Update on MetroDC Dowsers
June 2019
Dear Dowsers and Friends of Dowsing,
This is a letter to summarize past, present, and anticipated future of the Metro DC Dowsers, a local chapter of the national Vermont-based American Society of Dowsers. Apologies for our long absence of communication and scheduled events since the last lecture by Ginette Lucas on November 4 (Finding Lost Objects). The following paragraphs are being shared in an attempt to bring everyone in the dowsing community up to speed with respect to the background and the current status of their local group. Please forgive the wordiness of this letter, but I wanted to err on the side of allowing all to have the whole story of their group. The letter is divided into subtitled “chunks” for your reading ease, which will also allow you to skip over any part not of interest to you!
PAST - It has been almost one and a half years since that day in October 2017 when four of our founding members met at an astrologically auspicious time to start creating the new local chapter. We recruited four more people to meet the ASD requirement for the eight charter members needed to apply for status as one of their non-profit local chapters. Our goal was, and still is, to promote awareness and knowledge of the ancient practice of dowsing for all those who dowse and for anyone interested in learning more about the subject. Most of our attendees have been from the metropolitan DC area, but there is no geographical limit on attendance or participation.
The auspiciously-selected start time seemed to have worked well, as our charter eight-member group accomplished a great deal very quickly. We planned a series of lecture events and potential speakers to begin in six months, and we secured an affordable rental space at the Cedar Lane Unitarian Church. We set up a bank account, mailing list, website, and Facebook account. In November, our eight members invited all the local Dowsers we could identify (about 40) to a big party to inform everyone of the new local ASD chapter, Metro DC Dowsers. At that gathering, guests were asked for feedback, ideas, and future participation.
Our first four lecture speakers generously donated their time, which allowed us to begin our lecture series before we had any operating funds beyond the “seed money” contributed by the founding members purchasing memberships for themselves. By March, we were able to recruit a few more volunteers to assist with tech support and event set-up. The first public lecture was given by experienced Dowser, Kathryn Klvana (author of Intuition in an Instant), on March 18, 2018 and drew about 25 people. The second lecture on June 3, 2018 was given by Terry and Stephen Klunk, both longtime expert water and health Dowsers who have been leaders of several dowsing groups for many years. Despite torrential rains which blocked many of the routes to our lecture space on the day of the Klunk’s lecture, we still had 26 guests. Some of these guests had driven three hours to attend - absolutely remarkable given the extreme weather.
In late August, Metro DC Dowsers organized and presented a small workshop on the subject of dowsing for non-beneficial energies, which included time for hands-on dowsing practice and feedback. The class was taught by Kathryn Klvana and Ann DeNovo and was held at a local home. On September 7, 2018, Metro DC Dowsers sponsored a lecture by experienced geopathic zone Dowser, Gary Duden (from the Charlottesville chapter). The lecture was held at Kensington Park Library. Gary was also available to dowse two local houses for non-beneficial energies and make appropriate adjustments to neutralize them.
On November 4, at the Silver Spring Civic Center, we hosted a Dowser who has achieved fame for her work in finding lost objects and missing persons - Ginette Lucas. Her lecture on that topic was fascinating and included a presentation of her successful dowsing methods. Thirty-one people attended the event.
PRESENT - After this gloriously successful series of increasingly well-attended talks, some of our group members suffered from exhaustion, distractions from other commitments, the pull of needs for family time, and differing goals and priorities for the group itself. We had lost four of the eight members before the November lecture, and after the holidays, two more members departed.
The two remaining charter members, Cherie Finkelstein and Al Lopez, will continue to serve as acting-coordinators until we are able to recruit more volunteers to create a set of by-laws, select officers, and plan further educational events. In the meantime, our first priority is to expand our existing website (www.metrodcdowsers.com) in order to serve as an information and resource focus for the community of Dowsers and friends we have accumulated since October 2016. Our intention is to use the website to maintain continuity for our one-in-spirit followers by providing a point of connection for sharing and learning until such time as we have enough members to staff our operating committees again. The growing enthusiasm and attendance of local dowsing community members have shown the importance of continuing the effort to maintain and expand Metro DC Dowsers. It takes a lot of work to start a local chapter and get it rolling, so we do not want to lose this valuable momentum.
