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“Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.” -William Butler Yeats
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.Book Clubs – Readers & Listeners
“I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of library.” -Jorge Luis Borges
The history of reading in Western Civilization is worth writing a book about. While the Southern Tribes in Europe adapted to writing early, mostly in the areas of finance and scholarship, the Northern Barbarian Tribes took to reading and writing very late, in fact there was no text aside a number of Runic Symbols from the Viking Tribes.
When writing first arrived from the South, through the invasion of Christendom, the people stared at the books the priests brought with them. When the people saw the odd characters and symbols on the paper, and the priest began to look at the characters and started reciting words, the people were certain these characters must be demons and devils.
However, when their fears were abated and calmed, reading and writing began to spread to the Norther Tribes. Eventually, they took to it with such veracity, it was not unlike a horse biting at the bit in order to run a race or dash into battle.
We can see today the insurmountable texts, literature and imagination from that time until this day. There is no comparison in all of human history, there has never been another culture that has made such advancements through language and the written word. One could indeed write volumes of books about it all.
However, there are those who claim something was lost in the exchange, perhaps like Odin’s eye one must give something up in order to glance into the well of knowledge. The oral traditions and the vastness of our memories has faded, or has altogether been lost.
It was said during the early days of Christianity, when the visions, the Twilight of the Gods, were fading from tribal members, that during those waning days one could still read each other’s thoughts through facial expressions and an underground connection, perhaps, osmosis. Traces of this skill still remains today, but in ancient times one could, in a sense, hear and see a book through this connection with the other members of the tribes. It is said, in the cultures of Asia Minor a son would think his father thoughts, in the North a son would see his father life, everything he saw, felt, sang and celebrated.
Reading requires the individual’s complete attention. Looking at the words, the devilish symbols, isolating our gaze to the pages of a book and not the members of the tribe. Even today, great speakers are admired, especially, those not reading from pieces of paper or teleprompters. There is such an important human connection we have given over to the book. This is why the Book Clubs are important at the PEACH, to engage once again with the thoughts of others and to hear the spoken word, the highest of our five physical senses.
There are a number of Books Clubs within the community based on topic, genre and age. The Weekly Book Club is held in the Great Room in front of our beautiful stone fireplace created by our resident, Mason, Kipling Sibelius Scott. For smaller Book Club groups, there are several available meeting rooms, as well as, the library. Please check with the Scheduling Office. We ask that participants please clean up after their meeting, replacing chairs, wiping tables, sweeping and vacuuming, so that all is clean and orderly for other group meetings in the future.
The Epic and Classic Novels:
This group discovers the wonders and beauty of the world’s greatest literature through Classic and Epic novels. War and Peace, Brother Karamazov, David Copperfield, Ulysses, Don Quixote, Moby Dick, Les Misérables, Gone With The Wind, to name a few. The Club meets weekly with a set number of pages or chapters to be read as a goal for the week. During the meetings they reflect upon the assigned chapters, read specific passages out loud and discuss the significance, historically and perhaps reflect on the lessons or the similarities to our modern lives. Any rules within the manner of discussion are decided beforehand by a group leader or as a whole.
All meetings scheduled in advance, this includes the holidays and festival celebrations within the community. At least 2 to 3 hours are set aside each week, sometimes dinner is also arranged. The meetings usually take place in the conference room, however, meetings can be arranged in the library, the small lecture hall, theatre or in the Salon Rambouillet. Depending on the book and the pace which members wish to proceed, the Epics and Classic books can take up to 3 years to complete cover to cover. There are frequently two streams running at any given time. The Salon Rambouillet is prioritized and set aside for the Holiday and Final Chapter discussions. This group meets Thursdays, 7PM.
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The Biography
This group meets weekly in the small lecture hall. The topics are, historical figures throughout Western Civilization. The people to be studied and the books chosen are submitted and added to a list throughout the current year in advance for the following year. Each biography can range from three weeks to two months, depending on what information is available and time set aside for any lectures by a guest speaker.
The Timeline of the Subject
Week 1. Childhood: The Physical and Political Landscapes of the time.
Week 2. Early to mid-Adulthood: Travels, Influences, Acceptances, and Rejections.
Week 3. Late Adult, Accomplishments, Body of Work, Discoveries, Influences Made and Death.
Those in the group working on their own biography will have an opportunity to recapitulate and discuss their lives with the group at the final meeting. This will take place with a celebration in the Salon Rambouillet. This group meets every Monday, 7PM.
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The Historical Lecture
This group meets twice a month, for they are working on reading and practicing their presentation of an historical document or speech. A little theatrics can be involved, some may wish to dress for the part, but it is not required. Speeches such as Presidential Addresses, The Greek Symposium, Cicero’s Words Regarding Julius Caesar and Mark Anthony, Elizabeth I The Golden Speech, or the words of Patrick Henry, sky’s the limit. There are usually no more than 4 Speeches presented in a month, each speech is followed or preceded by a brief biography, a pithy overview of the historical period and a short discussion of the text. Meetings are either in the theatre or small lecture hall. There is a bit more flexibility with this group, and the public is welcomed to sit and listen to the speeches. These presentations take place on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month at 7 PM.
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Theatre, Poetry and Prose
From Gilgamesh to Aethelberht, Canterbury to Shakespeare, Dante’s Inferno, Blake’s Dreams and Daemons, Goethe’s Faust, to stroll the shore of Longfellow, Wordsworth, Carroll and e e cummings. The history of poetry and prose, their theatrical play in and out of the worlds here and beyond, each in their season and each by birth. The stacks are piled from crypt to sol and blindfolded each week one is chosen to read, enjoy, seek personal meaning, releasing the sprite, summoning the goblins and beckoning the muse, to bespeak the onomasticon to wit, inspire. This group meets every sweet Friday, 7 PM until notwithstanding, in the Library Conference Room. Ages 14 through Adult.
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“All Fairytale are dreams from a distant homeland everywhere and nowhere.” -Novalis
The Children
In the Children’s Book Clubs, the topics are arranged by age group. Between 3 and 9 all material is either read to the children or presented in a puppet presentation format.
Between the ages of 3 and 7 children are presented with the topics of Fairy Tales. These are read by an adult or presented by our puppet troupe. These presentations are performed in the Mom and Tots room every 2nd and 4th Sunday at 2 PM.
Between the ages of 8 and 11 Children are invited to listen to the stories of adventures, struggles, the conquest of good over evil. Books by Laura Engels Wilder, Charles Dickens, Lucy Montgomery, Holling C. Holling and Ernest Thompson Seton, to name a few. Several chapters, roughly an hour, will be read every Saturday Afternoon at 2 PM. There is also a nightly show for children on PEACH Radio dedicated to great children’s literature and song. The first half of the show is geared towards tots, ages 3–7, and the second half is for the middle children ages 8–11, usually in the chapter a day format. We invite and welcome parents to read and record the the books in advance or live on air.
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Teens – This Book Club is geared towards teens between the ages of 12 and 16. Though, these groups are broken up into two separate groups, depending on the material being read. This Book Club will be conducted by a watchful adult and the format arranged much like the Adult Classic Book Clubs. Children will read such authors as Tolkien, Twain, Bronte, Shelly, London, Steinbeck, Keller, Stevenson, etc.… Teens will meet every Friday at 4 PM in the Library and Library Conference room. This club also coincides with the Children’s Art’s and Writing Club. All Homeschooled children are welcomed.
Meetings
Adult Groups meet weekly, save holidays. Each group will submit their book, dates, time, chapters, and location. Groups are known by the author. Last Chapter is read in the Salon.
Tots & Young Children’s Group meets bi-monthly.
Selma Lagerlof, read at Christmas, December 26th through January 6th daily 4PM & 7PM In PEACH Lobby by the fireplace. All Books for Young Children are rebroadcast on PEACH Radio, 8PM.
Older Children & Young Adults meet weekly. Each group will submit their book, date, time, chapters, and location. Groups are known by the author. Spring Salon.
Topics
Adults – Fielding Tom Jones. Franklin, The Private Life of the Late Benjamin Franklin. Swift, Gulliver’s Travels. Voltaire, Candide. James Joyce, Ulysses & Finnegan’s Wake. Tolstoy, War and Peace. Dostoevsky, Brother Karamazov. Dickens, David Copperfield & Christmas Carol. Cervantes, Don Quixote. Melville, Moby Dick, Hugo, Les Misérables. Mitchell, Gone With The Wind. Shelly, Frankenstein. Heidegger, Decline Of The West. Hemingway, For Whom the Bell Tolls. Proust, In Search of Lost Time. Goethe, Faust I & II. Bourrienne, Memoirs of Napoleon Bonaparte. Plato, The Greek Symposium, Cicero, Philippicae. Elizabeth I, The Golden Speech, Henry, Jay, & Madison, The Complete Federalist and Anti-Federalist Papers.
