News

Interim Board
So, the last remaining business of the interim board is the writing of an “end-of-term” report, and ensuring that the information we have assembled over the last two and a half years can be made available to whoever may need it in future. To this end, we are envisaging that the interim board website will continue to be online for at least a year.
Rev. Alicia
 
Lay Communications

Interim Board
In December the board emailed members of the Order with the collection of topics of concern that had been in our basket, suggesting a next step of forming discussion groups on each of the topics. Due to the rather small response, we contacted the interested people to suggest they might form their own discussion groups if they so wish, without further involvement of the interim board, unless they need any technical support.
 

Interim Board
In September we welcomed lay minister Linda Stevens to the interim board. Linda practises with the Lions Gate Buddhist Priory in Canada. We are extremely pleased to have her on the board, replacing Pam Hunter Johnson. Both Pam and Rev. Master Jigen are stepping down after two years of invaluable service to the Order through their roles on the board. We would like to thank both of them for their generous giving of their time and experience and skills to this work – we will miss them.
 

Structure & Function

For five days in April members of the interim board met together at Pine Mountain Buddhist Temple in southern California, Rev. Master Phoebe's home Temple. Rev. Master Saido, Bob McGraw and Rev. Alicia flew over from the UK, Pam Hunter Johnson drove down from northern California, Rev. Berthold drove down from Shasta Abbey, and Rev. Master Jigen joined the meetings from the UK via Internet connection. Andrea Spark came too, to support us by preparing our meals and refreshments, for which we are hugely grateful. Sadly, Rev.

We are pleased to announce that a number of new working groups have recently been formed to address many of the practical steps that the Order resolved to take at the September 2011 general meeting of the Order, and that were announced in the Public Statement that was issued following that meeting.
 
Structure and Function Working Group

Two new board members

On 8th December we were delighted to announce the addition of two new members of the interim board: Rev. Master Phoebe and Bob McGraw. You can find out a little about them both by clicking here.

At the rules conclave and general meeting of the Order held at Throssel Hole Buddhist Abbey in September the interim board was requested by the head of the Order and the assembly to continue its work for another year. This is the first board meeting since the conclave.

Board member changes

Over the last six weeks the following topics have been on our agenda:

OBC Website Development

This working group has completed their task of evaluating the current site, identifying clear needs for update and developing a site outline. Their proposal was sent out on 2nd August to monks, lay ministers and others who had responded to the initial survey, with a request for feedback by August 15th.

The week of June 13th to 17th 2011 saw the interim board meeting together at the farm in Cornwall where Andrew Taylor-Browne and his wife, Julie, breed alpacas and carry on a variety of other farming activities. Pam, Rev. Berthold and Rev. Master Meiko flew from the US and Rev. Master Jigen, Rev. Willard, Rev. Master Saido and Rev. Alicia traveled the length and breadth of England to get to West Cornwall.