Olympia Trillium Community Governance

The purpose of Trillium Olympia's CoordinatinG Circle is 
to support and empower practitioners in their embodied awakening process,
in the heart and spirit of the Trillium path.

DISCLAIMER: THESE ROLES ARE AN ONGOING WORK-IN-PROGRESS, AS WE LEARN BY DOING AND CREATIVELY RESPOND TO THE EVOLVING NEEDS OF OUR BEAUTIFUL COMMUNITY!

QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE - "Who to Contact for What?!"
[more detailed role descriptions are further below]

Area Coordinator: Margit Bantowsky

• start here if you're new to the Trillium work, or Trillium in Olympia
• general point person for "all things Trillium Olympia," fields questions that don't fit in other roles
• sends out sitting and event announcements as well as occasional, general info and coordination emails

Welcomer: Kirstin Eventyr

• helps orient people to the Trillium path and to Trillium Olympia
• helps people get ready for their first Trillium event (a teacher-led sitting)
• is available for questions and support for new people as they explore the Trillium path

Event Coordinator: Joanne Lee

• organizes special events such as sittings and weekend workshops with visiting, non-local Trillium Awakening teachers
• sends out emails announcing workshops, handles registration, logistics info, etc.
• note: to provide a transformative and safe environment, most workshops have prerequisites (e.g. attending teacher-led sittings, having a session w/ a Trillium Awakening teacher, etc.)

Overall Mutuality Circle Coordinator: Lynne Geller

• creates Small and Large Mutuality Circle schedule
• organizes bi-annual Small Mutuality Circle re-shuffling process
• supports overall mutuality circle functioning

ABOUT the Olympia Trillium Coordinating Circle 
​

The Olympia Coordinating Circle's governance process and structure is based on the principles of Holacracy. Holacracy is an organizational platform that supports and distributes authority, clarifies accountability, and gives rise to successful decision making that leverages collective intelligence, ensures responsive agility, and engenders active, forward movement. We are still learning this approach, but so far it's been awesome!

The Olympia Coordinating Circle makes decisions and develops processes and guidelines to support the evolution of the Olympia Trillium community 

Specifically, the Coordinating Circle:​

• tracks issues and needs arising in the community that fall outside the jurisdiction of the individual governance roles described
• regularly holds meetings to discuss tensions and make decisions
• actively seeks input from the community, as appropriate, to fully understand issues, needs, preferences, and possible solutions
• makes decisions and develops guidelines to serve the community
• takes meeting notes which consist of action items 
• shares relevant decisions and policy changes with the Mutuality Circle members
• rotates facilitation of meetings 
• rotates the recording of meeting notes 
• has the option of creating a "disappearing task force" - a project-specific team - to work on a particular issue for a set amount of time. Task force members can be anyone from the general community that has appropriate interest and skill.​
• decides whether a community member is allowed to join the Mutuality Circle Community

Current Coordinating Circle members are: 
​  - Joanne Lee (Lead Link)
  - Kirstin Eventyr
  - Lynne Geller

“Leadership is not an affair of the head. Leadership is an affair of the heart.”

~~  James Kouzes and Barry Posner

governance roles

LEAD LINK

The Lead Link (LL) is a member of the Coordinating Circle, and attending all or most of Coordinating Circle meetings is mandatory for the LL. The LL must be familiar with the Holacracy-based governance structure that we are using. This role requires discrimination, a sense of the pulse of the whole of our work and the Trillium path, and a sense of how all the various roles interact with each other. 

The LL role activator is voted on by the Olympia Trillium Mutuality Circle community members annually, by a process organized by the Lead Link Election Coordinators. 

Role Activator: Joanne Lee

Role Accountabilities: 

• Sensing needs within the larger community and bring them to the Coordinating Circle
• determine, within the Coordinating Circle, the right person to hold the roles created through the governance process 
• Supporting role holders to recruit whatever help outside the circle he or she may need (and become 'sponsors' to external activators)
• Recruiting new Circle members as needed
• Temporarily energizing all roles that are not filled
• Approving expenditures.  ​
• Role Purpose: to participate in, and provide communications that support overall Olympia Area functions.​

OLYMPIA AREA COORDINATOR

Role Purpose: to participate in, and provide communications that support overall Olympia Area functions.  

