Phoenix Shambhala Leadership

Leadership Teams / Leadership Resources and Consent Model / Minutes Archive

Next Community Meeting: Sunday, January 26 at 11:30 am
The Phoenix Shambhala Meditation Center welcomes you to our next Community Meeting. Please visit the event page for agenda details.


Leadership Teams

Phoenix Shambhala leadership is grounded in the basic inspiration of supporting and expanding a community in which people can dedicate themselves to building Shambhala society and propagating the vision of Shambhala.

The leadership of the Phoenix Center is a team model with Team Leads working together with small groups of sangha members. We welcome participation from the community wherever they wish to contribute; please contact us if you’d like to join one or more teams.

Practice and Education Team
Lead: Chris Noble-Power

Finance Team
Lead: Andre Shearer

Space and Operations Team
Lead: Muffie Noble-Power

Communications and Marketing Team
Lead: Michelle Welch

Membership Team
Lead: Pavel Sidakov (on hiatus; interim contact: Michelle Welch)

Protection Team (Dorje Kasung)
Lead: Lynn Vineyard, Rusung
The Dorje Kasung maintain their traditional Chain of Command.


Leadership Resources

For our community meetings, we attempt to hold the view of the Great Eastern Sun, mindful speech, and the Six Paramitas:

1. Generosity: convey warmth, kindness, and friendliness; give others the benefit of doubt.
2. Discipline: refrain from dominating conversations; step back to allow collective wisdom to emerge.
3. Patience: communicate openness and open-mindedness, even when there is disagreement.
4. Exertion: listen actively; maintain curiosity and inquisitiveness about what others are saying; stay connected to the topic at hand.
5. Meditation: pause, check in before speaking; maintain a sitting practice.
6. Wisdom: practice discernment when deciding when to speak and when to listen.

When decisions must be made by the community, we use a Consent Model:

  • First present the possible decision as a statement (e.g., “We will hold salons once per month”) or question (e.g., “Do you agree to holding salons once per month?”).
  • Three possible responses:
    1. Thumbs up (for those who agree with the decision)
    2. Thumbs sideways (for those who have specific concerns, but still can live with the decision as stated)
    3. Thumbs down (for those who will block the decision, but they must present their concerns, and dialogue with the group to arrive at a revised decision with which they can at least live)
  • Address the concerns of sideways and down voters, then go around and reassess.
  • Repeat until everyone is thumbs up or sideways.

 

Please see the March 2019 meeting minutes, where the community agreed on these guidelines, for more information.

 


Previous Community Meeting Minutes

 

Phoenix Shambhala Finances

Please see our activity spreadsheet. (1/15/19 update for Jan 2017 – Dec 2018)