RE: HELP>Name for my garden

J* N* H*

Alex-
Naming is a powerful(power filled) thing.  It should not be taken lightly.
Think of naming babies, dedicating public building, baptismal naming, stage
names, etc.  Dale Carnegie said the most important word in the English
language is a person's name - you do well to remember it.  If  the original
intent of the garden is community involvement, then the community should
name it.  Incidentally, I noticed that you refer to "my" committee, and you
refer to yourself in a decision making role  several times in your
description of the situation.  It's great to have a strong commitment to a
community project, but as long as you think of it and refer to it as your
project, people will tend not to take ownership.  I point this out because
sometimes this dynamic is unconscious.  Back to naming, perhaps people are
not ready to take on that powerful responsibility yet, so they might not
"like" the name you proposed, but aren't prepared to suggest one themselves.
I would take the opportunity to say it is the gardeners' role to name it and
then let it go.  The name will come when it is needed.  Here in Hartford we
have a bar that wasn't named when it opened.  Now there is a sign over the
door "Bar with No Name."  It seems to be doing quite well.
Good luck.
Jack Hale

-----Original Message-----
From:	community_garden-admin@mallorn.com
[community_garden-admin@mallorn.com] On Behalf Of Alex S Thompson
Sent:	Tuesday, July 11, 2000 12:34 PM
To:	communitygarden@mallorn.com
Subject:	[cg] HELP>Name for my garden

Hi, I just started a community garden in Mt. Pleasant and I am struggling
with a name.  My committee did not like the first name P.L.O.T.
(Planting, Learning,and Organizing , Together) Basically, the garden is
comprised of individual plots for people to grow whatever they want.  The
original intent was community involvement, beautifying land, recreation
and fun.  I am using land an an organization that serves the disabled
poplulation.  We made the garden handicapped accesseble.  Anyone in the
community can be involved in creating a garden or growing whatever they
want in their designated space.  All of the individual plots will make a
beautiful garden.  The name of the road it is on is Broadway.  If anyone
has some great ideas, I'm open for lots of suggestions.  Thanks.  B.
Thompson

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