Volunteer Information

A letter from Carl:

Greetings my dear friends and relations,

I’m sending out a call to our growing community asking for those who have the time and space to step up as volunteers to help share the work load and facilitate the ongoing process of building a solid foundation for our upcoming camp during our camp-building day on Thursday, August 30. I wait a whole year for this very special occasion that we have together over labor day holiday. This circle of friends and family (old and new) is one of the highlights of the year for me. It nurtures and sustains me and the joy of our time together helps to carry me until the next time we join in the celebration of the blessings flowing into our lives. This space that we’ve been building together represents for me a dream of the heart manifesting in a disconnected world, bringing stability to our lives.

It takes a great deal of effort and care for this event to take place. For the community to grow, to be strong and stable, and to provide the space for the increasing numbers of people who come requires more willing hands to carry the load. And for those of us who get together ahead of time and do the preparation, we have a blast! This is a great, great time. Its a time when we get to know each other a lot better, and its just flat out a lot of fun. Its also an opportunity of discovery of people’s talents and abilities that become gifts to the community, and we grow in a healthy and organic way.

Our community and camp building day last year was a great success. By the end of the day we must have had 60-70 people, and the camp was in full swing! I’m hoping that there are some of us out there who are reading this letter who can make the time to join us in this celebration of community building, as we build up the camp together, again this year, with camp set-up as part of our weekend. We will begin with the lighting of the sacred fire at 9:30 AM Friday morning,  to bring our hearts and minds together in service and love. It is a day of community, connection, friendship, service, celebration and ceremony as we prepare a space of beauty, safety and love for the greater community to enter into. We will end the day with a meal together followed by ceremony around the fire, with music (bring your instruments) and just plain good times together.

So thank you, everyone, for all that you bring and all that you do to make this happen. With great joy and expectancy, I look forward to our time together in the beauty of pristine nature.

In gratitude and love,
Carl Big Heart

Volunteer for Wednesday
Labor Day Gathering Setup & Community Time in the Pine Grove
08/29/18, 8/30/18, 8/31/18 (Wed, Thurs, & Friday)

For those that can be available and would like to join us, starting on Wednesday August 29, there will be a crew of folks camping in the Pine Grove joyously working together to prepare the space for the rest of the community to arrive on Friday. You are welcome to join for all or part, arrive on Weds, Thurs, Friday, or drop by just for a few hours to say hello. If you’ve been looking for a way to connect with the circle or get involved in a deeper way – these days before the gathering are just that.

We will be preparing the Lodge Sites, putting up the various structures (moon lodge, kitchen & tee pee) and enjoying our time together around the fire in the evenings and throughout the days. If you will be joining the crew there in the Pine Grove, again, please coordinate with us through volunteer@big-heart-circle.org.

Volunteer for Setup Crew
Community Gathering, Sweatlodges, Workshops, & other Ceremonies
Friday, August 31- Monday September 3, 2018
First Dinner is served at 6:30pm, the opening circle & ceremony will start once dinner is finished.

Another email will coming out next week with specifics about what to bring and more information about the weekend gathering.

The Ashokan Center has worked it out for us so that it will be particularly affordable for folks to attend and camp with in the Pine Grove this year, we are excited for a it to be a joyous coming together of our community celebrating our love and appreciation of this particular space and our memories there. Please help us get the word out to the community-at-large.

Monday, September 3 – Closing Ceremony, Clean-up

Monday, Labor Day, is strong and beautiful.. after days filled with ceremony, cooking, eating, laughing andplaying together, our community comes together in a circle of recognition, gratitude, blessings, and farewells.
Understanding that the next day many have to be at work, some are students starting their first day at school, and that some in our community drive from great distances– we are asking those of you that can, to stay into afternoon to help pack up our camp and ceremony sites. If you can commit to staying into the afternoon to help, also please email volunteer@big-heart-circle.org so that we can begin to have an understanding of how many folks will be around.
Volunteer for Monday