"The movement will not last, however, if it is not accepted and nourished by the people themselves.... It must spread from family to family from house to house, from block to block, from neighborhood to neighborhood. It must be securely rooted in community, in the shared understanding that at life transitions and crises we must go alone and empty to the wilderness so that new life status may be confirmed and imbalances in the community righted. Am I dreaming?"
Foster and Little: The Four Shields
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Dear Friends of the School of Lost Borders,
About thirty years ago, Steven Foster and Meredith Little answered a Call. Through their devotion and many years on the land experimenting, learning, loving, changing, and deep listening, they re-introduced Rites of Passage work to a culture that had lost its way. They helped us all remember we are a part of this amazing earth and that we need one another to navigate life's passages. Many of us have been forever changed because they remained true to this Call.
Since Steven's death a little over five years ago, the School has been evolving, shifting and trying on new forms. It has been a time to allow nature, both inner and outer, to guide the school forward. It has been a time of letting go and coming together. It has been a time of tremendous support from a loving community, and the core guides and elders. Through out all of this Meredith has been informing this way with her huge heart and deep wisdom.
Now we have exciting news...and just in time for a culture that needs to remember what is deeply true more than ever. The School of Lost Borders has now become an official non-profit organization: a 501(c)(3)! Two Board members, Maddisen Krown and Sara Harris have joined Angelo, who now functions as the Executive Director. They are assisted and advised by the School's dedicated members who give themselves to their people through this time-honored ceremony. We believe that the form of Non Profit can hold who we have been and what we are becoming. The work of the School has always been about the "Public Good" and has always been supported by the goodness of the people.
The Call is still alive, still pulsing, still asking us to respond!
We are crossing the border once again, from an old form to a new, while keeping the heart and passion of this work alive and visible in the world.
Will you join us?
Through your donation, we can make more scholarships available, reach more youth and make the work of the School sustainable. Imagine the possibilities....as the seeds of this work find their way into communities often ignored by Rites of Passage work. From coast to coast and continent to continent, from the inner cities to nature's pristine outposts, imagine a world where teens through elders can be supported to claim their rightful place on this beautiful earth and be supported to give their unique gifts.
Help us celebrate and grow! Together, we can continue to respond to the Call to know who we are
and how to serve as a people.
With love and friendship,
The Board and Staff of the School of Lost Borders
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