Creating an Amazing Gathering in Wyoming

Happy Earth Week Family!

I hope everyone is taking the time to be a local activist for the earth.

Questions of the day:

What is Front Gate?
What is Welcome Home?
(Answers are below)

As a follow up to Rainbow Magic & Patch Adams video, a long, long, long time gatherer
(going back to the first Rainbow Gathering in 1972 and before) sent me this story
from days gone past.

******Begin Patch Adams Story*********

Patch Adams talking in council at the Rainbow Gathering in Arizona, July 1979

I listened to Patch's rap in the council. It was all about hygiene and how simple things like handwashing and better dishwashing could help keep us healthier. He explained the fly-feces-food connection and how we had to break that string of connections in order to keep from getting the runs.

When he finished people cheered and clapped and he stepped outside the circle. I went up to him. "Patch, that was terrific. That was exactly the kind of thing this council needs to hear," I told him.

"No, you're wrong," He told me. "They didn't get it. They understood it. But I wasn't clear enough to get this circle to tell everyone else so the message really makes a difference."

"No, Patch, you did great," I said trying to be encouraging.

"Uh-uh." He shook his head smiling. "You come back tomorrow. I'm going make myself more clear."

The next day Patch returned to the council with a troupe of mimes. They were all dressed up in outlandish costumes. When Patch's turn in council came, first two people mimed using a latrine at the edge of the circle and there appeared two giant 'turds' - really people in gunny sack outfits - lying on the ground. Then two big ol' flies came a buzzin' round and round the circle. The crowd was in stitches. The flies landed on the poop. Munch, munch, munch!

Meanwhile the two people come returning from the dinner circle carrying a gigantic bowl. Oh, they're tired! Let's skip getting this dirty bowl washed...we'll just leave it outside the tent. So they lie down to sleep, zip the imaginary tent door and here come the flies! Buzzing onto the food crud dried on the edge of the bowl.

Patch is explaining how this why so many of us in camp have diarrhea. And how dishwashing can save the day. Everybody told everybody. In fact we're still telling everybody. Real teaching. Patch in his element, healing people by making them laugh.

*********END PATCH ADAMS STORY********

@@@@@@ GREAT NEWS FAMILY!

We have focalizers for creating a positive, loving Front Gate and Welcome Home!
However, they can't do it alone. So if you've been having an itch to make sure
folks coming home get greeted in a kind, loving fashion with a cup of coffee
or a pot of soup, please plan on helping out (volunteering) in these areas. If you want to be
involved in the pre-gathering planning for Front Gate and Welcome Home, send
me (kzirk at earthlink dot net) your contact info and I'll pass it on to the people I know involved in these efforts.

@@@@@@@@@@ SCOUTING HELP NEEDED

We need folks to go scouting (no experience necessary, just a willingness to learn).
We need folks to contribute some green energy to buy gas for people who are going scouting.

If you want to plug into the scouting effort, email
lovmontanamud at yahoo dot com
and attend the rendezvous with other scouts at the scout fire in Pinedale Wyoming the first week of May.

If you want to send some green energy - Money Orders can be sent to
Jim Anderson P.O.Box 2355, Livingston Montana 59047.

##### Join the movement for an amazing gathering in Wyoming

Don't forget, we're circling for Wyoming and building energy in San Diego every Sunday @ 1pm.
If you want to plug in, please join us. http://home.earthlink.net/~scrollinfo/BacktoBasics.pdf

As always, please copy and distribute this information freely.
Visit http://www.welcomehome.org or http://home.earthlink.net/~scrollinfo for more information.



######FRONT GATE ANSWER###############
Front Gate is on the road and you hit it driving into the gathering. The Front Gate Crew directs traffic on the road and gets you set up with a safe and legal parking spot (so you don't
get towed). The parking lot crew greets the world with hugs and info. They maintain an organized and secure parking area, and make an around the clock commitment that involves: greeting new arrivals, giving out information, traffic control, security, minor auto repair, maintaining a kitchen and fire circle, & an active Shanti Sena.

######WELCOME HOME ANSWER##############
Welcome Home is set up past the front gate, just before the main camping areas to meet & greet people as they enter the site on foot. It provides a place for people to rest from their journey, be informed about site specifics conditions, and receive copies of "Rap 107" and " Rap 701". A site map is posted.

Peace Symbol/Creating peace energy in Wyoming

Imagine having peace symbols made with rocks and pinecones and flowers all over the gathering. Wouldn't that be cool? PEACE SYMBOL TURNS 50 THIS YEAR!

We all know the Peace Symbol, which Americans of a certain age associate with the protests against the Vietnam War. Fewer know that the symbol is much older than that, dating back 50 years to an anti-nuclear protest in Great Britain!

Peace Symbol Turns 50!

Rainbow Magic & Patch Adams

What does Rainbow Magic Create?

Here's a forwarded email from a long time gatherer on Patch Adam's trip to Afghanastan so you can see for yourself.
Clowns not bombs on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=olFbPClkufU&feature=related

Love,
Karin


This 1 hr docu. of Patch's 2002 trip (with full clowning entourage) to Kabul was just uploaded to YouTube in 6 parts about 3 weeks ago. It was uploaded to the Italian channel misterno1978. While I'm sure Patch has no problema with this, someone else might get uppity and have it pulled (as happened to Farmer John just a week ago). So watch it soon just incase:
Patch Adams, Clown in Kabul
For anyone unaware, Patch was active with CALM back in the late '70's & early '80's. Then the Hollywood movie based on his life story, starring Robin Williams came out in 1998. Patch has been clowning around the world and campaigning for peace and better health care non-stop ever since.
---
This is a repeat of what I sent out on Patch last Dec, 2007:
Haven't seen him at Rainbow for many years, but he's still out cavorting around the planet, working for peace. Just talked to him by phone on Thanksgiving and thought I'd check at YouTube. He'd just returned from Russia and was home for a few days, before heading out to Venezuela. Enjoy! <>
Hilarious: (7 min.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNakIQLNuR4&NR=1
more:
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=patch+adams

San Diego's Rainbow Back to Basics Circle Round 1

So Sunday was the first day we held the Back to Basics Circle.

