While reading a good essay by thiebes on labor as an ethic underlying self-sufficiency in our local bodies, I had a certain insight. It came to me what, from one point of view, our local bodies are partially about. Said simply:

The essence of a local body is the combination of Work and Celebration in the service of directed transformation.

Now then, Work and Celebration are not disconnected, for certainly we can celebrate in our Work, and work at our Celebration. They are the twins of our aim, which is transformation.

This transformation has many facets...in fact, there are five: the intellect (air), the physical (earth), the emotional (water), and the Will (fire), all bound up with the Spirit. And as I have discussed elsewhere, there are (abstractly speaking) three social spheres where transformation can happen: the self, the community, and the larger culture. Although these spheres are differentiated they are all intimately connected, so that transformation in one area affects the others to some degree, all in the service of promulgating the Law of Thelema.

I am reminded of an SWL event celebrating the Second Day, the brainchild of paradoxosalpha. We all together constructed four banners (one for SWL, one for MMM, one for EGC, and one for OTO). We projected the outlines onto the cloth which were then outlined with a marker. Then on the floor, everyone helped fill in the colors with paint-markers, all the while chanting "Work, & be our bed in working!" It was a great combination of Work and Celebration, and we ended up with some beautiful banners that we could say were truly created by the community. Magick at it's finest!

I myself find that I am most happy within a group when we are building something. That something does not have to be physical, but often it has some physical component. The reaction to the process and then seeing the product of our labor is one of sheer satisfaction. I myself feel useful and revel in the knowledge that I am connected with others, both in the memory of the building and in the reality of its outcome. I wholeheartedly agree with thiebes and all others who call for an ethic of labor in our local bodies, not only for the sake of practical considerations, but for the power of personal and communal transformation and our celebrations of Light, Life, Love, and Liberty!

This poll does not try to be scientific. It is strictly offered to get a snapshot into attitudes regarding community in our local bodies. I am not looking for "right anwers" or fodder for argument. I have a very sincere interest in your viewpoint, and invite you to share it. And by all means, if you have an answer that isn't represented in the choices, please share it in comments. Thank you.

Poll #683470 Attitudes Regarding Community
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 31

Which statement about community is MOST true?

How important is the state of the community to the practical functioning of a local body?

To what degree can local leadership affect community?

How important is it for local leadership to focus on community?

I think it would be safe to assume that pretty much everyone reading this wants more or less the same thing: healthy, vibrant local bodies filled with active members, fulfilling both their own internal goals and the essential aims of Order as outlined in our foundational documents. Moreover, we want our operational mechanisms to be fair, sustainable, and effective. I think it is reasonable to go so far as to say that our local bodies should ideally be sanctuaries where a Thelemite can find a sense of personal and social fulfillment and well-being, both in her own growth as a person while also helping advance the fortunes of the body and the Order as a whole.

I want to articulate at this point that manifesting this image is dependent on far more than local dues. Anyone with eyes to see will know that I am strongly in favor of local bodies establishing dues policies and a clear definition of what it means to be a local member. However, the vision I outlined above requires, I believe, three essential components, of which monetary dues is only one part.

1) Promoting new, sustained, and competent membership
Where some see local dues as the main problem in our MoE bodies, I see membership as the leading challenge. A body typified by a tiny (3-8) core of dedicated members surrounded by a rotating cloud of uncommitted, short-lived members will remain relatively stagnant and ineffective, no matter what dues policies they enact or grand visions they imagine. A local body that wants to manifest the opening vision above will develop three ongoing programs: (1) an outreach program to find interested folks and invite them to join us, (2) programs that develop group cohesion that will promote long-term dedication, and (3) leadership training at all levels, so that there will be a steady supply of competent members ready to take on more responsibilities.

2) Standards for Local Good Standing
This includes two primary elements: local dues and local participation. A responsible body will establish these standards using clear langauge, which should allow for flexibility that allows for diversity of member circumstances, while also developing both "carrots and sticks" to promote conformity with them. While perhaps not in writing, a local body should also work towards establishing a norm of not only rewarding knowledge and skills, but also promoting exceptional character traits, such as courage, integrity, cordiality, and noble foolishness. Another way of putting this is to say that some model of Stewardship should be articulated (the Three Pillars is an example).

3) Leadership best practices
The flip side of member responsibility is the duty that the leadership has to the community it serves. This includes practices like goal and objective setting; competent, transparent accounting; open, proactive communications; and multi-level problem solving. A more simple way of putting would be to say that the members have a duty to generate the motivation and imagination needed to drive positive activity, while leadership has a duty to empower and channel that drive for the benefit of the community as a whole.

I've already established that I think a good solution is for Grand Lodge to make it mandatory for all local bodies to have a dues policy, and that all members must belong to a local body (keeping in mind that I consider a Chapter to be a local body). However, as important as it is for us to develop fair and effective dues polices, we should not delude ourselves into thinking it will be some kind of magic bullet. Success at the local level will require far more work than extracting money from members.

As a bit of a side note, I also want to say that as much as I talk about this stuff, I'm not in a huge hurry to see changes made. Yes, I think the time is nigh for a local dues policy from GL. However, when it comes to how our local bodies are run, we are working against many many years of entrenched habits and norms, some of which we aren't even consciously aware. The key will be for us to continue talking and sharing ideas, and eventually, for more local bodies to start implenting new programs and then reporting back to the rest of us on their success. I believe we are entering into a new era in the Order, and my hopes are very high. If enough of us agree, we can certainly take OTO to the next level, one local body at a time.

~