permaculture

[Katherine Steele <kat@steelemoon.com>]

Hi Antonio-

I'm a member of the dynamic East Bay Permaculture Guild (local) in  
Oakland, California and the Urban Permaculture Guild (still local but  
growing towards national and international).  I am part of the team  
that put this template for Permaculture Guilds together.  It was  
mainly authored by my friend and colleague Benjamin Fahrer. It's been  
very useful for a starting ground for several local guilds here,  
Sonoma, San Francisco and East Bay specifically.  There was some  
resistance to pieces of it but mainly our group has adopted it as a  
structure for us to learn together in.  We've had anywhere from 35 to  
5 people attend meetings and Garden Wheel Days.  Many wonderful  
friendships and collaborations have come for our group. We've been  
meeting for about 2 1/2 years and there was a Bay Area Guild before  
us that I don't know much about...

We do most of our communication via a local internet list like this  
one and meet monthly face to face.  Posting flyers at the local  
ecology center/cafes etc..  also helped in getting folks to join and  
attend.

As a guild we've hosted a Permaculture Bike Tour, designed public  
space at SF Garden Show and the Green Festival and volunteered on  
several community garden projects, city repair natural building  
projects at Merritt Community College, the Alameda Point  
Collaborative permaculture sites and other sites around town.

Hope this helps you in Barcelona.  Let me know what you think!

Peace and Solidarity in Organizing Groups for Positive Change
~Kat
http://www.urbanpermacultureguild.org


Permaculture Guild
 Organizational Format
For the long term sustainability of the Guilds
Authored by

 The Bay Area Region of the Permaculture Alliance of California





            This is a template to use as a guide to help you set up  
a permaculture guild in your local community.  This format is based  
off of guilds formed in the San Francisco Bay area that had first  
been formed loosely and without much structure.  Over the course of  
18 months much was learned through trial and networking via cross  
county and recognizing patterns as the guilds developed.

            In order to legitimize the guilds this structure was  
developed pulling from the general model of natural patterning and  
the core permaculture process. In turn these guilds are developing  
into groups that are organized and linked together that form a  
regional guild.  The Regional Guild is made of Professionals within  
the field of permaculture, while the smaller localized groups consist  
of a wider range of people who have integrated permaculture into  
their daily practice, however they are not necessarily certified  
permaculture designers.  The Regional guild is a networking hub; its  
primary function is to provide support to permaculturists in the  
field and in the practice of teaching P/C to others.  It also helps  
host workshops and events as well as provides mutual aid and  
protection to people within the Permaculture movement.  Below is the  
basic structure and template that is divided into these two groups.  
First, how localized groups are organized and secondly how the  
regional guild ties in.

The first structure shows how local guilds can be organized. The  
second structure we see the movement. Each local guild has customized  
the structure to accommodate their focus, size and overall scale they  
choose to function within the community.   At the regional level we  
become well organized and prepared for the restoration of cultural  
decisions. At each level the integrity of Permaculture is of utmost  
importance and a commitment to the core ethics and principles is  
essential for the guild and members of it.



Each regional guild operates independently yet is apart of the  
greater whole.  The Permaculture Alliance of California (PAC) is in  
the process of formulating it’s connections with all the regions,  
with each region acquiring non-profit sponsorship from established  
Permaculture Institutes. We hope to complete this process within the  
next 3 years. Due to involvement of members and the critical energy  
mass, certain localized guilds are obtaining Fiscal sponsorship of  
other non-profits in order to operate more readily and independently.



 The PAC is also forming an interlacing relationship with the newly  
forming Pacifica Association of Permaculture Institutes and  
Teachers.  This Association spans the whole West Coast from Canada to  
Mexico and includes Hawaii, providing a much-needed network for the  
Pacifica region.



Taking the zonation concepts of permaculture and applying them to  
this format we see the edges more distinct.


·       Zone 1 Local Guild Structure

·       Zone 2 Permaculture Alliance of California , PAC,  Regional  
Guild structure

·       Zone 3 Pacifica Association of Permaculture Institutes and  
Teachers

·       Zone 4 North American Permaculture

·       Zone 5 International Permaculture Community, Global Scale




Template


Each element listed below is structured through the PC lens with the  
core ethics and principles being represented.  Those ethics being;  
Care of the Earth, Care of People, and The cyclical return of the  
abundance of surplus to further the first two.  The principles are  
much more elaborate yet the main ones being stressed in this template  
are; see the problem as the solution, Every element serves multiple  
functions, the design is theoretically unlimited and the least change  
for the greatest effect.





Localized Guild Structure


The local guild operates through

·       Building personal relationships

·       Becoming more connected with fellow permaculturists

·       A Garden Wheel

·       Local Sustainability Groups

·       Permaculture projects



Building personal relationships. The primary function of local guilds  
is to build personal relationships that help foster a culturally rich  
community.