Teens – Bronte, Dickens, Dumas, Franklin, Goethe, Hemmingway, Hesse, Keller, Lewis, London, Shakespeare, Shelly, Steinbeck, Stevenson, Swift, Tolkien, Twain, Verne, Washington, Wells, White, Wilde.
Children – Tudor, Lagerlof, Wilder, Dickens, Montgomery, Holling, Seton.
Young Children – Grimm, Fairy Tales. Norwegian, Fairy Tales. Anderson, Selections.
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Salon Rambouillet
The Salon Rambouillet is a beautifully decorated room in the 18c French Provincial style. It is a very comfortable room. There is a working fireplace and a baby grand piano. On the back wall is a private library of first edition books and manuscripts donated to the PEACH. There is also a very large cherry wood Hepplewhite dining table and desk to sit and drink tea or do research. The glass doors along the west wall open out onto a breezy veranda. This is a wonderful place to watch the sunset. It is a calm place, with beautiful art on the wall and a tapestry carpet covering the parquet floor. Salon Rambouillet is like stepping back in time to sit, ponder and read quietly.
The Epic Book Club meets weekly in the Salon unless there is a scheduled guest speaker for another occasion. If you would like to use Salon Rambouillet for a private meeting, please coordinate your request with the Scheduling Office at least a month in advance. Our resident musicians, the Rambouillet Sting Ensemble, or our Pianist, Elliot Gieseking, can provide live music. Our chef, Paul de Blanc, and his staff are also available to serve hors d’oeuvres, small cakes, coffee, tea and brandy. Smoking is allowed on the veranda, there are several comfortable chairs with a standing sandpit if you care to smoke or vape. The room is limited to 12 guests.
The Junto Salon Rambouillet Club Meets here weekly.
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“An error does not become a mistake until you refuse to correct it.” -John F. Kennedy
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Elder’s Club
Truth, Beauty, Goodness
The Elder’s Club is for people who understand and carry the philosophy of the Community forward in their hearts. This club is also for those interested in becoming future Guardians. Guardians in training. The people in this Club have the best interest of the Community at hand. They are dedicated to the ideas agreed upon fo its success through the Community’s Mission Statement, and in keeping with the laws of the Broader Outer Community. This is not a senior citizens club, however, those who join the Elder’s Club are at least in their 6th cycle of life.
The group’s meetings are organized in the traditional threefold conversational manner: Past Events, Current Events and Future Events. Each area has opportunities for everyone to speak, share their thoughts and ideas in order to help the PEACH Community continue to reach its goals and maintain its high standards.
Brief notes and a summary are kept of all the meetings: Topics, Issues, Problems, Solutions, and speakers only. All issues will be addressed until solutions or remedies are found. When a topic reaches the stage of accepted proposal, or it is ready to be initiated, the Board of Guardians will have the final say.
The Elder’s Club is a place where Members offer their skills, expertise, and volunteer or mentor others in the Community who may be struggling with questions regarding business, maintenance, and working with other members and residents. Moreover, they share ideas, listen, watch over all areas and events in the Community for their intended success. They are advocates, sometimes guarding angels, of and for the Community, and they work to oversee that all is going smoothly, or if needs be, offer assistance. They also help in the raising and obtaining of grants, legacy and general funds. Lastly, every member in the Community is encouraged to work with one of the Elders as a mentor, to help form and present their ideas to the group.
The meeting opens with The Past: Time is set aside for people who join to share their personal biography with the group. This is followed by the reading of the minutes from the last meeting. Time is also given to make any corrections. This is then followed by a brief overview of the current agenda. Thirty minutes is usually the allotted time for this process.
The Present: This is where concerns are addressed, what is working or not working in any part of the Community. Anyone with a grievance or problem can also have their concerns read to the Elders, or they may wish to speak directly to the members at this meeting. People who wish to attend the meeting in this manner are free to make an appointment at least a week in advance, so they are allotted enough time to speak. Lastly, if all is working well on a past issue that has been resolved, the topic is then recorded as closed. Forty-five minutes is generally allotted for this process, extra time is given if needed.
There is a brief break and refreshments are severed.
When the Elder’s return, they can share what they are presently doing in their own lives. Time is also given for Elders to share their observations and impressions of what is currently happening in and around the Community, both good or in need of attention. They may reflect on their impressions concerning a specific event that recently took place. Further, if any member is struggling in their own life this is also a good time to confide and reach out to other members for help, and advice in order to aid in their efforts. These conversations are kept discrete and no record of them will be made or held unless requested, or in violation of the local laws.
The Future: In this part of the meeting there is a brief recapitulation of the topics discussed and a vote of confirmation regarding ideas, suggestions, plans that have been set forth or confirmed. Any new business is then briefly introduced at this time. These topics are recorded and pushed forward to the following week’s agenda until they are resolved or sent to the Board of Guardians.
The Yearly Schedule is as followed: The Elders meet every Thursday at 4PM from the Autumnal Equinox through the Summer Solstice. There are no meetings during the weeks of Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, and Easter. The last meeting of the year takes place at a pot luck gathering at the farm on St. John’s Tide.
There have been several requests for a 2nd meeting during the week which can include outings for the members, travel plans, brainstorming secession and coming together for lunch. It has been suggested that this 2nd meeting be regarded as Studio Time every Tuesday and eligible for time banking.
“A man sees in the world what he carries in his heart.” —Goethe
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Festivals and Celebrations Club
“Every teddy bear who’s been good is sure of a treat today. There’s lots of marvelous things to eat and wonderful games to play. Beneath the trees where nobody sees, They’ll hide and seek as long as they please. That’s the way the teddy bears have their picnic.” – Jimmy Kennedy
The Pan-European and American People are a vast, diverse group of European Ethnic Cultures. Many of our Festivals and Celebrations have existed for thousands of years. As different tribal groups broke apart, fought and rejoined, they continued to share similar rituals, history, and their heritage. Though it would be impossible to honor all we have experienced throughout our history, most of the important elements still remain alive. Festivals that have stood the test of time and are still with us today. Therefore, as a people, the list of celebrations below are the most common in practice. In America and locally, some may prove to be more pronounced than others, this depends solely on what our kin brought with them from their native homes to the new world. Some of what we celebrate we also created anew in the land we have adopted and shaped through dedication and hard work. In order to preserve our heritage, pass on to our posterity as gifts from our ancestors. We must practice them in order to keep them alive. In this way, we too pass down our heritage and endowments for generations to come.
Through the cycle of the year, we continue to breathe new life into these celebrations and festivals. We continue to connect and learn about our past in order to enlighten our future and preserve our ancestral gifts and our golden heritage. Come, and join your people in celebration of our Festivals.
As a member of the Festivals and Celebrations Club, you need to have a passion for creating, organizing and planning. Enjoy scheduling and developing a calendar, and most importantly, love to work with people. In other words, Members who hold an abundance of reason and logic, who find pleasure in the attention to details. Those, who possess an abundance of people skills and tolerance, who have the ability to works well and calmly, in an emergency. Those, wishing to lead and create, this is the Club for you.
There isn’t one person in charge of everything, however, the central authority in this Club are the people who handle the scheduling and of course communicate fully with, the Elders. Time, place, facilities needed are important, so there are no conflicts in the scheduling of any one event. The Elder’s role is to make sure the leaders of each Celebration or Festival are proceeding in a lawful and ethical manner. They will offer suggestions and connection, to make sure, you as the producer have everything you need to make the event successful and fun.
Below are a list of events produced by the members of the Festivals and Celebrations Club.
Ongoing Monthly Events
July ~ A Greek People – The American Revolution, 4th of July Picnic. Bastille Day Artisan Fair, French Revolutions Play, 24 Hour Bicycle Race & Follies, All Night French Film Festival. The Olympics. Greco-Roman Theatre.
August ~ Roma – Ferragosto, Family Mini-Carnival & Picnic, Roman Circus, Italian Concert & Fireworks. The Assumption of the Virgin.
September ~ Early Christians through Early Medieval – Medieval Harvest Dinner Festival. Autumnal Equinox. Michaelmas Festival.
October ~ Celts and Druids through Late Medieval – Allhallowtide and The Perilous Path.
November ~ Gratitude, Creativity, and Thanksgiving – Martinmas Lantern Walk. Early Advent Candle-wicking. Thanksgiving Dinner Contra Dance Potluck.
December ~ Advent. St. Nicholas. Saturnalia Artist’s Festival. Yule Celebration & Caroling, Circle of Stars. Santa Lucia. Oberufer Plays. Winter Solstice Gathering. Christmas Eve Midnight Service. New Year’s Eve Waltz.
January ~ Great Mysteries – Winter Olympics. Wind Ensembles Performances. Mozart’s Masked Ball. Winter Open House.
