Local currency OS

[Todd Saddler]

Dear OS Friends,

Earlier this week my husband Todd Saddler facilitated an Open Space which I
organized for our local currency organization, Ithaca Hours.  Our thanks to
David Koehler, Ralph Copleman, Eddie Palmer, Joelle Lyons, Everett Blake
Mills, John Engle, and especially Harrison Owen and Laurel Doersam for their
helpful advice and encouragement a few weeks back as I was beginning the
planning process for this event.

First the negative part.  Some people were a bit late and we were trying to
get started.  The caterer was all set up with a nice simple meal that we
wanted folks to graze on in the course of the evening.  Some (but not all)
folks jumped in for food as soon as they came in the door.  Then just after
we "rang the chimes" and were starting the welcome, others went up for food.
So then we all had to wait for them before starting the explanation of the
process.  Frankly I found this rude and clueless of those people.  It was
really hard to let go at that moment!  Should I have been repeating "whenever
it starts is the right time" to myself like a mantra?  Or from now on, should
I plan not to have food out at all until the space has been opened?  Maybe a
mundane point, but it gave a bad feeling to the opening moments for me.

On to meatier things-one of my questions to this list had been on developing
a theme.  After some discussion with the president and vice-president of the
board, we struck upon the idea of "How Can We Support Each Other in Promoting
Ithaca Hours?"  This came out of the expressed need for a greater sense of
teamwork and camaraderie and community spirit.  I thought it struck a nice,
positive tone.

Interestingly, however, I can't say that many of the topics really addressed
this theme directly.  Topics like "What should our web page contain?" and
"How can we encourage landlords to take Hours for rent?" posed important
questions, but only in the broadest sense were they in line with this theme.

I'm guessing that, even though we sent out invitations and talked about the
event and its theme a number of times, this group would have come with any
and all of their concerns about the Hours system, regardless of how the theme
had been worded.  In the spirit of Open Space, this is, of course, OK but I
am wondering now how important the wording and specificity of a theme really
is.  Any thoughts on this?

The event was attended by all the board members and four other community
members, most of whom have worked closely together for quite some time.  It
was interesting to watch the dynamics once the space was opened.  They were
quite different from my other experiences of organizing open spaces, and I
think it was exactly because these people had such a long history of working
and meeting together.  They hesitated before writing topics, their topics
were really wordy and involved, they hesitated before signing up, somebody
criticized a topic saying, "We already have a committee working on that."
(Although others jumped in and defended the convenor's right to post the
topic in this setting)

I was disappointed that the moment of creating the agenda was as stressful
and draggy as it was.  But once the break out sessions started things went
well.  People bumble-beed a bit, relaxed, had some good conversations, came
up with some great ideas and got energized.  The closing circle was full of
really positive comments and energy.

But there were also a number of people who read the notes from their
break-out sessions in the circle, and a few others who seemed to want to do
so, or to at least hear notes.  This didn't feel too productive or
interesting to me, nor I think to many others.  I think the folks who did
this came a bit late to the introduction (even though they heard what the
closing circle was about) and I think that meant they were not quite as much
into the spirit of Open Space.  Any thoughts on closing circle dynamics?  In
general does reading notes during the circle seem a bit off to others?  Or am
I just not letting go enough again? J

All in all, however, the evening was a fine success and people were very
pleased and wanted to Open the Space again! I would appreciate any commentary
on these thoughts.  Thanks so much to all of you for your wisdom.

All the best-
Laurie Konwinski

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