Thank you to all of those who came out on a rainy night for our community meeting! For those of you who could not attend, I’m including the powerpoint presentation, a video of the space, and a brief account of it here.

338 Newbury Walk-Through Video Link

Honoring each other

After a period of contemplation on what it means to be part of our society, the Board of Trustees presented a brief review of how we got to this point and the work that’s been done to this point. Before getting into the details about a potential available space on Newbury Street, we paused for an open discussion where community members shared their excitement and trepidation. All comments were heard and will be considered by the Board. Next, we dove into our initial programming plan, some initial floor plan renderings of the Newbury space, and a presentation and discussion on the financial plan. We closed with more practice, one of which was an exercise to honor everyone in the room (see picture).

The Board had planned for more discussion time which we unfortunately had to cut. We have started a discussion on the Shambhala Network page here: Shambhala Network “Boston Shambhala Meditation Center” group – please post your questions and comments. If you do not have a Shambhala Account Login yet, CLICK HERE.

If you cannot get onto the Network please send questions/comments to: expansion@shambhalaboston.org

We will be collecting questions through the summer and then creating a Frequently Asked Questions document.

Thank you,
The Board of Trustees

It is an exciting time in Boston. Our expansion plans are encouraging us to strengthen, reach outside of ourselves to connect with others, and trust in each other’s basic goodness. They have also led us to the hire of our new full time Head of Practice and Education.

With all of this change, how do you know who to contact for what kind of questions and support? I will try to answer this question, although will not hit every area of the community in this post.

Our governance is set up as a volunteer network with “Heads” of areas, or mandalas. The Shambhala Council is comprised of these “Heads” and is the core governing body of our community.

The Shambhala Council

Chair: Executive Director: Jill Blagsvedt
Rusung of the Dorje Kasung: Brian McCorkle
Head of Practice & Education: Barbara Hopcroft
Head of Culture & Decorum: Elizabeth Latchis
Head of Societal Health & Well-Being: Open: also a member of the Health and Well-Being Committee
Head of Communications & Center Operations: Ashley Hodson
Head of Finance: Caitlin Cianflone
Head of Membership: Joe Snowdon
Head of Family Life: Jennifer Lacy

Each member of the council leads and supports their area of the community by working with volunteers and committees. Please feel free to contact any of these people directly with your questions regarding their area. Boston Shambhala Center Leadership

As the Executive Director of the center, I support, oversee and help facilitate all area initiatives. I work with the Three Pillars and each Council member to ensure that their area is supported and connected with other areas of the Council or community members as needed, and to see that they have good working practices and policies in place. In addition, I present proposals for policy changes and budgets to the Board, and they receive updates and give input about all areas of the community. Within Board work, I also help set the vision for the center and steer our expansion process and work.

The Board of Trustees oversees my work as Executive Director, as well as holds the trust of the community in the areas of finances and long term planning. You may contact any member to find out about long term planning, expansion or our financial planning.

The Dorje Kasung were created by the Vidyadhara Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche to protect the Shambhala community. Most visibly, they provide outer protection by attending to the physical safety of our teachers, community members, and property. They also protect the community through promoting healthy relationships among community members and assisting as needed in cases of conflict or harm. Finally, they safeguard the integrity of the wisdom teachings we receive from the Sakyong and other lineage holders. There are specific teachings to help Kasung deepen their path which are available to those interested. More Kasung are needed in Boston, so if you are interested please contact Rusung McCorkle .

The Practice and Education mandala is currently being re-formed under Barbara’s leadership as our new Head of Practice and Education (HP&E). Barbara will work closely with the Shastris and volunteers in all of these areas to more fully support our practice and education in Boston. She also holds the master calendar for the center, so if you have a question regarding rooms at the center, please contact her. Our P&E committees will include:

Practice and Education Committee: Being re-formed. Chaired by HP&E Barbara. Will develop and oversee the master calendar, teaching invitations, and make P&E policy decisions. Please contact Barbara Hopcroft if you have questions or suggestions regarding programming and practice in the community.
Way of Shambhala: Co-Resident Directors and Executive Committee: With support from their Executive Committee and in conjunction with the HP&E, develop and oversee all WOS programming and implementation. Contact Greg Smith or John Clancy with questions, or to Direct, Assistant Direct, and to volunteer to staff and coordinate programs. We need your help!
Teacher Development Committee: Oversees the development and placement of local teachers for all local programming.
Advanced Practice and Education Committee: Being re-formed. Chaired by Barbara. Will develop and oversee all advanced practice and education for the community.
Members include: Shastri Ryan (and Shastris Evans and Krusinski when time permits), Feast and Sadhaka study coordinators, and a Vajrayana practice & study coordinator.

