What Do People Want/Expect from an Offline Gathering?

I was having a discussion with someone at the UK Gathering last weekend (I think it was V?) about how different the US and UK gatherings seem to be from each other based off what we see mentioned about them in the forum. With the US gatherings seeming to be a lot more structured with planned activities and workshops, as opposed to the UK gatherings which are predominantly focused around group discussions (with a couple of walks thrown in for good measure).

I also noticed Edan has just posted a bit about it too in her laboratory thread, where she says that she would struggle to imagine workshops etc, being held at the UK gathering.

All this got me wondering, what do people who have never been to an offline gathering expect/want from that gathering? And for those that have been, is there anything you want to see more or less of at these gatherings?

Also, out of curiosity, what do you think are the main reasons for the differences in the US and UK gatherings? Is it a cultural thing? Is it that most US gatherings seem to include members from the wider Jedi Community, whereas the UK ones are pretty much TotJO exclusive? I'd love to hear your thoughts

Hah,

Well If MarVinKra and I can get the TotJO Gathering, Sydney 2017 off the ground, it'll look a lot like a cider and schnitzel at the local pub.

:laugh:

I'm not an expert having only been to one, but...

- Some (other) Jedi
- A venue which encourages people to sit together, eat together and enables conversation
- Live ceremonies (Knightings, Ordinations, Live Sermons) are nice where possible/appropriate
- Something "non-Jedi-themed" can be a good ice breaker, or build relationships, a nice long walk together is a good example
- Something "Jedi themed" such as a meditation session, craft session etc seem really nice
- A warm smile for those who arrive nervous or who are socially awkward
- An open mind and determination from all present to make all others feel welcome and included
- Facilitating/allowing people to arrive and leave at different times as they see fit
- Allowing non-Jedi to join in so people can bring a friend if they're uncomfortable coming alone (and that friend to be open minded and non-judgemental too)
- A smoking area for those of us still fighting that particular fight (particularly necessary in socially awkward situations)
- Space for individuals to go off and "cool down" if the situation becomes overwhelming (I don't mean heated, just... I was glad to be a smoker and get to step out soon after arrival).

tzb wrote: I'm not an expert having only been to one, but...

- Some (other) Jedi
- A venue which encourages people to sit together, eat together and enables conversation
- Live ceremonies (Knightings, Ordinations, Live Sermons) are nice where possible/appropriate
- Something "non-Jedi-themed" can be a good ice breaker, or build relationships, a nice long walk together is a good example
- Something "Jedi themed" such as a meditation session, craft session etc seem really nice
- A warm smile for those who arrive nervous or who are socially awkward
- An open mind and determination from all present to make all others feel welcome and included
- Facilitating/allowing people to arrive and leave at different times as they see fit
- Allowing non-Jedi to join in so people can bring a friend if they're uncomfortable coming alone (and that friend to be open minded and non-judgemental too)
- A smoking area for those of us still fighting that particular fight (particularly necessary in socially awkward situations)
- Space for individuals to go off and "cool down" if the situation becomes overwhelming (I don't mean heated, just... I was glad to be a smoker and get to step out soon after arrival).

Sounds like the UK gathering to me

My husband was the one that created the first US Jedi Gathering (Technically the First Jedi Gathering...anywhere)

The idea behind it was to take the classes we saw on the forums....offline....and train them together, face to face, in real life. It's easy to have such wisdom and knowledge on the internet. A whole 'nother ball game when you got to teach people face to face.

Over the years the US gatherings have struggled to find a balance between Learning, Socializing and Acknowledging Ceremonial Practices......such as Knightings.

And hey.....Look....we are not perfect. Even to this day we are struggling. Heck.....we are at the peak of our struggles right now and experiencing a little thing called "Too many cooks in one kitchen"

If you were to ask me i would say that the US Gatherings are starting to see a horrible horrible end to our old structures and practices life changes things.

Now....I have never been to a UK gathering......or the UK in general. And I don't know much about how you guys like to run things. I think it is great that every gathering has different structures.

But if I were to offer one shred of advice?

Don't forget the SPIRIT of what we are as Jedi.

Because I personally feel like the US has forgotten.

