Charity jump advice

[bedehazlet 0]

Hi, everyone. I've only done one (tandem) jump but the experience has left me with an unexpectedly vivid yearning to continue in the sport, as I'm sure you'll all understand.

As a monk, though, going about this is far from straightforward. As far as I know I'm the only member of the Benedictine Order who has any interest in skydiving!

It occurs to me that it might be feasible to structure AFF lessons as an ongoing fund-raiser for our Abbey newsletter, which I edit (printing this costs about $20,000 a year and subscriptions are free).

Most charity jumps seem to involve many jumpers, each raising funds for just one jump. What I have in mind would be more or less upside-down: one jumper raising funds associated with an indefinite series of jumps (AFF levels 1-7? the remaining jumps required for an A-License? beyond?).

I would welcome any advice you may want to share: does this sound feasible? legitimate? absurd? dodgy?

I can't so far think of any other way of going about this that would be compatible with the peculiarities my monastic commitments entail: funding my instruction by the sweat of my brow seems best of course, but the income from my work goes to the monastic community as a whole; so while I'm personally penniless my needs are provided for from communal resources. Skydiving probably doesn't count as a "need," however imperative the desire to do it may be!

Working the skydiving into a way of raising funds for something related to my work as a monk seems promising to me but I'm quite without experience of such things and would be grateful for insights derived from your own.

Peace.

Bede Hazlet, OSB
St. Andrew's Abbey
Valyermo, CA

[popsjumper 2]

In a nutshell....Sell.

Sell yourself, sell your dream, sell your proposal to companies and individuals.

Build a proposal and presentation of what you are doing, how you are doing and why you are doing it.

Focus selling efforts first on those most closely associated with your Benedictine Order and then out into the rest of the world.

Do not let refusals discourage you

My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239

[DiverMike 5]

Sounds like you would make a better skydiver than a monk. Didn't you vow that the time given by God is not wasted but in whichever way necessary used in his service, whether for prayer, work, meals, spiritual reading, sleep.

I'm not sure how skydiving falls into any of those above categories.

p.s. I would make a lousy monk.

For the same reason I jump off a perfectly good diving board.

[JackC1 0]

That's a tough one. I couldn't morally justify getting a charity to pay, even once, for something I consider fun.

[Maxx 1]

Create a trademark out of yourself, something like "the flying monk". Create logos, T-shirts, mugs and stuff and get some TV show pay you for your AFF. This will get some attention for the good cause and your course will get paid.

[wmw999 2,123]

Every time people make a charity jump (e.g. Jump for the Cause), some money was spent on the jumps, and some went directly to the cause. Monies spent in legitimate fundraising are considered to be legitimate expenses.

Someone whose life is dedicated to a charity (e.g. a monk) is just a human as anyone else. He's trying to find a way to justify his jumping -- if more money ends up coming into the order because of his jumps than would have otherwise, then wouldn't it be considered a legitimate charitable cause?

If he broaches it as a "I want to jump and the only way to do so is to get charity to pay for it" then it does sound pretty tacky. OTOH, if he says "I'd like to raise money for my cause by doing something I love" then he's like millions of other walkers, runners, jumpers, and others who do things for a cause.

Wendy P.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[adamUK 3]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stn8JKp5zAY

[DiverMike 5]

There is a reason it is called "a higher calling". He has already committed his life to a cause to such a degree I can't even begin to understand it. He is nothing at all like millions of other walkers, runners, etc who on occasion do good things.

He is a Monk, for Christ's sake (pun intended). I am completely clueless about how much fun Monks are supposed to have, but I guess things have changed a lot. I'm sort of surprised he is allowed to waste time being on a DZ.com rather than giving glory to God.

Please don't consider my flippant attitude as a sign of disrespect to those who follow a higher calling. It just ain't me babe.

For the same reason I jump off a perfectly good diving board.

[cocheese 0]

Change your religion to "skydiver" for best results.

Like someone suggested above, Cutaway.

[bedehazlet 0]

Thanks for the encouragement!

[bedehazlet 0]

Thank you, DiverMike, for this frank assessment. Certainly I'm not the monk I could be, but the monastic tradition is very optimistic! Over the course of a lifetime and with the help of grace all kinds of things are possible...

More to the point, though, I don't think fruitful leisure is a waste of time or incompatible with monastic vows; in fact I think it helps you pray, work, and be of service to people more effectively. But of course skydiving is not the only kind of fruitful leisure!

[bedehazlet 0]

A very austere ethic, JackC1; you put your finger on a real concern of mine. I want to proceed with integrity and this is one of the things I was hoping people might offer their opinions on. I do think wmw999, below, has a point though. Must ponder this.

