One of the joys of our circle is the walk towards re-discovering true community rooted in heart, ceremony, love, and an agenda-less commitment to each individual’s arrival. Each year we learn and grow from the previous year’s gathering. How can we better support each other? How can we make our camp more sustainable? How can we most empower the experience of the weekend for everyone?
Clans provide a way to bring our community together in smaller circles so that the different needs of our camp can be held well, so that the burden of these needs don’t crush a few over-worked individuals. In these smaller circles people can meet each other, support each other, and come know each other in a profound way. It is a reaching back to an ancient way of being together.
Each clan will have a specific area of the camp they are caring for. Rather than only having Clans helping in the kitchen, some clans will supporting whole other areas – such as a children’s program clan (Chipmunk), or a “Welcoming and Registration Tent” clan(Wolf).
Below you can read through the Clans, their responsibilities and in some cases their schedules. If you are committed to coming to the Labor Day Gathering this year, and you already feel a calling towards one or know which clan will fit your schedule you can email Stefan at stefan@thelivingframe.com and ask if there are spaces open in that clan, you might start early in corresponding with your clan leader and clan members- could be fun.
Most of the clans will have responsibilities all weekend long. If you’re not planning on being at camp the entire time, that’s fine, you will be welcomed and appreciated in your clan while you are with us in the woods. If a scheduling challenge shows up for you during the weekend, such as a ceremony or activity you would like to be doing that might conflict with clan duties, your clan leader will work with you to find a substitute so you can be freed to pursue what you want to do.
Once you have read through the information below, if you are clear what clan you would like to work with and would like to speed up your Registration in the Pine Grove, we now have the option for you to sign up for Clans online. You can access it here.
Please note that there are 2 spreadsheets attached to the Clan Sign-up Workbook. The first one gives a description of each clan and what they will be doing at Gathering. Then, the second sheet is where you would put your name under the clan that you want to work with.
If you’re not clear on how to access or use the spreadsheet, no worries! You can still sign up at Registration when you get to the Pine Grove. 🙂
(Wolf Clan) – Welcoming & Registration
Clan Leader: We are looking for volunteers
Colors: TBD
The Wolf Clan will be welcoming, orientating, and inspiring as they arrive into the pine woods. Besides getting folks registered, a primary role is helping folks understand the different clans, related schedules and which clan is a best fit for them. This clan will work in shifts manning the registration tent throughout the whole weekend.
Chipmunk Clan – Childrens’ Clan
Clan Leaders: We’re looking for volunteers.
Colors: TBD
The Childrens’ Clan is made up of Kids and Parents. Think of the chipmunk clan like a childcare co-op. Parents in the clan will work to contribute time, creativity, and presence to caring for the kids. This way supporting other parents of the clan to be in Ceremony, workshops, or other duties throughout the weekend. The Parents are not required to join this clan with their kids, nor are adults required to be parents to be in this clan. Those that are called to look after the kids are welcome. We do ask that at least one parent per small child join up with the Chipmunks. The rest of the community will also be asked to hold the children in all of our awareness. It takes a village. 🙂
Buffalo Clan – Food Truck
Clan Leader: Anna – Assistance requested
Colors: Red & Grey
The food truck holds an awesome responsibility throughout the weekend to maintain and care for our food. The clan will need some strong arms to help move coolers in and out of the truck each day, along with some savvy organizational minds to help keep food organized and safely stored. Buffalo Clan also will need members early on (Starting Thursday). Folks coming in later in the weekend can also swing into this Clan to help them out.
Bear Clan – Bear Protection, Composting, Earth Care.
Clan Leaders: Bernard, Justin & Ken
Colors: Green & Brown
Though they do most of their work in the evenings after dinner – the Bear Clan holds an awareness for the whole of the camp about cleanliness, correct disposal, and walking lightly on the Earth. This Clan needs folks who can drive(for truck runs at the end of each night), folks passionate about sustainability, and folks okay being in service a little later in the evening. Bear Clan will need members all weekend long, but their first work starts on Thursday.
Moose Clan – Breakfast Prep / Cooking
Clan Leader: Anna
Colors: Orange & turquoise
Breakfasts served on Friday, Saturday, Sunday, & Monday.
Quietly lumbering in the morning mist, the Moose Clan will rise with the Sun to prepare the first meal of the day for everyone. Moose Clan will make its first meal for everyone on Friday morning, and will need some strong members who can support getting the Sunday breakfast made even though the clan leader, Anna, won’t be there because of the women’s sunrise lodge. The Moose Clan will also get water heated and ready for the Breakfast Clean-up clan to do clean-up.
(Raven Clan) – Breakfast Clean-up
Clan Leaders: We’re looking for volunteers
Colors: TBD
Breakfast cleanup: Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday
The Breakfast Clean-up Clan will swim up to the kitchen after breakfast each day to get things cleaned up and ready for the Goose Clan to swing in for lunch prep.
(Goose Clan) Lunch Prep
Clan Leader: We’re looking for Volunteers
Colors: TBD
Lunch served on Friday, Saturday, Sunday, & Monday.
With a birds’ eye view from midday, the Goose Clan will put together the lunch for each day and also check in on the kitchen as a whole. They’ll be able to make sure things are getting put away right, that the flow is in place and seeing what else might be needed or shifted to keep the kitchen humming. If Goose members are in morning workshops, they may have to “duck” out of the workshop early to support lunch prep. Folks who want to be around for building the fires for lodges shouldn’t join this Clan (there is often time to wander down but it’s not a given). Goose Clan will need to get water heated and ready for lunch clean-up as well.
(Eagle Clan) Lunch Cleanup
Clan Leader: We are looking for volunteers.
Colors: TBD
Lunch clean-up duties will be fairly light since the lunch menu will be fairly light. The challenge with this Clan is that their responsibilities are right before we normally crawl into the lodge. So folks who are in this clan will be hopping and skipping about right before, and possibly swiftly swinging down to the lodge right after they finish.
(Panther Clan) Dinner Prep
Clan Leader: We’re looking for volunteers.
Colors: TBD
Dinners served Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights.
All though we’re trying a new flow this year by having a lot of the dinner pre-made in the forms of soups and stews – this Clan will still need to often be at the kitchen while the lodge ceremony is still finishing. We will need enough people in this clan that folks can rotate so that those that want it can have a full lodge experience on one of the two days. Members of this Clan will need to head towards the kitchen after the pipe round at least one of the days. It’s a good clan for folks who don’t crawl into lodges both afternoons. This clan will also need to heat water and setup cleaning stations for Dinner Clean-up clan.
(Coyote) Dinner Clean-up.
Clan Leader: We are looking for volunteers.
Colors: TBD
This clan will swing in to do dinner clean-up and support the work of the Bear Clan in getting the kitchen wrapped up for the night. This is a great clan for people who want to have the rest of the day free. This Clan, the Bear Clan, and the Buffalo Clan are great clans for people to join if they are just coming in for the day and want to contribute to the help the camp.