The Details - New England Council Collective

The Details
             Council 2 Training: Deepening the Practice
                          Paul LeVasseur & Bonnie Mennell
                          Sun Hill Farm, Putney, Vermont, USA
     September 10, 11 &12, 2021: Friday, 5:30 pm to Sunday, 4:00 pm
                                http://sunhillfarmvt.com

          September 10, 11 &12, 2021: Friday, 5:30 pm to Sunday, 4:00 pm

Thank you for your interest in attending our upcoming CT 2 training. Here is the basic
logistical information relevant to your participation in the training. Please email us if you
have further questions: necouncilcollective@gmail.com

Tuition: The total cost for the training is $450; this includes 2 lunches and 2
dinners. Please make a deposit of $100 to secure your place in the training. (This
deposit is not refundable, but may be deferred to a future training if the need
arises.) Checks payable to New England Council Collective can be sent to Paul
LeVasseur, 156 Plowden Road, Putney, VT, 05346. (If necessary, you can make your
payment via PayPal to necouncilcollective@gmail.com.) The remaining $350 is due
one week before the training: Friday, August 4. We are happy to provide a receipt
for your payment if you would like one.

Scholarships: A limited number of partial scholarships are available. If you
would be unable to attend without financial assistance, please contact us to learn
about the scholarship application process.

COVID-19 Safety: Due to the close social proximity involved with this in-person
council training, we are requiring that all participants be fully vaccinated against
COVID-19. As is explained in the registration form, we ask that you email us a digital
photo of your vaccination card showing the dates and type of your vaccination. If there
are any new developments in the pandemic requiring more stringent protocols, we will
be in touch about what will be required. Safe coronavirus practices are in place at Sun
Hill Farm where in-person workshops have been taking place since June.

Shared Meals: We have hired a local chef to prepare delicious, nutritious mostly
vegetarian lunches and dinners for our group. These four meals (2 dinners & 2 lunches)

will be prepared and served in the farmhouse kitchen. Please let us know if you have
any food allergies/dietary preferences/needs. You are invited to bring your own
breakfast foods for Saturday and Sunday and prepare and eat your breakfasts in the
farmhouse kitchen. There is a frig for any foods you would like to bring. If you are not
commuting from home, we recommend bringing food with you. The Putney Food Coop
(prepared foods and groceries) is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mon.-Sat. and 8 a.m. to 8
p.m. Sundays; the hours of the Putney General Store (prepared foods and some
groceries) are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day. The Putney Diner is open 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Lodging: There are four rooms available in the Sun Hill Farmhouse. Rooms are
booked on a first come, first served basis. If you would like to stay in one of the
rooms described below, please include payment for the room when you send in your
deposit for the training. Room payments will be refunded in full if you do not attend
the training.
        1. One small room with a double bed. For one person or a couple. $60/night
        2. One small room with two single beds. For two people who are happy to be
        roommates. $60/night
        3. One larger room with a double bed. For a couple, one person or two
        individuals with one sleeping on a comfortable cot. $60/night
        4. A dormer room with two cots. For one person, a couple or two people
        happy to be roommates. $50/night
We may also have several guestrooms available in local neighbors’ homes in Putney.
We will know closer to the training if these rooms will be available as this will be
dependent on the current Coronavirus conditions. These are $25-$50 a night. Let
us know if you are interested in this option and we will give you more information
on what is available. You would pay the neighbor directly. There are also several
Bed & Breakfast options in the area—including Airbnb rentals.

Background Reading: We recommend reading from the texts listed below in
preparation for the training.
 • Zimmerman, J. and Coyle, V. (1996). The way of council. Ojai, CA: Bramble
    Books.
 • Pranis, K. (2005). The little book of circle processes. Intercourse, PA:
    Goodbooks.
 • Baldwin, C. and Linnea, A. (2010). The circle way: A leader in every chair. San
    Francisco: B-K Publishers.
 • Kessler, Rachel. (2000). The soul of education: Helping students find connection,
    compassion, and character at school. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
 • Boyes-Watson, Carolyn. (2008). Peacemaking circles & urban youth: Bringing
    justice home
 • Brady, M. (Ed.), (2003). The wisdom of listening. Somerville, MA.

Web Resources:
•   New England Council Collective: https://www.necouncilcollective.org
•   Ways of Council: http://waysofcouncil.net
•   Circle Ways: Restorative Practices for Healthy Schools:
    http://www.circleways.org

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•   Center for Council: http://www.centerforcouncil.org
•   The Ojai Foundation: http://www.ojaifoundation.org
•   Council on the Uncertain Human Future:
    http://councilontheuncertainhumanfuture.org
•   School of Lost Borders: http://www.schooloflostborders.org

Who We Are: The NE Council Collective is a small but growing body of certified
Council trainers and Council facilitators in the New England area. We serve individuals,
groups and organizations seeking to learn more about Council and to seed Council
practices in their lives and work in and for the human and more-than-human worlds.
Our organization is currently based in Putney, Vermont where certified Council trainers
Paul LeVasseur, Bonnie Mennell and Kirstin Edelglass have been offering Council since
1996.

NECC networks with other Council trainers and facilitators in this area and with Centers
of Council beyond our region including the Ojai Foundation, Center for Council, Circle
Ways (formerly Council in the Schools) and School of Lost Borders. Council 1 and
Council 2 trainings are offered in Putney each year. We offered our first Council 3
training this year on Zoom. Specialized trainings and council sessions for community
groups in the local area are offered upon request in collaboration with schools and
universities (e.g., Clark University, English Language Institute in the Dominican
Republic, School for International Training, Hill Top Montessori School, Berkshire
Waldorf High School) and organizations (e.g., Windhorse Foundation, ZenPeacemakers,
Vermont Adult Learning, Putney Commons). Our yearly, day-long Gathering is open to
all who are weaving council practices into their life and work in the New England Area.

Paul LeVasseur, Bonnie Mennell & Kirstin Edelglass.

plevasseurputney@gmail.com, blessed@sover.net, kedelglass@marlboro.edu,
necouncilcollective@gmail.com.

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