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Finding Common Ground September, 2020
UP FRONT The First and Who Knows Maybe Only Late Summer Productive Frolic on the land goes LIVE on Saturday, the 5th, at 1:00 and ends at lunchtime on Sunday. The focus is on fresh air, frivolity, and FUN-- Laughing, smiling, and clowning around are encouraged! See the Land Stewardship posting in the calendar for details and watch for an announcement later in the month about plans for a second gathering on the land on Saturday afternoon, 9/26. COVID precautions apply.
AUGUST HIGHLIGHTS Financial & Legal: August opened with an exciting “First Saturday” community event Zooming out a plan for Phased Development and inviting members interested in becoming “First Responders” or “Grounders”—buyers of shares for the first set of residences—to begin identifying and organizing themselves. This will be spark-plugged by a matching-fund challenge from an anonymous member-donor to get us quickly to the first million dollars (!!!!), and then we’ll leverage that money to secure the rest we need for the first phase. Contact Paul to get involved: [email protected]
Peppers and okra and long beans, oh my!
COMMON GROUND CALENDAR
This community crew planted 600 feet of fabulous root veggies!
(In there somewhere…Margaret, Marilyn, Donna, Hope, Lisa, Nell)
(photo by Margret)
Banner above: Symbolic sashes adorn the iconic oak
GET INVOLVED! We hope that you will feel inspired to join us! Our Circle
leaders would be very happy to talk with and guide you as you become more involved. Contact any of the leaders
listed below. Note: all events are open to everyone unless otherwise indicated. Most (but not all!) Circle meetings are
happening via Zoom. Observers are encouraged and RSVP is essential!
RACIAL AWARENESS WEEKLY
READING/SHARING CIRCLE Membership & Marketing Circle
Tuesdays, September 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, 6:30-7:30pm
For a Zoom link, RSVP Lisa: [email protected]
A group of CGEV members & non-members are
Membership & Marketing: Under the sheltering arms of our iconic oak tree, two dozen Common Grounders gathered to celebrate the advancement of three members to the Associate level (Richard, Dave, and Doug). They received reflections on their wonderful qualities and contributions, and they responded with offerings of their own, including a song. Jenny Chafe organized the event with beautiful touches: members crossed a “river” of fabric to symbolize their advancement and they tied custom-made sashes around our grandmother oak. Afterwards, Doug offered his amazing melons and we snacked and socialized until the fireflies came out. It was utterly beautiful. And…there will be more members advancing soon! Stay tuned for our next celebration.
An enchanted evening
Planning, Design, & Development: Many aspects of our Raising Sights project are coming to completion as we consolidate our research and conclusions. We’ll be crafting proposals soon regarding water independence, natural building materials, and energy production. For the record also: we assume that the community is committed to substantial lifestyle adaptations in order to live more sustainably and regeneratively in the village, for example significantly reducing energy and water usage. We enthusiastically welcome the new initiative of G&T to begin to spell out the changes expected and figure out how to move resolutely in those directions. Meanwhile, PDD is pivoting to address some other decisions that are critical to moving forward expeditiously. Chiefly we need to decide on a Unit Mix and create a definite site layout showing the placement and size of all buildings. This needs to be laid out for the whole village, even though we will probably build the homes in phases. Site engineering,
meeting weekly to read WHITE FRAGILITY: Why It’s so
Hard for White People to Talk About Racism, by Robin
Diangelo. We read and think aloud together about
racism as a "system" within and around us as the first
step to dismantling racism in our community, and in all
collectives we are part of. Newcomers are welcome!
PLANNING, DESIGN, &
DEVELOPMENT CIRCLE Wednesday, September 2, 6:30-8:00pm, via Zoom
RSVP Anthony: [email protected]
Observers are always welcome, with RSVP
LAND STEWARDSHIP CIRCLE
The First and Who Knows Maybe Only Late Summer
Productive Frolic!
Saturday, September 5th, 1:00pm to Sunday,
September 6th, lunchtime (emphatically NOT on Zoom)
RSVP to Randy doddDOTrandyATgmailDOTcom is nice
but not required, or call 919 960-0932 before or
during the event
Mirth makers will conjure frolics such as trail play,
barn raising, pasture taming, trash relocation, and
Ailanthus discouragement. It is possible if not likely
that the above plan will be amended based on the
interests, availability, and quirks of those who sign up
or show up. Check your email for all the whacky
details, COVID precautions included.
MEMBERSHIP & MARKETING CIRCLE
Thursday, September 10, 6:30-8:45pm via Zoom
RSVP Marilyn: [email protected]
Observers and prospective members are welcome.
