NONPROFIT NAMING Thread

[Joe Soeller]

BARMers,

The NONPROFIT FORMATION Committee is sidestepping to tackle this naming topic. We assembled yesterday to discuss the name of the nonprofit and would like your input! This thread is dedicated to help determine the nonprofit's name. 

If you have any questions concerning the nonprofit formation status, refer to the thread named "NONPROFIT FORMATION Committee (Primordia)." 

I will soon post the next nonprofit formation committee meeting date in both this thread and its home thread, which gives us all some time to discuss this topic openly.

Some important things to consider when conceiving a name...

-The nonprofit's mission statement reads

"Our mission is to achieve healthy ecosystems through regenerative biological processes."

-The mission statement was chosen to open the door to biological processes beyond simply fungi (plants, bacteria, animals, etc), though we are still open to using "mycology" or something fungi-related in the title.

-Officially the nonprofit isn't using "Bay Area Radical Mycology."

-We are, however, are open to using the acronym BARM.

-We are neutral toward including "Bay Area" in the name.

-We are interested in a descriptive name that tells people what we do, but are open to quirky names, too (we like Santa Cruz's "Fungi Federation," for instance)

Here are five names we were happy with:

MycoreGeneration

Bay Area Regenerative Ecology (BARE)

Bay Area Remediative Mycology (BARM)

Regenerative Ecology (RE)
Hands-On Mycology (HOM)

If you're curious, I posted just about every suggested name in the home thread for the nonprofit formation committee 

Have fun :)

Joe

[Joe Soeller]

Bump. I'd like to hear your thoughts.

On a personal level, part of me likes having "Mycology" in the name. I do respect Mike's desire to use "Bay Area Remediative Mycology" since it continues our current acronym BARM.

Would a name like "Regenerative Ecology" attract plant, bacteria, and fungi-minded folk? I think it would. Would it be too broad? I don't think so, and we might end up finding some more people to help our mission.

A part of me is emotionally attached to the name, another part of me isn't so worried about it being perfect and instead picking a suitable name and getting on with business.

Still undecided,
Joe

[Joe Soeller]

I mentioned I'd post the next meeting info in this thread and the NONPROFIT FORMATION Committee Meeting thread, so here it is:

Thanks for everyone's input. I'm voting on "Bay Area Regenerative Mycology". Let's move business along.

Here's the info on the next (fourth) NONPROFIT FORMATION Committee Meeting:

When:
Wednesday, March 4, 2015
6:30pm - 9:00pm
Catch up @ 6:30pm, Meeting begins promptly @ 7:00pm

Where:
Counter Culture Labs @
Omni Commons
4799 Shattuck Avenue, Oakland, CA 94609

Unlike our last meetings that have focused on one topic, this next meeting is going to cover several items :) We'll solidify our name, discuss the structure of the nonprofit organization, assign initial officers, discuss and fill out California legal forms for articles of incorporation, discuss raising funds to file the articles of incorporation ($35), and lightly discuss and outline bylaws as a warm-up for the next meeting (the bylaws meeting...wooooo!)

a) Solidify organization's name

b) Discuss structure and assign officers for initial term of nonprofit

c) Fill out Article of Incorporation for 501(c)3 in California

d) Discuss fundraising $35 to file articles of incorporation ;)

e) Lightly discuss and outline general bylaws

Relevant links:

California Articles of Incorporation: http://bpd.cdn.sos.ca.gov/corp/pdf/articles/arts-pb.pdf

Suggested Language: http://www.irs.gov/Charities-&-Non-Profits/Suggested-Language-for-Corporations-and-Associations-(per-Publication-557)

Joe

[deangelismino]

For what its worth I lean toward the myco in front. Bay Area Myco Remediation: Hand's on Mycology   or Bay Area Myco Restoration: HoM.    .Just a thought I'm not attached to it. 

Mino

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[mabeysan]

"Bay Area Regenerative Mycology" - fills the bill in my opinion.

John

[Ken Litchfield]

Heyall,

I've been a bit occupied lately but also have taken the oppounity to cogitate some about the BARM name since it deserves some philosophical considerations.

