OHMC New Governance

You're invited to take the next steps to help our sangha grow and flow as a river with all of our collective energy.

Dear Friends,

After we sent out our facilitator and general sangha survey in Spring 2020, the OHMC board at the time took time to sit with what they learned from the survey and discussions with facilitators. Much has changed since we first began meeting as a sangha some 18 years ago. In particular, over the last few years our numbers have grown and new programs have been developed. This has established OHMC as an open and welcoming place for all those seeking an engaged mindfulness community. 

Our numbers and our offerings grew significantly,  and we had more facilitators than ever before. As we blossomed, we wanted to keep our alignment with our mission of offering mindfulness practice in inclusive and engaged ways. So based on what we heard from you in both our formal survey and from informal conversations, our interviews with other sangha leaders and experts in democratic governance, and based on our own experience, we felt it was time to evolve the organizational structure to provide a stronger base for our expanding sangha.

Structure

This revised structure was influenced most by several conversations with other similar sanghas and from meetings with three different consultants in the field of democratic governance and non-profits. The new structure centers around a new group called the Care Taking Council (CTC). Most sanghas in the Thich Nhat Hanh tradition are guided by a Care Taking Council. 

The CTC will be the place where day to day decision making happens for the Sangha. Critically, the CTC will be open to any and all facilitators or those with multi-year sangha experience. The CTC will be supported by two other groups: a legal board (LB), which will manage finances and legal issues, and an Order of Interbeing (OI) group that will operate in an advisory role for those looking to deepen their practice in the Plum Village tradition and/or pursue the Five and Fourteen Mindfulness Trainings. The OI group may also make practice suggestions from time to time for the sangha. However, the CTC and its various sub-groups and committees will be where the main work of sangha building will get done.

Annual Meeting

We came together in an annual meeting in September 2020, to discuss a new organization structure with our community,

We are thrilled to have the opportunity to take this journey with you all. We want our sangha to grow and flow as a river with all of our collective energy.

Click here for the presentation slides from that meeting to learn about how we’re structured

Click here for a video recording of this meeting
 

In gratitude and mindfulness,

OHMC Board