Newsletter #31

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MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR

Loving Greetings to each one of you,

A poem by Hafez begins with this line: “You have not danced so badly, my dear, trying to hold hands with the Beautiful One,” (rendered by D. Ladinsky).
        Upon a recommendation from a friend, I recently went to a tango class—not expecting that it would be difficult. What I did not know at the time was that it was the fourth week of an advanced class! It seemed a perfect metaphor for doing Baba’s work: He places us into situations over which we have little control and in which we may lack experience or skills. And yet, we are asked to step in, to find the rhythm, and to trust the lead—the Divine Lead—constantly and wholeheartedly.
        The highlight of this quarter is the rebirth of Meher Archive’s hundred-year-old building. We received our certificate of occupancy and, at long last, we are opening the doors to the second floor, where we will begin archiving in earnest! This milestone has required faith in Baba’s overarching plan—unseen and unknown—as well as a willingness to engage in discussion, debate, and collaboration, and to listen closely to our inner knowing for solving problems that sometimes remain in shadow.
        And once again, we are all pivoting. Our prior focus on construction has shifted to moving in and creating a new rhythm of working together in person. Like dancers learning new choreography, we are adjusting our steps, attuning to one another, and discovering grace in the shared movement.
        Because of your interest, attention, and generosity to our organization, we have reached this major goal—with other ones in sight. We thank you.
        Gratitude is the operational word now. Looking back over the seven years it has taken to open the building, I see a long line of many who have offered their time and talents in all the realms required for this massive project: visioning, organizing, structuring, reconstructing, and much more. To each one of you, I say, “Thank you!”
         As we move through the dance of change, I look to Baba to guide our steps—pausing at each turn to draw inspiration and to feel deeply His rhythm.
        In this spirit we have welcomed additional changes this quarter, including the hiring of an experienced archivist, Polly Rolman-Smith, whose profile appears in this newsletter. We are delighted with this change as we navigate forward, listening intently for Baba’s wishes.
        In a podcast with Filis Frederick about doing Baba’s work, she emphasized the importance Baba placed on working in groups, and how that requirement in Baba’s plan puts us in good stead toward His primary goal of eliminating the ego.
Though the work is sometimes arduous, it is also necessary, creative, and even fun. I invite all of us to hop on His ship of love—or perhaps to step onto His dance floor—for a journey into the mystery of His grace.
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In His Loving Embrace,
Evie 
[email protected]
203.915.8017

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BUILDING RENOVATION PROGRESS
by Hugh Huntington

Moving Forward with New Spaces and New Faces

We are thrilled to share wonderful news with the Baba community. After persevering through seven years of numerous delays, we have officially received our Certificate of Occupancy from Buncombe County! Having navigated through the final inspections with the fire marshal, elevator inspector, and building inspector, the long-awaited certificate seemed to appear as if by magic. Completing the new roof over the auditorium marked the last major hurdle, followed by smaller finishing touches such as fire extinguisher checks and emergency exit maps.

​With two successful weekend moves on August 23rd and September 6th, we’ve officially completed our transition into the second floor! This milestone was made possible by the generosity of our volunteers. We are deeply grateful to all who helped, including Jana Weed, Tim Garvin, Wilson Van Winkle, Leon Kestenbaum, Jeanne Felknor, Scott Tower, Chris Barker, and many others who gave their time and energy.

​​We are also delighted to welcome our new caretakers, Jayna LaViolette and Nick Gerardo, who recently moved from Michigan’s Upper Peninsula to join us. Jayna is the niece of Jeanne Felknor and Peter Nordeen.

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ARCHIVES CORNER
by Polly Rolman-Smith

​Note From the New Archives Manager: Polly Rolman-Smith

Polly here, the new Archives Manager of the Meher Archive Collective. I am very excited to be starting this new journey, setting up such an interesting and unique archive in a beautifully restored building. I come from a long background in museums and archival work and am honored to have this opportunity (to learn a little more about my background, see the interview by Michael Ivey in this newsletter). 

Since I started in this position just about two months ago, I have been busy assessing our archival holdings, meeting volunteers and collaborators, configuring our new archival database, planning many different projects, prepping for the move and setup of the archival spaces, and learning about the life and work of Meher Baba. It has been a whirlwind of learning and preparation for what will be a state-of-the-art archival facility. 

Thanks to the tireless efforts of our volunteers, our one-hundred-year-old building is finally ready for us to move in and begin processing the collection for long-term storage. We have an immense amount of work to do, but have an incredible space to work in – individual rooms dedicated to different aspects of the archival process, highly secure storage areas, and ideal storage conditions. 
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Look for regular updates in future newsletters on our progress, in addition to collections highlights and other content related to our work. I look forward to preserving our unparalleled collection and making it accessible, whether through digitization efforts or in-person research when we can welcome you to our facility!

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MEHER ARCHIVE PROFILE
by Michael Ivy

Meher Archive Welcomes Our New Archivist, Polly Rolman-Smith

Meher Archive is pleased to announce the hiring of a new Archivist, Polly Rolman-Smith. Polly hails from New Orleans, having moved to Asheville three years ago.

