DATE: 11/27/18, 7-9 pm
LOCATION: Deb Grant, 60 Brentwood, Portland, 207-775-7752
ATTENDEES: Deb, Judy, Martin Jenna, Lindy, John, Oracle, Pika, Mellen, Kari, Jimmie, Jason, Blair, Kiara, Kendall, Nicole, Steve
ROLES ASSIGNED:
- FACILATOR: Lindy
- TIMEKEEPER: Jason
- PEACE-MAKER: Kiara
WELCOME/INVOCATION: Martin presented an in-gathering poem
AGENDA REVIEW: Add other items; set order of items; set time of items
PRIOR MEETING NOTES REVIEW: 10.30.18 notes summarized
1. ANNUAL MEETING - December 9th: (5 min)
Pika and Judy review agenda, food provided by PCD, members attending asked to bring their own utensils/plates/bowls. There will be time to eat and time to meet. Deb volunteered to emcee. Briefly described that our By-Laws require an annual meeting of members and election of officers.
2. NEW YEAR’S EVE COMMITTEE: (10 min)
Blair reported that 6 people have signed up and paid. There is a robust committee in place for set up and set down. There will be email blasts and dance circle communications to members to pitch event & for volunteer sign up. Mellen suggests making an event on the PCD facebook page. Time of NYE is 8:30 pm -12:30 am; DJs - Jason and Deirdre. Anyone can come to NYE, do not need to be members. Everyone pays $20 in advance or at door. Those who volunteer get another Sunday dance free.
3. SPRING RETREAT: (10) min)
Kari reported that PCD has sourced a new and robust location for the annual spring retreat ~ Ferry Beach Retreat and Conference Center (FBR&CC) in Saco, https://www.ferrybeach.org It has more capacity than Wavus, the facilities are lovely & on the beach, the cost can be contained under $200 per person, another dance group hosted an event and were positive about the dance floor, sound system and overall experience. The date: June 7-9, 2019. The deposit is only $500. No contract yet. But the committee is moving forward; Kari is point person, Julie is contact for lodging, Laura for registration, Jane for food. Eventually new-newer volunteers will transition into these roles. 4 DJs are needed ~ for Saturday and Sunday with some thoughts of using a playlist for Friday evening. There are diverse lodging selections: from tenting to dorms to shared and private rooms to apartments. The dance space can accommodate 50-60; the registration may be limited to 40 (still need to decide on maximum number). There is hiking, campground and a beach.
The center has a dining room and can provide meals. Food is a separate charge from lodging. The place is large so that there could be another retreat happening concurrently which means sharing common spaces like the dining room and beaches etc.
VOTE: To allow the committee to proceed with contract and deposit of $500. It is understood that PCD can use its own insurance policy and does not require any additional insurance and, if requested, can provide FBR&CC a copy of its COI (Certificate of Insurance)
5. FORMAL CONSENSUS PROCESS: (30 min)
Oracle recommended PCD Meraki take under review the document and consider its adoption. Notice was sent prior to the meeting to read it ahead in preparation for discussion. He assumed it had originated out of the Occupy Movement; however, discovered it goes further back to peace groups in the 1980s (Catholic Works, Sojourners etc.). He acknowledged that we’ve already been informally testing some of its tenets at Meraki over the past few months.
Discussion:
John: it calls for additional commitment of those who attend meetings; there is talk about training in the document ~ what is the training? Just concerned what it asks of membership and those who come to Meraki, how to tailor it for an all volunteer to organization.
Kiara: at first hesitant that it over complicates but now really likes it. There are pieces of it that we don’t implement but could easily be added. Take time before jump to propose it in its entirely. What are other’s concerns? We need patience AND timekeeping - keeping the sweet spot between. Balance the opportunity to feel heard but also to get things done. Intention around, silence and space ~ things we don’t need often, but when there is conflict and disagreement we need it most.
Jenna: interesting process, experiment as a framework, not same group every time at meetings. Volunteer thing ~ not be too rigid. Would need training on it, a quick explanation for new people, but cool to experiment with it.
Deb: slowly adopt, work toward potential agreement. It could be 1-2-3 people who would be willing to be (not a consensus committee) volunteers who would commit to come to meetings early and focus on consensus learning; pick a particular focus for that meeting.
Martin: Likes lot of things in the document; is one reason we started to function better, intuitively been using aspects of it. And there are others areas he hadn’t considered. Like Jenna/Deb’s idea to begin to pull-out/cherry pick without a set structure designed for larger organizations. Adapt to our needs; don’t need the whole thing to benefit. Honor principles in Chapter 3 ~ good for all to look at it. Likes the role of peacekeeper and advocate.
