Community Development Society

Cascadia/New Frontier Chapter (formative):

1999 CDS Conference Theme

A group of 17 met on Tuesday, December 16th to develop a theme for the 1999 conference of the International Community Development Society. Ron Hustedde, Vice President and President Elect flew in from Kentucky to join us. Here are the notes from the meeting.

The goal was to choose a theme which would meet the needs of ICDS and the local region. It needs to be a theme which will:

• attract participants
• be of major interest to local community developers
• attract speakers/presenters
• attract funders
• tie in cutting edge theory and practice
• be fun
• build new relationships
• be part of an on-going process, not a discrete event in Spokane
• have spin offs
• add to local capacity
• be self sustraining financially

These themes and theme fragments were suggested:

• Re-Imaging Community: healing, spirituality, conversations
• "Being Into Light". every new age is preceeded by darkness (Natives see this as an era of darkness and oppression.)
• How to move into the new millenium?
• Inclusion: New Approaches to sustainability.
• New Myths, New Definitions (disposable)
• Spirituality and CD
• Re-imaging Community...cutting edge approaches
• Building Civic Democracy
• Self Reliance (Read COMMON FIRE)
• Building Community thriu participation and dialogue (Wheatley, Kettering, Civic Journalism)
• Rethinking Community: Self Reliant Communities in the face of Globalization
• What can we learn from indiginous people?
• The Healing Century: at Community, Ecological, Personal Levels
• Community Empowerment..different meanings and models
• Effects of technology on CD (economically)..who is being left out?
• Feeding Yourselves...Stop being dependent on External Resources, How to be sustainable
• The Myth of the rugged independence of the North West
• Theme around children: community dev. perspectives..partnering, child neglect
• Celebration of What's Good and Where We Have Been
• Weaving theFabric of Community..Missing Pieces-Embracing Diversity, Waterfall in Quilts,
• Holograph focus
• Surge For Neighborhood
• Searching for Identity In the New Millenium
• Reflection...looking back, looking ahead
• Youth and Adult Mentoring
• THE RULES HAVE CHANGED (Al Boss, detailed handout at meeting)
• New Models, New Methods, New Millenium (Marilyn Trail, handout)

Important Conference Qualities to Remember:

• Recognize and figure out how to include others not at the conference (virtual conference?, electronic connections)
• Local Input
• Do things differently then demonstrate it
• Have youth partners actively engaged
• Get this on-line before and after
• Interaction between citizens outside CDS
• Local participation

There was discussion about the time line of the conference...being the last conference of the first millenium, was it important to celebrate the successes of the past and present, before leaping into the theme of "What's new, What's next?" The conference in the years 2000 and 2001 can do that theme well.

The meeting adjourned without a definite theme being chosen, but the strong threads of a theme emerging.

Subsequent discussion at lunch and dinner led us to the direction of having a theme of Celebrating the Living Treasures of CDS which have been manifested by BUILDING UPON THE BEST CDS PRACTICES. We can seek nominations for best CD practices in the Spokane Region and celebrate those accomplishments before moving on.

We need to let the Board of CDS know our wishes by their meeting on Feb. 10th.

Several of you have called me to ask how you can contribute to the conference planning. We will be having another meeting in early January.

Here is a list of committees for the Local Arrangements, all of whom will be coordinating with Florine Dooley and partners from our professional meeting planners: TMI based in Coeur d'Alene.

Co-Chairs:  Marilyn Trail and _____________

Rural Tours:  Lois Irwin and _____________
Fund Raising: _____________ and ___________
Registration: Florine Dooley and _______________
Marketing and Promotion: Dorothy Spoerhase and ____________
Sponsors: Don Higgins and ________________
Pre-Conference Workshops: Bob Howell and _______________
Exhibits: Velma Riddle and ________________
Facilities and Logistics: Pauline Posey and _________________
Concurrent Sessions: _______________ and ________________
Sunday Reception: Bonnie Mead, Brenda Cook
Web Wizard, Electronic Conferencing: James Bradshaw and _________

Please think about where you would like to contribute, and let me know. I am also looking for a co-chair, since all operations should be covered by more than one person. As Florine Dooley says, "You never know who is going to run off with a guitar player."

I am in the process of getting a budget for the funds we need to have in advance of this summer's conference in Kansas City, where we will be promoting the Spokane Conference, and in advance of the Spokane Conference. There are expenses which need to be covered before the registration monies are gathered.

We do have a sponsor for the opening reception from WSU Spokane! Thank you, Bill Gray.

BEST HOLIDAY WISHES TO EACH OF YOU.

Marilyn Trail