Community Village Meeting
June 11, 2020 Via ZOOM
Our last Village meeting before Virtual Fair
(23 online) Council: Tim
TIM posted in the Chatbox:
Proposed Agenda (updated May 24)
Set Intention – 5
Agenda Review – 5
Fair Announcements – 5
Wanna be a VCV Host?
Report from Virtual Village Committee – 10
What to Call our Virtual Village? “Village in the Clouds”? – 15
Theme / design ideas for virtual village? – Decision – 15
Additional Agenda Items – 5
Non-Fair announcement – 10
Strokes & Pokes – 5
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(NOTE: SINCE THIS WAS AN ONLINE MEETING THE CHAT BOX BECAME A RESOURCE FOR COMMENTS AND SUGGESTED LANGUAGE FOR THE VILLAGE STATEMENT OF SOLIDARITY, AND SOME OF THOSE WILL BE COPIED IN THE MINUTES. -K)
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LAREINA/TIM – Facilitators
KAREN (Green Earth) – Note taker
KAREN asked for clarification about using the zoom chat box for comments, shoutouts etc that don’t detract from the group’s live discussion. SAM addressed the question by saying it can make it hard for the group and facilitator to focus, and he doesn’t encourage it when he facilitates online. He suggested that Chat be used primarily to “raise hand” to be put on stack for speaking to the group.
* SET INTENTION
LAREINA led our opening activity: 3 deep breaths, words of intention for keeping our hearts and minds open, and finishing with spontaneous Funny Sounds!
* AGENDA REVIEW
TIM copied the agenda from the Village website into the zoom chat box for review (ABOVE). Tonight’s “Additional Agenda Items” has a presentation from BROOKS (Rainbow Village, Village Diversity Committee) regarding the OCF’s Statement of Solidarity and Support for Racial Justice, issued June 9th by the Fair Board. https://oregoncountryfair.net/statement-of-solidarity/
**PLEASE NOTE: GO TO CV DRUM FOR CURRENT DISCUSSION ABOUT THIS
* FAIR ANNOUNCEMENTS
-Fair Merch orders through OCF portal will be available soon. TAYLOR said she & Sam were excited about ordering and (they had already ordered somehow).
– ART & ANITA provided a Site Report. They recently visited and “it’s gorgeous.” All the paths, the ‘sticker route’ too, are overgrown and “the trees look so much bigger because no one’s there.”
NOTE: SEE CV DRUM POSTING ABOUT OCF GUIDELINES FOR SITE VISITS UNTIL JULY 3!
A&A also reported that the mosquitos weren’t bad, must be because there’s been no onsite work parties and no warm-blooded Villagers to feed on… “We must have starved them out!” jokes Art (aka “Skeeter”).
TIM said he hopes when members of Spirit Booth go and visit the site for opening ceremony they will record that can be shared with the Village.
* WANNA BE A VCV HOST?
TIM called for volunteers to be on-camera hosts for 2-hour shifts between 10am and 10pm for our “Virtual Community Village” livestream on Fair Saturday, July 11th. Not intended as a solo gig! Ideally 2-person teams will welcome livestream viewers, be chatty and interactive, make announcements, talk up musical guests. There will be a script.
It may be something you can do from home if you have an awesome Internet connection, and ADRIAN said support will be available to help with remote setup. But the best tech support and connectivity will be at the WOW Hall and the VV “Control Room,” so if possible, that will be best place for doing the hosting.
Volunteering so far:
ARTHUR & ANITA
MICHAEL OMO & CHRISSY
STEVE BROWN & ?
SUE BARNHART maybe?
PAUL SIMON maybe?
FOOBLE the DRAGON
We need at least one more team, since there are 12 total hours to be hosted.
* REPORT FROM VIRTUAL VILLAGE COMMITTEE
https://communityvillageocf.org/virtual-village-2020-participation-page/
ADRIAN said “we’re on track” for launching our Virtual Village, with lineups of music videos, workshops, activist clips and Village scenes slide shows — but time’s running out and LOTS MORE WORKSHOP CONTENT WOULD BE GREAT!
ADRIAN and TIM encouraged anyone (booth, organization or individual) committed to providing pre-recorded segments of audio/video or other visual and interactive elements (photos, art, links) should let the VV committee know ASAP by filling out and submitting the application for Workshop.
“Anyone working on something we don’t know about?” asked TIM.
Links to the Google form are on the Participation page and were provided in the meeting chat box. These are:
Workshop Application – https://forms.gle/XmuJ4haVsfVUk1T59
ADRIAN said tech support is available to assist these creative and uploading processes!
