Meadow Musings

November 2022

---

Give Thanks

We are ever so grateful for so many things at Indralaya.

We are fortunate that camp is surviving through all its challenges. What a special place with such hardworking people who have put their hearts and souls into making it run smoothly this year.  

We are fortunate for the people who make Indralaya the place it is. A few days ago our beloved elder, John Levey so full of light and unconditional love passed and it made us truly appreciate the season.  We were fortunate to know and cherish him and enjoy his rich history at camp for 51 years.  He was given the lifetime appreciation award for working with the Board for over 41 years (that is over 120 meetings) sharing his accounting skills, insights, enthusiasm for learning, dedication of time, humor, and charm.  John was an optimistic, caring, honorable person who loved camp for its nature, multi-generational opportunities, people, programs, and the strong connections made by doing work with others, and building stronger relationships.  He was a deep listener who valued each person and made you feel important.  We were spoiled and are thankful that we got to share a little time with this wonderful person.  John will live on in our hearts and we will treasure our memories when we sit on his many benches, use the shower seats and racks, or see the pulleys in the Pavillion for providing the bats freedom.

John was grateful for camp, the community and philosophy.  We know he will fare well on his future travels as he certainly created a great deal of positive karma! And may that karma carry him far…. 

We know many of you may want to share our memories, anecdotes and photos of John. We are hosting a tribute page on the website and invite your contributions – please send here (merrybullock@mac.com) to be added to this page: https://www.indralaya.org/tribute-to-john-levey/ – you can even repeat what you wrote on Facebook!

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

May you enjoy the different articles and poem in this Fall issue of Meadow Musing. When you read about the history of the orchard think of Mr. Fred McLeran who was the previous owner and caretaker of the apple trees. He passed the day after John, at the age of 97.  
 
Let your friends and family know how important they are and cherish your time with them.

Orchard Updates

As the Pacific Northwest experiences increasingly extreme summers and winters, drought and periods of heavy rainfall, we notice the Indralaya orchard’s changing patterns. With a wet spring and poor pollination, our orchard harvest this fall was a fraction of 2021. Our plums suffer from drought and heat stroke during the warmest weeks, and heavy winds break branches every year. Still each spring we see how much each tree has grown and all the flowers for local pollinators. And each fall we witness the bounty of fruit for local animals and our kitchen. We hope to preserve this orchard for many decades to come and are focusing on its health and resiliency. This included planting two newly established and grafted prune plum trees from our plum stock. They are three or four years old now and look to be thriving up by the volleyball court. 

In December of 2020, a local ecological non-profit based on Lopez Island, Kwiáht, spent a day in our orchard cataloguing the apple, pear, and plum trees and comparing them to old maps. San Juan County has aerial photos from the 1930s and hand drawn maps from the 1880s. Kwiáht’s botanist, Madrona Murphy, believes many of our current apple, plum, and pear trees were already well established in the 1880s. This means these trees are possibly well over 150 years old! She also thinks the Indralaya orchard is one of the largest, most well maintained, and healthy heritage orchards in San Juan County! We are still working to catalogue all the fruit varieties though we have a good idea of the two most abundant; the large green, sometimes gnarled, apples are very likely Pumpkin Pound Sweet and the sometimes equally as large green with red striped apples in the center of the meadow are probably a variety called 20-ounce Apple. Both are well known to have been planted in island orchards in the 19^th century. 

This year Indralaya was included in a grant through the local Orcas Island Food Bank whose aim is to care for local food systems and preserve heritage orchards. Joe Bullock, of the Bullocks Permaculture Homestead on Orcas, has professionally pruned our orchard in the past and spent several weeks this summer pruning. He also donated a variety of young plum and pear trees to a newly established nursery bed in the fenced garden. These will be planted out if older trees die. Apple trees in humid climates battle a very common fungal disease called Anthracnose which results in lesions and cankers on branches. It can quickly kill young trees. Old heritage orchards have learned to live with it, so it no longer poses a threat to older trees although is still present, and visible on many of the trees. This is a challenge to establishing new young apple trees in our orchard. I am presently working to gather scion wood and graft the old varieties to vigorous root stock and grow these trees away from Indralaya (and the threat of the fungus) for at least three to five years. The hope is to establish resilient young trees of our same varieties, to be planted in the Indralaya orchard when or if we lose some trees in the future. 

As stewards of this land, we hope to maintain the meadow and orchard, a place of peaceful meditation and playful fun, for many generations to come. 