Becoming more connected with fellow permaculturists. To stay inspired  
and networked with all the positive solutions that we as  
permaculturists are doing

A Garden Wheel. The meeting format, Rotating from site to site to  
come together and put our energy into our own home zones, Planting  
seeds and growing food and habitat as a collective.

Local Sustainability Groups. The actions of the local guild is  
implemented through already established groups that are carrying out  
the ethical intention of Permaculture; if none exist then the local  
guild takes on this task and assumes responsibility.

Permaculture projects, as a guild we move out into our greater  
watershed to design and implement as many permaculture projects as  
possible to restore, revitalize and regenerate natural systems that  
have been impacted by our human practices. These are organized or  
freestyle projects.


Being a Member of a Local Guild


Membership to a guild offers;
·       A quarterly Newsletter from the PAC Regional guild, which  
includes update of events/calendar, workshops hosted by the regional  
guild, features of guild members, and much more. Insert from local  
guild.

·       A local directory; hard or soft copy upon request.  Has  
contact info as well as areas of interest and skill set of all local  
guild members.

·       Opportunity to be connected in numeral ways to projects and  
events put on by locally affiliated groups within the PAC network.


To become a member one is encouraged and needs to

·       Pay memberships dues -- Annual Memberships dues $20 to $30  
(or sliding scale TBD)

·       Attend at least three garden wheel events per year

·       Volunteer at an event hosted by the regional guild if available

·       Pledge allegiance to the Earth

·       Have the foundational concepts, equivalent of an Intro to  
Permaculture Course or workshop.


The cycle of a local guild

·       Garden Wheel Meetings/work parties happen at least every  
other month, 6  to 12  annually

·       Any subcommittees meetings take place either at these garden  
wheel gatherings, as breakout groups or in between.

·       Major Decisions are processed on Consensus

·       These Garden Wheel events are structured as a one day work  
party with an optional potluck, depending on the host. To assess,  
vision and plan and implement.  They will rotate throughout the local  
bioregion.

·       All those assigned roles are committed to making these  
gatherings and are allowed leave for special circumstances.

·       An annual Permaculture Convergence will take place in which  
all members of the PAC and local Guilds are encouraged to attend,



Positions and Roles of a local guild
These positions help give a basic structure so the local guild stays  
function throughout the business of the year. They are clearly  
defined so folks know what they are committing to and the workload is  
not all held by one or two individuals. These roles are basic and can  
be elaborated upon greatly.

1.      Facilitators – Help coordinate structural aspects and living  
agendas at working meetings

2.      Note takers – records important information

3.      Time keepers – Keeps events and meetings on time to respect  
peoples schedules

4.      Directory – Supplies a list of local guild members for  
networking, in charge of new member sign up.

5.      Garden Wheel Coordinator – Is in charge of the wheel’s list  
and making sure that the host is notified and if anything is needed  
will help rally resources

6.      Host – Spoke in the wheel, Pulls on the support of people in  
the guild and orchestrates a work party at their site, coordinates  
potluck if desired.

7.      Regional Delegate – Is committed to attending PAC regional  
meetings to inform the regional guild of the happenings of their  
local guild

8.      Local community liaison- Is point person between the guild  
and what’s up in local community groups

9.      Livelihood networker- Contact person for lining up public  
interest of projects with skilled guild members via directory






*** This template and process is still under development and plans to  
complete it’s initial phase by Jan. 2004, meaning local guilds will  
implement this design.  It is noted that the function and structure  
of the guilds is meant to grow and change.  At every Annual  
convergence of the PAC, the process will be re-assessed and modified  
appropriately by the local guild that is applying it.

** Additional notes on how it ties together  **

For those who want to plug in on the local level, Zone 1.  We have  
local guilds (similar to those that we have been setting up). However  
they are free to organize and mobilize however they feel fit, utilize  
other local groups to best channel their efforts and do local  
permaculture projects, get others inspired and so on.

The other level, stepping out to Zone two is the regional level that  
operates a little more formal and with a coherent structure with a  
level of professionalism.  This body will seek non-profit status or  
find sponsorship through an already established Permaculture  
Institute, meet seasonally and schedule courses classes and events.  
Put out a newsletter, a directory and be a representational body of  
permaculture to help support and guide local guilds.  The regional  
board will consist of reps from each local guild and meet more as a  
council.  Those that make up the regional membership are PCD graduates.
These regions form the Permaculture Alliance of California, where  
these regions can network and become a stronger and wider movement,  
share resources and directory, newsletters etc.

Zone 3 takes it to the newly forming Permaculture Association, The  
Pacifica Association of Permaculture Institutes and Teachers, PAPIT.   
This group operates on the whole West Coast level and beyond out to  
Hawaii.

Zone 4 takes it to a national level.  The PAPIT merges with the East  
Coast alliance out of Earthhaven and is then connected on a national  
level.

Zone 5 is the Global Scale and ties it all together.

So with all that said take a moment a check out the doc. Guild  
Template 1.  The Bay area region is planning our first meeting in  
early April. Local Guilds are meeting monthly.



