October 30, 2005
Brooks Newton and Paula Backus called a few women to the first meeting
in Ashland Oregon for what would soon become The Rose Circle. Interest
in a mentoring program for young girls was popping in many quarters of
the community and the greater Rogue Valley. With the success of the
Boys to Men Northwest program, many men were prodding some of
their women friends saying "what about a
program for the girls?”
First Meeting
We established early on that developing something for the girls was only
a part of bringing back a culture of community and opportunities for rites
of passage for youth. Held by the interest and passion of a community
of men and women, a program for girls was born. Roses adorned the center of the circle and the namesake slipped on like a
comfortable garment. Each meeting was a different configuration of
women with a stong core that seemed to come most often. Each meeting,
initially held every month, realized another step or two in the program's
development.
"The Medium is the Message"
Very soon it became obvious to those attending the meetings that
the container for the program was developing in a remarkable way.
We saw how important it was to allow the details to emerge according
to a natural flow and not from pushing to achieve a goal by some
imagined deadline. We felt that the way we stewarded the process
was at least as important as the product and in fact would be reflected
in the final offering. To this end, we made it very clear to the women
attending meetings that they were to come when it really fit for them
to attend. We emphasized that there was no need to feel in any way
obliged to attend and that we trusted in the process that was at work
enough to allow it to continue without pressure.
The Petals Unfold
Meetings monthly soon gave way to twice monthly gatherings. Vision and
Mission statements were developed and a Training Design Committee
began to meet which included Leslie Lanes, Taylor Kohn, Brooks Newton,
Ellen Craine, Renee Riley-Adams and Lexi Delgado. The training would
center around circle principles so that there would be a shared model and
culture for all Mentors to follow. This model would form the context of the
meetings with the girls, but the content would develop within the life of
each individual circle. |
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Spring
It was during the early Spring of 2006 that the idea came for a pilot circle to begin.
It was the first meeting that Renee Riley-Adams attended and she leapt
to the task of calling a circle from girls who she knew. At our next meeting,
the pilot circle was initiated and blessed. It was during this period that
Jennifer Pratt, a founding member of Masters of Ceremony, heard about
the developing Rose Circle program. With her husband, Michael Wetter,they
invited our fledgling organization to consider joining their 501 C-3 which
was, at the time, home to the Boys to Men Northwest program. It took no
time to see the synchronicity here and after their Board's approval, our
affiliation began. There was a heartful welcome of the women developing
the girl’s program and three women self-selected to join the Masters of
Ceremony Board of Directors to represent The Rose Circle – Leslie Lanes,
Taylor Kohn and Cara Walsh.
Hidden Springs Wellness Center
Three dates were set in April 2006 all held at Hidden Springs with compliments
of Rod and Brooks Newton:
An informational meeting about the Container Training
The Container Training Weekend
An Open House for parents and girls wanting to join a circle
In late Spring, Heidi Jensen, a member of the Rose Circle, got the word
out to as many schools as was possible about the opportunity in the Fall
to join a girls circle. A radio show, newspaper articles, flyers around town
and word of mouth assisted in letting people know about the opportunity
for their daughters.
The Rose Circle Container Training
The weekend was a wonderful success and landed exactly nine months
from the initial meeting when the seed for this program was planted
in the fertile field of this community. The Rose Circle was born and began
it's own natural rhythm of development along the lines of it's inception.
Mentors were ready and just enough girls responded to the invitation to
match the number of Mentors who were ready. Besides the pilot circle
that is continuing, three more circles began in the Fall of 2006.
The Story continues... |
