IONS Community Groups worldwide are growing like wildflowers! There are some 35 new groups emerging from inquiry to having launched recently. Groups that have recently held first meetings are those in Indianapolis; Columbia and Charleston, South Carolina; Cape Town, South Africa, and; Marin County, California. The New York City group recently re-started.
Nearly every day I receive an inquiry from some place in the world. I am excited about supporting these new groups in getting started. I also want to foster inter-connection between groups, and we're hoping that many community group members will join together in the Fall of 2014 for an experiential meeting at IONS' EarthRise Retreat Center November 14-16 as well as at the Summer 2015 International IONS Conference (place to be announced - maybe Chicago).
To help encourage community group engagement, we're launching a complimentary six-month membership program, available to all IONS Community Group participants who are not currently members. Please let me know how many membership brochures we can send you, and encourage your community group participants to all become members!
In other CG news:
Ten community group leaders gathered at the EarthRise campus March 14-16 to discuss community group governance, membership, how to support new groups, and to plan the fall gathering.
Two leaders launching new groups attended: Ralph Walker, who is starting a new group in Atlanta, and Alida McDaniel, who is shepherding a new group in Santa Monica. Passion Project Group Leaders attending included: Janet Walden (Sacramento, CA) on governance; Blake Paysse (Sacramento) on Energy Work and Youth; Mary Gordon (Santa Rosa, CA) on resources; Bob Blackstone (Sacramento) on membership; Tahdi Blackstone (Los Angeles) on new groups; and Nelson Barry (San Francisco) on gatherings. Also attending were Shawne Mitchell (Santa Barbara, CA) and Dottie Koontz (Vancouver, WA).
In addition to supporting community groups, I've recently taken on the role of managing IONS'
Planned Giving Program and look forward to enhancing and building the planned giving effort at IONS, also known as "The Visionary Circle."
I'm heartened by your good work in community groups raising consciousness!