About the photo above: Children who had been in child care during a council meeting of parents, teachers, and staff entered the room as council was drawing to a close. We ended the meeting with a "children's council" lovingly witnessed by the adults.
A door opens...
I've been leading circles and council meetings for many years now. Council is a powerful way to contribute to the healing and repair of our broken culture. I've held council in many settings and have taught hundreds of people the foundations of council. This is the kind of work that I am born to do, and I do it well.
Now I have an opportunity to take my work as a council leader to a new level. But I need help from you, my community.
About a month ago I received an email from a mentor who is one of the top international teachers and leaders of the Way of Council. She told me she is ready to pass the torch, and is looking for someone to step into her shoes. She was including me on the short list of those who she felt might be ready to do the job.
What an honor, to be recognized in this way by someone who is a personal hero and inspiration.
But, she said, in order to have a shot at this, there are two things I must do. One was to attend the international Gathering of Council Carriers, which happened a couple of weeks ago. I was there. It was wonderful.
This is where I need your help
My second task is to complete a weeklong intensive training that is for dedicated and experienced leaders of council. It is scheduled for mid-September. It's going to cost about $2500 to attend this training.
I'm a freelance worker. I don't have a regular salary or a budget for training. The kind of work I do is vital to our times, but is not of a type that our culture rewards with salaried jobs and pensions plans. So I don't have financial resources to pay the cost of this training. I need your help. But it's not just about me...
Council can help our culture heal
If you've ever been in a council-style meeting you know how effectively council:
- Encourages deep listening to others and to our own hearts.
- Supports us in speaking our truths.
- Helps heal hurts in their relationships.
- Opens pathways to discover our deep wisdom.
- Encourages deep connectedness among people and with the land and all its inhabitants.
- Helps participants develop a very effective, ecologically-grounded, compassionate style of leadership.
After leading hundreds of council meetings in many settings, I've seen time and time again that there is deep power in this work. The Way of Council expresses perfectly the kind of shift in thinking and working together that we need if we are to become a truly just and sustainable culture.
How I will give back: A four-day training in council leadership
Besides continuing in my lifelong commitment to serving the cause of culture repair and community healing, I will give a four-day training in the art of council leadership.
- This training will be open to anyone who contributes at any level. It will be held in Santa Rosa.
- I will schedule it collaboratively with donors to maximize the numbers who can attend; those who cannot will be able to attend any of my daylong introduction to council trainings, which I give monthly.
- My goal is to consolidate my learning by giving it away immediately; and my vision is to seed our communities with a core group of council leaders who are themselves a community of change agents.
- This will be the same training I have taught at Sonoma State University, where tuition for the course costs over $350. My students there have unanimously agreed that the training is itself a profoundly rewarding and life-changing experience.
If you contribute at the $50 level or more, and don't want to attend the training yourself, you may designate someone else to attend in your place.
Other Ways You Can Help
Maybe training in council leadership is not for you. Consider spreading the word about this campaign to others who might be interested. It's a great opportunity for teachers, organizational development consultants, group leaders, wilderness guides, pastors, and anyone else who is interested in helping groups communicate and function well.
If you know of a situation where a council-style meeting might be helpful, get in touch with me. Let's discuss what the options are.
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Thank you so much for your support.
