Forging Our Future, Obedient to the Spirit —
The Chapter Prepatory Commission Chooses Logo and Theme
by Reverend Ronald Oakham,
O.Carm., commission co-chair
The Preparatory Commission for
the 2005 Provincial Chapter of
the Province of the Most Pure
Heart of Mary began its work a year
ago in September. Co-chairs, Bob
Colaresi and Ron Oakham, along with
the other committee members Terry
Cyr, Mike Greenwell, Tom Schrader,
Bill Wert, and Bernhard Bauerle
(liaison from the Provincial Council)
immediately began to work on
selecting a theme and a logo.
Bill Wert recommended reading
the Order’s new Formation manual
(Carmelite Formation: A Journey of
Transformation, also known as the
“Ratio”) as a starting point for our
conversation. Committee members
shared what struck them in their
reading. Each found the text imbued
with the notion of how Carmelites are
called, at every stage of their lives, to
surrender to the transforming power
of the Spirit. In discussing these
passages, the image of “forging” was
used. It soon became the word that
the members referred to throughout
the conversation; thus, it became a focal point for developing the theme
and logo.
Mindful that the Province is
involved with long-range planning,
the conversation moved to “futuring.”
Eventually, the theme began to
emerge: “Forging Our Future.” Terry
Cyr was uncomfortable with using
only that line and prompted the
committee to further refinements.
“Who is forging what?” he asked. The
committee became involved in an
animated discussion sharing what the
phrase meant to each of them. The
suggestion was made to make the
phrase into a sentence. The members
felt the ambiguities of the statement
provided a lot of opportunity for
interpretation, a springboard for sharing among the Province’s
members. However, it was decided
that it probably should not stand
alone. Eventually, the second line
emerged, “Obedient to the Spirit.”
In this form, it was acceptable to all.
With the theme chosen, the
committee then turned to developing
a logo. Mike Greenwell suggested
working with Melton Castro, one of
his friends who is a graphic artist
whose work is in logo design for
Fortune-500 companies. His first
design sparked considerable conversation
resulting in various suggestions
for a modifications or a new design.
The second design began to image
what the committee was trying to
convey. With some further refinement,
a revision of the second design
was presented. Many different levels
of meaning came forth when the
committee members shared what the
symbol evoked in them. Delighted by
its multivalent nature and its definite
Carmelite imagery, the committee
settled on its logo.
With theme and logo in place,
the committee is now concerned with
other details of the Chapter scheduled
for June 20-24, 2005 in Darien, Illinois.
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