Spring Council/Seed Camp Information

Updated 6/17/13 7 AM (California Time)  - Spring Council has disbanded.

Directions to the gathering are available here.

Spring Council is when all potential sites for the gathering are brought to any people who want to be involved in selecting a site. The council usually takes one to seven days and normally ends with either a consensus by silence among people at the council or an exodus of the majority of people heading to the preferred site.  T-Council picked June 7 for the start of Spring Council.

People participating in the spring council process have been counciling and out walking potential sites and yesterday (Friday 6/14) counciled with USFS staff. Today (6/15/13) folks will be counciling.  Rumor has it to not expect a decision (by consensus or foot) for another couple of days.  So maybe Monday (6/17) or Tuesday (6/18)

Due to the northern location of this year's gathering and the late snows.  The further north we are, the later the snow melts.

While all are welcome to participate in Spring Council, please keep in mind that conditions may be cold and/or wet and little or no infrastructure is set up.  Bring food to share, drinking water, and be prepared to relocate once folks decide where "HOME" will be located. While home is often within 75-100 miles of the spring council site, this is not always true. I know that at least one of the sites still being considered is further.  If gas money is tight, you may want to stay where your are until an announcment is made.

Update for 6/9/13 @ 9 AM Cali time from a friend

Spring Council population is approaching 300, we had our first circle yesterday. Not much much serious business on the first day, mostly heartsongs and getting to know each other. We are still waiting for some of the people doing scouting to arrive.

We will have another circle today, and then the general feeling seems to be we will send out scouting parties on monday and have them walk the land on some of the potential sites for 4 days, and we will resume counciling on Friday. This was predicted at Thanksgiving Council, when we consensed that Spring Council would BEGIN the weekend of June 7-9...so it's likely to be a late announcement. There's simply more work to be done before we can accurately decide which location would be best to send the family to.

Once the decision is reached, people move onto the site and start "Seed Camp."  Seed camp involves earlier arriving gathering participants.  Folks  find and develop water systems, set up the first kitchens & a health care system, and dig the first latrines. Seed camp folks design the layout of the actual Gathering by developing trails, selecting a Main Circle site, marking parking areas and setting up Welcome Home. Coop and Banking Councils are set up to address the needs of Seed Camp. Please do not show up for seed camp unless you are willing to chip in on the work, can deal with the rough conditions and can contribute to creating a wondeful and positive gathering. 

Please note that more cop hassles happen during early seed camp than during the gathering itself and plan accordingly.  If you're not sure what I mean by cop hassles, click here and read the right hand side of this blog.

 ** DIRECTIONS  TO SPRING COUNCIL **

Racetrack Creek/Racetrack Campground (20 miles south of Deer Lodge, Montana)

From Interstate 90: Exit 197 Galen. Take Left onto 273 South (Galen RD), go 3 miles on paved road to Willow Road (NO SIGN and be aware -- as 273 bears left, Willow Road goes straight, it is the gravel on right).  Go 1 mile to Bowman Road at the four corners. Take left onto Bowman which becomes Modesty Creek Road (you will see a Forest Service sign for Racetrack Campground 6 miles). Watch for cows on road and immature Golden Eagles on fence posts! Keep following signs for Racetrack CG.

****Please respect signs for private property.****

Once inside the Forest, FS road 169, welcome home!   There is ample parking, bus village, and handicamp on the north side (right) after the cattleguard just into the forest (only two tenths of a mile from FS boundary) with some tree line camping off the south (left). There is a piece of private property inside the spring council area; this stretch is about a ½ -mile long and is well-marked along the road.  There is a FS Campground where there is an anticipated fee early June. Beyond the campground, FS Road 169 diminishes so be aware of poor road conditions and it may be difficult for big rigs to turn around. OR take Racetrack Exit 195 Roads are less paved but it gets you there – follow signs to Racetrack Campground. Avoid Dempsey Lake Road – there is a bridge out over this
creek.

For USFS info on Racetrack Campground, click here.

For directions to the annual gathering of the tribes, click here.

CALM, First Aid and Taking Care of Each Other

Today's blog post on CALM comes to you from  guest blogger MB. Just an FYI to all who are suspicious of donating money to the gathering online, I personally know MB and many of the CALM folks and know that they are doing an amazing job saving lives with minimal equipment. Lot's of opportunities exist to support healing our brothers and sisters. For those of you who are knew to gathering, CALM is one of the main first aid stations at the gathering. Visit them if you're not feeling well, get injured or just want to talk about healing.  To learn more about CALM, click here.

