|
It’s the Autumn edition of SOCIO
Kia ora te whanau o AANZPA
Greetings to the AANZPA family
It’s time to harvest, store and prepare ourselves for the winter that’s coming. It’s time to rest, relax and reflect on the last year. Make sense of our experiences and the events that have shaped our lives both historical and recent; personal and universal; private and social.
Enjoy the autumn sunshine while it lasts; rejoice in the changing of the seasons and know that after winter, spring comes again.
I hope this edition assists you to connect with the members who have contributed to Socio. I have enjoyed compiling this for you all.
My thanks to Craig Whisker, Diana Jones, Jerri Bassi, Christo Patty, Faith Moon, Cushla Clark, Philippa van Kuilenburg, Roy Vickerman and Ali Watersong.
Contributions are very welcome for the next edition of SOCIO which will come out in Winter 2022. The closing date for material is 30 June 2022.
Bronwen Pelvin
SOCIO Editor
|
|
|
The Rose
Some say love, it is a river
That drowns the tender reed
Some say love, it is a razor
That makes the soul to bleed
Some say love, it is a hunger
An endless, aching need
I say love, it is a flower
And you it’s only seed.
It’s the heart afraid of breaking
That never learns to dance
It’s the dream afraid of waking
That never takes a chance
It’s the one who won’t be taken
Who cannot seem to give
And the soul afraid of dying
That never learns to live.
When the night has been too lonely
And the road has been too long
When you think that love is only
For the lucky and the strong
Just remember in the winter
Far beneath the winter snows
Lies the seed that with the sun’s love
In the spring becomes the rose.
“The Rose” was first recorded by Bette Miller for the soundtrack of the 1979 movie ’The Rose’ based on the life of Janis Joplin. It plays over the closing credits. Written by Amanda McBroom in 45 minutes to ‘expedite a record deal’. Who would’ve thought !!
Performed at many an AANZPA Conference Chalkboard concert, it speaks to the creative genius inside everyone we meet and that assists us to respond to the progressive roles in a person’s functioning.
|
|
|
|
|
|
In February, Craig Whisker, Psychodramatist and educator, ran a workshop entitled “Summer Psychodrama ’22 – New Year, New Possibilities”. The workshop was held at the Tauhara Retreat centre in Taupo’s Acacia Bay.
Craig writes “This “bit of a poem”, as its author refers to it, was written by a group participant following a recent residential psychodrama workshop. To him the poem belongs to the group, not him, and he’s happy for it to be shared.
“Smashing it,” he would say.”
Get to know yourself, yeah, question the cliche
Get to know yourself, yeah, question the cliche,
Watch my life on slow emotion replay,
Men you’d like for brothers, women you’d wish were your sister,
Could have legged it any minute, stayed by a Whisker,
Digging under armour, Psychodrama,
Mother, Father, aiming for calmer, mmm,
How much can you take, are you fake,
Excruciating to watch, ohh participate,
Good for you Boi, make it better you know,
Get that shit out there, then let it go,
To be seen, show, grow, the pain, quid quo pro,
An alternative path, road ride, hold back the tide,
Obvious my friend, the answers inside,
Wooden ships, friendships, sailing,
Sunken ships, relationships, storms prevailing.
Anon
|
|
|
|
|
Diana Jones is a Wellington-based sociometrist and TEP. She is the author of two books on effective leadership. “Leadership Material” and now “Leadership Levers”, her latest book is published at the end of 2021.
Diana, Chris Hosking and Cissy Rock held a well-attended online discussion “Sociometry and Leadership”. The session was recorded and is available on the AANZPA website.
After the session, I asked Diana the following questions:
Bronwen: After the publication of ‘Leadership Material’, what was it that warmed you up to writing the next book ?
Diana: In Leadership Material, I encouraged leaders to look into their own lives for their professional development rather than external tools and techniques.
With Leadership Levers, I wanted leaders all over the place to know they could learn to lead inspiring participatory events that people wanted to be part of. I realised that organisations relied on team dinners for people to really get to know one another and of course, the pandemic stymied those opportunities. I notice people talked about their personal and private lives when they got together informally and I saw how valuable that was and that we now needed to bring that carefully into our organisations. I wanted leaders to know that sociometry enables people to tell their stories, creates cohesion, and generates a sense of belonging.
Bronwen: In what way did you identify the elements of leadership you wanted to expand and emphasise in ‘Leadership Levers’ ?
Diana: There were four:
- That the informal networks of relationships are the lifeblood of organisations and need refreshing
- Leaders tap into the experience and expertise in their groups by shifting from being wedded to their knowledge to creating invitations for people to participate
- Shaping collaborative group behavior is describable as a process and can be learned
- Successful leaders have group empathy and they read and respond to the emotional tone of their groups creating a sense of ‘being in this together’.
