Here's my take on the situation.
It takes a huge amount of energy and committment to find a gathering site, deal with the USFS bullshit, focalize CALM, set up radios and water systems. Not to mention dealing with the Front Gate nightmares we've had the last couple of years. Frankly, these last few years, there aren't really enough people to do it for one gathering let alone 4 or 5 and the few people that are doing mission critical work are exhausted.
I don't really have much of an opinion on multiple gatherings versus one large gathering, but I do have a lot of opinions on how much work it takes to focalize a gathering, even a small one.
For example, the last get together we did near San Diego had about 5 people willing to do anything to make it happen and a few others willing to share information. While that was fine for a 4 day 100 person get together, that's not enough to do a 5,000 person regional - but that's all the people who were willing to put energy in.
The original generation is dying off, the next generation is in their 50s and 60s and we need the young family to get involved and be willing to committ the energy for the many months it takes to make a gathering happening.
Just to give you a clue how much energy it takes, I'm putting in 4 to 8 hours a week, just trying to focalize help for the Front Gate, Welcome Home and some cool workshops for Wyoming and I am only one of a dozen people I know focalizing heavily, plus the people working on logistics. CALM is broke and needs money for medical supplies, the people who have been focalizing drinking water are burned out and half the equipment ripped off. The few people willing to commit to scouting for 6 weeks have next to no funds available.
As to the cost of gas, from San Diego to Wyoming is about $100 each way in my Geo Metro. It's about $375 each way in my
step van that can transport 3 or 4 people - so that's $100 per person each way. Not that bad if you ask me. Greyhound is $178 round trip San Diego to Wyoming with a 14 day advance purchase and no further discounts.
It takes a huge amount of energy and committment to find a gathering site, deal with the USFS bullshit, focalize CALM, set up radios and water systems. Not to mention dealing with the Front Gate nightmares we've had the last couple of years. Frankly, these last few years, there aren't really enough people to do it for one gathering let alone 4 or 5 and the few people that are doing mission critical work are exhausted.
I don't really have much of an opinion on multiple gatherings versus one large gathering, but I do have a lot of opinions on how much work it takes to focalize a gathering, even a small one.
For example, the last get together we did near San Diego had about 5 people willing to do anything to make it happen and a few others willing to share information. While that was fine for a 4 day 100 person get together, that's not enough to do a 5,000 person regional - but that's all the people who were willing to put energy in.
The original generation is dying off, the next generation is in their 50s and 60s and we need the young family to get involved and be willing to committ the energy for the many months it takes to make a gathering happening.
Just to give you a clue how much energy it takes, I'm putting in 4 to 8 hours a week, just trying to focalize help for the Front Gate, Welcome Home and some cool workshops for Wyoming and I am only one of a dozen people I know focalizing heavily, plus the people working on logistics. CALM is broke and needs money for medical supplies, the people who have been focalizing drinking water are burned out and half the equipment ripped off. The few people willing to commit to scouting for 6 weeks have next to no funds available.
As to the cost of gas, from San Diego to Wyoming is about $100 each way in my Geo Metro. It's about $375 each way in my
step van that can transport 3 or 4 people - so that's $100 per person each way. Not that bad if you ask me. Greyhound is $178 round trip San Diego to Wyoming with a 14 day advance purchase and no further discounts.
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Re: Why only one large gathering and not 4 or 5?
Tue, April 29, 2008 - 9:15 PMI still have to say the there has got to be other ways for smaller get togethers to occur. Potlucks are neat, and monthly, but still...I think that there has also got to be others that feel like I do. I have no way at all to leave my area for more that 3 days at a time ever...medical stuff for the kid...I have no way to afford to drive further than 3-400 miles in any direction, and the fees some festivals and camp outs require are ridiculous. I guess i am t feeling ultra bummed when it comes to not getting to attend the nationals. i wish I could , the gods know i could use the healing factor.. But I think it seems sorts crappy that the regionals are always in some rugged hard to get to place where the locals either hate us or freak out about us...I know, I know the need for the energy, i get it, i do, and I wish i had the connections needed to manifest a smaller more local thing in my area. I would think that especially out here in Oregon that there would be enough folks that we could get something rolling every 6 months, even if its just 100 folks in a field for the weekend...That would be PERFECT...I think i will go make me a hundred friends this summer and throw my own camp out...boogers !!! RIce and pitas for every one... -
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Re: Why only one large gathering and not 4 or 5?
