These wiki-pages are for:
- posting reports of the Planning group of Evolutionary Salon 3, scheduled for May 2006
- working together on the same text - like the invitation
Our draft theme
We came to agreement around this purpose: an invitation to invoke and explore the dynamic tensions we are holding as a collective.
See separate page for considering [[WhoGetsInvited]]
[[PreviousInvitation]] (saved aside in original form for reference and raw material)]
The remainder of this page is a working draft of the new invitation. Please make your suggested changes right in this copy by editing the page if you are comfortable with that, otherwise use the comment feature at the bottom of the page, leaving it open for someone to try to incorporate your idea into the text.
Dear ________,
Two extraordinary multi-day "Evolutionary Salons" took place recently. These two gatherings engaged over 100 leaders like yourself, people who are re-shaping their fields of expertise and/or advancing their work by means of an emerging evolutionary/ecological perspective and inquiry.
The theme of the first salon was "Evolutionary Directionality, Emergent Complexity, and the Future of Humanity," and of the second, "Catalyzing Collective Intelligence and Social Creativity." See footnote #1 for details of first salons.
These events were profoundly moving and inspiring. The response to our initial invitations was so strong that many of the leaders who wanted to attend had to be placed on a waiting list. Salon 2 participants arrived from over fifteen countries. A shared sense emerged that this moment in history and evolution is calling for additional gatherings of this nature, and that some kind of movement or wave is being seeded.
We are today inviting you to Evolutionary Salon 3, the theme of which is to invoke and explore the dynamic tensions we are holding as a collective. We are finding that many people read their invitation to the salon and feel a call to attend. Perhaps you are feeling such a call as you read this!
Salon 3 is scheduled to be held May [19 or 20]-24, 2006 at the Chinook Center of the Whidbey Institute, a remarkable retreat setting located on Whidbey Island, an hour north of Seattle, Washington. See footnote #2 below for more detail.
Our shared inquiry over the course of these salons has been framed by questions such as the following:
The emerging focus of Salon 3 (ES3) is "to invoke and explore the dynamic tensions we are holding as a collective" We are finding that we want to focus ES3 on what all this exciting energy means and where it wants to go and what is being called into the world. Those of us convening this salon feel called to explore into areas such as these:
As mentioned above, we will be meeting at the Chinook Center of the Whidbey Institute, on Whidbey Island, just north of Seattle, Washington. You are asked to pay for your personal travel, food, lodging and facilities expenses. The registration fee for this salon will be self-determined at the gathering.
We very much want you to join in this conversation, and our space is limited. We have no operating capital so your deposit is necessary to make this salon happen. Please [registration procedure, payment procedure]. WE NEED A REGISTRAR BEFORE THE INVITATION GOES OUT.
We know that evolutionary innovation and emergence is not just something that happened in the past, but is happening right now in profound ways -- developments in which we are intimately involved. We feel an imperative for ourselves -- and for society as a whole -- to become more conscious, co-creative participants in this evolution. We believe that generative cross-disciplinary conversation among well-networked, knowledgeable people is catalyzing an important shift in that direction.
If you would like to be part of this group, please register soon. We hope you say yes.
Sincerely,
Michael Dowd: Cell/425-760-9941 MBDowd@bigplanet.net
WHO SHOULD BE LISTED ON THIS INVITATION?
Footnote #1: (More detailed writeups of the purpose and vision, bios & pictures of those who attended, and reports from each session can be found here: http://www.thegreatstory.org/ev-salon.html and http://www.thegreatstory.org/ev-salon2.html.) An energetic ongoing dialogue has emerged at a new web site catalyzed by Salon 2: please visit http://www.evolutionarynexus.org//.
Footnote #2: More information, including participant bios and photos, is being collected at http://www.thegreatstory.org/ev-salon3.html. [This page needs to be created before the invitation goes out! Is someone on the host team called to do this tech work?]
###
Dear ________,
I recently convened a 4-day "Evolutionary Salon" in central California with
30 leaders who are re-shaping their fields of expertise in accord with the
emerging evolutionary/ecological perspective. The theme was "Evolutionary
Directionality, Emergent Complexity, and the Future of Humanity," and was
one of the most intellectually stimulating and passion-kindling events I've
ever attended. (Our purpose and vision, bios & pictures of those who
attended, and reports from each session can be found here:
http://www.thegreatstory.org/ev-salon.html )
Given the success of this first salon, many in attendance expressed an
interest in doing it again. Those of us who planned and facilitated the
event are committed to convening similar gatherings of stellar hearts and
minds once every six months or so, in different regions. We imagine
approximately a third of the attendees at any given salon coming from those
who attended a previous one, and approximately two-thirds of the attendees
being new to this kind of synergistic conversation.
The theme of the next 4-day Evolutionary Salon is "Catalyzing Collective
Intelligence and Social Creativity." It is scheduled to be held January
14-18, 2006 at the Chinook Center of the Whidbey Institute, a remarkable
retreat setting located on Whidbey Island, an hour north of Seattle,
Washington. You and three dozen other leaders are being invited. See here
for those planning to attend: http://www.thegreatstory.org/ev-salon2.html
Our shared inquiry will be:
How do we understand, interpret, apply, and communicate the
evolutionary worldview offered by mainstream and emerging
sciences, to facilitate a positive impact on the evolution of
humanity and the natural world?
Or, as we named it during the first salon: How do we support a movement
towards the conscious evolution of increasingly conscious social systems?
More specifically, we want to better understand the motions of the social
body as it moves to wake up:
(1) What is the worldview and what are the activities and strategies of the
emerging movement to BECOME the new society, and how can we make the
community of co-evolutionists more visible to itself so that it can be as
influential as possible?
(2) What existing or visionary forms of social creativity could play
significant roles in the evolution of social systems?
(3) How can "The Great Story" (the epic of evolution told as a personally
and socially meaningful, inclusive, science-based creation myth) be told in
ways that inspire millions of people with different belief systems to
cooperate along just, sustainable lines? And what would have to happen for
such a big picture sacred story to spark people to find their calling or
contribution, becoming active agents of social creativity?
(4) What can we learn about the interrelated facets and dynamics of social
evolution that can be used as a curriculum to educate agents of conscious
evolution of social systems as well as orient people to the role of their
work in the larger movement?
(5) How can salons, such as this, draw in diverse thought leaders and
practitioners, sending them back out with increased individual and
collective awareness, coherence, effectiveness and co-evolvability?
