MEMBERSHIP POLICY REVIEW GROUP

Minutes of May 22 2004

This was the second meeting of the Membership Policy Review Group.

1 FUTURE PHONE CONFERENCE MEETINGS: Saturdays June 5, June 19, July 3. Call-in number is 1-831-600-1000. Access code is 1110811. Times: 9am Pacific, 10am Mtn., 11am Central, noon Eastern, 1pm Atlantic, 5pm BST, 6pm CEST.

2. REVIEW OF MEMBERSHIP WORKING GROUP’S ACTIVITIES: The Review group was apprised regarding activities and trends within the Working group, and feedback was asked for. Written reports by members of the Working Group will be completed soon, and Review group members will be asked to, well, “review” them.

3. OPEN DISCUSSION:

Membership discussions seem to be distilling into several factors, including:

a. Core Identity. Discussion of the core identity of our mandala and how that can translate into membership definition. Integration of the Shambhala terma and the Buddhadharma is an ongoing process which effects our identity. Additionally, the integration of both these wisdom lineages into our Western Culture is an ongoing process.

b. Developmental process of  Shambhala Buddhist students. Discussion of the development process one naturally goes through as a student, including increasingly committed levels of involvement/membership. How to nurture that process skillfully? At what point in the developmental process to offer/encourage membership?  How to best attract, educate and retain new people as they move towards membership. What is the role of the Meditation Instructor in this process - how key?

c. Economics of Membership. People put their money and their energy into situations they trust; money brings up emotional issues around trust/mistrust for many people in our mandala. How to work with these issues around trust?

d. Cultural Differences. Much discussion of the Shambhala Europe membership policy. Are there cultural differences which make that model fit better for Europeans? Are there aspects of this model we might want to recommend for the entire mandala?

e. Container Principle.  Our forms, practices, lineage teachers, etc are what differentiates us from other groups.  These should be kept precise and non-diluted; we must be clear with even new students about these forms. Centers/groups could develop more skillful means of introducing new people to our forms, as well as introducing them to the larger mandala