SOUTHEAST FLORIDA DRUM/DANCE CIRCLE NEWSLETTER
Wednesday, 27 December 2006

Offered to you by the Southeast Florida Drum Circle Community
Michael Dean Goodman, Coordinator, 561-350-3930
SoutheastFloridaDrumCircleCommunity-owner@yahoogroups.com

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THE WEDNESDAY NIGHT DRUM CIRCLE IN OLD SCHOOL SQUARE, DELRAY BEACH, IS
TEMPORARILY CANCELED (TONIGHT AND UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE).

I have unfortunate news to report.

I just got word from the Old School Square Management Company (the
people who let us use Old School Square in Delray Beach for our drum
circle every Wednesday night) that we are no longer welcome there.

You, the drummers and dancers of the community, deserve an explana-
tion of how this came about, so here goes:

It seems that the boss of the management company was there to help
shut down the holiday merry-go-round last Wednesday night (one of
the rare times all year that I wasn't there), saw people up on the
stage dancing and drumming, and told his people to kick us out be-
cause we were flagrantly breaking their rules.

They've been gracious to let us use the park for free (they general-
ly don't), and they have only a couple of rules that they are adamant
about:

(1) no fire or open flames of any kind (candles, incense, etc.);

(2) no one on the stage.
About a year ago I negotiated with them and they've been quietly
willing to bend this rule for us, because of how respectful and
easy-to-work-with we've been, and how difficult it is for everyone
to pack up their drums and drag them back to their cars every time
it starts to rain. So our negotiated rule has been: no one on the
stage - unless it's raining - and then we can only be on the back
half of the stage (to prevent anyone from falling off the front edge
onto the concrete and causing a big insurance problem for them) -
and just until the rain stops. They expect us to use this privilege
sparingly - only when really necessary due to rain.

Apparently it wasn't raining when the boss came by last Wednesday night,
and he felt that the folks on the stage gave him some attitude when he
questioned them about being up there.

Over and over, for a year and a half, I've announced these rules, en-
forced these rules, even in the face of some hostility from drummers
who love the anarchistic, leaderless flavor of some drum circles.
When I've respectfully asked people to get down off the stage, or
stay back away from the edge when we were allowed to be up there, and
patiently explained why it's important, I've had drummers get angry at
me, question my authority to make such announcements, mock me, refuse
to move, etc.

Now we'll all reap the consequences of the immature attitude of a few.

We've been drumming/dancing at this location for over 3 years. Good
drum circle locations have been hard to find. We have been kicked out
of several locations over the years, and we thought we'd found a great,
rare, permanent home at Old School Square. I will meet with the manage-
ment folks this week and see if I can mend the bad feelings, but the
tone of their 'eviction' notice seemed hard and final.

About 8 months ago we had another problem, that left a bad taste in
the management company's mouth, and probably created the background
for the harshness of their response to last week's infraction. A mem-
ber of our community went to the Old School Square Management Company
to ask to use the park for a spiritual event, unconnected to our drum-
ming, during the hour before our drum circle. Against my explicit warn-
ing, she implied that she was associated with our drum circle group.
Although both I and the management company told her about the 2 big
rules, she blatantly violated them both:

(1) She lit close to a thousand tea candles (they say she'd gotten
permission for one).

(2) She moved her whole event up onto the stage when the park got too
windy, found the wood steps that are used to climb onto the stage
during performances and without permission moved them from storage
to the stage, and then didn't remove them. They sat out there all
week, encouraging people to walk up on the stage.

When they found out, the management company was furious and ready to
evict us - until I spent hours meeting with them and convincing them
that she and her event had nothing to do with us (the drum circle).
Although they relented, and let us stay, that encounter left a black
mark in their minds relating to us, and wounded our reputation.

Besides meeting with the management company to try and heal this,
I'll also be looking for a new home for our weekly drum circle.
You can help by e-mailing or calling me with suggestions.

Qualities we are looking for in a drum circle location:

OUTDOORS - park (City or County), gardens, etc.
1. Free.
2. Free or reasonable parking nearby (so we don't have to carry
drums too far).
3. No residences within at least a block (so that we don't get
noise complaints - which are the main cause for us losing
past locations).
4. Compatible hours - not closed till at least 11pm
5. No special events that will interfere with our stable, weekly
use for drum circles.
6. Protected (by trees or buildings) from strong winds when it's
cold.
7. Some kind of shelter that we can go under when it rains.
8. Bathroom facilities nearby.
9. Safe to be at, and to walk to and from our cars.
10. Grass to dance on.
11. Location - 2 choices:
a. Centrally located in Palm Beach County (Delray, Boynton)
b. Two locations, one north (West Palm Beach, Lake Worth),
and one south (Boca Raton)

INDOORS - Warehouse, Church, Rec Center, New Age/Health/Yoga Center...
1. Free.
2. Free or reasonable parking nearby (so we don't have to carry
drums too far).
3. Compatible hours - not closed till at least 11pm
4. No special events that will interfere with our stable, weekly
use for drum circles.
5. Safe to walk to and from our cars.
6. Air-conditioned.
7. Location - 2 choices:
a. Centrally located in Palm Beach County (Delray, Boynton)
b. Two locations, one north (West Palm Beach, Lake Worth),
and one south (Boca Raton)

As soon as we either heal the current situation, or find a new location,
I'll send you an announcement. UNTIL THEN, THE WEDNESDAY NIGHT DRUM
CIRCLE IN DELRAY BEACH IS TEMPORARILLY CANCELED.


Michael
Coordinator - Southeast Florida Drum Circle Community - Yahoo Group
SoutheastFloridaDrumCircleCommunity-owner@yahoogroups.com
561-350-3930






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