Working with me in organizing this event are Tom Atlee and Peggy Holman. To
learn more about us, see here: http://www.thegreatstory.org/ev-salon.html
We see this as a potential turning point in human evolution. With the
evolutionary paradigm emerging as a significant force in virtually every
facet of human endeavor, we believe it is time to start weaving these
strands together to serve a better future. We know that evolutionary
innovation and emergence is not just something that happened in the past,
but is happening right now in profound ways -- developments in which we are
intimately involved. We feel an imperative for ourselves -- and for society
as a whole -- to become more conscious, co-creative participants in this
evolution. We believe that generative cross-disciplinary conversation among
well-networked, knowledgeable people is catalyzing an important shift in
that direction.
We have discussed dozens of possible prospects and have decided we very much
want you to join in this conversation. We invite you to
A. Indicate on a scale of 1-10 (1 meaning "no way" and 10 meaning
"absolutely") what's the likelihood of your attending.
B. If you estimate the probability of your coming at a 6 or above, within
the next week or two, if possible, please write an introductory paragraph
about yourself (300-500 words), telling a bit about what you bring to the
dialogue and what you look forward to about it.
As mentioned above, we will be meeting at the Chinook Center of the Whidbey
Institute, on Whidbey Island, just north of Seattle, Washington. Room and
board costs, including three meals a day prepared by Chef Patty, are in the
range of $100-$120 per day. If you're not already familiar with the Chinook
Center, see here: http://www.whidbeyinstitute.org/place.html
As an exploratory dialogue with potentially historic impact, this will not
be a "normal" conference. There will be no keynote speakers, no
pre-designed workshops, no presentations of papers. Much of our
conversation will be facilitated using methods developed by
evolution-oriented dialogue specialists to foster group opportunities for
self-organization, co-creativity and emergence. Rest assured that there
will be ample free time for relaxation and random conversations --
especially knowing that important breakthroughs can easily happen during
such times!
Another difference from most conferences: No one is being paid for
participating in this Evolutionary Salon and there is no institutional
subsidy -- or bureaucracy. We is it!
Beyond your personal travel, food and lodging, the only costs for this
gathering are some shared expenses for communally available food, supplies,
and documentation.
So, once again, please imagine a group of leading-edge evolutionary and
ecological thinkers and activists coming together to discuss the fact of
evolutionary emergence and its various interpretations and implications, and
to engage in generative dialogue about how to act on this understanding to
expand its influence into the mainstream. If you would like to be part of
this group, please let me know soon. I hope you say yes.
Sincerely,
Michael Dowd
Cell: 425-760-9941
MBDowd@bigplanet.com
Just thinking aloud here. . .
I am still deeply carrying the money piece. As few people actually know, I did some consulting to the planning team around the money issue for ES2. I am deeply and richly alive with ideas for how we can shape the financial sustainability of the evo salons. I am just thinking out loud here but I am also deeply called to shape the finances.
Here is what the last invitation said about money: "Beyond your personal travel, food and lodging, the only costs for this gathering are some shared expenses for communally available food, supplies, and documentation."
I do not think we want to repeat this sentence in the next invitation. I believe we can co-create financial sustainability. I believe it is very important that as co-creators of evolution, that the "whole" salon community co-create financial sustainability. I am really pressed for time, on a trip in which I am deeply and joyfully engaged in something wonderful all week so I can't explicate in detail about my ideas. BUT I believe the invitation should read something like this: We ask you to pay for your personal travel, food and lodging although some scholarship funds may become available as this movement grows. (don't get hung up on my language: I am brainstorming, not dictating) The fee for the event will be self-determined.
This is very important: "THE FEE FOR THE EVENT WILL BE SELF-DETERMINED." Then at the salon we can request funds the way I did at ES2. This way the care of the whole is undertaken by the whole, this way we are transforming both our individual and collective relationship with money. Just as humans needs oxygen to evolve, humans need to evolve new ways of 'being' with money.
As the salon grows, I believe it will become self-sustaining.
Also, it is not sustainable for people doing the work of co-creating the salons go on working for free. We can't fix all income problems for all involved in one swift stroke but we can co-create a dazzlingly different way of doing money.
And I think it can be addressed in the invtation with "self-determined fee". People don't have to know too much about what "self-determined fee" means because they will be living into the collective field at the salon. . . they will come to understand it, evolve into understanding it.
Gotta go: I am facing a wonderful day.
Dear friends,
As the scribe for this weeks planning call, I have chosen a different way of sharing with you my notes. It is my sense that this call was a very powerful and potent grounding of energy and I ask that each of you take a moment to read what I have written as a way for us to center around a common place of intention as we continue the process of inviting. I offer a woven tapestry of our words in which I have taken some creative liberties. The first part is our collective passions and the second part is that which we sensed around inviting and the process of invitation. Again, I think it is very important that we are all connected in our intentions of invitation. You will find the full transcript of the call below.
What brings us to the play of calling into being Evolutionary Salons? What is our passion for this right now?
There is a need within our culture for a new master narrative to guide our lives. The story of evolution is a narrative that is calling. We have an opportunity to learn from the lessons that evolution has to teach us about being together on this planet, about conscious evolution, about societies consciously evolving. This master narrative is feeling more and more like the simplicity on the other side of complexity. Now feels like the right time and people are showing up, so we're here, we're in.
We have passion for transformation, heartfelt connection, and love --- may they guide us, catalyzing awakening in each of us to recognize our true soul work on this planet. We are passionate about being in collectives and dedicated to learning from how we are as a collective, discovering what is possible when we tune ourselves to the wisdom that is present, self organizing with the intention to bring something for the greatest good into being. We are excited about the many possibilities in the ecology of communication forms and technologies that open up ways to activate collective wisdom in a hurry, in a way that involves going deep.
We wish to discover and make available resources, including visionary and intellectual structures, recognizing self-organizing ways for future salons to effortlessly birth into being. We are working with others to co-create a compelling, easily replicable way to ground evolutionary salons in a sacred evolutionary context that can be handed to whoever is interested. We are exploring Wikis and open source resources for people of all and no religious traditions who want to go more deeply into Evolutionary Spirituality, deep time, and our nature. We wish to help birth for the world the opportunity to truly and profoundly experience money and human containers/human systems differently, in ways that serve the evolutionary path. We look at these salons as evolutionary experiments that add to the whole movement and we are passionate about balancing structure and creativity.
Our passionate inquiries include such questions as: How does this story and the visualization of it get refined into a central statement or message and how can it be disseminated or communicated throughout the world? What is the relationship between certainty and uncertainty in an evolutionary movement? What is the role of randomness and chance?
