The Grove

Happy Yule everyone!

I hope you all are having a wonderful holiday season! It is just about time to ring in the new year and I hope you've all made preparations for the start of the new year in your own lives. Don't forget, now is time make those changes you've been considering.

Don't forget to make plans to come visit everyone for our first Meet & Eat of 2010 on January 15! I have gotten a couple of offers from people who are interested in hosting it at their home and there's always the restaurant route. I promise, I'll make up my mind and let you know a.s.a.p. Also, my birthday is only four days before the M&E so I am super excited to spend my birthday (sort of) with my Pagans.

The same goes for Imbolc. It will either be held on January 30 or February 6 at Brittany and I's home or Joanne's. I will let you know.

Now, for what I consider the good news (if anyone is still reading). The IRS (I know, not synonymous with good news) has decided to open up a Cyber Assistant for their 1023 form as of January 3. What does that mean? They will have website dedicated to helping groups complete their 501(c)3 application for tax exemption. Whew! We have been talking about applying for ages now so that I our will be just as legally recognized as any church in the U.S. Now, the other good news. On January 3rd the application fee is being raised but if we use the Cyber Assistant we will only have to pay a discounted fee that is less than what the current fee is. Not to mention, since I am both off school and out of work at the moment, I actually have the time to put together our application.

Feel free to let me know if you have any questions/comments/concerns.

Haley K

The Grove

I wanted to shoot out a quick update to let everyone know what has been going on lately.

Firstly, I have added the Midsummer Night's Dream ritual to the website under the Events page. I may have said this in the last email but I can't remember.

I also added a piece of writing entitled "I am Pagan" by Selena Fox to the About Us page. I decided that it was a more personal writing about what it means to be Pagan than posting a bland, basic statement of faith. Of course, we all have our own opinions on what being a Pagan means but I think that Selena covers the most essential parts and does it well.

Secondly, I want to take my time to shake a disapproving finger to all of you who have joined our Yahoo group yet NEVER seem to read or reply to things. It makes it feel futile, which is what I was afraid would happen when I opened it. Honestly, this is a great tool for everyone to keep in touch and communicate, let's use it!

Thirdly, I need feedback regarding what types of classes you would like our Pagan Study Group to offer. I won't be setting up the study groups if I don't have students or teachers. So, let me know if you are interested in teaching and what subjects and those who feel they have more to learn (which, in my opinion, is all of us) let me know what kind of topics you would like covered. This will enable me to compare responses and begin scheduling the meetings. That also means I need and idea of what nights of the week would work for people.

Thank you to the few people I have heard from. I appreciate your input.

And finally, I am going to schedule and impromptu Housewarming Party / Meet and Eat at my new house on Friday, July 24th at 7pm. All the details will be on the Events page.

A last word (I swear!): I want to thank everyone who has donated to The Grove recently. All of your contributions are greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Summer Solstice

I just wanted to let everyone know that we had a magnificent ritual for Midsummer here at my house. I was so happy to get to have everyone over to the see the new house and I was so proud of the ritual that I wrote because I spent so much time putting it together. I have actually posted my transcript of the ritual on the Events page should anyone want to read it that missed out. If you don't know, the entire rite was based off of William Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream.

Looking to the Future

Lammas will be held at my house on August 1. Paul and David offered to do Mabon again this year at their house and Mattea has volunteered for Yule. For Samhain we will be doing either something like All Hallows Harvest from last year or I have been talking with Heidi from the Eagle Mountain Protogrove and Wild Sky Studios (y'all know Heidi) about putting together a festival similar to Pagan Pride Day. This would mean getting more space, vendors, and performers. It is certainly an exciting idea. O

Sometime in July or August we will be having a trip to the Winstar Casino in Oklahoma. It's about an hour drive from the metroplex and I think we will have a great time. Of course, you can expect a few Meet and Eats thrown it between now and Yule.

Our next project in line is the Pagan Study Group. I am still in need of teachers and I need to get an idea as to what days would be best to plan the meetings on. For more on this, check out my post on our Yahoo group, http://groups.yahoo.com/group/groveonline/

If you're not already a part of the Yahoo group you should join. It's a great way for us to keep in touch.

At The Moment

I am feeling rather content with the progress we have made as a group over the last year. I have met some of the most amazing people. Some faces we have only seen once or twice, and some I look forward to seeing at every event. I have been amazed at the amount of support and friendship that has poured in right when I've needed it most. I am looking forward to the next year with The Grove and the changes and developments to come.

Thanks for being a part in it in whatever way you have.

Haley

I'm back! It has been forever since I have been around and actually done some work regarding The Grove and I wanted to start by giving you guys a bit of an explanation.

