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The Sheepfold Annual Meeting was held on June 15, 2022 via zoom with twelve of our member communities represented. Here's a brief summary: - Our governance model (Sociocracy) has been more fully implemeted and includes 19 voices from 12 member communities serving on five circles. Evaluation of this model is ongoing and our adoption of this model will be reviewed next spring. Circle members have expressed that this model supports communication, relationships and collaboration. Ongoing training in Sociocracy is available for anyone interested. - Course offering projections were shared and members were invited to offer feedback. A new Level I Part 1 intensive was possible for this summer (and did occur in late June/early July); a Level III course begins in early August, a new Level I Year-Round course will begin in January, 2023 and a Level II course is being considered either in partnership with a community in Vancouver, BC or as a local intensive beginning in the summer of 2023 or 2024. - The financial report was presented; there are two new communities discerning membership for the coming year. - Each circle group (Coordination, Administration, Sociocracy, Formation Leader, Mission Guiding) introduced their work and invited new members.  Course Happenings Level 1: The year-round course that began in January 2020 wrapped up in November 2021 after being on pause for over a year. Six participants received certificates. A new year-round course began in January 2022 with 16 participants. Part 2 of the summer intensive that began last summer will finish July 10-15 of this year. Level 2 A Level 2 Summer intensive course was completed in August of 2021, and 5 people received certificates. In addition we began offering a year round version of Level 2 that meets once a month. That course will finish in June of 2022. Level 3 The first Sheepfold Sponsored Level 3 course is in the works. We have contracted with Autumn Domingue, a formation leader from Texas to offer the course. Joann Terranova will assist with this course. Registration will open in the coming months. This course will meet in 2022 on August 3-6, November 10-13, and in 2023 on February 16-19 , and July 12-16. Circle Updates Minutes from Circle meetings are available through the members-only portal at https://cgspnw.weebly.com/ Coordination Circle Coordinator: Joann Terranova, Members: Leanne Bergford, Trish Griswold, Trinka Hamel, Lorel McChesney, Connie Moretti,Julie Morris, Lynne Shioyama and Mary Trotter The Coordination Circle has met twice since the annual meeting, in November and January. We have focused on selecting the new Coordinator for the Coordination Circle. Joann Terrannova has had this role for the past 4 years. Using the Sociocracy selection process we first created a list of qualifications, and then engaged in nominations, discerning and consenting to the person holding the role. We ended up choosing Trinka Hamel for this role and she has agreed to serve for the next two years starting in June of 2022. We choose the new coordinator before the annual meeting in order to facilitate a smooth transition. We will ask for our member communities to consent to her serving in this role at our annual meeting this coming June. We have also been discerning a new member community to serve as the treasurer community. Holy Family in Kirkland has held this role since our founding in 2014. We are so grateful for their service. We are meeting with St. John’s Episcopal in Olympia to discuss their community taking on that role. Mission Guiding Circle Coordinator: Mary Trotter, Members: Sister Amata Christi, Katy Beedle-Rice, Leanne Bergford,Steven Hinz, RC Laird, Claudia Petursson and Joann Terranova, The Mission Guiding Circle met most recently on 1/14/22 and our next meeting is 4/1/22. Claudia is coordinating design and production of a prayer card with Montessori’s Secret of Childhood Prayer card to be provided to all course participants -- this is expected to be ready before the March Level I formation. Mission Guiding Circle members have committed to praying this prayer daily. Several members have reviewed the content of the public Sheepfold website and Joann is incorporating some of those changes. The Sheepfold is taking over the “shepherding” of the annual Sheepfold novena for 2022. Formation Leader Circle Coordinator Trinka Hamel, Members: Connie Moretti, Maria Muscado, Lynne Shioyama, Joann Terranova, Mary Trotter and Kim Ward, The circle met on 9/19/21 and will meet again 3/4/22. The circle considered the length of courses, with experimentation in Levels 1 and 2 to add additional day/s. Recognized formation leaders continue to meet for theological reflection and several catechists in discernment to become formation leaders have also begun this practice with Joann and Trinka. Several members of the formation circle met with Steven Byers of Helping Human Systems for six sessions to continue conversations about racial justice. Steven donated his time so this series was not an expense for the Sheepfold. Several action steps are underway to support justice practices in the Sheepfold. Members of the formation leader circle are in collaboration with communities in Vancouver, B.C., Billings, MT and Carlsbad, NM to offer CGS courses and mentor local catechists in their discernment to become formation leaders. Administration Circle Coordinator: Connie Moretti, Members: Kristin Abannanto, Lorel McChesney, Maria Muscado, Trinka Hamel and Julie Morris The Administration Circle met on 11/1/21 and will meet again 3/3/22. The Circle considered the current Sheepfold Membership and budget and determined that we have enough financial stability to offer a Level 3 course in 2022-2023, which will open for registration soon. Discussions were also held regarding course registration, attendance, make-up days, and hosting sites. The circle has begun to explore ways to make our administrative documents and processes more accessible and organized. The Sheepfold finances are currently handled by Holy Family Parish in Kirkland with Connie Moretti as the contact person. A new community needs to assume these responsibilities as of July 1, 2022 and several communities are considering this role. Future items for discussion include finding hosting sites for future formation courses and identifying volunteer opportunities within the Administration Circle. Sociocracy Implementation Circle Coordinator: Lorel McChesney, Members: Trish Griswold, Ruth Schuchman, Joann Terranova and Trinka Hamel The Sociocracy Implementation Circle last met on 6/9/21 prior to The Sheepfold Annual Meeting, and will meet again on 3/3/22. At our last meeting we collaborated to create a Summary of the Pandemic Year and a Sociocracy Update for the Annual Meeting. Each member of this circle is a member of one or more additional circles. Circle members were each tasked with gathering information from the Evaluation Rounds of work circle meetings that we attend as a way to determine how well Sociocracy is working for The Sheepfold. Using this information at our next meeting, we will determine what support and additional training might be needed as we continue to implement this new governance model. We have also added resources to the members only website to assist Sheepfold members when meeting in their respective circles and to increase knowledge of Sociocracy This past September, some of us viewed a documentary called Power to the Children that was offered by Sociocracy for All (SoFA). It highlighted how children in India use the sociocratic method in their Children’s Parliaments. Opportunities to learn more about sociocracy are ongoing, and include free introduction events on March 1 and April 3. Register for these free events here: https://www.sociocracyforall.org/events/ Welcome New Member Communities The Sheepfold welcomes three new members this year: St. Michael (Snohomish), Our Lady Queen of Peace (Sammamish) and Our Lady Star of the Sea (Bremerton). These communities are growing new atria in our region and we are excited to be supporting them and to be enriched by the gifts they bring to the Sheepfold. Meet a Member Community St. Patrick Parish in Tacoma is a founding member of the Sheepfold. CGS started there in 1997, making them the oldest atrium in our area. Read about the history and the fruits of CGS at St. Patrick here: Saint Patrick - Tacoma St. Patrick’s welcomes visitors to come for a tour or observation. Contact Kim Ward [email protected] or 253-383-2783  On June 17-19, the Sheepfold was able to offer it's first formation days since March of 2020. We gathered at St. Michael's Olympia for 3 days of Level 1 Formation.