Actually the applications were due today (June 11th) but they will be accepted through Monday (June 15), when the schedule is being finalized. Then the push is on, to get your actual video or other media files submitted ASAP through the links previously mentioned.
TIM said so far only 8-9 workshop applications have been received and music makes up most of the 504 total minutes of Village programming so far. This includes 8 joke segments from Frog, 350 Eugene’s video, Tave’s video, Fooble the Dragon, something from Health & Healing, and a rumored video with Patch Adams.
Space Neighbors and Muddy Souls will perform during our WOW Hall musical livestream from 7-9 pm.
SUE B said she has two submissions, and asked where to send them.
(Links to the forms were provided in the meeting chat box and are also on the 2020 Participation page.) Just send in the form so we’ll know it’s coming! says TIM.
OCF is making our VV/”Village Stage” feed its FEATURED EVENT on its website on Fair Saturday, July 11th! That means a huge potential online audience, and major promotion through OCF’s website and social media.
TIM said somebody recently remarked to him that this year’s OCF could have 50,000 site visitors, so “we hope you have some big servers!”
VILLAGE GREEN HANGOUT SPACE & BOOTH ZOOM/”GATHERING” ROOMS
TIM said not much is happening now with developing these spaces, because “so far we haven’t heard from a single booth that they want to do that.”
Fruit Booth talked about it but is not interested.
A&A said Info Booth is not interested.
SUSAN C from Health & Healing said their booth will probably do it.
ADRIAN said 4A is talking about it.
RANDY said Green Earth is discussing it, but so far no one has offered to moderate. Stand by for more info from GE. He also jokingly asked when Little People booth is opening, they’d like to drop off the kids!
ADRIAN mentioned they are prepared to make a Village Green hangout/Zoom room available. Villagers could chat, come and go, Percy could play his guitar, Jair, too.
TIM asked if anyone wanted to commit some time to help line up some talent for that space? Moderators are also needed.
SCOTT B agreed to work a shift later in the day on Saturday with somebody later in the day.
TIM was curious about the status of a virtual reality hangout, “OCF In the Clouds.”
ADRIAN said it’s still being considered as an offering through the Peach Portal, and visually it looks very “game-y.” Which we saw for ourselves when he shared his screen.
*(DECISION) NAMING our Virtual Village event & THEME/DESIGN
A Doodle poll was sent out on this and TIM said two ideas stood out.
1) “Making Lemonade” (with lemon icon instead of peach).
2) “The Village is Everywhere in Our Hearts” got the most votes.
CHRISTINA asked how we should decide this, or should we just go with the one that was already favored with the most Doodle poll votes?
There were no objections to that, so our theme is: “The Village is Everywhere in Our Hearts.”
2020 ART for The Village is Everywhere in Our Hearts: https://communityvillageocf.org/CV2020/#jp-carousel-1337
TIM was glad because he said he had already used that one on some preliminary VV page mockups.
(Later) TIM passed along a message from Richard — bandanas, face masks, aprons and Tshirts with this theme will be available soon for sale but the link will be up only for a couple of weeks.
Keep checking the Village website if you want that kind of memorabilia! https://communityvillageocf.org/cv2020/
*(DECISION) Identifying our 2020 VV event:
ADRIAN noted that “Village in the Clouds” was one of the early suggestions. At a recent VV committee meeting a more detailed title was developed for use on OCF as well as our own VV web pages, and that was shared in the meeting chat box:
WELCOME TO A Community Village Virtual Experience:
“The Village is Everywhere”
TIM asked if everyone was ok with that and there were no objections. He noted that this title works well as a template for future years.
(NOTE: SINCE THIS WAS AN ONLINE MEETING THE CHAT BOX BECAME A RESOURCE FOR COMMENTS AND SUGGESTED LANGUAGE FOR THE VILLAGE’s STATEMENT OF SOLIDARITY, AND MUCH OF THAT IS REPRODUCED HERE -K)
* ADDITIONAL AGENDA ITEMS:
OCF versus Village Statements of Solidarity with Black Lives Matter and Support for Racial Justice
BROOKS of Rainbow Village shared many impassioned thoughts, comments and criticisms about racism, the perpetuation of white supremacy, personal responsibility and the need for explicit acknowledgement of our failure to ensure inclusivity for Black people and other People of Color (POC) within Community Village, as well as institutionally at the Oregon Country Fair.
Looking at and addressing this situation will definitely make those of us who identify as white people “uncomfortable,” he acknowledged. Changing this reality will be “both difficult and uncomfortable continuing work.”
