This is just what I need. Tomorrow we do something similar although on a much smaller scale, here in Victoria. I'll report later, but for now, I just wanted to say thank you for this, as tonight I'm riding your energy and momentum.
Chris On 11/7/05, Thomas Herrmann <tho...@openspaceconsulting.com> wrote: > > Dear Christine > Thanks for sharing this beautiful story - still unfolding - for a long > time!!! I am always amazed at how come it is so unique (in our so called > developed societies) to get the chance to express oneself and be listened > to. I wish this will be natural one day. We´ll continue working on it! > Warmest regards > Thomas Herrmann > > -----Ursprungligt meddelande----- > *Från:* OSLIST [mailto:osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu]*För *Christine > Whitney Sanchez > *Skickat:* den 7 november 2005 16:07 > *Till:* osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu > *Ämne:* Girl Scouts Open the Space for more than 1,600 > > Dear Open Space Friends, > > It has been exactly one month since more than 1,600 Girl Scout National > Delegates met in Open Space. I feel deeply grateful to each and everyone > of you who helped us to hold the space at the Girl Scout National > Convention. I haven't written until now because, frankly, I'm still > processing what I experienced and learned and I'm not at all sure I can do > justice to telling the story. I'm literally still dreaming about what was > perhaps the most powerful experience of my life so far, short of giving > birth 3 times. > > My greatest joy in working on this project has been the incredible people > and my personal reflections are filled with gratitude and awe. Foremost, I > am grateful to my dear friend and business partner, Claudia Haack, who held > the space with me with such grace, resilience and generosity that I was able > to give myself fully to opening the space. Our partnership grew and our > friendship flourished as we worked on this project together. > > I think that part of why it's taking me so long to digest what happened > at the Girl Scout National Convention is that after a glorious day of Open > Space, Claudia, our volunteer team and I anchored Strategy Cafes for close > to 2,000 participants and generally worked on the fly for the next 3 days of > the convention, including a final day with the Themefinding Team which > looked across the Open Space and Strategy Café reports. All the while, we > were working with close to 100 volunteers who had been trained in OS and > World Café and who then self-organized for planning and implementation > before, during and after the convention. As a member of the "Smooth > Operators" Team said, "It was like you went from a two person operation to > a full staff of one hundred!" > > Claudia and I are still in the process of writing up the whole thing, > including the Open Space on Governance and the Strategy Cafés and I promise > to share that with all of you as soon as it's finished. For now you can > check out the online version of the Book of Proceedings at > www.girlscouts.org/convention/conversationsummary.asp<http://www.girlscouts.org/convention/conversationsummary.asp>. > > > For a taste of the excitement, here are some of the highlights and quotes > from participants – > > ê Based on the feedback we've gotten the members of the volunteer crew, > from the participants, and the leaders of the organization, the Open Space > and Strategy Cafés have set the stage for an entirely different kind of > convention. > > o "I think this has forever changed the National Council Session – no more > being staged from beginning to end. Instead, honest dialogue." > > o "I've never been to a convention that felt so open and as honest as this > one." > > o "I'd like to echo that and there is a difference between input and > influence and we now have a chance to influence the future rather than > simply provide input." > > ê While the Open Space was focused on the topic of governance, it seems > that only about half of the 94 sessions posted were really focused on > governance. > > o "It's very confusing. People don't really understand what governance > actually means and what it means to the organization." > > o "Governance and operational issues get blurred." > > o "Do we all agree what governance means?" > > o "Some delegates do not understand governance because they are > operations-based. Do delegates represent the majority?" > > o "This organization runs better when it is run from the bottom up rather > than from the top down." > > ê Participants were clearly moved by the experience of being in Open > Space, being listened to, feeling supported and how that all relates to what > the Founder, Juliette Low, intended. > > o "I think that we are getting back to what Juliette Low started - she > started this for the girls and I think we are finally getting back to that > today." > > o "I was more of a bee and a butterfly and it was so great to hear the > girls and I am so proud to be a part of this grand organization." > > o "I'm hoping our national board will always accept this process and > participate in this with us." > > o [I learned that we can] "support one another in the ambiguity and > anxiety as we answer very hard questions for the organization and that we > sustain one another as we try. We need to include more and more girls and > younger girls. We need to share these conversations with the people back > home and become more girl-centric." > > o "We need to listen to one another and remember what works best for the > new girls, for the traditionalists, for everybody." > > o "Go back and do the same kinds of things when we get home...talk, > listen, talk, listen and listen more. We can make this an ongoing process > during the 3-year cycle." > > During the opening of the space, I said that at that very moment, there > were people all over the world who were holding the space with us. Thank > you, dear Open Space family. We and the Girl Scouts have been blessed by > your spirit. > > Namaste, > *Christine* > ** > *Christine Whitney Sanchez* > *KAIROS Alliance Inc.* > 2717 E. Mountain Sky Avenue > Phoenix, AZ 85048 > 480.759.0262 > www.kairosalliance.com <http://www.kairosalliance.com/> > * * ========================================================== > osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu ------------------------------ To > subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of > osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu: > http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html To learn about > OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs: http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist > > * * ========================================================== > osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu ------------------------------ To > subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of > osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu: > http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html To learn about > OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs: http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist > -- CHRIS CORRIGAN Consultation - Facilitation Open Space Technology Weblog: http://www.chriscorrigan.com/parkinglot Site: http://www.chriscorrigan.com