Nurture your friendships and be open minded to eachother

I probably organised the first Dutch Jedi meeting ever and we were with 3 , its was fun , we talked , walked , ate together and talked some more and bonded , i was very nervous but i needend have to , it was like we already knew eachother

The second official meeting we already were with 6 Jedi and after discovering Deventer we ended up at my brothers doorstep hungry and he insisted on cooking for us , it was wonderfull and we left kinda full , happy and drunk.

The next meeting will be in Paris and more international and with Jedi from other online sites aswell , i am again looking forward to it and i think it will be a while untill it evolves in us doing workshops or anything other then just thouroughly enjoying eachother , being happy we are not the only one , who calls themselfes Jedi :laugh:

So as far as expectations go , i am easy going

What I seek, and would like to get started in my region is, to me, very simple.

1. To seclude ourselves a bit from the rest of the world in a retreat like setting, hike, camping, etc.
2. To have materials available to all to read and poke around in (Pooling of books/tools/resources).
3. To allow for the connection of Jedi in the region and develop a support structure.
4. To be able to meet routinely to develop and sustain the support structure.
5. To provide the means and knowledge to aid community members in their endeavors. To this end, if someone if confused about meditation, someone can assist with knowledge or where to find it.
6. To be able to properly recognize contributing members.
7. To provide a safe atmosphere.

Essentially, I see it as a stable group that would meet often with almost a communal library. I know each Jedi has their own opinion on how things work and there are disagreements, but I would want to make it so Jedi from all walks and views of life can meet and come together and improve the community and each other. I almost think of it like a Sunday church gathering, to be honest. A few hours here and there where everyone can come, get away from everything, and get right into it.

Nakis wrote: What I seek, and would like to get started in my region is, to me, very simple.

1. To seclude ourselves a bit from the rest of the world in a retreat like setting, hike, camping, etc.
2. To have materials available to all to read and poke around in (Pooling of books/tools/resources).
3. To allow for the connection of Jedi in the region and develop a support structure.
4. To be able to meet routinely to develop and sustain the support structure.
5. To provide the means and knowledge to aid community members in their endeavors. To this end, if someone if confused about meditation, someone can assist with knowledge or where to find it.
6. To be able to properly recognize contributing members.
7. To provide a safe atmosphere.

Essentially, I see it as a stable group that would meet often with almost a communal library. I know each Jedi has their own opinion on how things work and there are disagreements, but I would want to make it so Jedi from all walks and views of life can meet and come together and improve the community and each other. I almost think of it like a Sunday church gathering, to be honest. A few hours here and there where everyone can come, get away from everything, and get right into it.

That sounds good

I cannot elaborate on a full-blown "gathering" per se...but I think even smaller "Meet-and-Greet" functions would be nice.

NOTICE: Any Denver-metro area types interested in putting together a quick lunch thing here or there? Downtown? Just to say hello, rub some skin (shake hands), and help put a little more personal touch to the online interaction? (not naming names...but I know at least one relatively active person here is in the general vicinity...PM me if you're down.)

The challenge of a more organized events, for me at least, is the time/travel/expense issue. While it sounds nice, taking a trip to Maryland (?) is not really feasible for me. If I happened to be within a reasonable driving distance already, maybe, but even then dedicating massive amounts of time to such an event is challenging at least at the moment.

I think starting small, for those of us who can find another Jedi in our general area, is a good place to get things going. I know many of you may not even be aware of others near you, or may even be in a Jedi-desert, where you are the only active person within a day's travel, or more.

For those of us who do enjoy the luxury of close proximity, what sort of challenges other than our own reservations should we expect to find in trying to coordinate something as simple as a lunch. Even if the entire interaction is little more than a couple friends meeting for lunch and complaining about the weather or the hometown team?

Just my thoughts....

As someone who has never been to one (I know, four years on here and I'm a bit ashamed of that being that there are other Jedi near me in California), my expectation would be for a social gathering. We do a lot of studying here online already, and aside from martial arts, group yoga, group Tai Chi, etc, a lot of it can be done independently. What I miss out on by being exclusively online is the ability to shake a hand, give a hug, or pat someone on the back. We don't always get to put a face to a screen name here. My Teaching Master tzb and I are very close friends, but I've only heard his actual voice via recordings.

I realize most of this is my fault for not reaching out and making the effort to actually meet other Jedi, but when I do, I hope it will be about getting to know each other through free form discussions, games, meals, hikes, etc. These can be Jedi themed, but ultimately I would want it to be about the people themselves.