We are now at a fork in the road - with sufficient new energy from volunteers, we can take the steps needed to ensure more stability and permanence for your local Metro DC Dowsers chapter. The alternative path is to allow the chapter to stay dormant with only an interactive website as a continued point of connection, idea exchange, and resource directory. For such things as fundraising, public lecture events, organizing beginner’s and special skill classes, and other projects, Metro DC Dowsers needs YOU!
IF you would like to ensure the continuity of your local dowsing chapter, IF you have some time to spare, IF you have any of the interests or special skills related to the Volunteer Committee List (below), and IF you can be reliable in fulfilling your volunteered roles, please get in touch with me (Cherie Finkelstein) at the e-mail address or phone number listed at the end of this letter. We welcome all volunteers, regardless of the amount of dowsing knowledge or experience you have. The following is an outline of the various committees needed for the group to continue and expand. We hope to have at least several people for each committee function, but until then, people may be filling more than one role - if desired. People with computer/tech skills, fundraising experience, experience in dowsing training, and skill in organizing lectures would be especially helpful at this time - but please know that most of our needed help requires nothing more than friendliness, an interest in dowsing, and “showing up” when you say you will.
VOLUNTEER COMMITTEES FOR METRO DC DOWSERS
ACTING DIRECTOR(S): (until officers elected)
- committee oversight
- approval/ veto of activities
- coordination of information and feedback between committees
- information to community members
- coordination of by-law agreements
- liaison to ASD
COMMITTEE 1. Education/ Publicity
- maintain mailing list
- prepare/ place ads (using event info from Outreach committee)
- website (events, Dowser community news, articles, interviews)
- maintain/ share Dowser resource list
- arrange classes - beginners, special skills (if sufficient interest)
- build book and DVD lending library
COMMITTEE 2. Finances/ Fundraising
- prepare budget (annual/ event)
- bookkeeping/ quarterly reports
- generate fundraising ideas
- pay bills, reimbursements, record sales, make deposits
- collect membership fees, maintain current member list
COMMITTEE 3. Outreach/ Lectures
- plan quarterly or semi-annual lecture events
- speaker contacts, scheduling, thank you notes
- prepare speaker bio, lecture description, event info for ads
- introduce and thank speakers at the event
COMMITTEE 4. Meeting Space/Tech Support
- scout locations (aim for consistent one)
- handle rental arrangements
- set up lecture space before event
- cover door fee collection, record fees, transfer to bookkeeper
- tech adjustments, oversight, purchase equipment
- announcements
- clean up
COMMITTEE 5. Social/ Networking
- host speakers before, during, after lectures
- maintain Facebook site
- shop, set up refreshment table and info displays at events
- mingle with new attendees, facilitate connections
- plan occasional holiday parties or social get togethers
- gather feedback from attendees
FUTURE - I’ve made a list (below) of some ideas for future projects and bridge-building, but the final form they take or other choices that may arise will depend on you!
1. Resource list on our website of Dowsers, areas served, and specialty
2. DVD and book lending library
3. Monthly newsletter featuring dowsing news, articles, interviews, inspirational dowsing success stories, and notice of upcoming dowsing events
4. Website discussion forum, with Q and A on dowsing topics
5. Description list of Dowsing tools, other resources, where to order
6. Beginners and special skill training classes
7. Tea and D - social chats with Dowsers at homes or restaurants
8. Connecting Dowsers to community groups, volunteer services, or professional associations to offer dowsing assistance or training where it could be useful (flood/earthquake search and rescue, lost pet search, wilderness skills for scouts and hiking clubs, storm tracking, police searches, military safety, etc.)
9. Monthly, quarterly, or semi-annual public dowsing lectures
OK, if you made it all the way through this very long letter, I’ll buy you a cup of coffee sometime! I’d love to hear from each and every one of you - whether just to meet you or to hear your ideas for the next part of this venture. If you’re interested in volunteering or need more information to decide, please contact me at the e-mail address below or leave a message and phone number on the voice mail of my office phone.
Thanks, and may the Source be with you!
Cherie Finkelstein
301-229-8151 (office - can leave messages 24/7)