At this gathering our community members joined the Board of Directors for our annual presentation and discussion on the current state of Assaya Sangha, a non-profit, as well as envisioning the future of Assaya Sangha. They reviewed the financials, the 2025 budget, and the 2025 strategic plan. During the meeting community members provided feedback and there was good discussion about important topics making sure the organization's plans are aligned with its community's needs. 

​​Read the full Presentation : 

Members Present: Kate Munding, Jeanie Bunker, Kip Walsh, Jude Pollack, Nadine Cohen, Heather Walls, Lynne Prather, Judy Michel, Anna

Meeting Agenda​
10:00 am - Welcome and short group check-in
10:20 - Assaya Updates and current volunteer opportunities 
10:40 - Community brainstorm about programming in 2025
11:15 - review action items 
11:30 - close

Community Notes: 
Updates from Kate:
Kate began by reflecting on the growth of Assaya,“wrapping up an amazing year!”

Offerings in 2024:

• Daily sits at 7amPT (zoom) (offered continuously since 2020!)
• Weekly Wednesday Intensives 10am-noon PT (in-person & zoom)
• Weekly Monday eve sit/Dharma talk/share 7-830pm PT (zoom) and beginning Monday Nov.4th, bi-monthly in-person meetings to be held the first & third Mondays, 7–830pm PT at Chochmat HaLev, 2215 Prince Street, Berkeley. Starting Nov.18th there will be an Affinity Group meet-up at 630-7pm PT (in-person only) for BIPOC members and various other affinity groups to be announced in the near future.
• Weekly BIPOC sit/Dharma talk/share -Fridays Noon-1pm PT (zoom only) 
• Added new teachers, Ramona Lisa Ortiz-Smith, MBA and Shakthi Ganeshan, MD,MPH and ongoing teacher development and collective mentoring with all Assaya teachers.
• Kate reported ongoing progress on the draft of Assaya Community Agreement. Info is to be shared with the entire community early next year for review.
• Goal for 2025 is to add more in-person half-day and daylong programs next year, continuing the hybrid format.
• Another goal is to build out the Board of Directors next year. Kate noted that the Board works in December and January to review the budget in preparation for the February Town Hall (full membership meeting) to discuss budget and program planning for 2025.

Volunteers needed: Volunteers needed to help do tasks that each require about 3-4 hours per month. After discussion, all volunteer jobs were filled as follows:

1. Calendar: Kip will replace Bea & share duties with Barbara.
2. Mass emails: Nadine.
3. Monitor & respond to website emails: Judy.
4. Audit website pages & update: Heather.
5. Monday in-person meeting set-up: Jude to help & recruit volunteers from attendees.

Discussion:
The meeting was opened up for a discussion about what people wanted to see more of, changed, and added to in 2025. 

• Suggestion made to remind teachers to ask before offering feedback in daily sits as some only wish to offer their reflection without comment. Kate agreed to remind the teaching staff to ask before offering feedback.
• Suggestions were made to increase half-day and daylong offerings next year and to offer Sunday gatherings in person perhaps four times per year, possibly in public parks to reduce rental space costs. Kate agreed to include these requests in planning for 2025 with the BOD.

​No Community Meeting in December or January; next membership meeting will be February Town Hall (date to be announced)

Meeting Agenda​
10:00 - Welcome and short sit to settle in. 
10:05 - Group check-in 
10:15 - Assaya Sangha Organization Updates
10:30 - Planning period for our big October fundraiser event

• Overview of the day's schedule
• Go over volunteer roles still needed
• Go over the day's logistics and supplies needed
• Brainstorm remaining outreach options

11:20 - Review action items
11:30 - Close Meeting

Community Meeting Notes
Transcribed by Lynne P. & sent on 9.10
 
Present:
Kate, Kip, Ellen S., Jude, Audrey, Gail, Wendy K., Antonia, Maureen, Lynne P
 
Location for in-person Monday evenings
Kate reported that we have found two possible locations for the Monday evening events. One is the Sanctuary at Chochmat HaLev (2215 Prince Street, Berkeley) for the gathering, with smaller rooms for Affinity Groups to meet. The second is the Parlor at Northbrae Community Church (941 The Alameda, Berkeley), with a separate space and a nursery. We are still trying to find which is more appropriate and what the sangha thinks. This will be decided in the next week or so.

Community Communication Agreement
This is being worked on. When it is completed, how do we present it visually? Cards…banner…quilt?
 
Fundraiser
Right now there are 57 in-person registrations and 8 on-line registrations, for a total of $5,700. Our goal is $10,000. Let’s keep this event in people’s consciousness. Keep spreading the word.
 
Betsy Rose will talk with Shire at Gyuto about the sound system.
 
