[Oe List ...] Respectful Dialogue

Fri Oct 12 09:49:21 EDT 2007

Dear Friends,

As we were forming our community of Songaia, we decided that we would  
use consensus for decision making.  However, we have the gift of  
having a couple of folks who hold us to hearing and honoring each  
individual voice in the process and the concern that Herman voiced is  
acknowledged.  Of course, this sometimes works better than others,  
but we put energy into making it work.  Nearly 8 years later, we have  
another way of processing  - it is called a decision board.  An  
individual or committee can write a proposal, send it out by email  
and post it on the decision board.  The name of each community member  
is listed on the proposal followed by 3 columns: 1)  I agree, 2) I  
need more discussion, 3) I will help fund the project.  If there are  
folks (1 or more) who need more discussion, we set a time and gather  
folks to work it through.  Folks who want to see the project happen  
might help to fund it or we request money from our abundant fund to  
carry out the project.  There are times when folks will stand aside  
but not block the decision but usually we work at the proposal so  
that people are ready to go with it.  There continue to be decisions  
that we need to talk through as a whole group - and so we do.

Let me give a fun example:  Early on in our life together, one family  
wanted to have chickens.  The chickens would provide us with eggs, an  
education about where our eggs and chicken meat came from (not the  
supermarket), and how it gets to our table (killing), and fertilizer  
for the garden.  Several folks in the community were quite concerned  
about the noise (roosters), some did not want the smell around the  
community.  No one really wanted the chicken coop in their "back  
yard.   About 2 years ago, 3 folks stepped forward with a proposal -  
no roosters and the coop (a chicken tractor*) would be placed in the  
garden (not really in anyone's back yard).  Well - there was still a  
concern about the original two issues plus a third big issue - AVIAN  
FLU!

Fred gathered folks together for conversations and explained how the  
noise and smell were being dealt with - folks seemed to understand at  
this point.  The avian flu was a tough one- but it was decided that  
if avian flu showed up in the USA, we would get rid of the  
chickens.   Finally we had consensus given the explanations of how  
the project would be handled AND a hearty YES from the 11 children in  
the community.

The saga continues - we all love the chickens, the eggs AND the one  
rooster who came with the lot of chicks (sometimes telling their sex  
at birth is difficult) in the beginning.  He crows at any time of day  
or night but he helps structure the lives of the hens in a rather  
creative way!

*Our chicken tractor is quite a sight.  The house (8 ft X 3 ft) is  
made of green plastic siding with a roost and 3 nests inside.  It can  
be moved each week since it is built on 2 riding mower  wheels and  
has a handle on the back side.  There are two portable chicken runs,  
one on each end of the coop which detach for moving purposes.  Food  
and water are piped into the coop.  The coop/runs are designed to fit  
into our garden beds.  These birds have become part of our recycling  
program here at Songaia, they eat nearly all of our scraps from the  
kitchen.

(In case you would like to have such a feature (chicken coop and  
run)  in your yard, please send $1.00 to Fred.)

Yours in community and in fun,

Nancy

On Oct 12, 2007, at 5:38 AM, Herman Greene wrote:

> Most small groups effectively do work by consensus. Yet, consensus  
> is something I cannot back as a policy for virtually any group. It  
> too easily becomes a form of tyranny of the majority over the  
> minority.
>
>
>
> Herman
>
>
>
> From: oe-bounces at wedgeblade.net [mailto:oe-bounces at wedgeblade.net]  
> On Behalf Of George Holcombe
> Sent: Thursday, October 11, 2007 9:28 AM
> To: ICA LIST SERVE; Order Ecumenical Community
> Subject: Re: [Oe List ...] Respectful Dialogue
>
>
>
> A memory flashes back out of these last few days of emails.
>
>
>
> We used to say:
>
> 1. Humor is better than seriousness.
>
> 2. Yes before no
>
> 3. Phariseeism more dangerous than libertinism
>
>
>
> It's interesting that the World Council of Churches has now  
> introduced consensus making as its form of decision making and that  
> the United Methodist Church in its reorganization as a global  
> church is looking at adapting that too at the next General Conference.
>
>
>
> Wouldn't it be a pity if we forgot what we pushed into history  
> along with others, and if what defined us is what we choose to  
> remember about our past and what offends us about others.
>
>
>
> Could it be we are being challenged to learn how to use email as a  
> significant way to push us into the future?
>
> George Holcombe
>
> 14900 Yellowleaf Tr.
>
> Austin, TX 78728
>
> Home: 512/252-2756
>
> Mobile 512/294-5952
>
> geowanda at earthlink.net
>
>
>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> OE mailing list
> OE at wedgeblade.net
> http://wedgeblade.net/mailman/listinfo/oe_wedgeblade.net

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://wedgeblade.net/pipermail/oe_wedgeblade.net/attachments/20071012/a050e52e/attachment.html 