KEEPING THE DREAM ALIVE AND VIBRANT
(Follow-up to my article in the January FSM Community News newsletter)
By Ken Frank, FSM President
In the Friends of Shalom Mountain (FSM) newsletter I stated that "I am committed with FSM to working with the owners and leadership to find successful ways through the challenges of this time." THIS PROJECT HAS BEGUN.
On January 20th, in response to a request from Victoria, FSM convened a team of skilled professionals from within the Shalom community though not actively involved in Shalom Mountain (except as lovers and cheerleaders.) The Advisory Group met with the current owners who reported that they are in critical need of both relief from the financial risk and of support in ways to run the business. New approaches are needed to ensure continued viability and long term sustainability.
The group concurred that the issues of ownership and leadership needed to be dealt with separately, and individuals on the team committed to specific tasks in these two areas. Individuals from the Advisory Group will be working with both the owners and the Leadership Council to develop a set of critical choices for the owners to make that will meet their needs as well as the needs of Shalom Mountain, the leadership, and the Shalom community.
There was great gratitude to the current owners for stepping up two years ago; and the understanding that the specific management work and financial risk, coupled with the current economic climate, were far greater and more complex than they could have predicted or even imagined. There was absolute consensus that the job is to "start from where we are today and build on past and current successes." Some of these successes are evident in the high quality of leadership of retreats, the interest in and quality of training, the on-site staff both paid and volunteer, the recent cost savings in running the center, the magnificent and sacred ‘campus’ that is Shalom Mountain, and the loyalty and gratitude of the thousands of folks whose lives have been forever enriched by Shalom Mountain.
In response to your possible question of, "What can I do?" I would ask you to communicate with me personally if you have specific questions, brainstorms, or offering of expertise; join, continue, or expand your Faithful Friend contribution (this directly impacts the financial picture), add Shalom Mountain to your prayers, and most of all… hold a space of healing, renewal, viability and sustainability for our beloved Shalom Mountain mother house as this project progresses.
Thanks to Ken Frank for his contribution above! And now a few words from Victoria:
Many of you have asked what the Mountain needs. What can you do?
- Attending retreats and encouraging others to attend
provides the necessary income to operate the Mountain. 65 of us each bringing one new person to a retreat on the Mountain in 2010 would eliminate a loss similar to this year’s. - Contributing to FSM responds to the need for increased tuition assistance. 50 new Faithful
Friends donating $17 a month or 50 Faithful Friends increasing their monthly donations by $17 would provide for $10,000 in tuition assistance. More tuition assistance makes it possible for more people to come to retreats, which directly supports the Mountain.
- Volunteering your expertise and time for care of the
facility, support and promotion of the organization and its programs and special projects maintains and grows the Mountain. Donating expertise in areas such as bookkeeping, web design, marketing, maintenance, gardening, printing, etc. saves the Mountain thousands of dollars a year.
Victoria Myer
Life On the Mountain
NEWS FROM THE KITCHEN AND VOLUNTEER PROGRAM
By Judy Hall
Pork Present
The pig (known affectionately to some as Kevin – Bacon, that is) that was raised on our kitchen leavings by Rich and Maryanne Dirie at the farm around the corner on Shandelee Road was slaughtered in November and his life has fed several retreats and the residents in the form of breakfast sausage and a delicious roast cooked by our new RSVP cook in residence John Carbone.
Goodbye
Two of the original members of the RSVP Team,Niilo Makkonen and Kathryn Zimmerman, are no longer living here. Niilo completed his 6 month commitment to RSVP and is taking the next steps in his life. Kathryn who is working with the Stewards on sorting out financial data, is now doing this remotely from her home in Rochester as she prepares to hike the Pacific Crest Trail in March! Niilo and Kathryn were here during the formation of this experiment that is the new residential volunteer program and we are grateful for their contribution. As we gather the data from our learnings of the last six months, we feel tender about some of the bumps along the road and extend our thanks to everyone involved for their patience and loving support.
