by Elizabeth Trudell, Regional Councilor, Palo Alto
Membership and Latihan
The group has approximately 35 active members. Latihans occur on:
- Saturday at 10:30am: Men 8-10; women 8-10
- Monday at 8:00pm: Men 6-8; women 3-5
- Thursday at 8:00 pm: Men 8-12; women 4-6
The men have strong attendance at both evening latihans but the women’s evening latihan has been more lightly attended in recent months. Some discussion has occurred about ways to assess whether any adjustment to timing or frequency of latihan should be considered to encourage more people to attend.
Changes to Members, Helpers and Committee
The woman’s helpers have been meeting with two prospective members and we hope to celebrate their openings by the end of the month.
An all-member meeting is scheduled after latihan on February 28th with the goal of identifying filling open committee roles, as well as information sharing about center and regional activities and finances. We will be joined by several regional and national helpers.
Life of the Center
Kejiwaan
On January 17, the Palo Alto Center helpers hosted a day of latihan and testing. All Subud California members were invited to attend via an invitation sent to the SubudCalEvents list and we were delighted that six members from Monterey, two from Santa Cruz and one from Sacramento came for the day. In the testing following the regularly scheduled latihan, the theme of forgiveness of self and others was especially powerful for the women.
There was a break for a bountiful potluck lunch which was the opportunity for lively discussion. After lunch, many people stayed for further latihan.
With such strong participation, and the engagement of members from other groups, the Palo Alto center is planning to host kejiwaan days on a monthly basis, on the first Saturday of the month. This will start in April, as many of our helpers are planning to attend the gathering in Sacramento on the first weekend in March.
Indonesia Language Lessons
Sylvia des Tombe has initiated a series of lessons in the Indonesian language which have been taking place since the end of January, on Saturdays after latihan, when the upstairs of the Subud house is free.
Our group has had several in-depth conversations about the use of language in recent months. The key question is whether the usefulness of words such as “dewan” and “kejiwaan,” which provide a precise meaning for Subud activities, is countered by their unfamiliarity for people from western cultures. The lessons are providing an opportunity for interested members to learn more about the larger context of the Indonesian language and to be more prepared to visit Indonesia should the opportunity arise.
Dewan
The dewan has been gathering for a latihan and meeting on the second Tuesday of each month. This has been very helpful in keeping the group connected and helping to identify and address needs, opportunities and issues.
Financial Update
Revenue from hall rentals continues to be solid, with strong increases in 2014 due to changes and additions to renter community.
Member contributions increased somewhat in 2014 as well. In support of the Connections Campaign, a pledge outreach is happening in February and March, in context with the all-member meeting at the end of February.
Our dewan has decided to increase the monthly pledge to Subud CA to $500, as we are currently seeing a good balance of income and expenses which enables us to continue ongoing maintenance to the hall as needed.