Next

After the Aiki in Higher Education mini-conference a group gathered to discuss AE's immediate future, including Don Levine, Aviv Goldsmith, Ross Robertson, Tesfaye Tekelu, Jason Finkes, Bill Leicht, Rob Kent, Jonathan Miller-Lane, and Brandon WilliamsCraig taking these notes.

Don's agenda

1. Distrib discuss "new mode" of organization
2. discuss central management - to be continued in ExeCom
   
3. report on website committee
4. Mideast Aikido Project
5. New TAB seminar proposal
   

DL: New Mode reforms into Teams/Groups of more or less three persons. don continues to flesh out - the RED people have already expressed interest, with underlining indicating  central figure. Each group has a BoD member who will join in the regular BoD teleconference. ExeCom presides over whole thing. Assigning to one person is iffy in a volunteer organization. If no critical mass emerges we drop the initiative. The group reviewed Don's spreadsheet indicating the new teams.

Don will put together a Newsletter together in a week and then again a month later.

Bill Leicht believes Shelley Wax (NPR Santa Barbara) is best at P.R. We should also ask Kathy Crum.

Don would like a Report: state of the tech/media resources online and methods for use. Brandon will deliver in beginning of December.

Financial Oversight discuss

Solicitations of large donations

Brandon reports on web development committee

Product Development should continue apace, including DVD's, manuals, TShirts,

Speaker's Bureau: Bill and Jamie are making the rounds. Promise to dojos: list of resources, once a year someone will come and offer a class and give a talk. Each dojo has agreed to one fundraiser. DL wants dojos to adopt projects and divert their fundraising in that direction.

JZ tons of projects: are we going to focus on fewer for a while

What about Columbia, the Phillipines, etc.?

AG: BoD agreed at Two Rock to focus on Brazil, Ethiopia, Peace Dojos, and Shalaam Shalom. If there are specific funding plans needed the programs will develop and return to the Board.

RR if we are successful projects will multiply virally. To what are we in the business of doing porjects vs facilitating others in doing theri thing? Over reaching is a problem inherent in extension. Clearing house, home for leadership, etc.

BL confusion between aiki activist community and organization that is AE. Much value produced not currently on the books. We've never fed a central organization because there have never been resources.

Next TAB proposal: Jordan (Jamie) or Istanbul island (Miles) in 2009 or 2010? Two TAB fundraising events in San Diego so far but the local aikido organizations hardly talk. Training Across Organizations (TAO) is another value add for AE.

CP Now there MUST be a funded central organizational structure. AE has a sequencing problem. Stable feet before arm movement.

RK If "aikido is a way to heal the world" we are the ones trying to prove him right. Imagine having the tool to heal the world and not using it.

BL perhaps we ought not consider doing everything with nothing any more. From hope and poverty to hope and richness. Folks in Columbia while Lua Branca's Michael Nina has an eye operation in LA. Value to and from him in the process. He will bring two with him for a US tour.

JF putting your self in someone else's self before walking in their shoes (otherwise the shoes won't fit).

Closing Statements