The TBH Big Rethink meeting – Wed 7 May

Notes by John Kapp

Present Jo Nean (facilitator) Steve Watson (leader) John Bristow (leader) Dave (leader) Doly (leader) Maureen (leader) Liz, Laura, Louis, Ted, Jackie, Vicky,Lara Lewington, John Kapp (secretary)

Report back
Members reported back on their attendance at regional meetings of Transition Towns. The movement is spreading like wild fire. It is proposed to form regional, national and international forums of Transition Towns, eg for England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland and overseas.

Agenda for this meeting
1 To decide how to make decisions
2 To consider proposals to change the structure of TBH.
3To consult those present by world café method.
4To adopt Aims and Principles (as Lewes and others have done)
5To decide on the next meeting.
6Any Other Business (AOB)

1 Decision making
It was proposed to adopt the consensus model of decision making as the default , with the option of deciding by consensus to adopt another method to save time eg delegation of powers to an individual, or voting on specific decisions.

Suggested hand signals to indicate intention: Wish to speak = hand up. Agreement = wobbling hands, Strong disagreement= blocking movement of palm. Weak disagreement, dis-association, stand aside= no signal. (like ‘nem con’=none against)

It was proposed to offer training in facilitation of meetings. Agreed. Action Jo

2 Change from ‘hub and spoke’ to ‘forum and spoke’ structure
It was proposed to widen the Hub from just the co-ordinators of the groups, to a forum of all members including the co-ordinators, or their substitute, so that no group is unrepresented. This was agreed (1 stand aside) on a trial basis for the first Forum meeting, without yet dissolving the Hub. Action: All to attend

It was proposed to offer new members occasional induction meetings. Agreed. Action Jo, Steve, john B.

3 World café consultation
In 3 groups we considered what is good, bad and interesting about TBH. The leader wrote down points made. for writing up and considering later. Action: Dave, Maureen, Doly, to write up conclusions for consideration at the next meeting

Charlie Haward of Evolution, had written a fun ‘structure’. It was proposed to incorporate this into our structure. Agreed. Consult book ‘Gaia democracy’. Action Jo, Steve, John B.

4 Aims and Principles
The Aims and Principles of Lewes were tabled and it was proposed that we adopt Aims and Principles of our own, as a vehicle to achieving our objective of creating an Energy Descent Action Plan for Brighton and Hove, compiled from each groups contribution to it. This was agreed. Action ? (secretary will draft for next meeting)

5 Forum meeting
It was agreed to hold the first forum meeting on Thurs 5.6.08 at 7.30pm at corner of Edward St, Brighton Agenda: Matters arising from this meeting, including
conclusions of World Café consultation, Aims and Principles. Action Louis

6 AOB
a) It was proposed that Co-housing should be either a new group of TBH, or an affiliation of existing group to TBH. This was agreed enthusiastically. Action Vicky
b) Participation in Frank Jay’s Green Wave Festival, Preston Park, Weekend 5-6 July was proposed. Agreed enthusiastically. Action Jackie?

Notes from World Cafe discussions

Questions:
What is good about Transition Brighton & Hove? (these notes by David Greenop)

Communication:
• Website:
o Very professionally produced
o Well managed
o Response from webmaster quick & helpful
o Appears fresh & tidy
o Content kept up to date
• Publicity activities:
o Radio interviews
o Press articles
o Public talks
o Leaflets
• Events:
o Events at the Cowley Club such Buy Nothing Day, Swaparama, From Planet to Plate and Great Reskilling are engaging with people in a way that is different from other green groups.

Community focus:
• TB&H provides an opportunity for communities to do something together to tackle Climate change and Peak oil

Involvement:
• A good diversity of ages, backgrounds and interests of individuals involved in TB&H
• Individuals show respect for each other and disagreements get resolved
• There is a strong sense of urgency to get things done
• TB&H provide opportunity for networking, skill sharing and making new contacts
• Provides an opportunity for individuals to develop new skills such as facilitation and leadership
• Encourages learning new things and seeing things in a new perspective

Interest Groups:
• Some Interest Groups are working well although started earlier than the 12 Step suggested.
• Interest groups foster a positive feeling of being involved in a group with a purpose
• Developing activities down to a participation level e.g. food events and community allotment
• TB&H interest groups working in partnership with other organisation is a good model

Political / Organisational:
• Being a politically neutral organisation is important as it is non-partisan and allows TB&H to control the agenda, to determine its own alignments and raise difficult questions.
• Support from and access to B&H Council Sustainability group



What is working well and needs to continue

Communication: Continue the use of public facing activities such as the website, events, talks, press articles and radio & TV interviews, perhaps our own local radio show. Be a source of trusted public information on what is happening on Climate Change & Peak Oil

Special Interest groups: These need to be encouraged and developed as they are positive way for people to get involved. New ideas for Interest groups could be seeded and they should be given more autonomy. Collectively they give a resilient network cell type structure which is self supporting. Encourage skill exchange across groups.

Events: Whether large scale or small, initiated by TB&H or done in partnership can reach many different parts of the population of B&H.

Involvement: Need to continue to diversify with involvement from all parts of the population. Increase our local networking with individuals and organisation. Continue to educate yourselves by encouraging knowledge and skill developments and in particular leadership.

Organisational: Continue to have dialogue with B&H Council and remain politically neutral. Strengthen our network and cultivate a culture of Action, followed by Reflection, followed by Dialogue.


Question:
Things we don't know/are unclear: (these notes by Doly Garcia

- Not knowing enough useful people outside TBH
- Not knowing the technical issues about CC and PO
- Not knowing structures and decision-making processes
- Not knowing the skills we have within TBH
- No consistent understanding among people outside the hub of what TBH does
- Perceived as a "wobbly jelliness" (nothing is clearly defined)
- Not clear who has decision-making power
- Not clear how people can join TBH

Other things we lack:

- Not enough reaching out/publicity/education and awareness, and almost none directed to specific different groups of people
- Not enough strategic thinking (EDRAP), and not enough linking of interest groups to EDRAP
- Not enough active people in some groups. Proposal: move the edge towards the inside, make the lurkers more active
- Not enough information sharing, internally and externally
- No sense of urgency
- No social activities
- No general principles

Issues with meetings:

- Bad advertising of meetings
- The meetings aren't properly structured. Proposal: Action lists, find good facilitators
- Boring meetings

People/perception issues:

- Perceived as middle class
- Some people are judgemental (anti-techie, anti-fluffy)
- Not everybody's views are respected (cliques)
- Too much Transition Towns jargon
- The hub appears an elite within TBH
- Perceived as a talking shop
- TBH is too centralized