaayy,, A Allll!! SSaaddiiee SSccootttt –– SSeepptteem mbbeerr 2277,, HHaappppyy 1133!! RRiicchhaarrdd KKeennaaggyy –– O Occtt 11 SSoopphhiiee HHooffff –– O Occttoobbeerr 22 EErriicc SSiieevveerrlliinngg –– O Occttoobbeerr 22 A NT AUUTTUUM MN TRRRAAVVVEEELLL A blonde gets an opportunity to fly to a nearby country. She has never been on an airplane anywhere and was very excited and tense. As soon as she boarded the plane, a Boeing747, she started jumping in excitement, running over seat to seat and starts shouting, "BOEING! BOEING!! BOEING!!! BO....." She sort of forgets where she is, even the pilot in the cock-pit hears the noise. Annoyed by the goings on, the Pilot comes out and shouts "BE SILENT!" There was pin-drop silence everywhere and everybody is looking at the blonde and the angry Pilot. She stared at the pilot in silence for a moment, concentrated really hhaarrdd, and all of a sudden started shouting, "OEING! OEING! OEING! OE...." “Last Call” for the Swamp Join us for a “Last Call for the Swamp” on the Tent Take Down Weekend! (October 5-6-7) We will do a little celebrating and begin to do a bit of Swamp take-down and put-away. Thank you to everyone for your support of the Swamp this year. Your energy and enthusiasm has helped raise money for the Community’s scholarship fund. Stay tunedin for 2013 “Swamp Ticklers”! - Pam and Elizabeth JJ NEXT WEEK: ANSWERS! 13
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