2010 Scheduled Course Tracks

This is the tentative course list for the 2010 National Pagan Leadership Conference. Please note that if registration is insufficient for a course (and this requirement varies from course to course), a course may be cancelled. During registration you will be given the option to select a second and third preference. If your chosen course is cancelled due to lack of interest and you have not indicated an alternate course, your registration fee will be refunded.

Vocational Pathways of Pagan Leadership - Instructor: Dr. Jonathan White, Ph.D.

At the 2008 National Capital Region Pagan Leadership Conference, Dr. Jonathan White presented "The Five Vocational Pathways of Pagan Priest/esshood" to a very receptive audience. Responding to conference feedback, the planners invited Dr. White back to continue the discussion in 2009, and it became clear that this profound system for assessing the personal strengths and weaknesses of Pagan leaders needed a more intensive venue for those who left wanting more. Using a mixture of lecture, break-out, and small group discussion, participants will identify the vocational pathway(s) of members of their home organizations (as well as their own), explore ways that these gifts and leadership styles can be best used in the context of the real-life challenges Pagan organizations face, and address the difference between vocations being labored in a good way, a superficial way, a negligent way, and an abusive way... and how to avoid and deal with such situations. The Five Vocations Pathways that Dr. White identifies are: The Prophetic Pathway (Teacher), The Shamanic Pathway (Guide), The Devotional Pathway (Mystic), The Pastoral Pathway (Counselor), and The Visionary Pathway (Organizer).

Pagan Leadership Roundtable - Instructors: Selena Fox, Drema Baker

This track is designed to give attendees the opportunity for focused, interactive sessions with established Pagan leaders on a variety of challenges that face every Pagan leader, no matter what path or organizational structure. Instructors will give presentations, answer questions, and help attendees devise a "short list" action plan for each core topic: Pagan Leadership, Pagan Event Planning, Pagan Eldership, Pagan Sexuality, and Pagan Leader Burnout.

Pagan Family Advocacy - Instructors: Diane Edgecomb, J.D. and Cynthia Jane Collins, M.Div., M.S.

Pagan leaders are often in a position to help members of their community with issues regarding family and relational situations that are not always easily addressed by "the system"; often our communities have non-traditional families with special needs, and our particular culture is foreign to many agencies, making it difficult for our members to access the resources available to them. Designed for caregivers, partners, and parents of vulnerable populations, including children, elders, and disabled persons, this track will provide foundational knowledge and practical skills centered on creating and understanding legal and family obligations as well as accessing appropriate community resources and working with these resources to educate them about our larger Pagan community.

Finance and Non-Profit Accounting - Instructor: Tamia Buckingham

A successful organization needs sound financial practices; this track will demystify the process of managing your resources, budgeting and making operational plans, long range planning, reporting, grants, and other aspects of finance and non-profit accounting. You will leave with an action plan to take home to your group that will help tighten up your money management so you can expand your organization's vision.

PR, Publicity & Branding - Instructor: To Be Announced

Leaders of Pagan organizations work hard to provide programs, services, and other benefits to their membership and other target groups, but all that work can't impact lives if people don't know who you are, what you have to offer, and what to expect from your group. This track will help you understand the concept of marketing in the context of the spiritual community, develop a plan for public relations and publicity, decide which marketing tools are right for you, and grasp the importance of "branding" your organization.

Pagans on Campus: Empowering Our Future Leaders - Instructor: Peggy Thompson

As Paganism moves out "of the broom closet" and into mainstream America, there is an increasing need for strong leaders to step up. On college campuses across the country, Pagan Student Organizations are being founded by students who know this. This track will provide student leaders with the tools to create and maintain a pagan student organization, build a dialogue with other faiths on campus and create dynamic events to educate others and build community both on campus and in the greater pagan community. This track is designed primarily for college students who want to create an on-campus organization in their own home school, or who are currently leading a student organization. You might recognize some of the topics as ones that appear in the longer PLSC tracks; the difference is scope. Because the majority of students are only involved for about two years, this leadership training concentrates on issues that are immediate needs. This track takes participants through the down-and-dirty forming of an organization from the "Hey, this sounds like fun" phase, right through to the "Hey, I'm graduating, what do I do?"