The Web PATH Center, Inc.
Council of Trustees Meeting
August 20, 2006
Director’s Report April 1-August 20, 2006
from Dorothy Abrams, Webweaver known as Anemone
Mission Statement: This is The Web PATH Center’s Mission Statement which guides us in our
choices and programs:
The Web is organized to provide religious and cultural community to those seeking earth-based spiritual guidance in an expression of 21st century pagan culture through ritual, one-on-one training sessions, retreats, classes and the arts.
The challenges which started with calendar year 2006 continued through the spring and summer in various fashions. So far we have met them all successfully and seem on the verge of several breakthroughs.
The major activity of this period was SummerFest 2006 – Building on Common Ground: Discover our Common Bonds in Cultural and Spiritual Connections held June 21-25, 2006 at Galen Road SummerFest this year was kicked off with the Joanne Shenandoah Live! Concert held at the Smith Opera House June 21, 2006. The Concert was a beautiful spiritual event, enjoyed by all who attended. It met every hope we had for building connections with FLAGS, Geneva, and brought in xx new contacts. It did not meet expectations in terms of audience and financial support. Box office records showed less than 200 people attended. In the financial reports you will see we lost $4898.57 on the concert. Fortunately the Web was affluent enough to absorb that and pay our bills, but we currently have only $798.30 in the bank.
Similarly, the SummerFest camping experience was a tremendous success with high quality workshops and networking opportunities with Kerri Vaughn of Fernwood, Paul Frazier from Slocum House in Syracuse, a justice and hospitality home associated with the Catholic Workers community, Dave Bennett from the International Association of Near Death Studies who had not been to the Web before. (see attached program). Juanita Willson from the Mohawk Nation returned to teach Native Dance. Sue Voidets led the campers in painting a mural bridge which will hang in the house. Hillwoman graced our camp ground as vendor and presenter. And several of our web folk presented workshops as well, all of which were of fine quality. Pegqua presented the keynote workshop on Story Catching which became the theme of the event. We missed KiaMarie Wolfe and Elspeth who had last minute difficulties and were unable to attend. We are always poorer for their absence.
SummerFest 2006 Registration Summary
We had 92 pre registered, of those were 22 children admitted free (under 13) and 4 were teens 13-18 admitted at half price
6 people pre-registered and did not attend. 2 were presenters admitted free of charge. 7 staff were comped for the festival including the property owners.
13 more registered on site, of those 6 were children under 13 and 1 was a teen at half price. 1 was a presenter admitted free of charge.
There were at least 3 unregistered drop-ins who visited by did not sign a release etc.
Total in attendance 102, of those 28 children under 13 and 5 teens 13-18.
Full Festival Attendees paid: 36 adults and teens
Day passes 13 adults and teens
Weekend pass 4 adults and teens
We gave $1702.25 free and reduce priced registrations for the festival which were funded by web bucks, scholarship, & work study.
Because of a lack of volunteers and unity about kitchen preparation, we changed the offering this year to provide only breakfast, which several of the men cooked daily. The challenge in that was clean up. Although volunteers for breakfast were supposed to sign up at registration, that somehow did not happen, and the cooks cleaned up as well, missing the 10 am workshop sessions. This was correct at the Saturday Family Meeting.
The challenges of this event were in volunteers reporting back to the Chairs, Pequa and I, so that we could accurately track how we did. Making up for that by sifting through notes and scribbles is not as easy, and again takes an inordinate amount of time. In future, committee chairs must give a written summary of numbers and activities.
Another challenge was low attendance which did not meet projections, despite improved publicity. We had anticipated 75 adults registering for the full festival and had only 36. Similarly income form raffles and the auction were down, because the people simply were not there.
A third challenge was found in keeping the increased number of children busy and supervised. The Children’s committee had a solid schedule of activities during workshops, but it was not clear to the kids they had to be in workshops. This is difficult, but we need to take another look at how the kids program works in cooperation with parents. The kids cannot have the option of free play during workshop times. We also need to be clearer about promoting peace and non violence in our play time. Although this is not universal among pagan parents, at Web events children need not have guns or swords to play with, with the exception of squirt guns in the water play area. How to supervise and teach that value needs to be a matter of discussion for the future. I was sitting with Paul Frasier who was to speak on alternatives to war when 3 or four of our kids came racing through trying to hack each other to pieces with the plastic bubble blowing ritual swords, all in fun but a little embarrassing. Then they returned with squirt guns, which I then confiscated and returned them to their workshop. Fortunately Paul has a great sense of humor, and this served as an illustration of how deeply entrenched military values are in our society. It served as a wake up call to me to initiate more discussion in this area. I believe that if we are establishing a pagan culture for the 21st century, one of the things we need to consider is how to model non violence to our children so they copy that in play time, and how to teach each other cooperation and negotiation as a solution to personal, group and political problems.
I think these challenges helped make SummerFest a positive learning and recreational experience. The bonfires were beautiful. The stories moving. The workshops enlightening. Breakfast was delicious. All n all it was a positive experience for all of us.
At the Family Meeting, it was decided that a new SummerFest Committee would form and that SummerFest 2007 would not be at the Galen Road location because we have so much work to do on the land and the house. That group has been working hard on location. There efforts have been a big encouragement! Hooray!
Web Program Activities:
4/29/06 Missy Goodsell, Rhonnie House, & Dorothy Abrams from the Web attended the FLAGS Marketing Workshop. Excellent.
5/12/06 Kim and her daughters staffed the Mamapalooza booth in Clyde to promote the Web and the Concert. Mamapalooza was not well attended, but everyone seemed to have a good time.
5/12/06 Anemone attended the FLAGS grant writing workshop in Geneva NY. Excellent.
Sabbats:
The Web observed 3 Sabbats during this period.
Beltane 5/7/06 led by Earthchild and Moonshine which included Wicca IV initiations.
Litha Summer Solstice Observed at the Opening Ritual of SummerFest 6/22/06 led by Venus Moon and Red Star Wizard. (Venus Moon has a new rainbow name, but I can’t remember it right now. Sorry!)
Lammas 8/5/06 led by Ditchwitch and Tall Corn at their Home with the Burning of the Wickerman.
Esabats: The Esabat schedule was:
5/12/06 Full Moon at the Web, Led by Anemone
6/9/06 cancelled
7/7/06 cancelled
8/12/06 led by Caireen at her home
Shamanic Journey Circles are scheduled on the second Saturdays and last Sundays with many exceptions. Attendance currently averages 5 people.
Healing Sessions at the Web:
Monday healing sessions were held at Soft Moon Rising’s Healing Room in Newark this quarter. Anemone joined her on 8/14/06 for an additional session. This program continues, though appointments are not all filled. We are scheduled so people can have appointments after work.
Anemone and Merlin also offered 2 past life regressions and a soul retrieval this spring and summer.
Classes:
Wicca IV part 5 May 5-7 2006 concluded the year long seminar. Five people: Rhon and Bob House, Bev Owen, Eric Reynolds and Dorothy Abrams were initiated as The Witch at the Web Beltane Ritual by Earthchild and Moonshine at their home in Red Creek. The Golden Net crocheted by Stone Light shimmered in the sun. It was a beautiful ritual and an outstanding day.
Issues to look at for the coming quarter:
Fundraising
FLAGS DEC grant
The NYS Music grant
Pagan Pride Events
The Web Membership Drive
The Web Annual Dinner
Full Moon Schedule
With Blessings, Anemone--Dorothy Abrams, Webweaver