This work is a culmination of our life paths and we are passionate about creating consciousness around its unfolding.
What is the field we want to create and who would be in resonance with that?
May we be grounded in this woven tapestry of passion as we expand into the practice of inviting. It has been named that the power of personal invitation holds a core sense of what is being seeded here. May we heartfully live into the invitation process, centering around the field we want to create and inviting those who are in resonance with that field. This process will hopefully be a collective learning process and we will notice what happens as the result of doing this and include it in the next round.
We need to be very clear in how we stay present and connected to this process, finding new ways, forms, and structures for sensing into how we do what we do. As we individually invite, we continuously sense into the whole. We have listened to one another and now we may mindfully hold in our awareness the whole, the sense of the whole, and the essence we want to invite into being. We sense into who we are and who we want to reach with these invitations. We sense into the field so that we invite from a very grounded context. It has been named that challenges arise when individuals have varying interpretations of the freedom of invitation. It is imperative that we are mindful of who we invite: that we discern and use ourselves as measurement and that meditative silence has a place in the process. We set a very powerful pattern of inviting and welcoming when we stay consciously connected to the process. May we know the field we want to create and remember that it is crucial to trust the field at every point. May we ring the tone clear and high and resonant.
What is the field we want to create and who would be in resonance with that?
As we sensed into the essence of what we are inviting and who to seed that forward, this is what we heard:
We are calling to people that feel within themselves a deep calling to be a part of this work/play/movement. People that are drawn to this as their life work. People who see the world through significantly different world views. People who live at the heart of transformation and care deeply about what happens. People that can sustain the vision and seed it into diverse populations. People that don't have email. Youth. Elders. People of different races and ethnicities. Artists. People who are present with the wisdom of the land. People that have a relationship to deep time- both past and future. People who have the juice flowing and the passion happening and it resonates. We don't say no to juice!
In our process of being aware of who has passion for this work, it is very important to us that we expand our vision to include awareness of diversity and those we might not at first think of. We also welcome a little disparity in the field as that leads to evolution.
We invite and welcome exploration into ongoing ways of people channeling this energy. This next salon could be finding a structure for something larger than salons that has salons energy that is trying to emerge. What does that look like?
Michael has sent out a most recent version of the invitation, Tree asks that the language around money stay as it is and that you take creative freedom in all other regards, and we all agreed to wait until Tuesday at 5:00 pm to send out personal invitations.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Planning notes from March 9, 2006
Present: Tree F, Susan, Peggy, Ashley, Michael D., Tom A., Kevin, Stephan F, Margo, Bill, Dana.
Passion that brings us here:
P:Need for a new master narrative for our culture to guide our lives.. the lessons that evolution has to teach us about being together on this planet. Passion to create a consciousness around this work.
Susan: Master narrative feeling more and more like the simplicity on the other side of complexity. Feels like the right time and the people are showing up.
Tom: Conscious evolution, societies consciously evoloving, resourses, vionary and intellectual structures… discovering self organizing mixes for the salons
Ashley: How we are as a collective… what is possible when we tune ourself as a collective
Stephen My passion is for Transformation, heartfelt connection, love…my passion for this work is to catalyze the awakening in each of us in recognizing our true soul work on this planet
Kevin: this work is a culmination of my life path… How the story and visualization gets refined and disemenated through the world
Michael: Wiki and having a open source resource for people of all and no religious traditions who want to go more deeply into Evolutionary Spirituality, deep time, and our nature…working with others to co-create a compelling, easily replicable way to ground evolutionary salons in a sacred evolutionary context that can be handed to other to do
Bill: Relation of certain and uncertainty in evolutionary movement. What is the role of randomness and chance. Looking at salons as evolutionary experiments that add to whole movement… balancing structure and creativity
Margo: Passion for being with collectives and moving with consiousness into evolution.
Dana: Excitement about the many possibilities in the ecology of communication forms and technologies that open up ways to activate collective wisdom in a hurry, in a way that involves going deep.
Tree: Many things already said. Culmination of this life and previous lives. I'm not used to carrying this clarity. I'm feeling called to help birth for the world truly, profoundly doing money and human containers/systems differently to really serve the evolutionary path. I feel that in order todo this right (in May), we have to think about how it fits into the applicable path that others have said. I'm hesitant that others will think I'm talking about something that is much smaller that what I am actually saying.
Integrative reflection, transitional thoughts, meaning making?
Tom many big vision/callings that the salon work is trying to hold. In many senses it can hold it and in others it is straining.
Michael: tomorrow at 12 pacific time – ideas and visions around creating and maintaining an evolutionary context at this next salon. Ideas, suggestions, concerns… and gifts, skills, expertise that you bring are welcomed to add to this creation.
Energy of meme group rippled through the 2nd salon and passionate groups are welcomed to meet… Tree would like to know if it will effect housing.
Agenda:
-Update letter (send or not)
-Update as to responses so far
-How we heartfully live into the invitation process
-Multiple money conversations: one for today – Are there a few people who feel called to be of service, to discern who feels called to sense into the whole of granting 'Pay it forward' calls.
Tree: Update – 11 people have filled out a survey. 6 people have paid. I have a lot of thoughts of what that means. Last week we touched on waiting to see how we send. My sense that a lot of people who were connections to Michael, Tom and Peggy, an unfamiliar list, give a different response. I'm not sure they know. I thought it would be good to have this conversation.
Expanding from that, intuitive hit, I feel that we should start sending invitations that way, people are invited via the power of personal invitation. Tom, Peggy and Michael, just see that happens, I don't have a lot of thoughts about who they should go to, send from our email accounts.
Tree: request of Michael, Tom, and Peggy to send personal invitations. I will send you the list. Invitations should be sent personally, power of personal invitation hold a core sense of what is being seeded here.
Michael: sounds good. Peggy: Yep.
Deadline: to be left.
Invitation: Tree confused about which model to use. Michael will use what she sends.
Communication: Make sure it has inviting feel. Ashley will consult on language.
Stephen: Soliciting feedback about his 'youth version' of the invite. Margo felt fine about what was written, it just felt a little long. I trust and think that it's great.
Tree: Unattached to invitation evolving into people's personal language as long as the money language is kept consistant.
Michael: After the 15th what happens?
Ashley: People forwarding the invitation because that nature is common with this type of events.
Invitations – how we heartfully live into the invitation process.
