Conference hydra::dejavu

763.0. "Community" by CLUE::PAINTER () Tue Jun 14 1988 12:03

    
    You're all famous!  (;^)
    
    I went to a community-building workshop over the weekend, sponsered 
    by FCE - the Foundation for Community Encouragement which is a 
    non-profit group founded by M. Scott Peck back in 1984.
    
    About it all - it was superb.  That about says it all.  Basically
    there were 50 of us and we spent the weekend in a hotel in Newton,
    Mass.  We started at 9:00am on Saturday and ended at around 5:30pm,
    with breaks for coffee, lunch and soda, then we all had dinner together
    on Saturday night.  This was repeated on Sunday except for the dinner.
    
    We were in a large room and we all sat in a very large circle (on
    chairs but it was OK to sit on the floor).  That was it.  There
    were a few introductions and short announcements by the facilitators,
    but after that we were on our own.  The only thing I can think of
    that the facilitators told us is that community is a place where
    you talk when you are moved to talk, and you don't talk when you
    are not moved.  That was all.  No agenda, no exercises, no anything
    else.  We started off with 3 minutes of silence for quiet time and
    meditation then when we came out of that, people talked as they
    felt they should.
    
    We eventually made it to community.  People cried, hugged, became 
    vulnerable, laughed, supported each other, listened to each other, 
    sat in silence with each other, and, most importantly, we 'accepted'
    each other for what we were...and weren't.  The energy in the room 
    when we finally made it to community was incredibly powerful and
    moved many of us to tears.  We went in waves, back and forth between 
    the stages of building a community - from chaos to emptiness to 
    community to chaos to emptiness, back to community, and so on. 
    We finally were able to remain in 'community' for longer and longer
    as the days went on, and that was pretty much the goal....if there
    even was one to begin with.
    
    Unlike things like EST and even Insight, you are allowed to do 
    whatever you want.  You are free to stay or leave, you are free to 
    say or not say anything, and you are free to step out for drinks or 
    'bio breaks' at all times.
    
    At the end of it all, I mentioned this conference and how we've
    gone from chaos to emptiness to acceptance to community and how
    we all accept and respect each other without the need for 'leadership
    or moderator intervention'.  I also mentioned that even though this
    is a place dedicated to discussing paranormal experiences, that
    it is OK to bring to this conference most anything which is related 
    to humanity, love and caring and that we have almost all made friends 
    offline and outside of work as a result of being a participant or
    even simply a reader.  I feel that we love each other here a great 
    deal...even though we may be annoyed at or simply not 'like' each 
    other at times.  I know this love has helped me get through some 
    tough times over the last year, and am certain that this is the case 
    with lots of others here as well.
                
    After we declared the 'death' of our community, we became 50 people
    hugging each other and it was a great spiritual experience.
    
    So, big hugs to all of you in DEJAVU!  You're all famous now.
    
    Cindy                       

	re: .0

	>At the end of it all, I mentioned this conference and how we've       
	>gone from chaos to emptiness to acceptance to community and how       
	>we all accept and respect each other without the need for 'leadership 
	>or moderator intervention'.  I also mentioned that even though this   
	>is a place dedicated to discussing paranormal experiences, that       
	>it is OK to bring to this conference most anything which is related   
	>to humanity, love and caring and that we have almost all made friends 
	>offline and outside of work as a result of being a participant or     
	>even simply a reader.  I feel that we love each other here a great  
	>deal...even though we may be annoyed at or simply not 'like' each   
	>other at times.  I know this love has helped me get through some    
	>tough times over the last year, and am certain that this is the case
	>with lots of others here as well.                                   

	Cindy, I have felt this way many times and have never quite been
	able to express it this well. Thank you. 

	-Amy.

    	Cindy, it sounds like a wonderful workshop.  You're right,
    	DEJAVU is a community, thank you for mentioning us!  (How
    	could you not? ;-) )
    
    	C.

    For those of you who are interested....
    
	The Foundation for Community Encouragement, Inc.
	The 1900 Building, Suite 202
	1900 North Winston Road
	Knoxville, TN  37919

		or

	P.O. Box 50518
	Knoxville, TN  37950-0518

    
    Just received some followup information from the FCE center in
    Kentucky.  If anyone is interested in this, contact me offline.
    There is an announcement of an upcoming seminar in the package.
    
    Cindy

    Been waiting a long time for FCE to hold another workshop locally!
    At last there will be one in Plymouth, MA the weekend of April 8-9.
    I've spoken with the contact and he will be sending me the brochure
    next week.  Anyone interested, contact me offline for information.
    
    The contact I spoke to had already attended a workshop at the
    FCE Headquarters in Knoxville, Tennessee.  I was telling him that
    I enjoyed the Different Drum so much that when I saw it in a 
    bookstore on sale for $1, I bought six copies to give to friends.
    He said he did the same thing when he saw it on sale for $2, he
    bought 25 copies to give to friends!!!
    
    Can't wait!!!
    

    Re.5 (Flaherty)     
    
    Ro,
    
    Where did you find the book on sale for $1.00?
    
    Thanks,
    
    Cindy

    Hi Cindy,
    
    It was last summer at the bookstore in the Nashua Mall (near
    the New Moon shop).  Not sure if they'll still have any.  They
    were slightly-damaged copies, hardcover in good condition.
    
    Ro