What is community at Crow’s Nest? A circle embracing us upon the first visit and each return. A connection across geography and time zones. A commitment to compassion through challenge.
Ultimately, though, from where this Nester stands, our community is a living bond nurtured by balanced care. Elaborating a tree metaphor offered by Founder C. Michael Smith, I visualize this balance as roots to earth, branches to sky, and trunk to widen and rise.
Community in this sense is not an ideal but a lived practice inspired by imagination: bringing together individual insights, rooting a common base of support, growing a collective vision, expanding our potentials as we share the healing path. This expression spins my own view after a year at Crow’s Nest, as well as a background in community organizing.
Over the past year, Mikkal paid special attention to Nesters’ feedback about our community. A working group began in June with the expressed purpose to support this organic evolution. Now a practical step is being taken, bridging spontaneity with intention. Your participation is most welcome and — without a doubt — essential to these experiments in community.
The first step is a survey (below) for organizing supportive meet-ups between workshops. Support here is loosely cast as connecting socially and spiritually. An occasion may offer an alternate framework to continue processing workshop experiences. Of course, these gatherings hold promise to be festive! Locations will alternate beyond Crow’s Nest proper, and often the public will be invited. Finally, online meetings also are possible with expressed interest.
An invite to all Nesters: Would you like to hang-out between workshops? Be sure to share your feedback via the survey below.
A shout-out to long-standing Nesters: Would you share gifts as a (co)facilitator? Leaders set the game plan for an occasion: sweat ceremony, drumming circle, ecstatic dance, fireside chat, and more. More facilitators widens everyone’s experience.
A query among the Nest web: Would you like to (co)host a meet-up? A host takes care of set-up and clean-up, and also may provide the venue. Occasionally a facilitator also may serve as host, but let’s remember these sayings: “the more, the merrier” and “many hands makes light work.”
Thanks for making Crow’s Nest community wonderful and taking part in this pilot effort! The survey is below. Please copy and paste all items by email with your responses, and send to: community@crowsnestshamanism.com. We aim to begin piloting after the November workshop.
Melissa Dey Hasbrook explores the creative and healing arts from her base in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
Crow’s Nest Community Survey, October 2013
Name:
City and State:
1. Participation. Please pick *one*:
(a) __ I am game for face-to-face gatherings between workshops.
(b) __ Online meet-ups are my only option between workshops.
2. Hosting involves set-up and clean-up. Please pick *all* that apply:
(a) __ I have a great place for in-person circles.
(b) __ I would like a partner for co-hosting.
(c) __ I am glad to play host at someone’s place.
3. Facilitating is (co)leading an activity. Please pick *all* that apply.
(a) __ Count on me to lead a face-to-face circle!
(b) __ I would like a partner to co-facilitate an in-person activity.
(c) __ I have experience with online meet-ups and am glad to help out.