Follow Your Dreams

Often times we are so caught up with how much...
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Follow Your Dreams

Advent: Week 1 - HOPE

I can remember as I was growing up (some would say I missed growing up actually) that it was an important part of our Christmas Church tradition to have the Advent Wreath on the altar at the front of the church. This wreath would have 4 candles attached to the wreath itself, with one in the middle. Every sunday morning there would be a reading and a candle lit. If it was the second, third or fourth weeks then the previous week(s) candle(s) would already be lit at the start of each service. The only service that started without any candles already burning was the first week.

The fifth candle in the centre, often called the “Christ Candle” was reserved for either the Christmas Eve service or the Christmas Day service, depending on if there was an extra service on either of those days or if Christmas day actually fell on a Sunday.

It was always something I looked forward to. Not because I’ve always been a bit of a  pyro, but because it was just one of those rituals that for me, gave meaning to the Christmas season. As I grew older I was always hopeful that I would get to do a reading and light a candle. It happened at least once. When I went into the ministry it remained a traditional ritual for me and for the church I was serving at the time.

I haven’t been to church at Christmastime for quite a number of years now, let alone seen an actual Advent Wreath. So since I have always loved the ritual I thought that it would be nice to have a virtual Advent Wreath with a candle being lit every sunday starting today, December 1 and continuing until Christmas Eve.

Some history on the Advent Wreath: The Advent Wreath is a popular symbol of the season and has its roots in the pagan rituals during the winter solstice. As with many of the pagan rituals and symbols as the Christian Church made its way into a particular society the former attachment would be lost and a new one formed so that there would be a continuity or resemblance from the old ways to the new. The meaning of the wreath has changed so that the four candles interspersed around the wreath now represent the coming of Jesus with the centre candle representing the birth day of Jesus.

Now anyone knowing any history will know scholars have now pinned the birth day of Jesus not to December 25, but to another day in the year depending on which calendar you use. December 25 was also formerly a pagan celebration called Yule. You can find out more HERE or just by doing some historical digging using Google.

HOPE: The first candle to be lit during the Advent season represents HOPE. The Bible verse often associated with this reading is Isaiah 9:2:

“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness — on them light has shined.”

If ever our world needed hope it is now. I don’t believe for a second that we as a species are beyond hope as some would say. I don’t believe for a second that this is a place filled with evil people. I don’t for a second even believe that this is a time of deep darkness. This is a message that the mass media sends us because it need to use the most sensational to keep viewership up.

I believe that this is a time of a great awaking actually. I choose to believe that we are living in a very enlightening age! Never has this planet had the ability to accumulate so much data in a few moments that 100 years ago the average person couldn’t accumulate in one year. Never has this planet had the knowledge and desire to see that it is time for us as a race to wake up and smell the roses on a planet that is dying from our misuse. Never has there been a time when we can actually know intuitively and experientially that we must wake up! 

Yes it’s true, governments and leaders filled with corruption, including those in free countries, are falling. Yes it’s true that the economic systems of many countries are failing. Yes it’s true that systems we have come to rely on no longer serve us. GOOD! It is time! It is time that we let go of the old and bring in the new. It is the only way we can actually fix our world. I can remember a popular expression that the entrenched church people would use, “We have always done it this way!”, to which I reply “And how’s it working for you?”

A world that is based on power and money has led us to see what corruption really is. How many more times does history need to teach us this? It is time to show that we can actually create a world of hope. I believe that now, as I write this, more than I’ve ever believed it. I see around me a world that is hungering for a new way of being. a new way of living, a new way of honouring the planet and its occupants that we have been given to care for.

Call me Pandora and tell me to take off my rose-coloured sunglasses! But isn’t this the message that Jesus wanted us to get? Isn’t this the lesson that he taught over and over? Isn’t it the same message that hundreds of teachers before and since have also taught? Look around us. We have at our disposal a vast amount of free technology that my parents never had access to. We have so many tools that can affect everyone on the planet. But that affect must begin with me, with you. Do you live with HOPE?

Advent: Week 1 - HOPE

And So The Season Begins....

http://youtu.be/uH8FvERQHtM

And So The Season Begins....

Healing

Learn from the past – yes! Dwell there...
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Healing

Practice The Presence: How? Part 1

As I grew up throughout my childhood I was taught, either by direct or indirect conversation and teaching, that somehow, church buildings housed the presence of God. So imagine, and I’m sure you can imagine, what it was like for me when I saw that the ‘house of God’ was the place where I heard the worst gossip and most hateful things said against people. No it wasn’t ‘preached’ from the pulpit; it was ‘preached’ often by example.

