The FSA has been receiving numerous enquiries from our members who are concerned that generic terms relating to Forest School may be in the process of being trademarked. The directors of the FSA are now considering this issue and will respond to members after taking legal advice.
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Thanks for that Sam. The very reason the FSA was formed was to continue to build and further support the FS ‘community’ you are talking about and as you say we are all trying our best. It has certainly been a steep learning curve for me. It has taken some courage to take on a bit of a mantel and work hard at making mistakes, as you so eloquently say, trying to uphold a professional integral approach and, at the same time, work in a Forest School ‘community’ way – this ‘stuff’ takes time.
Awesome thanks
Jason Hardwick I have now unlocked the post so that non-member can also see it.
The FSA has indeed used generic names in its trade marks as well as using the plural of your name.
Please bear this in mind during your discussions.
The vast majority of FS practitioners are not yet members of the FSA and are keenly looking at your response to see whether you seek to represent ALL even handedly or whether you are discriminatory in your approach.
Many thanks
However, unlike the company/s in question (Archimedes/FSE), the FSA has never sought to stop FS practitioners from using the generic terms Forest School/s as part of their business name. I think that is the concern amongst the vast majority of FS practitioners who have recently been debating on facebook (https://www.facebook.com/groups/1402371313314666/) and who I believe, coming as they do from a wide cross section of the FS community, ARE representative of the majority. I personally see no problem in your business trademarking the name Archimedes Forest Schools Kindergarten Training, for example.
Well said Jan. I agree.
Hi Andrew,
‘vast majority’ seems a little- rhetoric.
It would be so good if we could all move forward, from compliance- to community ethics. It could be seen as a great opportunity for us all to reflect on our stuff and, move forward a bit. We all seem to be stuck in using methods of compliance- rather than community found, based, ethics. I guess when money comes in to equation- it is hard for people. I tell you- the FS movement- is full of very passionate people, that is what led me to it- 10 yrs ago-
I met some people and said to myself- I want to do what they are doing- actually in 2002 maybe- 12 years ago. And I carried that memory of forest school passion and wanting to qualify, with me for 12 years now. Touched me on a very deep, profound level. I took my son and daughter to a session and it blew me away!
It would be good for us all to strive for healthy, safe peaceful union, however- on a greater, macrocosmic level- all of us are a micro cosmic reflection of everything that is happening in the world.
Our lives, our relationships will be fraught, as it is happening world wide and we are all part of the web. We are all connected to everything! Needless to say we have had an earthquake here yesterday! Literally- the ground is shaking beneath our feet- and a lost forest has been recovered- like the Ents!
I think it is good for us in our reflective practce to be aware of the greater picture, and reflect on all of this stuff, how we could have done things differently, if there were to be a next time, what would we do differently and also I think, that the forest school movement, is at the epicentre of a paradigm shift- it is new- we are all striving for the same thing in a way- and it will be rocky- I love this quote ‘“I hope that in this year to come, you make mistakes. Because if you are making mistakes, then you are making new things, trying new things, learning, living, pushing yourself, changing yourself, changing your world. You’re doing things you’ve never done before, and more importantly, you’re Doing Something. So that’s my wish for you, and all of us, and my wish for myself. Make New Mistakes. Make glorious, amazing mistakes. Make mistakes nobody’s ever made before. Don’t freeze, don’t stop, don’t worry that it isn’t good enough, or it isn’t perfect, whatever it is: art, or love, or work or family or life. Whatever it is you’re scared of doing, Do it. Make your mistakes, next year and forever.”
http://themindfulclassroom.wordpress.com/tag/taking-risks/
We are in the trade of risk taking and risk taking is cool right? I think it’s cool that the TM apaprently isn’t happening anymore- I know there are other processes about and I know it is not my place to discuss- but in the middle of all of this- all of this stuff- we are in the middle of this stuff. There are people- with businesses, lives and families and we care so much about it is in our every breath- and we pass that on to our students, what we carry when we work. It isn’t jsut one person who owns a training company that loves this stuff and knows this stuff better than anyone you know. I knwo people and it is their life, passion, it is mine- and it is a way of life. A course of study everyone takes seriously and is actuve in their learning with and they really know it.
