Summer 2023 Letter from the Director
Strawberries in the HSC Garden
Summer is in full swing. The fans have made their way up from the furnace room (their winter abode) to the Main Shrine Room, where Vajradhara is now in residence above the main shrine. We are excitedly awaiting the installation of the heat pumps in mid-August, which will give our community a refreshing space to practice in – and a comfortable warm space in the winter months! We are awaiting the rebate information from Efficiency Nova Scotia for a second set of heat pumps to be installed in the upper shrine rooms later this fall!
The Halifax Shambhala Centre is quieter this time of year. But still open and offering weekly Sunday sitting. Take a look at our web calendar (soon to be upgraded) to find out what’s coming up…..
Centre Activities
MidSummer’s Day, June 24th, a stunningly sunny day at Point Pleasant Park, with a lovely crowd!
Compassionate Brush with Barbara Bash, July 8th.
Thanks to a generous donation from a sangha member, as well as a more than generous donation of time and skill from another, our front steps have been beautifully renewed, and are awaiting a coat of paint!
Monthly Werma Feasts have begun again and are attended with great celebration and delight.
Ringu Tulku will be visiting us October 14th to 17th. Ringu Tulku Rinpoche is a Tibetan Buddhist Master of the Kagyu Order. He was trained in all schools of Tibetan Buddhism under many great masters such as HH the 16th Gyalwa Karmapa and HH Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche. He founded Bodhicharya (www.bodhicharya.org ), an international organization that coordinates the worldwide activities to preserve and transmit Buddhist teachings, to promote inter-cultural dialogues and educational & social projects.
SAVE the DATE! We will enjoy a bass clarinet and cello concert in the Main Shrine Room
featuring India Gailey and Jeff Reilly on October 21st.
And Shambhala Training Level I will be offered in November for the first time since before the pandemic!
Monthly Jambhala practice will begin again in September.
Financial Update
Please find a summarized version of our income, expenses and membership over the past 5 years here. The comparison can appear shocking on the surface. Going from nearly 450 contributing members to just over 200 in that 5-year span is significant. It’s important to note that in many cases, the membership is counting both individuals in a couple as a single donor, for example. When we moved to new processing software in 2020 many of our couples making individual monthly contributions were combined into 1 monthly contribution. While we have had a drop in members, the number here doesn’t fully represent a loss of membership.
During the Covid Pandemic, we began offering many programs for free and by donation, and that practice is still in place. Therefore, we have had a larger number of program expenses than income in many situations. While programming has never been our primary income producer, we do acknowledge that this is an area where we can improve. Plans are already in place for visiting teachers and more robust programing offers, starting as early as this September. Please stay tuned! Please feel free to connect with Aimee Silver, Finance and Administration Director with any questions shambhala.hfx.finance@gmail.
While the projected loss for 2023 is not ideal, it is important to note that due to significant cost-cutting measures over the past 5 years, we have cash reserves to prevent a dire outcome. With the programming plans in place and a budding Fundraising team coming together, we are feeling good about 2024! (Interested in fundraising with HSC? – message Aimee!!)
Warmly,
Deborah Luscomb
HSC Director of Community Care & the Code of Conduct
From the Advisory Council
During the April community meeting we, the Advisory Council, shared our concerns regarding the Affiliation Agreement. A zoom meeting with members of the Shambhala Board was arranged in May to discuss these concerns. A few weeks following that meeting we received an email from the Board which, unfortunately, did not provide a solution for our concerns. It was our hope that we could work cooperatively with the Board to develop a document that would work not only for Nova Scotia but the greater Shambhala Sangha.
We remain committed to that goal and re-stated our desire to enter into agreements with SGS at a future date whenever the time is right. In the immediate future, we will focus on supporting the Halifax Sangha in developing a transparent and inclusive governance structure and strengthening community interaction. As part of Shambhala Canada, we will continue to act in accordance with its By-Laws as we have done in the past. There is no intent on our part to separate from Shambhala.
Mission, Vision, and Harm statements are still in process and will be available in September.
From your A/C members: Shari Vogler, Ron Stubbert, Mindy Moore, Bakes Mitchell, Ron Renz, Richard Peisinger, Joanne Fordham, Deborah Luscomb
