[Springboard] Next Springboard Gathering

[Jack Gilles]

Dear Colleagues,

A few of us, on behalf of all, had a conversation regarding the  
invitation by Nino Tillman to have our next gathering in Chicago,  
hosted by the ICA-USA and the ICA Board.  As this option was explored,  
it became evident that this is not the time for holding an event in  
Kemper.  The ICA is not equipped to host a large group effectively at  
this time and we felt that it was probably premature to return there,  
as the Springboard is moving in a different direction.  So we have  
decided to take up the offer of the Denver team to return there for  
our gathering.  They are delighted to host us again, and I can testify  
that they did a magnificent job for us before.  Many, if not most of  
us, will be hosted in colleagues' homes. The meeting place will  
accommodate about 30 of us comfortably and we might be fine for  
another 10 or so if necessary.  The team who held the conversation  
would like to suggest we look seriously at a travel pool so that we  
could all pay the same amount to get there.  The dates are the same  
that we set at the Junaluska gathering: March 28th, around noon till  
Sunday, March 30th around lunch.  A few of us intend to arrive (all  
are welcome!) on Thursday to do some prep work like last time.  We  
also have some who have indicated a Friday afternoon-evening arrival  
which is fine also.  The Denver team will be getting out details for  
us in the next few days.

We spent some time talking through just what to accomplish at this  
gathering.  In the first instance, this is a subject for all of us,  
not just the coordinating group.  So we really want everyone,  
attending or not, to speak where they feel we need to move.   Our  
first suggestion is that those who headed up groups at Junaluska share  
with us what they see as the next steps.  This does not need to be  
limited to this Denver gathering, but can be longer range also.

The Junaluska gathering was filled with profound care and a real sense  
of effulgence that is not easy to communicate in the reports that were  
written.  The passion is there to move quickly forward and the world  
is waiting for our creative response to these critical times.

I have agreed to get the ball rolling with some personal thoughts on  
where I feel we are and what we need to work on.

In the three gatherings so far, we have demonstrated that there is  
indeed a great desire by a all of us to work together in a number of  
creative areas under the larger umbrella of "Caring for Those Who  
Care."  These include work on the Guild, the Archives/Repository, the  
21st Century Contradictions, Expanded Participation, Study Resources,  
Competencies and Stories and the formation of  a new body in history,  
which can be called an Order but may be imaged as something  
different.  A lot of very thoughtful and insightful work has been done  
by many of us.  I would urge everyone to review the documents posted  
on the Repository page on the Junaluska task forces.  <http://twiki.wedgeblade.net/bin/view.cgi/Main/TaskForMats 
 >.

For me, I feel that we are now at a critical point in our collective  
journey after three great gatherings this last year.  We need to  
boldly move into action.  I suggest the following as working images of  
our task.

1.  Decide who and how we intend to care for those who care, pick a  
group(s) and devise a strategy and timeline for getting something  
launched.
2.  Get realistic on what we can and cannot do without some serious  
funding.  I would want us to explore getting some funding proposals  
written for the Archives work and also for the creative new work that  
is needed that would be part of the repository/guild resources.  We  
have so many great minds that need to be engaged and financially  
supported in this work and we have the story and capability to make it  
happen.
3.  In light of the above (#2), we need to continue to make the  
Repository a vital, user friendly, and very interactive web site.   
There are many wonderful sites on the net that do an effective job of  
creative dialogue in their design and management that we can learn  
from.  We have not mastered the ability to work on these task-forces  
with the engagement of the larger body of us effectively, and this  
needs work.  We can't just do this work during the three times we meet  
a year.
4.  We need a plan and assignments to expand participation, both  
attendance, but more importantly, in the various tasks we are engaged  
in.  Since I still have strong relationships in India and am building  
new ones here in Mexico, we want a way for these people to feel a co- 
equal part of this body.  Our future will depend on the effectiveness  
of engaging this much larger body of people.  How they become part of  
the "Order thing" is something we will need to work out, but we have  
time for that.

Grace & Peace,

Jack Gilles

P.S.  Let's collect some songs that we can sing that are recent OW or  
consciousness related.  The Denver team will be glad to collect and  
publish for our gathering the songs we suggest.