a California meetup

[Admin note: these posts were moved from Josh's thread on Kennett and Nazi Zen Masters.]


me too, Brigitte!  I appreciate Mr. Baran's posts for a number of reasons, and his deft touch with the language is high on the list.

I am sorry to read that you lost your father so young. And your grandfather was indeed courageous to have put his thoughts in writing as he did - there's no telling how letters could have been mis-routed and intercepted, back then. My husband's family has a wealth of stories from the WWII era about that - 

I'm beginning to think it's time for an OBCC meetup, possibly in the UK? Michael's locale has the rain and storms, we need them here in California, let's just go there and have some shaman or local furniture manufacturing magnate perform a ritual, and we'll bring the good essence/karma/juju back here   (Should work as well as any of the other ceremonies I've been exposed to.)

Sounds like a good idea, Lise, but is there any way to get there without having to fly? Last time I was on a plane, I kid you not, was in the seventies when we visited my late husbands family near Buenos Aires in Argentina.  and flying over the white peaks of the Andes was a white knuckle experience for me if there ever was one. Although I've had plenty of opportunity, i'll do anything to avoid having to fly. I've heard they have freighters that take on passengers. I suppose I'd have to start out two weeks ahead of the group. I think the whole idea sounds great, and perhaps CMH could initiate us into the ways of the Cornish. Something to think about.!!!!

Hi,

I vote yes to a meeting. I have been reading your posts, all of you, for several years. It's amazing how helpful it is it talk to other who understand what the experience was like.  The yes, we've been there, done that crowd. You have all been so supportive, kind, and welcoming to both me and Enida.  Some of you I have met before in person, but I feel like I know all of you.

Count me in on a get together.  California would be easier for me. Obviously, I live in California. But I would  make every attempt to get to England for a get together there. Maybe Henry would even agree to come. The last time I saw him was in 1982. He was a transmitted monk.

It would be great to meet all of you in person.  What was the first get together called? The "bad monk reunion" or something like that?

Sophia

H Sophia wrote:

Hi,

It would be great to meet all of you in person.  What was the first get together called? The "bad monk reunion" or something like that?

Sophia

.
It was called the "Monks From Hell Reunion".  It was held in Portland, OR at the Dharma Rain Zen Center.  We all received a T-shirt that said "I was at Shasta Abbey for ___ years and all I got was this lousy t-shirt"  LOL!  We each got to write in the number of years in the blank space with a marker.  I still have the shirt.

I'm in for a meeting!  I second Sophia's comment that the support here has been unexpected and healing.  Sorry I haven't posted for awhile, the holidays and whatnot. . .but I've been keeping up with you all.  I'll try to put in two cents soon

Let's start thinking about the where & when -  I hope everybody will feel free to chime in here with ideas & suggestions.
I don't know much at this point, except -  there will be a t-shirt and it will be fabulous  

Perhaps we could really put the cat amongst pigeons and hold it in a well known small town in Northern Califonia!  

Small town?? Hell, isn't there an old motel in the shadow of a cinder cone that seems to have extra space these days.

Wonderful idea--I'm definitely in! I think that Sophia Avants, and several others, would be as well.

Mark and Howard, as unlikely as it might sound, I would propose that we could arrange for a Shasta Abbey visit, as part of a reunion for those who wished, without much problem.

(For those who might have missed mention of it, I was very well received by the Shasta Abbey community and by visiting monks and lay practitioners (both old friends and new that day) during the 2013 OBC General Meeting no less, when I visited on September 22nd, 2013.)

Sign me up.  I love old motels and cinder cones amongst the manzanita!

As long as there is a party room onsite, with enough outlets to plug in a karaoke machine and several blenders, I'll be happy  

Count me in. Sure do prefer California! Especially after hearing Michael on Wales!

I'm in too!

Me too!  When is a good time for all?  I'm close so I can be there any time.

We could offer our distance travelers the first suggestion - those coming from outside the North America region, what would you prefer?  Flight fares being better during certain months, and depending on your work holidays, it seems like we should ask you guys what works best for you.  Please feel free to tell us, otherwise we won't know. 

We can also talk about whether to have a first meetup in Mt. Shasta for those who want an Abbey visit, and maybe a next location (San Fran, San Diego, Yosemite, Los Angeles, who knows) as well, if schedules and budgets allow. I would like to have FUN with you guys, get to spend time together.  For me, this is far less about the OBC/Shasta Abbey than it is about getting together with forumites.  But in no way do I want to take anything away from the folks who would like to make a Shasta visit part of their meetup experience.

Wonderful thoughts Lise, and I am in full agreement.

What comes to mind for me is that we might schedule a potential Shasta Abbey visit at the end of the reunion, for those who wish.

This would allow those who thought they wanted to visit SA to back out--and those who were certain they never wanted to visit, to opt in.

And it would allow all of us to reconnect first!

I have to say that my recent visit to SA, after some 26 years, was greatly facilitated by the fact that Craig (Rev. Berthold), who has remained in constant contact with the Order after his own recent departure, was my guide for the return.

And--I just have to add--Craig has been enormously supported by the incredible generosity of our own H Sophia!

Enida, like you, I am local and can attend almost anytime.

My own thoughts are it would indeed be lovely to see everyone.
My situation is not quite so easy.
i look after my mother who is a mixture of being very frail and sometimes strong,she has been in and out of hospital,and I have been told just before Christmas that she was imminently going to die, she bounced back,but I suspect she may return to hospital today.

