Contents

The basic tools of existence are the hour card, the grid of sixty-four, the POD module and the film crew.

Tools – Hour Cards

The hour card is a representation of the value of one hour of the individual’s time. The hour card provides a photo of the participant and some details as to the skills and knowledge that person brings to the community table. The hour card is used to demonstrate credibility – it is a playing piece that will be placed onto a grid to demonstrate intent to participate in a particular project.

Hour cards are a mechanism for people to exchange work on an equitable basis. Development of a knowledge base is increased by the investment of hours into research. The amount of time applied on task governs the available growth that the individual receives from his effort. Just going through the motions, without taking the time to think and observe, will not give full benefit of action. The development of a routine, where differences are documented, allows us to gather the full breadth of information on the task.

Tools – Grids of 64 and 16

The grid of sixty-four provides the interactive layout for the game of Existence. The surface appears like a checkerboard with themes listed along the horizontal axis and skills listed on the vertical axis. The squares represent the interaction between a theme and a skill. In this manner, all eight themes contain each of the skill sets and all eight skills can be applied to a given theme. Each community sets their own themes and skills – some will be common to all groups while others will be unique to a specific goal.

The grid of sixteen is used to manage the rural skills workshop. This four by four grid lists the specific skills taught at an individual workshop and correlates them with common themes. The grid of sixteen is a manageable form that feeds input to the categories on the grid of sixty-four.

Players place their hour card into a slot on the grid that represents the skill and theme that combine their ability and knowledge. Veteran players commonly decide what workshops will be necessary for the community involved – the items that need to be addressed to ensure that the community has full service. This includes areas of maintaining soils, growing food, harvesting, preparation and storage when the attention is paid to developing rural skills.

The communities do not have to value the same skill sets and projects – there will be chances to barter goods and services at common demonstration events that result from multiple workshops.

Once the people that organize the events have populated the grid, those people interested in learning about a specific project will place their hour cards into the proper slots of the grid. The exchange value of the participants will be determined from the metrics to decide the number of hours that are required for the mentor’s investment. Workshops can be scheduled as soon as there is a critical mass to accomplish the project.

Tools – PODs

The Existence role-playing game presents a package for community living based on developing survival skills. Economy is based on individual expertise contributing group effort to create production, operations and distribution PODs of a component product or process required for successful implementation of eco-community. PODs provide an open-source system for developing a new economy.

As communities develop POD concepts, each brings a different resonance as to how they apply stewardship to the living earth via the tasks and mechanisms developed within that community structure. Each form combines a specific set of modules into an integrated living system that meets various aspects of community need. A POD module contains the necessary components and instruction for constructing one basic item of community value. Every POD is presented through a workshop, where participants exchange time and effort for hands-on experience building constructs that will be duplicated and utilized in multiple communities.

The plan is to develop a working education structure that allows establishment of dynamic process at every location that has basic resources to support the material and consumptive requirements of the participants. Each POD unit contains tools; equipment and information that allow people to roll up their sleeves and assemble process equipment. Different POD modules will be built for fuel, food and fiber growth, energy production, housing construction and water purification.

The design is to create bio-mimetic cyclic systems that leave little waste residue – everything has secondary and tertiary use when placed in the proper form. This involves a balance of flow of material transformation – using sacred geometry, harmonics and chemical ecology integrated into a central theme of health and wellness.

Tools – Film Crew

Communications and documentation are key facets of Existence. Players provide the supporting cast for a movie based on the novel Ecotopia published by Ernest Calembach in 1980. The novel detailed the transformation of the Pacific Northwest into a separate country under its own jurisdiction. There is currently a bioregional movement in Northern California and Southern Oregon attempting to establish the State of Jefferson.

Player will score points for developing cool effects demonstrated via you-tube videos and Internet blogs. Existence will have a home on the net on a social network website. The model is open source.