Thanksgiving Council Notes

Disclaimer: I was not at Thanksgiving Council. However, these notes were shared with my by a friend.  If other people have a different set of notes, please share them.

~  ~  Begin Notes  ~ ~

Thanksgiving Council 2014 very partial notes, Scribed by a combination of three people in attendence.

Friday, 11/28/15

Intros - one round of the feather, followed by an OM with 28 people present, at 12:30 PM.  The following statements are brief notes on the dialogue and subject of each speaker holding the feather: "What do we want to achieve here? Sometimes a bank is set up. Sometimes people set up an internet account to collect money. How do we reconcile the vast consensus regions this year? Would rather not eliminate regions because of people scouting them who aren't here.

Spring Council should be as late as possible, give time to scout all regions."

"Let's share ideas and get together between now and Spring Council. Nothing concrete, because who lives in concrete?"

"Let's not eliminate states. We can't even come together yet. The snow melt will hold us back till spring scouting."

"Document potential sites now, go look there in the spring"

"I don't feel like VT is on the table. I know the area. The rest of New England is up for grabs"

"How many of you are at your first Thanksgiving Council?" (more than half)

"How many of you have scouted?" (about ten)

"How many know sanitation practices?" (most)

"Please try to sit in this circle with a sober heart. We should have a healthy circle."

"We don't have to be perfect to be good. The feather can always bring us back to focus."

"Let's talk Spring Council dates. Heartsong is like the dessert."

"I love holding the feather. Lots of people are softspoken. With a feather, everyone listens to what they have to say and thinks about it."

"This huge consensus region is impressive! We now need to focus on what it is we are looking for."

"I would hope we would scout South Dakota when it's time for us to go that way. My friends all want to go out east. In Michigan there is a lot of Pine, that's my concern. The Vermont gathering site is now gone as a usable site."

"We still have a conference call to convene with. We're bigger than this. We were given this big northern region."

"How about mid April in Southern region for Scout Rendezvous?"

"June 20th is the latest possible date to decide site, due to snow, etc.."

"How about Southern Indiana for Scout Rendezvous around 4/20 weekend?"

"There will be a regional gathering during that time anyway, hosted by the South Bend Kitchen in southern Indiana."

"There is going to be an April 28 Wisconsin rendezvous for folks in that region..."

"Scouting folks need to know what region to aim for with Scouting Rendezvous"

"Clarification of who is scouting and what has been scouted in the Great Lakes region? Also should we address bank council?"

"Some folks want to talk serious scouting stuff with maps in front of them. Interested folks can get together this evening?"

"5 weeks in May, 2 weeks in June after the Wisconsin rendezvous."

"Some of us have been scouting already. We want to show what we have at the scout rendezvous. When is Spring Council. 2nd weekend of June?"

"17th of June is a Wednesday, would give us time after rendezvous dates. Farthest in the south, later dates."

"The Wisconsin family is scouting for Annuals and/or a WI regional. If they get WI for the Annual, they will not have a regional, consensed on land at last regional."

"Here in the Lower Peninsula there is no viable site. The U.P. will make it a little harder. It will be cold. Water's always been an issue. Hard to get springs tapped. Turtle Soup is keeping their eyes open."

"Firewood is important to look for in cold spots."

"We want to do another MI kitchen (Veggie). We were evicted from our Detroit bike co-op. We've been opening up squats and renovating abandoned homes. Calling artists and travellers to join."

"Spring Council. June 16-17ish?"

"April 18-20 maybe for S. R.? Wisconsin is having this 4/28 council. MI is having a Mayday meeting. This is right before both those events."

"Who wants to be on the bank?"

"Last year the Great Lakes raised money to buy a new filtration system. We need to focus water."

"We used to have hand pumps. 1999 first discussion about gravity filters.

3:40 Consensed: Adjourn the council until after the public conference call. 8:48 Reconvened

"One brother suggested Spring Council weekend of June 13-15, and a 4/20 scout rendezvous...the conference call participants agreed."

April 18-20th proposed for scouting rendezvous. Consensus of 10 seconds silence proposed. CONSENSUS #1: "Scout rendezvous will be April 18-20th" Proposed: June 17 for Spring Council, consensus by ten seconds of silence. CONSENSUS #2: Spring Council begins June 17, location TBA "I'm interested in being a non-scouting scout"

"Sometimes we wait to say what we have to say, then leave. Remember to listen."

"Bank? Unresolved item."

"Respect, understanding, peace & love, be thankful. Be mindful of our children and neighbors when smoking or drinking. We are not our clans or divisions; we are one big thing that is greater than all that."

"We put ourselves in boxes a lot. Thinking of yourself as "a scout" or "a whatever" is only fooling yourself." <

"Sharing sticks and feathers...I went to look or Turquoise in the New Mexico gathering on a hill & saw an eagle land in a tree. I have a feather from that golden eagle. I'll bring it tomorrow."

"Copwatch focus is important. It would be great if some people brought Gopros, so police scorts can videotape the encounter constantly."

"I want to manifest a conch shell to call the family home."

Shanti sena was discussed for a pass of the feather. People told stories of their shanti sena crazy experiences and gave advice on good peacekeeping tactics. Council was adjourned for the night.

Saturday, 11/29/14

There are fewer notes from this day. Banking council was discussed. It was requested that there be folks on banking council from different regions in the consensus. A bank was nominated, consisting of 7 people with representatives from at least four different regions and kitchens. Each member was brought up for consensus, and the group approved each one with consensus of silence.

There was a little discussion on the Indiana 4/20 South Bend/Turtle Soup regional, with details to be announced more specifically later.

