Hosting the 2004 International TCC Teachers Conference: Experiences and Reflections

What an amazing adventure! As peace and fulfillment continue to permeate my Soul, I’d like to share with you what hosting a TCC Conference has been for me. As you probably can expect, there is well over a year’s worth of planning, preparing, negotiating, giving and receiving AND WORK! The balance of our St. Louis Committee (Kathy Albers, Bobbie Anderson, Deedie Cote, Susan Kissinger, myself – Catherine Millman, Anne Perkins and Gale Portman) couldn’t have been better! Each of us brought unique strengths to the table and after a short amount of time, were given the reins in trust and a knowing that this was the way to go. As we came together so long ago, it was decided that community was our goal. We feel a strong sense of community within T’ai Chi Chih Joy Thru Movement and wanted it to shine.

There were many “firsts” for this conference:

(1) It began with how our committee ran. We did not have one person overseeing and delegating to the rest of the group. We acknowledged that each of us were intelligent, capable and accountable. Therefore, it was decided to utilize our individual strengths and choose what projects to take on. Others could give suggestions and if a strong disagreement occurred, we would turn to Kathy Albers for clarity. (This disagreement never happened.)

(2) It was important for us to honor Justin Stone’s request for Teacher Training to be more affordable. A T’ai Chi Chih Teacher Candidate Scholarship Fund was established.

(3) The Silent T-shirt Auction of new and vintage TCC T-shirts, along with generous donations, brought in over $1,000!!! The proceeds went into the General Scholarship Fund.

(4) In addition to the auction, Nancy Werner-Azarski donated a beautiful TCC quilt wall hanging. The quilt was raffled and used as a backdrop to the stage. Nancy’s quilt brought in over $400 which also went into the General Scholarship Fund. Thank you Nancy!

(5) We wanted to have a Seijaku practice and were given Justin’s permission to do it. Two areas were designated: an outdoor beside a sparkling fountain was used for the TCC practice, and an enclosed area (our movement area) was used for those accredited in Seijaku. By glancing at the Evaluation Forms, this was a success!

It was decided not to have breakout sessions. We didn’t want to miss a thing! A new idea by Susan Evans was to carry small convenient schedules (4″ x 5 ½”) with a St. Louis attraction on the back. She was instrumental in creating these. We had a great deal of help from Ted Fleischman who videotaped the event. Ted, Athene Mantle and others were our photographers. Their assistance saved us a $1,200 bill! As you may now see, the chi supported us in many, many ways.

Through my eyes, the conference flowed beautifully. The Sheraton Westport hotel facilities, staff, food and services were excellent! There was a great sense of joy and community wherever I looked. Sr. Mary Francis Reis surprised us the day before the conference by volunteering to do miming. She quietly and playfully brought much to the activities. Gale Portman led us through a beautiful symbolic ceremony with each of us stringing different colored beads together from the North, South, East and West to converge at the center crystal. We brought back the talent show where tears of compassion and joy flowed freely. James Hecker’s powerful story of his journey from Folsom prison (with strong dedication and support from Justin Stone and Ed Altman) helped show me a deeper inner potential of all and strengthened my commitment as a T’ai Chi Chih Teacher. In the Candlelight Rededication Ceremony, Bill Walton sung a glorious prayer in Hebrew, interpreted in English by Ron Richardson. The talents in our community are truly amazing! A “free movement interplay” demonstration by Sr. Cecile Remy and Sr. Alice Holden was so inspiring that after the Candlelight Rededication Ceremony, we were welcome to explore our own free movement interplay. There were drums, rattles, dancing with scarves … I must say that our chi was not just flowing, IT WAS UNLEASHED! (Ohhh how I wonder what pictures came of this!) Even our Guide, Sr. Antonia, floated through the crowd with a scarf in hand.

Entertainment included storytelling, music, singing, poetry, a crystal craft and an hour of Crystal Bowl Reflections led by Charlotte Bright. Bradford Smith played the Native American flute during our practice opened to local students. I loved how the sound of the flute echoed and then silence with the sound echoing in my mind. Both Charlotte and Bradford are long time students of Kathy Albers and move beautifully! Local students had the opportunity to purchase a Silent Auction T-shirt and join us in a movement refinement led by Sr. Antonia, Pam Towne and Sandy McAlister. This was followed by the open practice.

One couldn’t help but notice the strong sense of unity between Sr. Antonia, Pam and Sandy as they guided us with movement, wisdom and pure intentions. Throughout the conference the speakers were inspiring and the practices gently flowing. Our St. Louis Committee held strong during this conference. We each knew the others’ responsibilities so well that if one of us wasn’t available, another could take it over with ease. We found a rhythm and flow … the flowing from our center … the chi guiding us thru our journey. The pure Joy of T’ai Chi Chih.

I met many new and old friends whom I cherish. Quiet … inspiring thoughts of Ed and Noel Altman went through my mind as I reflected on the many gifts that they brought to our T’ai Chi Chih Community and how much they gave of themselves. I looked into the eyes of our new Guide, Sr. Antonia, with Pam and Sandy beside her and I felt peace … I note the joy and stillness of my mind when practicing T’ai Chi Chih. And I look forward to renew again with our amazing and inspiring community in August of 2005 in Albuquerque, NM. I am thankful for all of you … all who share this incredible experience and journey of T’ai Chi Chih Joy Thru Movement.