Creating a seed group or Grove - please advise

[MiriamSPia]

I'm willing to hostess a seed group or grove for N. Germany. Others found here on the Boards told we have only 1 OBOD druid here in all of Germany, and I am the only Ovate - though hopefully I will 'cross over' to Druid before too long; say by next Beltaine at the latest.

It is OK with me to just belong to someone else's group to; I have emailed the central OBOD office and have made some initial contact with the other OBOD members in Germany. I think I have exchanged a few messages with 2 or 3 of the others, but I think there may well be 5 to 10 or even as many as 20 OBOD members in North Germany, maybe more?

Numbers would help. My main concern is to take action in coordinated effort with the central offices. I have done some congregational leadership work and know how angry many of the others may get if I just go ahead and do it without contacting the central office. Besides, it will probably go better with the support of the central office staff or the top of the hierarchy and all that.

Miriam Pia
Ovate
American who has lived in multiple locations including: the NE USA, SC England, Indiana, NW Germany for years at a time.

[DJ Droood]

Numbers would help. My main concern is to take action in coordinated effort with the central offices. I have done some congregational leadership work and know how angry many of the others may get if I just go ahead and do it without contacting the central office. Besides, it will probably go better with the support of the central office staff or the top of the hierarchy and all that.

You might want to register your seedgroup with the head office, and they can list your contact info for any other OBODs that might be looking in your area, but beyond that, there is a print-off with some tips on it, but I don't think the OBOD head office will get very involved in your doings. I think they are quite satisfied to let you run things the way you see fit.

[Art]

I'm sure you've read the following at the main site:

"What is the difference between a Seed-group and a Grove?

A Seed Group can be formed by any member at any point in their studies. Each group is different, but they are designed to be informal and relaxed - giving members the opportunity to meet and meditate together, and to discuss the course, their studies, and topics of mutual interest. Many groups celebrate the seasonal festivals together, and to attend a Seed-Group you do not necessarily need to be a member of the Order.

A Grove is a group which meets regularly and which is led by members who are in the Druid Grade. A fully functioning Grove will celebrate the eight festivals, give initiations, and will also hold Groves in each of the three grades."

My advice would be to spread the word (you've started that in here), get a few heads together and motor on! The office can no longer give out names of members in a given area however if you talk it up, the word will spread.

[DJ Droood]

The office can no longer give out names of members in a given.

That is interesting..I didn't know that...understandable, though...so is the messageboard now the primary way for someone to locate someone in their area?

[Corwen]

This message board only has a tiny tiny proportion of active OBOD members on it, so it wouldn't be a very good way... A letter in Touchstone might be good, but slogging around all the local moots and camps and posting notices in any magazines people might read is probably more likely to work.

[MiriamSPia]

Thanks to you all for replying. I really appreciate it. Whoever said that the forum has only a small portion of members is correct - I've only just become involved with the forum and I became an OBOD Bard back in 2003 or 2004.

Luckily, the Germans that I have found through the forum have pretty good English ability and are friendly. In fact, it was another of the woman who gently suggested that since I'm an Ovate and there's only Druid so far that she knows of here in Germany maybe I could just start a seed group. I don't mind it - I'm okay with both following and leading but it helps if I know which it is that people are expecting me to do, because if I don't take the lead when someone needs me to that's a let down and if I try to and they don't want it, then they might not like it.

Have a nice day. Some of the people with whom I have live contact are also on electronic systems with me, but a lot of my relationships have still tended to be either format...er, no....Not really....Its that a lot of online contacts I have not met in person, and there are local people who I don't use both methods with but there are also people with whom I relate both ways.

[skh]

Luckily, the Germans that I have found through the forum have pretty good English ability and are friendly. In fact, it was another of the woman who gently suggested that since I'm an Ovate and there's only Druid so far that she knows of here in Germany maybe I could just start a seed group. I don't mind it - I'm okay with both following and leading but it helps if I know which it is that people are expecting me to do, because if I don't take the lead when someone needs me to that's a let down and if I try to and they don't want it, then they might not like it.

Just for the record -- I don't have the numbers, but I believe there's at least a handful of druid grade members in the german-speaking countries, and a larger handful of ovates. Most live far apart, but clusters are beginning to form, and there are a few seed groups already. Whenever someone tells you there's only one of something, chances are that their information is outdated

Also, you might want to ask for access for the german subforum here to find more people. Many germans do only read that subforum. It is meant to be german-language, but we can translate for you (and most can at least read english).

Good luck with the seed group!

peace /|\ Sonja (south-eastern germany)

[inis]

In fact, it was another of the woman who gently suggested that since I'm an Ovate and there's only Druid so far that she knows of here in Germany maybe I could just start a seed group.

Just for the record -- I don't have the numbers, but I believe there's at least a handful of druid grade members in the german-speaking countries, and a larger handful of ovates. Most live far apart, but clusters are beginning to form, and there are a few seed groups already. Whenever someone tells you there's only one of something, chances are that their information is outdated

Yes, that has definitely been a misunderstanding. I was talking about the NORTHERN part of Germany only - there are several Druids and a lot of Ovates "down in the South". It's maybe different over in America, where you are used to travel quite some distances for everything - in Germany there will be no chances for a seed group if the members would have to travel more than 50 - 80 kilometres. (Erm, no, it's not about the german road system - but we are so used to having everything nearby that people probably won't see the point...)

[skh]

Yes, that has definitely been a misunderstanding. I was talking about the NORTHERN part of Germany only - there are several Druids and a lot of Ovates "down in the South". It's maybe different over in America, where you are used to travel quite some distances for everything - in Germany there will be no chances for a seed group if the members would have to travel more than 50 - 80 kilometres. (Erm, no, it's not about the german road system - but we are so used to having everything nearby that people probably won't see the point...)

So true

I met a few OBODies last weekend, and we realized that everyone seems to think that the other parts of germany are already full of druids and have a fantastic workshop / seed group meeting / ritual program, and that just where they themselves are living is druid desert.

peace /|\
Sonja

[Heddwen]

There seems to be a lot of German people on Druidspace, perhaps you could try there too.

[MiriamSPia]

Thanks everyone.

There are seed groups, but the one nearest to where I live is in Hamburg. We could probably still do something together a few times a year, but that might be the best we can do.

This may not be much, but it is a beginning. Please let me know which grade you are and how long you've been in OBOD.

I have been in OBOD since 2003 or 2004 at the latest [relationship changes affecting the memory I think] but never used this forum until 2010.

Ovate Miriam in a village between Bremen and Hannover.