RNC Packet

RNC Packet Contents

The RNC Packet is a collection of information intended to help anyone doing Intentional Community organizing and networking to more effectively access available resources. It consists of several different types of resources, including the FIC website, print publications available from FIC, and some contents of this wiki.

FIC Vision & Mission Statement

FELLOWSHIP FOR INTENTIONAL COMMUNITY
May 15, 1998 (assembled by the Vision Committee)

Vision

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We envision a world where community is available, understood, appreciated and supported for all people who desire it and where the skills, structures and wisdom of community are recognized as basic building blocks of a just and sustainable culture.

Mission

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1. Openly provide accurate and comprehensive information about living in intentional communities.

2. Promote dialogue, understanding, and cooperation between existing communities and related organizations.

3. Make the realities, options, and lessons of intentional communities readily accessible to the wider culture.

4. Provide moral, financial, and technical support to forming and established communities in need.

Community

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Community is a group of people who have chosen to live, work, or worship together with a common purpose, working cooperatively toward a vision in a manner that reflects their shared core values.

Stated Values

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1. Non-violence

2. Freedom to disassociate

Objectives

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1. Embrace the diversity that exists among communities and facilitate increased interaction between communitarians and the wider culture.

2. Build cooperative spirit within and among communities, through shared celebrations, joint ventures, and activities that build awareness of our common humanity.

3. Facilitate exchange of information, skills and economic support among individuals, existing intentional communities, cooperative groups, and newly forming communities.

4. Support education, research common, archives, and publishing about contemporary and historical intentional communities.

5. Demonstrate practical applications of communities, cooperatives and their products and services; through seminars, catalogues, pilot projects, gatherings and direct sales.

6. Increase global awareness that intentional communities are pioneers in sustainable living, personal and community transformation, and peaceful social evolution.

FIC Purposes ... FIC Purposes.

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TO EMBRACE THE DIVERSITY THAT EXISTS AMONG COMMUNITIES and to facilitate increased interaction between communitarians and the wider culture;

TO BUILD COOPERATIVE SPIRIT WITHIN AND AMONG COMMUNITIES through shared celebrations, joint ventures, and activities that build awareness of our common humanity;

TO FACILITATE EXCHANGE of information, skills, and economic support among individuals, existing intentional communities, cooperative groups, and newly forming communities;

TO SERVE AS A REFERENCE SOURCE for those seeking intentional communities, conferences, and other community building experiences and practices appropriate to their needs;

TO SUPPORT EDUCATION, RESEARCH, ARCHIVES, AND PUBLISHING about contemporary and historic intentional communities;

TO DEMONSTRATE PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS of communities, cooperatives, and their products and services -- through seminars, catalogs, demonstration projects, gatherings, and direct sales;

TO INCREASE GLOBAL AWARENESS that intentional communities are pioneers in sustainable living, personal and community transformation, and peaceful social evolution.

RNC Goals/Tasks

Craig: The RNC Vision & Mission Statement, along with Goals/Tasks, is essentially contained in the Job Description.

Community Dialog Packet

Geoph: I have four pieces from the original packet.
We need to discuss what we want to keep, editing, things to add, etc.

How to Run a Community Dialogue

Cover Letter

Promotional Flyer

Participant Form

Things i don't have:

• Sample Invitation (unless this is the same as the promo flyer)
• How to Support the Fellowship (although this may be referring to section E. Wrap-up of the "How to Run" document)

Related things we'd need to stock:

• FIC Brochures
• Directory/Communities Magazine Order Forms
• Conference Information, if we have upcoming events planned

Guidelines for Local Regional Coodinators

• Online Resources
  • FIC Web sites (Craig)
    • Using FIC Website features for Local/Regional IC Networking
    • LRC Use of the RNC Wiki
  • Networking Contacts
• Sharing FIC information
  • FIC mailing lists
• FIC Events
  • Past FIC Events
  • FIC Events Committee

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FIC Org Meetings The FIC gathers twice a year as an organization to evaluate and do ongoing planning of their operations, finances and program strategies. These are the formal meetings of the FIC board of directors but are generally open to others who are interested in the work of the organization. The meetings provide an opportunity to connect with communitarians from around the country who are seriously engaged in building the communities movement. It is also a time to give input into the future direction of the organization, either in the regular meetings or in the various committee meetings, such as the Regional Networking Committee.