Role Sponsor: Joanne Lee
Role Activator: Margit Bantowsky

Role Accountabilities:

• Abiding by TATC's "Area Coordinator Guidelines"
• Responding to contact from the Trillium Awakening Teachers Circle,
• Handling inquiries from TrilliumOlympia.org and from TrilliumAwakening.org websites, and/or forwarding them to appropriate roles (e.g. to Welcomer, Event Coordinator, etc.), 
• Coordinating with Welcomer and local teachers to support newcomers
• Supporting outreach efforts to promote Trillium work in the area, including sending emails announcing sittings, workshops, and other events
• Providing other area-related communication as needed
• Providing TAOC updates to the CC
• Maintaining the online Event Calendar (listing local and regional sittings and events, LMC's, SMC's). Contacting appropriate people to get this info. 
• Maintaining the Master Email List Spreadsheet in shared Google Drive folder.
• Backing up the Master Email List Spreadsheet prior to CC meetings
• Utilizing and maintaining the TA Oly Mailchimp account, making sure it correlates with the Master Email List Spreadsheet.
• Providing list-related metrics to CC Secretary prior to CC meetings
• Periodically encouraging the community to sign up for TATC, IAM, and local teachers' mailing lists
• Participating in Trillium Area Coordinator calls - representing Olympia by expressing our needs & interests, and sharing ideas & experience; share any relevant information received from AC calls with the CC and Olympia community at large, as appropriate
• Offering  an "unsubscribe" option at the bottom of their email communications to the community at large, offers

Event Coordinator

Role Scope: organizes periodic Trillium Awakening events other than the regular monthly teacher-led sitting, e.g. workshops and associated special sittings w/ visiting teachers.

Role Activator: Joanne Lee

Role Accountabilities:

• Contacting guest teacher(s) 
• Using checklist as guide, collaborate w/ teacher about event and/or sitting details (days, times, topic, venue, minimum, maximum, cost, scholarship, registration, special participant requests, etc.)
• Contacting regional teachers in Seattle and Portland to coordinate timing and work through any other considerations, concerns
• Informing Website Administrator of event name, date, time so it can be posted on the Oly/NW events schedule page
• Giving Website Administrator a flyer so a separate event page can be created
• Handling registration, if the teacher wants them to
• Coordinating with Welcomer - let Welcomer know about newcomers, help newcomers get ready if the event is their first exposure to the Trillium work, give Welcomer contact information
• Informing other members of the CC about newcomers, as appropriate
• Handling email marketing and decides who to invite (gives info to Northwest Regional email administrator, if needed) 
• If agreed upon, encouraging teacher to have event announced by Trillium Awakening Teachers Circle
• Arranging for any other promotion (e.g on FB)
• Is contact person for teachers inquiring about coming to Olympia to teach
• Is responsible for event evaluation process​

overall mutuality circle coordinator

Role Scope: coordinates the Large Mutuality Circle (LMC) gatherings; coordinates the bi-annual Small Mutuality Circle (SMC) open enrollment process; supports overall mutuality circle activities

​Role Activator: Lynne Geller

Role Accountabilities:

• Coordinating the fall and spring LMC gatherings, and the July and August summer LMC's
• Contacting LMC facilitator, makes sure to communicate any special considerations, logistics in LMC invitation email
• Ensuring that LMC meeting location has been secured; arranges for keys and other logistical requirements if needed
• Sending out rsvp email to Mutuality Circle Members, includes topic info and other logistics (e.g.  time, location, etc.). Ideally send this out at least one week prior to circle.
• Using Client Confidentiality Registration process for sign-ups
• Sending out reminder email to people who haven't rsvp'd
• Providing LMC Host and/ or Facilitator the final roster of attendees by the morning of the circle
• Making themselves available as contact person the day of the LMC in case of last-minute cancellations or requests for driving directions, etc. 