Peggy: We need to be very clear how we want to be with this…
We need to really sense into who we are and who we want to reach with these invitations. Sense into so that we invite from a very grounded context. Who are we inviting, who do we wish to call toward us?
Stephen: What is the field we want to create and who would be in resonance with that?
Peggy: A council response to that (each person's voice heard before discussion) mindful speaking
Michael: I can easily and happily defer to consensus of the group. My own sense would be see response from 1st wave and then invite all of the 1 and 2 (my hunch is we still won't be more than ½ full).This may be our last opportunity to do that as pretty soon there will be too many.
Tree: If we send to 1 and 2 I have the same hunch that we will be at 30/35. I think we should let go of deadlines. Decide who we are going to invite and keep track.
Tom: 1st come 1st serve.
Michael: I will email out to those groups from my account.
Margo: This was the purpose of the survey to find out who of 1 and 2 are interested.
Peggy: If we are sending out an invitation then we won't need a survey. Follow up that process of invitation happen through personal invitations. Clarity around 1st come 1st serve. I have a strong bias towards less is more with discerning and using ourselves as measurement, we set a very powerful pattern of inviting and welcoming.
Tree: I propose that P, T, M send out personal invite to others. Michael sends out to 1 and 2. Then I'm not sure. People can shift language to match who invite is going to.
Tom: This is where how inviting overlaps who we want to invite. We could assume that built into the structures of how we invite.. personal invites would attract who we want. Carry diversity awareness into the structure. (more that I missed)
Peggy: I'm on board and sensing the field we want to create. as we do indiv inviting, we sense into the whole.
Michael: I like and I want to alert to a challenge that we ran into of the freedom that people feel to invite large numbers where as others are more careful. Some mindfulness of the numbers each person invites.
Margo: appreciates. I think all invitations should have a sentence about how much there is a need for quick response and it could fill up fast. Holding the question of diversity
Tree: I don't think we should all feel free to invite anyone we want…I think there should be a focus on the diversity question.
Ashley:Silence…. Slow down….Calling people that have a deep calling, connection to their life/soul work
Ashley: A quickening in the pace of my heart, the speed of the conversation. What are we calling? I'm trying to wrap logistics around what I sense into, 2 different spaces. I'm going to return to what I felt in the silence, drawn to what Stephen said, life work, soul work, that's what essential about what we're creating, so many deeply drawn to aspects, intrinsically inviting people for whom this is life work, soul work. Difference between I have an interest, really this matches my lifecalling, therefore I want to be a part of this. Be aware of those people and inviting them
Dana: I appreciate the content and the slowing us down. I want to mention a couple things, noticing the energy of wanting to push out widely, hesitating and drawing back. What you just said, when I curated a show several years ago, calling for artists who had dedicating their lives to producing sacred art. I got 800 artists and had space for 40. the next 2.5 years, I worked creating a network…calling forth a moving tide of people. If you say, if you ring the tone, clear and high an dresonat, whoever is called will come forth whether or not they make intot the next salon.
Ashlye, that communication piece is so essential to welcome to invite, so great to hear, keeping the connections, the network
Tom: More things that can have ongoing ways of people channeling this energy. This next salon could be finding a structure for something larger than salons that has salons energy that is trying to emerge. What does that look like?
Bill: Absolute faith that forms will emerge… because it fits a need. I want to invite the spirit of diversity into this space. Who can we pull in that has that passion who we might not at first think.
Kevin: Diversity, individuals inviting, how to keep focus: Might I suggest specific intent on including diversity. Quota as a way to specifically address.
Bill Great idea. Could use private aspect of EvoNexus. Quota is not about limiting or encouraging diversity but more about the number of people that are being invited (Kevin: Yes). Making sure that we don't cross over and invite the same people.
Kevin: If we all have the same numbers that we can invite.
Tree: Quota doesn't seem right to me.
Stephen: In my sense of the evolutionary spirit with which we have come together to create this event, one of the core qualities is TRUST, love, connection, moving organism we are all participating in our unique and collaborative ways. If we become crystal clear about what we want to create and then ask who in our field resonates with this vision… it doesn't matter who they come through, but their resonance. An opportunity to step deeper into trust and co-evolving so that we can say "Yes!" this is what we want to bring to this event.
Tree: Diversity of invitations to people that don't have email.
Kevin: Not to be argumentative, but to make a point… Sometimes there is a need for balance between open heartfullness and thoughtful approach about our goal. It might be useful to have balance to the diversity by thoughtfully inviting people we each find diverse. Balance real human experience with heartfelt desires.
Peggy: Tree early on said that what we are about is finding new ways, forms, structures for sensing into how we do what we do. I heard Stephen's suggestion as a means to address issues of diversity and mindfulness around it= it isn't about helter-skelter inviting but being mindful to the whole and the sense of the whole… As we have each been listening (diversity, youth, people who this is their life work)… We each hold the mindfulness of that in our awareness.
Bill: I feel good about the intent. Are we at a place that we know who we want to invite.
Ashley: Knowing the field we want to create. turning back to the place of sensing in and offering the essence of that.
Dana: Crucial to trust the field at every point.
Tom: Process will hopefully be a collective learning process that we will do this and notice what happens as the result of doing this and include it in the next round.
Dana: What is so horrible about having more people than we have space. We have a 1st come 1st serve and why can't we just …
Peggy: Use it as an opportunity to grow the field itself.
Stephan: error on the side of inviting more… rather than being cautious and not having as many as we had expected.
Peggy: Lets get invitations out to ES1 and 2 and Stephen's youth list now… and then lets start simply inviting.. Is there a reason not to?
Tree: The invitation to 1 and 2 should incorporate the update… do you have energy for writing that? Update into invitation
Ashley: I can do that!
Peggy: Time… grounding into what we sensed about powerful naming of who we want. Instead of naming reflection and end call with a sensing into the essence of field into which we are inviting and who to seed that forward.
Margo: If we are all free to start sending out invites then someone needs to really be on top of registration form.
Tree: I'm on it… and topic of managing funds.
Bill interested.
Tree: I'm on it… and topic of managing funds.
Bill interested.
Tree will send a master invite to others
Kevin: What is specific timing of invites being sent out by all of us. Wait until 5:00 pm on Tuesday and then send away.
Peggy: It's snowing… Wanting to repeat the profoudness of what I heard Ashley speaking… people that are drawn to this as their life work…I add the emphasis of young people and people of color… that is who I am drawn
Tom: People who see the world through significantly different lenses
Live at the heart of transformation and care deeply about what happens
Ashley: Diversity of ways of being in the world in addition to race and age; People that sustain the visionand can seed it into diverse populations
Margo: I continue to be called to bring people in that have a relationship to deep time.
come to appreciate it from Joana Macy's
Tom: Both past and future, right Margo?