*NOTE: Given our culture and our historical presence within the Fair, Community Village members at this meeting agreed that we have a special duty to take a stand on this issue, and consensed on a special Statement of Solidarity to be publicized internally before Fair Saturday, on Fair Saturday during our Virtual Village Featured Event and during our OCF livestream program 7-9 pm. This consent required that the OCF Diversity Committee approve of our sharing this statement.
On June 9th, the Fair Board issued a public Statement of Solidarity and Support for Racial Justice expressing “profound outrage,” among other things, in response to national unrest following the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd and other recent deaths of Black men and women at the hands of police. https://oregoncountryfair.net/statement-of-solidarity/
BROOKS expressed several criticisms regarding the OCF Board’s modifications to its final statement, and the process by which it was approved. The Statement as released omitted a sentence from the original draft of the Statement by the Fair Diversity Committee, which characterized the deaths as “murders” and blaming OCF for its role in “perpetuating…white supremacy.”
He provided the full text of the original draft statement in the Zoom meeting chat box:
(DIVERSITY COMMITTEE ORIGINAL DRAFT STATEMENT)
NOTE: **omitted sentence**
From Brooks to Everyone: 08:05 PM
“The Oregon Country Fair expresses our profound outrage at the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and countless others before them whose lives have been taken by racial violence. We stand in solidarity with Black Lives Matter and the ongoing protests occurring throughout our country against the systemic racism that leads to these horrific deaths. **We acknowledge our own role in perpetuating the cycle of white supremacy that leads to these horrific murders.**
“As an organization and community, the Oregon Country Fair is committed to the quest for social justice and the right for all people to live creative lives of dignity, respect, and meaning. This year, the COVID-19 pandemic and yet more killings of Black Americans have exposed the systemic racist underpinnings of our country and revealed how short we have fallen in creating a nation with “liberty and justice for all.”
“We need to call out and condemn racism, oppression, and injustice when we see them in the world – but that starts at home. We pledge to look within and prioritize the difficult and uncomfortable work of challenging and overcoming the deeply entrenched personal and organizational assumptions and biases that have hindered our progress toward becoming a more welcoming, inclusive, and equitable organization and community for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color.”
As a member of the Village’s Diversity Committee and Council shadow, BROOKS was involved in the drafting of the OCF Statement by the OCF Diversity Committee. The Village’s representative to that committee is Council Member/Village elder Diane Albino.
The OCF Diversity Committee is “the only place where Black people have access to the power structure” of the Fair, BROOKS said, and their perspective was not sufficiently honored in the final Statement. He criticized the Fair Board’s approach to modifying the original draft Statement, “behind closed doors.” Later he also said the Fair Board “cut the most important part out of it w/o talking to us and made that the Statement.”
BROOKS noted the irony of the fact that he, as a white male (LGBTQ community), is considered a “diversity” representative. And even though at every Fair, members of Rainbow Village booth have to deal with ugly “racist trans homophobic stuff” from the public, it is not the same as what Black people and other POC have to deal with in their lives all the time.
As an example, he commented that the Fair brings together 60,000 people to one place for “the biggest drug party in Oregon” for one weekend, and no one has to worry for their lives. But just “Imagine if that was 60,000 black people doing that,” what would happen?
The fact is that Black people and POC “do not feel welcome at the Fair,” BROOKS said, challenging everyone to acknowledge the lack of Black people in our meeting, in our groups, in our Village and particularly in the “power structure” of the Fair itself.
Just because we identify as liberals and hippies and make statements about inclusivity and go to rallies and protests does not excuse the fact of the lack of POC diversity in the Village and within the Fair organization, BROOKS commented, calling it “liberal hippie bullshit” if we are complacent. “We need words, we need action!” and “we can’t just do the hokey-pokey” hoping everything will turn out ok, he said.
BROOKS acknowledged his energy around these issues probably created “a harsh tone for a Village meeting,” but he stressed, “I am not angry at you all, I am angry at this white supremacist society.”
*(DISCUSSION) & WORDING OF VILLAGE STATEMENT OF SOLIDARITY
(NOTE: not comprehensive and not all comments in chronological sequence)
SEVERAL VILLAGERS in the meeting supported Brooks’ remarks and also called for action by the group, while OTHERS openly acknowledged their feelings of discomfort and made suggestions for a less confrontational approach for expressing solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement.
SUE B said the current crisis is a “learning experience” for everyone. She spoke in support of Brooks’ comments and said “I think the Community Village needs to do the right thing” with the Statement of Solidarity.
BROOKS thanked her for her involvement with the Diversity Committee and support.
ADRIAN said the VV Experience gives us the opportunity to “amplify some voices that need to be amplified,” but he doesn’t know yet if anyone from the Black community or other POC have submitted applications for a workshop or entertainment slot. The Village has this platform and we can make it available, ADRIAN said. He asked Brooks who to contact.
