Thank you Gloria

By Kit Shepherd

It was with a degree of sadness, but much gratitude, that we acknowledge the contribution of one of our core members, who has had to step back from her duties with Transition Bondi (TB).
Gloria’s departure leaves a big gap in our team and in my mind and heart, as she was not only co-convenor for a while, but also the keeper of a lot of our culture, vision, history and operations.  
She joined TB in 2017 after returning from Europe where she’d seen and been inspired by some Transition projects there.  She was excited, full of ideas and energy for all aspects of the group’s work. As a quiet member at first, it took some time for her many qualities and strengths to become
evident.

Having run a business herself, and trained as a graphic designer,  the range of her skills was very welcome. She upheld the graphic design of our documents and brand, was on several sub-groups, including Governance, Finance, IT and Social Media. and held the position of Treasurer for over a
year. She was key to undertaking the detailed, bureaucratic process of writing our Constitution – as a team – and getting the legalities of Incorporation as an Association finalised with the Dept Fair Trading to complete processes and submit forms.

She took on the organising of a number of events – including workshops – that she passionately wanted to happen, while bringing us along and training us in some of the skills and processes involved, in the spirit of ‘community’. One special project was a ‘residency’ of a French woman, Nicole Lamarche (in her late 70’s), who worked with natural dyes and the local environment and ran a workshop and an Inner Transition event, weaving her philosophy of life into engagement with the environment and community. Gloria wanted us to honour the wisdom of the older generation, through the example of Nicole.

Gloria is a beekeeper and involved with the Sydney Bee Club, so we had the benefit of that dimension of her, and her experience too. She also introduced members of the Steering Committee to the delight and benefits of Forest Bathing, through a group bonding experience.
She was the heart of our group for several years at the height of her involvement, taking much care with team wellbeing and interpersonal relationships; she saw those things in the context of wider world issues of humanness and a well-functioning society. She threw herself into TB as a vehicle for her own development as well as contributing her creativity, energy and love to the many roles and tasks that she got involved in. She smoothed troubled waters, and held out a positive and exciting vision for our future.

So, thankyou very much Gloria for your dedication and inspiration; you’ve left us in good shape and I will hold onto your model of one who lives with integrity, strives to do their best even in the face of difficulty, and gives their energy to creating a better and more beautiful world.