by Hanafi Fraval, Subud CA Regional Chair
Looking Back: The Year in Review
This past year has been dominated by two big issues in our region: sustainability of our properties and centers, and the new regional bylaws.
Sustainability
It became clear very quickly that 30-year loans from the region to cover the maintenance cost of individual centers is simply not sustainable. Instead, centers need to increase their revenue, mainly through additional rentals, so that they can cover their own maintenance costs. This has a side benefit of generating more group involvement and interest in a center’s Subud house.
Centers vary enormously on how well they are doing, but most are trying and are responding to the need for building their savings to take care of maintenance needs. Funds that are currently available in the region can be repurposed to finance new projects that will generate additional revenue to bring greater stability to those groups that take these initiatives.
Bylaws
The bylaws were last revised in 2006, so they are well and truly due for renewal. Miftah Leath, supported by several of our most experienced members, undertook a real labor of love over the past year to produce a set of thoroughly modernized and well-written new bylaws.
During September’s board meeting in Palo Alto, I set up a special committee to examine how to handle some of the key issues still in need of solution. That committee will report on January 20, at our next board meeting, when it is hoped that the modifications to the current bylaws draft will pass and be ready for a vote of adoption by the whole membership, at our regional congress in 2024.
Looking Forward
Luqman Katz, who is convening the 2024 Gathering and AGM, wrote to the Board on November 7: “The latest news from Subud Indonesia indicates their hope that the dates of the coming world congress will be July 16-28th, 2024. With that time frame in mind, our men and women California regional helpers were requested to test the rightness of holding our regional congress on August 2-6, as has been planned. Their receiving was unanimous, that it is best for us to go ahead as planned and hold our congress from August 2-6, 2024.”
At the AGM in August, a new executive team will be voted in and, of course, the all-important bylaws will be up for your approval.
On another point, it has become evident that fire insurance is likely to play an increasing role in our choices of where we locate our Subud houses – not just in the future, but even today where we have affected houses. Two groups in particular are currently reviewing their situations.
Looking ahead to the future, might we find ourselves in a position at some point to acquire or build a retreat center with good communications and many other attributes? Who knows…!?