February ~ Renaissance through Reformation – Shakespeare Play, Drama. Maple Syrup Harvest Festival. Valentine’s Day Dance. Americana *Sadie St Patrick’s President’s Day Dance.
March ~ Neo-classism, Enlightenment, Romanticism – The Vernal Equinox. Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, Easter Sunday. *Easter Egg Hunt.
April ~ Farming, The Land & Community ~ Blessing of the Fields, Farmers and Animals. Early Spring Cleaning. Planting Festival.
May ~ Labor, Industry & Revolution – Spring Festival and Maypole Dancing. Honor and Decoration Day Picnic.
June ~ Modernity – Ulysses on the Steps. Bloomsday Strawberry Lilac Dance. Summer Solstice. Saint John’s Tide. Summer Open House.
Ongoing Seasonal Events
Spring – Farmer’s Market, Contra Dancing, Planting, Sheep Shearing, Volleyball.
Summer – Farmer’s Market, Contra Dancing, Farming, Camping, Softball.
Autumn – Farmer’s Market, Contra Dancing, Harvest, Canning, Softball/Volleyball.
Winter – Winter Sports, Tree Tapping, Volleyball.
See Physical Fitness and Sports Schedule Below.
Check the Calendar often, and please sign up to volunteer.
*moveable festival
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Father’s and Son’s Club
Honor, Dignity, Devotion, and Strength.
This is a chance for sons and father to spend valuable quality Time together. We believe this opportunity for fathers and sons has a special meaning in the lives of a young boy and later a young man’s development.
Most children believe the adults surrounding them love and care for them, a warm home, food in their bellies, a safe environment, the opportunities to learn and play, to express themselves appropriately without fear, to be accepted as a member of the family.
For boys, especially, during the ages between 9 and 16, time spent together with their father is very important. Time spent presents endless opportunities for the child to learn and grow, and for the father to take his role as the dominant figure that will shape the life of the child into a man. This special rapport will define the man.
When the relationship is healthy, a young child will walk away thinking not only does my father love me, he likes me too, he enjoys being with me. This experience and these feelings build a young person’s self-esteem and provides him with the tools he will need and carry into his adult life.
Out of this experience, trust is built. From that trust the ability to teach a young man the Skills he will need for life. What he learns and sees will be the role model presented to him. From all practical aspect: how to change a tire, clean his room, tie his tie, when to speak and when to listen, and how to treat a woman. He learns to understand how to approach people in his personal life and later business life. Moreover, how to deal with tough or new situations, and how to express his feelings in both appreciation and in sadness, and finally how to be humble, and not to brood, but rather learn from his mistakes.
Out of this trust and directed skills a deeper relationship grows, he will recognize what is valuable, gain an understanding of logic and reason, learn how to argue rationally, develop the tools he needs to stand up for himself and defend others in truth. He will become a man with confidence and direction, a man of conviction.
The Father is the most important role model for their sons. Being there, interacting, teaching him lifelong skills, are all a great blessing for the child, and for the man. Through these acts of devotion admiration, pride and appreciation will grow, and from this comes wisdom with the opportunity to love, and the gift of knowing each other’s hearts.
St. Joseph’s Father and Son’s Club
The St. Joseph’s Father and Son’s Club is the organization that arranges extended trips and outings for our Community members throughout the year. Each week, Father and Son’s will work on planning a three-day survival trip in the woods. They will work on and learn how to make a fire, collect water and food in nature, and build a natural shelter.
The following tools will be handmade: Weaved thick cloth, hemp cord and string, sharp iron hooks and weights, hobo fishing rod, hemp net, flint and steel disk, bow drill with cordage, leather bag and belt.
Tools Each Member Needs To Purchase: 4″ Swiss Army knife (age 10), 7″ fixed blade bowie-knife (age 14), nylon line, plastic bag, pharaoh rod and sharpening stone. Some of these can be shared, but it is good to have one of your own. The knives are a rite-of-passage and also make a fine birthday present for any responsible young man.
Other activities throughout the year include; archery (bow, quiver arrows), marksmanship (S&W .22c and range), spelunking and mountain climbing, fresh water and ice fishing, canoeing & rowing, overnight camping, sailing and hiking. All coming together the first two weeks of August with a week-long survival camping trip in the North Woods.
St Josephs will conduct an Orientation during our Open House in both June and January, explaining how all the programs and activities work. This is also a great time to look into and sign up for Seasonal Sports: Archery, Fencing, Sword Dancing, Marksmanship, Basic Boxing, Wrestling-Kuzushi, Bothmer, and Volleyball. We also have onsite volunteers and staff members who will work with Fathers and Sons in the areas of: farming, building maintenance, bee and butterfly keeping, animal husbandry, woodworking, blacksmithing, glassblowing, pottery and print shop.
There are fees and fundraisers for these trips, workshops, and materials. Please check with the registrar for the complete list of costs and how to offset some of them through the PEACH Time Bank. There are also some funds set aside for struggling families through the St. Joseph Collection, PEACH Legacy and PEACH on-line campaign funds.
In the main gym there is a large conference room, this is the place for dads and sons to organize trips and register for onsite activities. In the back of the gym there are lockers and a changing room along with cupboards to store any personal items while Fathers and Sons are on any of the organized trips or participating in any of the onsite workshops.
We also have a few extra tents, rods, bows, and other sports equipment that were kindly donated by other members and Sports Outlet USA, located in the maintenance room. We are currently looking into the idea of a program called Adopt a Dad. This program is for children ages 9 through 16 who have suffered the absence or loss of a father in our community, who are without a family male role model in their life.
Energy Free Club
The Energy Free Club is an outreach branch of the Father and Son’s Club. The idea behind Energy Free is to explore exciting ways of using alternative forms of energy. Part of the focus will be the exploration of Off-Grid-Living which will include, house building, self-sustaining permaculture, assembling a gasifier, storing energy in batteries through solar cells and building a perpetual motion water wheel, micro-hydro, in the creek.
Finding more ways to make our facilities self-sufficient and energy free will prove to be a wonderful opportunity for all of our Members, and will allow children and adults to experience the wonders of science and nature.
Currently, we have two fathers who are willing to take on a leadership role. Meetings take place every Monday evening at 7PM. Father’s and sons will also have the opportunity to attend solar and alt-energy fairs, and visit with invite guest speaker. They will also be working with a number of solar and alt-energy firms across the country. Please contact the Scheduling Office if this is an activity you and your family members would like to join and help in its development.
There is a newsletter already in the works on a number of related topics concerning the Father and Sons Club. Each newsletter will also include a safe and fun experiment that children and adults can do at home together. If you would like to receive this newsletter, you can pick one up at the PEACH post office or leave your mailing information with the Scheduling Office. There is a small fee for postage, however, the newsletter will eventually be posted on our website.
For a Schedule of Sports and Activities, please check the Seasonal Sports & Movement Area.
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Self-Sufficiency
Many of the skills learned through the St. Joseph’s Father and Son’s Club help one to become more self-sufficient. In the program pamphlet, there are certain areas where these skills are directly offered. From food to fire, hunting to building an outhouse and long term planning per location. Skills that are indicated as self-sufficient will be marked as, ss. Father Ted conducts this area of the Club, he will offer lectures throughout the year, along with guest speakers who are living off-grid and the self-sufficient life. There will also be opportunities to visit some of our guest’s homesteads or farm.
Once participants meet the ss requirements, usually during the summer, there is a four-day excursion offered to experience Primitive Life in the woods using only tools provided to you by nature. You must be at least 16 years old, with parental permission, in good health and have taken the Primitive Life workshop in order to venture out. You will go it alone or if you wish with a trusted friend.
My father was an amazing man. The older I got, the smarter he got. -Mark Twain
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Goethean Science
“A man sees in the world what he carries in his heart.” – Goethe
This course is dedicated to studying the philosophy and ideas of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, his biography, philosophy, along with an overview of his body of works. The course is arranged in seasonal pockets over a period of one year. The focus of the study will address archetypal structures through phenomenology, morphology, and anatomy. This includes an introduction to Goethe’s color theory and observations. There will be several lectures dedicated to the reading and the discussion of Faust and his relationship to Mephistopheles. The Reading of Faust I & II will be picked up by the Book Club in November. There will also be a presentation and argument made, Why Natural History Is An Alternative To The Enlightenment, and the final philosophical argument, that only through freedom can one realize they are not free. This course will include observing and working in nature; plant and animal. Creating a daily class and observational journal. Participants will also partake in drawing, painting, sculpture, theater, and music. There will also be a lecture on Goethe’s relationship to Plato and the concepts of the Platonic year, and geometrical solids. One Sunday a month there is a pot luck lunch where the schedule will be updated, questions asked, discussions had, and volunteers for the directing the performance and setting up the gallery in May.
