From the Secretary’s Desk – August 31, 2022

One of the things I talk about when community building is tentpoles. The reason I talk about that is because (long ago) when I was once in the Army, we built tents. Let’s talk about that process.

First, you have to carry the large canvas structure off a truck and find a place where it will be stable and level.

This is similar to finding a need for community. Where do you put it? How does it fit in? How can you be conscientious in building it?

Next, you spread out the canvas to look for holes and tears.

In community, you look for harm done, try to not repeat mistakes, and resolve to do better.

Next, you get all the poles and lay them near the position where they will need to be installed.

For me, this part is about getting input. How do I lay out, what will I need, and is everything ready?

The hard part comes next.

Depending on the size of the tent you will need at least 4-6 people to help initially stick the poles in and begin to lift. It’s heavy, one person per pole might not be enough, you will have to move to make sure it sits square. But once you get it, you must secure the poles.

This is the go moment for your community building. It’s the documents, the announcement of what is coming, the rules, you finally start to see if form from the ground.

It’s center pole(s) time. Lift up the roof. You need the roof to be slanted for bad weather and provide shelter from all elements.

In a community, this is when people see you are creating something that might be beneficial for them. They are watching to make sure it is big enough, sturdy enough, and safe enough. Take care here, you don’t want the roof to collapse.

Now, our tent corners and center poles are up, but now you must build the rest of the frame and secure it. This is labor intensive and will take the most amount of time depending on the tent size. Stakes must go into the ground, wall lines secured, pins driven in – all the while adjusting and readjusting.

The labor-intensive part can seem monotonous, and tedious, and sometimes it is skipped over. But you need every part to be thought out, the structure needs to be strong enough to protect people – don’t rush this part. Test to make sure the lines are straight and taut, and then do it again. You’re tired now, some people have wandered off, but please keep going.

Is your tent up? Yes. Can people start coming in? Sure. Is your work done? No.

Maybe you need to set up tables or a heater or cots, or all three. There will be moments to rest, but soon enough you’ll be up again checking everything is secure. The longer the tent is up, the more likely poles and lines will need to be replaced, readjusted, or tightened.

Will it keep everything harmful out? No. It’s not designed to either. But people will gather, rest, and feel safer there than where they started.

That is the work.

Someone likely did it for you, and you get to be a part of doing it for other people.

We build community here at the CPC. I encourage you to recognize the work and enjoy the structure. I hope you’ll help when needed.

Most of all, I hope you feel safe, welcomed, and wanted.