The meetings are held each Spring and Fall at an intentional community in different regions around the nation on a rotating basis. Past meetings were held in the following locations:
• 2002 Nov - Goodenough Community, Washington State
• 2003 May - The Farm community, TN
• 2003 Oct - The Vale community, OH
• 2004 Apr - Highline Crossing cohousing, Littleton, CO
• 2004 Oct - Miccosukee Land Co-op, near Tallahassee, FL
• 2005 May - Ecovillage at Ithaca, Ithaca, NY
• 2005 Nov - LA Ecovillage, Los Angeles, CA
The Spring meeting in 2006 will be held in the Midwest and back to the NW in the Fall.

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FIC Organizational Structure

FIC BOARD, CLUSTERS, COMMITTEES AND STAFF
Note: "c" denotes cmtee convener
† denotes open FIC Positions that need to be filled
(year) denotes term on cmtee

BOARD
Fred Lanphear (03-06)
Harvey Baker (04-07)
Jenny Upton (03-06)
Marty Klaif (05-08)
Peggy Loftfield (04-07)
Tony Sirna (04-07)
Caroline Estes (05-08)
George Caneda (05-06)
Raines Cohen (05-08)

POSITIONS THAT ARE CURRENTLY FILLED AS PAID STAFF:
Missouri Office Manager---Tony Sirna standing in until this position is filled
Missouri Office people---Susan Wright,Kathe Nicosia
Virginia Office Manager,order fulfillment---McCune Renwick-Porter
Executive Secretary---Laird Schaub
CMag Editor---Diana Christian
CMag layout---John Morris
Bookshelf Manager---Kathe Nicosia
Development Coordinator---Laird Schaub
Development Assistant--Alyson Ewald

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ADMINISTRATION CLUSTER

EXECUTIVE CMTEE
Harvey Baker
Marty Klaif
Tony Sirna

EXECUTIVE SECRETARY
Laird Schaub

OVERSIGHT CMTEE
(Exec Cmtee plus Treas, Sec, Human Res delegate)
Bill Becker--Treas
Laird Schaub (c)--Sec
Jenny Upton--Human Res delegate
Marty Klaif--Exec Cmtee
Tony Sirna--Exec Cmtee
Harvey Baker--Exec Cmtee
Jillian Downey (email listener)
Geoph Kozeny (email listener)

CORRESPONDING SECRETARY
Laird Schaub

AGENDA CMTEE
Laird Schaub

MINUTES CMTEE
† no members at this posting

FACILITATION CMTE
Laird Schaub

ADMINISTRATION STAFF
Primary:
... McCune Renwick-Porter (Virginia office manager)
Secondary:
... Marty Klaif
... Laird Schaub
... Tony Sirna

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PUBLICATIONS CLUSTER
liaison---ERB

ERB
Laird Schaub
Tony Sirna
Deborah Altus

COMMUNITIES MAGAZINE
Diana Christian (editor)
Patricia Greene
McCune Renwick-Porter
Marty Klaif (email listener)

WEB WEAVERS
ic.org
... Tony Sirna (co-c)
... Carles Strader (co-c)
store.ic.org
... McCune Porter

NEWSLETTER EDITOR(s)
Diana Malsky

AD-HOC DIR 4.X
Laird Schaub
Geoph Kozeny
Tony Sirna (c)
Marty Klaif
Charles Strader
Michael McIntyre
Raines Cohen
Aron Heintz

