Community Development Society

Cascadia/New Frontier Chapter (formative)

MEMORANDUM
TO: All Members of the Community Development Society in Far Western Canada and the United States Included in a 1997 Survey of Interest in Forming a Cascadia/New Frontier Chapter of the CDS and Other CDS Members Expressing an Interest in a Cascadia/New Frontier Chapter.
FROM: Robert E. Howell, Extension Sociologist and Marilyn Trail, County Agent
DATE: September 23, 1997
SUBJECT:
  • Summary of 1997 Cascadia/New Frontier Chapter Interest Assessment Survey
  • Report on Chapter Organizational Meetings at 1997 International CDS Conference in Athens
  • First Meeting of Cascadia/New Frontier Chapter, October 17 and 18.

We are pleased to send you a summary of the 1997 assessment of CDS member interests in forming a Cascadia Chapter of the CDS, and we are especially pleased to announce an organizational meeting of the new North American Far Western Regional Chapter on October 17 and 18, 1997. Summary information is provided below and in three enclosures.

We wish to note that during the October meeting one item of business will be settling on the name of the new chapter. At this time we are following the recommendations of people who originally came up with the idea of a Cascadia Chapter that would reach out to and serve many CDS members in the western U.S. and Canada. We recognize that many of you living in the great western plains, deserts and high plateau country do not relate to the Cascade Mountains. A broader meaning of "cascade" is a flow of water or energy, connecting at nodes (from electrical engineering), which seems very applicable to community development. Knowing this maybe our members in attendance this October will call it Cascadia. On the other hand we might call it the Far Western North America Chapter. Whatever the name, we want you to feel that you have a home and a close support group of colleagues in the new CDS chapter.

If you cannot attend the meeting, and want your voice to be heard on the name choice, please inform us.

Chapter Interest Assessment

We are pleased to report that 84% of the respondents to the June 1997 Cascadia Chapter Interest Survey responded with an YES. We are also pleased to report that a strong nucleus of CDS members from the western U.S. and Canada, in attendance at the 1997 CDS meetings in Athens, also enthusiastically supported the idea of forming a regional chapter in Western North America. A summary of those meetings is noted in the next item.

Report from Chapter Organization Meetings in Athens
Two highly enthusiastic and creative meetings were held during the 1997 CDS annual international conference in Athens. A summary of the survey was reported at the first organizational meeting and again, briefly, at the second meeting. Then the group brainstormed about the purposes of the regional chapter of the Society and how we could creatively operate to support member needs.

First meeting of new chapter
With the urging of CDS colleagues in Athens and on the occasion of J.D. Kretzmann, coauthor of Building Communities from the Inside Out (with John McKnight), making presentations in Spokane, the first meeting of what we are now calling the Cascadia Chapter will be held in this city. Mark Settle, CDS president, will also be joining us. Please note the opportunity to learn and serve at Kretzmann's "By Invitation Only" Community Skill Building Workshop on Saturday, Oct. 18th. If you are not a member of Spokane's Neighborhood Councils but would like to attend as a resource person, be sure to fax in your registration (no fee) to Jim Pippard (509) 359-6475. You will be notified by Oct. 16th if you are selected to attend.

We hope you will be interested in joining the new chapter of the Community Development Society to be officially organized on October 17. After that date you will receive membership information.

Please join us on the 17th and 18th. We will conceptualize and organize a creative, new information age chapter of the Community Development Society, learn from J.D. Kretzmann and our president, Mark Settle, and celebrate as well.

If you are receiving this electronically and you cannot obtain the attachments to this memo because of incompatibilities in programs, please send an e-mail message to howellr@wsu.edu and we will mail you a hard copy of the information. Also, if you have e-mail, but are receiving this by snail mail, please e-mail your address to both Bob and Marilyn (trailm@wsu.edu).

Thank you and best wishes.

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