[Oe List ...] Chronological History - Our Common Future Oaxtepec

Mon Jun 12 09:05:44 PDT 2017

Beret,

Chalk one up for senility…our video was of Bilbao, not Oaxtapec!

From: OE [mailto:oe-bounces at lists.wedgeblade.net] On Behalf Of John Epps via OE
Sent: Monday, June 12, 2017 9:28 AM
To: Beret Griffith <beretgriffith at gmail.com>; Order Ecumenical Community <oe at lists.wedgeblade.net>
Subject: Re: [Oe List ...] Chronological History - Our Common Future Oaxtepec

Hello Beret

Thanks for your good work on the archives, and for your questions about Oaxtapec. I’ve scanned my files and discovered that memory will have to suffice. I do have some memories of the event that may be worth recording.

First, the place was gorgeous. However it was selected, it was an excellent choice. 

Secondly, there were at least three “outside” notable worthies as guest speakers: Harrison Owens, Jean Houston, and David Campbell.

Third is a story: I was assigned to be on the regulatory to plan the event. Karen Snyder and LeDona Wagner were also on that team, along with others who I can’t remember. We arrived on sight a week in advance and got to work. Most of us had experience of planning Priors Councils and Summer Programs, so it was sort of a familiar task, though challenges were significant: dealing with the dispersed location of the housing and the incorporation of the guests into the program. We worked morning til night in dialogue with the Panchayat and finally came up with a detailed design that seemed to incorporate the activities and dynamics we all wanted to happen.

Sorry, but I don’t have a copy of that design.

Anyway, at the appropriate time, we presented our design to the priory for their modification before finalization. It had assigned times, places, teams, and activities in what we considered a trans-rational format that would get us where we wanted to go.  Harrison Owens, who was invited to sit in on the meeting erupted with objections at such structures. This was before he published Open Space, but he was already committed to a structure-less process, and recommended that we ditch our plans and let happen whatever would. As a group wedded to intentionality, that seemed heretical (to me), but that’s essentially what happened. Of course, the guests had scheduled times for their presentations, but beyond that, our carefully crafted plans went down the tubes! 😊. 

Later, during the week Harrison and I met on the porch of our cabin for pre-breakfast coffee and informal chats with cordial collegiality, though neither of us managed to convince the other of the effectiveness of our respective dynamics. 

Fourth, and this is not for publication, the discussion and decision about dissolution of the Order was never in any of the pre-plans. We had to leave the conference a day early, but nothing about such a move had been publicly discussed before then. The later announcement came as a complete surprise and probably contributed to my “Theology of Surprise” book. What’s happened since has obviously been beyond our wildest expectations, but at the time it came as a bolt out of the blue.

I hope you find these memories useful as background information. 

John

On Sat, Jun 10, 2017 at 5:10 PM, Beret Griffith via OE <oe at lists.wedgeblade.net <mailto:oe at lists.wedgeblade.net> > wrote:

Wendell, 

I know you checked for Oaxtapec documents. Wondering if you checked Frank's drive for the video?

Colleagues,

Do any of you have a copy of that Sunny Walker and Rick Jones filmed as a report of the event?

Thanks, Beret

On Sat, Jun 10, 2017 at 5:56 PM, Beret Griffith <beretgriffith at gmail.com <mailto:beretgriffith at gmail.com> > wrote:

Perhaps the three of you can pool your memories and come up with Oaxtapec information and stories.

Beret

On Sat, Jun 10, 2017 at 5:42 PM, Dennis Jennings <dennisjennings1 at gmail.com <mailto:dennisjennings1 at gmail.com> > wrote:

Mary Warren Moffat was in attendance at Oaxtapec.  As I recall, she fell and broke her leg while there.  Nevertheless she is known for having a great memory

about these events.  Al Lingo was there also. He likely shepherded Andrew Young.

I would probably need to be sitting with a group of people to help stimulate my memory of events.  I am pretty sure I do not have any written records.

Dennis

On Jun 10, 2017, at 4:59 PM, Beret Griffith <beretgriffith at gmail.com <mailto:beretgriffith at gmail.com> > wrote:

Hello again colleagues, 

There is very little information on the Chronological History re: Our Common Future Conference in Oaxtepec in the archives, so very little in the ChronHist. There are a couple of brochures and very LARGE MP3 files of Andrew Young's talk. (via Wendell Refior)  now available on Wedgeblade.net <http://Wedgeblade.net> .  (see link at the end of this message).

And, Oaxtepec represents a huge turn for the organization. It would be very good to have more details on the event and outcome.

Mary Laura suggested those of you individually named above as colleagues she recalled were at the conference. 

Glenda Long Eggerling looked at the timeline and wondered if there is more information surrounding the Order being called out of being at the Oaxtepec.  

Glenda's questions:

1.      Is there information about the gathering?

2.       Who led conference?

3.      What was written about dissolving the Order? Is there a document declaring the structures of the Order being called out of being?

4.      Role of the Panchayat?

5.      When was the Panchayat called out of being?

6.      Who was on the last Panchayat?

7.       What were the practics of letting people know, manage the staff centers,  etc, etc.?

Below is the link to the Chronological History 1952-1988 to see the original text in the document. You cannot add material in this part of the document. 

https://wedgeblade.net/files/archives_assets/20197.pdf

Go to page 110 to see text. If you have changes please send to myself beretgriffith at gmail.com <mailto:beretgriffith at gmail.com>  & David Dunn  dmdunn1 at gmail.com <mailto:dmdunn1 at gmail.com>  and additions will be made to the text. 

Thank you! Beret & David

________________________________________________________-

Andrew Young - Part 1

ICAI Address to ICAI Summer Conference in Mexico City Part 1

https://wedgeblade.net/files/archives_assets/20060.mp3

ICAI Address to ICAI Summer Conference in Mexico City Part 2

https://wedgeblade.net/files/archives_assets/20061.mp3

-- 

Dennis Jennings, Certified ToP Facilitator/Mentor Trainer

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Find course dates and register for trainings at  http://top-training.net <http://top-training.net/> 

ToP Community of Practice - FREE  First Monday of the month, 11:00 AM -12:30 PM 

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