Community Meeting Invitation – October 2023

October 12, 2023 by St. Johnsbury Center

St. Johnsbury Shambhala Center folks are invited to take part in a hybrid Community Meeting on  Thursday, October 12, 5:30-7 pm at Karmê Chöling. Please join us in the Main Shrine Room if you can, or on Zoom.

The purpose is to bring us up to date on our current life and start a conversation about our hopes and wishes for the Center’s future.

We hope you will take the time to read these important reports, then consider your questions and thoughts ahead of the meeting in order to optimize our efforts.

Recent History

Our Center transitioned to an on-line format soon after the COVID-19 pandemic began by holding Wednesday’s Learn to Meditate and Sunday Sitting on Zoom. When our lease expired during the pandemic, we decided not to renew it and became a virtual Center. As group activities began again we held some of our own events at Karmê Chöling, making ad hoc payments for use of their space. Along the way Tom Bryer, Madge Rossinoff, and Tune Faulkner retired, and newer members were appointed to fill vacant roles:

  • Victor Caamano to Shambhala Liaison
  • Andrea Knowles to Membership Coordinator
  • Chuck Slotkin to Member-At-Large
  • Karen Starr to Secretary, and
  • Paul Fixx to Moderator

The new group took a while to find their way, which eventually led to a process of Visioning that you can read about here.

Practice & Education

Read a report from Practice and Education here.

Membership

The membership of the St. Johnsbury Meditation Center community has diminished since the closure of the physical center, the retirement of Council members in leadership roles, and the restructuring of Shambhala Global.

As of Sept 26, there are 28 dues paying individuals which is down from 48 in 2019. Our database includes 388 people who have some connection with us. Of those 193 are shown as members or friends.

–Andrea Knowles, Membership Coordinator

Finance

Currently the center has assets of about $23,000. Income is about $700/month with expenses of about $125/month. Of that monthly expense, $67/month is transfers to Shambhala Global Services. The rest is for web services and post office box fees. The discretionary expenses consist of paying for events such as the summer solstice gathering, Shambhala Day, the picnic at Greg and Tunes and scholarships. Year to date, income is about $7000 and expenses are about $6700. About half the spending was honoraria to Tom Bryer, retreat time at KCL and program fees for his trip to Nepal in recognition of his ten years of service as director.

Dues are down significantly since 2019. That year monthly dues were about $1500/month, now they are near $700/month. From what people tell me, the main reasons are that the center doesn’t need the money, disengagement, and some shifting support to SMR.

In my view, the center is in a healthy place financially. We have funds for events and can offer scholarships to people in need.

One point worth mentioning is that the actual ownership of this money is technically Shambhala. We do not have a separate tax ID. So all spending must be in accord with IRS guidelines for 501(c)(3) and per Shambhala’s charter. If we choose to separate from Shambhala, our funds would revert to Shambhala unless we negotiate an alternative such as a transfer to KCL.

So the center’s finances are healthy relative to the current level of spending. Were we to pursue having our own physical space again, substantial fund raising would be needed.

-David Hollocher, Treasurer

Shambhala International Affiliation & Shambhala Global Services

Our center has been affiliated with Shambhala since it was formed. Much positive work is being done by the Shambhala Board, perhaps the most visible to us is the creation of a Global Community Council consisting of 19 constellations (we are US Northeast). Organized to create a more collaborative Interconnected organization across the world. Our representatives are Alley Smith and Alexander Garbera.

With the reorganization of Shambhala, a new International Charter and new Affiliation Policies have been developed that we’ve been asked to sign going forward. A letter from the Shambhala Board with text of the agreements is here. After studying those agreements, learning about the benefits of remaining affiliated (details here), and much deliberation, Council came to agree that our ability to remain a Center required signing those agreements and was prepared to recommend doing so at this meeting. Recent Shambhala legal issues have changed our thinking and we’d like to hear from our members before proceeding. You can read about what’s affected our thinking here in VT Digger, and in the Caledonian Record here if you have a subscription. Here is the VT Supreme Court decision denying Shambhala’s request that the case be dismissed.

-Victor Caamano, Shambhala Liaison

Next Steps

Please join us Thursday and add your voice to those of others in helping guide our Center.

“We are always in transition, if you can just relax with that, you’ll have no problem.” -Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche