Wisdom Weekend

allows us to get together a group to buy -- maybe related to the community center

allows us to concentrate on a community center, with a membership component -- country club

Partnership

Assuming

-not enough financial resources to buy anything we are looking for so we need a partner.

-shy by at least 50%

-applies to any of the scenarios - raw land, preexisting camp, long term rental

Needs

-advertising

-legal structure

-advertising

- personal ads

- describe DNE - Partnership model - Paul has been working on this model for 2 years. We don't want to cover the same ground that has been covered already. We need to get the history. Who has Paul spoken with, what are his thoughts.

- communication

need good agreements - good communication good contract all of our fears - bad partner and having disagreements with partner. Solutions - choose carefully- do our homework - clear communication and good contract.

Ad - spec sheet describing us to realtors is not quite warm enough - description in directory is maybe too warm and long but getting there. Magazines, internet etc. We don't want to predefine partner. It could be one person or one DNE person or a group of DNE folks - time.

Ideal group

We have the potential to do everything - enough money - beautiful scenery - we want to hold the highest intention. We can have the highest ideal and be practical. Keep the vision so that we don't settle for less. Every step we take is toward a vision - buy Delaware, fix it up and sale it and take next step. Where do we want to be and take it one step at a time. Difficulty of holding vision is burn out. It tends to wear down our capacity to hold onto our ideals of what is possible . Have meetings like this so people doing work can hold ideal. What if were as annoying as public radio. Keep up the fund raising. If we want a chunk 500,000 to million we've got to raise. What will this place look like - camp side of road with babbling brooks and lakes - residential on other side of camp so separated physically and financially. Sort of like a partnership. They get a deal and it enabled them to have residential home plus away from camp. Keep ideal over time.

Long term rental.

Renting for 5 years will give us time to see what the community wants as a whole. It frees us up to work on internal structure, we could raise the money, we could focus. Serious responsibility of running a business. We don't have the people or structure to run a business. What is ideal we are looking for. Recreational, running a business. I had a feeling that I'm part of a recreational community then I go back into my community. We've gotten inspired to put a boogie together have workshops. Renting frees us to be a recreational event. At the moment that we make a choice to do something we've been changed. We need to be conscious of what we choose. We can rent from DNE individuals. 3 to 5 year leases. Practical end - we can do this now. Expand the region where we are looking. Look in Canada, Pennsylvania, etc.

Preexisting camp

challenges and advantages

Challenges:

flexibility, fund raising, creating 2 corps, buy land c-3, and DNE

mkt. research - who's looking to rent, what do they need?

Residential component - sell lots to members

volunteer labor - mini camps 20 people x 25 weeks for 2-3 yrs

could charge for camp and work anyway, sweat equity vs. financial equity?

pre-transition plan - short term plan

less than ideal rentals for camp at moment.

compromise is a cumulative thing.

Rotate compromises - size, cost, privacy, and time every 2 years until we're ready.

Assumption that camp we buy will be functional, rentable.

Might take longer and more money to get a camp up and running.

Undeveloped Land

Big advantage - we can tailor make our own concept of the ideal camp.

Otherwise we accept some compromise with an existing camp.

Much less financial exposure - can develop land slowly in steps.

In 2 yrs we could rent with a `rustic' appeal, as long as we have the basics: kitchen, cabins, and class spaces.

Volunteer energy around a brand new place would be higher than for Preexisting camp, such as Delaware which needs a lot of work.

Community building to do this work.

Could do these things in partnership as well.

Many subgroups had the following:

internal structure

fund raising

communication

Dialog

next step

- be clear go beyond "I think the next step is finding undeveloped land"

- next task (fund raising, internal structure, etc.)

We should be working on restructuring

Find out in general community who is with what long term plan and begin committees

How do we combine all these scenarios - What are the dependencies - a decision making structure is needed - money is needed. Create tasks from dependencies

Committee to put together survey - choices time issues, money issues, resource list what type of resources available - restructuring - decision making - fund raising - write down concrete information from survey

Hybrid combining all these scenarios - we need to look at all these things together. undeveloped land approach - talk with realtors - builders develop a detailed plan - what will it look like how much will it cost.

membership - time for membership - what is the level of participation we can expect from the community. Who is Dance New England

We need lots of things happening simultaneously - focus on fund raising. Money is a big factor in what will be possible. Beth personally wants to focus on the fund raising committee. So that money is not what holds us back.

Fund raising workshop at camp - restructuring - consensus training - work with medicine council to see if they will take on visioning - deal with e_mail conflicts.

Mid life crisis - people must look in mirror and say who am I and what am I doing. hard to do. We should do that first. Knowing who we are will lead us to next direction

So many options. We need to differentiate between likeliness of success with dealing with what is outcome of each scenario.

Maintain openness from yesterday - we are already beginning to close. When we focus on our own vision we need to stay open to the other options.

Next step - we should look at all of the options - shouldn't narrow our options-next step is work on fund raising and short term not quite ideal camps - changing compromises.