BROOKS asked that some slots be held open for BLM segments during our livestream show and he will get back with some more info for the VV committee following the Diversity Committee meeting on Saturday (June 13).
ADRIAN (later) assured BROOKS that as the July 11th schedule is being finalized, the VV committee will be be sure to hold some spots during our show, to “make sure that the people who need to be heard get heard.”
CHRISTINE P agreed, right now it is important to have action steps and goals.
ADRIAN asked, regarding action, what would be our process today? Normally we do a “vetting” process (over a couple of meetings) before consensus decisions on Village matters.
TIM reminded everyone that our Village Guidelines have changed so that we can’t make decisions before Fair after the April meeting, and it would need to be a two-step process. However, he said, we could consent tonight on a decision to publicize the Village’s own statement during our programming on Fair Saturday, July 11th.
ANITA expressed thanks to Brooks and said “my heart breaks for so much that is going on right now. Why don’t we have more musicians and storytellers of color? She is “surprised they don’t feel welcome” in the Fair and the Village.
LAREINA said she wants the Village to do “more than a statement” of solidarity. From the earlier VV committee report it sounded like we do “have room” in our July 11th show schedule for BLM content.
ADRIAN restated that “we are motivated to make room” in the Fair Saturday schedule for BLM and asked that we in this meeting acknowledge for the Diversity Committee that we are “fully endorsing” its original Statement of Solidarity.
TIM noted that at the moment none of those who are slated as musicians have dark skin and actually there are not a lot of musician applications from non-POC Villagers either. Aisha has been mentioned. He agreed that OCF is too “mainstream” and “we have to work to include the people that are not there, “including being willing to give up our own spaces (camping, booths).
TIM (later) informed the meeting that before the COVID-19 crisis hit, the Eligibility committee had been working to create a small pool of passes for Diversity folks. He also reminded us that the plans for the new path through the Teepee area would create special new booth space for Rainbow Village.
*(INITIAL PROPOSAL)
BROOKS shared the text of the original text of the Diversity Committee’s Statement in the zoom chat box (SEE ABOVE at the beginning of this agenda item)
TIM initially proposed that this meeting consent to putting the Community Village’s name to the Diversity Commmittee’s Statement of Solidarity originally submitted to the Fair Board. We could add our own language, such as the Village’s Code of Conduct from the web page, and later he posted something in the meeting chat box.
KELSEY said she felt it is too “copycat-ish, a little bit lazy” to just use the same language as that in the OCF Statement. Also she put in chat box:
From Kelsey Kawders to Everyone: 08:16 PM
I would initially prefer to have our own statement more unique to the village that includes that sentence (THAT WAS OMITTED), but I also know that a lot of time and effort went into writing that statement and I wouldn’t want to ask the diversity committee to put in that work again.
*CONCERNS
(NOTE: In addition to the following, there were Concerns expressed about the Village being seen by the OCF Board as confrontational or alienating; but the discussion moved quickly past that and into development of a uniquely Village Statement of Solidarity, incorporating: 1) the OCF Statement; 2) the omitted sentence from the Diversity Committee; and 3) some special Village statements and sentiments.)
MARGARET expressed 3 concerns: Do we need to ask the Diversity Committee first before we change the name on its Statement from OCF to “Community Village”? Do we need to inform the OCF Board that we are issuing this Statement? Are we in danger of cutting ourselves off from the rest of the organization?
JAIN said she assumes “there will be other parts of the Fair who will be joining us.”
ARTHUR says “the Village is too big a part of the Fair!”
RANDY said his only hesitation about the Statement being created this evening is that “only a small percentage of Villagers are online right now making a decision,” and perhaps we should be taking this to the larger group first. “I fear a quick decision here w/o pulling together everyone, not having a true representation (in this process).”
LYNN R prefaced her remarks by admitting to being an old peace loving hippie, lived in intentional community and is writing a book about her life. While she likes the concept of the Statement, “I don’t think it’s very healthy.” In her opinion, the Statement is “blaming” and “it makes me uncomfortable because it isn’t stated in a loving way,” she said. She asked that language be added to be “more loving and caring about ourselves and others.”
CARRIE also said she was uncomfortable with the proposed statement.
RESPONDING TO LYNN VIA CHAT:
From Kelsey Kawders to Everyone: 08:23 PM
I don’t think POC are feeling the love.
From Margaret Alexander to Everyone: 08:25 PM
Taking responsibility is the key.
From Kelsey Kawders to Everyone: 08:26 PM
And benefiting from it.
