brainstorming community badges

If you look at some of the other badges posted, you get the general idea.  

Here are some rough ideas to get the list started.  The idea is that there needs to be artifacts created.  Something that anybody can do.  Something that is designed primarily for my property, but can also be done somewhere else (not "anywhere else", but on similar properties).


The beginning of this list:

give a tree a name.  set up a thread for it at permies.   Set up a water proof log and trinket center - possibly a mail box for the tree.  etc. etc. etc.

give a community point of interest a web page.   Add information at the point of interest.

create a private geocaching program with at least six points.   Hopefully this will someday grow into a large, self guided tour.

creating some sort of public art

city repair stuff

creating an annual holiday

name a public point; create signs and art for that point

A bunch more ideas (with the previous ones mashed in)


brand a physical location
   - requires
       - a public thread at permies with pics and some description and story
       - a sign at the location
       - a small bit of art, story or significance
           - arrakis has a sign with an image of a worm
           - plum plateau has lots of plum trees
           - the turtle lot has several turtle sculptures
           - pearl road is named after Paul's grandmother, Pearl Wheaton
   - examples
       - tree
       - structure
       - trail
       - point
       - berm
       - hugelkultur bed
       - pond
       - road
       - freaky big rock
       - cliff
       - gate
       - paddock
       - bench
       - winter sledding spot
brand a piece of equipment
   - requires
       - name
       - the keys carry the name
   - examples
       - ranger doug (our little pickup truck)
       - rex (the excavator)
Upgrade a physical location that has already been branded
   - examples
       - Set up a water proof log and trinket center - possibly a mail box  etc. etc. etc.
       - add art
       - add benches
       - add a small shed for tools, snacks, toys, garbage, seeds, etc.
       - chalk board
       - if appropriate, water
       - if appropriate, electricity
           - music
       - add a covered bench (maybe in combination with the small shed)
       - hugelkultur
       - picnic table
create a private geocaching program with at least six points.  
create a map showing the points of interest
public art
   - Examples
       - fairy hut
       - arch / moon gate
       - wood burning (followed by tung/linseed oil)
       - living willow structure
       - carve an animal into a dead standing tree or into a log that is placed vertically
           - carving is at least 24 inches by 12 inches
           - can be done by projecting line art onto carving surface
create a holiday (which could become annual)
   - Example: knapweed day
       - knapweed bouquets
       - knapweed decorations
       - knapweed bonfire
       - knapweed feast (a dinner with knapweed decorations)
       - knapweed creation contest
       - sharking knowledge of knapweed
       - the knapweed song
       - making knapweed rope
       - knapweed race
       - knapweed baskets
       - more events that require using up the knapweed
   - orchestrate the day to be fun for everybody
   - thread with lots of pics of the event
prepare, serve and cleanup a meal for at least a dozen people
prepare, serve and cleanup a dozen meals for at least a dozen people
set up an educational event
set up a group field trip

Of all the badges I read about until now, this is the only one that can 'fit' things I do!
With our local (neighbourhood) community garden project Permacultuur Meppel we already do some of the things mentioned by Paul.
And possibly we started an annual special day. 'Plantjes Deel Dag' (Plants Sharing Day, or is it Sharing Plants Day?). We had that day this spring, but plan to have it again in 2019 ... and then every year.
I like this
Here's a photo of the community garden

I'd add a generic type of "barn-raising" for community building. I suppose a perma-blitz is another name for a permaculture equivalent, though I think there can be many iterations.
--joining together to provide something for elderly or disabled or disadvantaged neighbors - e.g., I read about a father-son group providing firewood to those who couldn't get their own
--setting up barn-raising, perma-blitz or helping days in a community - might be as simple as "I'll help you this Saturday on your fence, if you help me next Saturday with my rocks"
--babysitting co-op - I was part of a preschool co-op that did this, each parent was given poker chips at the start and we paid out or received poker chips for babysitting time

Inge, your Plant Sharing Day reminds me of a seed exchange - both excellent community building events!

I remember reading something once about a natural building co-op.   The idea is that you help with the full build of six houses, and then it is your turn:  six people will help with the build of your house.

Jocelyn Campbell wrote:
--joining together to provide something for elderly or disabled or disadvantaged neighbors - e.g., I read about a father-son group providing firewood to those who couldn't get their own

Here it is:  A father and his sons cut wood to fill 80 trucks. Then they brought it to homes that needed heat.