The Health and Well Being Committee is always available to provide support to community members who are in need of advice or help. Check out their Committee Website Page

As Head of Communications and Operations Ashley Hodson develops and implements the publicity, marketing and all communications for the center for as well as oversees all building maintenance and ongoing housekeeping needs. Specific areas in which she relates:

Website Maintenance and Program Listings
Developing the Monthly Newsletter
Wake Up Boston Blog content management
Social Media (Facebook, Twitter).
Volunteers and Work Study Program which work on a variety of things from facilities and housekeeping to office projects.
Lending Library, Bookstore and Vidhyadara Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche Audio Archive

The Membership Committee is revising our membership policy, exploring ideas of building community, and helping to revitalize our Nyida Days – such as Midsummer Day this June 18th! Please contact Joe Snowdon with any questions, comments or ideas regarding membership.

I hope that this guide will help you to connect with our leadership more directly. Please feel free to contact any of them with questions. I look forward to seeing you soon!

Yours in the Vision of the Great Eastern Sun,

Jill Blagsvedt
Executive Director
Shambhala Meditation Center of Boston

Dear Boston Sangha,

Since November, we have made great progress as a community toward the goals of Offering Shambhala to Greater Boston.

With this message, the Board of Trustees begins an effort to regularly inform the community about where we are in relation to our goals: to increase our presence in Greater Boston, double membership, increase monthly giving/dues, sustain the new Practice and Education position and lease an additional ancillary site to support our growth.

There is an important role for you in this effort to build enlightened society right here, right now. Please contact any of the Board members, listed here, with your ideas and interest: http://www.shambhalaboston.org/contact_dept.php

Yours,
The Shambhala Center of Boston Board of Trustees

Finances:
* In response to individual conversations with many members by the Resource Development committee, we can report an annual increase of almost $26,000 in monthly dues, thanks to the generous response of current sangha members.
* Resource Development will continue to have individual meetings until every member has been contacted to talk about Offering Shambhala to Greater Boston.
* 10 new members have joined this year, contributing an additional $3324/year.
* This total increase is $28,944 per year.

Program expansion:
* Our programs are thriving and our program income is increasing, with a total of 62 people in Level I in either January or March and 18 people progressing through the Sacred Path levels.
* Increased program income plus increased dues from new and current members puts us more than ¾ of the way towards fully funding

Ancillary Space:
* In March the Board felt we were ready to begin planning in earnest for opening an ancillary space with a goal of late fall. The vision of that space is:
o Around 1500 square feet
o In a well-traveled, visible location
o Handicap accessible
o Able to accommodate up to 40 people in meditation or a class
o Hospitality, office space and one meditation instruction room
* The programming we envision would be additional gateway programs, such as Meditation in Everyday Life, Contentment in Everyday Life, Heart of Recovery, Open House, Under 30, LGBT, and weekend Turning the Mind into an Ally.
* The space would allow us more flexibility in scheduling, to offer a wider range of classes, more space for advanced study and intensives, as well as daytime open houses or book groups, either there or in Brookline.
* A group of Board members led by John Ranco is exploring the business model for this space and determining a workable budget, as well as understanding the staffing requirements.

Dear Friends,

Cheerful Spring! I’m writing to share some important community news with you.

Practice and Education Updates

We were not successful in finding a permanent Head of Practice and Education person. The hiring committee has reconvened and is opening the search to all Sutrayana Seminary graduates. If you are a Sutrayana Seminary graduate and inspired by the Shambhala Buddhist teachings, consider applying for this important and exciting position. You will work with our three Shastris, the vibrant Shambhala Council and others to manifest Enlightened Society through our diverse local practice and education offerings.

Barbara Hopcroft was recognized on Shambhala Day as our Interim Head of Practice and Education and has been a wonderful addition to our core staff. She has organized our practice and education calendar through 2012 and is working with the Shastris and others on a number of projects. As we expand and attract more people, it’s important that our community is being fully supported in this area.

Community Updates

Thank you to everyone who helped make Shambhala Day such a special weekend! The Sakyong has come out of retreat and he is ready to go! We celebrated the new Year of the Iron Rabbit together with practice, celebrations and new leadership appointments.

A number of people took their oaths and stepped into new leadership positions on Shambhala Day. In particular Brian McCorkle as our new Rusung, Charles Styron as our Chagdzo and Treasurer to the Board of Trustees, and Elizabeth Latchis as our Representative of Culture and Decorum. You can see our full leadership listing on our website’s “Boston Shambhala Center Leadership” page.

Finance Updates

The Boston Shambhala Center is on stable footing financially. Membership dues, our primary source of stable income, is up by 4.23% in 2010. We have $36,000 in cash reserves, $13,000 in our bank accounts and $23,000 in a money market account. Click here for 2010 year end financial details.

Our Resource Development team is meeting with members one-on-one to raise awareness about the expansion, “Raising the Banner,” and to raise dues so that we can support our new full time position – Head of Practice and Education. Thank you to everyone who has increased their dues in support of the campaign. We are very close to permanently funding this position!

I hope to see you around the center soon, and that you will join me for our upcoming community celebrations!