TIM offered the following proposed language to wrap around the Diversity Committee’s original Statement of Solidarity. (NOTE: One paragraph is intended as the preface to the Diversity Statement, and the other would be the concluding paragraph.)
From Tim Mueller to Everyone: 08:29 PM
We pledge to look within and prioritize the difficult and uncomfortable work of challenging and overcoming OUR deeply entrenched personal and organizational assumptions and biases that have hindered our progress toward becoming a more welcoming, inclusive, and equitable organization and community for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color. POWER TO THE PEOPLE. LOVE IS THE POWER.
Our Village goal is to bring more color to our stage, our activist booths, and our hearts.
From Tim Mueller to Everyone: 08:37 PM
Community Village is a part of the Oregon Country Fair Family and is dedicated to education, information access, and networking for progressive social change. We create a spiritual center manifesting the Village Vision of love, peace, trust, justice, cooperation, equality, and social service. By believing in dreams, thinking of others, valuing differences, and experimenting with new ideas, we hope to expand our consciousness, growing beyond the Fair into the world at large.
LAREINA said this Statement is strong and powerful, but asked that we “don’t hippie-fy it” by “putting alot of love flowers around it.”
LYNN accepted that this Statement is happening but she is still “very uncomfortable” with it. “I feel blamed now. I don’t like it,” she said, but willing to stand aside. (?CHECK?) She recalled how this situation reminded her of conflicts during the 60’s, when “there was a lot of division” between “people who were expressing anger” and those who were trying to promote understanding and healing.
LAREINA replied to LYNN, “you do have truth and knowledge we need” in our group but we are not sure how to incorporate that into what is happaening now.
BROOKS responded to LYNN and everyone that the reason the words of blame were included is that “they are the only words that Black ppl had any input on. “That Statement acknowledging our own role is actually a very loving statement to give the Black community.”
ADRIAN commented, “It’s a statement of blame, but maybe that’s real. Do we not believe we have a role?” The reason it’s so uncomfortable for us as Whites is it forces us to acknowledge something that Black people/POC have been asking us to acknowledge for some time. “If we lean into it, we grow.”
LAREINA also commented that she thought it was “tokenism” to promise “bringing more color to the stage.”
CARRIE responded, I don’t like thinking that it’s a token thing. “If we don’t ever do it, how is it going to be the norm? If we could bring in any POC, then that’s a good thing!”
From Margaret Alexander to Everyone: 08:42 PM
Representation welcomes. If visitors see folks like themselves, they are more likely to be comfortable.
From Brooks to Everyone: 08:44 PM
The Community Village is committed to making space in our Village for Black, Indigenous, and voices of Color: on our stage, in our activist booths, and in our hearts. Power to the People. Love is the Power. We will do better.
CONSENSUS ON BLM Statement of Solidarity (FINAL VERSION)
From Michael to Everyone: 08:49 PM
black lives matter at the beginning and end like a beat poem
From Brooks to Everyone: 08:49 PM
CONSENSUS:
The Community Village is committed to making space in our Village for Black, Indigenous, and voices of Color: on our stage, in our activist booths, and in our hearts. We support the original statement put together by the Oregon Country Fair’s Diversity Committee that is printed below. POWER TO THE PEOPLE. LOVE IS THE POWER. BLACK LIVES MATTER.
This to be added to the original Diversity Committee statement. Not to be distributed unless the Diversity Committee agrees we should.
TIM asked Does anyone have any unmet concerns about this?
(HEARING NONE!) He will publicize our decision in the usual channels.
NOTE: The Diversity Committee recommended we NOT distribute this statement. So. We won’t, outside of these notes.
BROOKS said he will inform the DIVERSITY Committee on Saturday (13th) about access to the Village’s livestream show on Fair Saturday night.
NON FAIR ANNOUNCEMENTS
CHRISSY encouraged Villagers to check this out and take the test. She shared that this test helped her realize there are many things she didn’t realize before about racism and control over her thoughts and attitudes.
From Facilitator: Chrissy she/her to Everyone: 08:49 PM
hey everyone, I really learned a lot about myself after I took the skin tone bias test her it is if anyone else want to take it. https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/selectatest.html
AS WE WERE WRAPPING UP….
SCOTT B engaged those still in the meeting in an attempt to identify some under-18 years kids, from a video on his phone that he held up to the camera. The footage is from 2013 and it was taken outside Shady Grove after sweep (with Patch Adams?). He doesn’t have permission from parents yet so he can’t share it.
CARRIE said she recognized adult Nina, ask her.
ARTHUR suggested asking Taylor and child care staff.
END END END END THE END!!
Community Village 