It also allows us to weigh the costs and benefits of future changes. For instance, Choice A might improve one category by two full grades, but Choice B could improve three categories each by about one grade. This is still a judgment call for the group, but having a measuring stick sometimes makes it easier to discuss something that is otherwise nebulous and ephemeral.

I don’t want to suggest that this is the only way of assessing our communities as villages. Rather, this is my attempt to lay out an example of a system in order to begin the discussion of what criteria we should be focused on and how to assess them.

I’m using a modified U.S. grading scale with a “neighborhood” style proximity being the assumed “optimal” distance between members. This obviously isn’t the ideal for all communities, but it provides a shared starting point for discussion.

For this article, I’m discussing the single criterion of proximity- the typical distance that separates members of the community. I’ve included some virtual values as well- these provide the ability to compare communities of various types.

Finally, I’d like to note that every one of us is a potential member of a dazzling array of possible communities. So my proximity to the polytheist leaders that Hearthingstone PLC is supposed to serve is an “F”; but, were I looking to join an Asatru fellowship, there’s one within “C” distance. On the other hand, were I a solitary devotee of indigenous Thai divinities, my community proximity would rate as “Z” or maybe “S” because I’m sure said faith exists elsewhere, but I have no idea how to find any practitioners.

Grades

Z – No Contact

This is the unfortunate reality of many polytheists. They don’t know any other polytheists personally, so they have no idea how near or far they are from anyone in their faith.

S – Some Online Contact

These polytheists are “ships in the night” online. They know that there are other members of their faith (or at least compatible polytheists worldviews) out there on the Internet, but they don’t know who they are and/or do not have regular discussions with them.

P – Passing Local Awareness

These polytheists have seen evidence that other members of their faith (or at least compatible polytheists worldviews) are occasionally present in their physical vicinity, but they have no means of contacting or locating those others.

O – Regular Online Contact

These polytheists communicate regularly with others of their faith (or at least compatible polytheists worldviews) via online tools. This could be social media, blogs, forums, or any other relatively stable system.

Importantly, most members of this community recognize at least some of the more regular members and have some method to reach out to them with questions or to request assistance. Therefore, this is the least proximal community that we would likely recognize as a “community”.

F – Far, Far Apart

The members of this community likely have regular online contact (“O”, above). However, many of them have met in person and many look for opportunities to meet other members in the future. It is likely that at least some members of the group also contact each other using “old school” means- postal mail, home visits, meals together when in-town, etc.

D – Day Trip

Visiting other members of this community requires committing most of a day. This means a drive longer than three hours each way. The actual distance this encompasses differs based on the area we’re talking about.

For example, I live in the Austin, Texas metro area, which is about 230 miles from Denton, TX. If I wanted to participate in a ritual with John Beckett at the Denton CUUPS, that’s a three-and-a-half hour trip under ideal circumstances. From experience, I know that driving to the northside of the Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) metroplex is likely to take an hour or so longer than that.

On the other hand, on certain days/times, it could take almost that long to get from Plymouth, Massachusetts to Salem, MA- a distance of only about 50 miles.

C – Commutable

Most of the members of this community can reach each other in under an hour by car. Most will be closer, though some members might be further afield.

For example, a particular “pagan” social group in my area draws people from as far away as Lampassas, Killeen, and New Braunfels- each about an hour’s drive under ideal circumstances at highway speeds.

We could conceivably consider “C+” and “C-” grades for under half an hour and between one and two hours, respectively.

B – Bikable / Busable

At a “B” rating, most members can get together within a short bike or bus ride. If the members live along really good mass transit, this might be up to five or ten miles. However, in many areas this means no more than two or three miles – about fifteen minutes for a slow bicyclist or roughly an hour on foot.

We might consider “B+” and “B-” grades here as well.

“B+” would suggest distances under a mile (or very close to short transit rides), but still fairly spread out. For example, a community in a transit-heavy city like Boston might have a B+ proximity if its members all live within a “quick and easy” walk of a subway station, even though they dwell in different parts of the city.

