NI Membership News
for June 2008 |
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Greetings!
Thanks to everyone who responded to our first issue with such enthusiasm. It's wonderful to know that we have a community of people who care about each other and are interested in how our lives reflect our spiritual practice and values.
Starting with this issue, we are expanding coverage to include more of your contributions and news. If you are doing something especially interesting or have passed an important landmark in your life--marriage, baby, new job, some notable creative endeavor--please let us know. First step, send an email to pattyslote@comcast.net -- your photos and links are welcome. We're especially interested to hear from those of you outside of Portland who may not have as much daily contact with other members of our community but still want to be in the loop. Have a wonderful month of June, and we hope to see you at the Retreat in July. (Oh, and don't miss the special offer at the end of this email.) |
June Calendar
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| Upcoming Events
Check out this helpful calendar of special events happening during June. Highlights include:
 June 1, Queen of Great Bliss Puja (Portland) >
June 7, Yard Sale (fundraiser for Portland ashram)
June 15, Vaishravana Puja (Portland)
June 25-29, Trika Yoga Retreat (Denmark) |
| A Thought from Swamiji |
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Swamiji at the Ganges (photo by Kerry Smith) |
| June Birthdays |
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Lots of NI member birthdays to celebrate this month!
  June 1, Lenore Bijan (Portland)
June 29, Jozef Standow (Portland)
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| New Members |
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Welcome New Members
A special welcome to new members who joined NI during the month of May:
Stephanie Austin
Also welcome back to returning member Joe Manley, who practices in New York City and Boston from his home base in upstate New York and recently visited Portland for several days.
 And take a moment to learn more about another recent member, Dessa Bingley. Dessa lives and works in Seattle (at Starbucks--no surprise to the many ashram coffee afficionados who make daily use of the espresso machine she has generously donated), but she visits Portland nearly every weekend. You can read Dessa's story, in her own words, by clicking the link. |
| Creative Expressions |
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NI members find many ways to give back to the community at large. Here are just two examples.
Deep Roots Project
Richard Brown, a Language Arts teacher at Roosevelt High School in North Portland, spearheads the Deep Roots Music Project at his school. Deep Roots is an ambitious after-school program that matches student poets with local professional musicians to create unique collaborations. Their latest CD was released in May. [more]
An Artist Who Serves
 Ed Kerns is dedicated to uplifting lives. A fifth-generation Oregonian, he has organized the Lents-Springwater Habitat Restoration project (view his five-minute documentary), which combines the efforts of a band of elementary school volunteers, Americorps, and the City of Portland Parks and Recreation to clear leftover infrastructure and plant trees along a portion of the 35-mile Springwater corridor. In his spare time, Ed writes poetry and creates engaging and whimsical multi-media art. For a look at some of his recent pieces, click here. |
| Cool Member News |
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Spring brings changes. Here are some we're happy to share:
Chris Cartwright (Portland) is now Dean Cartwright, thanks to his recent appointment as Dean of the International Service-Learning Program at Portland State University. He will be overseeing study abroad programs in more than 14 countries around the world in which students integrate volunteer service with academic studies for a full cultural immersion experience. More information at www.ipsl.org. Chris also volunteers with NI as a key member of the Research Team.
 Nancy Dennis (Portland) has moved her fledging fashion business, Coise Couture, into new facilities in Portland, sharing space with jewelry designer Ben Neubauer. Specializing in clothing and accessories, Nancy creates high end jewelry using the best quality gemstones, pearls, Venetian glass and Swarovski crystals; handbags with detachable jewelry handles; embellished sandals; and embellished tanks. (She often sells selected pieces at NI during retreats as a fundraiser for the Institute.) She has also just completed her first full year as an Associate Professor at the Art Institute of Portland. |
| Gratitude |
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| Special Thanks This Month to. . .
Giedra Rackaukas and Duncan Ferguson (pictured above with facilities manager Jim Brissette in the boiler room), who provided professional services for the massive boiler project that has finally been completed after almost two years and more than five thousand (yes, five thousand) man-hours of labor. Big thanks also to the many volunteers who labored intensively on the project for much of that time--especially Govind Cornelison, Jerry McGregor, and Claudia Henry. Additional ongoing help came from Nate England, Ron Hedrich, Jerry Sutherland, Sam Yoder, Jon George, Ed Rosen, Thane Golden and Randy Holt. And other members who lent a hand included Greg Esion, Linda Dima, Ed Blaske, Al DeWitt, Pete Blundell, Jon Shanker, Dan Sisco, Dan Spencer, and Len Riegler. (Not to mention our friend Nugyel from Kathmandu, who spent much of his time last year in Portland working on the boiler.) Our heartfelt thanks to you all for your incredible efforts and skills--the project would not have been possible without this outpouring of support. 
A.J. Arriola (above, introducing NI members to a murder mystery game) and Susan Marshall, who recently led a series of Wednesday evening communications workshops for NI members in Portland. We hope to continue the workshops with other teachers offering a variety of trainings for community development and communications skills over the next several months. |
| Contacts |
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Handy Names and Numbers
When you need to contact NI, who should you ask for?
Here's a quick rundown.
Portland
Howard Boster, Director
Michelle Lawson, Communications / Programs
Patty Slote, Membership
Ruth Knight, Movement Center
Sharon Ward, General Counsel
Theresa Smith, Guest Services
Tom Fabrizio, Residency Program
Centers
Medford MA Dan Spencer 781-316-7473
New York City Kenny Ross 212-431-5772
Santa Monica CA Kristin Kreiger 310-828-1849
Oslo Norway Per Johansen +47 920 54 501 | |
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About Membership
What Is a Member? When you make a commitment to spiritual growth, Nityananda Institute is here to help you by offering ways to interact with authentic teachers, proven spiritual practices, and a vibrant spiritual community. Many people participate in programs at NI or one of our Centers, but not everyone is officially a member. So what's the difference?
A member is a person who, in addition to practicing at NI, agrees to provide ongoing financial support in the form of membership fees. In exchange for this reliable base of support, NI offers certain benefits to members, including special discounts on products, services and events; members-only online forums; and invitations to participate study groups and other unique programs.
If you are not yet an Annual Supporting Member, please consider joining today. NI gets no outside funding and relies on those who value their experience here to help us keep our facilities open and our teachers available to serve people worldwide. Click this link to find out more.
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| Save up to $125 |
If you are an Annual Supporting Member of NI and you're coming to the July retreat, you are eligible for extra savings. Members already get a $100 savings on the full retreat fee. Sign up and pay in full by July 1, and you'll be able to save an additional $25 for "early bird" registration. The retreat, which honors Swamiji on his 60th birthday, begins Tuesday evening, July 22, and ends Sunday, July 27. Click here to register or, for more information, go to our website, www.nityanandainstitute.org. |
| Offer Expires: July 1 |
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As always, thank you for being part of the NI community.
With love,
Patty Slote
Membership Director
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