PODS Minutes 2002-2003
Sept 12, 2002

Sept 5th, 2002

Ladies and gentlemen, your minutes for September Fifth of the year Two
Thousand and Two:


NOTE: A tentative calendar for the next few weeks can be found in
      item IV. If you'd like to skip the drivel before that, feel
      free to do so.



  I. Opening statements and recounting of happy events.
     a. Much thanks to all the new and old members who attended. The
        room was nicely full, and a great discussion ensued.
     b. Pinatas attract oodles of attention when you walk around with
        them on campus. If you're bored, lonely or want attention,
        spend 10$ and bring it with you all over the place. Its got to
        be some kind of mad magic mojo.
     c. Pinata kitties, as Alyssa states, "are filled with candy just
        like real kitties." No I don't want to know how she knows this
        abour real cats.
     d. Said pinata was beated about until it spilled forth candy for
        the podlings at hand to gobble up. This was done under the
        Monteith tree.
            1) We made a great effor to pick up whatever we found on
               the ground, even in the dark.
            2) I returned later and found four pieces of candy we
               missed... so since we picked up all the other trash, the
               place is cleaner than it was before we bashed the kitty.
     e. This seems to be an event to be had in the future. And so a new
        PODS tradition is born.
     f. Upon gobbling candies, a mass exodus was launched to climb
        Horsebarn hill.
     g. It was suprisingly clear - clear enough, that as Erika pointed
        out, the Mikly Way was visible.
     h. After about 45 minutes on the hill, much after the sun setting,
        we got colder than we wished, and the exodus turned to our
        respective homes.
     i. And so this gathering ended.

II. Budget and Officer Change announcements.
     a. Budget planning and tentative semester planning actually
        occured.
     b. The budget is due in FIVE DAYS.
     c. Brianna has stepped down from the Treasurer chair, and Tibbets
        has joined Erika in this office.
     d. The current, PODS-official (not to be confused with USG
        official, which is forthcoming) treasurers are: Erika Smith and
        John Tibbets.
     e. Anyone else who really wants to be treasurer is welcome to
        join.
     f. This is especially open for following semesters.
     g. If I should be notifying anyone else of anything else, by all
        means inform me.
     h. Now we move on to happier things:

III. Things to look forward to this semester.
     a. Tentative items of interest include:  A food drive, cleanup at
        Devil's Hopyard State Park, involvement with Habitat for
        Humanity, tree planting, Pagan/occult/magickal instructional
        courses/classes/talks, drumming instruction and/or circles,
        Reiki
        class(es), more rituals "for ritual's sake", herbalism with
        Meryll Cook of Champlion's, clandle making and incense holder
        making with Brianna, massages by a yet-to-be-precisely-named
        person, Hermeticism lecture/class with Michael Patton, more
        discussions/lectures/classes that deal with specific paths
        (Norse, Wiccan, Egyptian, Hermetic, etc.), a Pagan Fair
        (planned as an idea for the Spring Semester), blood donation,
        involvement with the Nature Conservatory (discussed before I
        arrived), hiking in Devils Hopyard (combined with clean up),
        PODS Movie Night Social, and maybe even more.
       b. I say tentatively because funds have yet to be obtained from
          USG via the budget and suitably distributed and allocated to
          aforelisted events.

IV. UPCOMING PODS EVENTS, in order, sooner to later.
       a. Monday, the 9th, at 7pm. Meeting at my dorm hall (South B) in
          the Courtyard (not on the parking lot side of the building).
          MASS POSTERING EXODUS. We will begin postering from South and
          work our way North until we run out of Flyers. Someone please
          remember to bring tape, Alyssa you had the chalk last, and I
          will take care of photocopies. What are we postering for?
       b. We're postering for BASIC PAGAN TRAINING DAY, taking
          place on Thursday, the 12th, in our usual room 386
          Student Union Building.
               1) This event will be covered in the next section)
       c. MABON BONFIRE RITUAL on Thursday the 19th. Details are
          forthcoming. Desire was expressed for a bonfire. This will
          occur. We have experience with lighter fluid.
       d. Apple Picking on Saturday the 21st. Details will be
          forthcoming.
       e. Hermeticism lecture/class with Michael Patton (a fellow
          podling) on Thursday the 26th.

