Dan's Bio

Rufus Jones, the American Quaker writer and philosopher wrote: “I pin my hopes to quiet processes and small circles, in which vital and transforming events take place.”  And the mystic Sufi poet Rumi reflects on the joy of intentional communities in the words: “A circle of lovely, quiet people becomes the ring on my finger.”

I have felt a longing for a deeper experience of community for as long back as I can remember.  Perhaps it is something that is built- in to all of us; Jean Vanier describes it as universal and inescapable loneliness that seeks belonging and propels us into groups.  This longing has motivated me to find true community in various places but primarily it has encouraged me to lend a hand in creating and sustaining church congregations and religious community.  Recently, there has been another direction of interest: I have become an explorer into the world of intentional communities, of sharing accommodations with others, and of learning together in a co-operative housing venture.

My bio would read something along these lines: father, husband, male, middle-aged, Anglican priest, hiker and reader.  Some of those descriptors are closer to the bone than others!  I am proud of some of those words, and I also cringe at others!  I wonder what they mean.  One of my motivations to living in intentional community is to continue the work of clarifying soul and role.  The mirror of close family and friends seems essential to this spiritual practice.  

What excites me about our bird-brained RareBirds adventure?  Well… birds of feather flock together.  I am curious and grateful to discover some friends who share common values to live creatively, intentionally, sustainably, and respectfully… respectful of each other and of the world we share.  My altruism and my own needs are finding some healthy tension in all this.  We believe our lives can have an impact.  We desire a better world.  We don’t pretend to know more than we know (okay, sometimes I do!).  We are learning more and more about how to stay truly open and vulnerable: to not invade or evade each other.  We are betting on the common-sense wisdom that ‘many hands make light work’.   We seek to amplify our effect and find encouragement to deepen both our awareness and our engagement for transformation.  We hold true to the reflective sentiments of Trooper: “we’re here for a good time, not a long time… so have a good time…”; it will be helpful to have some fun together!

I have just re-read Ghandi’s autobiography; he considered his life to be ‘an experiment with truth’.  Our ‘truth lab’ will be our new home.  You are invited to continue following this blog and to check out our findings, discoveries, failure and successes together!

*this photo is not me...

Meet Finn and Max RareBird Dogs

Two of the RareBird Dogs...Finn and Max

Another enthusiastic RareBird

Friends and family would describe me as one with a large and open heart. I would say I have an innate capacity for an ever-expanding circle of loved ones. No surprise then that I, along with my husband, would be enthusiastically embracing the idea of intentional community living. I was not raised in a large family but rather inherited one over time and it has created a rich weave to the tapestry of my life thus far.

I am no stranger to grief, having lost very significant family members in the recent past including a son. It has made me stronger and more resilient but also keenly aware of capturing every moment of life, savoring each and every day.

I love to chat, exploring ideas and am what is often called an ‘activator’ - a change agent. People know me as one who enjoys an assertive, enthusiastic attempt to ignite others to causes I deeply uphold.

My cherished values center on love, health, generosity, gratitude, justice and social equality. My world would be empty and without purpose if not for relationships with friends and family! I share a love of dogs with several of our RareBirds. I attempt to walk softly on Mother Earth and hold a deep respect for the plants and animal life on our planet.

A favorite pastime is cooking with healthy natural, organic food. I enjoy sharing recipes, cooking tips and family-style meals. I value yoga and the way this discipline has made me more flexible –both in body and mind. One of my current goals is to meditate regularly. I love nature – hiking, walking and kayaking. I adore the sunshine and although I prefer warmth and summer breezes, I do love the sight of sun glistening on freshly fallen snow.

I am strongly committed to the idea of co-operative intentional community living amongst a group of like-minded individuals. Together our goal is to live more sustainable lives using fewer resources, incorporating a greener and more self-sufficient way of life in a socially supportive and spiritually fulfilling environment. In this way we hope to co-create meaningful life together and serve as model in our community for a new, innovative design for living.

Sign me Robyn, enthusiastic RareBird soaring with excitement and anticipation

We are looking for another bird!

A BIT ABOUT MARY

I have been interested in Co-operative living for at least 15 years. From time to time I’ve surfed the Net and always been amazed at the growing interest, variety of models and projects of various sizes and stages. At one time a few years ago I visited about 3 or 4 of the established Co-Housing complexes in Vancouver. All were basically urban, individual living units with a common room for community activities. To me they were more apartment style with some built in activities to create community. Somehow, while interesting they didn’t completely satisfy my vision.

Over the years a number of friends have expressed interest and there has been discussion but mostly centered on the waste of living independently particularly for singles. While there was an element of “why don’t we...” there was never the momentum to drive it forward.