Wed, April 30, 2008 - 3:21 PMattend regionals. -
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Re: Why only one large gathering and not 4 or 5?
Wed, April 30, 2008 - 3:23 PMon a side note. the gathering is not organized. there would be no real way to consence multiple gatherings. the only way that happens is devisions at spring council. if you want more then one gathering, then all that is required is to focalize. -
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Re: Why only one large gathering and not 4 or 5?
Thu, May 1, 2008 - 12:28 AMi guess then maybe i worded my thoughts.....in a way that didn't say what i was thinking. I will not say that what i said was wrong, cuz i do not feel that my thought were wrong per say. With that said...Regionals are the same thing just smaller . I think that maybe I am just wanting to find something fun to go to, that i can take my kid to, that is not necessarily 'rainbow' ordained...not trying to sound anti rainbow, just why does it have to all be involved with that group? I.E. just wanting a regular maybe slightly random big camp out...something less 'organized" Maybe I am totally willing to sign papers, and go with 'their' flow...Just seems that there is an awful lot of energy (literally and spiritually) used to get a bigger event rolling. Ya know what, never mind, for get i even asked.......Dis enchanted? Moi? yea maybe so... -
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Re: Why only one large gathering and not 4 or 5?
Thu, May 1, 2008 - 5:34 PMthey said the next buddha would come along after shiva swept away the mountains with a peacock feather, and to think - I BELIEVED THEM!!! -
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Re: Why only one large gathering and not 4 or 5?
Fri, May 2, 2008 - 8:10 AMno siva is gonna pluck my feathers. lol
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Re: Why only one large gathering and not 4 or 5?
Fri, May 2, 2008 - 9:56 AMIn San Diego, local family get together many times a year and go camping. All you need to do is pick a campground
and a weekend and invite a bunch of foks you know to join you. It's not a "Rainbow" thing, it's just friends camping - friends who all like to go to gatherings.
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Re: Why only one large gathering and not 4 or 5?
Fri, May 2, 2008 - 10:30 AMI don't know what you mean by 'Rainbow-ordained', but the answer to 'just why does it have to all be involved with that group?' is that you're posting to the Rainbow Gathering tribe. The events posted here will of course be Rainbow.
There's plenty of other events both large and small that aren't Rainbow Gatherings that many Rainbows go to.
Also, the Magic of Rainbow is that EVERYONE's a focalizer. If you want something to happen, you ask folks to get together with you to make it happen. That's how SCROLL started. One person was really wanting more Rainbow activity in Sandy Eggo, he called a meeting and invited every Rainbow he knew in the area. We came out of it with monthly potlucks and monthly drum circles and occasionally a regional gathering. If you want something non-rainbow but with rainbows participating, just ask for that.
Many of the regionals I've gone to weren't that organized...in fact, the B.C. one that I went to seemed like just a (fairly small) campout in the woods. In fact, there have been very few regionals I've been to that seemed anything other than disorganized (I'm not complaining--that's the magic of rainbow). On the national level, I think there's folks who've always tried to organize things and in the end it usually comes out to naught, unless you're bringing your own kitchen or camp. It works on that level. Folks have frequently tried to organize CALM, and it only occasionally works, and usually with folks getting their feathers rumpled.
As far as money is concened....I'm not sure that folks have ever had lots of money to do things. Even folks working with the national gathering frequently complain of not having money. Many use their own money. Many just manifest 'miracles.' The main thing that's different these days (is it really that different?) is the cop scene. Unless you're hard core, having a get-together with more than 75 and not signing a permit could create a lot of challenges. Most Rainbows just come to have a Gathering, not get arrested/harrassed, etc. At the national, we outnumber just about anything they can throw at us, so it behooves them to try to negotiate (I'm mixed about whether it behooves us, though--I'm old school). Get a smaller event of say 100 folks together and you don't have the same leverage. I think I'd rather be with a group of Earth First!ers than with Rainbows at that size...
eriol -
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Re: Why only one large gathering and not 4 or 5?
