I won't be at the meeting this Thursday- here's my suggestions for the future of free school

[Jonah]

Here's some info for the Meeting-

Hello All-

I'm currently at Big Sur camping- didn't want to miss this meeting. But didn't want to miss big sur even more.  I've asked Joergen to be my proxy and to read this out loud on my behalf.

We've made tremendous strides as a community- if there weren't so many pressing matters, I'd say we should spend this meeting in appreciation of all of each other's contributions but... there's lots to figure out-

Here's some ideas and info-

The Tuesday Night Potlucks at Blacklight Ventures are Great- those are continuing for the foreseeable future.  I would propose having another meeting at Aceituno on Sunday Night to discuss the blacklight potlucks. For now though, I think its best to focus on the other issues which are already time consuming.

Aceituno has cost us 750 dollars a month and was ideal for many of our classes- the landlords are great and would love to continue with Free School- in their words "Even if it were just 4 hours a week".  So my suggestion is, whoever wants to continue teaching there, perhaps contribute 25-30 dollars a month to get an hour and a half a week or possibly more, and if we have enough interested, perhaps we could also have some open or community hours as well.

But, apart from Blacklight and Aceituno, I agree with many that the Free School should branch out to other locations.

There's many to be discussed, here's some concrete info you may not know about-

the Convent's a beautiful co-op at Oak and Fell, some of you may know it. We've taught classes there before.  My friend Mike tells me they will most likely accept us teaching classes there every Wednesday from 4:30-8:30pm.  After that we could perhaps move to a cafe 2 blocks away on Haight Street like Cafe International or if we wanted dinner Ali Baba's, so it could be a whole night. Michael requested we send them a list of potential classes to gage the members of the co-ops interest. My sense is a poetry class would be ideal, as well as something music related, theater improv perhaps, yoga or qigong... personally, I favor the 30 minute classes to allow many teachers to teach each time, and also to ensure a recurring core community of several teachers. But,,, what do you think?

Next.
THe Lotus Cafe is a large cafe next to Blacklight- They're open to hosting an evening a week of Free School, ending at around 9pm (maybe flexible), beginning whenever we'd propose it...

JAcky has volunteered to host theater improv class at her house in the lower sunset- I wonder if she'd be open to expanding it to a full night, potluck, theater improv, perhaps one other class, and a weekly free school meeting?

We've held some classes before in Dolores Park.  Personally, I'd like to host as many there as possible, at least through the next few months while the weather's nice- perhaps searching for a backup space or house that can be used when the weather's not good.  Maria for instance has already taught there, and volunteered her home for african dance and drum when the weather's no good.  Dolores Park is a great way to bring new people into our community, plus, its the outdoors. Golden Gate Park is another option, as is Hayes Valley Farm.

Then there's other cafes, libraries, churches, community centers, lots of other possibilities-

There's lots that can be discussed.  I think for this meeting it would be best just to focus on the following- Who's interested in teaching at the Convent, what's a good night for the Lotus Cafe if some are interested (perhaps Monday?), who would want to teach there, who would want to teach at Dolores, who has other suggestions?  There's lots of group policy to work out, voting, organizing, positions- then there's lots of logistics, decentering the organizing so that each teacher has their own contact lists, ability to reschedule, internet promotion etc... but... again- I suggest we focus on the classes first, then in future meetings work out the rest-

So- my proposal for this meeting-

1. A list of those teachers willing to pay 25-30 dollars to stay at Aceituno.
2. A list of those teachers interested in teaching at the Convent on Wednesdays to send to them
3. A list of those teachers who would like to teach at the Lotus Cafe (if we're interested)
4. A concensus for the next meeting (my suggestion is Sunday at 8pm)

Thanks for listening all, curious to hear what everyone else is bringing to the table-

Jonah



 

[alix txe]

Jonah (and all the members of the board and all those who may be included

in this email!)

This is a very important meeting and I find it absolutely offensive that

you Jonah would  choose another event over the seriousness of our

FINALLY SEMI ESTABLISHED BOARD meetings. This is the professionalism 

that I continue to tell you that you are missing and that teachers are expecting.

If you can no longer meet requirements and necessity of our really amazing expanding

Free School, then kindly step out of the way so that people can gather freely 

to cooperate with other people (like the many who have quit along the

way because of the extreme disorganization on your part!) without the burden

of the continuing "dictatorial" approach you continue to encroach on us... there 

are enough of us who love not only the concept of Free School but who have obviously

made plenty strides, both personally and financially, to maintain the Free

School in good shape. An absolute example is the way that YOU were ready to

QUIT two weeks ago- if it wasn't for Warren willing to gather his own resources

and pay rent, your lack of organization would have closed this school already!

