Many changes are igniting in the Sacred Fire Community, and they are reflected in FireWorkers both departing and coming on board. Here are words from a departing friend and a warm welcome to those who have recently joined us.
Larry Messerman
Dear Fire Friends:
Over the course of the past year, you may have noticed some of our appeals to find a replacement for me as one of the four Co-Executives of the Sacred Fire Community organization. It is now time for me to step down from this position. At our recent leadership training in Tepoztlan, Grandfather announced that my position would in fact go to a member of our new Firekeeper Council. Tim Simon is thus stepping into my role. This will give Firekeeping and the communities they support a much more central voice in planning for the Community organization. Congratulations, Tim!
It has been a great honor to work for the Sacred Fire Community organization for the past eight years or so. The dedication shown by those who have been involved with the SFC since it’s inception is really an inspiration. A great number of people reading this have also been engaged in this work of Fire and heart. Among the joys of my position has been the opportunity to meet and collaborate with so many of you.
Thanks to all who have made this such a wonderful ride!
Much Love,
Larry
Larry, there are hardly words to adequately thank you for your many years of devoted service to the Sacred Fire Community. You helped birth it, you stuck around to see it through its terrible twos, and now that it can wobble around on it’s own legs a bit, it is very hard to imagine it growing more without you. We do, however, fully recognize that you have more than earned a bit of time off and wish you all good things to come.
We are very pleased to have several new folks to welcome into the SFCO family:
Bill Sutton
Bill, who is starting a new fire hamlet in Denver, Colorado, USA, has joined the SFCO as our new Executive Director. The SFCO structure is gradually changing as he mentions in this description of his job, “I’m accountable to the Board of Directors (which we’re in the process of putting in place) for accomplishing the vision and mission of the organization.” We’re quite pleased to have Bill in this position, as it gets the rest of us off the hook with the Board!
What does Bill do, when not having his feet held to the fire by the Board? “Hmmm. I love fire. I have a lot of passions — music, t’ai chi, hiking, spiritual traditions and their histories, fire. Did I mention that I love fire?” Welcome, Bill.
Tim Simon
Tim is Firekeeper of the Brookfield, MA hamlet, along with his wife, Gwen Broz. He is the Sacred Fire Community’s Firekeeper Council Representative, which is a newly created director-level position within the organization. With respect to stepping into this position, he says, “I would rather think of it as being a participating member than as a volunteer. Ever since i was in the Army, I have a hard time volunteering for anything.” We so appreciate Tim jumping into this position and hope it will not create too many Army flashbacks for him. This new position is only one of many changes happening. Stay tuned!
Tim and Gwen have a 17acre hayfield that he hays. They grow “the best garlic ever.” He says, “My boar goats did not get pregnant last year, so I am sending them out to their part-time husbands again. The baby goats are the absolute cutest things alive. Also, in this rustic category, we have a working humanure toilet in house. Love it all.” Maybe the Sacred Fire Community can have it’s next series of business meetings on Tim and Gwen’s farm!
Azelia Serjeantsen
Azelia has joined the Sacred Fire Community team as a Grants Researcher. She will be researching funding possibilities for the organization….a job at which we hope she is very, very good !!
Azelia lives in Victoria, Canada where there is not currently a Firekeeper, but she attended community fires there in the past. She previously attended community fires in Yellowknife, CAN from 2006-2008. Born in England, Azelia grew up in Quebec and lived nine years in the Northwest Territories (sub-arctic lands). She says she is a shy storyteller who looks a lot younger than she is, likes to wear bright colors and is blessed to live in a house with a fireplace and a beautiful garden in the backyard.
Lydia Jane Michaels
Lydia is an Initiated Woman in the Sacred Fire Community who is now the Administrative Assistant to the Lifeways Mentoring Program. Lydia recently moved across country to Alabama and is attending community fires in Arkansas. She is a student and teacher of yoga therapy and the proud momma of hound dogs! We are proud to bring Lydia on board and are certain she will be an invaluable co-creator of the Mentoring Program.
Interested in becoming a FireWorker with the Sacred Fire Community? Contact SkyFox.
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