Outdoor Events Now Permitted
Indoor events at Sacramento Dharma Center (SDC) are still on hold due to coronavirus, but we are now allowing limited outdoor meetings on the grounds of the Center. Sanghas were given the green light at the end of September and scheduling for outdoor events is underway.
To keep everyone safe, organizers and participants must follow a set of guidelines developed by SDC’s Committee on Re-opening. For example, participants must be fully masked and must stay six feet from other participants at all times. The bathrooms will be open, but socially-distanced queues must be maintained. A sangha member who has undergone training in the SDC safety protocols must be present and ensure that the guidelines are being followed.
Scheduling at least three days in advance is crucial as only one outdoor event per day may be held on the property. Only groups that have previously met in the SDC and are sponsored by one of the sanghas or SDC may schedule an event.
The complete protocols governing outdoor use will soon be posted on our website, sacdharma.org. To have an event coordinator trained and schedule an event, please go to https://sacdharma.org/scheduling/.
Valley Streams Zen Sangha held an outdoor retreat on October 10th
Indoor Re-opening Not on the Horizon
Resumption of indoor meetings at the Center is not likely in 2020. After taking into account the sentiments of many members of the sangha community and the level of coronavirus risk in the larger community, the SDC Committee on Re-opening (made up of health professionals and members of each of the sustaining sanghas) concluded that the time was not yet right. The committee is now on stand-by and will be called back to develop policies guiding indoor use when re-opening the building seems warranted.
New signs!
Video Streaming is Here to Stay
Our three sustaining sanghas had to adapt quickly and go online at the start of the pandemic. Chances are that video streaming of events will continue and become a permanent component of in-person events even after indoor meetings resume. To prepare for this hybrid future, the Center is purchasing the equipment necessary to conduct interactive video meetings via platforms like Zoom and to transmit live-streamed events. All this technology (a video camera, a laptop, and microphones) will be placed on a portable video cart and will be available for use by trained sangha members. SDC’s Wi-Fi system has also been upgraded to provide better coverage throughout the building and our internet service has been upgraded to provide faster speed. We owe a big thanks to the members of the Audio-Visual Committee.
New signs part 2
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