Thanks for that Dave!

May see you at an Event!

regards

Stew
--- Dave <dave.a.edwards@...> wrote:
> Hi Again Stew. :¬)
>
> Well... I suppose first off, if 50 ecc members
> answered your questions, you
> would more than likely get 50 quite different
> answers.
>
> If you read the "Principles and Intentions" (P's &
> I's) of ECC:
>
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/frank.sierowski/ecc/pi.htm
> You will get the 'official' flavour of the
> incentives and motivations
> underlying the Edward Carpenter Community.
>
> So I think it's important that I prefix 'MY' answers
> by saying quite clearly
> that these are MY perceptions as an individual, and
> therefore not a
> consensually agreed list of defining answers on
> behalf of ECC.
>
> Q) I am keen to understand what you get from the
> group?
> A) Before I could answer that, I'd need to
> understand what you mean by 'the
> group'. ECC has many groups and sub groups.
> There is this email group, each individual ECC event
> has it's own group of
> attendees. There are roughly 700 current members
> (not sure how accurate that
> figure is) who communicate (to an extent) via a
> quarterly newsletter. There
> is an email group of around 90 people who have all
> attended ECC events.
> But I think you mean "from ECC as a whole" so that's
> the way I'll answer it.
>
> I get:
> Friends and acquaintances, and opportunities to
> further those
> relationships.
> A regular dose - at each event - of community
> building and the joys &
> lessons that come with it.
> Holidays in a safe space with other gay men where I
> can be playful,
> serious, relax, recharge my batteries.
> A sense of belonging.
>
> to name but a few!
>
> Q) Can anyone join or is it for a particular reason
> people attend?
> A) As far as I know, any gay or bisexual man who
> identifies with the P's &
> I's of ECC is welcome to attend an ECC event and so
> become a member.
> As far as 'reason' goes, again the basic underlined
> reasons are outlined in
> the P's & I's but within that, people have their own
> individual reasons for
> attending events.
> ECC accordingly attempts to provide a spectrum of
> events. Some events may be
> quite structured and have a definite theme such as
> 'spirituality' where the
> organisers may have a timetable of workshops and
> activities already planned
> & people are aware of this and coming to the event
> because they want to be
> involved in that subject or structure.
> Other events may be more geared towards people using
> a venue as a base for a
> weeks holiday, they may still have lots of things
> happening, but no one is
> expected to arrive knowing what they will or won't
> be doing.
> Some aspects of 'what happens on an event' are
> affected by weather, by venue
> location and type. For example some venues are ideal
> for walking. Some are
> youth hostels and some are residential communities,
> which have a different
> ethos and feel to them.
> But for me the most important thing of all is that
> *every* event, no matter
> where it is or if it's themed or not, feels totally
> unique. That's why this
> question or 'reasons people attend' feels so
> difficult to answer. Different
> people come for different reasons and get different
> things out of the
> events.
>
> You said:
> " I think I am looking for a spiritual opportunity
> to meet people similar to
> myself as I don't seem to get it from friends
> (although they are all
> brilliant)! Quite difficult to put into words what
> is missing, but I think I
> am looking for more of a bonding experience!"
>
> I would quite confidently answer that from my
> experience of ECC events,
> *ANY* of their events could potentially provide you
> with all those things,
> but you would probably experience them in a
> different way if you went to say
> a 'spirituality' event.
>
> For me the thing that I've found at the vast
> majority of ECC events has been
> a sense of community and community building. That
> (again for me) is a very
> spiritual thing.
>
> Q) What is a typical day for the group at one of the
> events?
> A) Again, so much depends on the Venue, the event
> structure, the people
> attending, the weather. etc.
> Having said that, at most events people tend to meet
> all together at the
> beginning of the event, partly to get to meet each
> other and partly to pass
> on domestic information and information regarding
> the venue and the event
> structure.
> Usually people will eat together, so most people
> would come together at
> breakfast, lunch (if they haven't gone out for the
> day) and evening meal.
> Also at most events, there can be between 30 and 60
> people attending an
> event, so if you are new and you don't know anyone
> you can feel a little
> lost or nervous at times. To help people with these
> feelings and other
> things that may come up for you during the event,
> there is usually a daily
> 'base group slot' which is a space (often before the
> evening meal) for
> people to meet for a while in smaller groups
> (usually between 5 and 8
> people) to check in with each other as to how the
> event is going and to get
> to know a smaller group of people slightly better.
>
> I hope you find these answers useful Stew.
> Once again they are just some of my interpretations,
> and hopefully other ECC
> members in this group here will also offer some of
> theirs too.
>
> Regards...
>
> Dave.
>
>
> } -----Original Message-----
> } From: Stewart Hastie
> [mailto:tastyhastie@...]
> } Sent: Monday, July 21, 2003 2:21 PM
> } To: ecc-public-discuss@...
> } Subject: RE: [ecc-public-discuss] Information
> please!
> }
> }
> } Hi & thanks for getting back to me!
> }
> } I am keen to understand what you get from the
> group?
> }
> } Can anyone join or is it for a particular reason
> } peopel attend?
> }
> } I think I am looking for a spiritual opportunity
> to
> } meet people similar to myself as I dont seem to
> get it
> } from friends (although they are all brilliant)!
> Quite
> } difficult to put into words what is missing, but
> I
> } think I am looking for more of a bonding
> experience!
> }
> } If that makes any sense what so ever!
> }
> } What is a typical day for the group at one of the
> } events?
> }
> } Stew
>
>


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