Lindy: likes idea of a committee
John & Mellen: need a statement of foundational principles; group versus individual. The need to identify and distinguish individual issues versus group issues. This is a learning curve from past experience. Clarity around an issue is important. It may not be an issue around how the dance operates and how the group functions. Then once there is clarity use the consensus model; could be really helpful. If it is an individual versus a group frustration, the individual is responsible to articulate a position in a proposal for discussion for Meraki.
Blair: Agrees with John, need statement of purpose as reference to guide process. We are here to put on dance ~ everything else is ancillary to serve that. We want clarity in the beginning with any issue that we are all on that same page as a group with why we are here/what we do.
Oracle: likes Deb ongoing process, show up early, we are training ourselves.
Steve: put the educational process on the website for those who want to learn more about it, be invited in to take part, get involved.
Deb proposed continuing the discussion at the next Meraki meeting; volunteers will be willing to introduce one thing culled from the 4 we are already doing so beautifully (advance agenda planning, timekeeper, peacekeeper and invocations).
6. OTHER: (25 min)
a. **Poster Boards (5 minutes)
Jason proposes changing/updating the Sunday dance poster boards (photos and text). Also safety protocols. John proposed that Jason work with WIZ rather than Meraki, come up with proposed drafts for Meraki agenda in January to consider. WIZ meets each 1st Sunday of the month.
b. **Question for WIZ (5 minutes)
Lindy noted that several weeks ago at Sunday dance there were no WIZ representatives at Sunday dance. What is the protocol for that situation?
Blair responded that WIZ will take that under advisement at their next meeting and report back.
c. **Question for Meraki - lighting (5 minutes)
Kiara asked about lighting for Sunday dance; there is no consistency for strength of lighting; it’s daytime yet sometimes bright lights are on. The lighting affects her experience and ability to drop in (prefers natural light) but doesn’t know who to ask (one DJ indicated it was his/her choice). Feedback to Kiara: request Kiara to write a “blurb” request/proposal that can be brought forward as a way the consensus process can work. That way it’s a topic for an agenda that goes out to members who may want to engage in a discussion about how this gets decided and not imposed, for the good of the group.
d. **Paulina’s complaint + capacity (5 minutes)
Martin received a complaint from the landlord (Paulina) that the sound board was left as a mess the prior Sunday with plugs pulled etc. which created a problem with wires, volume that blow the system. Someone from the PCD DJs needs to follow up with her. Mellen provided some feedback as she put the system away the prior Sunday (the house system is always disordered and there are many users). Paulina may not understand PCD’s method of watching our sound meters. Pika will follow up before next Sunday.
Paulina reports that she does not know her fire code capacity and told Martin “180 or 200 is not a problem”. Jason recommends discussing what is the capacity for PCD for safety - agenda item for next meeting.
e.**Invocation for Meraki meetings (5 minutes)
Martin would like to discuss: what kind of words and who can say them at the beginning of Meraki meetings. What we currently call “Invocation” for agenda purposes at the beginning of meetings has been reading or reciting the mission statement. A new terminology might be advisable as PCD received a negative response to the word. TABLED until next Meraki meeting.
EVALUATION: 15 min
Kiara: wow, a lot of people
John: like inching along, process towards - working better, keeping to and expanding on foundational element, community. This is good. Glad so many are here.
Jason: liked it, normally doesn’t like meetings about meetings. Likes set up culture and infrastructure and to cherry pick, slow adopt own version, change culture, once done, no need for meetings about meetings in five years. Thanks to Oracle for his service to community.
Jenna: liked flow of a 2 hr mtg, longer and shorter areas of discussion, mental engagement
Deb: most successful keeping to time is awesome, appreciate Oracle and acknowledge his flexibility and willingness to adapt, help me to trust you more and appreciate your foresight that you saw that. Thank you!
Lindy: like the idea, each person, each personality adding to whole meeting structure.
Nicole: appreciate feedback - more talk about consensus process. I have a question, when Lindy voiced being nervous about time. Feeling tense about that moment, an emergent process, as things come up, cherry pick. How do we handle a moment like that and stop - share and express and address in the moment it comes up?
John: to Nicole’s point, especially as Lindy was in role as facilitator.
Kari - delighted to be here, heart warming since last time, happy that my life is changing to come to more mtgs
Kendall - totally blown away, keep time, honor commitments, stick to it. I feel safe in my nervous system.
Kiara: A+, perception, present and engage, grateful and Debs’ offering container, makes vibe checker (peacekeeper) easy
Blair: how do we manage process? Old decision made by PCD and how we access/remember what was decided, guidance for future ~ statement of purpose and keeping track efficiently.
NEXT MEETING: Tuesday, January 8, 2019. Kendall’s house, 60 Hampshire Street, #1, Portland, 207-838-0287. Street parking or car pooling. Kendall’s next to the Portland coop.