Community

I suggest, instead of specific tasks or in addition to them:

- Living with at least four people for a week (weekend?), with people who you have not previously lived with
A one-week/ weekend course would qualify?

- Writing a diary about your experience
- Sharing your diary (when it's ready) with the people you lived with.
- Asking for comments on how you performed as a member of community.
- Writing a conclusion based on the comments and your own writings: what went well, what you would like to improve on  

Some additional ideas:

Make a free book library or other lending library.

Organize a work event with those in your community (hard to get good evidence of this one, though!)

Trade with someone else for something (get a picture of what you traded and what you got in return)

Trade with a neighbor for something they made/grew (get a picture of what you traded and what you got in return)

Create a chore-chart/record how you divide labor in your household/community. Just thinking about who does what--and being grateful for everyone's contributions--is really important to a healthy community.

Help a neighbor with a project or childcare or something they need.

Share surplus with someone

Organize a block/community party!

Find out the names--and hopefully greet--everyone on your street/apartment compelex/block/intentional community

I was really struggling with how many things should go in each badge. Then I found this thread, where Paul says how long each badge should take:

paul wheaton wrote:In general, I think the approximate time to complete a badge would be about:

  sand badge: ~5 hours
  straw badge: ~40 hours (+35 hours over sand, about 4 or 5 days)
  wood badge: ~220 hours (+180 hours over straw, about 4 to 5 weeks)
  iron badge: 1250 hours (+1030 hours over wood, about six months)

So, for the Sand Badge, what are three to five tasks that people could get done in about 5 hours? Looking at the other threads, the things should be relatively beginner-level?

Maybe:

give a tree a name. set up a thread for it at permies. (30 minutes)

Trade with a neighbor for something they made/grew (get a picture of what you traded and what you got in return) (30 minutes?)

Create a chore-chart/record how you divide labor in your household/community. Just thinking about who does what--and being grateful for everyone's contributions--is really important to a healthy community.(30 minutes)

create a map showing the points of interest. Use re purposed and/or natural materials that are durable (1.5-2.5 hours)

Help a neighbor with something and write about how it went and what--if anything--you learned and gained from helping them (2 hours)

Some ideas:
sand badge - spend 5 hours split between the following (max 2 hours per bullet point)

volunteer with a local charity or service group

help a neighbor outside your family with a chore or project

organize a cookout/barbecue/potluck that includes 3 people you don't know (only organizing/prepping time counts, not party time)

attend a local council meeting

straw badge

organize and participate in a small public service event (road/park/beach cleanup, etc)

build a small free library

help a neighbor outside your family with a multi-day project

spend 4 hours at an intentional community

wood badge

organize and participate in the building of a physical public good (community bulletin board, welcome sign, bench,flagpole, etc)

spend 4 full days at an intentional community (can be over a few weekends)

attend 3 local council meetings and speak at at least one

iron badge

found or cofound a community service group or charity, run it for at least 6 months(hopefully longer!) and organize 2 projects/events under it.

spend 2 weeks at an intentional community

participate in a large community building project

help someone run for a political office, or run yourself.

Community Iron Badge Attempt:

To be used as an example for others. If Paul Wheaton does not approve this venue, I understand completely. It is our honor to host this event to a hurting community. Like the Good Samaritain, we refuse to walk by the other side of the road and not see hurting people in our community.


Rock the Flock

Who: Travis and Katie Johnson to benefit Teen Challenge , a Non-Profit Organization, given 100% of everything raised
What: A Benefit concert featuring multiple bands (6 bands), bounce houses for the kids, food served by prison work release inmates, and 100 volunteers from church
When: Every Mid-August
Where: Our farm, that overlooks Mount washington some 150 miles away
Why: To fight the opiote addiction problem in Maine. The 6th worst in the country. The benefit concert now providing over $14,000 in donations from two concert dates (2017/2018)
How: By promoting Rock the Flock all year so more drug addicts can be freeed of opiote addiction

Warning: This video is slightly religious, but highlights the professional nature of this event through professional drone footage. Attendence is around 500 people and growing.

Kyle Bob. I like almost all of your ideas.
There's only one I don't like: doing something 'political'. I prefer to stay 'neutral' in politics, so I won't do any activity that can be called 'political'.

please take a look at what i have come up with so far:

https://permies.com/wiki/101667/PEP-Badge-Community