It is, indeed, that time of year to request donations! CALM raised enough funds last year to cover the Tennessee Gathering.  We had very few supplies leftover, and with the expectation of a larger Gathering in Montana, we expect our costs to be even higher. By getting donations early, we are able to be savvy Internet shoppers and get the best value for supplies. Once we are on the land, we have to purchase from pharmacies, with costs that are 3x what they are online.

Click here to see the inventory/banking list from 2012 in Excel format.  We purchased a total of $1,138.00 in supplies and used nearly all of the supplies.  Tennessee was a smaller Gathering, and we anticipate Montana to require twice as many supplies.  Our goal this year is to receive $2,000 in donations and we need your help to manifest a healthy and well cared-for Gathering.  Every $10, $20, $50 and $100 donation helps immensely.

CALM needs to have a variety of different supplies on hand because we never know from year to year what we will need.  Some years we see a lot of burns, while others involve roll-over accidents on the road Home.  We have treated heart attacks and diabetic shock, seizures and jungle rot, broken ankles and pains in the necks (ahem).  Wingnuts? Yep, we treat em.  A stick stuck in your foot because you really, really want to walk barefoot at night?  Yep, we treat that, too.

WHAT CAN BE DONE? Donate money to our PayPal or WePay account at the bottom of this message.  Give cash or a check to one of the CALM bankers. I can assure you that all of them can be trusted as they all put in way more money into supplies then they get back. Please do not bring in your old prescription medications, homemade tinctures or unlabeled herbs. We cannot distribute prescriptions, and tinctures end up unused unless they are made by a known and trusted source.

 If you have supplies that you would like to donate, please check with us first as they may not be what we really need. If you plan to bring supplies, check with us first by sending an email to CALM or MB  to make sure that this is something that we can use.

If you want to donate something material, we need batteries!  AA non-rechargeable are best.  We rely heavily on radio communications and with radios being always-on 24-hours a day for 2 weeks, we go through a lot of AA batteries.  Remember the helicopter evacuation in Pennsylvania the morning of the 4th?  That was made possible through radio communications relayed from person-to-person and then via a call to Emergency Responders.

And finally, CALM could always use Builders! We start serving the health needs of the Family as soon as we leave our homes­which means that we are often so busy, it’s hard to find time and energy to put up a tarp or to make benches.  Please stop by and plug in!

The healers are here to serve the Family. Let’s have a kind and safe Gathering!

(FOR CALM/MEDICAL SUPPLIES via PayPal)

OR to donate via WePay, click here. 

If you are a healer and want to plug in ahead of time, sign up for the CALM email list by registering here or visit Rainbow Medicine Facebook or email MB for supply/donation questions:

Blasts from the Past

I started doing a yearly gathering-related blog in 2008.  Here's some of what I consider the better posts from 2008 to 2012.  Some of them were written by me, others by folks I know and admire.    Enjoy!

Counciling in 1972 by Garrick Beck

The Silent Prayer/Meditation for World Peace on July 4th

Sage Advice for First Time Gatherers

Tips for a Safe Journey Home & a Positive Gathering

Gathering with Kids by Info Karen (The other Karen who hangs @ Info)

Rap on Access

So You Want to Focalize a Kitchen?

