Honey Locust Sangha
Omaha Community of Mindful Living
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Caretaking Council (CTC) Minutes, November 21, 2021:
 
We gathered together to ask for each other's blessings.
Present were: Patrice Watson, facilitator, and Dave Watts, Gina Matkin, Jim Cox, Mike McGann, Mike McMahon, Mark Watson and Juanita Rice, note-taker.
As usual we began with the Buddhist prayer (from Joyfully Together on the Path) that we observe our meeting as a meditative practice of love and openness and enjoying our sangha spirit, and followed the reading with a few moments in meditative intention-setting. We informally had a brief discussion of the CTC meeting time and of whether or not to change it in someway but concluded that we were satisfied with 12:30-2:00 on Third Sundays.
 
Another informal announcement is that our Lincoln Sangha sister, Anh Le, has been admitted to Aspirant status with Sister Terry Cortes Vega Supervising Dharma Teacher and co-mentors Gina Matkin and Mike McMahon.
 
Quick financial report of balance: $4729.48
 
Agenda Item 1: Updating our intentions with Gina's "rotation off" of the board and the invitation to a new member.  An October email sent out by Gina solicited sangha members to express an interest in serving on the Care Taking Council. No applications were received except the continued interest of Catherine Stremlau.  We will invite her to attend the December CTC meeting as an observer, which will be Gina's last day.  In January will be her first meeting as a voting member.
 
(Agenda Item 4 was raised in this context: rewriting the CTC by-laws to clarify the dates and process for initiating new members. It was decided to leave them as they are, flexible.)
 
Agenda Item 2:  Should we consider providing Wi-Fi/Internet service subscription for the Yoga Path to allow for hybrid in-person/zoom meetings?
There are several parts to this question:
1. First, Mark as proprietor of the Yoga Path studio does not carry Internet service there at present but would consider it, and find it useful for his own Yoga class Zoom sessions  His phone connected hotspot sometimes fails awkwardly during a class.
2. Cost: Cox is the server of choice for the studio and as it would be a commercial license, would cost $99/month.
3. Purpose of Internet service for Honey Locust Sangha? The Women's Circle made an inquiry about it, wanting to initiate small-group in-person meetings like the Friday Night Noble Silence gathering hosted by Dave.
3. We also acknowledge that although Zoom service has been serviceable for a sizable contingent as the way to gather as a sangha during Covid threat, there are members who do not find Zoom sessions a viable substitute for in-person gathering.  During the summer weather, those needs were served by meetings outdoor at Elmwood Park, an option not possible for wintry weather conditions. That means that some of our dear sangha feel stranded from connection, and without support. 
4. We could therefore consider inviting sign-ups for small sessions at the Yoga Path.  Larger numbers, like the 20-30 we formerly had on a weekly basis, were determined to be unwise and unsafe at this point it looks like Covid-19 contagion numbers are rising for the winter.
5. If we did that, we could also consider making those meetings "Hybrid"—with Zoom connections for those who did not feel they could risk conditions or others who attend at a distance (Madison, Kansas City, etc.)
6.  The discussion also looked hard at the challenges, but the possibilities, for hybrid meetings.  An estimate of a "hybrid-facilitating" camera's price was $800-900. 
7.  Our hearing-assistance equipment has its own Wi-Fi for local sound, but is not an Internet-service and could not substitute in a Zoom distance-call.
 
The upshot of this tangled and complex discussion was that we tabled the discussion for longer digestion and consideration, to be resumed when the prospect of in-person meetings again looks more feasible.
 
Agenda Item 3: Retreat Planning Report. 
 
Gina spoke for the Planning Committee:
               First, a Day of Mindfulness is being planned for January 15, 2022, a Saturday, with Mark Watson to give a morning Dharma Talk and the Theme being adapted to the Sangha Book Club's current title: Creating True Peace- Thich Nhat Hanh's Vision of Engaged Buddhism.  The afternoon will feature a panel to focus on the ways we all engage with the world in varied ways, from creating a Movement and Foundation (Cyndonna) to resolving everyday conflicts with love and peaceful openness.  A session of Total Relaxation is also planned. A couple CTC members suggested they would love to practice the meditation vigil the night before the DOM (Day of Mindfulness) which is being envisioned as basically  9-4, with Honey-Locust and others on our mailing list which includes Lincoln Sangha.
               Second, for our Spring retreat in May we have been able to schedule Sister Terry, our beloved
Dharma Teacher from Plum Blossom Sangha in Austin, TexasIf pandemic issues allow, the retreat will be at Creighton University Retreat Center May 13-15, 2022.
 
Agenda Item 4:  See Item 1, above. Decided against.
 
The CTC adjourned and the Retreat Planning Committee remained at the zoom site for further wonderful and highly appreciated planning.
 
 

 
 
The Honey Locust Sangha / Omaha Community of Mindful Living is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. All funds donated help to fulfill the mission of practicing and raising awareness of the mindfulness practice in the Thich Nhat Hanh / Plum Village tradition.

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