The discussions about sustainability I found interesting as this is the first time I had heard of anyone who's trying to practice or promote sustainability doing it in order to sustain the destructive unsustainable dominant paradigm. I had always understood it to mean that we were coming up with sustainable alternatives to supplant it.

However, if there are concerns that we not use any word that implies sustaining the destructive system, then most of the "re-" words are actually about re-taining or re-creating the destructive system. Looking at both the standard or progressive definitions of most any of the re words: remediate, renew, recreate, reinvigorate, reestablish, rejuvenate, renovate, revivify, basically all repeat the system as is, including regenerate. 

Looking at the fundamental meanings of "rejuvenate," it at least implies returning to some younger more viable state, tho it comes with considerable human health meanings. "Restore" is actually more accurate as it is closer to the practices that BARM espouses in that restoration is a well established ecological practice that seeks to return to a more natural state, in whatever way the human practitioners may envision that. Not everyone agrees about what it means to return to a more natural state in any given damaged environment.

The discussion about nature being regenerative is only partially correct and views things from a human centric point of view rather than a biological one. We are aerobic organisms and tend to believe that any actions that might favor an environment that is beneficial to anaerobic organisms as somehow "unnatural" or "bad." They are however the more primeval organisms, "the first people" so to speak, and promoting regenerative practices returning things to a more natural state of original bliss would mean promoting an environment that is toxic to our aerobic metabolisms but beneficial to anaerobic organisms. From the point of view of anaerobic organisms, they have been "genocided" from their dominance over their whole earth to now dwell in pockets of anaerobic slums in the dominant apocalyptic landscape pervaded by toxic oxygen.

There are actually some mini celebrities in the permaculture movement that promote the idea that anaerobic organisms are somehow not "beneficial" organisms and anaerobic methods of composting are somehow bad and to be avoided because of the smell of the alien metabolic byproducts. Yet we can't get much more intimate with these anaerobic organisms as they make up much of our own individual microbiomes. We carry around with us primeval anaerobic slums that periodically offgas inconvenient reminders about our true stature in nature.

While it might be nice to believe that nature is regenerative, that is only part of the story. Asteroids, fire, volcano's, earthquakes, tsunamis, storms, humans, are all part of nature's destructive powers. Yes, humans are natural biological organisms and so are their domesticated plant and animal symbionts that cover the human cultivated lands and overgraze much of the rest. When any of these forces of destruction take place it isn't a given that nature's "regeneration" will take place in a fashion that we would necessarily find favorable or in any way resembling what went before.

This is one of the reasons why I'm not much excited about using regenerative or any of the other "re-" words, except maybe restortive, in the name of the organization. In the mission statement regeneration is OK tho I think restorative is more accurate. Another reason for not using regenerative in the name is because regenerative has become such a buzzy word it has just about finished with its trendy phase and is entering the cliche syndrome. To the point where it is being exploited like "resilience" and being coopted by corporations, organization rackets, and donation rags for greenwashing. There are lots of entities now using the word in their name and BARM would become just another one.

However there is a name I do like. It popped up during the EBMUD willow planting session. 

Bay Area Rhizo Mycology. 

It retains the acronym. 

Rhizo refers to root in all its radical and root like meanings.

It is the scientific version of radical and we're all about being scientific and being radical.

Rhizomorphs are rootlike, multicellular, mycelial tentacles, conglomerations that are produced by a healthy vigorous mycelium that it uses to connect and network with food, the environment, other fungi, plants, and other organisms, and transport nutrients and communications.

Mycology is what brought us together and Rhizo is what connects Mycology to the rest of biology and everything else.

Rhizo is a rather unique word that has specific biological meanings and connotations but isn't likely to become commonly trendy.

I think there are other attractive analogies but I think that should suffice for now.

Bay Area Rhizo Mycology gets my vote.

I'm OK with Hands On Mycology or Bay Area Restorative Mycology.

Thanks Ken

[Joe Soeller]

Thanks Ken, much food for thought!

