Thanks for your input Owen. Notes below
Harrison Owen wrote:
Deborah -- I think your idea of a "facebook" sent out in advance is a
great one. And it would avoid doing a "round the circle" at the
beginning, which I personally find less than useful for two reasons.
First it delays the actual start when people go to work -- and this is
the most important consideration for me. Secondly, all those names and
needs/wants/desires badly confuses this old mind. After the first two
or three I just hit "overload." For our up coming OSONOS by the Sea I
sent out a full participant list and invited people to add whatever
information/requests they might want. Some people chose to remain a
mystery (great!) and others wrote a whole bunch. How much of this
actually gets read I don't know, but a number of folks said it was
useful and fun. Since email addresses were also included, the party
started early, which was wonderful.
I agree. This makes it "pull" - those who want to will go and read.
Others don't have it "pushed" on them at the event. Not sure yet how to
use Face book for this, but I'll figure it out when I need it next.
I am a little less enthusiastic about special guided tours done by the
facilitator -- though it is certainly a nice idea. I find one of the
great things about an Open Space is the speed with which new comers
are included -- some of this just happens on its own, and in other
cases participants will notice a stranger looking a little lost and
take them under their wing. I really like that as it serves to build
and bond the community. If the lost guest is "important" having some
"just plain folk" do the job can be wonderful. And who knows a useful
connection could be made. At most I (as the facilitator) might suggest
to one of the "older" participants that "so and so" looks a little
lost -- maybe you could take them on a tour -- sort of thing. That way
I can hold the space and members of the community take active
responsibility for the inclusion. Win/Win -- I think.
I believe, actually, that it happened organically, as you suggest. We
had two formal facilitators for the OST... so I was still on the floor
and completely oblivious. I didn't notice it at all, since, as you note,
other lost visitors had been similarly befriended and introduced to the
venue in progress (we had walk-ins off the street, which was thrilling).
When we discussed it later, we did reflect that it would have been good
for a member of the community to have done it... I'd still call that
person a "facilitator", though - just not the one who opened space :-)
This has been a useful conversation for me - I look forward to others'
ideas on it too.
deb
Harrison
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