Undeveloped land is more finable than Preexisting camp. We should be open to all these possibilities - we will end up with a piece of land.

We've talked a lot - we can act. If should do it. W

We should have subcommittees - look for land - long term rental - buy Preexisting camp. We can't sit back and expect someone else to do it.

We need to take this weekend out to the rest of the community so that the larger community trusts the process no matter what happens. The larger community needs to trust that we will do what is best for us.

fund raising, restructuring, what is decision making process.

Next task of CSC is to

form the sub committees reach out to the broader community to be on those sub committees.

define ourselves & pay attention to the short term - rotate our compromises

post adolescent crisis - who we are for the first time. Community at large is diverse - recreational - highly intentional and the continuum

Information gathering - survey in camp registration -no survey no camp - required.

DNE is a community that has not defined itself on ideals -ideology can divide us. Who we are has been defined by the cerebral dance.

Make it easy for CSC to enable them to proceed - maybe we make compromises but make it easy for them

Find a way to get more of the community involved - coming to camp is more than recreational- spread out the work - we need more energy. Families with young children - needs aren't being met - they are drifting away.

Keeping open, spreading out the play - involvement can be fun - doesn't have to be depressingly hard work - article about this weekend - communication be enlivened, hopeful and engaging- feel the commitment and accountability - being part of the process. Too many people who don't know and don't care.

Club Med split - some people see camp as fun thing we do. It is important to have a real place that is ours - level of commitment takes a lot of work - What do we really want and be flexible.

Something is real good that is happening here. We need to take to community -we've made a connection - Taking what positive here and make sure that is what happens doing survey.

Create things to go forward - fund raising - camp this summer - It may be Ok that some people are very committed and some aren't - light the community with healing with fund raising - begin to move and excite the community

30 minutes of open discussion (stacked)

Recreational community component is good. We welcome these newcomers who are potential members of our true community. However, we shouldn't be beholden to the. We've given them too much influence, although we should continue to respect this component of our community. Relevant models include Kripalu. We should avoid conflict with this part of our community, accommodate them, think of them. They may commit later on--they are a valuable part of our community.

We should make clear the expectation that DNE is about participation. The people that do participate are allowed to make the decisions.

What should be in survey? The flyer is going to the printer in 9 days.

We should have partnership committee, too, along with all the others (fund raising, volunteerism, search, etc). We need to have the whole community embrace the idea of homeplace. Informational survey could be prefaced with summary of homeplace search issues as an encouragement piece.

There will be article in Alphonse including summary of homeplace search history. This could be written here at this meeting.

Earthdance is relevant example. It was founded on a certain vision and that vision changed. That vision worked and was wonderful, but it changed. The same will happen to us. We should allow for the changes and trust them.

The medium is the message. This week-end is DNE. The process of meeting and planning and envisioning our future is what DNE is all about. We enjoyed this process, and we shouldn't be divided from those who don't choose to do this work.

About 20 people did phone canvassing for Camp Delaware. Few of them are here today. 300 people were reached and were receptive. The people who chose to do this work are the ones who were suited to it, like the ones who chose to do the canvassing.

Problems with having survey go out with reg.: It takes a long time to get the questions right. There isn't enough time. Also, many of the key questions will depend on the particular site we are looking at.

Need to continue to gather new energy into DNE. People are quickly accepted into DNE and efforts are immediately welcomed. It's fun to see how new people fit in. Plus, there's attrition. Keep this quality.

Possible theme for camp: Looking Forward. Set aside a day for classes on these related topics. Including fun. Serious concern: who has what information and how? Certain people have irretrievable volumes of information, but that makes it hard for the rest of the community to be involved in decision making. Also, there's a vulnerability there.

Community meeting should include dancing. This weekend was more enjoyable because of the dances each night. Not rushing: we don't want to repeat the Camp Delaware experience, as valuable as it was. This is a moving meditation, not a race. Getting the Leadership Council through is important. Survey: we don't know what yet what we want to find out, or who we want to find it out from. We should find out who is really committed before we start asking about skills. Equity still a tough issue. We just "give" it. We think it's an unjust world so we just try to right the wrongs. There is a tension between community and politics. Some people have earned equity in this community. It's good for people to come into a situation where this is valued. People can see that if they give something comes back.

Frustration with the level of frustration. We have come very far. It's not as stuck as it might appear. Growth happens in a spiral now a straight line.

This conversation about land/property has turned into one about inclusion/exclusion. Think of image of something spinning with the core part spinning faster and the outer lays coming along more slowly. Some people will always come to DNE more recreationally and some with more work energy. Don't let this become a source of resentment. We need more time for "sacred talk." We have so much personal power in our small group. It's enough right there.