Roles and Volunteers Needed
On Friday, September 27 at 10 am - 11:30 am, the major setup will happen.
We need 1 more person to help with this.
 
On Saturday, September 28th at 8:30 am, the final setup will happen.
We need 1 more person to help with this.
 
Wendy K is in charge of the Registration Table. She has two cash boxes and will buy another. Jeanie will send Wendy K and Kate the final list of in-person attendees, divided into three alphabetical groups. Wendy will keep track of where the money comes from, i.e., Donations, Raffle, Books-CDs-Jam.
 
Deb is in charge of the Raffle ($5 per ticket) for the flower arrangements.
We need 1 more person to help with this.
 
Jude is in charge of the Books-CDs-Jam Table.
 
Monitoring of Zoom:
On-line:       1. Liesl         2. Cindy Novello
 
In-person:    Audrey has volunteered to do this.
We need 1 more person to help with this.
 
Audrey will make signs for the event. Lynne will bring signs she has from the last Fundraiser.
 
Tea
We need 1 more person to bring a few boxes of tea.
________
 Health & Safety
Gail brought up the issue of safety for those who have long-term COVID or are immune compromised. A section will be set up on the side of the room near the door to outside, and masks will be required here. We discussed mandating mask-wearing, but we agreed we did not want to do that, especially at this late date.
Kate will write to all registrants about the room arrangement and ask them to advise us if they want to sit in this designated area so that enough chairs will be available.
 
Kate will also advise registrants to refrain from wearing scented products and to arrive by 9:30 so we can begin at 10 am.
 
Outreach
Kate talked about continued outreach during these last weeks. She will ask if we can post a flyer at Yoga Kula. When a decision is made about the location of the Monday Evening event, she will ask about posting a flyer here. She will also post the schedule of the day on the website.
 
Kate: is a flyer available online for us to download?
 
Maureen was wondering if there was (were?) a list of coffee shops and other places who will post flyers. No one knew.

Meeting Agenda:
10:00 Start with a short meditation
10:05 Group check-in to help everyone get to know each other a little more and feel more connected.
10:25 Assaya updates - Women in Buddhism series by Soto Zen Association, Jumpstart Meeting, Monday Evening Sit, Postcards re-boot
10:45 Fundraiser - Update on registration and money raised, Logistics for the day’s event and volunteer roles.
11:10 Other volunteers needed - location for Monday, Community meeting up on blog, newsletter etc.
11:30 Close

Meeting Notes: 
Jumpstart Meeting: Kate reported the meeting was very productive in brainstorming ways to attract diverse groups (race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age, mothers with young children, etc) to Assaya. 
Sangha Member Natalie Brain and Kate Munding ran the meeting, and members Maureen A., Francisca P., Ramona Lisa Ortiz Smith, Nicole Meyers, Barbara Hooks, and Yanli Wang participated in the meeting. Next step is to plan the outreach and marketing campaign.
 
New Monday Evening Gathering:  Kate said that in response to many requests for a regular evening and in-person gathering, a time slot was chosen and 3-4 locations are being explored (Ellen S. Will research) to have a physical space to meet.  This will be a regularly offered meditation and Dharma talk taught by a rotation of Assaya Sangha teachers and the occasional guest teacher.
Monday August 19th will be the first evening  gathering to be held on zoom.  Once a location is chosen, the goal will be to offer a hybrid gathering and additionally to offer special meet-ups before the meeting for specific interest groups such as: 20-30’s age group; BIPOC; women with small children; full sangha potluck; or beginning meditators, etc.
 
“Reclaim Our Vote” postcard-writing parties:  Maureen A. Reported the postcard-writing parties will resume Wednesday, August 21 through October following the Wednesday Intensive at the home of Beth Fedman, 1851 San Ramon Ave. in Berkeley (refer to the Assaya Sangha August newsletter for more specific details).
 
Opportunities to consider: 

• *Lynne P. Suggested participating as a group in the Women in Buddhism series done by Soto Zen association on zoom. 
• Kate to send email to Assaya members with info.
• *Maureen A. Suggested a possible series offered by Rhonda McGee on racism curriculum for white people. Kate to research.

 
Fundraiser update:

• To date 44 people have registered for in person and 5 for zoom with donations of $4760 towards our goal of $10,000. Kate reported this was a very promising start as most people typically do not register until a few weeks before the event.
• Kate will do a short video to market the fundraiser later this month as there was such a good registration response from last year’s video.
• Lynne P. Said that Sharon G. Has had to withdraw as Volunteer Coordinator due to health reasons. Judy M. volunteered to take over those duties and Lynne P. To support.
• Volunteers from meeting signed up as follows:
  • Friday set up: Kate, Lynne P. Ellen S.
  • Saturday set up: Judy M., Nadine, Jude P.
  • Sat. registration table: Wendy K., Deb T., Nadine.
  • Zoom monitors: Liesl (on zoom) and 2 volunteers needed in-person to split duties(morning shift and afternoon shift).
  • Cleanup: Maureen A.