Fri, May 2, 2008 - 7:25 PMOk here it is, I am not trying to sound like an ass, and i am not dumb, I know that this is RAINBOW TRIBE...but i thought, and guess i was wrong, that we were all familia here, ...I was just frustrated that everything 'rainbow gathering 'oriented seemed to make some folks feel left out cuz it only happens big once a year, and in one place. And while we would all love to go, we don't all get to.....And then i was wondering why it seemed like one core small specific group ran it all. I have no way of getting involved with the inner working and was looking for answers not fingers shaken at me and talked to like a dumb lost child, I just wasn't feeling the love...I guess i am just getting turned off of the spirit of it...But I was not trying to bring the focus on me. I apologize. I was looking or info, ideas, suggestions, kindness.... I just got pissed i suppose. But now i am just feeling like i have to defend my self and that's crap . So i suppose that if I could trouble you folks for kind suggestions that would be great...pm me. (thanks eriol and the person that mention random camping with pals...) -
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Re: Why only one large gathering and not 4 or 5?
Fri, May 2, 2008 - 8:56 PMIt's not my experience that one core group of people run the national nor is it my experience that there's only one gathering a year. Before the Rainbow regs, you could live your entire year from one gathering to another. There's fewer now, to be sure, but I heard of no less than 5 U.S. regionals last year (and one in the NW). As far as who organizes....sometimes there's folks who THINK and PRETEND they're the organizers, but reality always proves them different. I've been going since 1992--only missed 2 nationals since then--and I've more than once created council where 2 or 3 folks wanted to go behind the scenes and control things.
But in general, there's no one in charge. That's my experience. For me, all I've had to do is show up and I was involved, whether it be a kitchen, CALM, or doing legal work. No offense to the folks doing all this negotiating and organizing beforehand, but I haven't really seen that work very often through the years either. The Gathering has a life of its own and goes its own way. The cops may or may not keep their pre-gathering 'negotiated' agreements (they usually don't).
I guess I'm not fully understanding where you're coming from. Maybe it's the internet scene that's making it look like there's a core group? (Trust me, the cops have been looking for the 'leaders' since day one--if we were a family that depended on a core group we'd be done by now.) Maybe it was Karin's post saying we need more young folks to step up?
I do agree with Karin that I'd like to see a lot of younger rainbows taking on responsibilities, and I'd love to see some of the old-timers who spend their time getting in the way, get out of the way.
No offense or finger-pointing was intended. And I'm amazed that anyone at a Gathering would say they feel left out--in my more than 14 nationals, I've never heard that from anyone at a gathering. Ever. But that's at the gathering, on the land, with the people. I don't know much about what happens online.
eriol -
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Re: Why only one large gathering and not 4 or 5?
Mon, May 5, 2008 - 10:29 AMFocalizers.
In the years since we have been struggle with the government over permits, this term has fallen into disuse.
So while we have no organizers, we do have focalizers. Whoever stands up and decides something needs to
be done and motiviates other people to help do it is a focalizer. Who focalizes what can change from year to year
as people are called to do different things or are busy with other parts of their lives. Some people do focalize
the same thing year in and out. The same 3 or 4 people have been focalizing radio transmissions for
years and years while Welcome Home seems to be focalized by different people every year. And so it goes.
In terms of the annual gathering, often, but not always, many of the main focalizers are people who live in the
region where the gathering will be. Since the gathering moves around, so to do the focalizers as it's easier
to put a lot of energy into something happening close by.
There's a great (but old) rap on focalizing at www.welcomehome.org/rainbow/...atis.html
and other useful stuff at www.welcomehome.org/rainbow/...zers.html
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Re: Why only one large gathering and not 4 or 5?
Tue, May 6, 2008 - 1:00 AMWe all know the real reason why everybody on the west coast wants 4 or 5 nationals. It's so that y'all no longer have to travel out of your bubble to the east coast, every other year. Who, could blame you I have lived here for years. The thing is though the older you get and the more spread out your friends get the National gathering can act as vortex to reconnect with old friends, you have lost contact with.
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Re: Why only one large gathering and not 4 or 5?
Wed, May 7, 2008 - 8:33 AMi will be your friend! im in tacoma, WA and i know peeps in longview and portland that would loooove that, asamatterofact, during the summer months we all get down to the toutle and hang a LOT, and the country faire they go to. BUT nothing like the vibes of a true gathering, which is what i really would like to manifest in our area! im pregnant with a little un and have a 5 yr old, im due around summer time which makes the trek to gatherings tough. lets talk!!!
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