Tessa Ormenyi, Indralaya Board Member 

• 

• 

• 

---

Looking forward to 2023 – Program Updates

The Program Committee has been working diligently and are now putting the final touches to Indralaya’s 2023 program calendar. We hope your experience of Indralaya in 2023 will help you respond with insight, peace and hope to these tumultuous times in which we live. 

Some new program highlights include: 

May 18 – 21                   
Michael (Skeeter) Pilarski’s program on Earth Reconstruction and the Subtle Realms is one way that Indralaya is responding to the devastation of the environment and earth. Skeeter is a farmer, educator and author who has devoted his life to studying and teaching how people can live sustainably on this Earth, including restoring our relationship with the subtle realms of nature.  He has been involved in and founded many non-profit organizations and conferences that work on earth repair including Friends of the Trees, the Global Earth Repair Foundation and is a co-founder of the very popular Fairy Congress. (https://friendsofthetrees.net/)

June 1 – 4                      
Raphael Cushnir teacher, author, activist, film maker and leading voice in the world of emotional connection and present moment awareness will return to Indralaya to present a program on Social and Emotional Intelligence. He has been featured in O,  The Oprah Magazine, Spirituality and Health, Psychology Today, and The Huffington Post and is a faculty member of Esalen, Kripalu and the Omega Institute.  https://cushnir.com/

July 7 – July 12               
Cynthia Peter and Jennifer Wetham will be presenting a two-track Creativity Program.  Cynthia is a multi-media artist, chaplain, Feldenkrais practitioner, with certification in Cross-Cultural Sound and Music in Healing and a long time Indralayan. Jennifer is a life coach and has taught English and creative writing at the college level. They will work with participants to release their creative blocks to access imaginative power and bring the inner life to creative expression.

We are fortunate to have two very popular international Theosophical speakers, Pablo Sender and Juliana Cessano presenting in 2023. Both are inspiring presenters who bring Theosophy to life.

August 2 – 9                  
Juliana Cessano will be facilitating discussions during the annual Connections program. Juliana is a lifelong Theosophist and has devoted much of her life to Theosophy. She has worked at the international Theosophical Society headquarters in Chennai, India and currently and for many years has worked and lived at the US headquarters in Wheaton, Illinois with her husband and child. Juliana is able to skillfully weave together the mystical with the metaphysical. She is also a yoga teacher. 

August 19 – 22              
Pablo Sender was originally trained as a molecular biologist and holds a doctorate in biological sciences. Pablo is the author of Evolution of the Higher Consciousness and an upcoming new book. He has facilitated several very well received programs on Theosophy at Indralaya in the past. Pablo has worked at the International and US Headquarters of the Theosophical Society, and currently lives and works at Krotona, a Theosophical community in Ojai, California. (Check out his website Living Theosophy at https://pablosender.com/)

September 14 – 17                    
Erik Peper,  Ph.D. an internationally known expert on biofeedback (applied psychophysiology), holistic health, technostress and stress management is a Professor of Holistic Health at San Francisco State University, and President of the Biofeedback Federation of Europe. Erik is a regular Indralayan, first coming in the late 1970’s to study Therapeutic Touch with Dora Kunz. He has been back many times since to participate in programs and teach.  Erik will be sharing his insightful knowledge of healing strategies, stress management, and self-care. You can see his blog:  ideas on illness, health and well-being at https://peperperspective.com/)

Full program information will be available in January, 2023. A brochure will be mailed to you , the website will show the 2023 program, and programs will be listed on the Indralaya Facebook page. Registration will open at the end of January and a reminder email will be sent out to the mailing list.

---

2023 Fee Update

Due to increasing costs associated with sustaining Indralaya, along with decreased registrations due to COVID (and not increasing fees during the 2020-2022 COVID-altered seasons), the Board has approved a significant fee increase of 32% for 2023 programs . 

However, as volunteering is at the core of what Indralaya is about and how it functions and as it is the board’s goal to keep Indralaya accessible and affordable, we have significantly increased the discount to be applied for volunteering for daily staff from $22/day to $69/day. The net effect of this will be that, despite the general increase in fees for programs, anyone who volunteers for daily staff (3 hours of work each day) will pay less than they did in 2022.

Here are the other highlights of the new fee structure:

– Program fees will be rolled into housing and meals for a consolidated rate. This means that you will register for a program with a single price rather than separate prices for programs and housing. 

– Cancellation fees will be reinstated to offset the costs of last minute cancellations. These were in place previously but were paused due to COVID.