We were small in number, but in true Rainbow Magic the San Diego
version of Glowing Feather or Diamond Dave showed up and joined us.
Now mind you, this man had never heard of Rainbow before (or open mikes
for that matter), but he held hands with us as we circled,
then let loose with some beautiful love and spirit filled poetry raps
that would challenge the best the gathering has to offer
and he was a 40 to 50 year old self professed virgin.

He sat with us in circle and shared thoughts and ideas in
poetic rap format. Amazing. And very mystical. He apparently
lives near the park and there's been a Rainbow Circle in
that approximate location for over ten years and yet
the first time he connected with us was to join the
Back to Basics Circle.

My hope for Sunday's circle was to talk about the importance
of non-tangible connections and energies in creating
a safe, fun and meaningful gathering for everyone. To that
end, I told a story from the last Wyoming gathering in 1994.
A beautiful sister suggested that lots of people are more
plugged into the Internet than the park and that I should
make this story available electronically, so here goes.

The 1994 Wyoming gathering was in a beautiful bowl shaped
meadow with a creek running through it. Unfortunately, there
was no rain. And things got dry. Very dry. And the fire danger
rose. Family counciled on how to handle the situation. We
talked a lot about root fires and evacuation routes and how
to fight a fire. Not that fighting is very Rainbow, but
sometimes... Fire patrol was in full force and 5 gallon
buckets of water and shovels were the most commonly spoke
about tools.

The general plan was that should a fire break out, those
prepared to fight were going to put on boots, long pants
and long protective shirts and head towards the fire with all
the buckets, shoves and axes they could carry. Everyone
else would evacuate into the meadow and follow the creek
down hill and out of the area.

A few small fires erupted here and there but were always
adjacent to a camp and were put out as fast as they started.

So one day I'm sitting in a Southern California family council
and the call of fire rings out. We stop what we're doing and
my friend and I run back to our tents. Put on our boots
and jeans. We grab shovels and all the buckets we can find.

Then we head up the hill, which seems to be the way everyone
was going. Things were a bit chaotic at first as first people
were running up the hill along the trail, then turning back,
then running up, then turning back. I later found out
that there were some people who felt it was too dangerous
for gatherers to fight a forest fire, but in the end that
big loving beautiful rainbow can do attitude won out
and we all charged up the hill.

This was not a little fire. This was a fire in dry trees.
A real forest fire and I had never been near one before,
let alone helped to put one out.

As we ran up the trail, there was a small tree and four or
five old men with long grey hair and long grey beards dressed
all in flowing white clothes holding their hands up to the sky.
"Om for the wind to stop," they called out. "Om for the wind to stop."

My friend and I stopped, looked at each other and scoffed. We
had a forest fire to fight, we didn't have time to Om. So we
continued up the hill and joined the bucket brigade. Hundreds
of people passing five gallon buckets of water from the creek
below up to the fire above. Some of them naked or next to naked.
Others covered up a bit more. Sparks flying. Ash everywhere.

At some point after things were settling down a bit and
the fire seemed to be somewhat contained, the Forest Service
brought in a plane to drop fire retardant on the area that had
burned. I was able to get some great photos of the drop.

After that we just kept slinging the buckets full of water. Family
came by with food and passed zu zus and water up and down
the line. A beautiful magical crew came by and gave five minute
shoulder and neck massages - thank you beautiful family, it was wonderful.

And then it was over and we were drop dead exhausted and collapsed
into bed. I didn't hear that night or the next, but at some
point I heard that all the people in the know: family with experience
in forest fires, the Forest Service resource people, and others
that the only reason we, meaning family on the ground working our butts off,
were able to contain the fire was because the wind, unexpectedly and
unusually, died down.

Just some food for thought.

So join us every Sunday in April and May, 1 PM in Balboa Park
at the usual place except for April 20th - the day of the huge
Earth Fair and the huge drum circle by the Museum of Art.

As always, http://home.earthlink.net/~scrollinfo/

Be the peace you want to see in this world.

Love,
Karin

Please distribute freely.

Rainbow 101 Back to Basics Circles starting up

Just a quick reminder, the Rainbow 101 Back to Basics Circles are happening every Sunday in April and May. Please note that April 20th is the big Earth Fair, so I'm guessing just go play at the drum circle by the Museum of Art and no council that day.

Calling all new family ~ Calling all old family ~ Calling all people with dreams for a peaceful future ~ Calling all people trying to save the planet

If you are in or near San Diego, join us for a Rainbow Gathering 101 ­ Back to Basics Circle
Every Sunday in April & May ~ 1:00 PM to ? @ the Balboa Park Weekly Get Together

The 2008 Annual Gathering of the Tribes will take place in Wyoming over the 4th of July. In order to create a safe, fun and meaningful gathering for all people, we can start building positive energy now by taking the time to circle, discussing gathering basics, sharing ideas on how to contribute, healing our own family, and learning to create the gathering the way we want it to be.

For full details and directions, http://home.earthlink.net/~scrollinfo/BacktoBasics.pdf

All the info on the Wyoming gathering is at
http://home.earthlink.net/~scrollinfo/wyoming.html

I got a shout out from some Washington folks who are going to start a similar circle in their area - so the vibe is spreading all ready beautiful family!