 

• Coordinating the open-enrollment process for the SMC's during the last two weeks of August and January
• Setting up the doodle poll, sends out initial and reminder emails with detailed instructions
• Summarizing poll results and informs community of the new SMC configurations

 

• Bringing important issues to CC meetings as appropriate, and provides input for policy development
• Implementing new Mutuality Circle policies
• Modifying other Mutuality Circle administrative processes as needed 

• Maintaining an email and phone list of all current circle members
• Giving roster updates to Oly website administrator to post in members-only pages
• ​Giving roster updates to Area Coordinator for Mailchimp list updates

​

• Welcoming and orienting newcomers to the Mutuality Circle and gives them two handouts: Guidelines for Practicing Mutuality, and Mutuality Circle Member Expectations
• Requesting and tracking member expectation agreements from new members
• Informing existing Mutuality Circle Members know when a new person is joining 
• Handling Mutuality Circle related questions and logistics​
• Determining the mutuality circle division frequency and other significant mutuality circle administrative changes​

outreach coordinator

Role Sponsor: Joanne Lee
Role Activator: Joy (Diane) Utter
​
Role Accountabilities: organizes various in-person and online outreach and marketing efforts including:

• Scheduling and setting up Introductory Events (e.g. Intro Nights) locally and regionally
• Managing and posting to Social Media (e.g. Meetup, FB, Twitter, Instagram) and makes an effort to be "current"
• Coordinating with other role holders as appropriate, e.g. Area Coordinator, Website Administrator, Teachers, Welcomer, etc. 
• Engaging other outreach projects as inspired and/or necessary

welcomer

Role Scope: helps newcomers orient to Trillium Olympia and prepare to attend Trillium Awakening events

Role Activator: Kirstin Eventyr

Role Accountabilities: 

• Fielding new inquiries about Trillium Olympia
• Meeting newcomer by phone or in person to welcome them, as requested
• Giving overview of the Trillium path, and how the Olympia community is organized
• Providing suggestions for getting acquainted with the Trillium work
• Providing client/practitioner disclosure information
• Maintaining an updated "Disclosure List" of practitioners and participants; provides Oly website administrator w/ updated info for these lists
• Helping newcomer prepare for first sitting (gives handout, etc.)
• Communicating w/ Sitting Coordinator, Event Coordinator, and Area Coordinator about new participants
• Providing newcomer with 'next steps' after they've attended first sitting
• Answering questions, providing initial support as needed
• Adding newcomer contact information to online database
• Maintaining list of newcomers, and tracks what info has been given to each person
• Making decisions about modifying the newcomer welcoming process
• Arranging a 'buddy' (a seasoned practitioner) to partner up with a newcomer, as appropriate
• Attending Intro Nights in order to meet potentially interested newbies in person, if possible​

facilitator lead

Role Scope:  Orients, Supports, and is point-person for  Mutuality Circle Facilitators

Role Sponsor: Joanne Lee
Role Activator: Eileen Keller

Role Accountabilities:

• Handling request when a new person wants to become a Circle Facilitator - determines if the person is an appropriate candidate
• Orienting the newly-approved Circle Facilitator to their role, expectations, duties, logistics, available resources, etc. 
• Communicating with Coordinating Circle regarding facilitator-related issues as needed
• Informing Website Administrator of a new Circle Facilitator so they can update the website facilitator roster
• Informing Coordinating Team of new Circle Facilitator 
• Informing the Overall Mutuality Circle Coordinator, and current Small Mutuality Circle Coordinators, of a new Circle Facilitator ​

treasurer

Role Scope: manages the Olympia Operations and Scholarship Fund

Role Sponsor: Kirstin Eventyr
Role Activator: Alice Sharrett

Role Accountabilities:

