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Director's Blog Welcome to the Director's Blog. This is the place to find updates on what the Boston Shambhala Center Board of Trustees and I are working on, and what the Shambhala Council and other committees are up to. Not what you're looking for? Try these:
Winter 2009-2010 updates coming soon...
Fall 2009 Council/Committees The Shambhala Council has been hard at work planning our Harvest of Peace community celebration and Fall membership drive. The Membership Drive is an opportuntiy for Council members, and other volunteers, to call all members to thank them for their continued financial support, update them on the state of the center, and to ask for an increase in dues. The membership drive will end with a Members' Social on October 23rd. All members are invited! Ravenna Michalson, dharma singer-songwriter, will perform. We are also working on preparing for this winter when homeless persons may again try to take up residence under our building. Kasung are preparing steps to follow if you see someone (who to call, etc.). This is coming soon and will be posted for the community in the Center Coordinator/Kasung office. Scott Robbins joined the newly formed Programming & Curriculum Committee. Welcome Scott!
Community Our teacher, Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche, will soon enter a year-long retreat. We are hosting two events where we will celebrate the Sakyong's life, and make financial and practice offerings in support of his year of retreat: Essential Practices in Advance of Kongma Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche's Year of Retreat will be held October 25th from 9am-1:30pm Long Life Blessing, Tenshuk, for Kongma Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche Prior to his Year of Retreat will be held November 10th. Please join us for these auspicious events! I will be attending the Shambhala Congress in early November, which is hosted by Shambhala International and held in Halifax, Nova Scotia. All members are invited to attend! The theme this year is "Exploring Community." Click here to learn more about the Congress, and here to read a recent Shambhala Times article about it. Click here to learn more about Shambhala Governance and the Working Groups and here for the Working Groups latest actitivies. Please contact me if you have questions, issues or topics you are interested in bringing up with me, to bring to the Congress.
The Upcoming Move As outlined in the BSC Vision and Mission for the Upcoming Move, there are two streams of activity taking place in support of the upcoming move: Community Building and Move Committee Research. I have been inspired by the many ways in which community already exists, and thinking about ways we can deepen and strengthen. In order to do this we need to think about how we individually want to progress along our paths of meditation, and how much financial and volunteer support we can give. Having said that, now is a time when we need everyone's help! I need volunteers to staff and coordinate programs (we will train you!), help with office program support, cleaning, and help updating the community blog. We also need your ideas and inspirations so please don't hesitate to contact me about any of this! The Move Committee held the first community meeting of what they hope will be a series of meetings, on October 15th. After I outlined "how we got here" (the decision to move the center), the Committee shared inspiration in the forms of other spirited Shambhala Centers, and shared about the Sakyong's "Shambhala House model." They also showed financials and potential available properties. The second part of the evening was spent sharing our hopes and fears about the move, and what we could personally offer towards making the move happen.
Finances The center's finances are stable, which we can be happy about. It has been a difficult year economically for many people and we have seen some members reduce or stop paying their dues for this reason. But, due to out Fall Membership drive, and the inspiration of new members, our total dues are increasing overall. Membership dues and donations currently cover just over 50% of our base operating expenses (staff, shrine and office supplies, building maintenance, etc.) and program profits make up the remaining 50%.
Summer 2009 Council/Committees The Shambhala Council is receiving quotes to get new lighting installed around the center, in hopes of dissuading homeless persons from living here. Click here to read more updates about the homeless situation. Other facilities upgrades and fixes are also being considered. A portion of the front steps cement needs to be repaired (update: repaired) and we are gathering quotes on the cost of replacing the stairway roof (update: is being repaired). The Health and Well-Being Council continues meetings to discuss ways to support the Shambhala community. They have compiled two resources: - Resource Handbook which includes information on Cancer Support, Domestic Violence, Elder Care, Mental Illness, etc. - Death and Dying Handbook which includes sample memorial service information, the Shambhala International instructions, and information about sukhavatis. These are both located for your use in the Center Coordinator/Kasung office. Finances The Shambhala Center has completed making back payments of 4% of our gross income to Shambhala International for 2007 & 2008 which was upwards of $10,000. We are very happy to be caught up and contributing to support the center of the mandala!
Spring 2009 Councils/Committees Committees met to discuss programming and curriculum for Fall 2009 through Winter 2010. Shambhala Training, Programming / Curriculum (see below), and Practice & Education committee members were involved. I am forming a Programming & Curriculum Committee, with members Janet Romaine and Diana Evans (so far), to help me look more closely at the centers offerings of classes and weekend programs. The questions we are looking at are: what is being offered, how could our offerings be improved, who is taking our classes, what could be added? Three new members have joined our local kasung squad. If you are interested inthe kasung please contact me or Bo Williams. Community April 4th marks the Vidhyadara's parinirvana which we celebrate as a community each year. This year Dorje Loppon Lodro Dorje joined us for the feast and community celebration. An auction fundraiser was also held to raise funds needed to complete our Chogyam Trungpa CD Archive. Over $3,000 was raised- thank you to everyone who participated! Click here to read the story and see pictures. Furniture is being purchased to house the archive. The community held our first meeting to discuss the homeless persons living around the center. Click here for those updates. We held a fundraiser for Konchok Foundation- the Boston Shambhala Triathlon. We were the first Shambhala center to hold the triathlon and raised over $1500 for the Konchok Foundation. Click here to read more on the community blog and here to see pictures. Winter 2009 Council/Committees Kris Talluto joined our Shambhala Council as Technology Manager. He has finished up through Level Great Eastern Sun and is excited about his position! He also regularly attends and helps organize our Under 30 Tuesday evenings and staffs programs. Welcome Kris! Andrea Sparks joined our Shambhala Council as Membership Coordinator. She has finished the Shambhala Training Levels and recently (Summer 09) completed a dathun. I am very excited to have Andrea on board! Mary Coonan, Greg Smith and Barbara Hopcroft step into new leadership roles. They are now our Shambhala Training Resident Directors. Mary and Barbara recently completed Warrior Assembly, and Greg part of a dathun. Welcome! Kathleen Hallissey is now working with me part time as our bookkeeper. Paul Adams' family had twins, so he has temporarily stepped down from his position as Finance Manager on the Shambhala Council. I and the Board also felt that the finances needed to be tended to by a professional in that we are growing and getting ready for the move. Finances Financially we are now reporting based on a model suggested by Connie Brock, member of the Sakyong's Council and Treasurer of Shambhala International. Click here to learn more about Connie. I have changed our payments to Shambhala International for our Liability Insurance, and Building Insurance, to a monthly automatic payment, rather than giving it in a lump sum at the start of the fiscal year. The Shambhala Center is giving 4% of our gross income to support the center of the mandala, Shambhala International. This is a monthly payment. Community We hosted a wonderful Shambhala Day celebration in February. How we would spend our $4000 Sakyong Foundation Matching Grant was announced: updating our shrines and shrine rooms. The day was highlighted by a members party with community member Jim Infantino's band: Jims Big Ego. Click here to see pictures of the Shambhala Day community party.
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