“B-” means that cars are still pretty important to meet other members of the community. One could conceivably do it by bicycle or bus, but the effort and/or time involved would be discouraging to most. Here in Austin, there is a UU church that some local groups hold meetings at. It’s near a couple of bus lines, but our mass transit is pretty poor compared with a city like Boston or New York.

A – Adjacent

A community with an “A” proximity grade lives within easy walking distance of each other. There might be other members further afield, but the majority can conveniently stroll to the group’s central meeting place or to homes of other members should the need arise. In general, this probably means no more than a few hundred yards apart, though depending on the specific needs of the members, this might need to be much closer.

An “A+” grade would mean that not only are most members within easy walking distance of each other, but that other important services are located within the same radius- groceries, banking, etc.

An “A-” grade could be considered a community whose members could walk, but are still far enough apart that cars, bikes, or mass transit are still preferred. This would probably mean distances between a quarter-mile and half a mile, certainly under a kilometer. In the case of a community with a lot of special physical needs, even an “A+” might instead be an “A-” if services and other members are hard to reach for reasons other than distance.

Summary

This is a preliminary stab at a method of grading the proximity of members in a polytheist community versus an idealized “village”. There are entire fields of study devoted to these kinds of questions for municipalities and regions- my brother works on city planning in California, for instance. There are all sorts of advanced tools available, but they’re probably too detailed for our needs. My hope is that we can arrive at a general system of guidelines that are granular enough to aid planning and assessment while being readily adaptable to the needs of a given community as it moves towards becoming a polytheist village.

-In Deos Confidimus

The post Villages: Grading Proximity appeared first on Hearthingstone.

After touching base with the hotels in the expanded search area, I believe that one of them stood out as clearly the best candidate. It won’t allow for much expansion in-place (if any), but it’s a lovely all-suites hotel that is convenient to plenty of restaurants and other amenities. The meeting room rate is very reasonable (for Austin) and decreases by as much as half if we can book enough room nights.

It even has fire!

I don’t yet have a formal rate quote for a sleeping room block. However, their published rates for the equivalent weekend in 2019 were under $100- extremely low for a newly-built suite hotel in Austin. This same hotel charges over $200 a night during busier times of year!

All the rooms have a kitchenette.

As far as the date, I was weighing a lot of different factors, both religious and practical. This weekend kept “pinging”, despite its proximity to New Year’s Day- or perhaps because of it.

As much as possible, I wanted to avoid conflicts with holy days, though that’s nigh-impossible to do perfectly. This weekend does fall right around the end of Yule in some traditions. It is also roughly around the time that the Romans sometimes celebrated Compitalia- the festival of crossroads Powers. I haven’t found others, though I could certainly be mistaken.

This weekend is close enough to the general “Holiday Season” that many of our academics will not yet have returned to the classroom. Some of us might even be lucky enough to work at places that are closed through the following Monday.

Furthermore, January in Austin is a time of year when visitors from other parts of the country aren’t likely to burst into flames when walking outside. While the locals might wear parkas, our colleagues from more northern climes might consider it lovely spring or fall weather.

In addition, my comparison of airfares showed an average of $173 in round-trip savings compared with busy weekends like those during SXSW. There is also a large park-and-ride bus terminal less than two miles away and four different bus lines pass near to the hotel.

Finally, there is the esoteric gravitas of conducting an event like this on the first weekend after the dawn of a new year. While our various faiths and traditions may use different calendars, we all live in a society the runs on the Gregorian one. Rather than just making forgettable personal resolutions, perhaps we can put the power of this liminal time to a more holy use.

To that end, I have tentatively confirmed a keynote speaker- a published author who has a long history of service to the Gods.

-In Deos Confidimus

The post A Stake In The Ground appeared first on Hearthingstone.

Originally, I was looking to stay as close to downtown as the hotel room rates would allow. To the right is the original map I shared with y’all some time back.

Unfortunately, those hotels with enough space in the green zones quoted meeting rates that started at $5,000 for the weekend and went up to $15,000.

