Have you heard about the Center relocation discussions?
On Sunday Sept. 8 about 20 of us engaged in a lively exploration of the options open to our Center either for renewing our lease or leasing another space. Our lease for $3,000/month ends on Jan. 31, 2020. We have new landlords and are in discussions with them about a new, affordable lease. Affordability is … Continue
Relocation News Bulletin as of August 24th
Given that our current lease at Carnegie ends at the end of January 2020, five months away, the Relocation Team has been busy exploring our options. First, some of us had a congenial meeting with the new owners, Craig and Cameron. They intend to make minor improvements to the building including, if possible, an ADA … Continue
Some certainty in Shambhala
In this video Janie and I discuss some clarity and certainty that’s emerging in Shambhala. The recent letter from the Interim Board has useful details about a level of stability in Shambhala that we haven’t had for the past months. It involves investment in infrastructure and development of care and conduct training for all people … Continue
Relocation update: Reaching out to three local Lutheran churches
Relocation News: One of our strategies for securing a home for our practice has been to look at Sharing space with an existing community–church, yoga center, other community oriented non-profit. Mark Douglass has reached out to local Lutheran churches to inquire about options for sharing/renting space on an ongoing basis. Here’s his report: Leaven Community … Continue
Reporting on the PSMC Council Retreat
For the Portland Shambhala Meditation Center’s first Council retreat this year, we decided to not emphasize note-taking and a tight agenda (agendas and minutes are a hallmark of how we work month-to-month). So in this 7 minute video Janie and I attempt to reflect on what was important and useful in our retreat. Obviously we … Continue
Relo Team Update; 9/8 Comm Convo, 10/12 Town Hall next
Wondering what’s going on with our relocation explorations? Carry on… Where we are At this point, due to many factors including a much reduced membership, we have deferred the option of purchasing a space in the near term. So for now, we’re focusing on renting or sharing spaces at least until we have stabilized and … Continue
Community Conversation Summary: Actions from An Olive Branch
Ten members and two guests attended our Community Conversation this past Sunday reviewing proposals for helping build safety and trust in our organization. There are six specific, interrelated proposals, some drawn directly from the Olive Branch report to the Shambhala organization, some inspired by them, all reflective of individual and group conversations we’ve had to … Continue
What feedback would be helpful?
Co-directors Janie Paige and John Smith have an impromptu conversation about what kind of feedback would be useful from the community conversation giving them feedback. Here’s what we came up with:
Portland Buddhist Festival – 2019
Multiple Portland Buddhist groups got together on June 1st, 2019, celebrating “everyday mindfulness” at the “Portland Buddhist Festival.” Portland Shambhala had a booth and co-directors John Smith and Janie Paige and other volunteers met with people who were interested in our offerings. We invited Juan Carlos la Puente to give one of the talks. Click … Continue
Summary from May 18 Town Hall
Eighteen sangha members gathered for a town hall discussion led by our co-directors, Janie Paige and John Smith, along with two observers from outside the community. Howard Silverman and Milla McLachlan were invited to observe our process and make contributions from their perspectives as agents of social change and community development. Together we spent three … Continue