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Seasonal Pocket Schedule
Summer – June: Orientation and three weeks study, M-R mornings.
Autumn – September and October: Three weekends. Friday evening lecture. Saturday and Sunday morning study and activity. November: Faust I & II (in conjunction with the Book Club)
Winter – January and February: Three weekends. Friday evening lecture. Saturday and Sunday morning study, along with movement and painting activities.
Spring – April: Two weekends. Friday evening lecture. Saturday and Sunday morning study and activity. May: 2nd & 3rd Saturdays, performance rehearsals. Journals Due for college credit, May 28th. Last Saturday in May, Performance and Gallery. Sunday Class Brunch 11AM Café.
Class size is limited to 12. Arrangements for college credit can be made through the local university; 3 elective credits in the Humanities can be earned. Grade of Pass/Fail. Requirements: Attendance, Participation. Completed Journal and Art Work.
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History of Western Philosophy Club
What is Western Philosophy? How did it happen? When did it start? Where did it come from, and for what reasons? Defining the causality of Western Civilization is easy, but why did it happen in the first place? What triggered the trigger? What is the essence of this culture, it’s languages and its arts?
These are all age-old questions, without simply one clear and defining answer. Questions at times can be hard to grasp. Some might say philosophy is subjective, therefor there is no one defining answer. Others may say, simply because it is.
This club opens the door to explore Western Philosophy through history, its legacy and the individuals who gave great concern to the matter of thought and reason.
We begin with the Ancient Greeks as the defining moment.
The Word Philosophy in Ancient Greek is philosophía (φιλοσοφία), this means,”love of wisdom.”
Phileîn (φιλεῖν), “to love,” and sophía (σοφία), “wisdom.”
To understand philosophy also means to know and understand the history that surrounds and defines modes of thinking throughout Western Civilization. Moreover, the fundamental principles and questions often address and concern existence, why do we exist? What is culture and language? What gives life meaning and value? Finally, what is knowledge?
These are just some questions posed as we take up the study of philosophy in hope of finding some resolution and meaning for ourselves. Like most things at the PEACH, History and Philosophy are understood using the threefold approach. Past, Present and Future.
Philosophy is best understood by examining and learning about the past, so history is vital, the causality of past events and their effect, right or wrong, and how they have influenced everything we know today.
How were the events of history organized, determined and divided? Who had the greatest influence regarding this determination?
We start with the Philosophical Method: critical discussions, rational argument and systematic presentation. This method is attributed to the Philosopher, Pythagoras – 570 bc.
Prior to Pythagoras is what scholars consider the Father of Western Philosophy, Thales of Miletus, followed by the Seven Sages before reaching the big three, Socrates, his student Plato, and his student Aristotle. By this time, Philosophy is considered historically an established Art.
The Art of Philosophy is the rational investigation of truth and principles in regards to knowledge and conduct.
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The Science of Philosophy is broken up into three branches – Natural Philosophy, Astronomy: Medicine, and Physics. Moral Philosophy: Morals and Ethics, and Metaphysical Philosophy: Ontology, Cosmology and Epistemology
Coming to understand Philosophy using this method of understanding will be helpful to all who venture into its exploration while uncovering the truth, and what is truth…
Cogito, Ergo Sum –Descartes
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History of History An Overview 
Every 14th of March there is a brief orientation, on the History of History. A number of other topics related to the events of this day, including pie, coffee, and tea will be served in the cafeteria at 2:01PM, before the lecture, in the theatre at 3:14 PM, local.
A brief overview of the History of History. From Primitive Man through India, Persia, Babylon, and Egypt. A short biography of Pythagoras, followed by the Greeks and SPA. On to Roma through the Medieval, Low and High Middle Ages, right into the Renaissance and Reformation. A jog through Neoclassicism, the Enlightenment, Revolutions, Romanticism, and into Empire Building. The Victorian take it from there straight into Modernity.
Lecture Series & Historical Films
Our resident historian Dr. James Burke will also offer a weekly series on the topics of Western Civilization, Philosophy, and History. Lectures focusing on the Arts and Sciences, Literature and Religion, Law, and Death. A topical film follows the Lecture in the theatre.
Many of these lectures are in conjunctions with the Festival and Celebrations, along with a number of other special activities offered at the PEACH. Including, trips to the local museums, as well as, arranged trips to the homeland. All of our Speakers will share our culture and heritage from their own unique perspective, as we welcome guest speakers specializing in areas that reflect our culture, history, and heritage.
There will always be time for questions, and on occasion extended conversations can be arranged. Each event will last approximately 2 hours. Donations welcomed, and books by our resident and guest speakers will be offered for sale outside the event, and in the Co-Op. Unless designated otherwise, all lectures will be offered in Lecture Hall I. Check the calendar for any changes. Come early and enjoy the lovely live music offered by our resident musicians.
If you are interested, there are two other companion lecture series offered in the Fall, Art History & History of Western Civilization. All three areas try to move in concert with each other. The difference is the emphasis on the topic. These run in a three-year cycle: An Overview, Literature & Movements, Biography.
History of European and American Art
Time: 1st and 2nd Mondays, 7PM. Location: Lecture Hall I.
History of Western Civilization
Time: 2nd and 3rd Wednesday, 7PM. Location: Lecture Hall I.
History of Western Philosophy
Time: Friday, 6PM. Location: Lecture Hall I. Film, 8PM, Theatre
Incendiary Ideas – Reza-Jorjani
“Those Who Do Not Learn The Lessons Of History Are Doomed To Repeat Them.” -George Santayana
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Home Life
All are invited and welcomed to the Home Life Meetings.
Home Life these days can be a controversial topic, but we try to simplify this by using common sense ideas as our guiding principles. We stand by and with traditional family values, mother, father, children, parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles. We recognize that both men and women, boys and girls, have different strengths and gifts to bring forward in this life. Not only that, we understand there are different phases in life, and each stage requires other demands and needs. We accept that the world around us can be challenging, and circumstances can be overwhelming. Through our culture, heritage and history, we can embrace and focus on what has worked best for our ancestors and through their experiences, our members. We also accept that our ideas and our ways of thinking are not for everyone, sometimes even in our own culture. We hope those who desire something other than what we offer will find their way.
Home Life meetings are every 2nd Wednesday at 7PM in The Cabin. This is a time and place for people in the Community to meet and share their life experiences, find help with any number of problems or tasks. This is also a place for people to listen, sign in or up, volunteer in order to work on new and old projects and exciting ideas. A great way to meet new people in the Community. Time set aside for guest speakers on the role and importance of traditional family values. How to balance life and work demands, generational struggles, and ways to approach different points of view, which battles to tackle and which ones to put aside or let rest.
Home Life is first and foremost a place of support, information, and knowledge. Our generous host Marie Cassels has been working in this are for over 15 years, through her experience she has found and will focus on what is most important to the Members in our Community. She is your Community Advocate.
If there is something you wish to explore or if you have suggestions or invite a guest speaker, Marie is the woman to speak to. Marie has a thorough understanding of the Community process, she will set things up, create a theme and put together all the information needed for the week and for the guest speaker.
Couples who might be having personal or financial troubles or anything that requires confidentiality or a legal consultation, Marie can offer suggestions of people in the Community or those living in the surrounding area who understand our goals and philosophy. We also have several meeting rooms in the main building for groups of people who would like further education on a number of private matters or wish to arrange private consultations. Make sure to check the room schedule. Marie will always do her best to find someone in or outside the Community to help work on solving any issue you may have or need help resolving.
Marie can not solves personal problems, but she can help you get from A to B. Marie does not carry an online presence or a smartphone. The only way to contact her is through the PEACH Post Office System or short wave radio. So any questions or suggestions must be submitted to her through the PEACH Post Office Mailbox System or Hardline Office Messaging System. If the matter is of great importance, please leave a phone number with your note or on the Office messaging system; she will contact you ASAP. Marie maintains a very consistent and regular schedule. Her schedule is posted on the bulletin board in the mailroom at the PEACH Post Office. You can’t miss it.
Practical areas and topics for the Home Life – festivals, holidays, date night, cooking, baking, grilling, cleaning, laundry, shopping, gardening, handy home repair, basic car maintenance, animal care, consistency for young children, creative outlets for children, education, exercise, fitness, vacations, government services, Community service, illness, medicine, death and grieving.
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History of Parenting and Education
Homeschooling and the One-Room Schoolhouse. We believe that education is best when done through hands-on learning. We have a good number of Members who homeschool their children and use many of the studios and classes we offer. Currently, we are in the process of building a One-Room Schoolhouse. There is an area set aside at the northern end of the property, near the Cabin. The men have cleared the trees at the bottom of the hill; it is a beautiful site. Last autumn, the men drew up plans and began laying the foundation. This spring and summer, they will complete the building. It should open after Labor Day. The ages are for children 7 through 14. Marie is working closely with the families who are looking forward to enrolling their children.
