“Futuring”

For the past several conferences it has been my pleasure to share with the community various projects that we present in an effort to fulfill Justin’s request that I “bring T’ai Chi Chih into the future.” This year our vision statement was presented. This is an important focus for us as teachers and students. You may recall that the mission statement was given birth on the 95th birthday of Justin, 2011.

You may be surprised to read that we have two vision statements. The first is how we see ourselves in five years: “T’ai Chi Chih Community Vision: We, the T’ai Chi Chih Community, are an ever-expanding, unified yet diverse group of teachers and practitioners who exemplify serenity, joy and vitality. There are active teaching communities throughout the US, Canada and around the world, with great variety in ethnicity, gender & age. We are dedicated to practicing, teaching and promoting T’ai Chi Chih as originated by Justin Stone, so that it contributes to holistically revolutionizing healthcare and is a positive influence on humanity.”

The second is how the world sees us in five years: “T’ai Chi Chih Community Vision: The T’ai Chi Chih Community is universally recognized and accepted as offering an effective, user-friendly, holistic practice for enhancing health of body, mind & spirit. We are seen as a thriving, welcoming Community that attracts people of diverse ages, gender and ethnicity. By embracing new technologies, we have accredited teachers and other resources readily available worldwide to meet the growing demand for information and instruction in the beneficial practice of T’ai Chi Chih.”

These were the end result of 20 TCC teachers working initially individually, then in pairs, then in quads, continually working toward a greater synthesis in capturing these visions for us all. Unlike the mission statement, the vision statements are more for in-house use, as we further discuss ways in which to bring the vision into reality. That doesn’t mean than in five years all will be accomplished, but goals to begin to bring into reality. Frank Taylor, long time TCC Teacher of Couperville, Washington, led the group through this process, then Sandy, Pam, Dan and I finalized them prior to the Collegeville conference. I wish to express my deep appreciation for the time, insight and service to the community by all those who participated.

The other important announcement is that a T’ai Chi Chih International Foundation has been formed: 1.) To support conferences; 2.) For conference scholarships; 3.) For teacher accreditation scholarships; 3.) To support international travel when conducting intensives and teacher accreditations. We had the generous guidance of retired CPA Linda K. Jones, who had her practice in northern New Jersey and hopes to obtain her teacher accreditation. We have applied for a non-profit status in the state of New Jersey, although we were told that this may take up to 18 months. You will be kept informed once this has been approved. It is my hope that we will begin to apply for grants and hope teachers who are experienced will come forward to offer their service. Our treasurer is Dorene Kraus and donations may be sent to her at: T’ai Chi Chih International Foundation, PO Box 517, Midland Park, NJ 07432.

Sandy also presented two new programs that she will communicate through this issue of The Vital Force.

I continue to be grateful for teachers who attended an amazing conference. For the teachers who so fully participated by presenting topics of great interest and deep quality to further the teaching and spiritual experiences of all present. The Minnesota teachers were truly encircled in Chi as they exquisitely shaped the schedule by inviting a variety of individuals during our days and evenings together.

My thanks to The Vital Force creating this issue so that those unable to attend may catch some of the joy and Chi that all shared on the campus of St. John’s University.