– The daily staff discount of $69 is the same dollar amount whether you stay in plumbing or non plumbing. $69 is an 80% discount of the adult non-plumbing housing rate.

In the past number of years we have seen a marked decrease in volunteer work during programs which has placed an increasingly larger burden and reliance on paid staffing and fellowship volunteers to cook, clean and operate the camp day-to-day. It is in recognition of the rich history of volunteerism at Indralaya that the board has approved increasing the daily staff discount by more than 200% to offset the cost of the fee increases. Fellowship opportunities continue to exist where campers stay entirely without cost in exchange for approximately 5 hours of work contribution per day. Anyone interested in Fellowship positions are encouraged to view the Fellowship page here.

If you have any questions on the new fee structure please contact registration@indralaya.org. 

Malcolm Funt, Board Chair

Board Update

Indralaya is Hiring

Indralaya is actively looking for a Resident General Manager. The Personnel Committee has appointed a Search Committee that is refining the job description and advertising materials for a concerted effort to find the person(s) who will be a good fit for the unique environment, community and ethos that is Indralaya. The Search Committee intends to hold an informational (ZOOM) meeting in first of the year for those who might be interested in the position or know others who might be interested. Stay tuned!

In the meanwhile, updates to the search process will be posted on the web (on the home page, click on the menu item “Get Involved” or the link “Indralaya is hiring!” to know more)!

Reflections on Indralaya Experiences

Indralaya

When I first arrived at Indralaya, I was excited to see buildings and gardens and common outdoor space that had been used by a community of people, in a loving way, for a long time. I was looking forward to the retreat, Mindfulness Self Compassion – learning new things and meeting a group of people with whom I would create community over the next five days. What I hadn’t expected was all of the learning and community building I was about to be gifted from the Elders of Indralaya. I signed up to be on day staff and was so honored to get to be in the kitchen and learn, share, and LAUGH with Maryse, Andrie, and Marshall. We made meals and we had so much fun! I looked forward to doing this “work” everyday and was surprised when my shift was over. On the last day of my retreat, as I reflected on my gratitude of being in this amazing place and meeting all of these wonderful people, I opened the cabin book to write some words of thanks. I read the last book entry, which was beautifully written and noticed the signature, Laurie Rotecki – my daughters’ beloved pre-school teacher. I smiled and let the warmth of Indralaya wash over me. 
Kirke Mahy Hestad 11.18.2022

---

Fellowship

I first came to camp as a program participant, attending the same program year after year, usually signing up for “daily staff” to save money.  It wasn’t much more work, it was fun, and I met many wonderful people, some there on Fellowship, a program of volunteer staff, that took care of various tasks around camp.  Being on Fellowship gave them an extended period of time at camp, and the opportunity to experience multiple programs. The people on Fellowship provided continuity as each program brought a new group of participants, and made a difference in how smoothly the various programs ran. I felt welcomed into this Camp community, and some years after my program ended, I’d stick around for a few days, helping with tasks, and seeing a little of the between times as well as some of the next program.  My connection to the camp community grew.

Fast forward to 2016. Looking for a place to “land” for the summer, I signed up for Fellowship.  I saw all the summer programs, from Therapeutic Touch, Family Camps I & II, Yoga, Deep Singing and Connections.  My understanding of Indralaya expanded, making friends with people from all the programs, as well as the cadre of people on Fellowship.  I began to see camp as much more than just the programs, I was able to see it as the community of people that create and hold the space, a community I wanted to be a part of.

Now that I’ve been coming for over 16 years, I’m familiar with the place and the routines.  I know where paper towels are, where spatulas go, how to sanitize silverware, the importance of a monitor for campfires in the grove…  It takes a lot of work, and a lot of people to keep Indralaya and its programs running.  The satisfaction of knowing I contribute, that I’m appreciated, that I make a difference, brings me back year after year.

Indralaya is a community.  It is more than just the people at a program, or the staff. It’s the conglomeration of all the people – participants and staff/Fellowship – who come to all the programs. This synergistic combination of Place and People make the community that build, maintain, and use Indralaya.  Being on Fellowahip allows me to see and be part of this community over time.  I’ve had so much fun in the kitchen, working with cooks, mentoring new folks through the process of washing pots, learning chores, and becoming part of the community. Amazingly as I am supporting and nurturing camp, it is supporting and nurturing me!  This is truly an example of “practicing joy on the path of service.”

