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July 31, 2010
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Fall 2008
by Zoë Campbell and Bruce Bolme
Approximately 25 people attended the workshop on local currency we presented at the SolWest Fair on July 26 in John Day, OR. Located on the John Day River in the historic gold mining town named after the explorer who trekked across the land with Lewis and Clark, this annual fair provides a gathering place for people to exchange information and products on all aspects of local sustainability and renewable energy.
Because this popular fair attracts many presenters, there were usually three or four workshops running concurrently. In contrast to last year when we did a rather impromptu presentation, this year we were officially on the schedule, and our workshop, How to Start and Manage a Local Currency, raised a good deal of interest. Many who had a conflicting workshop to attend expressed regret they couldn’t be in two places at once. They asked plenty of questions and admired our attractive RiverHOURS at mealtimes and available moments during the fair.
Bruce did a masterful job of conducting the workshop with our RiverHOURS banner stretched above his head. Armed with a flip chart that deanna had produced and his extensive experience with public speaking, he showed how the currency flows through the community and the importance of supporting locally-owned businesses. Michael Shuman’s models of T.I.N.A (there is no alternative) and L.O.I.S (locally-owned import substitution) were especially useful. We had bundles of the last two trade directories as handouts, and they were all taken. There was a lot of interest in the story on Michael Shuman. We also took along our copies of his Small Mart Revolution, Going Local and the money book by Tom Greco. Judging in part by the number of people who stayed behind to talk more about local currency, the workshop was a success.
The other workshop was mostly Zoë’s, Stories as a Tool for Change. It went well, with about 25 people attending. There was some apprehension that the group would be all children, as so few people seem to realize that storytelling is very much for adults. There was no worry. With the exception of a well-behaved young man about ten or twelve, they were all adults.
The workshop opened with a story about how stories came into the world, The Storytelling Stone. Then we had half an hour of open discussion with everyone contributing their insights and asking their questions. Zoë really appreciated the lively dialogue. To tie the workshop to SolWest, she pointed out how the fair supports change for local economic and environmental health and sustainability. She said that storytelling can also be a powerful tool for promoting that change. When you want to change your world, change the stories you tell.
The session ended with a story about How Grandmother Spider Stole the Sun. That also tied into the solar theme of the fair. Everyone seemed to enjoy it; Zoë knows she enjoyed telling it. The next day she was very pleased that several people came up to her and expressed their appreciation for the “inspiring” presentation.
Many of the exhibits were familiar from last year. There were the solar showers that were appreciated because it was HOT that weekend. There were multiple types of photovoltaic systems to power all kinds of things, and hybrid, biofuel, electric and solar-powered vehicles. One nifty item Zoë especially liked was the solar-powered water fountain. The solar ovens to cook your food for free were shiny and pretty. They didn’t see any electric car races this year. The silent auction had some interesting things to bid on. The telescope for viewing the sun was as interesting as last year. The bookstore had just as many intriguing books. Bruce had thoughtfully brought along five copies of the money book for consignment. The bookstore owner agreed to place them on his shelves, and he sold four of the five copies after our presentation. That was a plus for GLCC. Yay! Because we were
presenters this time we were invited to a great free dinner on Friday.
Saturday and Sunday mornings we took part in the fundraising catered breakfast. The food was terrific. And the company – this is where people approached us if they had missed our classes or if they wanted to talk more about our workshops.
The SolWest Fair was definitely worth attending, and we were able to get people thinking about local currency and about the roles of storytelling. Many of you have already embraced change and are using RiverHOURS. What stories are you telling?
Web Site: solwest.org
© 2004-8 Gorge Local Currency Cooperative, Columbia River Gorge, USA
The Local Currency Education Project is a joint venture of
the Columbia Gorge Earth Center and Gorge Local Currency Cooperative
updated
October 15, 2009
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