I seem to be her one reference point,and want to be with her while she ends her days, when I take a holiday or break, it is always within driving distance so I can see her for 20 mins, otherwise she gets very confused and can not fathom out parts of her life we take for granted like, who I am where have I been, where do I live, what have I done, and what I am going to do.  However I have planned to take her ashes to Canada and whilst there I want to meet up with some former monks in Canada,I had pencilled in a fast trip through the US and maybe meet up with some of you guys if possible.
However this meeting must in no way revolve around me, a fun get together without shackles of past and present sounds like a wonderful idea

Let's wait to schedule the meet-up pending Michael's situation.
Michael, I am sorry to hear your mother is not well. This is difficult when we are taking care of the person who used to care for us!

CMH, I too have been wondering how your mother is coming along, since you haven't mentioned anything about how she is for some time.  True what Carol says, yet it must be equally difficult to be in the other position, being taken care of by those you once cared for yourself.  We all get there eventually, either sooner or later. She is lucky to have a bodhisattva son looking after her.

And I would try hard to get to an OBCC meeting on the west coast, too.  This past week my wife and I moved out of Fresno and back to the California coast, where we belong.  I currently live about 500 miles south of Mt. Shasta, which is only a morning's drive in the American west.  I have a van and could even transport others to and from.
Michael, my family just got together at my mother's gravesite to mark the first anniversary of her death.  We know pretty much what you're going through right now, and we offer you bows.

Oh what a lot ive been missing .... i was beginning to feel reluctant to look in at this site mostly because of the nazi stuff.
( Brejo i was moved by your contribution , thank you .) It just seemed such a deep wreck -the OBC ,
and then i find this thread and am reminded how i have very interested and fond feelings for so many of you . I'd love to be in on a real meeting ( though i've no monkish qualifications ) but i couldnt get to california , even cornwall would be hard, though i would get there .Perhaps it could be me and michael chiming in simultaneously .
But anyway , thanks all of you for a different side of life - as well as -of course - as well as the rest .

The nice thing is, there's no rush in figuring out the where & when of a meetup - there are many ways that things could work out and we can take our time in planning.

Michael, we'll hold your mother in our thoughts - and yourself as well (as always).

Thank you very much for the kind words,I have not been sure what to say in reply, but somehow I do feel many of us have connected, I think we have shared feelings and emotions,maybe something we felt we could not before,we have argued and spoke our minds ,maybe something I felt we could not do before. maybe discipline and silence can take away our humanness,but surely the heart of zen is in the heart of being human,Please organise without me a get together as Forumites as Lise days is so appealing,I might not be going anywhere for any length of time and an opportunity will be lost,it could be such fun

Just a quick heads up.  There is a movement afoot for a lay meetup in March 2015 with several concurrent meetings to discuss aspects of lay practice and the laity's relationship to the Order.  There is some good energy behind this and could be the beginning of a more active lay role in the Order.

Hi H Enida

Yes, good,how about meetups in different locales?
I can't afford to travel to California but would do some prep/organisation for a UK event with some other team members-who's up for it?
Nicky we could meet on the beach-I used to go to Happisburgh,till the house fell into the sea!
We could maybe go to Cornwall too.....

Maisie, yes, the meetups in different locals is actually the idea here. While this meetup thread originated with Lise's suggestion for a meetup in the UK, and then evolved into a proposal for a meetup here in California, Enida is reporting a meetup proposal that has come full circle for a meeting in the UK.

This meeting has been proposed by Tom Kirwan for the weekend of the 27th and 28th of March, 2015, pending the response and confirmation he receives over the next several days. His plan is to reserve the Coalbrookdale Youth Hostel in Shropshire, UK, for the event.

The concept is to provide (as I see it) a physical venue (rather than just a digital venue) for addressing and discussing the issues that we face as current and former practitioners within the OBC.

Those of us in the US with an interest in this, or with just an interest in getting together, might consider scheduling our own North American west coast meetup at the same time. This, of course would not be necessary, but it would facilitate an across-the-pond digital conference during the event for those interested.

I think that it goes without saying that our US meetup would be open equally to those of us with no current interest whatsoever in the OBC, as well as those of us who do have some form of interest. I, for one, think that our human connections far transcend any institution.

For our UK members here, even though the UK contingent are, for the most part, currently active lay practitioners and former monks associated with the OBC (several of whom are active members of this Forum), I have consistently observed that they are an honorably feisty lot, brook no nonsense from the OBC party line, and are ever willing to question it.

In short, I anticipate a fruitful and delightful time for us all!

Naturally, more information will be forthcoming as it develops.

And, apart from all of this, we can, as always, decide what we want to do. I, for one, opt for a reunion in whatever form it might take!

Masie ,
 yes to meeting on the beach.
 Though im not sure who's who , and who's in which country .its a strange group this online lot , intimate and yet unknown-not many faces ..... even a small beach meeting would be good .sadly i dont think i could do cornwall ,or that we would even get chisan from cornwall ,or mike ? but Maisie , id no idea you were close , or, where are you ?  perhaps i know you ! I better try and look you up , or message you .
i couldn't do Tom kirwans thing as its too much under the Kennet heading , at best i would just growl.

i mean or mark