I talked to Polly today about her professional background, academic accomplishments and her interest in the life of Meher Baba. After our conversation I can say that Meher Archive is very lucky to have her on staff! Looking over her resume, one can only say ‘Wow!’ at such an impressive list of responsibilities and duties, indicative of her flexibility, intellect, and motivation.
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Prior to her family’s move to Asheville, Polly held the positions of Director of Curatorial Services and Curator of Science and Technology for the Louisiana State Museum, where she oversaw a collection of over 500,000 objects, in addition to a large archive called the Louisiana Historical Center. She brings great knowledge of archival work in general and the digitizing of documents in particular.

​​Polly was previously employed as the Executive Director of the Asheville Museum of History, but felt like the Archivist position with Meher Archive was more suited to both her talents and interest. When you get to meet her, I’m sure you’ll find her delightful, interesting and highly motivated.

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VOLUNTEER UPDATE
by Cheryl Johnson

Our Transcription Project is Taking Off

Behind every worthy achievement is a dedicated team and our volunteers are no exception! Since January, we’ve been busy developing methods and procedures for our archival projects. We welcomed volunteers who had worked on transcriptions before Claire’s departure and met with Ray Lee of MandaliHall.org to learn their techniques.

We’ve been building our own style guide, exploring file management options, and working closely with Polly, our Archives Manager, to refine procedures and protocols. With a few new volunteers on board, our roles and processes are now clearly defined.
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We’ve also started proofreading past transcriptions to prepare them for public access. Thanks to all our volunteers for their dedication. Your work is helping make this collection accessible to everyone!

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LIBRARY UPDATE
by Anne Barker

Discovering Hidden Gems in Our Library Collection

Book donations are coming into the library, and it is fascinating to explore items that people have stored away for decades. Recently, I opened a box and discovered volume five of the original, first-edition Discourses. That was wonderful in itself. However, when I opened the book, I found a photograph of Meher Baba with an inscription on the back stating that Malcolm Schloss had sent it along with one of his poems. Included with the photograph was also a printed notice announcing the soon-to-be-published book Avatar by Jean Adriel.

These precious materials will be placed in the archive, and the book will reside in the Rare Books section of the library. All of these will be ready for researchers when the time is ripe.

Card announcing Jean Adriel’s forthcoming book, Avatar. The book was published in 1947.

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TECH UPDATE
by John Dalisky

Laying the Groundwork for Technology in Our New Home

We’re excited to announce that the Meher Archive IT/IS group will be on-site at the building in September to set up the technological infrastructure that is essential for the work of our Archive and Library teams, as well as for walk-in researchers. This is a significant step forward in our mission to preserve and make accessible the Meher Archive collection.

Our team will be installing Microsoft PCs, Apple computers, scanners, and printers for Archive staff, along with dedicated workstations for visiting researchers.

To ensure smooth operations, we’re implementing a robust network system that will provide internet connectivity throughout the facility. This system will also allow our IT/IS team to provide remote support, ensuring that any technical issues are resolved quickly and efficiently.

In addition, a comprehensive information storage solution is being put in place to provide long-term data storage. Both on-site and cloud-based storage will safeguard our digital assets against hardware failures or local disasters, ensuring their long-term safety and integrity.
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Keep an eye on our next newsletter for updates and photos from this important project!

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PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES
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Save the Date – October 12 – for a Housewarming

Meher Archive Housewarming Party
​You are invited to join us
for an array of refreshments - music to lift the spirit
tours of our beautiful new home - dhuni to gather and reflect
family-friendly fun for all ages - and more!

More details to come.

Dhuni
Our next Dhuni will be on Friday, September 12, at 5 p.m. on the lawn of the Meher Archive building. To all musicians, poets, storytellers, and lovers of the Beloved—your heartfelt offerings are warmly welcome at the Dhuni. Whether through music, verse, or sacred story, your expression is a gift to the gathering. If you feel moved to lead the sharing following arti—this month or in the future—please reach out by email at [email protected]

In Touch with Meher Archive
The program “In Touch with Meher Archive Collective – Cherishing Meher Baba’s Legacy” is a bi-monthly series featuring a variety of topics related to preserving Baba’s legacy. All are welcome to join us on BabaZoom.net for our next live program on Saturday, October 25, at 11:00 a.m. Details will be shared soon.

YouTube 
Visit Meher Archive Collective’s YouTube channel and check out:​

• Four videos from the SE Gathering with Merwan Dubash 
• “In Touch with Meher Archive” program from June 7: Christine Pearson and Bob Ahrens share stories of Mehera and Meherazad, hosted by Evie Lindemann.  
• “In Touch with Meher Archive” program from August 23: Fereshtah Azad introduces her translations of Hafez, Baba's favorite Persian poet. 
• Roger & Scott's Big Overland Trek - Scott O'Neil and Roger Stephens tell the story of their eventful overland trip to India in 1973

Coming very soon on our channel:

• Q&A with Peter Nordeen and Ward Parks from August 9th

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BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Evie Lindemann, President: [email protected]
Hugh Huntington, Secretary: [email protected]
Anne Barker, Director: [email protected]
Bruce Felknor, Director: [email protected]