THIS YEAR'S FESTIVAL HAS BEEN ALTERED. PLEASE READ.
The St Mary's County Pagan Community cordially invites you to celebrate the Summer Solstice with us on Saturday, June 17th from 1300 to 2200 hrs (that would be 1PM to 10PM for those who don't do the 24 hour format thing) at Chancellor's Point Natural History Area, operated by the wonderful people at Historic St Mary's City. All pagans, heathens, druids, witches, wiccans, polytheists, pantheists, mystics, et ceteras and supportive friends who are part of or connected to our local community are welcome.
Follow the bouncing link list to the rest of the necessary information.
Site Rules are here, please read them. Please note that while the park does allow pets on leashes we are asking you to leave your furry friends home.
This year's Fest is for one day only and there will be no camping on site unless you make your own arrangements with Historic St Mary's City.
The gate will open at 1300. All non-member adults are asked to pay $10 at the gate (previously purchased multi-day tickets are being refunded) and members are asked to pay the usual $5 per adult site fee.
There will be a Sun-honoring rite at 1500. All are welcome to participate, there will be no judgement if you choose for whatever reason to sit it out.
There will be a speaker/led discussion at 1600, where we will talk about finding your own path in a vast and teeming movement.
There will be a Potluck Supper at 1700. Please use this sign up sheet to coordinate dishes.
There will be a bonfire, drumming, stories, dancing, and whatever else strikes our summery fancy from whenever the supper is over to 2200.
We hope you'll still come out and play, even if it's only for one day. We hope to see you there!
Tuesday, May 16, 2017
Sunday, April 30, 2017
Upcoming Changes and Midsummer 2017
*throws confetti*
Midsummer 2017 IS HAPPENING!
Don't worry, we were getting kind of nervous too. There are those who would take a look at all of the things that have gotten in the way and simply assume that Something is telling us not to do it. Us being us, we looked at it all and figured that Something was asking us "How much do you want it?"
Midsummer 2017 will be Friday, June 16 through Sunday, June 18. Pre-registration is expected to go live in the next few days. Pre registration is very strongly encouraged.
There will be some changes from last year, because unlike last year we have a hefty site fee to cover in addition to other operational costs like ice and port-a-johns.
Don't worry too much, all of the things that everyone seemed to enjoy and appreciate last year will be coming back. We're already looking forward to the big potluck dinner on Saturday, a mix of ritual and discussion and workshops to learn and celebrate, story telling around the fire, and a whole pile of kid friendly fun so the entire family has something to enjoy.
The schedule of events and the registration spreadsheet are both ready to go and will become available for use as soon as registration is live. The registration sheet is the same format as last year, and is intended to organize the potluck contributions and give us a working number of guests to expect. The site rules will be linked here and on the Facebook page and displayed on site just like last year. We'll be coordinating firewood, sanitation, and other necessities over the coming days and weeks.
All of this does come at some cost. Prices will be slightly higher this year to cover the site fee. Our usage fees were waived by Historic St Mary's City in 2016 because the site had not been renovated. When you get there, you'll see that the site has indeed been renovated, and more changes are on their way from HSMC. We'll keep you posted.
Now the other order of business.
Also going live in the next few days will be a paid membership option. It's neither a secret nor a surprise that prices are going up everywhere, and space rent, event sanitation, event insurance, and website fees are a real challenge. We estimate that Midsummer is going to cost at least a grand, and that's only one event with no paid entertainment or speakers.
To be perfectly blunt, we don't have that kind of money. We've talked numbers and tested numbers and talked more numbers and tested more numbers until we found a way that we think will provide the best bang for everyone's buck. We're asking everyone who is part of the SMPC for $24 a year. That's it. If everyone pays in, Midsummer and FrostFest will be paid for, we think. Paying members would then expect nice discounts on large events (even at $24 per year, we'll still have some additional costs like insurance for large events like Midsummer) and no-additional-cost members events. Additionally, event costs even for non members and out-of-town guests could stay low if everyone pays in, and we open up the possibility of outside speakers and group field trips and the like.
We know that money and group finances can be a difficult topic to tackle. We've held back on asking for regular, predictable financial input for a long time, but I and the rest of the admin team would really like to stop losing so much money on events. Without going into too much detail on a public forum, last year's FrostFest was a hard lesson for us financially as group organizers and we'd like to avoid having that happen again.
All of this all being said and understood, we do not want this to be a financial burden for anyone. We've set the annual chip-in as low as we think we can, but we do understand that Life Happens. Should Circumstances arise which prevent you from becoming a paying member (and you want to become a paying member) please contact anyone on the admin team. We'll sort something out.
