Be a man of initiative, and beware lest through hindrances of your own body, or hindrances
that otherwise come in your way, you do not find the centre of your being, where is the
source of your initiative. Observe that in your life all joy and sorrow, all happiness and pain
will depend on finding or not finding your own individual initiative. This should stand as
though written in golden letters ….
Rudolf Steiner, Karmic Relationships, Volume III, 4 August 1924
Trustees and project management
The newly-appointed Trustees – Roger Barsby, Fumiko Chikami, John Lees, Robert Lord, and since October 2010, Charlene Colison Briault, John Gordon and Simon Blaxland de Lange – are active in the management and development of the project.
Emerson Initiative Arena
The future of the project depends on the involvement of people from the community. So we have begun to create a space for initiative to address current needs – the notion of ‘Innovative solutions to world crises’. It is concerned with initiating practical activities in the Village and addressing one, or more of the threads of the Emerson Village concept: living, working and learning.
The ‘Arena’ meets monthly. The meetings address how new proposals fit into the Village vision, what they need in order to get started and how support can provided. They involve the possibility of networking with people who have similar ideas and forming ‘steering groups’ to initiate activities. The first meeting took place on 18 April. It was attended by 49 people who offered the following forms of voluntary help and initiative taking:
Office: business advice, marketing and administration, IT, reception, fund raising, library, mailing lists
Estates: building maintenance, energy efficiency, sustainability, gardening, bio-dynamics, cooking, engineering skills, beehive manufacture, working with wood, producing firewood
Events: public lectures, Alumni conference, May fair, children’s courses and events, Easter conference 2011
Arts and crafts: eurythmy, Goethean-based art, craft courses, speech and storytelling
Local community: co-operation with local community
Voluntary work
You can contribute to the project by offering voluntary work. If you are able to do this please send us an email stating:
- Nature of involvement
- Skills and experience
- Availability
Work and business scheme
Businesses which share our principles can rent office space. Rudolf Steiner Press/Temple Lodge Press, Steiner Waldorf Schools Fellowship and the Biographical and Social Development Trust have expressed enthusiasm for being a part of this scheme. We are also keen to hear from successful manufacturing organizations that would like to set up small-scale activities on the site that would provide young people with the chance of a short-term learning opportunity.
Major proposals
We welcome any ideas for future sustainable activities on the site. All proposals will need to be presented under the following headings:
Contact details, summary, fit with overall vision, context, objectives, beneficiaries, management strategy, business plan, requirements in terms of space, administrative back-up and facilities, risk assessment, participant CVs
Please be precise regarding your requirements for space, administrative back-up and facilities
required. We will then have consultations regarding your proposed initiative.
For further details about any of the above initiatives, or details for making donations and loans, see donations.