How can we work at our best when all this undercurrent is continual. We should all of us be aware of that and be aware that equality is the aim- not claiming best practise over each other- the bee is no better than the Sun- but without the bee- we would be in trouble and without the Sun we would have no bee- we are all working and Archimides and all the other trainers out there- all are doing something they feel passionate about. We should remember- none of us is greater than the other- we are all just humans. Trying our best, acutally, as Jon said one day, do you know at each time, all of us is actually, doing our best!
I just think that I needed to say all of that, and I hope all that flows is for the highest good intention for the young people we work with-, ultimately, they are the future- we are their caretakers and how we conduct ourselves now- is so important as we pare passing on our conduct, our knowledge the way we deal with conflict. All of it. I think we should all just take a breather and remember that. I do. I really do. Seems there has always been fighting for years in this FS movement…we should see if we can all try another way- because I don’t think the old way is healthy for us- how many of us in the world over this last week have gone to bed heavy hearted due to this stuff- I bet you a few!…we could all do with a fire to sit around and a right old good listening to, and always come back to the children we work with and why we choose to do it, it puts all this TM stuff for me as ground level forest school leader- somewhere not on the ground at all- and that is what it is meant to be- groundwork.
Behind the goundwork are marketers looking at all us groundsmen- checking us, stalking us, domian cyber starwars, seeing how we sell ourselves, getting to the top, (their top) , logos, marketing stragtegies.
How can we as individual leaders, work, for the greater love of humanity and our communities and society- how can we actually do that when we are all feeling and dealing with all of this stuff?
That is a question I am thinking about as an individual forest school leader. Really have a good old think about it all because from where I stand I see a giant market place and companies buying and selling us and getting us and – whilst we are trying to educate kids that is not the way- when actually- that is how we are being observed and being observed by the people who sell stuff, and we are the ones who paid to do the training we embarked on.
I need to say something too about the whole FSA thing. I have never been invited by the FSE, or told about it by any local (Devon, Somerset and Cornwall) Forest School/outdoor ed leaders/practitioners) Maybe if I knew someone in the FSE down here I would talk to them about it. I haven’t met any. I have spoken to one FSE member who was abusive to me, told me I knew nothing and she had tried to tell everyone the truth about me at a conference and was told apparently she had the wrong idea about me- she then contacted me a few months late to reinstigate communications. After her losing her temper very easily with me – I decided after reflecting on it all and having a think- it was a good idea to step back from that relationship as it didn’t feel ok. But that is ok- because risk taking and making mistakes meant and means I am out of my comfort zone and I am learning, and comfort zones, are boring anyway- Sooooooooo last decade 😉
Dear Andrew,
I do wonder how much, you bear in mind when you publish public statements referring to Forest School business and practice.
After reading webistes- the co. you work for, always seem to state, you are the dominant market trainers, you have the best reflective practice techniques, you have the best trainers and leaders, which actually, goes completely against, the ethos that we are ideally, aiming to attain.
It is a questionable act, to claim dominance over another- without meeting a person, actually, can be possibly perceived to be quite an aggressive- passive aggressive statement- you know the old classic- ‘I’m ok- you are not ok’ stuff and that is a well known, psychological technique of aggression.
Surely, can we move on from that so we are all ‘ok’ -can’t we? Or do we have to really stay divided? It seems so aggressive- to claim dominance by putting others down, professionally and also- actually- why can’t we have the chance to buy domain names too? Why is it that we can’t have a domain name as individuals- actually- I don’t feel the need for a domain name at all. Even meta- tags are a an issue now- how can we move away from this culture of dominance to create a healthy, ‘garden/forest’ culture? Where we all respected and valued, irrespective of who we trained with?
It is unprofessional and people pick up on it you know. It is lower thinking behaviour. How can we grasp this and hold it, reflect and move forward in a positive, gentle way, where we all feel ok, we all are equal and have a respect for each leaders quals/trainers etc? How can we do that Andrew? Or- is it healthier to leave it like this? For me- it feels not ok. This stuff feels like it has gone on too long.
thank you.
my membership has lapsed and I’m waiting for an invoice..can i not access this without?
Thanks, grateful to hear this