All of us at the SMPC admin team hope you'll stick with us through this change. We have so many talented, magical people here that we feel completely justified in our high hopes for our future.
Midsummer 2017 IS HAPPENING!
Don't worry, we were getting kind of nervous too. There are those who would take a look at all of the things that have gotten in the way and simply assume that Something is telling us not to do it. Us being us, we looked at it all and figured that Something was asking us "How much do you want it?"
Midsummer 2017 will be Friday, June 16 through Sunday, June 18. Pre-registration is expected to go live in the next few days. Pre registration is very strongly encouraged.
There will be some changes from last year, because unlike last year we have a hefty site fee to cover in addition to other operational costs like ice and port-a-johns.
Don't worry too much, all of the things that everyone seemed to enjoy and appreciate last year will be coming back. We're already looking forward to the big potluck dinner on Saturday, a mix of ritual and discussion and workshops to learn and celebrate, story telling around the fire, and a whole pile of kid friendly fun so the entire family has something to enjoy.
The schedule of events and the registration spreadsheet are both ready to go and will become available for use as soon as registration is live. The registration sheet is the same format as last year, and is intended to organize the potluck contributions and give us a working number of guests to expect. The site rules will be linked here and on the Facebook page and displayed on site just like last year. We'll be coordinating firewood, sanitation, and other necessities over the coming days and weeks.
All of this does come at some cost. Prices will be slightly higher this year to cover the site fee. Our usage fees were waived by Historic St Mary's City in 2016 because the site had not been renovated. When you get there, you'll see that the site has indeed been renovated, and more changes are on their way from HSMC. We'll keep you posted.
Now the other order of business.
Also going live in the next few days will be a paid membership option. It's neither a secret nor a surprise that prices are going up everywhere, and space rent, event sanitation, event insurance, and website fees are a real challenge. We estimate that Midsummer is going to cost at least a grand, and that's only one event with no paid entertainment or speakers.
To be perfectly blunt, we don't have that kind of money. We've talked numbers and tested numbers and talked more numbers and tested more numbers until we found a way that we think will provide the best bang for everyone's buck. We're asking everyone who is part of the SMPC for $24 a year. That's it. If everyone pays in, Midsummer and FrostFest will be paid for, we think. Paying members would then expect nice discounts on large events (even at $24 per year, we'll still have some additional costs like insurance for large events like Midsummer) and no-additional-cost members events. Additionally, event costs even for non members and out-of-town guests could stay low if everyone pays in, and we open up the possibility of outside speakers and group field trips and the like.
We know that money and group finances can be a difficult topic to tackle. We've held back on asking for regular, predictable financial input for a long time, but I and the rest of the admin team would really like to stop losing so much money on events. Without going into too much detail on a public forum, last year's FrostFest was a hard lesson for us financially as group organizers and we'd like to avoid having that happen again.
All of this all being said and understood, we do not want this to be a financial burden for anyone. We've set the annual chip-in as low as we think we can, but we do understand that Life Happens. Should Circumstances arise which prevent you from becoming a paying member (and you want to become a paying member) please contact anyone on the admin team. We'll sort something out.
All of us at the SMPC admin team hope you'll stick with us through this change. We have so many talented, magical people here that we feel completely justified in our high hopes for our future.
Monday, February 6, 2017
Admin Notes- February
Who knew February could be such a busy, productive month?
Thanks to everyone who showed up for our regular bi-weekly coffee meetup, we were able to discuss several suggestions for other activities that members have mentioned as well as get some ideas jotted down for our 2nd Annual Midsummer Festival. It's a good thing our meetings are in a coffee shop.
First, next, and in no particular order, here is a digest version of the ideas that we've been bouncing around.
Several parents in the group have mentioned getting more kid-focused activities moving. Since our Kid Zone was one of the most complimented parts of Midsummer 2016, and our generally kid-friendly structure has been consistently appreciated... this just makes sense. The current leading theory is that we'd like to start up a Spiral Scouts chapter here in the county. We are currently soliciting feedback on this idea. If you are currently or are thinking about becoming a member of the SMPC and you would like to see a Spiral Scouts chapter opened up, please let us know either on Facebook or in the comments here. Please be aware that opening a chapter will require a time commitment from parents and guardians as well.