Over 40 community members gathered in October to share inspirations and explore our goals for “Offering Shambhala to Greater Boston.” I’ve posted parts of the gathering in previous posts, but the full report is now available here: Community-Gathering-Notes-Oct-2010 It includes our opening contemplations and responses, small group notes, and all aspirations (that we could read!).

A sampling of aspirations from our Shambhala community:

- I aspire to practice in my household in a way that will bring liberation beyond its walls because we have been able to go deeply into kindness and compassion.
- Expanding the Boston Shambhala community should include further cultivation of inter-generational relationship between practitioners of differing experience, reducing the cliquishness, and increasing the sense of united love, respect, support, and worth among and between members of our sangha.
- May we cut through the distractions of our lives and focus our attention on what is really important.
- I want the physical, financial, and emotional health of the BSC to flourish.
- That we not be to meek in our body, speech, and mind in terms of offering to ourselves our family, our sangha, our world.
- May we find a building and afford it that will inspire the Sakyong to unite guests for tea and give many teachings.

All community members also received from me a letter in the mail which included the Raising The Banner campaign brochure and the Executive Summary – Boston Expansion Plan. With these three documents you should now be up-to-day with our community process. Please contact me or any members of the Board of Trustees to become involved or get more info.

Our Expansion Plan includes goals to help us deepen and expand. Some goals are to: increase our offerings and deepen our connection with the participants of the Way of Shambhala and Gateway programs, connect different levels of practitioners with each other, double our membership, clarify our communications, raise awareness around teachings on generosity, double our operating budget, and open an ancillary space (and more, see the Executive Summary – Boston Expansion Plan in previous post).

The result of these goals and this process is that we will lay the ground for our future, and for Offering Shambhala to Greater Boston.

At the community meeting in October, we asked:
“How do you see the plan benefiting the community in ways you might not have expected or considered?”

You answered:
- We have internal strength – inspiration from clear view of path
- We have external strength – presences in community = Haley House, etc.
- New inspiration – more people seeing serving as potential teachers
- Seeing a place for oneself
- Seeing an actionable plan in community
- Ongoing link to community and national – beyond Greater Boston
- Question: How would we use ancillary space?
- DPE can help coordinate bottleneck of organizing teachers
- Idea of circles mixing newer, older students is great
- Get rid of walls = Be a lamp = Step out
- Right now – feels like strong community
- Concern about weakening with experience
- Clear plan to be a part of – beyond just programs
- Give groups/circles something to do
- Re-purposing our practice to be of benefit to new people coming in
- Demand calls for intermediate students to move to become teachers
- Membership = giving time

Next, we asked:
“What are the challenges facing the community to move us forward?”

You answered:
- Sustaining energy, participation
- How to connect as warriors with people not in room, who can help with resources
- How to build sense of community
- 10% of members come to major community gatherings
- Regionalization – can we reach Greater Boston via one location?
- Really consider goals in offering programs: more meditators? The full path?
- Need concerted effort to build greater diversity
- Economic climate
- Create gaps to work together
- Challenge of overextended people
- Satellite challenge – it needs focus for drala
- Keeping 200 members without real connection – may lose
- Awareness of outer hostility to Buddhism

Check back soon to learn more and hear what aspirations the community has for our future deepening and expansion.

Join us – Wednesday December 1 at 6:30, at the American Family Restaurant (the Turkish place) in Brookline Village.

Please come help coordinate and support communication strategies for the Boston Shambhala Center, particularly Offering Shambhala to Greater Boston and the Raising the Banner Campaign.
Let Valerie Bassett valerielynnbassett@mac.com know if you are interested in attending.

In October the leadership of the Boston Shambhala Center held a community gathering about our

Visual representation of the Expansion mandala: a view of all the parts of the expansion process

To start the day the Board of Trustees and I presented the main points of the plan which include the four areas of the expansion mandala:
1) Community, Programming and Leadership Development
2) Resource Development
3) Building / Drala Spot
4) Communications.

An Executive Summary of the Expansion Plan, and our Raising the Banner brochure, describing our financial goals and needs, were handed out. Executive Summary – Boston Expansion Plan
We were then asked to contemplate and respond to two questions:

1) How do you see the plan benefiting the community in ways you might not have expected or considered?

2) What are the challenges facing the community to move us forward?

Please read the Executive Summary and contemplate. Then, post your thoughts and read next week’s post to hear about the discussions and later the community aspirations!

Enjoy photos from the recent community meeting by clicking here.

Saturday October 16th: 9:30 AM – 1:00 PM

Catch the expansion buzz and join us for a rousing community meeting! Multiple surprises are in store for you!

The Board of Trustees and the center leadership will host a half-day planning retreat for our expansion process. This is an opportunity to share ideas and have community discussions regarding our aspiration to deepen and grow our community.

The board has developed a vision and expansion plan based on input from the community over the past year. Our next step is to bring the community’s energy and creativity to the vision in order to realize our aspirations. Please support the community with your wisdom, ideas, and talents.

For more information visit Expansion News!

Click Here to Register