[bedehazlet 0]

The flying monk! I like that; not sure about the T-shirts and mugs, though... I'm much appreciative of the suggestions.

[bedehazlet 0]

Thank you for this thoughtful response, Wendy; there does seem to be a fine line!

[bedehazlet 0]

Some rather monastic insights in that clip, AdamUK! In some ways solemn profession was a bit like cutting away in this sense and in an ongoing way I think cutting away the bullshit is a good idea. I find, though, that the anchor-point of monastic commitment and its demands makes liberation on various other levels possible, paradoxically - speaking only for myself.

[bedehazlet 0]

I'm not sure it's a "higher calling," DiverMike; just a different one. Each person's calling (or range of possible callings) involves the set of things needed for that person to become fully him- or herself, which I do think gives glory to God and makes the person more available to the needs of others - the neighbor, society as a whole. For some of us that set of things can be found in a monastery; for most they'll be found elsewhere.

I do have SOME spare time to waste (or invest) on a forum like this...

[bedehazlet 0]

I'm thinking inter-religious dialogue might be better, cocheese...

[TheRealOps7 0]

What about using your (God given?) skills to perform a task of value to others, and in exchange receive compensation for your efforts that can be used at your discretion.

In short, getting a job.

[oldwomanc6 38]

How have others of your order dealt with a pursuit that wasn't strictly necessary? Who makes the decision if funds are to be spent?

How did you fund your first jump; is a similar road able to be taken to continue jumping?

Sorry for the barrage of questions, but I'm sure I'm not the only one who has no idea how such a life and commitment such as yours works on a practical level.

lisa
WSCR 594
FB 1023
CBDB 9

[DiverMike 5]

Quote

. . .but I'm sure I'm not the only one who has no idea how such a life and commitment such as yours works on a practical level.

+1

And please don't consider any of my comments judgemental. They come from a lack of understanding on how your life works. I am the last person on the planet who can determine what makes a 'good Monk'.

For the same reason I jump off a perfectly good diving board.

[obelixtim 100]

Interesting. There must be a way.

Join the military as a Padre maybe....

Maybe the TV option is a good one, it is sufficiently different to maybe create some interest from a production company.

Are there not a few God oriented channels in the US?.

You could say you are interested in experiencing the heavens by going to altitude to be closer to God....

Good luck anyway. Hope it happens for you....

My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

[wolfriverjoe 1,341]

The biggest hurdle I see is how to continue it. Most charity events are either one time deals or annual events.

It's not too hard to get people to donate once. The good old "How much would you donate to see me do a jump?" is a popular theme. I've been involved in that a few times.

There are several annual fund raiser events. John Mitchell and his wife Valinda organize the "Leap for Lupus" event every year. It's a big event that is combination of first timers and experienced jumpers doing a variety of things.

But getting people to donate for your entire AFF and subsequent jumping is a bit of a stretch, even if part of the proceeds go to a good cause (the newsletter).

I have no clue what rules/policies/conventions your order operates under, but is it possible for you to do extra outside work that you would be allowed to devote to jumping? Perhaps some sort of publicity thing (although I've got a funny feeling that your order would frown on some sort of "Flying Monk" tv show )

Alternatively, you might try to see if you could work out a deal with the DZ and trade work for jumps. It's really, really common for a DZ to get that question, but your case is a bit different, and maybe they would be willing to work with you. It doesn't hurt to ask.

I could see the humor in having a monk working manifest, or out on the packing mat

Good luck.

"There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy

"~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

[bedehazlet 0]

I do actually work, TheRealOps7; I just don't "receive compensation" that I can use "at my discretion." And I'm content with that - I've freely chosen a communal way of life. It just creates a puzzling situation if you're interested in skydiving!

[bedehazlet 0]

No need to apologise for your questions, Lisa! I appreciate the interest in my inquiry - which, by the way, I hope isn't so off-topic here as to count as trolling. That's certainly not what I intend.

Nobody else in my monastery has wanted to pursue anything quite like this. Our Abbot makes most decisions about the allocation of funds, and while he tires to encourage monks' interests this one probably seems a bit bizarre in the monastic world (though I think there can definitely be a mystical dimension to it!).

On my first jump I was the guest of a friend.

[bedehazlet 0]

Dude, no offence taken, DiverMike! Nuns and monks make up such a tiny proportion of the population that we certainly don't expect people to have a sense of what our life is about. And I realize that from a certain point of view (not necessarily yours) our way of life can seem absurd (at best) or societally parasitic (at worst).