As I grew older, I was then taught that my body was the ‘temple’. Yet again, I looked around and saw others who abused their bodies by so many means. And then there were those who abused other people’s bodies. In my case that was done by a pedophile regularly as part of my transportation to the church.

I was taught that food was wonderful and necessary; and that eating it was good. But I was shown that overeating was normal even though we were also taught that greed and over indulgence was not good. Food became a friend that I could always trust to make me feel good. Even now, when I feel stressed or down I would much rather reach for chocolate than go for a walk. This has become a lifelong habit and difficult to break.

I could go on and on with examples. They aren’t necessary. I don’t want to come across as judging those of any belief or philosophy. As I matured as an adult I realized that God was not exclusive to church buildings. I learned that my body – and other bodies – were human and thus prone to mistakes. I realized that no matter how much we promote love and joy and peace, that as long as it’s done by and with humans, it will always be imperfect.

So why bother? I’ll tell you why. Because it feels good. I’ve learned that how to practice the Presence is NOT exclusive to a certain group, a place or even a person. I learned that how I practice that presence is NOT done in a place. I learned that the Presence was always and everywhere, not just in the ‘temple’ of bricks and mortar, nor in this ‘temple’ of flesh. Nor was it restricted to a certain liturgy or weekly service.

When I look around me, now, I see God. But I see God as something very different to what I saw as a child. I see God in that smelly street person at the corner of Commercial Street and the Old Island Highway. I see God in the towering cedars surrounding and almost protecting my home. I see God in Christmas trees that fill my home (yes I did say treeS). I see God in all things. Why? Because God IS in all things. I may address God as  Spirit, Creator, Allah or my Higher Power. I’m good with whatever title is ascribed to God, because I believe that God is both big enough and small enough that a mere title means nothing.

My Truth: I have come to realize that Practicing the Presence, is the most natural thing we can do. That is because it is really the awareness that God is everywhere. Yes, everywhere. God is in the church, but also the shed out back. God is in the gentle wee lady in the front pew, but also in the gossip in the back pew. God is in the terrible experiences of life as well as the most joyous occasions. God is in my failures (are they really failures?) as well as in my triumphs.

So how do I practice the Presence? I practice with the awareness that God is everywhere. Therefore I can practice everywhere.

Practice The Presence: How? Part 1

Life Is Like Photography

I can remember as a kid owning various cameras. We always had to pick and choose what to take though. We only had one chance, basically, to take the perfect shot. With today’s digital cameras I can take literally thousands of shots and dispose of those I don’t like. It’s the same as with life. We aren’t all expert photographers – me included. We can take lots of shots – there are no mistakes. If it doesn’t work put it into the “I learned a lesson” pile. And enjoy the good shots.

 

Life Is Like Photography

Meeting Management - Formal Meetings

Wednesday Co-authored Blog Series

For the Reader’s Information: We will be using our initials for these conversations we have so, Lynne Brown (LB) and James Latour (JL).

(LB) Most of us are quite familiar with staff meetings, team meetings, parent-teacher meetings but perhaps less so with formal meetings. In this case I am talking about an Annual General Meeting (AGM), which is legally necessary for many not-for-profit organizations, foundations and registered Charities (Canada – same throughout this blog).

AGM’s are a creature of their own with fairly strict rules to follow. The first rule is they normally require advance notice of the time, place and agenda.

(JL) Although the rule for advertising the AGM is pretty well engraved in legislative stone, the way chosen to advertise is not. Advertising can range anywhere from leaflets, to traditional newspapers, radio, T.V., all the way to the more modern, websites, social media (too numerous to list here), email, SMS (short message service – texting) and just about any other way you can think of. But it cannot happen by word of mouth only.

Here is a usual agenda with comments.

1. Call to Order: Starts the meeting.

2. Establish a quorum: Are the required number of members present? (JL) This is regulated by the Constitution & Bylaws of the organization, but guided by Provincial & Federal regulation. This is becoming more and more of a challenge for most organizations and hopefully will be addressed soon in legislation.

3. Adoption of agenda: Now we know what is going to happen. There cannot be any new business added to the agenda. If people want to discuss a new item it needs to be part of the formal notification prior to the meeting.