Dana: People who have the juice flowing and the passion happening and it resonates. Don't say no to juice.
Bill: A little disparity in the field that leads to evolution. The passion may look in different ways than we expect it to.
NEXT PLANNING MEETING (via conference call): February 9 at 2 pm
Preparation for next call - Thinking into who we should invite. In order to do that, we’ll sharing existing list of invitees with the planning group.
Participating: Tree F, Peggy, Sheri, Merrilyn, John, Tree B, Tom, Halim, Susan, Kevin, Michael D, Margo, Bill
Rough Notes: Sheri
Agreements
Tom – post the ES3 synthesis statement to the wiki
Tree F – send out email for upcoming planning meetings to all who expressed interest
Sheri – post meeting notes to wiki
Halim – take the lead for the “invitation team” (Tree F, Halim, Susan, Tom, Margo) to craft an invitation to ES3
John – invite people who were on the waiting list to join the Evolutionary Nexus for dialogue
Brief Summary
Sharing and exploration of what calls you to this conference call.
Discussion of logistics regarding timing of ES3, planning, large number of invitees, venue restrictions (size of group – pros and cons of large v. small)
We do we invite and what topic?
Discussion of the focus/purpose for ES3 – getting clarity
This is a process, not an event.
Synthesis statement for focus/purpose that emerged
Listening into the Future: What is calling? Deep explorations about evolution, visions, where we are and where we might go as a planet.
Bell & silence
Margo – what we created was very powerful and wants to see where we can go and participate in that process.
John – there’s a closer coming together of colleagues in various movements; would like to see an evolutionary salon for software development.
Merrilyn – uses of imagery we could add to the proceedings that will be useful.
Tree F – thinking of herself now as a “money tree”; from the first moment she heard about the first Evolutionary Salon at Peggy’s house, she’s been carrying the field.
Sheri – feel called to this work and to what is emerging; went through powerful transformation at the Salon and want to support the process in support of nurturing the field we are all sitting in.
Susan – when I heard about it, my ears perked up and I had a sense that I needed to be at this gathering; it was extremely powerful; I feel called to support this movement.
Tom – what does the field want to do with the next salon? Sense into it, that’s how he sees his role.
Tree B – ditto; wants to tune in and see where things are and stay connected.
Kevin – has been to the first two salons, both interesting and personally transforming; wants to help form a salon for creatives and artists.
Halim – I was so thrilled and lifted by ES2; wants to see the website evolve; there are surges of energy through me and wants more of that.
Peggy – couldn’t possibly be anywhere else.
Bill – here to play
Michael – this is my passion, these kinds of evolutionary conversations; I may not be on this call every time, but I’m deeply invested in this process.
Logistics:
Who else wants to participate in the planning? Others who want to be involved in this process but could not attend this call – Dana, Katia, Carolyn, Jack, Alan, Ashley, and Alexander.
Conference Call Number – available thanks to Michael; if you want to use the line for ES3 planning, just let him know so he can schedule it.
Meeting Notes - Notes will be posted to the Forum for ES3 on Evolutionary Nexus (Sheri with additional notes from Tom, John and Tree; everyone is responsible for reviewing and making changes/revisions/additions/comments – collaborate and support the ongoing dialogue)
Using the Online Technology:
Forums are the best place for conversations;
Wikis are the best place for collaboration.
Deeper inquiry question:
Peggy – Wants to honor the question of reflection as a foundation for thinking about the purpose for ES3, so let’s take 15 minutes to do some reflections on ES2 as a reflection on ES3.
* * * *
Meeting date/location – Currently set for May 19-24 at Whidbey Institute; there’s still a question about whether we’ll start on the 19th or the 20th.
Need to Focus Quickly – Michael shared that they started inviting people for ES1 8 months ahead of time; same for ES2. This time we’re only 4 months away, so we need to get clarity quickly regarding (1) theme (2) purpose and (3) who to invite
Tom – ES2 successfully brought together people engaged in the work of Collective Intelligence. Who do we want to include in this next Salon?
Request for Reflection:
Sheri – would like to see some time spent on reflection about ES2 to better inform our thinking about theme, purpose, invitations, process. [What did we learn about collective intelligence that is informing our evolving work?]
Clarity of Purpose and the Need to Narrow the Focus:
Halim – question of purpose bifurcates into two:
There are many reasons why people show up – for personal growth, process laboratory, networking, identifying new initiatives, engaging the story field, engaging the design field. We want to welcome the rich variety that people bring, but maybe focusing on several topics/themes would be good.
Tom – There are different types of narrowing: (1) framing focus (2) topic focus (3) wide open; we framed the invitation for ES2 with the evolutionary frame story; we didn’t set the intention solidly at the beginning of the actual gathering (lack of focus). Therefore, people who were drawn by the evolutionary meme felt frustrated, even though it was loose and juicy. We need to try something with the evolutionary framing and have it clear at the beginning and keep it open.
Peggy – she saw the invitation, but didn’t really read it, but was called by the energy. The theme of community building that was implicit in ES2; much of the power happened at that level.
Michael – what is the uniqueness of something like the evolutionary salon, he was asking himself in early conversations leading up to these salons. The need to make explicit the evolutionary context. A real benefit is to create a solid evolutionary context. ES1 – complexity and evolutionary directionality; ES2 – catalyzing Collective Intelligence and social creativity; ES3 – what field or sector would be of great value and interest as this all evolves?
Kevin – several threads here: (1) who do we invite and what topic? (2) what’s the process and form of the salon? It would be very useful to soak people in the evolutionary perspective before the salon actually starts and right at the beginning. A critique – lack of focus and directionality. This time, have focus at the beginning and then in the middle let the river run full and wide, and then run it through a narrow gorge so we have focus.
Tom – “shadow presence” – dozens of people who wanted to be there are on the waiting list. We don’t have a clean slate. What about picking a focus that is broad and can be broken out. If there are specific sectors, then let’s do specific salons on those sectors.
Bill – question is what are the design principles of evolutionary nature that we’re using to make decisions. If you have a lot of diversity, interesting things happen. Convergence/openness. Will the question help us with the convergence? How do we enter into conscious evolution? How do we create a container that might move us to the next phase?
