Convocation at Chisholme House, 4-6 September 2015

This weekend was about setting a new intention for the School at Chisholme

Understanding the Past: a talk by the Principal, Peter Young – read or listen here...

Considering the Present: an exercise in intention and imagination; read more...

Looking to the Future: 
               Richard Gault, the 'about-to-be' Principal, 
               Aliya Ryan the Development Office Coordinator, 
               Aaron Cass, Director of Studies for the next Six-month Course
               Tim Roberts, Chairman of the Institute
               Open Session – comments from participants 

 

Sunday Morning: looking to the future...

Tim Roberts, Chairman of the Chisholme Institute: How can we help?

Thank you!   
I just wanted to say a couple of things…particularly about the Volunteers.  

I was fortunate to come here two or three weeks ago and volunteer myself for two weeks. Lot’s of people have spoken about it – it’s different – it’s already something new that is happening. 

Now, this is a movement,  and we saw it,  and I hope we responded to it.  There is a lot more that could be done, but it is an example of responding to something that is just in front of us anyway, – something that is emerging. 

What I found, was that I saw Chisholme completely differently when I was showing someone else around it, or helping someone else in it – I saw it through someone else’s eyes – some just fall in love with it straight away.
Chisholme itself communicates. It is already a meaning and it conveys that! 

So what seemed changed, was just this idea, that – if people simply come here, that’s a lot of the work – and then we will see. – like the refugees – we don’t know what should happen, but then when they are here,  we can deal with that.  I think that is a very important part of the future and it is something that the Institute certainly takes very seriously.

There is also an other aspect of what I want to say: I was here as someone who has been around for countless years 'doing' a Volunteer Fortnight. So, whilst the Volunteer Weeks are for people who are new to the place, so to speak, there is also this opportunity here for everybody – whether they think they know the place or whether they think they don’t know the place – to just be here for 2 weeks as a volunteer. 
I really recommend it. 
It’s a different way of being here. 
It’s open to everybody. 

Yesterday, when walking back from Chapel Hill, what I saw was ‘We need help’.  
...that’s not being negative.  
...that’s not acknowledging that we don’t get help. 
…but I looked around – probably with my Director’s hat on – and I just saw things that needed doing.  

We need help!

That help comes in all sorts of ways; through volunteers and this sort of thing, and there are probably lots of different ways that we haven’t imagined or thought of. 

So just being here, lots of people noticed this – that much needed doing here. 

If you want to help, there are two things you can do:  you can come and work here, and also – and it already happens to a certain extent – people support the place through Covenants. There is always the opportunity for taking out Covenants for the place, if you can’t be here yourself – or as well as being here yourself. It’s such a gift!  

Someone mentioned yesterday that there was this endowment of £40,000. 

This is not an endowment; it’s a lot of people giving varying amounts of money, and it’s what keeps Chisholme running.  

Without it, it wouldn’t run, so it is very, very important!  

I have to express great gratitude for the people who give already, and in that gratitude I also have to ask: Please, if you don’t have a Covenant, consider taking one out – or, if you do, consider increasing your Covenant.

Obviously, this is one of the things that the Institute needs to be considering for the future – how do we develop?  Earlier, grants were mentioned, and the amount of time it takes to apply for them – it takes a lot of time; it needs someone on the ground just to do that, full time (and they don't have to live at Chisholme to help in this way)

So there are many opportunities for working and for supporting the place.

Someone now speaks from the floor: '...there is also the Volunteer Fund, and (addressing Kai Peacock) I think, Kai, you were instrumental in starting the volunteer process some years ago, and perhaps the Board could hear further from you? Perhaps you would like to be in an advisory capacity on this subject…to give advice on the whole matter of volunteering?’ 

Kai: 'I would be delighted to serve. It seems really important to have this flow and also for Chisholme to be established in this field of receiving grants. The work that is done here and the benefit to people is fantastic, so let’s shout about it, every opportunity we can, every venue, every chance.  
I think it is a great opportunity!   So yes, I would be delighted'.

Back to Tim R.: Thank you!

One other thing I would like to mention very briefly:
I am offering that anyone can come and help.
That’s a really important thing to say. This place doesn’t belong to anybody. It might look like it does, but it doesn’t belong to anybody. It’s not anybody’s role to look after it. 
It’s everybody’s role.