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FINANCE CLUSTER

FINANCE CMTEE
Tony Sirna (c)
Laird Schaub
Bill Becker

TREASURER
Bill Becker

ORG MTG TRAVEL & ACCOMMODATIONS SUBSIDY
Harvey Baker
Tony Sirna
Jenny Upton

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EVENTS CLUSTER

EVENTS LIAISON CMTEE
Bill Becker
Harvey Baker
Peggy Loftfield

SITE CMTEE
Diana Malsky
Oversight Cmtee

ORG MEETING CMTEE
Ma'ikwe Ludwig
Jenny Upton

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OUTREACH AND DEVELOPMENT CLUSTER

DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR
Laird Schaub
Alyson Ewald (assistant)

DEVELOPMENT CMTEE
Harvey Baker
Laird Schaub (c)
Mary Schoen-Clark
Earl Loftfield (email listener)
Karen Fletcher (email listener)

COMMUNITY DIALOGS
Vince Bates
Geoph Kozeny

NETWORKING WITH OTHER ORGS
† no members at this posting

STUDENT CO-OPS
Tony Sirna
Elph Morgan
Jillian Downey
Susan Caya

REGIONAL NETWORKING CMTEE
Ma'ikwe Ludwig
Fred Lanphear (c)
Vince Bates
Aron Heintz
Geoph Kozeny
Kip Gardner
Raines Cohan
Lotus Allen

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HUMAN RESOURCES CLUSTER

PERSONNEL CMTEE
Jenny Upton (c)
Jillian Downey
Geoph Kozeny
Peggy Loftfield

MINISTRY CMTEE
Harvey Baker (c)
Marty Klaif
Peggy Loftfield

OMBUDSPERSON
Harvey Baker

HEALTH & WELLNESS CMTEE
† no members at this posting

NOMINATING CMTEE [i.e., NOM-COM]
Marty Klaif (05-08)
Harvey Baker (at Org Mtgs only 02-05)
Aron Heintz (04-06)
Ma'ikwe Ludwig (04-07)
Barbara Bochnovic (04-07)

INREACH CMTEE
Diana Malsky (co-c)
Miaya Sustaita (co-c)
Geoph Kozeny
Jenny Upton

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COMMUNITY SERVICE CLUSTER

LOAN FUND
Dan Questenberry
Harvey Baker (c)
Elph Morgan
Bill Becker (email listener)
Aron Heintz (email listener)

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EMAIL LIST FOR FIC MARKETING
(not an official cmtee)
Robert Gluckson
Diana Christian
Jillian Downey
Laird Schaub
Terry O'Keefe
Marty Klaif
Russ Reina
Geoph Kozeny
Gordon Sproule (email listener)
Nate and Corinna (email listeners)

NEW FIC OFFICE AD-HOC CMTEE
Ma'ikwe Ludwig (c)
Laird Schaub
Vince Bates

List of Current FIC Projects, upcoming Events

Is this a newsletter??

FIC brochures for products

- Communities Directory In the 2005 edition of our popular reference guide, over 600 communities describe their structure, beliefs, missions, and visions. There are more than 250 alternative resources and services. 33 new articles provide information about a wide range of community topics and there is an annotated list of over 300 relevant books. $34 postpaid in US; call for international prices.

- Communities, Journal of Cooperative Living Chronicling the latest news about community living, each issue of this quarterly features articles on a particular theme, regular columns by community veterans and activists. “REACHbook” advertisements to help communities and seekers find each other. Subscriptions (20/year), back issues, and thematic reprint packets are available at: store.ic.org

- Community Bookshelf A mail order bookstore, we carry books on: Intentional Community and Cooperative Living; Process and Leadership; For and About Children and Families; Ecology, Nature and Sustainable Living; Natural Food, Health, and Living; and Personal Growth and Healing. Visit store.ic.org .

- Audio Tapes Our 1993 International Celebration of Community and our periodic Art of Community conferences have provided many popular recordings of workshops, panels, and keynote speeches. Topics include starting a community, consensus, bioregionalism, children, spirit, history, leadership, and much more.