Then, last spring quite unexpectedly, while watching a film society documentary, the idea ignited. I emailed a few friends who had expressed some interest at various times and we had our first meeting in March 2011. The group shifted over the first few months with people exploring commitments, readiness, etc., new people considering our plans and project vision and trying us on. Gradually we have settled into our group of 7.

Among my friends and family the idea has always generated a positive, enthusiastic response. Not uncommonly a sense of admiration at “having the guts” to commit to something like this. I realize the commitment is big. Someone said, “It’s like marrying 7 people”. Yikes! Who would do that? Following the laughter at this absurdity I think to myself that we are probably preparing better than most engaged couples. We have done our research and are aware of the barriers to cooperative living success and we are diligent at discussing and crafting policies and protocols for the tough and testy situations.

Personally, I am an extraverted person currently living alone. I am aware that there is easiness in this arrangement but it’s not what I truly value and I prefer to live my life with some chutzpah, particularly regarding things I stand for or want to stand for. Relationships, community and interdependence have always been important. Increasingly I add sustainability, the environment and living with a more conscious footprint to the values cooperative living will provide me.

I’ve never been a Gardner and while I’ve done my share of canning and jamming over the years it’s not something I had any desire to maintain once my nest was empty. Yet when we talk about “our garden” and food preparation and preservation I am excited to revisit this and learn these skills. I am not unaware of the projected food shortages and safe food policies. I value my health and safe food is increasingly important.

I am a grandmother and I love the idea of my family having this extended sense of intentional family. We speak of creating an inclusive environment for our friends and family and I envision our home being somewhat of a Hub with good conversation, laughter and music.

This has been an interesting, exciting and sometimes frustrating few months. And we move forward with increasing trust and commitment. 2012 will be a very important year for the RareBirds.

Mary

ARTICLE FROM THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT ON COLLECTIVE HOUSING

Sara Ross, the co-coordinator of two workshops being held this evening (August 4) by the Vancouver Collective House Network, has lived in the Beehive for two and a half years.

She explained that while reducing their environmental footprint is an important focus for the Beehive tenants and those in other similar homes in the city, the main value that collective houses share is a sense of “community mindedness”.

“Compassion and care for other people, thinking about others—that’s one of the foundations,” Ross described. “And I think out of that comes a sense of belonging.”

“There’s a lot of isolation in the world,” she added. “I think people are looking for a deeper connection and more meaning in their lives, and this is one way to do it.”

Another benefit of collective living, Ross noted, is the reduced cost. In addition to splitting the price of most food in the house, the Beehive also features income-adjusted rent that’s evaluated on a monthly basis.

But the goal for people like Ross is to achieve much more than splitting the rent.

“There’s all these professional, interesting people that are finding that living collectively supports their work out in the world, and that’s a big benefit,” Ross said. “By sharing our values in our home, it affirms us so that we’re stronger people to go out and work in our communities.”

She noted that for people interested in the concept of collective housing, it’s “not just as simple as moving in together”.

Ross explained that those interested in moving into the Beehive go through a process of writing a letter, doing a phone interview and then a dinner with the residents of the house to determine if they’re the right fit.

Bio - Val & Allen

One of the first questions that comes up when people hear that we are members of the rareBIRDS Housing Cooperative in Kamloops, B.C. is “ why would you be interested in living with other people when you have a nice home of your own in a great neighbourhood ? ”

Good question.

Over a few years, off and on we have had discussions with friends about the possibility of living in community but they were just that, musings, nothing of substance until March 2011. Some of us were watching a movie, “ How To Boil A Frog” at the Kamloops Film Festival. The Vancouver director made it for his teenage daughter who felt there was little hope for the environment or her generation. The film was his rebuttal. In the film, he interviewed people involved in the cooperative housing movement, at which time, we leaned over to one another and said “ so, what’s stopping us? “ That question was the impetus for our first cooperative housing meeting.

Good question but not a complete answer.

Another seed was planted a few years ago when we worked and lived in Nepal and Africa. Intergenerational homes/ compounds were the norm. Everyone from the youngest to the oldest contributed to the good of the whole. We saw the benefits and difficulties in these living arrangements. At the same time, with some trepidation, we shared housing and meals with other volunteers. It became an integral part of our life in a new country and culture; sharing our day, ideas, insights about what worked, what didn’t. It was enriching, nurturing and helpful for all of us.

Sustainability has impacted this decision as well. One day when we were both working in the kitchen, one of us said “ imagine, 15 townhouses, 23 people, each one with a stove, fridge, microwave, dishwasher, washer and dryer. Think about the energy consumed by appliances alone! If we lived with other people in one home, we could share all of these resources. “

Lastly, as we age we have become aware of how easy it is to stick to the tried and true, stay within our comfort zones, in other words, the same old, same old. With that in mind, we have chosen to embrace change, push our edges creating more space in our lives for other possibilities. We are not “pollyannish’ about this choice. We are aware of the risks and have chosen wonder.

Allen and Val