• Managing Bank account for Trillium Awakening Olympia – tracking funds for scholarship and operating expenses
  • Receiving donations from peer circles and deposits into Fund
  • Arranging for and handles workshop teacher donations to the Fund
  • Distributing scholarship awards to appropriate party on behalf of scholarship recipient; if loan, track repayment of loan
  • Reimbursing relevant operating expenses out of the Fund, (e.g. website hosting, website domain, advertising expenses, workshop-related expenses, etc. )
• Maintaining financial records - via spreadsheet or accounting software tracking income and expenses 
• Balancing monthly statements
• Reporting on Fund status as needed
• Preparing an annual Income and Expense Report and shares with community​

Financial assistance team

Role Scope: to support participation in Trillium Awakening events by awarding scholarships or giving loans for workshops to people in need, in as fair a manner as possible

Role Sponsor: Joanne Lee
Role Activators: Marti Buck & Jens Eventyr

Role Accountabilities:

• Creating and clearly communicate a scholarship application process
• Evaluating applicants and award scholarship amounts, according to financial need, frequency of requests, number of requests, diversity of awardees, and empowerment of recipient, etc. 
• Coordinating dispersal of awarded scholarship funds with treasurer​

website administrator

Role Scope: maintains the Trillium Olympia website

​Role Sponsor: Joanne Lee
​Role Activator: Joy (Diane) Utter

Role Accountabilities:

• Staying in contact w/ Welcomer, Event Coordinator, Sitting Coordinator, Circle Coordinators, Facilitator Lead, and Area Coordinator, updates website accordingly
• Updating website upon request, or as needed
• Handling payment for website domain name and hosting services

CC Secretary

Role Scope: Steward and stabilize the Coordinating Circle's formal records and record-keeping process

Role Activator: Joanne Lee

Role Accountabilities:

• Managing the CC’s Google Drive folders and documents
• Recording Action Items of CC members during CC meetings
• Sending out final Action Items list to all CC members after the CC meetings, including the date for the next CC meeting
• Making sure the next CC meeting date gets added to the online Event Calendar 
• Organizing the next CC meeting if not agreed upon at the end of a meeting
• Updating the CC Metrics Spreadsheet before CC meetings​
• Sending reminder email w/ Action Items to CC members one week prior to upcoming CC meeting
• Sending preparatory materials and guidelines to community members wishing to observe a CC meeting​

community nourisher

Role Scope: Supports the wellbeing of the  Mutuality Circle members.

​Role Activator: Kirstin Eventyr

Role Accountabilities:​

• Organizing and/or coordinating events to bring Circle Members together (e.g. picnics, hikes, dancing, games in the park, art & crafts, movie outings, etc)
• Organizing and/or coordinating support when Circle Members need it (e.g. arranging food for sick or injured; helping someone move; work projects at someone's house or yard, etc)

buddy coordinator

Role Scope: manages the Buddy System to support newcomers to the Trillium path in Olympia, provide continuity after the Welcomer has done their job, and help integrate them into the Olympia Trillium Community.

Role Sponsor: Joanne Lee
Role Activator: Jim Hutcheon

Role Accountabilities:

• Periodically asking Circle members to volunteer to be a Trillium Buddy (see role description, below)
• Interviewing potential Buddies regarding preferences, etc. 
• Documenting and maintaining information about Buddies
• Assigning buddies with input from the Welcomer

Note about Role Sponsors:
​While the respective CC members are ultimately responsible for making sure all of these roles are being adequately expressed, they can choose to "sponsor" a community member in activating the role. For example, CC member Debi Bailey is the sponsor for the 'Treasurer,' and community member Alice Sharrett is the activator, doing all the work of the role. Debi brings issues pertaining to the Treasurer to the CC meetings for resolution.