Creating Community

Health and Hand Washing

On Shanti Sena by Medicine Socks

Parking Lot Crew

Workshops @ the Gathering

To folks worried about their loved ones

Why Gather? by Garrick Beck

Why I Gather (the 2012 version)

~~~  Please copy and distribute this information freely ~~~

An open letter to my younger sisters

The gathering is a wonderful magical time full of lots of sweat, usually some tears and a great opportunity to grow as a human being.  If you're in your late teens or twenties, you probably know that the world is full of men who want to get to know you in an intimate way.   I like to believe that the brothers who gather are the kindest, most compassionate, most loving men and that despite their interest in getting to you know will respect any boundaries you place on any interaction.

This brings us to today's vocabulary lesson, the word "no."  No is a powerful word.  When you were two years old (give or take) you excelled at saying no.  So what happens as we grow?  

Seems to me we live in a culture STILL (as I thought we'd be more evolved by now, but so it goes) that places different expectations on how young women handle their sex lives and how young men do.  Very often, women are taught that no means you are protesting but you are willing to change your mind if persuaded.  Well I think this approach sucks.  And speaking from personal experience, a lot of men can't tell the difference between a no that means stop right now and a no that means I'm open to persuasion. So to all my young sisters, let's give the brothers some clear communication.

Say YES when you mean yes and NO when you mean no.  Feel free to say yes to a hug and no to a kiss.  Feel free to say yes to making out, but no to anything further.  Feel free to get naked and say yes to one thing and no to another.  Feel free to say yes and then change your mind and say no if it doesn't feel right for you.  This is your life and you have the right to be 100% comfortable with what how you share or do not share your body with anyone.
 
Unfortunately, while most of our brothers are kind, loving, respectful humans, at every gathering, there are people who have come home because they need to learn how to be kind, loving, respectful humans and who may make some mistakes on their road to healing. Any time we gather ten thousand people in one place, the odds are very high that one or two people show up just to prey on kind, loving people.

Some thoughts as you figure out how you want to navigate life:

• Use the words yes and no to mean their surface meaning.
• If you say no and some belly does not respect your no, yell Shanti Sena and family will show up to support you.
• If you use mind altering substances of any kind, do so with your friends (old or new).  Hang out at one of the larger kitchens where music and companionship will be plentiful and respect and love will be in abundance. Or use the buddy system and wander the gathering all night long.
• Plug into sister space to share with other sisters in a supportive environment what's going on and how you're dealing or not dealing with life's challenges.
• If you have any problems at all, go to CALM/First Aid, INFO, Granola Funk, or Kid Village and tell a sister that you have an issue you need to discuss.
• Go to the Antique Roadshow at the ovens and talk to all the wise older sisters in this family - they are an amazing awe-inspiring bunch.

"Life is either a daring adventure or nothing."  ~~ Helen Keller

As with most gathering related issues, there's a rap for that:

~~ RAP 121 ~~

Brothers:
Respect our sisters and help create a safe place for everyone.
Nudity is natural; not a sexual invitation.
Ask before hugging or touching women & remember: “No means No!”
Brother Circles offer support & encourage understanding.
Love happens – Carry condoms.

Sisters:
Respect yourselves & trust your instincts.
If you don’t feel comfortable being intimate or alone with a man it’s OK to say “No.”
Sister Circles share strength & support between women.
Love happens – Carry condoms.

Everyone:
This is a society based on love & respect.
We’re here for a spiritual purpose; Respect each other and do no harm.
Brother-Sister Circles create trust & understanding.

We are all Shanti Sena – “Peace Keepers”

Musings on getting fed at the gathering

If you've never been to a gathering (or even if you have), getting fed may seem like a mysterious process that sporadically leaves you hungry or amazed at the wonderful food you just ate.  Well it's not really as mysterious as it seems.  So here are the basics.

First off, no one should ever ask you for money or trade for food (excepting small things like candy bars at trade circle).  Everyone eats for free.  We share food with each other in many different ways.

During seed camp, you better come prepared with food to share. Some of the early kitchens may be serving "off the rails" (@ the kitchen counter) but you never know who will be there and how much food they have to share.

Bring whatever you can and share as best as you can with others.  Some of the kitchens may come with food supplies they have purchased, but you never know.

Once the gathering gets going (usually a few days after the Summer Solstice), dinner will be served in the main meadow.  Commonly called "Main Circle" or "Dinner Circle," kitchens bring food to the meadow, we circle up, om, and then are served food from a bucket or cooler.  THANK YOU KITCHENS!  After we eat, many folks hang out to play music, visit with friends or participate in activities like the "Angel Walk."   This is my favorite time of the gathering.  It's when those who wish take the time to hang out with old and new friends.