That is a non-starter. My initial budget worksheets don’t show a way to make it feasible, and I don’t have the money to make up the difference myself.

On the plus side, I’ve since discovered that one of the hotels I had earlier discounted as having no meeting rooms actually has enough meeting space for about 75 people. It’s smaller than I’d like, but it should be sufficient for the first year at least.

So now I’m looking at a map more like this:

Three of the larger, more expensive hotels I looked at are in the red “circle” at the bottom at the junction of 183, 290, and I-35.

The 75-person hotel I mentioned above is located in the first green circle north of the red spot.

Shortly north of that is another hotel with about the same amount of space.

North of that are a few hotels that are large enough, though some might be too big (and expensive).

Finally, the top circle has another hotel that could work.

Sadly, all of these are further from the airport. Then again, the 2014 PLC was about 15 miles from the nearest airport and many people came from much further afield. Heck, we drove all the way from Austin!

The furthest north of the hotels on that map is about 25 miles. The closest is 16 or 17 miles.

As far as costs, the first hotel actually posted their daily rate on a sign next to the meeting room- $400, or $200 for half the room. That’s $1,200 for the weekend- less than 1/3 the cost of the cheapest meeting rooms I found in that red circle. Sure, there’s the matter of taxes and availability, but hey- this thing is starting to sound more feasible!

My hope is that the other hotels I’m looking at all have a similar, or lower, rate. Then it becomes more a matter of date availability and how the hotel’s building, site, and staff feel.

Many thanks to the Gods and friends who have helped me push through the earlier discouragement to keep looking.

-In Deos Confidimus

The post Looking further afield appeared first on Hearthingstone.

As with VC #2, this location is near the airport and has an airport shuttle.

Their room rate is basically $120 a night, but they are only willing to block 10 rooms and that with an “attrition clause” where we’d owe them money if less than 80% of the rooms blocked are used. After those 10 are reserved, the pricing and availability would float like normal.

Their meeting room rate is slightly higher than #3, by about 5%. This puts them in the second lowest cost position- for now. I need to get back to VC #1 with a shortlist of dates to get a meeting room quote.

Here are all the dates they said were available (at present):

• April 5 – 7, 2019
• April 19 – 21, 2019
• April 26 – 28, 2019
• May 30 – June 2, 2019
• June 14 – 16, 2019
• July 12 – 14, 2019
• July 26 – 28, 2019
• August 23 – 25, 2019
• November 1 – 3, 2019
• November 8 – 10, 2019
• December 20 – 22, 2019
• December 27 – 29, 2019
• January 3 – 5, 2020
• January 10 – 12, 2020
• January 17 – 19, 2020
• January 24 – 26, 2020

Thoughts?

-In Deos Confidimus

The post Hotel Rates and Dates from Venue Candidate #5 appeared first on Hearthingstone.

Their rate was just shy of $120 per night for Nov. 8-10, 2019- so about $20 more than #1, which also quoted that date. They are, however, the only one that explicitly included a hot breakfast buffet for up to four people per room.

This hotel is located next to candidate #3 and across the highway from #1.

Unlike #2 & 3, they have free parking (like #1) and they also have no airport shuttle.

Their meeting room cost for the weekend is half that of #2 and about 50% more than #3. If we decide to pin down for a different weekend, I can probably get a new quote, but I expect it will be similar.

Thoughts?

-In Deos Confidimus

The post Hotel Rates and Dates from Venue Candidate #4 appeared first on Hearthingstone.

Sadly, this hotel has fewer dates available (or quoted fewer). I haven’t spoken with the rep there- they called, but didn’t leave a message.

$100-110 for Single/Double

• August 23-25
• December 20-22 (Also quoted by #2)
• December 27-29 (Also quoted by #2)
• January 3-5, 2020 (Also quoted by #1 & #2)

It turns out this hotel does not have an airport shuttle as we thought; however, they do have a local shuttle that goes out 2 miles.