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Veterans Home Life Project
The Home Life Center is a good place for Veteran Resources. Marie Cassels is reasonable, but relentless, she will get the job done where possible through Veterans Affairs. Captain Taylor (Cap) is writing a book on how our Community works with the needs of our Veterans through The Seven Basic Human Needs, and our Skilled Arts Studios. Although these are small efforts we hope, like many of our Seeds Projects, Capt’s book will be useful in a broader context for small communities like ours.
For Information on our Armistice Day Memorial – scroll to November 11th.
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Home Life Business Club
This club is open to anyone in the Community. To join, members must attend a lecture series offered in two parts. This series is offered every year. Lecture I, The Three Fold Social Order. Lecture II, The Value Of Human Talent.
Diversified Financial Education -The PEACH practices a diversified financial system within the Community and with our partners throughout the country. Our hope is to expand many of the concepts here to the broader and local Community. Members are encouraged to attend the above two lectures in order to have a better understanding of how things work. We also offer a financial education that is used in most of the country and in many parts of the world.
Most understand finance as money exchanged for goods and services. Sometime barter, and like our Founders, the development of paper Script as a value for labor and time. These particular methods are used most in the wider world in some fashion or another. One area of finance that we have to incorporate in our Community is the Time Bank Method, as well as, the General Financial System. This method shifts our financials back in part to what people used to do naturally in the course of their lives, and in the old tribal communities. This old concept is addressed during the Middle Ages Series, if you are interested in an historical perspective.
Time Banking is not a nickel-and-dime system of financial management. It is a mixed economic system, a blending of Community Script + Volunteering + Payment for Time. Which means, I teach you a skill or provide a service, in exchange, I bank my time as credit to apply in learning or advancing a new or existing skill or pay for a service elsewhere I might need in the Community. It’s a development and transformation in order to bring back trust into a Community. For us, it is a way to heal the abuses of usury that has plague the whole of human society throughout the world the last 110 years.
The Value Of Human Talent — We are all skilled and talented people. We recognize these talents and apply them not to advance our wallets but to preserve our Community, our people and our culture. After our immediate family, we put this area of financial responsibility above all else.
So, what are these economic and social values?
1. Culture is by far the most important, it is why we are part of this Community, the ability to practice our culture and to enjoy and pass down our heritage.
2. Social Trust is what binds us together. This allows us to preserve our Community in safety and without worry. Peace of mind.
3. Good Will is how we come together and organize in order to practice and move forward within the limits of our culture and the world.
4. Skills and Knowledge are how we utilize the creativity and talents we each have. Through sharing and understanding we learn of how things work.
5. Resources are always needed. Knowing how they can be best applied and how to make them a reality is most important.
6. Legacy is what we leave and pass down to our posterity and our people so they too can enjoy the fruits of our experiences, labor and skills?
7. Material Wealth in gold, silver, fiat. Lesser speculative forms: stock, bonds, bitcoin, helps us to understand how the wider world works, and can offer the ability to use these assets as stores of credit to better our people’s future well-being.
Three Fold Social Order — The distinction made between three spheres of society: political, economic, and cultural. This is a broader understanding of the above in an ever-growing Community.
The Outside World — This is a new Club offering an overview of basic finance, and how to balance a household budget. However, if you enjoy working with numbers, want to learn more about purchasing, grant writing, fund-raising, time banking and bookkeeping Our Accountant, Lucas Pacioli, will teach you all the ins and outs of managing several small businesses.
Basic Financial Course—Ages 12 and up. Mondays at 4PM. In this basic course, you will develop a business portfolio, a business plan, a business schematic, learn basic bookkeeping and budgeting. You will also manage a checking account, credit card and learn to calculate interest and percentage. At the end of this course, you will create your own small business and have opportunities to peddle your goods and wares at the Farmer’s Market and Artisan Fairs. You will gain direct experience and knowledge of how the market of supply and demand work.
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Advanced Courses—Ages 15 and up. Mondays 3PM. In the first part of the advance course, you will work with the Fine, Practical, and Skilled Artists by managing their budget. You will deposit their money, order supplies and create a list and conduct a full inventory of their shop. In the second half, you will also learn to manage talent. Once you have your working Artist, you will begin to manage client relationships, their money, and learn about local and state laws for performances or displays. If you do well, and would like to advance in the business of business, a full resume and letters of recommendations will be provided. This will allow you to move on towards receiving a business license, or work towards a college-level BS in Business and Accounting. What you learn from this experience will also award you the opportunity to take the College CLEP Test, 3 credits, towards a degree in business. Both courses are taught at The Cabin.
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The Cabin
The Cabin is a wonderful place to have a meeting. It is in the middle of the woods, about 20 paces from the maple sugar shack. Marie uses the Cabin as her office and as a meeting room for Home Life Meetings and the Business Club. Others may use the Cabin for small meetings if there are no prior commitments or guests.
The Cabin was originally built in 1862 and has quite a history. The story is often told during Settler Days. Though the inside has a few modern updates: a powder room, small kitchen, and electrical outlets. The outside has been kept up, it is still on the original foundation, and very few of the original logs have been replaced. The front porch was added on in the 1920s. It is a marvelous place to sit, take in nature, or share a conversation with a friend. There are a couple of rocking chairs and a large porch swing, along with a few whittling benches made by our woodworkers from trees on the property.
Between the Cabin and shack is a shed for wood. It’s a hungry shed, so if you enjoy chopping wood, just ax’.
Inside the doors is a narrow screened-in porch. This serves as a mudroom. Past the large hobbit-like door is a small hallway with a closet for coats under the stairs that leads to the guest room. To the left is the great room. Straight ahead is the tiny kitchen. The great room has a beautiful stone fireplace at the back and center of the north wall, with windows on both sides, embracing this centerpiece. There is a cast-iron stove off in the corner of the southeast wall near Marie’s desk. There is also a large folding wood dining table on wheels for the Business Club and other meetings. Facing the fireplace are three large armless settees, and two comfy swivel chairs, with a beautiful large round oak coffee table in the center. Most of the Home Life Meetings and lectures take place in this comfy room.
There is a small powder room between the closet and kitchen, which has an unusually large pantry. This is used as the Family Focus Library and office supplies. The kitchen has a sink and a built-in cabinet with a counter. A small refrigeration for coffee, tea and cocoa fixings. A small toaster over, hot plate and coffee pot.
At the top of the stairs to the left is a built-in cupboard for sundries, linens, and blankets. Adjacent is a small sleeping room for guests. The ceiling is low, so watch your head. The bedroom has two twin beds, a chest of drawers, a fold-down table with a large washbowl and pitcher, a coat rack, and a small table with a reading lamp.
The cabin has only the basics, two small sinks, and a toilet. There are only six outlets, three in the great room, two in the kitchen and one in the bedroom.
Marie has a charger and walkie at her desk, at all-times for emergencies.
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The Junto Club
The Original and First Junto, was the Junto of Philadelphia, also known as the Junto Club, The Leather Apron Club, and The Assembly. It was developed in 1727 in the city of Philadelphia. The idea of this Club was the brainchild of Benjamin Franklin. The Club met every Friday night for the purpose of debating topics regarding morals, politics, and philosophy. It was also a place to exchange knowledge and the affairs of Business and the Community. Over the past 300 years, there have been many Junto Clubs across the US and other parts of the world. The structure is very simple. You must first take The Oath to be a member. This is done by answering 4 questions. Over the years, Franklin developed 24 topics to be covered each week, in brief or at length.
Required qualifications to become a member of the Club.
To qualify as a member, you must stand, lay your hand upon your chest, over your heart, you will then be asked the following questions.
Q: Have you any particular disrespect to any present members?
A: I have not.
Q: Do you sincerely declare that you love mankind in general, regardless of profession or religion whatsoever?
A: I do.
Q: Do you think any person ought to be harmed in his body, name, or goods, for mere speculative opinions, or his external way of worship?
A: No.
Q: Do you love truth for truth’s sake, and will you endeavor impartially to find and receive it yourself, and communicate it to others?
A: Yes.
There are 24 topics the group tackles each week, this opens the lines of communication. Below is the list and positions of the original members.
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The Junto of Salon Rambouillet
The Junto Club at the PEACH follows in the same fashion and footsteps of Franklin’s original idea. Title: The Junto of Salon Rambouillet, which is where the Club meets; though some call it The Apron. Meetings are at 7PM every Friday. However, if there are other engagements for the Salon, the Cabin can be used, and if all else fails, the Main Conference room is sure to be available on a Friday night. Though such circumstances are rare, it is always good to practice flexibility. Furthermore, like Philadelphia, The Oath is kept, and the members stick to the 24 questions as best they can. Each Member also receives a copy of, Benjamin Franklin’s Book Of Virtues, cover bound and printed by PEACH publishing. The group supports 12 members, and additional Junto Clubs can be developed. The Club’s Representative, Secretary and Organizer is our Printer and Post Office General, Albert Kirchner.
