Giving Thanks Dinner October 20 2019
We give thanks! Once again members of Gabriola Ecumenical Society and community members gathered together at the Gabriola Golf and Country Club to celebrate and give thanks for all we have and who we are. Two 30 pound turkeys were (once again) donated by Eric and Sue Bolton, and deliciously roasted by Del McCarthy, Anne Sims and Carol Hemrich. Everyone attending brought scrumptious side dishes and desserts to compliment the main course. Deep gratefulness for the music of Paul Gellman and friends who certainly contributed to all of
the positive energy in the room. Not only did we enjoy the delectable s food, we had the
opportunity to renew friendships, make new ones and to share our joy by singing and
dancing.
The staff at the golf course, Ev and Tracey, made it so possible to create an easy and
comfortable environment for the 65 people attending. We all had such a wonderful time!
"Everything comes to us that belongs to us if we create the capacity to receive it." Rabindranath Tagore
A cancellation of an event scheduled for Bethlehem Centre in Nanaimo created an opportunity for the Gabriola Ecumenical Society to co-sponsor a presentation on our island with the Gabriola Caravan Dancers. Gifted Laura Shannon, one of the ‘grandmothers’ of Folk Dance, Circle Dance and Sacred Dance, presented a program ‘Living Dances, Ancient Roots’ on November 10, 2019 7-9pm at the Gabriola Community Hall.
Laura, world renowned teacher and researcher of traditional circle and folk dances, lives in Greece and the UK, and travels the world sharing her passion for the significance of movement and music in our lives. She brings to our awareness that music is a fundamental attribute of the human species and is present in virtually all cultures, from the most primitive to the most advanced. In preparation for her teaching on Gabriola, Laura familiarized herself with the mission of our Gabriola Ecumenical Society and on Sunday evening created an evening of spiritual awareness, creative dance, healing, and community building, attended by 28 participants.
With joy, exuberance and creativity she guided us with story telling and a number of circle dances, connecting us to the deep spirituality and universality of spiritual seekers thousands of years in the past and continuing on to this present day. Laura, through her music, movement, and storytelling is a perfect model of the interconnectedness of the physical and the spiritual with her deep connection , respect and compassion for all of creation.
Truly, Spirit in Action: Healing Ourselves, our Community and our Earth was the focal point of this amazing program. We thank Don Buskirk, who assisted Laura during the evening, for organizing this amazing event and inviting us to cosponsor.
Once again the Gabriola Ecumenical Society got their new season of programs off to a beautiful start with the September 19 Program Launch.
Some of us arrived early to set up in the peaceful venue of the Netloft. Soon after participants began arriving with thoughtfully prepared potluck supper contributions in hand. Such good food!
Gary Badke brought his Native American flutes and provided a background to quiet conversation as over sixty people enjoyed the food and companionship.
Lynette Jackson began the program with words of welcome and a brief outline of the aims of the Society and our theme for this year of "Spirit in Action: Healing Ourselves, Our Community, and our Earth."
Maalaa Rosalie Lazar took the participants through the Chakras using sounds, and led us in an uplifting chant.
Eric and Sue Boulton spoke eloquently on how the spirit motivates us to enrich our island home. One of their key messages is that "it is all about attitude".
Rosheen Holland also spoke about the spiritual nature of farming and living with spirit at Good Earth Farm.
Gary finished off playing his flutes and chanting, accompanied by his beautiful friend, Mah Naz.
All in all, it was a wonderful evening and a great start to the GES program year. Many thanks to all those who helped to make it happen. It was inspiring to hear the stories of how "spirit" is in action” right here on our beautiful island.
The programs that are planned for this year will shine light on “spirit in action” on Gabriola, in our homes and on our earth…we invite you to join us to share in our blessings in the year to come!
To join the Gabriola Ecumenical Society and be added to our monthly newsletter list of ongoing activities, please visit the website https://gabriolaecumenical.com.