As far as meeting room costs, this hotel’s total price is equal to the daily price for VC #2. On the other hand, this hotel charges for parking- in this case $15+ per day. VC #1 does not, but #2 does.

I feel like I need to get a couple of other quotes from smaller hotels and then decide on a date and venue. But, smaller hotels wouldn’t have a lot of room to grow and we’d definitely have to cap registrations.

Thoughts?

-In Deos Confidimus

The post Hotel Rates and Dates from Venue Candidate #3 appeared first on Hearthingstone.

Here are the best rate dates that I received from them:

$100-110 for Single/Double

• June 28 – 30
• July 5 – 7 (Independence Day weekend) [Cheapest]
• July 26 – 27
• December 20-22
• December 27-29

$110-120 for Single/Double

• August 2 – 4
• January 3 – 5, 2020 (Also shown for VC #1)

As with Venue #1, the contact person was conscientious and the facility has a lot of room to grow. It does have a free airport shuttle (it’s right there, after all) and is on the Route 20 bus route to downtown in case people want to see the sights or go out on the town after the sessions.

Sadly, the per day meeting room rate is WAY more than expected- about twice the rate for Venue Candidate #4 and three times Venue Candidate #3. Perhaps I’m misunderstanding “per day” or they misquoted, but still… wow.

As part of my due diligence, I reached out electronically to a number of other hotels in Austin. Some declined, for various reasons. I’m waiting to hear from the others.

Thoughts on any of these dates in case I find them elsewhere?

-In Deos Confidimus

The post Hotel Rates and Dates from Venue Candidate #2 appeared first on Hearthingstone.

Under $100 (Barely)

• April 19 – 21 (Also being considered by someone else- Easter)
• June 14 – 16
• July 12 – 14
• November 8 – 10 (Veterans’ Day weekend)
• January 3 – 5, 2020

$100-120

• April 5 – 7 (Would have to start late on Friday)
• April 26 – 28 (Would be using less than my preferred rooms)
• May 30 – June 2
• July 26 – 28
• November 1 – 3
• January 10 – 12, 2020

Over $120

• January 17 – 19, 2020 (MLK Day weekend)
• January 24 – 26, 2020

So far, the staff contact has been wonderful and I like the space. However, it turns out that they don’t have a free airport shuttle. With perhaps 80% of our attendees coming from out of the area, we’d need to think about options.

It’s been a really busy week at day job, but I need to reach out to at least a couple of other hotels. I found one right at the airport, but would that be too noisy?

Thoughts on the dates above? I’d like to aim at the cheaper end if possible, but so far no dates are jumping out at me as ideal.

-In Deos Confidimus

The post Hotel Room Estimates From Venue Candidate #1 appeared first on Hearthingstone.

It is located within walking distance (1/2 mile or less) of a number of restaurants, two movie theatres (including an artsy one), and is directly next to an old shopping mall that is being redeveloped into a mixed-use center including a community college, apartments, shops, and the like. It is one of four hotels in the vicinity that I’ve been interested in, and is the most walkable of the four.

That said, this part of town is fairly far from the airport and I don’t think this hotel offers a free airport shuttle. I need to remember to ask next time we talk. At least one hotel nearby does. The route from the airport isn’t complicated, but for those who don’t or don’t want to drive it could be an issue.

On the other hand, it’s the closest hotel to the Greyhound bus terminal, being a little more than a block away. As far as mass transit, there is a red line train (to downtown) stop about a 7/10 mile walk away. The route 350 bus stops a bit closer, but it’s still a hike. Given Austin (and Texas) mass transit in general, this isn’t bad, but it’s probably further than folks used to good transit systems expect to carry bags- especially if it’s a warmer time of year!

Speaking of times of year, I got a list of possible dates for this hotel. We cut off March of 2019 and earlier to leave enough time for planning and getting enough attendees. March and October are also the two craziest months for hotel space in Austin, apparently.