Simply contact Marilyn several days before the date to
receive the Zoom link and agenda/attachments.
PLANNING, DESIGN, &
DEVELOPMENT CIRCLE Sunday, September 13, 7:30-9:00pm via Zoom
RSVP Anthony: [email protected]
Observers are welcome, with RSVP
permitting and infrastructure construction need to be done for the whole village.
Land Stewardship: The big news on the land for August is A LOT of progress on the barn complex thanks to a stalwart group of volunteers. Also, Margret, Jeffry, Doug, and others are tending the great bounty flowing from the growing garden. Every month seems to bring more and more activity, and all hands, hearts, and hammers are welcome.
Anthony and Paul lay down the barn bathhouse bones
IN THE KNOW…
Have you read/seen/heard something inspiring lately that you’d like to share with the community? Please send in your recommendations to Hope. Bob McCulley highly recommends this book to every Common Grounder—Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents, by Isabel Wilkerson. A New York Times reviewer calls this “…an extraordinary document, one that strikes me as an instant American classic and almost certainly the keynote nonfiction book of the American century thus far.”
LOCAL EVENTS TO EXPAND OUR
SOCIAL & CULTURAL HORIZONS Is something happening that you want our members to know about? Please send your listing to Hope by the 25th of each month. Racial Equity Institute Training Sponsored by Organizing Against Racism (OAR) We strongly recommend these 2-day trainings as a way to begin a shared conversation about racism and social/environmental justice at Common Ground Ecovillage. Check OARalliance.org for details.
GOVERNANCE & TRAINING CIRCLE
Tuesday, September 15, 4:00pm – 6:00pm via Zoom
RSVP Hope: [email protected]
Please RSVP for a link. If this time is difficult for you,
please contact Maria: 919-444-1193
MEET & GREET
Membership & Marketing Circle
Wednesday, September 16, 7:00-8:15 pm via Zoom
RSVP Lisa for a zoom link: [email protected]
This is designed for people who have recently heard
about us and for those who want to meet other new
members. We’ll get to know each other and review
some history and basics about CGEV. Interested? Let’s
hang out!
FINANCIAL & LEGAL CIRCLE
Thursday, September 17, 6:30-9:00pm, via Zoom
RSVP Paul for a link: [email protected]
We welcome visitors, especially those who may wish
to join this important circle.
PLANNING, DESIGN, &
DEVELOPMENT CIRCLE
Wednesday, September 23, 6:30-8:00pm, via Zoom
RSVP Anthony: [email protected]
Observers are always welcome, with RSVP
GENERAL CIRCLE
Thursday, September 24, 7:00-9:15pm, via Zoom
RSVP Bailey: [email protected]
We welcome observers, with RSVP
LAST SATURDAY
Land Stewardship Circle
ALL OUT on the land!
Saturday, September 26
Save the date! Details coming soon via email.
Compassionate Connection (aka Non-Violent Communication or NVC): Wednesday September 23, 7:00 to 8:30 pm, via Zoom. The “Chapel Hill” NVC training/practice group, now on Zoom until further notice, meets on the fourth Wednesday of each month, and is led by Marilyn Grubbs and Lila Rosa. The theme for September is “Self-Compassion”. Contact Marilyn Grubbs ([email protected]) for more information. CONFLICT navigation training with Laird & Maria Thursday evening, September 8– Sunday September 11, via Zoom Conflict is unavoidable (have you noticed?), so we might as well learn how to embrace it productively and even maybe joyously! Join Laird and Maria's facilitation training for its Weekend III, dedicated to the Four Step Model for conflict navigation. Whether you are interested in learning how to help others during conflict or could use better skills yourself, this weekend will hopefully inspire you to lean into conflict with curiosity and tools that work to get people unstuck and nurture robust relationships. Registration closes September 24. Please contact Eleanor for details at [email protected]
Every pollinated blossom makes a sesame seed pod. Yum!
(photo by Margret)
A FRESH TAKE ON CGEV!
Membership & Marketing Circle
Wednesday, September 30, 7:00-8:30pm via Zoom
Contact Lisa for a link: [email protected]
Want an up-to-date overview of where CGEV is now,
what’s next, and how you can get involved and
contribute? This session is for YOU!
Stacking fresh-cut pine for drying (Margret, Lisa, Marilyn, Jeffry)
(photo by Margret)
COMING UP
OCTOBER
Governance & Cooperative Skills training
Friday, October 30, 6:30-9:00pm
Saturday, October 31, 9-noon
This training is mandatory for new members and
crucial to understanding how our circles work and the
culture of radical cooperation we are trying to build at
Common Ground. Save the date!
Jeffry, Paul, and George build the staircase to the barn loft