Why do I like being on Fellowship?  It’s a way for me to give back to Indralaya, in time, energy, and attention, and to join the community that has nurtured Indralaya over time. 

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT CAMP

• I like the people – program people and the Indralaya community at large
• I like the place – the trees, the meadow, the trails, the beaches, the quiet and solitude (between programs)
• I like who I am at camp – it brings out the best in me

Marshall Peabody

---

---

POEM

---

Thank You’s

It Takes a Village – Thanks to All

Thanks to ….

The musical gala evening on the Summer Solstice to start the Fundraiser for the Lower Bath house was a celebratory evening thanks to the talent from the musicians: Greg Auger, David Christensen, Amber Darland Taber, Bryan Dyunaedi, David Nixon in the band – The Half Brothers, and Steven Toren. Thank you to Merry Bullock for the work with advertising and putting together a special Meadow Musing.  A huge shout out to all the people who donated their time, homes, talents, paintings, music, boat rides, cooking, pottery to name a few and make the auction possible.  Thank you to everyone who contributed with their money donations.  Indralaya raised over $10,000 from the event and this was so thoughtfully matched by Helen Bee and Carl de Boor.  It was a community event and the people who brought it all together made our hearts sing.

The Facilities and Infrastructure Committee: Michael Van Gelder, Tessa Ormenyi, Marilynne Gardner, Steven Lucas, Mark Ray, and Rolf Eriksen-Capital Projects Manager and Jeannie Chamberlain, present Indralaya manager. This group has worked diligently on our behalf.  The roof is on Apple cabin and Elderberry is looking very fresh. The Lower Bath house is half completed with the external plumbing done. Once the permit is obtained for the sewage hook up, the goal is to have the building, “dried in,” before the start of the Summer 2023 programs. This includes framing, a protective ice sheet, roofing, and windows plus waterproofing for the outside.

Volunteers: The Indralaya community has many intrinsic volunteers who have stepped up in so many ways this past 6 months.

There was a shortage of daily staff workers during all the programs and it made it very challenging for the head cooks. On many occasions the Van Gelders thoughtfully jumped in to make the meals possible.  A heartfelt thanks for all the extra time given by Leonie, Arthur, Anna, Jeannie, Melanie and Irena.

The head cooks were outstanding as usual and their meals were raved about. Kari Van Gelder worked hard for three full weeks and has kindly volunteered to help for four weeks next year. We really appreciate Lin Bauer, all the Theraputic Touch participants, Arthur Van Gelder and Jeannie Chamberlain, Julia Toren, Viola Marx-Van Gelder, Maryse DeCoste, Tessa Ormenyi, Crystal Mossman and Victoria Fonseca-Bennett.

The volunteer assistant managers were also very valuable with their time and energy to make sure everything ran smoothly and lights were out at night.  A very appreciative thank you to Lin Bauer, Leonie Van Gelder, Mary Hart, Kim Ericksen, Laurie Rotecki, Jen Sather, Merry Bullock, Marilynne Gardner, Michael VanGelder, Andrie Bates, and Tessa Ormenyi.

The fellowship workers put their backs and souls into Indralaya making everything possible, donating a total of 499 days of work! A huge thanks to 

A thank you to our incredible bookkeeper, Nancy Lehwalder who keeps everything organized and paid. 

Many thanks to Steven Lucas, who as the Facilities manager has been active this season in keeping the place looking great and everything moving smoothly.

Jeannie Chamberlain has worked lots of overtime doing everything the past 6 months. Having a person with experience and history with Indralaya has been invaluable with helping things to run.  She has engaged the Fellowship people to work as a team and be a true community.

And last we thank the Board members who are dynamic, engaged, and put in countless hours! For many this is along with full time jobs and children / grandchildren to care for. A massive thank you to the intrepid and fearless chair, Malcolm Funt, the meticulous Treasurer Kelly Bachman, the dedicated Personnel team leader Victoria Fonseca-Bennnet, and to Tessa Ormenyi, along with helper Megan Sather, the incredibly organized Facilities and Infrastructure crew of Michael Van Gelder, Tessa Ormenyi, Marilynne Gardner, along with Steven Lucas, and Rolf Eriksen-Capital Projects Manager and Jeannie Chamberlain  interim General Manager, and to the persistent Programs group-Jen Sather and Andrie Bates with helpers Leonie Van Gelder and Jeannie Chamberlain.  It takes a talented team to keep things flowing and it is an honor to work with such a selfless group.

---