Here are the dates that the hotel is costing out for us:

• April 5 – 7 (Would have to start late on Friday)
• April 19 – 21 (Also being considered by someone else- Easter)
• April 26 – 28 (Would be using less than my preferred rooms)
• May 30 – June 2
• June 14 – 16
• July 12 – 14
• July 26 – 28
• November 1 – 3
• November 8 – 10 (Veterans’ Day weekend)

August, interestingly, was booked solid. According to the hotel, it’s usually dead, but in 2019 it’s filled up. That might be for the best, given our summertime temperatures.

As far as other events, it looks like there are three possible conflicts amongst the events I’ve found. Spring Mysteries runs April 18-21. Mystic South is in-between the two July dates. Spiritfire hasn’t released their 2019 dates, but it’s usually in mid-July as well.

Of course, for those engaged in Celtic reconstructionism, the first weekend in November might easily create a scheduling conflict. So too for those practicing Mexican traditions. While Austin does have a large Dia de los Muertos celebration, attending it isn’t the reason for the conference.

The following weekend could be tight for folks whose work includes services timed around Veterans’ Day.

That’s my report for today.

-In Deos Confidimus

The post Venue Candidate #1 appeared first on Hearthingstone.

First of all, after some careful review, the downtown hotels are just too damned expensive. For every hotel that I’ve considered, I tried to price a room with a king bed for the last weekend in October 2018 (just a consistent date several months away, not a date I’m considering). The cheapest hotels I could find downtown with adequate space were nearly $300 a night! Some were as high as $600- NO FRICKIN’ WAY!

My best results were in the north-central parts of Austin. These areas have been experiencing a lot of rebuilding, both from gentrification (bad) and renewal of old industrial/commercial areas into more modern uses (good). There are also some traditional conference hotels in this area with fairly reasonable pricing, though I worry about going to someplace that’s too big right out of the gate. For example, one place that runs about $155 a night (most places are usually cheaper if booked for a conference) has around 24,000 square feet of meeting space!

That’s too big. The first Hearthingstone would be a drop in the bucket for them, so we’d have a hard time negotiating.

On the other hand, I’ve identified a couple of promising venues, though each presents their own challenges.

One has just under 2,000 sqft of indoor meeting spaces (and a 1,500 sqft pavillion) available, plus outdoor fire pits and a fairly reasonable pet policy. It’s also about a mile from a large Whole Foods. It’s located in a reclaimed industrial area that’s been converted into a mixed-use development. But it’s also the more expensive of the two, starting at $179 (they advertise $149 for groups of 10+), which is pretty cheap for the rather upscale development it’s in.

The other is a suites-only hotel (many with kitchens!) with a decidedly “green” bent, fireplaces in many of the rooms, and a distinctly cheaper price tag- $119 a night! That’s before any consideration of group discounts. They’re big on hypoallergenic cleaning, organic food, solar panels, and they even have an electric car charging station (there’s a Tesla charging station going in around the corner, too.).

The downside? They don’t really do meetings.

Their only meeting room seats about 35 people, max. They have a dining room, and a nice fireplace in their lobby- but those aren’t reservable as private space. Going here would mean booking extra rooms just as meeting spaces, and I’m not sure how well that would work.

That said, their suites would make travel a LOT cheaper for people because of the kitchens- plus some of their suites sleep up to 5. That’s $159 (+tax) split up into about $32 a night per person, which makes attendance more affordable for many folks. I haven’t yet heard about their pet policy, though.

I’ve reached out to both venues, though I’m strongly considering the latter if I can figure out a way to accommodate the meeting space needs. Also, Google Maps shows a “church” at the same address, so I’ll need to assess these folks’ openness to a polytheist leadership conference. It could just be an old listing. Both are within half a mile of bus stops requiring only one transfer from the airport bus, so that’s a plus!

On the downside for smoking attendees, just about everywhere in Austin seems to be non-smoking. On the upside for non-smoking attendees… just about everywhere in Austin seems to be non-smoking.

Whew- lots and lots of hotels looked at!

Now to see if I can work something out with any of them…

Thoughts?

-In Deos Confidimus

The post Hotels – Refining the List appeared first on Hearthingstone.