 
Action Items:

1. Kate to send email about Soto Zen zoom event.
2. Kate to contact Rhonda McGee regarding possible series.
3. Kate to do video to publish in August marketing September 28 fundraiser
4. Jude P. to confirm with Tanya re: How she wants to recruit volunteers for the flower arranging session Friday, September 27.
5. Ellen S. to contact Gyoto to clarify set up on Friday
6. Judy M. to update the proposed list of volunteers needed outline from last year and identify volunteer support still needed And recruit people to fill those jobs as needed. Judy to have Event Planning document with updated job and volunteer assignments to Kate by 8/30/2024.
7. Kate to work with Betsy and Tuere to prepare an outline for the day long retreat.
8. Kate, Judy M. Jeanie B. to explore ways to post monthly community meeting, summary and minutes to our website blog.

 

At this gathering our community members joined the Board of Directors for our annual presentation and discussion on the current state of Assaya Sangha, a non-profit, as well as envisioning the future of Assaya Sangha. They reviewed the financials, the 2024 budget, and the 2024 strategic plan. During the meeting community members provided feedback and there was good discussion about important topics making sure the organization's plans are aligned with its community's needs. 

Town Hall Presentation:
First Half: Watch the video recording 
Second Half: Watch the Video Recording

​Read the full Presentation : 

For March, we choose Dipa Ma: The Life and Legacy of a Buddhist Master by Amy Schmidt for our book club reading. 

​This Dipa Ma biography is about one of the few women in her generation to devote herself entirely to the pursuit of meditation also includes Dipa Ma's spiritual teachings, which have made her a major figure in contemporary Buddhism.

We will read and discuss the life story and spiritual teachings of Dipa Ma, a major figure in contemporary Buddhism. She was the teacher of such well-respected western Buddhists as Jack Kornfield, Sharon Salzberg, Joseph Goldstein, Alice Walker and Sylvia Boorstein, among others. An accomplished yogi, she was an inspired teacher and a devoted mother and grandmother. A woman who found great freedom through profound levels of insight and one who exemplified in her every action immense kindness, generosity, and mindfulness.

The March book club will be held safely outdoors on March 6th from 10:30-11:45 a.m. pacific time. Zoom access will be provided for those who cannot attend in person. Please join our community to receive emails with details of this and future meeting. REGISTER TODAY!

We choose Sylvia Boorstein's book, Happiness Is an Inside Job: Practicing for a Joyful Life, for our book club. 

On September 26, 2021, Assaya Sangha had its first dharma book club! (Via Zoom.) We had an engaged discussion. Everyone participated, we asked each other questions and talked about how specific principles of the dharma that she talked about apply to our daily lives. We enjoyed her stories.

Sylva Boorstein provides answers to questions such as: How can we stay engaged with life day after day? How can we continue to love–to keep our minds in a happy mood–when life is complex, difficult, and, often, disappointing? She offers warm, wise, and helpful ways we can experience happiness even when the odds are against us.

She draws from the heart of Buddhist teachings to show how Wise Effort, Wise Mindfulness, and Wise Concentration can lead us away from anger, anxiety, and confusion, and into calmness, clarity, and the joy of living in the present. These qualities strengthen our ability to meet encounters of every kind with balance and intelligence, providing us with a grounded sense of true contentment. 

The next book club will be held safely outdoors on November 7th from 10:30 to 11:45 a.m.
We will discuss A Fierce Heart: Finding Strength, Courage and Wisdom in Any Moment by Spring Washam. Zoom access will be provided for those who cannot attend in person. Please join our community to receive emails with details of the next meeting.

​On 9/6 & 9/8/21 we had Creating Community thru Crafting and Conversation events - small groups met in an Assaya's sister's back yard to connect more informally while making wreaths.  "It was a relaxing and joyful time- connecting with each other and nature, getting out of our heads, being in the moment and creating something beautiful with our hands!" 

​This was an hour and fifteen minute meeting, open to all people interested in being part of the growth and next steps of Assaya Sangha. The meeting was well attended, with Antoinette Williams, Deb Todd, Hannah Nguyen, Kate Munding, and Tanja Schlosser facilitating. The overall spirit of the meeting was one of excitement, gratitude, and interest. It was a joyful event! The following is a distilled account of what was shared by those leading the meeting and those attending