Agenda
- Check in
- Opening Blessing
- Review WWWs
- Weekly event logistics
- Year Plan
- Spring Equinox
- May Day
- Review agenda
- Shawn's spiritual experience
- Evaluations
- Closing Blessing
Next business call
- Foundation
- Year Plan
- Unconference
- Create Meetup invitation
- SolSeed Creed
- New Videos
Check-in
- Brandon … I'm looking at our funnel of engagement for the newsletter … watching the snow is fun
- Eric … yay, I installed another piece of drywall! … the play we saw last night was a lot of fun
- Shawn …I went to a talk by the author of the Google memo and others, somewhat motivated by Ben. I heard there were some protests of the talk here in Portland (PSU) so I went to check out the protest (not much) but then I went to the talk. At one point people came in and ripped out the sound equipment to disrupt the debate. The debate itself was quite civil.
- The Google memo was perceived as attacking women's ability to do technical/STEM work, but was actually saying women tend to have personality traits that make them less interested in that type of work
- Ben … I am in the middle of a crazy period where I am doing all kinds of odd things. Some are good, like a board-game night tonight, but that will make me sleep deprived tomorrow when I take a Greyhound to Olympia to support some child climate activists. I am doing a conference call about climate psychology today. It is led by a founder of a radical climate group called Climate Mobilization. And then Tuesday and Wednesday are not normal work days either so I am kind of feeling destabilized.
Opening Blessing
We come together, four friends seeking a shared path to our highest aspirations. Along the way, let us find others to do the work with us, so that a billion allies emerge. --Blessed Be
WW(W)s from last time
- Ben … finish a draft of the newsletter … by next call
- Ben … ask if Windward is holding a Village Helix event this year … by today
- Shawn … check with L about March 25 Seattle trip … by next call
- Brandon … discuss going to Windward for the village convergence in May (memorial day weekend) … by today
- Brandon … ask Shelley for Winter Solstice and Imbolc photos for the newsletter
Weekly Events Logistics
Service rotation: Eric, Ben, Shawn, Brandon, (Rico), Shelley
- Feb 24th Service: 8:30 AM PST / 11:30 EST … Brandon (Eric out at a funeral)
- Feb 25th Business Call: 8:30 AM PST / 11:30 EST (Eric out at Michelle's church)
Year Plan
Spring Equinox
Sunday March 25th in Seattle … sushi lunch followed by storytelling
- Shawn could maybe ride up with the Sanders, or travel with his girlfriend, and take the train back
- Eric can join by Skype for the storytelling, maybe 2 PM PDT / 17:00 EDT
Unconference
Timing:
- Brandon has talked with Shelley a little bit about timing … we're looking at either the May cross-quarter or the Summer Solstice
- Either do a big event in June/August, or have a local get-together in May that points toward a big event in August (which would have to be in Canada unless Eric breaks his vow)
- Ben and Shawn prefer doing the unconference sooner
Who:
- Brandon wants to invite the Earthseed people, which may not be possible for May
- Ben wants to invite people from the Transition Towns movement
- Shawn has been corresponding with the Windward people (who are very busy in summer)
- Could we hold the event there around the time of their Village Helix open-house event?
- Eric: If we do it in the Ottawa area, we could invite the people building an earthship village in the town just north of Buckleberry, including the mayor who altered building codes to support it
Start a separate working group for the unconference?
- Membership would depend on where we have the event
Where:
- Portland
- Pros: Convenient for the most people, allowing us to have a bigger event.
- Cons: Eric might not want to come even though he loves Portland.
- Windward
- Pros: Like Wow! Awesome place to go because it's been successful at being the kind of community we want to talk about for 40 years. The stars there are amazing. We could do YayLifeTri and Drumming the Eons at Maryhill/Stonehenge. Shawn is already in touch with them around possibly getting an internship there.
- Cons: Out of the way, might be expensive, and we need to get permission.
- Ottawa area
- Pros: Buckleberry (visit Gaia statue, help build stuff), Frontenac North Earthship Village, Lanark Eco Village.
- Cons: Only close for Eric; far for everyone else. (Except maybe some East Coast Earthseeders)
- Seattle
- Pros: People from Star Community might come, and maybe even provide a venue
- Cons: Do we want to do two Seattle events in a row? Ben wants to come to Portland in May to visit family
- Vancouver or Victoria, B.C.
- Pros: Easy for Portland and Seattle people to get to, doesn't break Eric's vow
- Cons: Americans would have to have passports?
- Humboldt Redwoods State Park (roughly the location of Acorn)
- Pros: Beautiful, roughly where Acorn is in the Earthseed books (very attractive for Earthseed people), Eric is willing to travel to the U.S. for it; Like Wow.
- Cons: A long way from anywhere, we'd need to reserve campsites right now
- Brandon's proposal: Try to do a sustainable/resilient communities unconference at Windward in May, and target a festival celebrating Life in the redwoods in August
- Shawn’s thoughts:
- Less excited about going to the redwoods for Earthseed because they seem tied to the books and a personal philosophy rather than a directed action group.
- The Windward group is more exciting for me. They are farthest along a path toward the Foundation idea. But I'm concerned about cost.
- Mind is leaning is toward an urban thing in either Portland or Seatle (Star community). Philosophy is great but it can come over time. More interested in boots on the ground type work.
- Need to process more. Let's talk it over on Slack during the week.
Evaluation
- Shawn … I’m really excited that anything is happening. To have any events coming up where we can talk about my ideas that haven’t been getting much warmth in reception. I’m psyched. I just have so much more time than other people. I understand that other people don’t have the same great setup.
- Ben … Wishing we could just talk for as long as we need to and not have other parts of our lives interfere. I have a meeting at 10:30 and need to grab breakfast first.
- Brandon … Feeling the need to be putting more time into this than I am.
- Eric … Excited that stuff is happening. Wish more of it was on my side of the continent.
- Shawn: I'd love to get a sister community going in upstate NY
Closing Blessing
Life is precious. It is the organizing direction the universe takes to create complexity out of the gift of low entropy and time. May we continue to find ways to bring more Life. --Blessed Be