Kawashaway Community Circle Notes


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Circle Date

August 31, 2003 at Kawashaway (Memorial Day)


Future Circle Dates

Woodcutters Ball October 10-13 at KASA
TBA November XX TBA ~ in the Cities
TBA December XX TBA ~ at Teddy Bear's in Duluth


Present

Beebalm*, Xeno*, Pollen*, Teddy Bear*, Two Turtles*, Sunflower, Cicada

* indicates Steward

(5 / 15 Stewards present = quorum)


Agenda

  • update on Gathering
  • update on Land Use Committee
  • update on residency
  • keep Circle list as it is, or morph it
  • November and December Circle dates and locations
  • two-week stay policy proposal: A cumulative stay on the land
    of more than 2 weeks in a cycle from Summer Gathering to Summer
    Gathering outside of community times of Summer Gathering, Labor Day,
    Woodcutters, Thanksgiving, solstice and Memorial Day, requires
    conversation with the community at a regular community circle.


Circle Discussion and Action

  • Land Use Committee update: Beebalm reported that the call went out
    to join the LUC and replies are still incoming. Rocky, Pollen, Two
    Turtles, Beebalm, presumably Bearberry, and one of the loons who
    cried at out this moment are interested.

  • Two Week Stay Policy: Eureka had proposed a revision to the two-
    week stay rule (see above). Discussion: it seems unwieldy to have
    such a rule; rewriting the rule doesn't change the fact that we
    still have to deal with it when someone violates the spirit or
    letter of the rule; thoughts that the community dealt with the last
    issue of this coming up well—we didn't abandon Bruce and he didn't
    abandon us; there was some disconnect in the process of addressing
    the issue with Bruce early on; feeling that it was difficult for
    Bruce to communicate to the community; we have been generous to
    Bruce. We went around a few times about whether or not to reject the
    proposal on the table. It seemed to the Circle that the core issue
    here is how we communicate with one another around our presence on
    the land.

    CONSENSUS: We don't dig the proposed policy change, and while there
    is no need to put it back on the agenda for future Circles, the
    issues behind it will continue to surface and we encourage
    discussion of those issues as we tackle other things around land use.

  • Gathering Update: Two Turtles reported that in the metaview,
    registration income paid for Gathering expenses, and the money from
    the quilt and auction (see H or Braeburn for details) was
    profit. We noticed that this was despite the feeling that the group
    was smaller this year.

  • Residency Update: Pollen reported that he has not made much
    progress on his shelter beyond trying to site it. There was
    appreciation for Pollen's reports to the list on the land. Pollen
    also has a cell phone with voice mail which he checks regularly. We
    appreciated the cleanliness of the kitchen (thanks to Apple Cider
    and Terrapin) and the progress on cutting wood (thanks to Bruce).
    Pollen noted that he won't be around for Woodcutters Ball.


New Business

  • Tents on the Land: Two Turtles brought up the issue
    of tents staying up. Discussion: the land is more accessible if
    tents can stay up between visits; there will be an impact on the
    land with many tents staying up; there is also a sense of
    entitlement that comes with tents staying up without asking the
    community; the issue of impact on the land is questionable—does it
    really do any more damage than what we do already tenting in the
    same places every year?; we need to talk about it; convenience isn't
    necessarily a value we all share. Beebalm proposed moving the
    discussion to Land Use. Discussion: feeling that resting tents are
    left behind and are like nonessential waste, alien to the land; we
    should be respecting one another's needs and caring for the land; do
    we need a rule?; it's an emerging issue as there seem to be more
    people using the land than before.

    We agreed to hold the discussion again at the next Circle.
  • November and December Circles: We felt that November needs to be
    in the Cities. Teddy Bear would like to host December at his place
    in Duluth. We loved this idea. Beebalm will contact Rocky about
    hosting November in the Cities.

  • Circle list issues: We agreed to table this discussion.


Forward to Next Circle

  • Tents up between Gatherettes

  • Circle list issues


Action Items

Action Faerie Accountable Due Date

Contact Rocky about November Circle

Beebalm

20 September

 

Submitted by Beebalm

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