We are still bouncing ideas around for alternate social media sites. Those ideas have included this blog, a newsletter, an email group, and a message board/forum. Facebook will not be going away even if we do have other options. This idea keeps reappearing largely because Facebook- while great for casual conversation- is not the best facilitator for drawn out discussions or document sharing. We've use Google Docs for document sharing in the past with some success but have been considering a message board as a way of collecting all functions in one site. If you have an opinion or suggestion please let us know either by commenting here or in the Facebook group.
With huge thanks to the people who have already been contributing their time and effort, we'll be setting up a more consistent Tip Jar at all future events, and probably setting up an online version as well. By 'consistent' all we mean is that it will be a recognizable thing with a sign... not that we expect people to consistently throw large sums of cash into it. We're not passing a plate, here. All contributions will be anonymous and the amount available will be reported regularly. We'll always let you know publicly how it's being spent. But we do need to have it available, as we'll soon be purchasing and printing and reserving for Midsummer.
Speaking of Midsummer!
SMPC's 2nd Annual Midsummer Festival will be: Friday June 16th through Sunday June 18th 2017!
There will be Fires! There will be Ritual! There will be a return of the Epic Table-Creaking Community Potluck! Huzzah!
Ahem. Yes. Further information, such as the actual schedule of events, pricing, sign up sheets and et cetera will be forthcoming. We will be looking for tables, canopies, coolers, and volunteers to staff registration, food prep, and kid zones. Expect the schedule to be similar to last year and weekend attendee prices to be around the $25 mark. Beyond that, we're still sorting.
Before I go! Keep an eye on the Google Calendar and the list of Facebook Events over the next few days/week as we update events for the year. If you are interested in a particular holiday, if your group is hosting an open event for a holiday, or something similar is going on that you think belongs on our community calendar, please don't hesitate to comment here, contact us on Facebook, or email us directly using any of the links just provided.
Thanks to everyone who showed up for our regular bi-weekly coffee meetup, we were able to discuss several suggestions for other activities that members have mentioned as well as get some ideas jotted down for our 2nd Annual Midsummer Festival. It's a good thing our meetings are in a coffee shop.
First, next, and in no particular order, here is a digest version of the ideas that we've been bouncing around.
Several parents in the group have mentioned getting more kid-focused activities moving. Since our Kid Zone was one of the most complimented parts of Midsummer 2016, and our generally kid-friendly structure has been consistently appreciated... this just makes sense. The current leading theory is that we'd like to start up a Spiral Scouts chapter here in the county. We are currently soliciting feedback on this idea. If you are currently or are thinking about becoming a member of the SMPC and you would like to see a Spiral Scouts chapter opened up, please let us know either on Facebook or in the comments here. Please be aware that opening a chapter will require a time commitment from parents and guardians as well.
We are still bouncing ideas around for alternate social media sites. Those ideas have included this blog, a newsletter, an email group, and a message board/forum. Facebook will not be going away even if we do have other options. This idea keeps reappearing largely because Facebook- while great for casual conversation- is not the best facilitator for drawn out discussions or document sharing. We've use Google Docs for document sharing in the past with some success but have been considering a message board as a way of collecting all functions in one site. If you have an opinion or suggestion please let us know either by commenting here or in the Facebook group.
With huge thanks to the people who have already been contributing their time and effort, we'll be setting up a more consistent Tip Jar at all future events, and probably setting up an online version as well. By 'consistent' all we mean is that it will be a recognizable thing with a sign... not that we expect people to consistently throw large sums of cash into it. We're not passing a plate, here. All contributions will be anonymous and the amount available will be reported regularly. We'll always let you know publicly how it's being spent. But we do need to have it available, as we'll soon be purchasing and printing and reserving for Midsummer.
Speaking of Midsummer!
SMPC's 2nd Annual Midsummer Festival will be: Friday June 16th through Sunday June 18th 2017!
There will be Fires! There will be Ritual! There will be a return of the Epic Table-Creaking Community Potluck! Huzzah!
Ahem. Yes. Further information, such as the actual schedule of events, pricing, sign up sheets and et cetera will be forthcoming. We will be looking for tables, canopies, coolers, and volunteers to staff registration, food prep, and kid zones. Expect the schedule to be similar to last year and weekend attendee prices to be around the $25 mark. Beyond that, we're still sorting.
Before I go! Keep an eye on the Google Calendar and the list of Facebook Events over the next few days/week as we update events for the year. If you are interested in a particular holiday, if your group is hosting an open event for a holiday, or something similar is going on that you think belongs on our community calendar, please don't hesitate to comment here, contact us on Facebook, or email us directly using any of the links just provided.
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