Village Magic

At our Annual Meeting on June 23, Dick Myers described the Village as a gateway to the good life, which he defined as a life filled with joy and service to others. Both of these were on display that night. Bob Niemack showed us the joy that permeates many Village events in his video compiling a year of village activities including the popular Friday Urban Walks. And Katie Brandon, our  Executive Director, made us proud as she recapped a year of growth and accomplishments in service to Villagers and others. 

Where does the energy for all this activity come from? For lack of a better term, let’s call it “Village Magic.” 

Here’s my theory on its source: I’m rewarded when a fellow Villager finds something that I say or do or create helpful or enriching. It is a euphoric feeling that comes with the realization that I connected with and contributed to the well-being of another person. It’s an experience I want repeated.

The reverse is also true: the same warm feeling fills me when something another Villager has said or done or created feels life affirming to me. Both experiences animate my soul, fill my being with joy, and bring a sense of lightness and oneness. I keep coming back for more.

Village Magic is not accidental and it is not rare. Here’s how Suzi Hoge describes her experience: 

“In joining and belonging to many other groups I almost always had thoughts before attending a meeting about who would be there, did I know anyone, who should I sit by. After joining the Village and driving to a new group where I did not know members, it dawned on me that I wasn't thinking about who would be there or where I would sit.”  Suzi was experiencing Village Magic.

Jim Hendrick agreed.

“The Village Magic… is its emphasis on community. I never feel like a stranger in the Village. The Village is an antidote for loneliness.”

Village Magic is also part of our organizational DNA. A couple of weeks ago, Dick shared a document titled Pasadena Village Oral History Summary. As the title suggests, this is a written record of Villager reminiscences of our collective past. Perhaps most notable is the persistent theme of connections made through giving and receiving. Here is how it’s described in the Summary:

“A defining early decision was to maintain a single membership tier— rejecting a two-tier model (full-service vs. social only) used by other Villages. The reasoning: connection and giving are as important as receiving.”

The Oral History Summary also quotes Sue Kujawa, our first Executive Director, when she explains that decision this way:

 “The giving is just as important as the receiving. The whole idea is making connections —and we all need it.”

The Village website provides an example of what this founding principle looks like in practice: 

 “…our Villagers often discover they have common interests and then decide to form a ‘small group gathering’ that allows them to explore these interests together.”  

The key word is “Villager’ - not the Board, not the Executive Director, not a Committee, or a Team but Villagers who decide to “form small group gatherings.” The job of the formal structure - Board, Committees, Teams and Staff - is to create the space where the magic happens. These predefined groups can also be considered small gatherings consisting predominantly of Villagers but with a purpose and function prescribed by the Village By-Laws. Staff, often with the participation of Villagers, provide administrative and logistical support. This is why we say “Our programs are run by Villagers for Villagers.”

BJ Ledyard summarizes the process thus: 

“…if I want to do something and want somebody to do it with, I either form the group or look for the group… that’s actually the heart of what the Village is.” 

And, case in point, BJ started the Adventurous Diners group.

Small group gatherings are where the magic thrives. Here Villagers meet, they talk, share, become friends and do stuff. The options are endless and vary from ping pong to various discussion groups and cultural events. Other possibilities include volunteer services like driving a fellow villager to a doctor’s appointment or preparing snacks for a gathering, or serving on committees or teams and much more. 

This is true magic - Village Magic.  It happens in the small group gatherings, and it happens because it is what our founders intended. It will continue happening because of what it adds to our lives and because we want it to be available to others.