Bronwen: Tell us something of your experience as your book is published, reviewed and makes it’s way into the world?
Diana: It was weird when it first came out late last year, as there was silence. Slowly I began to hear positive responses from readers and on Facebook. I was invited onto a number of international podcasts. People had found my ideas refreshing and helpful which is what I had hoped. The February launch was a great boost. The book was in Unity Books (Wellington) best seller list for three of the four weeks in February. I was so chuffed.
Diana’s website is Diana-Jones.com and you can find out more about her work there. Her books are available online from Unity Books and from Amazon.
|
|
|
Please use this button to link to the session with Diana Jones, Chris Hosking and Cissy Rock on the AANZPA website.
|
|
|
Like many of us, Christo Patty has been reflecting on Russia’s invasion of the Ukraine. He has written several haiku and warns that they are “a bit stark…but war is bleak”.
Broken concrete tiles
Broken gates – broken dolls – then –
A broken child
Forty million flee –
Where is safe to run to when
All around explodes
The sounds in Warsaw
Are different these days – hurt is
The language of war
The wedding album
Two figures smile back at us –
Both wearing Khaki
|
|
|
|
|
AANZPA Conference Organising Committee (L to R): Cushla Clark; Cissy Rock; Faith Moon; Philippa van Kuilenburg; Vivienne Thomson; Eric Park.
AANZPA Conference 2022 Update
“Ka whanawhana ai te tīwhanawhana o Kahukura i te rāngi
Let the arch of the rainbow glisten”
We are having an online conference on Friday 8 & Saturday 9 July 2022.
We are looking forward to this long awaited time together to renew our connections and share our experiences related to our theme:
“Co-creative Human Endeavour – our expression of psychodrama in practice.”
There is an exciting line-up of workshops for you. We are very appreciative of those who have offered workshops for our delight and development.
The programme will be loaded on the website in the middle of April and registration will open on 1st of May.
This is now a two day event starting with the opening on Friday night with the opening and a stimulating plenary. Saturday has optional workshops to entice you and we finish with a fun dinner dance.
The cost will be $75 in both countries. The online event is using Zoom as the platform and with no recording of any workshops.
We have organised two fun workshops prior to the Conference to maximise your enjoyment when participating on Zoom. There will be a tick box on the registration form if you wish to participate in either of these workshops. The dates for the fun workshops are 15 May at 4 pm and 19 June at 7 pm. (NZST)
Please keep checking the website as it is being updated regularly with current information.
The conference committee are looking forward to your registrations and being in touch with you.
Nga mihi
Cushla Clark and Philippa van Kuilenburg
Co-convenors
|
|
|
Warming Up to Conference 2022
Faith Moon writes:
Through psychodrama I have made such meaningful in person connections and over the years have established a network of psychodrama buddies. But the pandemic left me bereft as all in person contact was halted, forcing our isolation.
I did not attend the online conference that Melbourne hosted as it was a stretch too far for me to contemplate using Zoom at that time. However all that changed in January this year when I attended the AANZPA AGM.
After I clicked on the Zoom invite and saw the faces of my friends and colleagues magically popping up filling my computer screen I was overcome with a rush of emotion. Tears welled up in my eyes and I began to cry with the sheer joy of feeling the deep bonds that have been formed at Conference over several decades.
It took me by surprise that I was so emotional. I felt the love and joy and gratitude for all these people that I hold in my heart.
Connecting on Zoom will never be able to compete with doing psychodrama in person but, with the restrictions of a pandemic, I now willingly use the triumphs of this technology. So much so that I meet every Monday evening with the AANZPA Conference Organising Committee as we plan this year’s online conference.
I enjoy our meetings and I am delighted to tell you that I am now a Conference Zoom Convert.
I look forward to being with you on the 8th and 9th July 2022.
Faith Moon
Organising Committee Member
|
|
|
|
|
What are AANZPA members up to in the regions ??
Central Region members in the Top of the South Island (TOTS) held a picnic at Tahunanui Beach in the afternoon sun. We played games – boules (pétanque), an ‘action’ word game – and we flew a small kite very high !!
We brought our own food and enjoyed a meal as we associated with each other. We had an enjoyable time.
From left: Ali Watersong, Jacqui Gough, Audrey Vickerman, Bronwen Pelvin, John Campbell and Cher Williscroft. Roy Vickerman on camera duty.
And, below, at a meal together at Ali and Bronwen’s place before a peer group meeting.
From left: Bronwen Pelvin, Audrey Vickerman, Jacqui Gough, Chris Turton and Roy Vickerman. Ali Watersong took the photo.
|
|
|
|
