August 16, 2008  10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.             Carolina Living & Learning Center (CLLC)

Greetings fellow ECOmmunity travelers:

Your Invitation
Last November a small group of folks met to talk about the possibility of creating a unique community within Pittsboro. This is an invitation to take the next step (or the first, if you weren’t a part of that initial gathering) of an unusual and exciting journey into what some folks refer to as “Co-Housing.”  But our journey promises to be more than that.  This is co-housing PLUS (what I like to think of as “ECOmmunity building”).

I am Gary Simpson, and I’ve been tapped on the shoulder by Tami (Schwerin) and Lyle (Estilll) to assemble a team for this exciting project.  Like the quarterback in a sand lot football game, it’s my job to bring us into a huddle, scribble some plays in the dirt and get us to the scrimmage line.  In the coaching box is a legend of the game, Giles Blunden, www.blundenstudio.com  who knows how to find the end zone and enjoys the journey that leads folks there.

The Game Plan
Here’s the game plan.  We restart the clock (after a long time out since last November), take the field, call the huddle, count noses and run the first play.  Anyone who wants to play shows up at the stadium* shortly before kickoff at 10:00 a.m. with food and beverages** to share.  We have a potential for over 40 players and a good variety of foods for our community meal.  Players will also have completed their pre-game homework***.

1. The first half belongs to the presenters Tami, Lyle and Giles:
Tami will take us through some welcoming warm ups and calisthenics.
Lyle will give us a geography lesson, and regale us with the wonders of the 40 acre woods that could provide the soil for a dream to be planted and bear fruit.  We’ll hear of Lyle’s personal vision for the marrying of a unique residential community linked to an established industrial agribusinesses site.
Giles will shower us with his knowledge and expertise as a leader in co- housing ventures, and his enthusiasm for this co-housing PLUS project.  We’ll learn about the nuts ‘n bolts of the intense community building process that eventually will place houses on the ground along with all the other ideas that are hatched along the way.  And we’ll hear how people from varying walks of life and economic means can hope to buy into this ECOmmunity venture.

2. The second half belongs to everyone,
It’s a time for Q and A, and an opportunity for everyone to briefly introduce themselves.
You will have already been given the chance to tell the story of your interest in and emerging dreams for the future of this project. This information will have been posted (with your permission) in advance of the gathering for other team members to read.

3. The Post Game Party.  
Then its post game party time with food and fellowship, and a preview of the next step in the process.

Your Response
Please respond directly to  gsimpson@nc.rr.com indicating whether you:

• WILL be participating in the August 16 meeting…
• will NOT be participating in the August meeting, but DO wish to be informed of future meetings…
• will NOT be participating in the August meeting, and do NOT wish to be informed of future meetings.

Best regards,
Gary Simpson – QB

*stadium (meeting place)
Carolina Living & Learning Center (CLLC) multipurpose building.  This facility is located on Russet Run, which is directly across from the entrance to Northwood High School just north of Pittsboro and the 15/501 – 64 bypass interchange.  Then turn left off Russet Run at the end of the blacktop into CLLC and park in front of the first building on your right.

**food & beverages
Bring your own beverage of choice (water will be provided) and a favorite meal item to share (last name A-N bring entrée; last name O-Z bring desert).

***homework
Read:
http://www.cohousing.org/what_is_cohousing

http://theabundancefoundation.org/co-housing-characteristics

http://www.cohousing.org/cm/article/8steps

Write:
For your own clarity of understanding and for the edification of others, please share your motivation/s for responding to this invitation to gather on August 16 and/or to participate in this co-housing + venture.  Write as much or little as you wish in whatever manner you choose that feels comfortable to you.  Having said that, as a part of this document, please consider including:
your name/s

• a brief description of your current living situation (what kind of structure, location, grounds, neighborhood, homeowners’ assn, etc.)
• a brief description of your ideal living situation (including all or part of the above mentioned components).
• A brief description of some of the gifts/strengths you believe you possess.

Send this as an email attachment saved as a MS Word file –OR- Rich Text Format (RTF) to gsimpson@nc.rr.com

[Note: It is the intent of this exercise to share your writing with the other people who have received the invitation to participate in the gathering.  This can facilitate our getting to know one another, reveal where we are in our personal journey toward co-housing community,