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resting on a "Board" foundation comprising founding, past and current "boards," from which hung the fruit of many VASTA symbols, two attached balloons symbolizing Dorothy Runk Mennen "giving birth to us all"; for "We, the People/United We Stand" an international diorama in miniature delicately constructed of an ocean, clay continents connected by button paths, pipe cleaner people brandishing native flags, and sprinklings of glitter and rose petals; for Professional Validity/Advocacy a brick supporting the VASTA logo modeled in clay, nested in long grasses, which supported soaring, sculpted wings or hands, ringed with pink feathers, which gave rise to a branching flower with bonsai delicacy and a single rose; for "Communications" three hearts paged together in a triangle to represent the act of writing and speaking as putting one's heart and soul into a message and hoping the message will be received by the heart and soul of another.

Candace called a halt to our creating, commenting that never had she known a group to use so many found objects to realize their vision, and each group explained the symbolism of their creations. In discussing the symbols' relevance to our organization we rediscovered the old adage that in some cases a picture is worth a thousand words. Candace remarked that our creations revealed the board-centeredness of our organization, an idea which would be addressed in later deliberationl. Individuals circulated from creation to creation, examining, discussing, and photographing our handiwork.

After a coffee break Candace embarked on a discussion of VASTA's future. She outlined a common organizational model with a "problem-dependent" orientation to the world, as depicted below:

problem anxiety action

This is a model in which action is motivated by anxiety, which doesn't solve a problem but leads to a cycle. Candace proposed a preferable model, a "creative, empowered" orientation to the world, with VISION, like this:

vision passion action

In this "creative tension" model VASTA would set the vision quite specifically, rather than indulging in

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ineffective "word-smithing." Candace posed three pointed questions: "How will we recognize our vision when we get there?" "What will we be doing?" and "What will people say about it?", putting the following model on a flip chart:

Candace then invited us to step outside and change something on our persons. We returned to the conference room and Candace said, "OK. It's eight years later. It's 2005. What has happened? How does VASTA look?" We broke into small groups and in a fugue state spun such flights of fancy as dreams are made on. Our ideas ranged from the absolutely inconceivable (methods of underwater breathing) to the inter-galactic. The construct of leaping into the future gave us the free rein to create which is usually quashed by systems, bureaucracies and hierarchies. I thank my stars I happened to be in Dorothy Mennen's group to share an unforgettable moment. The sheer audacity of some of the suggestions (I think it was with VASTA's new alphabet, the "VASTABET" that we lost her.) sent her into such uncontrollable paroxysms of laughter and tears that she had to excuse herself. Astonishingly, many of the farthest-fetched ideas clicked into place as integral components of our vision. Probably not, however, one group's notion that VASTA would grow to an organization of 10,000 members!

Candace reconvened us and wrote each of our ideas on a flip chart. Much laughter ensued, but a pattern to be taken seriously emerged as well. Again we broke into small groups, the assigned task to choose the five most important goals. Amazingly, each of the groups chose the same five goals, a symmetry which seemed born not of "violent agreement" but of soulful, discernment. Candace

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