[OSList] OSONOS Whenever, Wherever, with Whomsoever (name change from "Peggy..."

[Lisa Heft]

Yes, you are Harrison Owen !
(and a good thing, too... and a lucky world, because of it).

I laugh as you are also recommending a name change for this stream, as  
I did, but no worries - the stream continues no matter what the name.
I was smiling as I kept thinking how Peggy will feel when she steps  
into this stream and sees her name all over it (!). That woman can  
engage emergence even when she is busy emerging elsewhere at the time.  
That's one powerful woman.

Anyway. Thanks for this Harrison, and Michael and Phelim for your  
latest thoughts, and to all additional thoughts to come.

Harrison what you mentioned also made me remember ... the thing that  
is a bit of a challenge for someone wanting to put on an OSonOS or W  
or whatever-it-wants-to-be-called...

I know that the reason a lot of people do not feel the need to host  
one is - hosting something is usually not about the really amazing  
holding space moments - most of the work is about event planning.
Getting a room, paying money for it in advance, answering everyone's  
emails behind the scenes, really dry and to some, really tedious  
details of party planning that are not joyful for all kinds of people.

In some of our communities, room rental is super-expensive, so we have  
to put out a lot of cash in advance and devise a way to generate  
income to cover our expenses for hosting from a participant group  
that ... well for the past several WOSonOS and OSonOS and my workshops  
and everything where there is a pay-what-you-can registration fee -  
over 1/2 of the participants are those who cannot pay a per-person  
cost of putting the event on, even a very low-cost event. So creative  
financing also happens behind the scenes.

So I am reminded that there are many reasons we folks with a  
facilitation skill-set and interests are not always the same folks  
with an event-planning skill-set or interest.
Also when you are host, you do not get to play in the same way, as  
with any party. So I am reminded that many of us consciously do not  
put on many events because we want to be a participant so badly.

Thanks, Phelim, for reminding me of the fact that inviting is also  
inviting to a party of celebration, community, and co-learning...

Lisa



On Oct 23, 2012, at 10:07 AM, Harrison Owen wrote:

> I love it Michael! –
>
> “All of which makes me wonder how many "OSonOS" events we've really  
> had.  What if we did count them up and start numbering them as we go  
> forward, as ALL having been descended from the HHO-convened  
> originals…  What if....? " (Michael Herman)
>
> I do have to confess a certain sense of déjà view all wrapped in a  
> good chuckle. The core question seems to be – who decides where the  
> next (w)OSonOS will be and by what authority do they do that? The  
> simple answer is (to me) everybody decides based on no authority,  
> save their own. Actually the question doesn’t even apply. Of course,  
> if we were a formal organization with a defined membership, Board,  
> and set of procedures the question could be relevant. But “we” are  
> definitely a horse of a different color. The Membership has never  
> been officially determined, and nobody has any idea of how many  
> folks there might be. But it does seem likely that if everybody who  
> somehow felt a part of the community were to assemble, we would need  
> at least a major stadium! When it comes to a Board and set of  
> procedures – simply doesn’t exist. And I say Thank God!
>
> In practice the whole process is simplicity itself. Somebody says,  
> “Please come…” and if there are two (or more) invitations there  
> might be some conversation about combining or sequencing the  
> gatherings – not unlike what we do in every Open Space with  
> potentially duplicate sessions. People will come or not depending on  
> how their feet are moving and where their passions may lie. No  
> problem. And of course some decisions ARE made in advance – after  
> all the “inviter” does have to decide whether or not to throw a  
> party. But there is nothing secretive about it, and anybody can do it.
>
> I guess that may be a sticking point – can anybody do it? The direct  
> answer is YES! It is also true that not everybody would want to. And  
> the decision to invite friends, colleagues and passers-by to come  
> together becomes massively daunting when the whole process is  
> understood to be a complex, draining undertaking. It certainly can  
> be – but it doesn’t have to.
>
> To make the point, being the old curmudgeon that I am, several years  
> ago I invited anybody who cared to come to join me for what I called  
> “OSONOS-by-the-Sea” in Camden Maine where I spend my summers. Total  
> organizing time might have been 3-4 hours. I simply called up some  
> friends at a local church (Space/Date), grabbed the URL from the  
> Chamber of Commerce (accommodations and food) – put it all together  
> on a single webpage – and posted a note on OSLIST. Conference fee  
> was $25 (half of which I eventually sent to Lisa/Access Queen) and I  
> did say that space was limited to 50 (size of the church). I did the  
> same thing a year later, but raised the size limit to 75, which the  
> church could accommodate. In both cases we had a full registration  
> in a few weeks. As for onsite arrangements, I did nothing more than  
> to make sure that we had plenty of flip chart paper, magic markers,  
> masking tape and post-its – all of which were stacked in the center  
> of the room. Upon arrival, everybody pitched in (surprise!) and in  
> short order we had the essential signs, bees, bumble bees, etc. We  
> even had a well organized “Documentation Center.” From there on out  
> it was business as usual: Sit in a Circle, create a bulletin board,  
> open and market place, and go to work. We did, and it was a blast.
>
> Of course you might be saying, Yes, but you are HARRISON OWEN. I  
> can’t deny it. It’s true, and that might have been a critical factor  
> 5 years ago – but no more as evidenced by the fine gatherings hosted  
> by the likes of Lisa, Michael Pannwitz, Sharon Chou, Brian  
> Bainbridge, Gerardo de Luzenberger to name just a few. Anybody can  
> do it, but not everybody will want to. Of course it always helps to  
> remember that it isn’t the size of the event that counts, but rather  
> its depth and power. As always, Whoever comes will be the right  
> people.
>
> And so my friends, we could easily turn all this into an intense,  
> agonizing discussion of process, rules, procedure and transparency.  
> But in all honesty that is a discussion I want no part of. Of  
> course, inclusion is important, but the answer to that is very  
> simple: Just open more space(s) in your part of the world and invite  
> friends, colleagues, and especially strangers. To borrow a phrase,  
> and offer a bottom line – Just Do it! And have fun.
>
> See you in Florida or wherever else space opens – as long as my feet  
> are able.
>
> Harrison
>
>
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