Joe

[deangelismino]

I agree about the name.  'Regenerative' seems to be going the way 'Paradigm' did some years ago when you couldn't pick up an article on pretty much anything with reading about the 'Paradigm' this or that. It got to be cringe worthy. I think your other name suggestions are good as well, including Rhizo which we can have a lot of fun defining to everyone we meet.  But hey we are 'educators'.

mino

[oppositesattack]

I agree that regenerative is looking to much like a buzzword that doesn't say enough, or says the wrong thing. I keep coming back to Bay area applied mycology. Its the most accurate, least confusing, simple statement of what we do, we apply mycology to solve problems social and environmental.
Max b

[Joe Soeller]

Max,

I agree, "Bay Area Applied Mycology" is simple, clear, and to the point.

We suggested "Applied Mycology" at the last meeting but dismissed it because it's the name of a textbook. However, somehow we missed including Bay Area in the name and going with that. I support it. :)

I also like your statement: "Our mission is to apply mycology to solve social and environmental problems." [minor modification] Again, very short and sweet. Also, very grounding, simple, and general. This clearly defines what we've already been doing, instead of setting a stage for what we hope to be doing.

At our last meeting we "solidified the mission statement," though I encourage others to consider this new insight.

What do others have to say?

Joe

I agree that regenerative is looking to much like a buzzword that doesn't say enough, or says the wrong thing. I keep coming back to Bay area applied mycology. Its the most accurate, least confusing, simple statement of what we do, we apply mycology to solve problems social and environmental.
Max b

[Enrique]

Applied sounds like a good fit. The word says exactly what we are doing. I am putting my support behind Bay Area Applied Mycology.
Enrique

[mabeysan]

further explorations generally render better results.
we likeee !

On Tuesday, March 3, 2015 at 10:42:32 AM UTC-8, Joseph Soeller wrote:

Max,

I agree, "Bay Area Applied Mycology" is simple, clear, and to the point.

We suggested "Applied Mycology" at the last meeting but dismissed it because it's the name of a textbook. However, somehow we missed including Bay Area in the name and going with that. I support it. :)

I also like your statement: "Our mission is to apply mycology to solve social and environmental problems." [minor modification] Again, very short and sweet. Also, very grounding, simple, and general. This clearly defines what we've already been doing, instead of setting a stage for what we hope to be doing.

At our last meeting we "solidified the mission statement," though I encourage others to consider this new insight.

What do others have to say?

Joe

I agree that regenerative is looking to much like a buzzword that doesn't say enough, or says the wrong thing. I keep coming back to Bay area applied mycology. Its the most accurate, least confusing, simple statement of what we do, we apply mycology to solve problems social and environmental.
Max b

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[Liz Sandiford]

Yes, I really like Max's idea of 'Bay Area Applied Mycology'. Gets my vote.

Liz

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[deangelismino]

Looking good, I can BAAM.

I'll be missing the meeting tonight. I have a 40 year commitment honor.

Mino

[Alan Rockefeller]

Bay Area Applied Mycology is an awesome name!

[Herbaceoustenacity]

BAAM!  Sounds fine to me.

And joe, your newly re used mission statement is awesome, it opens up a whole new realm of potential work. Consider my mind blown.

Seth

On Mar 5, 2015, at 1:20 PM, Alan Rockefeller <alanroc...@gmail.com> wrote:

Bay Area Applied Mycology is an awesome name!

--

[Joe Soeller]

You can thank Max entirely for that!

Joe

[Joe Soeller]

And just want to mention, we sent a form to the Secretary of State to reserve 'Bay Area Applied Mycology' as we are finalizing our mission statement. Please check the thread "MISSION STATEMENT Thread" for notes on that and "NONPROFIT FORMATION Committee" thread for notes on our meetings and development.

Joe

[tina juarez]

I just met Ken the other day  and I am really coming in from outside so excuse me. I agree with Mino since I already call the group "The Mycos". when I asked for where the group  met up, everyone "got  it". THen, I am not fond of military stuff already.
good luck!
choose love
KO

[tina juarez]

Oops= me again.. iowuld also change

-The nonprofit's mission statement reads

"Our mission is to achieve healthy ecosystems through regenerative biological processes."

to
"Achieving healthy ecosystems through regenerative biological processes."
KO