4. Adoption of minutes of last AGM: In fact, Roberts Rules of Order Newly Revised will tell you that a Board that meets regularly between AGM’s should adopt the minutes at their regular meeting. In practice, this does not usually happen. The Board, however. can review and make sure there are no errors. It is difficult for people to remember something that happened a year ago.

5. Reports: These can be from the President, Executive Director, Special Committees or any other reports the Board of Directors wants to share with the General Membership. If the reports are long and printed out is is best to allow people to read them and have the writer answer any questions. Each report requires a motion to adopt.

6. Financial Report: This is usually the Audit or Review Engagement Report. It makes life easier if you have the Accountant present that did the audit and report to answer any questions. This report also requires a motion to adopt.

7. Appointment of the Auditor for the next fiscal year: Motion to select the Auditor, usually made by the Treasurer but it doesn’t have to be.

8. Election of Directors: The formal way to do it is for the Chair to declare nominations are open. Then call for nominations. Once all nominations are in, the chair closes nominations and takes the vote. If, for example, there are 6 vacancies and 6 people running for office, the Chair can declare them elected by acclamation. If there are a number of people contesting a limited number of seats then ballots need to be issued. At that point the Chair needs to name 3 people to count and report back on the vote. The format for that report is quite simple and should read:

• Number of ballots received


• Number necessary to elect (usually 50% plus one, so for 17 people voting, you would need 9 to elect)


• The names of the candidates with the number of votes each received

This report is handed to the Chair who makes the announcement and declares the new Board of Directors. There is a temptation to spare people’s feelings by not giving the numbers. This is incorrect as the Electorate needs to know the complete results.

At this point the Chair requests a motion to destroy the ballots. The ballots are destroyed at the end of the meeting.

9. Adjournment: The Chair can adjourn the meeting without a motion to do so although many people do ask for a motion. (JL) Personally I prefer a motion so that no one can later contest even this smallest detail to throw the AGM and call for a new one.

You will note there is no place for new business. An AGM is simply the wrap-up of the previous year’s work. Prior to adjournment there can be special recognition or awards given out if that is the desire of the group.

So, that’s it, the quick and easy guide to an AGM.

(JL) I had worked with an organization a couple of years ago that had a person declare the AGM mismanaged and called for a new AGM. I had already closed off my contract with the organization about 3 months prior. Had I still been connected this would not have happened. The AGM was called sooner than the usual AGM, so therefore is called a Special Meeting of the Membership. It was revealed that the organization was broke and it was declared to be insolvent and thus to be registered with the Province as closed. In an unusual development, the Founder of the organization who’s (employment) contract had been cancelled the previous year and did not have a paid membership made this call. He was correct in making the call because the legal process was not followed during the meeting. However, it still baffles me that he who had no legal connection with the organization anymore was permitted to register the complaint. We just never know when the unusual will occur.

(JL) A few years prior to this AGM an organization that both Lynne, her partner and I had worked with had a coup d’état occur. The organization had not made allowance in their bylaws for a probationary period before new members were permitted to vote. A small group of employees and members got all their friends to attend the AGM, purchase memberships and then throw the whole meeting into chaos causing funders to leave the meeting and withdraw support. It was a total fiasco for months. Lynne would completely agree with this.

So it’s so important to follow process when it comes to an AGM. The smallest detail left unchecked could have disastrous impact. With my second story it is also VERY important to make sure that all your t’s are crossed and i’s dotted before solidifying a constitution and bylaws. And unfortunately the only way to get the best of that is by paying the top dollar for a specialty lawyer to review the documents. It is also important for the organization, and especially the Board of Directors, to review yearly these legal documents and update them.

Stay tuned for next week: xxxxxxxxxxx

James Latour is the owner and coach of JLP Solutions and writer on Life’s Roller Coaster. James has over 25 years of experience working with the profit and not-for-profit sectors with project management, human resources, fundraising and volunteerism and industry – related consulting.  He is known for his team approach and follow through.  If you are looking for an enthusiastic coach/consultant who walks the walk and talks the talk, you’ve found him. Recently James has turned his passion, writing, into a blog and is using his talent in more direct ways.

Lynne Brown is the owner and coach of Orca Coaching & Consulting. Lynne Brown has been a coach and mentor for the last 30 years. She has a passion for working with people by empowering them to achieve their dreams and set realistic and attainable goals. Lynne has high energy as well as a positive and empathetic approach. Lynne is a firm believer that one of the purposes in life is to have fun and she incorporates that into her coaching and consulting.

Meeting Management - Formal Meetings