There are mornings when I wake up asking myself if what I am doing really is sane. Does it make sense at all? Am I into some kind of fad that will fade soon? Is there really anything sacred about the Earth? It’s the kind of “dark night of the soul” question that we must each deal with at some time in our lives.
For eleven years, I have been on this “search”. What has kept me going so often, during the day-in and day-out of working alone much of the time, during the times of self-doubt, has been the people around me. My family and a few friends to begin with; but the support has grown each year. Over the last few years, it has been the membership in IMAGO that has given me even greater impetus to keep going. It speaks loudly to all of us who spend a lot of time working to achieve IMAGO’s goals. It keeps saying, “Keep doing what you are doing; we want to be part of you; we want to support you”. And loudly it says, “We, too, believe in the message of love for the Earth and its people, and in the Spirit that connects all of us together.”
To you who are members, I want to personally say, thank you. Thank you for the commitment and connection to the Earth. Because of you I can sit here today and write this article with very little doubt. Today it is clear that it is in this connectedness with the Earth that we can find the meaning that will bring us back in touch with what is important, and is the way to preserve the Earth, of which we are a part.
It is also through members that IMAGO has been able to take a new and broader step into the future. For example:
– Each of our workshops have a planning committee made up of members who do much planning and promotional work for the events.
– Nine members provided the funds to hire a part time staff for the past year, a major financial commitment.
The membership fees are the money we depend on for our printing, mailing, office supplies, phone, and other everyday expenses. We do not have any other regular funding source on which to depend. But what a wonderful group of people we have to depend on!
This year we are changing our membership structure, so it does not reflect “money” commitment but rather give people an opportunity to decide what level of personal commitment they wish to make to IMAGO.
Many find reading the newsletter as the one way they can be involved. Others attend workshops, provide financial assistance, or just send a message to encourage us at times. These are our subscribing members: those of you who, by your subscribing to IMAGO’ s purpose, give us moral and financial support to continue our work.
Others have the time to commit to providing energy to IMAGO’s programming needs. It takes more than a few people to accomplish what we have set out to do. The Active members are the “workhorse” members, the ones that spend the time and energy getting the work done.
The Core member is a special level of commitment. This level makes up the heart and soul of IMAGO. Our Core membership provides much of the primary energy for IMAGO, doing planning and giving a great deal of time and energy to the programs in which IMAGO is involved.
We need all levels of commitment. I do hope that this year you will consider the Active and Core memberships as possible levels of involvement. It is from these two levels that the future of IMAGO will be determined.
Thanks to all of you who are members. It keeps the fires burning and the spirit soaring.
rjamesschenk.org 