 Community Development Conference  |
Community Development Conference
Har Darshan Kaur Khalsa
Chapel Hill NC, U.S.A.
One of the most striking things about the group that gathered to discuss Community Development, on June 17th in Espanola, was our diversity. From the very large sangats of Los Angeles and Espanola to the very small in North Carolina and Colorado, we gathered to learn ways in which we can facilitate the health, happiness, and growth of our respective communities.
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The focus of the conference was networking and planning. During the day we were all trained in a planning and management technique called Story Boarding.
We learned the:
- PICO Board which helps you and your community develop its ideas, plan, communication and organization.
- Strategic Planning Board with includes the development of the vision, mission statement, goals objectives, action plan and time lines.
- Briefing Board for areas or items that are to Do, Doing, Done with Hangups and Comments.
- Cornerstone Board that helps clarify the focus for meetings and presentations.
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The power of the Story Boarding technique was experienced first hand by those of us who had attended the IKYTA Teachers’ Conference in Santa Fe the day before. The process allowed a large group to determine in just a few minutes which curriculum would be published in the coming year.
In the Community Development conference we learned that each meeting needs to include physical contact, visual stimulation, or olfactory sensations; otherwise people nod off or zone out. That it is vital to keep the energy flowing through fun ice-breaking, wake-up exercises throughout any meeting.
If you’re not presently familiar with the Story Boarding process, check it out. It’s a very efficient way of working in groups, a way of thinking, and a way of avoiding personality issues. Story Boarding will reduce the number of meetings, shorten the meetings you have, foster team spirit, get the job done faster and simplify reporting. There are books and seminars on the subject. Call the Sikh Dharma Development Office for information and training.
I look forward to next year’s workshop and hearing the headway the represented communities make in the year ahead!