“Whoever would overthrow the liberty of a nation must begin by subduing the freeness of speech.” -Benjamin Franklin
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Library & Gallery
Classics, Encyclopedias, All Fine Art, All Skilled Arts, All Folk Arts, Biographies, Botany, Children’s Classics, Geography, Maps, History, Human Biology, Law, Language, Mineralogy, Philosophy, Politics and Economics, Science, and Home for all Member’s Creative Writings, Autobiographies, and Legacy Collection.
Regular Hours: M-F, 9AM – 5PM. S, 9AM – 2PM. Summer Hour: M-F, 10AM – 4PM. S, 10AM – 2PM. Closed Sunday and All PEACH Holidays.
Adult Book Clubs
Focus – Classics, History and Monthly Celebrations.
Young Readers Club
Spring – Farm and Social Life.
Summer – Myth & Legends.
Autumn – Biography.
Winter – Animals.
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Languages
Fundamental study and practice courses in Greek, Latin and the Celtic Languages. These are short introductory courses in three ancient European languages still spoken today. During initial meetings, speakers will go over the history of the language, the practice of speaking, the alphabet, and the sounds of the letters and accents. Participants will also learn the basic structure of writing words and a few simple conversational sentences. Speakers will help you listen to the words and sounds through the human voice, essential when learning any new language. We have also invited native speakers to read short paragraphs and poems to those who wish to attend.
Arrangements can be made with the speakers for private lessons in the areas of conversation and the expanding of one’s knowledge. We have also arranged contacts abroad with several people who can help you in Ireland, Italy, and Greece to enjoy informal discussions and participation. There are also various books on writing using the ancient texts and many audio practice copies of, It’s All Greek To Me, The Luck and Language, Irish Accepted, and Veni, Vidi, Vici. All of these and the audio equipment can be found in the Library.
If you are brushing up or wish to share your skills, all are welcomed. Each language offers six classes over six weeks on Wednesday Mornings. There is currently a proposal for an introduction to Sign Language. Check back for updates.
September – Greek
January – Latin
March – Celt
For most people, language is learned through the Mother Tongue. It can take many years to learn to speak a new language well. Each class, in each language, is structured first by song, then by the common tongue, ending with poetry. Learning a new language takes dedication and works best when speaking with another. These classes give the listener a feel for the tongue as an introduction and appreciation.
“I spent all morning taking out a comma and all afternoon putting it back.” -Oscar Wilde
English Grammar & Punctuation – A brush-up and clarification course is offered regarding the rules of English Grammar, and the use of Punctuation. This class coincides with the Creative Writing Club, and is offered to foreign individuals as an ESL (English As A Second Language) fulfillment course. There is a basic introduction offered in September, followed by a question and answer session on the confusing English grammar rules, which most of us have forgotten. Practice sheets and handouts are also available in the areas people need or wish to address. Depending on a person’s skill level, tests can also be administered in order to find out what areas need to be approached and rectified. This is not a graded course, unless it is for the ESL Pass/Fail Fulfillment Requirement.
All classes are conducted in the Log Cabin. No classes are offered during the holiday schedule.
ESL – Thursdays at 3PM.
Brush-Up – Thursdays at 4PM.
Individual Work – Thursdays at 5PM.
For Studio Appointments, make arrangements with the teacher or tutor.
Poem 106: The Grammar Lesson
A noun’s a thing. A verb’s the thing it does.
An adjective is what describes the noun.
In “The can of beets is filled with purple fuzz”
of and with are prepositions. The’s
an article, a can’s a noun,
a noun’s a thing. A verb’s the thing it does.
A can can roll—or not. What isn’t was
or might be, might meaning not yet known.
“Our can of beets is filled with purple fuzz”
is present tense. While words like our and us
are pronouns—i.e. it is moldy, they are icky brown.
A noun’s a thing; a verb’s the thing it does.
Is is a helping verb. It helps because
filled isn’t a full verb. Can’s what our owns
in “Our can of beets is filled with purple fuzz.”
See? There’s almost nothing to it. Just
memorize these rules…or write them down!
A noun’s a thing, a verb’s the thing it does.
The can of beets is filled with purple fuzz.
—Steve Kowit
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Mother’s and Toddler’s Club
Mothering, Small Children’s Play, Nature Walks, Parent Education
This club is intended for moms with children under the age of 6 as well as expecting mothers. We also have a couple of knitting grandmas who will keep an eye on the children playing or help put to rest a new mother’s arms. The group meets twice a week for 3 to 4 hours unless there is a special event at our facilities. Please check the schedule often.
This club is a great way to meet up with other moms and create some playtime for tiny children. The Mother and Tot’s Room is large, light, and airy, filled with comfortable seats, chairs, and an old-fashioned potbelly stove for the winter months. There is a small wood kitchen set for the children to play house-made by our Father and Son Woodworkers in the alcove. The Ceramics Club created a set of lovely dishes for traditional house play and a beautiful donated wood cradle for visiting dolls. There is also a bathroom with a large sink and changing table. Finally, a small closet for traditional dress-up play.
On the other side of the room are four large doors that open onto a breezy patio. A beautiful garden surrounds this patio. Dads, moms, and older children tend to this garden. A few yards from the patio is a giant sandbox, and off to the east is a cluster of trees which is part of our permaculture area. Our room volunteer will show mothers and guests what plants are suitable and safe to eat and help keep an eye on the little ones in the sandbox and alcove. We have a small wadding pool and a gentle sprinkler for the children to romp through and enjoy water play during the summer months. We encourage moms to bring their knitting, crocheting, sewing, or other relaxing handcrafts.
The Mother’s and Toddler’s Club Members will make arrangements within the group to bake a snack for the children during their visit; usually, fruit muffins and fresh fruit juice or fresh raw milk will be served. This room also has a small utility kitchen and a beautiful large round table in the far corner. Moms, not baking, will take the children for a walk across the field to the tiny farm to fetch the milk. A nurse practitioner comes by for about an hour every other visit to answer any questions or concerns a mom might have and, with permission, look at the children’s health as they grow.
At the end of each gathering we ask moms to do a thorough job cleaning before they leave because the room is shared with the Quilting Club. If you have any questions or wish to sign up for this club you can contact our Scheduling Office, we will put you in touch with our room volunteer. There is a small fee for the snacks and a donation jar for those who can contribute more to keep the facilities in shape and help cover building expenses.
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PEACH Newsletter
Monthly and Quarterly Newsletters.
In The Monthly Newsletter, you’ll find a calendar for future events, articles on coming events and a retrospective on what has taken place the month prior.
The Quarterly Newsletter is a work of art, this includes a broader calendar with an expansion of the coming seasonal expectations. The Quarterly Newsletter is filled with art, poetry, history, and a guest article. There is also a summary of the Board Meetings§ from the prior season and thoughts on our future and long-term plans: building expansions, key maintenance projects, new projects and any important events.
There are several ways to receive the PEACH Newsletter: Printed by hand and placed in your mailbox at the Peach Post Office. Mailed to your home address†. View it online.
Every Family Member of the PEACH Community receives a physical mailbox and the newsletter as part of their membership.
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PEACH Publishing
History & Philosophy
The Republic, by Plato – 380BC.
Magna Carta, by John, King of England, John Lackland – 1215.
The Declaration of Independence, by Founding Fathers July 4, 1776.
Common Sense, by Thomas Pain, 1776.
The Constitution of the United States of America, by Founding Fathers – 1787.
The Federalist Papers – by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, John Jay – October 27, 1787 – May 28, 1788.
The Bill of Rights, by Founding Fathers – 1791.
Book of Virtues, by Benjamín Franklin – 1791.
The Constitution of the Confederate States of America, by The Confederate Provisional Government – March 11, 1861.
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Literature
The Iliad and The Odyssey, by Homer – 8c BC.
Divine Comedy, by Dante Alighieri – 1321.
The Canterbury Tales, by Geoffrey Chaucer – 1387-1400.
The Complete Works of William Shakespeare – 1580-1616.
Faust, Books I & II, by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe – 1832.
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Social Science
Apology, by Plato – 399 BC.
Junto Club, Benjamin Franklin – 1727.
A Dictionary of the English Language, by Samuel Johnson – 1755.
The Rights of Man, by Thomas Pain – 1791.
Walden, by Henry David Thoreau – 1854.
Rules of Civility & Decent Behavior In Company and Conversation, by George Washington – 1888.
Nine Lectures on Bees, by Rudolf Steiner – 1923.