We need to go into a new process, a "Continental Congress" of DNE. The US govt. is a disaster, but the original thought was beautiful. The original visions and documents were the result of bitterly hard work. They locked themselves into a building for 2 months. We should do a minimum of 7 days. A work camp to save work by coming together by focussing. The people who choose to be in are the truly committed. This would produce the maximum reality and output in the shortest time. Lots of outside issues would be resolved. There is a huge continuum between investiture in work and those who walk in off the street and get their minds blown. We need both, and we need delegates/reps/advocates/whatever.

By sitting back, I saw that everything I want to say was said. It doesn't take away from anyone's experience to give power to those who are committed. It doesn't help to let someone off the street to block us. Our baggage is that we're trying to create our Utopia. But in reality we can't have everything. We have to make choices and live by them.

4 major areas of next tasks

I. We didn't eliminate any of the 4 scenarios - we will continue to pursue all (buying existing camp, buying undeveloped land, partnership, long term rental)

II. Support tasks

a .fund raising

b. get info about the community work and skills commitment

c. regenerate CSC

d. raising volunteerism & participation (use member dances as resource - ask Kenny for wording)

e. practical man infestation skills - how do continue to hold & evolve vision, the ideal camp (this was a scenario - it now is a support task that applies to all the scenarios)

f. short term rentals

g. communication (issues e_mail, personal communication between each other, communicate to others, e_mail medium - common problem - recognize that this is what happens Communication committee + CSC Communication subcommittee - communication skills - conflict resolution)

III. restructure/governing/governance

IV. work on defining ourselves with each other (equity, membership, who has decision making power) including families, class, race - specific issues - we need plan

concern - If we had come at this question from a different angle would we have come up with a more radical or visionary answer?

These aren't tasks we are asking to fall onto the shoulders of reps.

We will not actively pursue actual scenarios until supports are in place (before camp) slow down.

Must define ourselves first

I don't think everything on this list has to be in place prior to moving forward. The process is dynamic.

We need to continue to pursue things. We have to continue to pursuing the avenues.

Pursue versus respond - we need to evolve definition

Radical thought - restructure - create decision making body who will make our decisions for us.

Goal - where are we - where does CSC go from here - What is CSC mandate now? Let's keep pursuing all these options - Let's put this support in place -

In terms of future we still see all these scenarios as viable - we haven't ruled out any of them as a future. Here are things (tasks) we see that we really need to do.

How much do we have to have in place before we pursue a scenarios?

Focus on support before pursuing scenarios or continue to pursue scenarios while we put supports into place.

BREAK in Minutes -

Meike - Are we trusting and empowering our selves.?

Candy- WE have basically agreed that the points in our group 2 and 4 will give us a better idea on how to pursue.

Also investigating availability of land and other yet unknown possibilities will put us in a better position to decide what to do.

Dena- I would like to have a

CSC meeting soon

Paul: We need a meeting to focus our experience and knowledge on fund raising. Then we can go ahead into fund raising.

Carolyn: Past experience many people felt cut off because on our approach $5000.

STRETCH BREAK

Kenny: DO some folk feel concern about moving forward and now feel bad?

TASKS

#3 Happening

#4 HUGE and will need to be dealt with by the Reps & LC

#2 CSC material along with this group.

Dena CSC needs a hand here.

Len - Needs to be serious attention to the community involvement and volunteerism

Alisa- New folks for CSC - LEN, and Alisa energy.

Dena wants to talk to medicine council

Paul and Anne want to be less active.

Alisa wants to work on community g aspect g council

Doug on collecting resources available information.

Len Volunteer energy

Dena wants to work on the visioning and connect with the medicine

Paul -- Fund raising

Candy - after restructuring will equity and other number 4 tasks

mikey restructuring

Meika will offer to join the reps for any short term till camp

Naomi will offer to join raising energy #2D

Restructuring proposal will be mailed out now and hope to pass it in June

Carolyn - What do we do in interim

Laurie offering home for meetings and general support for CSC

Mariba on fund raising group

Scott - Participation and surveying community for skills

#2B - Kenny with Doug on community skills

Leslie - Community energy #2D

Beth - Volunteer development and fund raising.

Alisa - working with classism if it can fit in somewhere.

Kenny - Communications committee can expand into #2g

Bill -- Fund raising

CSC meeting organization

Len Doug Meika Scott Laurie need direct invitation not CSC list

does CSC need to be to meet in places other than Boston

How many would go to a meeting western mass? 8

Paul what will the next meeting be about?

There should be a good clear agenda before the next meeting.

Maybe we need sun committee meetings first

then have a complete committee meeting after that.

Alisa - how many people would devote another weekend or day to a follow-up meeting during the next 6 months 90% at least including Kenny.

Who would be willing to facilitate next meeting -- Bill McAvinney

Who is

candy Kenny Alan Dena Doug and others I did not get down.

CSC meeting date - to be done in caucus after closing circle.

Beth -- Is someone going to do a volunteer development committee? Len will email out stuff to the five who volunteered

Paul will convene a meeting about fund raising.

Naomi -- how will we communicate to others who are not here.

Kenny will send out materials.

Last modified: June 2, 1998

Carolyn Fuller
fuller@mit.edu