  V. Basic Pagan Training Day: An In-Depth Roster
       a. The concept of Basic Pagan Training Day is to explain
          various concepts and terms and practices one might find at
          just about any kind of Magickal working/circle/ritual/rite.
          These things include:
       b. The Five Corners, by Mark.
       c. Theology/Myths, by Michael.
       d. Magick and Mystic Theory, by Erik.
       e. Runes, a Method of Divination, by Erika.
       f. The bulk of what will be offered on Basic Pagan Training Day
          is knowledge, concerning the meaning of terms, common
          methods and theories of practicing magick, familiar or
          common deities from an array of different
          backgrounds/paths/trads, and the like.
       g. We will see how this goes. If there is desire for it, we are
          considering to hold an Intermediate Pagan Training Day, which
          will deal more with channeling of energy, grounding and
          centering, focusing, and the like. If you like this idea, be
          sure to let us know that on Basic Pagan Training Day and
          we'll plan ahead for it.
       h. The Training Days are in no way a "required" class. Anyone
          can come to any of our rituals, festivities, events, and so
          on, without even the slightest bit of common Pagan knowledge.
          You will learn some of the things we will be teaching you
          about on the Training Days by observing or participating. We
          offer these Training Days to those who either feel more
          comfortable using this approach to learning these various
          aspects, or for those who find it easier to comprehend or
          learn when not "learning by experience."

VI. Miscellaneous Tidbits and So Ons (not to be confused with
     sew-ons.)
       a. The next full moon will be on Saturday, September 21st,
          according to a moon program I have on my computer. Some talk
          was done on having a full moon circle (temp and weather
          permitting) as an additional "sample ritual" and "ritual for
          'ritual's sake'". Eric is down with that.
       b. For anyone who is interested, USG has packed up and run to a
          little house between South Campus and Arjona, by the bus stop
          for South Campus. As I understand it (and as I will confirm
          when I wake up or somewhere thereabouts), this is where
          photocopying is to be done while the Student Union is being
          renovated. Yea for me, less distance to walk.


For now, that is all. What follows is a transcript of the schedule we
had made last semester. If this doesn't interest you, you may stop
reading here.

Thank you for your patronage. This issue of PODS Minutes with Eric have
ended. Tune in again, same POD-Time, same POD-Channel. See 'ya around,
Space Cowboy.

    Tranquille et bona nox,   Eric







==================
Begin Transcript of Semester Schedule as Designed Spring 2002

The following was included in this mailing so that there will not be
any need of me forgetting to bring this bloody piece of paper to the
meeting. I provide this to all who are interested not only as proof
that it actually exists, but so that all those interested can review it
and check for what little there is on it that we aren't already
planning on doing.

5.2.2K2 Mark and I will be world famous rock stars Next semester
    planning
     - August 29th - Unofficial Meeting, posters for the 5th
     - September 5th - "What is Spirituality" Discussion
              - Designed like "Pagan Conference" of much attendance

    - Toward end of summer, discuss via email:
     - When are budget meetings?
     - When is activity fair / sched. deadlines?
             |> August 27th is activity fair

- Activities Fair:
     - Assemble planning board
     - Include all new peeps from fair in email list

5th or 12th - group to just chill, get people acclimated to PODS,
non-Pagan meeting

Pagan Basic Training Day       Second Week
      - Sept 12th: Myths, introductions; non-Magick training (pre-Pagan
        Training Day)
      - Sept 19th: Grounding, centering, energy work, shielding,
        focusing, guided meditating (Pagan Training Day I)
      - Sept 26th: Mabon & combined ritual training (Pagan
        Training Day II)

Weekend of Sept 26th: apple picking?

Oct    03  - Public help project work - State Park cleanup? Planting?
10  - Massage lady    17  - Samhain planning / energy circle    24  -
Drumming circle / Emergency Samhain Planning    31  - Samhain

Nov    7 - Yule Planning


-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- As you can see, most of the stuff on this list
(somewhat condensed from two pages of jotted notes) will be done sooner
or later this semester. Perhaps the "spirit of the schedule" guided us
to the same conclusions we made last semester :)

                  -Eric
^v^v^This has been an official email from the Secretary of PODSv^v^
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P.O.D.S.
The Pagan Organization for Diverse Spirituality

President
Cat Brennan ---
maenightmist@aol.com
Alyssa Mow ---- phoenix798@aol.com

Army of Treasurers
Erika Smith ----
dakata3@yahoo.com
John "Lord of the Dance" TIbbets --- lordtecky@yahoo.com

Secretary
Eric Hohlfeld --
pencilpusherofpods@hailmail.net

Weekly Meetings
Room 386, Student Union Building
University of Connecticut Storrs Campus
Every Thursday Evening at 7:00pm
(officers meet about half an hour prior)

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