(formerly the GNHUSA Speakers’ Bureau)

October 18, 2010

Hello everyone! Here’s a quick report from our October 5th GNHUSA Speakers’ Bureau meeting.

A new name

One of the items we discussed was a new name for our group. We all agreed that “Speakers’ Bureau” sounds old fashioned, and fails to convey the dynamic nature of our message. We didn’t ultimately settle on anything, though, for the time being, we’re using “Gross National Happiness Ambassadors.” If you have a brilliant idea, please share.

Rickey Gard Diamond pointed out that verbs can be more important than adjectives in marketing. So on our website, we can have a link that says, “Looking for speakers?” or “Need a dynamic presenter?”

Behind that link, Tom will start building the list of presenters. If you want to be listed there, email your bio and photo to Tom at: Tom@gnhusa.org.

A Wiki dialogue

Tom has also set up a Wiki page on our website – a private page accessible through password only – where we can have ongoing conversations about our presentations. To get your password, email Tom.

Venues

Kathryn Blume took time out from tech week of her directorial debut to share her ideas on venues. Her suggestions:

  • Women in Business networks (statewide chapters);
  • Chambers of Commerce (statewide chapters);
  • Rotary Clubs (statewide chapters);
  • Wake Robbin;
  • Interfaith Power and Light, contact Betsy Hardy;
  • VCAN (Vermont Climate Energy Action Network) conference, contact Joey Miller;
  • VBSR (Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility) conference; and
  • NOFA (New England Organic Farming Association) conference.

Happiness Circles

Ginny Sassaman reported on the Happiness Circles she’s facilitated – small group discussions among friends and neighbors, with a potluck dinner. Before arriving for the event, each person was asked to view the RFK-GDP video and the TED talk by Nic Marks of the Happy Planet Index (here’s the link if you haven’t seen it yet: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1o3FS0awtk). These videos frame the discussion, which includes a brief history of Gross National Happiness USA and a much deeper conversation about how each person views happiness. These Circles have been profound and have gotten the participants interested in being part of GNHUSA.

If you’d like to have Ginny facilitate a Happiness Circle for you and your friends, and/or want to talk through the process with her and start facilitating them yourself, email her at Ginny@gnhusa.org

Next steps

We’re busy setting up some speaking engagements (two in the works in Montpelier, one in Royalton, one in Massachusetts) – and invite you to do the same. Let us know what you need by way of support and materials. Keep in touch!

All the best,

Ginny Sassaman & Tom Barefoot

Report Back on August 5th meeting in Montpelier:

News from the GNHUSA Speakers’ Bureau

August 19, 2010

Hello everyone, and welcome to this first email report on our GNHUSA Speakers’ Bureau!

Many of you expressed interest in joining this working group, but were unable to attend the inaugural meeting in Montpelier on August 5th at such short notice. We look forward to having many more people in the room next time – either in person or by Skype. We’re also moving the next meeting to Burlington. Join us October 5th from 5:30 to 7:00 PM at the Peace and Justice Center, 60 Lake Street in downtown Burlington. As the name suggests, it’s near Lake Champlain — let us know if you need directions. Also let us know if you want to Skype in.

In the meantime, here’s what happened on August 5th. Tom & I were joined by Rickey Gard Diamond (briefly), and by Nova Kim, Les Hook, and Richard Czaplinski. Because Nova, Les, and Richard are all accomplished public speakers, we had a very rich discussion about giving GNHUSA speeches. Highlights of the discussion follow.

Overall thoughts

  • Talks are best when the speaker knows the subject well & is passionate about it.
  • People are anxious to talk about the economy. Even though some of what we have to say might be disturbing, the speech shouldn’t be a downer.
  • Help those of us in this movement who already make speeches on other topics (for example, eating wild foods and building root cellars) draw specific connections between those topics and a GNH framework.
  • Make sure we include in every speech – either as part of the speech itself, or in a handout these set pieces: 1) our philosophy; 2) our ethics; 3) our background; and 4) a reading list.

Structure

  • Go through the basics in the speech – including history. How did we get here?
  • Engage the audience. Lots of audience participation – interruptions even – is a good sign.
  • Stories are very important! We will start gathering these.
  • Value of power point was noted.
  • We should gradually develop a series of different types of talks.
  • Tom recommended that we use a 2-person system: a presenter and an organizer. That way, the presenter can focus on the upcoming talk. The organizer is a way to apprentice to be a speaker, and/or a role for people who want to be involved in the speakers bureau but don’t actually want to do public speaking.

Materials

  • Develop quarter page handouts that have GNH specific data on specific topics (like our food supply).
  • Should always hand out evaluation forms, and business cards (with web address & phone #)
  • Develop a personal GNH decision-making template to hand out to attendees at speeches so people can weigh a simple set of well-being indicators to decide if a particular choice may lead to more or less happiness for themselves and others. Ie, individuals could use a process much like the one Karma described Bhutan used when deciding against joining the WTO.
  • TOOLBOX: We have started a toolbox of videos and power points to show. That toolbox includes the RFK speech, which everyone present at the August 5th meeting found to be quite powerful. This is available on the Speaker’s Bureau/Ambassador Working Group page at http://www.gnhusa.org/working-groups/speakers-bureau-gnh-ambassadors/

Venues

  • Be open to speaking to all kinds of groups – Nova & Les shared their very positive experience with the New England Evangelical Women. Other ideas: Senior Centers, the Vermont Fuel Dealers Assn.
  • Nova & Les also suggested the ECO Speakers.com bureau – an environmental speakers bureau we should be part of.
  • Vermont Technical College is doing some good work – we should look into that as an option.

Publicity

  • Issue a press release when we’re ready to launch.
  • Make sure there’s lots of p.r. around each speaking event.

Miscellaneous

  • Put a “Triumphs” category on the website
  • Quote from Les, “Happiness is a root cellar full of food you’ve put there yourself.”
  • We should meet with Bread and Puppet – get them to include GNH concepts in their skits.
  • Tom will set up a WIKI site for everyone on the Speakers Bureau to share thoughts, experiences, etc.

Commitments

  • Richard will weave GNH into the talks he’s already giving on root cellars, and will think about other options.
  • Nova and Les will go through their list of possible GNH venues, and Nova will share copies of the handouts they use at our next Speakers Bureau meeting

See you on October 5th at our next meeting!,

Ginny Sassaman & Tom Barefoot