Clarifying the Camps

[Urban Scout]

I received the following comment on my blog today so I thought I should create a space on the site about the Rewild Camps before people go and make assumptions about the intentions behind the camps, as an extension of this site.

I refuse to donate a penny to such a cause… this can’t be done with money and an (apparently) hierarchical organizational plan. Franchising? Are you the one who calls the shots for all your spin-off camps? Are you going to go to the expense of travelling to these camps which may be quite some distance away, whose flora, fauna, people, climate, and terrain you probably don’t know very well? And money to pay office rent, buy more food at the store, and better computer technology isn’t spreading the kind of word I’d be interested in hearing…

I’d suggest going with a rhizome approach by sticking to your own place and getting increasingly established, while setting an example for people in other places to follow based on developing a rewilding community that teaches by practical locally-based example and not online text from your air-conditioned box. It’s cool that Jason Godesky is inspired by you but I wonder if he or his crew would like to be a part of Rewild Camp TM. Any input, Jason?

I appreciate your homegrown rewild camp and look to it as an example but if you come to my town I will be wary and keep my distance since you have no roots here and will have the taint of mammon surrounding you…

The post came in response to a blog where I asked people to offer donations to me for the work I have done to get my Urban Scout project going and stay maintained. I have always thought of the Rewild.info site & camps as an extension of my project, that expands to many other communities and related projects. Though I started this site, I don't own it. Though I ran a camp in Portland, I didn't even "own" that one. In the blog asking for donations I joked about traveling the world and doing rewild camps... a joke I guess didn't come across well. I specifically said that because I thought the article was going to be about the rewild camp, not me.

It is not in my agenda to travel the world facilitating Rewild Camps. Though, after the assumptions this gentlemen made about the hierarchical structure, it does make me think that I may need to travel to the camps to make certain that people understand Open Space Technology before they run a camp... if we even want to agree that that is how they are run? Let's put that out there. Perhaps a bio-region should ask themselves what kinds of social technologies they want to utilize for themselves. I mean, if people are interested in Open Space, than I would travel there to show them how it works. If not, that's cool too.

I feel like people are making so many assumptions with this site, and me. It makes me sick to my stomach. I'm doing everything I fucking can here... I'm working day and night to make this movement happen, to get it in everyones fucking head... and I'm about to fucking starve to death here. I have barely enough money for food for the next couple months. I don't know how frequently I'll be able to even use my computer in order to keep this up. I want to share what I know. I want to learn more and share my journey with others. I want to learn from people near and far and I use the internet to do that. We are running out of time. I want to know this information, as much of it as possible and I want others to know it too.

My feelings are hurt that after spending so much time putting these things together, someone would attack me for what they assume I am planning, rather than ask me more about what I'm doing first.

[jason]

Wow, that's a hell of a bunch of assumptions Anonymous Dude (TM) made there.  I suppose I should clarify...

Before there was Rewild Camp Pittsburgh, there was the Mountain Festival.  But there's a certain synergy you get from working together that you just don't get from doing your own thing, and this amounted to little more than a name change and a slight refinement of format.

Rewild Camp Pittsburgh isn't being "run" or even supervised by Urban Scout.  Even my role is less "leader" than "coordinator."  I'm spreading the word, creating the buzz, organizing the space, but I'm not "in charge" of what happens there.  That'll be up to the people who show up.

It's a "franchise" only in the loosest sense: those inspired by the idea do it.  I didn't even ask Scout's permission before I started organizing it, I just went ahead and did it.

[jhereg]

To start, that kind of note would tick me off, too. It's pretty frustrating when someone could just ask a simple question, but instead just opens fire.

But, having said that, unless this is someone you know and possibly give a shit about, keep in mind that you can't please all the people, all the time. My unsolicited advice? Go pound on a heavy bag, vent your spleen, then forget about it.

[WildeRix]

Don't let the fuck-heads of the world get you down, Scout.  If James doesn't want to smell the "taint of mammon," then he should get his nose out of other people's taints.

Here's my take on the "franchise" business:

Everything we have done here, we have done in openness.  With open source and open space.  I think the usage of the REWILD Camp concept by anyone from this community exemplifies that openness.  I think Jason's actions in starting tweaking the Mountain Festival works as a prime example of that.

I plan on eventually doing a REWILD camp here in Fayetteville.  I would love it if Scout came here for that.  Not because I need his expertise (though I welcome it) but because I like to have my friends around.  Though the concept of bioregionalism sits at the pinnacle of rewilding, some things pervade bioregions.  There may grow a certain kind of tree in my region that works well for arrow shafts, but that doesn't mean that somebody from somewhere else can't share their knowledge of making arrows from different woods with me.  We get on this forum to share knowledge across regions, to learn from other people's experiences (failures or successes).  So why couldn't that happen in person as well?

