Our houses across the Region provide welcoming spaces for latihan, income to support the life of Subud centers and opportunities to connect with the communities in which we live. We asked a few members from centers that have recently completed improvements to their houses to comment on what this has meant for them and for their centers:
Subud California at Santa Cruz
“When the roof substructure was fixed in our Subud House, the place felt more solid. No longer was there a curve to the roof and the ceiling no longer sagged. Now, the Latihan Hall had right angles at it’s corners; there was a feeling of solidity. An earthquake or a wind storm wasn’t likely to knock the roof down on my head. I felt safer. The structure was strong. I could relax into my Latihan.
It felt good to all of us seeing the straight roof line from the outside. We also felt pride in the building, both as a space to occupy for our own purposes and as a place to rent to others.”
—Jeff Stone, Chair
Subud California at Sonoma
“We received a loan from Subud California in November 2014 which, along with help from the Property Management Committee, enabled us to remove carpeting and disintegrating particle board beneath it, do mold remediation, and put in new flooring and windows. This has enabled us to rent the building so that we have a positive cash flow for the first time in years. We have repaid our past debts to the Region, are keeping up on our mortgage payments (we had been in default for a year), and are now pledging $300/month to the Region to help support their work with other centers.
But the best part is that the center has new life! We have belly dancing classes, workshops, and concerts on an ongoing basis, and have rented out 3 of our 4 offices to small local businesses. The national Ram Dass organization recently booked our hall, sight unseen, at the recommendation of well-known chanter Jai Uttal. The place is gorgeous now, and alive with new energy. For me, at least, the latihan has been considerably improved by being in a more beautiful, alive, and welcoming space.Thank you, Region and the PMC, for your support!”
— Rick Russell, Chair
Subud California at San Diego
“Susan and I have felt a more peaceful and at ease quality in Latihan. Looking up at the old broken skylights could be depressing and oppressing, and used to make me wonder – surely we should just fix these! The group unanimously decided to make the skylights a priority, and we funded the project from our own resources. Doing this project demonstrated to us what we can accomplish when we pull together. And not one leak during the last rain here! The Tai Chi renters were also excited to see the new skylights!”
— Stephen Kelly, Chair
Los Angeles – Arthur will send comments by Sunday
Subud California at Palo Alto
“Our paint was a faded brown color, and very much in need of a new coat to protect the wood. Our Chair brought in many different paint samples for review, and our members selected a serene blue. Soon after repainting, we found a number of loose shingles and several members volunteered to select and work with a contractor to replace the roof. Now our house looks loved and cared for, and is welcoming for latihan and for our renters.”
— Dennis Oliver, Rental Coordinator
Recently, Robert Mertens sent a message to all Subud California members to describe the work of the Property Management Committee (PMC). The message included the PMC Charter to help inform everyone in the Region of the ways in which the PMC provides support to all our centers. The PMC invites all Centers to contact them for assistance, whether for planning building maintenance and improvements, or submitting requests for loans and grants.