A Collection of Greek and Roman Empire Maps, by Albert Kirchner – 2010.
The History of Fathers and Sons, –
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The Arts
These small books are written by our staff, members and guests of the PEACH. Each book covers the basic needs, tools or instructions regarding each topic. There is also a short biography by the artist regarding how they found interest in their particular craft. There are suggestions of other books worth looking into, inspirational quotes, tricks of the trade, some lovely illustrations, and other thoughts of wisdom gleaned over the years. There are also several blank pages at the end to jot down your own notes.
The Art Of Woodworking: An Introduction, by
The Art Of Iron Work: An Introduction, by
The Art Of Pottery: An Introduction, by
The Art Of Printmaking: An Introduction, by
The Art Of Masonry: An Introduction, by
The Art Of Farming: An Introduction, by
The Art Of Dancing: An Introduction, by
The Art Of Glass Blowing: An Introduction, by
The Art Of Painting: An Introduction, by
The Art Of Theatre: An Introduction, by
The Art Of Music: An Introduction, by
The Art Of The Piano: An Introduction, by
The Art Of Western History & Philosophy: An Outline, by
The Art Of Photography: An Introduction, by
The Art Of Homemaking & Community Building: An Introduction, by
The Art Of Book Binding: An Introduction, by
The Art Of Papermaking: An Introduction, by
The Art Of The Folk Arts: An Introduction, by
The Art Of Folk Music: An Introduction, by
The Art Of Whitesmything: An Introduction, by
The Art Of Cordwaining: An Introduction, by
The Art Of Weaving: An Introduction, by
The Art Of Quilting: An Introduction, by
The Art Of Spinning: An Introduction, by
The Art Of Sewing: An Introduction, by
The Art Of Basketry: An Introduction, by
The Art Of The Loom: An Introduction, by
The Art Of Cooking: Vol. I – Dinner, by
The Art Of Cooking: Vol. II – Lunch & Supper, by
The Art Of Cooking: Vol. III – Breakfast & Snacks, by
The Art Of Stained Glass: An Introduction, by
The Art Of Games: An Introduction, by
The Art Of Bee Keeping: An Introduction, by
The Art Of Apothecary: An Introduction, by
The Art Of Syrup: An Introduction, by
The Art Of Administration: An Introduction, by
The Art Of Finance: An Introduction, by
The Art Of Art: An Introduction, by
The Meaning Of The Festivals: An Introduction, by
There are two versions of the printed book, one paper bound with a lovely cloth or cardstock cover, and one leather-bound with homemade rag created by our printer and book binder.
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PEACH Post Office
Attached to the Printing Shop is the PEACH Post Office. PPO is not a recognized USPS Office. However, the PEACH Post Office functions like any local Post Office. They sell USPS stamps, have shipping supplies and forms, a copy machine and fax. They also arrange pick-ups for USPS, FedEx, UPS, and DHL. PPO is where residents can also receive their mail. Every Member, Department and Group at the PEACH receives a PEACH mailbox.
Members may use the mailboxes for any PEACH Community event and business. However, these are not locked or secure boxes; they are meant for internal communication and a drop-off for packages.
We keep a record and list of all the members in the Community at the Post Office, with their attached box number. This list is open to the public. However, all personal information: telephone, address, and email is only available to the staff. You will have to fill out a form permitting us to release any information to any official agency that may inquire. Anyone can drop a note or package at the PEACH Post Office for you, but we will not accept any unsealed perishables or animals on your behalf. However, you can request USPS to hold them for you or make timely arrangements with them to meet you at the station.
If you are not on the property and wish to have your mail forwarded, we will charge a small fee to send any direct mail you have received, plus postage.
We also have Peach Stamps: bee, butterfly, leaf, fish, and fowl. Each stamp has a set value. Like the Bee Bux, they can be used, traded and redeemed, but only for services connected to the members and the property. They are very popular in the music and theatre clubs on Birthdays, Anniversaries, and Valentine’s Day. The cost is $1.00 for a page of 25 hand-delivered.
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PEACH Radio –
PEACH Radio – Chuck Jurasek – Station Manager & Programmer
Monday through Friday
5AM Calendar Update, Weather
5AM – 11AM All Classical
11AM Calendar Update, Weather
11AM – Noon Recipe, Listener’s Submissions & Feedback, Humor & Quotes. Host – Chuck Jurasek
Noon – 2PM Movie, Musicals, Theatre Soundtracks
2PM Calendar Update, Weather
2PM – 5PM News & Views – Guest Interviews. Host [TBA]
5PM – 7PM MOR Dinner Music. Host – Chuck Jurasek
7PM Calendar Update, Weather
7PM – 8PM Children’s Story Time and Song**
8PM – 10PM Great Symphonies
10PM – 11PM Chapter A Day
11PM – 12AM Piano Only
Midnight Calendar Update, Weather
12AM – 5AM Through The Night
Saturday
6AM Calendar Update, Weather
6AM – Noon Ethnic Music Smorgasbord. Host – [TBA]
Noon Calendar Update, Weather
Noon – 5PM Old Time Radio
5PM – 7PM MOR Dinner Music. Host – Chuck Jurasek
7PM Calendar Update, Weather
7PM – 10PM – Ethnic History (call-in). Host – [TBA]
10PM – 6AM Through The Night
Midnight Calendar Update, Weather
Sunday
6AM Calendar Update, Weather
6AM – Noon Light Classical
Noon Calendar Update, Weather
Noon – 5PM Opera – Host
5PM – 7PM MOR Dinner Music. Host – Chuck Jurasek
7PM Calendar Update, Weather
7PM – 9PM String & Wind Ensembles
9PM –11PM The Spoken Word. Host – [TBA]
11PM – 5AM Through The Night
Midnight Calendar Update, Weather
§Board minutes are always online.
†Cost for postage.
**List of fairy books used.
Bulfinch’s Mythology – Thomas Bulfinch
Children’s and Household Tales – Brothers Grimm
Christ Legend – Selma Lagerlöf
Golden Bough: A Study in Magic and Religion – James George Frazer
Norwegian Folktales – Asbjørnsen and Moe
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Physical Fitness and Sports
Seasonal Sports & Movement. Saturday Mornings 10AM-Noon
Disciplines
Spring – Marksmanship or Tennis
Summer – Archery, Sailing, Fishing
Late Summer, Early Fall – Horseback Riding
Autumn – Fencing or Tennis
Winter – Kuzushi Wrestling, Kosen Judo & Basic Boxing
(Ages 13 and Up)
Spatial Dynamics – Bothmer Gymnastics
Saturday Mornings 10AM – 11:30 (Ages 12 and Up)
Saturday Afternoons 1PM – 2:30 (Ages 16 and up).
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Local & Independent Groups
Sun Watcher’s Club
Eastern Thought Yoga
Chapel, Grotto & Forest, Edge Of The World
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Team Sports
September through April
Volleyball – Gym
Tuesday 4PM Teens – 7PM Women
Thursday 4PM Teens – 7PM Men
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June through Labor Day
Softball – Field
Tuesday 4PM (Age 12 through 16)
Thursday 4PM (Mixed Ages & picnic)
Thursday 7PM Men’s Softball
Each class begins with calisthenics & stretching
Inclement weather will meet in the gym for 9 innings of kickball or dodgeball.
Always Check Schedule and Weather
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Writer’s Club
The Writer’s Club is a wonderful opportunity to learn and express one’s thoughts and feelings on paper. To have an audience and engage in constructive criticism.
In this club, Writers have opportunities to compose Plays, Seasonal Poetry, and Short Stories. They will participate in Theatre Productions, working directly with actors, submit their work while taking part in editing the Monthly Newsletter and help create an ongoing Group Manuscript. There is a yearly Book Festival where Members can sell their published materials, have the opportunities to speak about their writing to an audience, and attend lectures by known authors on various topics.
The Writers Club topics are limited with a particular purpose in mind; the final and last book created will be the Auto-Biography. The Auto-Biography is divided into three stages: Youth: Pre-Birth through age 28. Middle-age: 28 through age 56. Old-age: 56 through the present. The biography is a lifelong effort and is generally not done all at once. It is an ongoing process.
Many of the Club Members engaged in several Book Clubs, Theatre Arts Productions, Film Making and Editing, Printmaking and Newsletters, Educational Classes and Publishing. Members meet weekly to discuss ongoing works and receive feedback from the other authors in the group.
The Yearly Schedule
Each month a different topic is provided. Writers will work on these topics and any of their ongoing works. The Club is open to seasoned writers and those who have never undertaken writing before but wish to engage in the art of writing. Over the years, people have been encouraged to find other areas they want to practice and work in. Developing their own writing style allows Members to try new things when approaching different methods and types of inspiration.
July & August
Understanding the theatre and your actors.