Please observe how others continue to GIVE SO MUCH! Respect! BE gratefu!

And Trust in the true democratic principals that give people the power to gather,

share ideas, vote and commit for the benefit of ALL!!!

I wish YOU were attending this meeting to express just this. An true appreciation

for ALL OUR work collectively.

Please reevaluate YOUR TRUE commitment to running this school in a manner

that everyone feels included in the decision making... and stop trying to order

us around with your ideas.... writing a letter (on the day of the meeting!) is disrespectful

of people's time... and the seriousness of the contents f the meeting as well.

 Like I have told you many times, you do come better in writing than in person 

(Like these notes that you have forwarded) but you continue to be unwilling to 

meet in a democratic process where WE ALL have the right to voice our opinions 

and ideas in a constructive critical intellectual manner, This can only be done in 

ATTENDANCE and with openness to hear the critic the we have towards 

EVERYONES ideas.

I am asking you to RECONSIDER at this point were your commitment is and

ASK YOU TO COME TO OUR VERY IMPORTANT MEETING THIS 

VERY EVENING.

This is not a personal matter. This is the respectful approach to substainning

FREE SCHOOL and that is why I have choosen this time to forward my reply

to you to all the board members at this time. It os NOT a personal matter. Everyone

is responsible for their own feelings. We all have the time to reflect and react and respond

accordingly.

For all those who find it important enough to attend this meeting, I  look

forward to meeting with you to indeed discuss the future of our FREE SCHOOL.

I appreciate the devotion that we all have given to this space!

Attentively,  Alix Txe

---

From: Jonah <jo...@sffreeschool.com>
To: discuss...@googlegroups.com; warren...@gmail.com
Sent: Wednesday, July 27, 2011 10:26 PM
Subject: discussion_sffs I won't be at the meeting this Thursday- here's my suggestions for the future of free school

[Warren Lake]

Just a reminder, Alex

At the last board meeting I suggested that those of us on the SFFS
board can always vote by proxy in meetings that we knew we would not
attend, and there were no objections to that idea - so it seems to me
that Jonah did the right thing in letting his ideas and suggestions be
presented at the meeting via Joegen, who is acting on Jonah's behalf
as his proxy in the matters Jonah wished to share with us at today's
meeting. The message that Jonah wrote and shared with us was well
thought out and very helpful I feel. He also showed a lot of trust in
the other board members by trusting us enough to feel that he would
not have to be present, and in showing that though he could be out
voted he still felt that he left things in our capable hands. He
showed that he really trusted us, and that whatever happened he'd go
with the majority decisions we made. That is trust indeed, in my book.

Just my 2 cents worth...

Please know that I always wish you the best, Alex, and greatly value
you as a friend and fellow SFFSer-

With my respect, dear friend
Warren lake

> To: discuss...@googlegroups.com; warrenlak...@gmail.com

[Jonah]

Hey Alix, others who are reading this post-

first off, let me say... I really love camping.

Second... why the air of crisis?

Third... I was never planning on quitting the school, just leaving the space Aceituno because we didn't have enough rent-

Fourth... This email, and many other emails you've been sending, are in my opinion, really offensive, hurtful even.  I don't want to try to figure you out, understand why this energy is continually coming from you- I'd rather just do my best to act in integrity (though imperfect), and be my own critic (which gives me plenty to do)-  

Ay- not sure quite what the solution is, but I do think we should agree on some guidelines for non-violent communications-

I do apologize by the way to everyone for missing the meeting tonight, I want to be there, it was a tough decision, but in my own life I really feel this trip to Big Sur is important for me and my friends.

So....

hope that expresses how I feel-

Best,

Jonah 

[Sasha Flux]

Hello Fellow members of Free School-

 

I regretfully inform you that I , Agent Flux,

Cannot be at the meeting as well as I am the dancer for Morph Dwarf’s show tonight.

 

Can we meet fri anytime, sat or sun?

 

Come to the show! Beatbox around 10 pm

 

 

Namaste

Sasha

[Seanna Sharpe]

Hi Freeschoolers,

I can offer Circus Classes starting Sep 1!

xx
ss

--
Cirque Du Seanna
thecircus...@gmail.com
www.seannasharpe.com
541-941-4834