fortunate in being able to fill it. It seems to us that one of the key ways intentional communities can become a part of their larger community is by watching for ways they can fill “holes." It might be anything from helping a local clinic get started to furnishing a baby-sitting service. Most small communities are lacking in the everyday services that are taken for granted in cities — and people moving into intentional communities often bring talents and skills that can be uhlized by the larger community. By developing and offering a variety of sWlls to your neighbors it is possible to generate an income, but more importantly it is a way of being in contact with those about you. We have tried to make the saying “work is love made visible" real in our area. And the mutual exchange of ideas on social or political issues becomes easier over a cup of coffee after you have worked together or had a chance to meet. Although the variety of undertakings offers some economic stability through diversity (and an absolute guarantee against boredom), economics is not a primary motivation for living at Alpha. We have a common purse; all income is shared collectively, and each person's needs are well covered, but not expensive habits or desires. Our income is largely re-invested in building the community. The community is organized as a cooperative corporation; each person who becomes a member is also included in the directorship of the corporation, and whatever economic assets she or he has are transferred to the corporation in return for shares unhl such time as they might wish to leave. Thus, individuals living at Alpha are economic equals. One of the commitments made in the beginning was to try and simplify our lifestyle. Compared to middle-class America, life at Alpha is simple. We heat with wood, and we do not own a television or many of the amenities that are frequently taken for granted. But we live comfortably. On our 280 acres we have a variety of homes — a large old farmhouse, an assortment of cabins, cottages, lodges, yurts, trailers and a pyramid, plus a new five bedroom house. Each person has their own room and this is true of couples as well as single people. We eat breakfast and dinner communally — with each person taking turns fixing the meal during the week. And, obviously, the amenities of life — clothing, toothpaste, soap, rugs, furniture, etc. — are provided by the farm to the extent that we have any. All that goes to make a home in the country under a moderate definition of “simplicity." And the definition of simplicity, along with all else, is decided by consensus. Alpha uses the Quaker form of decision-making which honors “that of God" within each individual. This means that when making a group decision, each individual must listen carefully, remain open- minded, and consider deeply, knowing that she or he must accept the consequences of the decision since all are indispensable to its being decided. So we never vote or have a minority overruled — we only proceed on the basis of agreement. In the beginning, before we knew each other well, we made virtually all decisions in group meetings. Over the years, we have delegated a great amount of responsibility and therefore decision-making to teams, committees and managers. Now we still meet as a group once a month to act on overall policy decisions, but most of the everyday work is decided by small groups or individuals. The importance of trying to be in touch with all aspects of community life requires each of us to be awake all the time. On one occasion we had a woman visiting from Findhom who believed she was in touch with the nature spirits. She told us that she felt the nature beings at Alpha were needing a space kept wild for them — where we did not intrude. In our desires to be good stewards of the land, to improve the land, and upgrade its fertility, we had assumed that we needed to work each foot of ground — when in fact we needed to listen more carefully. And so we set aside a space at the beginning of Alpha Creek — a wild and wonderful spot on the land where we would not encroach, but allow the nature spirits to have as their home. To some this seems odd, but to us it seemed right. However, it is also true that our land did need a'lot of work and love — fertilizer and lime, Hlling and toiling — and now it is beginning to return to us as useful crops. We have learned through trial and error what will grow in the Coast Range of Oregon (where we get about 70 inches of rain each year). Our garden is bountiful and we have just planted a large orchard which will begin bearing in about 5 years. The other aspect of living communally which is important — as important as the land we live on or the work we do — is the interpersonal work we do with each other. Living closely and being mirrors for each other evokes a need to be honest and truthful, but also compassionate and caring. We have used a meeting to work through our problems with each other, as well as other personal “one on one" meetings. The one thing we are sure of is that problems do not just go away. They need to be faced, worked with and solved. Be they interpersonal or community wide, the need to be aware of each situation as it arises is paramount. Energy can be dissipated quickly if someone is trying to not deal with a problem. The first ten years of our life together has been excihng and challenging and we are beginning to see more clearly the way ahead — but we still are just beginning ... “to live ourselves into the future we seek.'.'DD June 1982 RAEM Page 9 ACCESS EARTH ComeUNITY NEWS PO Box 465 Mapleton, OR 97453 Earth Community Network (ECN) is a "network of light centers (new age missions) to help us develop and maintain the rising culture through the dark ages of ecological and economic catastrophe." About 30 west coast groups from San Diego to Vancouver, B.C. are involved. Sponsored inihally by the Institute for the Study of Conscious Evolution in San Francisco, the ECN newsletter has merged with Alpha Farm's bi-monthly newsletter ($4/yr). ECN held a networking conference last fall, and another is being planned for October of 1982. For more information about ECN or its member groups, send a SASE to the above address.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NTc4NTAz