Other Roles - - not part of CoordinatinG Circle

These roles are not part of the Coordinating Circle, but are articulated here to help people understand what their responsibilities are.
​

small mutuality circle (smc) coordinator

Role Scope: coordinates their SMC meetings for five months

Role Activators: Various community members

Role Accountabilities:

• Contacting SMC Facilitator, requests topic & reading suggestions each month (~ 10 days before circle)
• Ensuring that the SMC meeting host and location have been secured; arranges for keys and other logistical requirements if needed
• Sending out reminder email to SMC members, includes topic info and other logistics, e.g.  time, location, etc. (~ 7 days before circle)
• Collecting announcements from Area Coordinator (~4 days before circle)
• Sending out reminder email to people who haven't rsvp'd (~2 days before circle)
• Providing SMC Host the final roster of attendees (by the morning of the circle) 
• Making themselves available as contact person the day of the SMC in case of last-minute cancellations or requests for driving directions, etc. 
• Reading announcements at the SMC or give them to the facilitator to read
• ​Tracking who agrees to be facilitator at the next circle​​

mutuality circle facilitator

Role Scope: facilitates peer-based Small Mutuality Circles (SMC's)

Role Prerequisites: (ideal qualities and qualifications for this role, suggested but not rigid!)

• has been engaged in the Trillium work for at least a year
• has good understanding of, and is in alignment with, the Trillium Awakening core teachings
• skilled at facilitating groups (creating safety, holding space, setting appropriate boundaries, managing time, and guiding flow of conversation)
• is working with a Trillium Awakening teacher
• 2nd birth is great, but not required

Role Accountabilities:

• Identifying topic for upcoming Circle (Large or Small)
• Providing Coordinator links to videos or reading materials on the subject ~ 1 week prior to Circle
• Arriving early and helps set up meeting room, discuss any last-minute logistics, etc. 
• Setting tone; holding space
• Reminding people to donate to the scholarship fund
• Running the announcements
• Running the meditation and peer gazing
• Determining how sharing will be done (timed or free-form)
• Stepping in gently if someone is giving inappropriate feedback or advice
• Bringing Circle to a close
• Ensuring the venue is tidied up for closing

Current Activators:
  - Alice Sharrett 
​  - Cyndie Premhus
​  - Debi Bailey
  - Eileen Keller
  - Garth Johnson
  - Jens Eventyr
​  - Jim Hutcheon
  - Joy (Diane) Utter
  - Kirstin Eventyr
  - Margie Schubert
  - Marti Buck
  - Peggy Zorn
  - Susan Buis

Event host

Role Scope: responsible for site logistics for Trillium Awakening events, e.g. sittings, mutuality circles, and workshops

Role Accountabilities: 

• Preparing the venue for guests - makes the space clean, welcoming, functional, and comfortable
• Providing the Coordinator clear written directions to the venue location for use in email announcements
• Providing the Coordinator any other pertinent information about the venue to share with participants, e.g. parking directions; bring extra chairs; bring your own slippers or pillows, etc.
• Arranging w/ Coordinator for pre-event set-up and post-event break-down volunteers as needed
• Making any other arrangements as necessary (e.g. key drop, etc.)

Current Activators: changes w/ each event....

trillium buddy

Role Scope: responsible for helping a newcomer stay connected to the Trillium work and our community

Role Accountabilities: 

• Serving as a link to the Trillium Path in Olympia
• An informal resource:
  • Speaking from their own experience
  • Directing to resources
  • Referring to teachers & mentors when necessary: avoids teaching
• Available for ongoing support – willing to periodically touch base with “buddy” and facilitate connection with the Olympia community, by, for example: 
  • Attending sittings with buddy
  • Conversations
  • Tea
  • Walks
  • Emails
  • ​Events

Current Activators: Various community members

LEAD LINK ELECTION COORDINATORS

This is a temporary role, activated by two members of the Coordinating Circle who are not running for Lead Link.
 
​Current Activators: Varies each year

Role Accountabilities:

• Taking nominations for the Lead Link role
• Determining whether nominees want to run for Lead Link
• Creating the voting mechanism (e.g. e-mail or poll) and determine the election timing 
• Tallying the votes and declaring the winner. Vote totals will be shared but individual votes will be secret.