Tree F – she’s holding a lot of space for the people who wanted to come. Could we consider a different facility/venue to hold more people. It’s important to not close it down.
Merrilyn – agrees with this; she supports being open to those who feel they want to be there
Peggy – there is room for more. The assumption is that May won’t be the last ES. We set the intention that as we design ES3 and we have it first come, first serve, if we blow past our numbers limit, we set a date for ES4.
This is a process, not an event.
Halim – Whidbey Institute would limit us to 60 people or so [Note from Sheri - Joy said that Aldermarsh is not available on these dates]
Michael – Whidbey Institute is very turned on by ES2 and would like to see themselves as a space for these types of conversations.
Merrilyn – Can we invite people who were on the waiting list to join the website?
John – he’ll take this on.
Margo – this is a lengthy conversation; the pros and cons of large and small groups. We could have more that are smaller. If part of the design is to have everyone part of the whole. What happens in small vs. larger groups. There were a larger number of women vs. men, explore what that is about. The more balance – diversity.
Michael – likes the diversity. People said that the size wouldn’t have been a challenge if we could have met with smaller groups, so there are pros of less than 40 people.
Merrilyn – Bill’s context of conscious evolution and design principles.
John – he heard a lot about process and it seemed people really loved process, maybe the focus could be on process – evolutionary processes.
Evolutionary Salon 3 – PURPOSE/FOCUS
Bell/Silence
What’s the focus that would make our individual heart sing?
Taking responsibility for what you love.
ES3 Focus that calls you.
Merrilyn – where all of us could be out on one cutting edge, describing it, claiming our potential, being vulnerable, what are we here to do
Tree B – how do we scale up in terms of social evolution, rather than the pace. How can we be strategic about what we really believe needs to happen.
Michael – (missed it sorry)
Peggy – how do we become an enlightened community?
Tom – living as if we can make an evolutionary difference, asking what’s here?
Tree F – continuing to grow the capacity of collective field; take the content and the process and scale it up.
Susan – what are some of our collective images/visions of the future
Margo – listening in to the future, what’s being called
Tom – what is calling
Tree F – that’s what I was trying to say
Merrilyn – they all fit together
Kevin – this resonates; how we move this in a larger community, balance this issue of what is calling and what is this evolutionary perspective, do we have a story? What’s next? There’s a certain urgency and some clarity would be helpful in reaching out to more people.
Margo – speaking more personally, what’s calling to me is not the evolutionary perspective as much as what Joanne Macy calls the “Great Turning”; would like to have some deep listening about the conversation about evolution. It was on the edges of ES2, not in the center.
Kevin – the Great Turning would be a great evolutionary moment.
Sheri – collective visioning
Halim – one of the limitations of the evolutionary frame, is that the sense of emergence happens at the edges…
Tom – weaving several threads: listening to the future, deep conversations about the evolutionary vision, where we are and where we might go; what is calling…
Margo –also that we embody how we treat each other in an evolutionary context; how we are informed comes from the edges.
Susan – don’t want it to sound too monolithic; there are multiple visions possible. what are calling?
John – having a vision of a silent salon – 5 days / no words
Bill – is there a way to hold the question of vision and evolutionary channels and the relationship of the past and the future. There’s a richness around this territory. Just because we envision it and we want it, is it evolution? We vision it, we plan it and now it’s going to happen? Keeps us humble.
Halim – important elements of working toward vision, constantly revising; not left-brained style that is engineered, but taking step by step.
Sheri – would like to see us incorporating the evolutionary processes, including the presence of Scharmer in terms of sensing into the future. [added later for clarification: I am interested in what evolutionary process practices are calling us and what conditions can we set in place to allow us to come into the being state that allows us to connect more deeply with what the future is calling us into....]
Margo – appreciate the sense of history; conscious outreach to people in indigenous communities; presence of many people from indigenous perspectives.
Michael – welcome it and fear it; many indigenous people don’t see the deep time perspective; there are many people who reject the evolutionary story because it doesn’t fit in with their version of creation story.
Synthesis
Peggy – do we have a working theme? Tom named something. Is there support with minor modifications? It seemed we moved on because it was a good working draft theme.
Listening into the Future: What is calling? Deep explorations about evolution, visions, where we are and where we might go as a planet
General support expressed (with some modifications).
Tree F – scaling it up/taking to the next level? Is that theme in there? We’re living into it. What’s calling us is upscaling.
Bill – question based on the last time: what’s the specificity? Would I know more from that title? People will be responding to the call, does it need more specificity?
Tom – when we send out the invitation, there are more questions we include. We want a broad framing to begin with.
Summary of what was expressed by the whole:
Scaling up in terms of social evolution
Growing the capacity of the field
Evolutionary processes as key component
Collective visioning
What are the collective visions/images of the future – what are calling us?
Inviting the indigenous
Different frames - Great turning, listening at the edges, evolutionary
Crafting the Invitation
Peggy – anyone feeling a call to craft the invitation and statement of the theme?
Tree F
Halim
Susan
Tom
Margo
Halim will take the lead to convene the team.
We’ll use the wiki to collaborate on the draft;
We’ll radically trust the invite team to take the lead.
ES3 Conference Call Planning Meetings
We decided to do them every 2 weeks. Those who show up are the ones who make the decisions for that stage of the planning; notes will be posted in the ES3 Planning Forum: http://www.evolutionarynexus.org/node/184
Next Planning Call – February 9 at 2 pm.
We agreed that either Tuesdays at 2 pm or Thursdays at 2 pm are our ideal times (at the moment and taking into account others like Ashley who could not be here but could be available on Thursdays or Fridays). Tree F will send out an email to everyone who has expressed an interest in participating in this unfolding process.
Preparation for next call:
Thinking into who we should invite. In order to do that, we’ll sharing existing list of invitees with the planning group.
Closing
Great process
A lot of appreciation for how mindful everyone was.
Stupendous
Great to see the torch being passed
Would like to have a harvest time.