[Paula]

Permaculture is hard-core local as well, yet Holmgren and Mollison and any number of their disciples did/do travel all over the world teaching permaculture design courses to people in vastly different ecosystems. I'm sure the same set of assumptions and accusations can be leveled at them as well; and yet, look at the good that's come of it.

The fact is we do still live in civilization, and the process of collecting like-minded people together for any purpose will require using its tools and playing by its rules, even -- and perhaps especially -- rhizome-style movements composed of people scattered all over the place. Those seeds need to be watered and cultivated wherever they are, or they will wither and die; and there is no possible way to do that except with cell phones, broadband, reasonably decent nutrition, and a base of operations.

Seems to me that while there is some degree of detail that is going to be specific to each bioregion, there is also much that is shared among all rewilding groups, especially at this early stage when EVERYBODY -- including that rude commenter -- still lives in a common civilization and culture. Most of the rewilding process is going to be the same everywhere, even if the specifics are different, just like with permaculture design. Cutting off technological communications among people in diverse areas means that everyone will have to re-invent the the same wheel at the same time, and given the collapse timeframe staring us all in the face, that is an extremely unwise waste of time.

Scout -- I have an extra, recent-model cell phone that was originally rigged for a Cingular GoPhone account. If you're not familair with that, it is a pay-as-you-go plan that requires no contract. I'd be happy to send it to you if it would be helpful. You should be able to take it to any Cingular (now AT&T) store and set it up for a new pay-as-you-go account, which I believe you can do for about $25. Let me know.

Admin note: changed <i>any</i> to [i]any[/i].  The bbcode uses square brackets. --Rix

[Urban Scout]

It's a "franchise" only in the loosest sense: those inspired by the idea do it.  I didn't even ask Scout's permission before I started organizing it, I just went ahead and did it.

Exactly. Thanks Jason.

Go pound on a heavy bag, vent your spleen, then forget about it.

Hey man, I wish it were that easy for me, but it doesn't feel that way. Every little comment where someone doesn't get what I do pisses me off. You know I heard a bunch of kids talk shit about Derrick Jensen once, saying that he drives a hummer (like Tom Brown Jr.) and I just snapped and laid into them. Of course, it was in Boston, which means he flew there and had someone else's car, possibly a rental... Again, things are not what they seem. But that's how rumors start.

Also, it was late when I saw it, I had had a lot of chocolate, and I just finished watching the Bourne Ultimatum.

Paula,
Thanks for the cell offer, but I'm already locked into a contract with (barf!) T-mobile.

Thanks everyone for your feedback. I just wanted to make sure we're on the same page here at least. Maybe we should work on the "How to run a rewild camp" page?

[CHS]

working day and night to make this movement happen

I hope that's as satisfying as it sounds. It occurs to me that fatigue is an old friend to nature's beloved.

[23]

If James doesn't want to smell the "taint of mammon," then he should get his nose out of other people's taints.

I sprayed Dr. Pepper from my taint when I read this one.

Seems like a "Hate on Scout" theme has popped up on the good ole Intraweb-thingy lately. Sucks but it means you are  do some shit right. There is a comedian who's name escapes me who said

got 5 haters? That's not enough!! You need at least 50 haters.  That way you know you doing shit right, makin waves and getting yourself out there. More Haters means More badassness on your part.

Tell em to blow a goat!!

[TonyZ]

I think that's Lenny Bruce, but if it's not it's certainly Bill Hicks.


Oh, the great procession of thought between giving yourself to the world, and having the world give to you.

In a perfect world, one would never have to ask; because you already have.

In a world where you are supposed to take; nothing could be more offensive than the request.

My friends and I have been lately in the practice of making of each other 'unreasonable requests' it's a fun practice, and it's led to a friend stopping eating pills, me losing weight, making friends eat the weird shit I drag out of dobb's park, making a squesmish girl bait her own hook, and making a so-called rhythymless friend play music with us. The idea of unreasonable requests is apowerful tool in our circle of friends.

May I make an unreasonable request? Stop bitching about people who don't 'get' your vision. It makes you appear weak, and that you suspect there might be something wrong with your vision. Appearing weak is fine in great moments of sadness; that how you get ass and get elected. Be a fucking unmovable pillar, get SOME ego about it, and stick to it.
Over the years, it's clear you are a well meaning, sensitive guy under your underarmor. be sensitive to your girlfriend, fuck everyone else. You've got a plan to save the world, everything else is peripherial.

I'm rambling, Scout, I hope my electronic tampon was of some use

[Urban Scout]

Haha. Thanks Tony.