Regional Guild Structure


The regional guild operates through
·       Volunteers

·       Membership

·       Workshops and events

·       Community Support

·       A newsletter and directory


 Inner Workings - The Volunteers. All positions and roles fulfilled  
are volunteer based.  It is very important that every volunteer is  
supported and not overly criticized.  It will help tremendously if  
people rotate positions over the years to better understand all the  
positions and their demands.

Permaculture Community - The Members. Memberships are the key to the  
existence of a guild and serve as the contingent of folks who have  
dedicated themselves to the earth and to shifting the current  
paradigm into one that has the ability to sustain regenerative  
natural systems. Two types of members are active and supportive.  
Active members hold positions and are actively involved in the  
happenings and activities of the regional guild.  Supportive members  
contribute financially to the guild yet hold no major responsibility.

Bioregional Connection. Workshops and events are the fun and learning  
aspects of the guilds outward expression.   Mostly the focus of  
workshops is to bring in specialists to present their work and lead  
to a higher evolution of guild members.  Skill shares, work parties,  
potlucks, sustainability tours, special guest presentation and sacred  
ceremony are some examples.

Greater Community Support.  It is evident that our main work is to  
help cultivate a more permanent culture.  It is through the building  
of community that this metamorphosis takes place.  Permaculture is  
the ‘common’ ‘unity’ that this collective shares and everyone is  
present for supporting each other in their daily life and to  
cooperate not compete with the ideas and concepts that members have  
energy in pursuing.

PAC, Bringing it all together. A newsletter is put out once every  
season and is a report on all the happenings of the guild and it’s  
members.  The newsletter contains members contribution, project  
reports, seasonal reminders, calendar of events and future visioning.


Breakdown of Membership


Membership to the regional guild offers
·       A quarterly Newsletter, includes update of events/calendar,  
workshops hosted by guild, letter from president of the guild, other  
submissions from members

·       A directory; hard or soft copy upon request.  Has contact  
info as well as areas of interest and skill set of all guild members

·       Workshops; The guild will host a series of workshops that are  
open to all guild members within the PAC BAR, more reason to become a  
member

·       Opportunity to be connected in numeral ways to projects and  
events within the PAC network


To become a member one must
·       Be a certified PC designer

·       Pay memberships dues -- Annual Memberships dues $30 -$50 (or  
sliding scale TBD )

·       Attend at least one meeting per year

·       Volunteer at an event hosted by the guild

·       Pledge allegiance to the Earth

*All active members are required to attend all seasonal meetings.


The cycle of a Regional Guild

·       Meetings/retreats happen every season, 4  annually

·       Any subcommittees meetings happen in between main Meetings

·       Decisions are processed on Consensus

·       These main meetings are structured as a two-day working  
retreat. To assess, vision and plan.

·       They will rotate throughout the region

·       All those assigned roles are committed to making these  
meetings and are allowed leave for special circumstances.

·       A newsletter will put out every season (4 times a year)

·       An annual Convergence will take place in which all members of  
the PAC and local Guilds are encouraged to attend,


Positions and Roles
These positions are clearly defined as to give authority to certain  
individuals to assume responsibility within the guild. These  
positions are designed to change over time and most have the time  
commitment of a one-year cycle.  All position require one person  
taking the lead, however most roles are designed to be a group of  
people working together.

1.      Co-Presidents -Role is as meeting organizer, two people  
alternating and working together as a steering committee for the over  
all coordination of the guild, Facilitate in meetings


2.      Treasury- Deals with membership $ and finances as well as  
delegation of funds


3.      Secretary- Is in charge of notes being taken at meetings;  
refining important info for newsletter submission, Posts notes to  
lists of local guilds.


4.      Newsletter- Responsible for a newsletter coming out once  
every 4 months, subcommittee of 4


5.      Directory- Membership person, In charge of new member sign up  
and keeping a directory of all members and making that available to  
all members either by soft or hard copy


6.      Phone person- Calls everyone in guild when need be


7.      Workshop Coordinator- Is in charge of workshop organization,  
logistics, also finds teachers to fill courses and workshops that the  
guild hosts


8.      Events- helps to schedule and notify guild of events of  
interest, also is head of a committee to organize events


9.      Permatech- Deals with Web based material and interface


10.   Fundraising- any cottage industry and fundraising that the  
guild chooses to do


11.    Advertising and posting- in charge of doing any ad work for  
events, workshops, tours, and courses that guild hosts


12.    Hands-on Project coordinator- Projects that the guild would  
like to take on as a collective, any help people need on projects or  
want to give, this person helps facilitate,


13.    Tours- this person helps coordinate regional tours of sites  
that are examples of sustainability


14.  Art Director – Helps coordinates artistic aspects of the guilds’  
projects







*** This template and process is still under development and plans to  
complete it’s initial phase by Jan. 2004, meaning PAC and Bay area  
guild will implement this design.  It is noted that the function and  
structure of the guilds is meant to grow and change.  At every Annual  
convergence of the BAR, the process will be re-assessed and modified  
appropriately.