- Visions of Utopia: Experiments in Sustainable Culture Geoph Kozeny, a core staff member of the first two editions of the Communities Directory and a featured columnist in Communities magazine, spent 4 years creating this documentary about intentional communities. Now you can actually see how some communities look up close” while you listen to community members tell their stories in their own works. Featuring: - A brief history of 2500 years of shared living - Profiles of 7 very diverse communities -- Camphill Special School (’61, PA), Twin Oaks (’67, VA), Ananda Village (’69, CA), Breitenbush Hot Springs (’77, OR), Purple Rose Collective (’78, CA), and Earthaven (’92, NC) - Insights about what works and what doesn’t - 90 minutes of information and inspiration!

FIC services

- FIC Organizational Meetings & Regional Gatherings Our semi-annual board meetings, remarkable for their friendly atmosphere, operate by consensus and encourage active participation from all who attend. These open meetings are held twice each year at locations across the continent, usually at intentional communities. Many of out meetings include a regional gathering where participants have the opportunity to network with others in their area. Please contact us if you’re interested in attending or hosting one of these events.

- Art of Community Conferences These conferences, held periodically, are designed to address the nuts and bolts of community. Workshops are offered by experienced communitarians on topics such as group process, legal structures, finding a community, forming a community, the visioning process, and much more. It’s an opportunity for newcomers and community veterans to network, learn, and share experiences.

- Loan Fund The fund offers small, short-term loans to community businesses and associated enterprises. We’re laying the groundwork to serve as a depository for community assets devoted to socially responsible investment. Loan applications and deposit information are available through our administrative office.

- Referral Services We provide information about community to thousands of seekers, communitarians, scholars, journalists, and others who write, fax, or call. We maintain a list of speakers on a wide range of community topics, provide referrals for meeting design and facilitation and offer helpful information for creating and strengthening community.

Fundraising Efforts

• Development
• Membership

History

Harvey might be willing to write something, if this doesn't exist yet. TASK: Lotus will talk to Harvey about this soon.

Directory

Communities Directory -- A Guide to Intentional Communities and Cooperative Living

In the 2005 edition of our popular reference guide, over 600 communities describe their structure, beliefs, missions, and visions. There are more than 250 alternative resources and services.

Community Descriptions: Over 600 North American and 100 intentional communities describe themselves–their structure, beliefs, mission, and visions of the future. From cohousing groups to ecovillages, rural land trusts to spiritual communities, student co-ops to intentional neighborhoods, organic farms to monasteries, urban artist collectives to rural communes, permacultural demonstration sites to Catholic Worker Houses, it’s all here!

Articles: 11 articles on compelling community issues (over 30 in the 1995 edition still available), by a wide variety of authors. Topics include: how to visit communities; why live in community; financing communities and setting up their legal structures; opportunities for older people in community; communities and the “cult” issue; raising children in community; consensus process; dealing with conflict; an overview of Christian communities; an introduction to permaculture; and much more.

Maps: Complete maps of North American communities–see at a glance what’s in your area.

Charts: Essential for an in-depth search of community characteristics, these charts allow you to quickly scan for groups that fulfill your criteria. Looking for a vegetarian spiritual community? A rural income-sharing ecovillage? A small urban community focused on political activism? The charts will show you in a flash which communities match your desires.

Resources: Descriptions and contact information for major resource organizations within specific interest areas–organizations who make it their business to compile information about their niche and will know the best, most up-to-date resources to point people toward. Categories include: community networking, agriculture, ecology, energy, economics, technology, spirituality, education, sexuality, personal growth, and more.

Recommended Reading List: An extensive, annotated collection of over 300 texts of interest to community-minded people. From books on sustainability and organic gardening to utopian fiction, from manuals on facilitation techniques to books on community history and philosophy, from essay collections abut living in community to books on parenting, you’ll find them here.

Regional Maps

It would be great to have a map of the continent with the communities marked... something similar to what they have in the Directory... a beginning map of our RNC regions... knowing they will fill out as people step up to the plate.