Notes from Feb. 16 Planning call for Evo Salon 3
Present: Peggy Holman, Tom Atlee, Halim Dunsky, Margo Adair, Tree Fitzpatrick, Susan Cannon, Stephen Feig, Ashley Cooper, Michael Dowd, Sheri Madrone Herndon, Marc Tognotti (and noted that Finn wants to be, is out of town, and will participate when he can)NOTES: EVO SALON 3 PLANNING CALL
FEB 9, 2006: 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM
PRESENT ON THE CALL
Margo Adair, Susan Cannon, Ashley Cooper, Stephen Sygzy Feig, Sheri Madrone Herndon, Peggy Holman, Marc Tognotti, Tree Fitzpatrick (Tree came on after the initial check-in)
NOT PRESENT, BUT NOTED AS WANTING TO BE
Tom Atlee, Halim Dunsky, Tim Murphy, Kenoli Oleari, Finn Voldtofte
NOTETAKER’S SUMMARY OVERVIEW OF THE CALL
(Note: Summaries inevitably leave things out and impose some interpretation. Nonetheless, here’s a brief summary paragraph of the call, plus a slightly more detailed summary outline. A complete transcript of the whole conversation follows, for those who want the raw details. – Marc Tognotti)
SUMMARY PARAGRAPH
The group created a practical “to do” list around planning for the next salon. We shifted into a reflection on our learnings from the past salon, most of which seemed to center around unresolved tensions that we are still sitting with. Questions arose as to whether the proposed date and place for the next salon had been imposed without appropriate consideration of what we’re really being called to do and the inherent needs and pace of our growth as a group. We then considered our intention for the next salon--it's purpose. We came to agreement around this purpose: an invitation to invoke and explore the dynamic tensions we are holding as a collective. It was agreed that those who are drafting the invitation would work this theme into a draft and distribute it prior to our next weekly telephone meeting, scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 16 at 2 pm. We agreed that the task of the next meeting would be to refine the purpose of the next salon.
SUMMARY OUTLINE
1. Agenda
The group generated an initial list of agenda items:
• The invitation to the next salon (now scheduled for May 19-24 at Whidbey)
• Who to invite
• Roles that need to be filled
• Finances
2. Reflections on our Learnings
We agreed to begin with a reflection on our learnings from/since the salon. A theme quickly developed around “different orientations” and “dynamic tensions” that were present during the salon, for example:
o unresolved relationships to the evolutionary story
o a lack of clarity of purpose (sacred masculine not showing up)
o interventive facilitation vs. holding the space
o ego-presentation vs. going with the emergence
o what people presenced, what they held back
o staying present in the Now vs. the urgency of future action
o people wanting to do Being vs. people who want more Doing
3. Date/Place Restrictions
The question arose whether the proposed date hadn’t been externally imposed such that the process was now being driven by the date rather than what the process needed. Though aware this might have some truth to it, several people were inclined to stick with the date anyhow and no one objected. No decision was made. (A suggestion was made to speed the planning process by spending less time designing and “trust the field,” creating space for conversations to happen as they are wanting to.)
The same question was explored about the place (Whidbey Inst.): Were we trying to fit the process to the place (e.g. the place determines the number of people), rather than finding the place to suit? No decision was made.
4. What do We Really Want? What is our Intention for the Next Salon?
Leaving date and place restrictions aside, what kind of salon would we have if we could have anything we wanted?
We discussed ins and outs of smaller and larger salons, multiple salons. In discussing the ideal size, the feeling seemed to be that the group’s current need is to develop at its own pace, and not to grow too fast, so that later we can more strongly hold the space with greater numbers.
We then shifted to a discussion of purpose. The talk went to dualities of doing and being, the future and the now, willfulness and emergence -- and the question of resolving or welcoming the tensions.
From here, we came to a purpose for the next salon that all seemed to support: What if this were an invitation to invoke and explore the dynamic tensions that we contain as a collective?
5. Practical Matters: Date, Place, Number of People, Structure
We became aware that, once clear on purpose, we'll be ready to tackle the more practical questions such as date, place, number of people and so forth.
6. Closing Assignment: Draft an Invitation and Distribute
It was agreed that the invitation writers would work the newly identified purpose into a new draft invitation, and that they would distribute the new draft before the next call.
7. Next Planning Meeting: Time and Task
The next weekly call is scheduled for the same time next week (Thursday, Feb. 16, 2 pm). Our main task will be to refine the purpose of Salon 3.
The full transcript of the call is posted below.
COMPLETE RAW TRANSCRIPT: FEB. 8 EVO SALON 3 PLANNING CALL
1. BEGINNING MOMENT OF SILENCE
We began with a moment of silence.
2. PROCESS AGREEMENTS
Marc agreed to do notes.
Peggy:
Silent note-takers are invited to send Marc their notes.
Let’s say our names when we speak.
3. CHECK-IN AND EXPECTATIONS FOR THE CALL (AGENDA-SETTING)
Peggy (continued):
Let’s start with a check-in: Please state what you want out of this call. What do you want covered today?
[silence]
Peggy:
Here are some people I know who want to stay engaged but had a conflict for today: Tree Fitzpatrick, Tom Atlee, Halim Dunsky.
Here’s stuff I’m hoping to spend time on today:
- the invitation, a discussion around inviting people and what that looks like,
- the roles we need to make the next salon happen, and where there’s interest in playing some of - those roles
Lastly, I continue to marvel at the level of engagement and interest.
Margo:
I’m marveling also and would like to engage in what’s up.
- I would like to know the financial state of where things are at the moment.
Ashley:
I’m interested in connecting with what is this body of energy that is forming the next salon.
It’s nice to be in real-time, hear voices and hook in.
Marc:
Kenoli Oleari also wanted to be here but had a long-standing medical appointment; he plans to be on the next call.
I’m interested in discussion around questions I’ve seen asked:
- who would be invited to the next salon
- whether there might be fewer people invited
Like Ashley, I wanted to hook into the energy.
Susan:
Have been enjoying watching the energy build. It’s more than I can keep up with.
I’m on the invitation team. We have been working on the draft.
I’m interested in:
- the specifics about framing the financial piece
- figuring out more about the process.
- getting clear quickly on whom we’re going to invite, which we’ll need to do fairly soon, and which will shape what we’ll do at the salon.
Stephen:
In this moment, I’m an open vessel for listening and digesting ideas & offering what comes through me in that process. I feel a lot of excitement & curiousity as to how things will evolve in the course of what becomes revealed to us, and how it gets manifested at the next event. I bring enthusiasm, curiosity, joy.
Sheri:
Right now I’m feeling strong need for 2 aspects of this process to really be here in this call:
- attention to the details thus far identified so we can take next steps
- looking down the road in terms of … the reflection piece … and thinking about what we’re learning from this very process itself: How do we infuse our process with what we’re in the process of learning, so we recognize our role in terms of holding the container in the field?
I’ve been spending lots of time on the nexus site, and talking face to face with others; I’m interested in what people contribute in the present.