Many kitchens will continue to serve off the rails but normally do so earlier in the day or later in the evening.  Each kitchen decides for itself when and what to serve so finding a kitchen that is serving "off the rails" is catch as catch can unless you get plugged into a kitchen.  One easy way to get plugged in is to approach a kitchen and offer to dig a shitter, chop wood, haul water, or chop veggies for some meal or another. 

As I mentioned earlier, many kitchens come with their own food supply purchased by the core crew.  Other kitchens come with gear but not much else.  No matter how things start out, more food needs to be purchased as the gathering progresses and more wonderful people come home.

Generally a group of people come together to facilitate supplies.  After all, purchasing large quantities in bulk is usually less expensive.  Some kitchens do their own supply runs with either their own funds or funds from a collection can stationed in their kitchen, others participate in large scale supply runs usually involving a lot of food and funds from the "Magic Hat."

The Magic Hat can be found at Dinner Circle and Information when Dinner Circle is not happening.  Sometimes the Magic Hat goes on a Magic Hat parade around the gathering soliciting funds.  Magic Hat funds are managed by the Banking Council some or most of whom are usually at Dinner Circle.  Folks who become part of this council track income and expenses, count them money and insure the integrity of the process.  Most of the magic hat funds go to buy food that is distributed to the kitchens serving Dinner Circle. If a kitchen is not serving Dinner Circle, usually they will not get funds.  There is a Kitchen Council that meets daily or every other day (usually by Information) that plans supply runs, meals and works out all these issues.

Basically the process goes like this, you put cash money (no checks, credit cards, food stamps, etc) in the Magic Hat.  Money is collected and counted.  After a few days of this, a supply run is organized.  Once that has happened the supply run goes out, purchases the agreed upon supplies (or as close as possible) and then comes back with the food.  A supply run can take two days or even three.  Once the food comes back, it is distributed to the kitchens - a process that can take another day or two.

After the food is distributed to the kitchens, it gets cooked and served - a process that can take another day or two depending on when the supplies arrive at the kitchen and what else the kitchen is involved in at present. 

Now we come to the most important part, if you have $50 to donate to the Magic Hat, do it the day you arrive at the gathering.  Don't put $5 a day in for ten days.  Every year we have a food shortage for a few days somewhere between June 23 and July 2 because people start arriving in mass after the Summer Solstice and we have a lag between donations coming in and food being served.

Look at it this way, if one hundred people arrive on June 23 and donate $50 dollars each, we will have $5,000 to feed not only these one hundred people but the additional two thousand people who have subsequently arrived on June 28 when the purchased food is served.  If on June 25, two hundred and fifty people arrive and donate $50 dollars each, we will have over ten thousand dollars to feed the fifteen thousand people on site by June 30.  However, if people donate one or five dollars a day, then by the time we have enough money to feed fifteen thousand people, it's July 5 and most people are leaving.

If you do not have or do not wish to donate cash money, food supplies are always welcomed.  The good news is that the food you bring with you will make it into your belly tomorrow.  While brown rice, beans and quinoa are always welcomed, hardy fruits and veggies are very important as well.  Bring apples and oranges by the caseload. Cabbage, carrots and zucchini transport well and as much as you can bring will be eaten. Onions and garlic are always needed. Leave the fancy lettuce and peaches behind unless you know how to transport them so they don't get ruined.

 If you bring pasta, try to bring vegan pasta so everyone can partake.  Save the egg noodles for another occasion.  Peanut butter and bread (vegan if you can find it) go a long way to providing healthy fuel and whole wheat flour is always needed for kitchens that bake bread and pizza!  If you decide to go shopping after you've been at the gathering, check in with Kitchen Council to get plugged into any special deals folks may have worked out with local suppliers.  After all, if you can get it for 30% off, then you can buy more food to feed more bellies for the same amount of money.

May 24 meeting with public health employees

Updated 5/21/13 7:30 PM Cali Time

may 24, 11am, public library, Missoula, Montana.... preliminary meeting with some Public Health folks... iffn in area please attend... at this meeting, will invite Public health to meet on-site, when it happens.... also, these Public health folks are some of those folks that Gatherers had positive interaction with in Montana 2000.

New Location:
Montana Public Health, Helena folks is Friday, May 24th, 11:00 am in the private meeting room at Liquid Planet... a coffee shop near Broadway and Higgins, Missoula, Montana... The Public Library was booked. Open, free.

Rainbow Family of Living Light Mini Manual Gathering Consciousness

The Mini Manual of Gathering Consciousness aka Suggested Wisdom Culled from Years of Experience and / or Trail & Error contains all the most know things for any gatherer.  In the old days (before the WWW), folks used to print these up and pass them out at the gathering. For a copy suitable for printing on 8.5 x 11 inch paper, click here.

If you prefer to read it in HTML format, click here.

No matter the version you choose, please copy and distribute the information, links freely and widely.