| Written by Georgia McCrory-Bowick
Kia ora koutou,
The board met for our first in person meeting this year on February 14th at the Nelson Buddhist Centre. It was a great moment to get together and see each other, especially since one of us is usually Zooming in from Christchurch. Our BoT meeting was split into two halves, with a personal sharing circle and a more formal decision making process over Zoom the following week.
Our new Centre & Land Caretakers, Kaya and Ethan, were formally welcomed to our meeting in person. We received updates from the Treasurer on our financial reports, caretaker reports and an update on the process that the Service 2025 working group is going through (formally known as the SAP working group).
What’s been happening
The Kitchen project for Dana Vihara:
The centre is now embarking on another big project to support the centre! We have agreed to progress work to build a kitchen on the caravan site at Dana Vihara, to support the ongoing development of the site as a suitable location for long term volunteers, short term volunteers, service community members (for a potential service programme), solo retreatants, and whatever else may evolve in the future. As a board, we have taken a brave first step by approving works to begin on the removal of the caravan which Mike Elliot spent much of his life living in while supporting Wangapeka caretakers. We have done this under the assumption that further works to enable the kitchen to be built will need to be fundraised for. Glenn is looking to sell the caravan to someone once it is removed from the site, to help fund the project. Please get in touch if you are interested. The Service working group alongside Glenn Harley are in discussions to outline the specific requirements for the site, including cost estimates and quotes. [Insert Picture if we have one of site]
Welcome to Kaya and Ethan:
On Saturday 15th February a group of various community members attended the welcome at Jane and Graham’s. We shared kai, followed by stories, photos and generated an oral history of Wangapeka around a circle. It was an organic, beautiful process which highlighted the joy that comes from collective remembering, laughing over what we can recall, what we can’t, and sharing with future Wangapeka generations.
Photograph of the stupa when it was first built.
Thank you to Glenn Harley:
Glenn Harley has stepped down from the Maintenance Committee at Wangapeka. Glenn has provided consistent Dana over the years and continues to do so. He is now stepping back from the Maintenance Sub-Committee to clarify the difference between his role as contractor and the Dana he provides as a member of the maintenance committee. We are so grateful for the support he offers Wangapeka.
Update from Elders:
Wangapeka Elders have elected to designate Jane and Graham Hobday our new Wangapeka Elders. Congratulations! More to come in the next Newsphere.
Requests for support from the Board
Fundraising for the Dana Vihara kitchen project:
As the kitchen project progresses, we will need to start a fundraising drive to fund it. We would very much appreciate someone taking the lead on fundraising for this project . Please email us at board@wangapeka.org if you have some energy and inspiration to give to a fundraising team effort. It is too big a job for the Board on top of all the other things we respond to in the background.
Donations:
For those who would like to donate specifically to the project of developing the kitchen, you can do so immediately by emailing info@wangapeka.org for the centre’s bank account details and the appropriate reference to tag the donation.
Communications request from the Board:
As a board, we receive many communications from the community in different forms. Some of these are received in person, while others are sent directly to our inboxes or personal communications. As such, this means that it is often assumed that by talking to one of us a community member is talking to all of us. This is not necessarily the case. When communicating with the board requests which you would like to see discussed or actioned by the board, please use the BoT Secretary email address below. If you would like communications to remain private to you and one member of the BoT, please state this. Where a request for privacy has not been made, whomever has received your communications may share this with the rest of the BoT.
What is inspiring us at the moment
- Georgia is reading SUN HOUSE by David James Duncan. An interview about the novel can be found here – Sun House – with David James Duncan “In this conversation, author David James Duncan speaks about his new epic novel, Sun House, which follows an eclectic collection of characters as they each seek Truth and meaning, ultimately forming an unintentional community in rural Montana. Talking about the ways a heart can be transformed by deep experiences of mystical transcendence, David shares the impetus behind the novel to impart an experiential model of contemplative inner life that could help us navigate our ecological unraveling.”
- Graham’s corn is as high as an elephant’s eye! He’s preparing for Nelson’s Chroma Choir lunchtime concert at NSM on April 10 and lulls himself to sleep with 3 blind cats. (mice-free)
- Chani is packing preparing to go traveling with Shea and Orla in SE Asia for up to 6 months. She will stay on the Board and maintain as much participation in Board matters as travel plans allow.
Decisions made this month:
- BoT agreed to the removal of the caravan at Dana Vihara, to begin a long process of designing and re-developing the site for a shared kitchen, dining and meeting space.
- Change in travel policy for BoT members: To support BoT members travel to meetings, the BoT has agreed to a stipend of $100 being available per month for individual members to use to support their travel to and from Nelson or Wangapeka Centre. This was motivated in large part, to enable members who do not live in the region to attend in person meetings. The BoT has noted how important it is to see and connect to each other in person as opposed to zoom, especially as there is always so much to respond to!
- Kaya to obtain a quote for cleaning and valet of interior of the Centre’s vehicle. Application forms for WET to obtain selected retailer accounts are sought.
- Resolution: that the Treasurer’s report for the period to end January 2025 be received and approved. Moved Maree, 2nd Chani Motion. Motion Passed.
- Resolution that minutes dated 2024/12/13 be accepted as true and correct record. Move Louise 2nd Graham Motion passed.
- Decision made to reimburse board member Georgia McCrory-Bowick for half of her cost of flights to attend the February meeting in Nelson.
- Discussion on volunteer arrangements for community weekends, decision made that is now irrelevant due to the weekend having passed.
Recent Minutes and reports:
BoT meeting minutes, and the most recent Centre and Land Caretaker, Programmes, Maintenance Sub-Committee, SAP working group, and Financial update are all available to be read and Can all be found in this folder.
May all beings be well and happy. May all beings be free.
Contact Details
Board Of Trustees
Caretaking team
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