Writers will join the Theatre Club during July and August. They will experience French and American characters and the outdoor Greco-Roman Theatre. During these two months, Writers will sign up on the schedule for a Group Manuscript, the opportunity to work on the Monthly Newsletter and Publishing, and connect with the Film Club for interest in writing, making and editing a film. Finally, they will look and learn about the work of the illustrators from the Art Club.
September
Foundation – Seasonal Short Story:
1. Physical descriptive details.
2. A feel of the seasons through the senses.
3. Include a memory.
4. Incorporate a “just then” element.
An Autumn Poem
October
The Legend and Mythical Hero
1. His physical features.
2. His mission, what lay in his heart.
3. His cunning and wit.
4. His adventures and legacy, a biography.
November
The Quest – Short Story: The Call, Challenges, Tribulations, Resentments, Gratitude & Thanks.
December
Imagination – A child’s tale: Employment of a Tomten and how to call a, Tomten. Description, layout, duties, relationship expectations with those he works with, terms of the contract, hours of work, rules of the road. This task is in correlation with the Art Club. Illustrator of the story.
A Winter Poem
January
Intuition – 1k to 3k Essay, A mystical trip: Mundane, Magical, Shock!
Auto-Biography Workshop. Several ways to write a biography, Diary, Documentary-Narrative, Memoir. Fairytale [magical-idealism]. I. Pure Data. II. Calendar Schematic Outline. III. Filling In The Details. IV Edit. V. Art & Binding. This can take as long as 3 to 5 years to complete.
February
The Bard – Shakespearesque: Play, Sonnet, five new words.
1. Modern problem in Shakespearean tongue, or rewrite Shakespeare to tell a modern tale.
2. A modern sonnet in the Shakespearean tongue.
3. 5 new words in the work and their meaning.
March & April
Practical Application – A Declaration Against Authority – Moral Righteousness.
Using the Hegelian Dialect: problem, reaction, solution on a real-world topic.
Problem – describe the problem in detail.
Reaction – good and bad effects.
Solution – Solution – solve the problem.
Follow Though – letters written, and documentation.
A Spring Poem
May
Book Festival – Festival – Visiting Author Workshop. Reading and Selling your works. Complete all writing and publishing projects.
The Publishing and Reading of the Group Manuscript.
June
Presentations and Poetry: honoring and praising the eulogy of another.
Reading Ulysses on the steps.
A Summer Poem.
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Proposed Class
Journalism Roundtable
Alt-M Journalism
Roundtable
I. Educational topics and history
vision mission goals
top three most dividing issues
areas to unite
solutions, 2 or 3
how to get from A to B
Consensus
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II. Past – woke up
Present – met challenge 2 or 3
Future – is or want
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III. Positive propaganda
facts, did you know, through joke,
i.e??
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~LOCAL COMMUNITY & OUTREACH~ [tbc]
Café – Café Four Seasons is always open to the public. The regular menu changes each month based on the Cultural Celebrations. Generally, there is also a Daily Special, Tuesday through Friday. Everything is grown locally, fresh and in-season. Daily Specials are available until they run out. To find out What’s-On-The-Menu, call the Café after 2PM, or check the website. There is also a Saturday Morning Farmer’s Breakfast and a Sunday Brunch Special.
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Cards – At the Cabin, on the Back Porch, there is a series of on-going card games. This is open to the public, but you must register. It’s a good idea to note: All facilities are closed on designated PEACH Holidays and closed campus. There is a strict policy of a Penny-A-Point Donation. No Gambling or Rough Housing. Any Questions please contact General Chief.
Mondays – Dealer’s Choice. All registered names are tossed into a hat and the dealer is chosen by luck. S/he choses the game. Winner of that round is next dealer. Partners, or point-tie is decided by Rochambeau 2 out of 3. Must register for each hour. Game Time and Location – On the Porch, between, 1PM – 5PM.
W – Lessons – Learn the history. the lore and instructions of how to play the games. General Chief will teach you how to play the hardest card games, perhaps even show you a few tricks. Refresh your memory or start from scratch. He’ll take you through the games played at the PEACH. Must register. Classes are from 7PM – 10PM. Meetings are held in the Cabin.
R – Cribbage – On the Porch, between, 1PM – 5PM. Must register in advance.
F – Bridge – On the Porch, between, 1PM – 5PM. Must register in advance.
S – Canasta – On the Porch, between, 1PM – 5PM. Must register in advance.
D – Pinochle – On the Porch, between, 1PM – 5PM. Must register in advance.
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Chapel – All services are open to the public. We currently have four Spiritual Leaders Celebrating the history of how we worship. Catholic, Lutheran, Christian Community and Northern Pagan. Please check the Chapel Schedule for each Celebration and Event. Outside of services the Chapel is open 24 hours a day for meditation and contemplation. The Chapel is also cleaned and tended to daily.
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Co-op – Four Winds Co-Op & Bakery are open to the public. The Meat and Potatoes: to receive a member’s discounts (5%), and access to special orders, you must register ($20 per year), and volunteer (12 hours per month). As a member you also gain access to the Raw Milk Run (cow $10 a share, plus milk), and the organic fruit shipments from Share Florida (price vary per season – ballpark $360, + shared shipping). Discounts on fresh grass fed meats are also available.
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Farmer’s Market – Whether you want to simply spend the day or sell your wares at the Farmer’s Market it is open to the public. The Farmer’s Wife Eva Marie, manages the Farmer’s Market. If you would like to sell your products or creative expressions she’s the person to speak to. There is a small rental table fee, or bring your own. However, we ask for a 10% donation of all your sales. There may be other fees required by the local government. Check with Eva for all the details.
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Friday Night Feast
Every Friday, we join the Local Community throughout the seasons, offering a Friday Night Feast in our Cafeteria. Each meal comes with a delicious entrée, homemade bread from our bakery, a small tossed salad, coffee, tea, juice, or Mr. Q. You may bring a bottle of wine. If you would like dessert, there is a 20% coupon off for a scoop of Gelato at the Tea Room. All proceeds help fund the St Joseph Hand-Up.
Autumn – Spaghetti & Meatball Dinner with homemade bread and basil, garlic butter: First Friday after Labor Day through the last Friday before Thanksgiving.
Winter – Chili, chicken beef with fresh sourdough garlic bread: From the first Friday in December through the Friday before Lent. (No dinners Friday during Christmas Holidays).
Lent – Fish & Chips with sweet potato hush puppy, asparagus, or broccoli: From the first Friday after Ash Wednesday through Good Friday.
Spring – Spring – Homemade Chicken and Vegetable Soup, with fresh whole grain sunflower seed quick bread and Irish butter: First Friday after Easter through Decoration Day weekend.
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Small Handcrafted Goods – open to the public.
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Sun Watcher’s Club
Sun Watchers Club was started by one of our Community Organizers, Sophia Erickson. Every morning, before the crack of dawn, she and her golden retriever Buddy are up and waiting at the chapel for those in and outside the Community to walk over to the east hill and watch the sun rise above the horizon. In the field, she and others are mapping the movements of the sun using 20lb stones. As the sun rises, its rising point moves slightly to a different place every day, creating a lemniscate pattern over the entire year. All are welcomed to walk with her, have a seat on the benches, then marvel and take in the beauty of what keeps us alive on this planet.
Her destiny must be with the stars. She also organizes the solar and lunar eclipse watches at the university planetarium. Keep an eye on her seasonal Sun Calendar, so you can grab your telescope and hitch a ride with her to these presentations.
She also offers an hour-long lecture the night before the Summer and Winter Solstice and the Autumn and Spring Equinox. She covers the history, the scientific phenomenon, and she asks the question, “What is out there?” Which always makes for a living discussion. Every lecture brings something new and fastening about the sky and the universe. Lectures are held in the Theatre or Science Lab I.
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Thrift Shop – open to the public .
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Tours and Weddings
The PEACH offers our campus tours twice a year, with an informational presentation at the end of the tour in the lecture hall. These typically happen in January and June. Private tours are available, and we ask that you make arrangements two weeks in advance and around any scheduled celebrations or events. We also ask that you call at least 24 hours in advance if you need to cancel this appointment.
Weddings are a blessed event, and many people choose the atrium, chapel, or grotto for this united celebration. The hall in the Swan Factory and the patio are also available, and we are happy to recommend our staff or your chosen vendor to cater this event. However, we do not schedule Weddings during PEACH celebrations on campus or during working hours. Please, make sure you check with the scheduling office for available dates. There are fees to use these facilities for non-members.
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~ Community Growth & Building Expansions ~
Bowling – open to the public with restrictions.
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Roller Skating – open to the public with restriction,
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Living Pan-European and American Cultural and Heritage Community Center
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EMAIL: peachcommunity yahoo.com
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[TBC]
quicklinks
PEACH COMMUNITY 