4. TODAY'S AGENDA
Peggy:
Here’s what I heard:
• The invitation
• Who to invite
• Roles
• Finances
[Unidentified added:]
• How to incorporate our learnings as we go
Margo:
It might be a good idea to do a round of briefly sharing our learnings first.
I’d be happy to take some time to do that here.
Stephen:
Spending some time in reflection would serve us well.
[Tree enters the call while traveling on the East coast. She apologized for a time glitch.]
Peggy:
So shall we start with How what we’ve learned so far might inform the invitation?
[The Group:]
Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.
5. REFLECTIONS ON OUR LEARNINGS
Margo:
There are three different “headlines” around learnings for me:
• The idea of the urgency of the state of the planet and my realizing that when things are really urgent, time slows down. I’ve been holding that.
• The whole of shifting one’s attention from individuals in the circle to what’s in the center, the middle as Finn would say. A slight shift but a profound difference.
• Inquiry – this one takes longer to explain – the question of the sense of purpose of why people are there, and the different orientations towards the idea of evolution and how that affected the field; an area I’d like to explore
Peggy:
Two primary things I’ve been sitting with are interrelated.
1. My own personal journey around this has been an increased awareness of sitting in dynamic tension; there were three tensions that showed up during the salon for me:
- sacred masculine and sacred feminine. A lack of clarity around purpose tended to be there; I think this was the sacred masculine not showing up. The role of the sacred masculine is that
- intervention/facilitation and holding space
- spirit and matter - which shows up in relation to money
- among the many perspectives or lack of knowing around the whole evolutionary story
2. The capacity of being present in those tensions and able to be connected to the whole
The clear learning for me: This is what it looks like when the power of invocation isn’t fully realized early on.
Stephen:
Picking up what Peggy said, which catalyzed my reflections.
The last salon reminded me of an evolving young fetus organism growing childlike; we had people who shared common values and had very different life experiences and life stories, and the dynamic between [1] a common unity being called forth intermixed with [2] the stories and ego of the past, and preferences, and how those two danced together. My sense is that by holding space with some gentleness, not tightly, but allowing the guidance of what’s being called through us, will emerge and people will each have opportunities to experience that dynamic in interplay within themselves.
I see myself as one of the many who are holding the gentle guiding space that helps hold a space for this to emerge, realizing there will be tension, conflicts along the way … as the new interfaces with the old … and stuff melts into its new form.
I’m trying not get my references too caught up in how it should be. I would like to see something greater evolve through that.
Peggy:
What Stephen said triggered one last thought. I believe the last morning was a shamanic act of creation … birthing a self-enlightened community. A bodhi sangha.
Tree:
I was one of the people that convened the last day. It seems more powerful to me each day because of the way we did the money. I think there are a lot of exciting, shamanic possibilities that can be represented by the energy of money.
Ashley:
I’m sitting outside [now] … about 30 feet from me a purple-leaved bush in bloom is glowing in the sun. That sense of showing up is really present to me.
Watching individuals show up in fullness, and we as a collective being able to show up.
I feel this sense more now of this essence that’s trying to be burst through the universe.
There aren’t vessels big enough to receive it. It needs a conscious collective in order to receive it. I carry that close in the flow of who we are and becoming.
6. QUESTIONS ABOUT THE PROPOSED DATE FOR SALON 3
Susan:
To build on what Tree said: sensing that whatever this is that’s coming through that’s emerging is so much more than the capacity of any one or few; it requires a self-enlightened collective …
I’m sitting in the tension of that and holding questions … about how this simple series of salons is unfolding, and the shape of that as a whole rather than thinking of each salon separately …
and I’m having some questions -- The date that we set, is that the time this wants to emerge or are we putting an artificial restriction on it?
Sheri:
I’ve had the same question about the date.
It was also an experience I had here locally with Imagine Cascadia, which had a lot of parallels with the Evo Salon. There’s a lot of similarities.
We had this thing about the date, and it drove us instead of the process driving us.
I resonate with a lot of what people said. The one thing that’s really been alive for me is how (I don’t know if we really named it as clearly as we could) the obvious distinction happening for individuals between Being and Doing.
There are people for whom the work, strategy, focus is in the Being, and others who come towards this work with the Doing.
I saw that so clearly and dramatically in myself, and I know my own evolution around that, so I felt that I could see the whole. If we could have named that more I think it would have helped people in seeing through their differences into what was emerging and how we nurture the field of emergence. I find that a rich inquiry. It’s been brought up a little on the website. I’m wondering how it plays out in terms of what we invite people into and how the next salon unfolds.
Marc:
I’m having trouble keeping up with the notes!
I’m almost surprised by the degree of resonance I feel with what I’m hearing. People are being quite eloquent. Peggy, I like what you said and the way others are following up on it.
To pick up Sheri’s thing of being and doing, and the issue about the date.
The date was thrown out quickly. It surprised me. I did ask myself the question whether it seemed forced.
This brought up for me the dichotomy of Being and Doing. Peggy, you called the last day a “shamanic act of creation.” I felt that, too. But I also heard that some people were feeling [during the ecstatic celebration] darkness and despair, because the action they wanted to see wasn’t occurring. That was not brought out into the circle.
I was then and am still sensing all these wonderful dynamic tensions. I’m looking forward to those tensions emerging and driving the salon to where it wants to go.
I’m feeling in tension with the people who really want to “shape” the salon and who are feeling that action isn’t happening quickly enough. I want to see these tensions and the others the salon is pregnant with come forth. Confrontations, differences, challenges.
Peggy:
Is that everyone?
[No response]
Peggy:
Speaking to the date: if we want to change the date, we can.
The date came from – as we were continuing to marvel at more and more people wanting to attend, reaching 90 and then more than 100 people, and knowing the carrying capacity of Whidbey would be exceeded (even at 80 we tested the sceptic system quite a bit), we (that is, Tom, Terri and Michael) figured, if we can’t expand the number of people, then let’s add another date.
That date was then chosen because that was the date available on the calendar that was both “close enough in” for those who couldn’t come in January, and also “far enough out” to do some planning.
Whidbey is holding the date on the calendar. Whidbey hasn’t asked for money because they are really excited by the work.
We don’t need to be driven by the dates.
My bias: is that it’s indeed possible.
I don’t personally have an attachment if they are in the way.
It can change.
Sheri:
I want to clarify about the date piece … They had kind of driven Imagine Cascadia.
On the flip side … we could do this faster and we could have these conversations faster.
Maybe we could not spend so much time designing, trust the field more, and create space for the conversa