(a statement from the Guild Board)
During the past several years the Board and leaders of the Guild have had to struggle with a number of difficult issues. An increasing number of seminars have had to be canceled because of insufficient sign-ups. Several senior leaders and mentors have found that is was time for them to stop actively leading seminars or to reduce their participation in other Guild activities. Because of the limited number of seminars and other events, the Guild did not issue a program brochure for 2011-2012.
At the same time it is important to recognize that there has been significant activity in the Guild during the past year. Longstanding seminars such as Nourishing the Soul and More Fire for Life continue to have strong support. Despite last minute changes in leadership and venue (due to illness and the Four Springs fire), Basic Records had a full sign-up. In December, two separate Advent seminars together had nearly 40 participants and staff. We see these events as evidence that there is still a desire for what the Guild has to offer, and an ability to continue the work. Further, the financial situation of the Guild is quite stable, with significant resources available for new initiatives.
One of the strongest signs of new life has been the ongoing work of the training program, Casting Seeds. This year leaders and members of this class are engaged in an intensive study of some of the most advanced work in depth psychology. Several leaders will be attending the inaugural conference of the International Society for Psychology as the Discipline of Interiority (ISPDI) in Berlin, July 23-25, 2012. (See www.ispdi.org for more details.)
During the past few years a small but active and committed group of new leaders have experimented with new forms of seminars and events (including one day seminars and excursion-based seminars). There is also the possibility of exploring the offering of online courses and discussion groups. Casting Seeds is committed to working together to design and lead seminars, a process that began with December's Advent seminar in San Francisco and will continue with a seminar in April.
Meanwhile, your Board has been working hard to determine the form of organization that would best enable the Guild to continue its work and to use the available resources and energy most effectively. In the next few months the Board will be soliciting proposals from Guild leaders for seminars and other projects to be funded by the Guild, with appropriate procedures and guidelines. Instead of using traditional program brochures, new seminars and projects will be publicized individually, using the web site, email, the Threshing Floor, fliers, and so on.
Like virtually all institutions in our world today, the Guild must adapt to new realities and embrace emerging opportunities. We believe that the work that brought each of us to the Guild over the past decades will continue in the years to come, and we are committed to helping to sustain it even as we reach out in new ways.