The last few months have been (as many of you know) beyond busy for me. I found a house, bought it, have spent numerous days paint, packed, and done a little bit of moving. I am now just about moved out of the house I was brought home from the hospital to, which is very strange. Before that was term papers and final exams. Brittany left this morning to spend two months interning in Washington DC because her mom was offered a temporary position there. And that is not to mention work and family obligations and going on vacation and finding roommates.

Essentially, I have been completely self involved and this may be the one time I don't feel bad using that as an excuse to be MIA and I hope you guys can understand as well.

Normally, with the way that the days fell, we would have had a Meet and Eat between Beltane and Summer Solstice, but it just wasn't a good time. That doesn't mean we aren't going to be hosting activities in the future, I promise. I hope to be back on the wagon soon.

I promise to deliver a good ritual for Summer Solstice to make it up to you guys. I can't give you the details of exactly what we will be doing right now (because I haven't made up my mind) but it won't be anything outrageous. We will be doing our normal ritual and potluck routine only it will be at my new house! This will also mark one year since our first group ritual so I hope to honor that some how.

Don't forget to RVSP by replying to this email, using the Yahoo group, or the page on our site. The ritual will be on Saturday the 20th. Gathering at 7, ritual at 8. Doors will be shut at 8 to any late comers.

Sometime in July I will be having a house warming party and I would like to see you guys there. I will let you know when because the 4th and my nephews birthday party will be around there as well.

In late July or early August I would love it if we could set up our trip to the casino that we have been discussing.

The next official Meet and Eat will probably be a movie night. I say we meet at my house, eat pizza or something, and watch something witchy like Practical Magic, Hocus Pocus, Witches of Eastwick, Wicker Man, etc.

That's quite enough from me. See you soon and I hope you will join the yahoo group if you haven't already.

Blessed Be,

Haley K.

The Grove

I added two new events to the events page; Summer Solstice and my housewarming party.

So sorry I haven't updated in a while. Things have been busy in my neck of the woods.

So, first, we were able to raise more than enough money for our non-profit application thanks to the rummage sale and some generous donations. The extra funds will go into our account to be used for future events.

Big, huge, amazing thank yous go out to Mattea, Paul and David, John, Sarah, Heidi, and Kim.

Secondly, we have begun to plan our Samhain celebration for this year. Things will be changing quite a bit from last year and attendees can probably expect more of a festival atmosphere than the dinner party we had last year.

We will need volunteers, vendors, performers, and donations. Much more information (and begging) to come once it is available.

Brittany is writing the ritual for Beltane and we are considering doing a cowboy theme, so everyone bring your sense of humor and I think we'll have a great time. I am going to get the details for this put together as soon as I possibly can and get them out.

The Grove's Birthday. I don't have a clue. Our birthday was actually April 3 but I can fudge it and say we're celebrating in June on the anniversary of our first event. Eventually I will actually plan something.

We are having the rummage sale on Friday and Saturday, March 27 and 28 at Mattea's home at 610 W. Lovers Lane in Arlington. We really need at least one person to volunteer for Friday morning. Mattea is having surgery on the Thursday before so she will not be feeling up to setting up and and running the sale. Please, please please! Brittany and I both have class on Friday morning so it would be near impossible for us to get there.

Saturday, I know I will be able to be there for sure and Brittany should be able to as well so volunteers will not be nearly as needed. However, we wouldn't turn down someone who wants to help us clean up after the sale.

We need stuff to sell! We will accept donations of household items, clothing, books, electronics, furniture, etc. Donations can be dropped off with Haley at Ostara or you can email Mattea (mheldner@balfinancialllc.com) to set up a time to drop off donations at her home up to a week in advance.

Please remember, all profits from the rummage sale will go to The Grove's 501(c)(3) application fee (about $350) or toward future ritual supplies.

Just email if you are interested in volunteering or leave a comment here.

Saturday after the rummage sale we will be having a birthday party for The Grove. I am not certain what we will be doing but I would love to have you guys all come out.

 I am still planning on doing the Pagan Study Group. Planning for it is some what on hold until we can get this rummage sale taken care of. I am also house shopping at the moment and dealing with some problems with a business (who ripped me off) so my attention is just elsewhere.

Study Groups for New Pagans

Just a little update on what I have been up to in my neck of the woods

I am already planning the Samhain celebration for this year. I know, I know, that's all the way in October but the earlier I can get things like the location and theme lined up the easier it makes it in the 11th hour. I will be (attempting) to hand over the planning reins this year by forming a planning committee to help me get ready but that is a long way off. All Hallows Harvest (Samhain 2008) took me 4 months and countless hours to plan. I'm hoping things will be a lot easier this year now that I've done this once already.

I am slowly percolating the best way to go about forming a Pagan Study Group. I need to decide the best days to do the meetings, what topics to cover, who will mentor, and, the most important, are people actually interested in this idea.

Brittany and I have been tossing around fundraising ideas and hopefully one of them will come to fruition in the future. If anyone has any idea I hope they'll let me know very soon.