There was a discussion about Welcome Home and a call for help focalizing a good positive entrance point to the gathering. Council adjourned and banking council convened separately to discuss their job. They agreed in that circle not to post the names of those on Banking Council on facebook, to preserve privacy and promote security culture.

Please copy and distribute this information freely

Thanksgiving Council Location/Information

Updated 11/25/14 7:00 PM PST

Thanksgiving Council will be outside the town of Saline, Michigan (about 15 miles south of Ann Arbor, Michigan).  Directions should be available here sometime on Tuesday, November 25. However, please note that family is asking that no one arrive on site before the afternoon of Wednesday, November 25.

Here's the 411

The farm is about 10 acres. There should be ample room for parking.

We have use of the land for camping, both open meadow and some woods. We will have to dig a shitter or rent a port a potty as there is no bathroom in the space we are using.  The indoor space can also accommodate some sleeping bags, but probably not everybody.

There are some neighbors in sight distance, so tarps to make a shitter blind will be needed. We have use of a large space in an even larger barn.The space is about 35' by 90'. It is heated and has a cement floor. At one end there is a 3 compartment sink for dish.


You will be able to arrive Wednesday afternoon.

Needs: Tarp for a shitter, propane tanks for Fat Kids kitchen. To prevent the spread of tree killing pests, please do not bring firewood from out of state.  Click here for more info on firewood restrictions.  However, if you are in Michigan, PLEASE bring firewood sourced from Michigan - so no out of state FIREWOOD! The usual stuff like first aid supplies, shovels, etc. Bring your own camping chairs, if you can. If, for whatever reason, Fat Kids doesn't make it, there is back up for kitchen gear, as needed.

Dog Rules: Please leave your pets at home if at all possible. There is a resident dog, who is protective of his place. If you *must, you may bring your pet but please be prepared to mind your baby, leashes and scoop, etc. I imagine the 30x90 space will begin to shrink quite a bit, the more dogs we add to the mix.

Cooking space: At one end there is a 3 compartment sink for dish. There is a fridge we can use and a large industrial/commercial stove too! I have been told the stove top works but the oven does not. We also have the ability to use the house kitchen on Thursday only, which has a stove and oven (plan to minimize traffic into house, however). The space has electricity, so crock pots could be plugged in. There are 2 long counters on the side of the room for serving. A sister is bringing 1-2 possibly pre-cooked turkeys and serving pans. Fat Kids are arriving Weds with a full kitchen bus including oven.

T-Council Site Image 1

T-Council Site Image 2

DIRECTIONS:

 TGC will begin Wednesday afternoon and conclude Sunday.
Mulberry Hill Cooperative Farm
13187 Macon Rd.
Saline, MI 48176
Take I-94 to the greater Ann Arbor area

Exit at US12/Michigan Avenue and head west towards Saline
take 12/Michigan Ave through Saline and turn left on Monroe street to head South towards Boysville. Stay on Monroe Street and it becomes Macon Road and becomes a gravel road. Continue south west on Macon Road , you will cross Braun road,Willow Road and Arkona road and then you get to Mullberry Hill Farm. It is a big yellow farm house in front of a bigger red barn on the east side of Macon Road. Park on the strip of grass between the road and the fence. Welcome home will be there to direct traffic.


For more information on the purpose of Thanksgiving Council, click here.

Thankgiving Council Planning Conference Call on November 9

The next call takes place on Sunday,  November 9th at 8pm eastern standard time (5 PM pacific standard time)..

Dial-in Number: (712) 775-7031
Meeting ID: 143-204-630
Purpose: TO SELECT A TGC SITE FROM THE OPTIONS PRESENTED

Thanksgiving Council

The gathering has a cyclical process.  In Utah this summer, vision council on the land reached consensus that the 2015 gathering will take place in New England, Lake Michigan Area, or South Dakota. (The consensed areas include Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Michigan, Wisconsin, Indiana, Illinois, and South Dakota.

My oh my that's a big area.  Vision council did its thing and now folks are left to figure out where Thanksgiving Council should take place.


Because the Rainbow Gathering has no leaders, no board of directors, no staff and no one in charge of anything, we depend on people working together to do all the preparation for the gathering in 2015. So over the years a process has come together to make sure that planning is open to everyone who wants to be involved.

The year starts off with Thanksgiving Council or T-Council over the four day weekend of the same name. This is a time for people interested in plugging in, talking about visions for the gathering, discussing scouting, strategies about legal issues, etc. to get together.

T-Council generally takes place in the state or region where we will be gathering. It's usually a camp, cook, council, share heart songs kinda of thing. Often but not always, the people at T-Council pick the dates for the Scout Rendezvous and Spring Council. Often times a PO box is established for snail mail and a banking council is formed to deal with any donations.

As with all things Rainbow, no experience is necessary, just a willingness to participate. Keep in mind this is not a gathering, it's a working council and the way this council unfolds sets the tone for the gathering.

Generally folks in the area take the lead on finding a place to hold T-Council.   As we prepared for the gathering in 2014, we struggled to find people in the consented to states to focalize T-Council.  We ended up with weekly conference calls by interested people before finally determining where to go. Given the number of areas included in the consensus for 2015, seem to me that folks in all these states should start holding weekly conference calls to come to some common understanding sooner rather than later.

I'm hoping that there will be a real mix of generations at T-Council. We need older people, we need younger people, we need more experienced gatherers and we need less experienced gatherers to come together to create a vision for a peaceful, healing and fun gathering in 2015. Be the change you want to see in this world.

For the location of this year's Thanksgiving Council, click here.