On June 16 2021, we held our Annual Meeting. 20 people from our member communities gathered over Zoom. Screen Shot of the gathering below.  History: The Sheepfold Consortium began in 2014 with a handful of communities. At that time we hosted 1 to 2 courses a year. There was one local formation leader, and the administrative tasks were handled by 1 person assisted by a guiding group that met periodically. In the past two years our number of member communities has increased (from 9 to 20), we have 4 local formation leaders, and we are currently sponsoring 4 courses. This increased growth has meant that the work associated with the administration of the Sheepfold has increased as well. Sheepfold leadership is wondering if there is a structure that would better serve our organization. Response: In the fall of 2019 the Guiding Group established a study group to explore a governance model called Sociocracy to evaluate its tools and if it might be a good fit for our needs. After study, prayer and reflection, the Sociocracy study group shared this model at our annual meeting in June of 2020. We were drawn to this model because it appears to connect so much to the spirit of our work in CGS. It highlights collaboration and deep listening to each other. It also has some connections with Montessori education. Some thoughts from one of the study group members: The Sociocracy training and the work we have done to develop a governance model for The Sheepfold has grown me relationally, spiritually and intellectually. The beauty of the sociocratic or dynamic governance method is that it recognizes that "all human collaboration starts from connection, and connection can only happen when we are authentic and show up as who we are and how we are." Every voice is heard, each member's gifts are acknowledged, and relationship grows. At the same time, the method guides us to put aside personal desires and agendas so that we evaluate all things in regard to how they impact the carrying out of our group's aim. The method almost organically allows time and makes space for the Holy Spirit to move amongst us, raising up ideas, generating clarification and weaving together our thoughts. I so look forward to our meetings. They are life-giving and productive. - Lorel McChesney Some key features of Sociocracy are a circle structure, decisions made by consent, and the use of feedback. A sociocratic organization is organized in circles-- working groups of people who are responsible for different parts of the organization. These circles are linked together through a general circle or coordinating circle made up of members of the other circles. Circle meetings strive to listen to every voice and make decisions using a consent process. All decisions have built into them a time to evaluate to allow for changes and improvements. In June of 2020 Sociocracy model of governance was approved to use in the Sheepfold to be evaluated at the 2021 Annual meeting. This effort has been a bit slowed down due to the pandemic. At the end of February 2021 the Guiding Group (our former governance group) held it’s final meeting at which the coordinators for all the work circles were selected. Now each of our working circles is meeting. We hope to have the first meeting of the Sheepfold Coordination Circle in Late April or Early May of 2021. All of this work is helping to support the reopening of our courses when it is safe to do so. This is an exciting time in the life of the sheepfold as we embrace this new model to foster our connection and collaboration. Below are images from the Formation Leaders Circle and the Implementation Circle meetings.    Trinka Hamel was recognized as a Formation Leader by our National Association in early October. Here you see her signing her first certificates. Congratulations Trinka, and thank you for sharing your gifts in our Sheepfold.
The Sheepfold Annual Meeting for 2019 was held on May 28, 2019 at St. Charles Borromeo, 7112 South 12th St., Tacoma, 98465. Please read below for the meeting minutes.
 In November the Sheepfold Level 1 for 2015 held its final session at St. Michael Parish in Olympia. Here is a group picture.
Come for an afternoon of reflection, sharing and work with materials
for all involved in the work of the Atrium Saturday, December 5, 2015 St. Leo Church in Tacoma 12:00-4:45pm (St. Leo has Mass at 5:00pm) Lunch: baked potatoes and drinks are provided, please bring a topping to share Please RSVP to Trinka Hamel Join Rebekah Rojcewicz as she speaks about how adults are called to share in the spiritual riches of children on Thursday, July 9, 2015, at 7 P.M. at Saint Patrick Catholic Church.
“Led by the Children: Exploring Jesus’ Call to Adults” is a free adult educational opportunity. Rebekah is known world wide for her work with scripture scholar Sofia Cavalletti. She is a renowned Catechesis of the Good Shepherd Formation Leader, translator for Sofia Cavalletti, catechist for 30 years and author. This will, no doubt, be an evening you won’t want to miss. Invite your friends and family. This is an ecumenical talk for people of all faiths Contact Kim Ward at [email protected] for more information. |
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