Hello: Two New Residential Volunteers
Our two new residential volunteers started in January. John Carbone has chosen for his service to the Mountain, liaising with the cooks, the organization of the kitchen and pantries and the ordering of the food. Having been a cook here he has inside information and has been enormously helpful already. John being who he is has also found other ways to serve including organizing the wood and kindling for the fireplaces and helping with the labyrinth. Jen Kuhlmanwill be working more with Betty Ann Rutledge in the office and around the house and intends to bring her loving energy and creativity to the temple in whatever ways are needed.
In addition to our two new residents we have had an abundance of RSVP help this month. For example one
conversation Judy had with Tom Wickes(Shalom Seacoast Community) about the ecological and psychological value of eating seasonal and local food this summer, resulted in a New Year’s Eve feast of clams, halibut, lobster and salmon that he sought out at the markets and piers in Gloucester, brought to the Sober But Stuck Retreat and lovingly prepared with his partnerFrancesca!
Another conversation Judy had withRoberta Mahler on the April Work Weekend resulted in Roberta coming to Shalom for 3 days in January to help plan next steps for the Greening of Shalom. While she was here she also published an advertisement on an organic farming website to recruit an RSVPer with permaculture skills, and found a home for some red wrigglers. Click here to read the significant and funny story of red wrigglers at Shalom!
Wiki Site for Shalom Cooks
Another summer conversation seeded with Emma Wrigleyat the Cooks’ Meeting poked its head part way out of the ground a week ago when she was here as an RSVP building a Wiki site for Shalom Cooks to come together. It is just a
little sprout at this point but it has so many exciting possibilities, such as a recipe page, seasonal foods available, who is cooking, news from the kitchen etc. And just like Wikipedia it will be open to anyone who wants to contribute something related to Shalom Food, Garden, Composting, Cooks and the Kitchen.
Organizing Wonders
Wait until you see the undercroft! Maeba Jonas, who is an organizing wonder, tackled it (on one of those freezing cold days up here) with help from Joanna Barr, Jen Kuhlmanand Emma Wrigley. It is so clean two "senior" members of our comm
unity who will remain anonymous, suggested we could put a bed in there!David Turpin who seems to be a David-of-all-Trades helped me (Judy Hall) snake the septic. Yes, I am not a virgin anymore. David organized the hall closet and "Lost and Found" as well.
Neighborhood Holiday Party
One winter weeknight this December the walls of Shalom were ringing with the sound of more than 30 neighbors
coming together to meet, some for the first time, to share a holiday pot luck dinner. In the Shalom way, led by Amy Gillingham, we gathered in a circle in the living room and shared contact information, interests and talents. This was typed up and redistributed as the start of a Neighborhood Resource Directory. A fruit of that evening is going to be a Board Game Party.
Recent RSVP Acts of Kindness
A special thank you to thirteen RSVPers who contributed in the month of January!
- Joanna Barr
- John Carbone
- Judy Johnstone
- Maeba Jonas
- Jen Kuhlman
- Karen Landry
- Roberta Mahler
- Niilo Makkonen
- Jeff Skarr
- David Turpin
- Trish Wassel
- Emma Wrigley
- Kathryn Zimmerman
Commitments!
Sending
Help
And
Love (to)
Our
Mountain!
What are YOU willing to do for Shalom Mountain this year?
Send an email to Betty Ann Rutledge at the Mountain and we’ll anonymously (with your state only) publish your commitments next month!
For Example:
From NY: A commitment to bring 2 friends to a Shalom Retreat by September
From MA: A commitment to take brochures on the Recovery Programs to a local AA Group
From CA: A commitment to add $25/month to my Faithful Friends donations.
JOIN IN THE FUN!
Brand New Retreat Participants
9 = Number of brand new retreat participants in January 2010!
Wow!
