History

Hi, James here. I'm the founder/source/caller of Intentional Society, however you'd like to call it. When I retired from my corporate career at the onset of the pandemic, I'd been collecting thoughts and ideas for a decade about how organizations function and grow, while looking for meaning, truth, and the “why?”s of life for a few decades before that. I'd had some transformational experiences in my personal develoment, and I wanted to keep growing, make friends on that same journey, and be of service to humanity. I wrote a calling manifesto of sorts in December 2020, and began weekly meetings of Intentional Society in January 2021. Beginning with a relational practices tour and a healthy does of "but what is it really," we evolved into a seasonal cycle, exploring and optimizing for relational development, eventually adding membership, and now in 2024 reconfiguring our virtual spaces as we launch our first public practice program.

Below you can find records of weekly topics and events spanning our first twelve seasons.

Historical Event Log

Season 12 - Q4 2023

• 2023-12-31 End-of-Year Celebration
• 2023-12-20 Garage Time
• 2023-10-19 through 2023-12-19 IS Builder Squad weekly
• 2023-12-18 Meta Meeting 12.11
• 2023-12-17 Session 12.11 - Reflection, Direction, Appreciation
• 2023-12-11 Meta Meeting 12.10
• 2023-12-10 Session 12.10 - Nine Whys on Important Cares
• 2023-12-04 Meta Meeting 12.9
• 2023-12-03 Session 12.9 - Focusing, Colors & Amplification
• 2023-12-02 Impact Practice Group
• 2023-11-27 Meta Meeting 12.8
• 2023-11-26 Session 12.8 - Relating to Desires
• 2023-11-25 Orientation Session
• 2023-11-20 Meta Meeting 12.7
• 2023-11-19 Session 12.7 - Desire, Telephone Game & Processing
• 2023-11-13 Meta Meeting 12.6
• 2023-11-12 Session 12.6 - Circling
• 2023-11-06 Meta Meeting 12.5
• 2023-11-05 Session 12.5 - Tapping into Source
• 2023-11-04 Orientation Session
• 2023-10-30 Meta Meeting 12.4
• 2023-10-29 Session 12.4 - Impact Zone Exploration
• 2023-10-28 Core Project Exploration
• 2023-10-23 Meta Meeting 12.3
• 2023-10-22 Session 12.3 - Connection Zone Exploration
• 2023-10-16 Meta Meeting 12.2
• 2023-10-15 Session 12.2 - Support Zone Exploration
• 2023-10-09 Meta Meeting 12.1
• 2023-10-08 Session 12.1 - Season of Change Kickoff
• 2023-10-07 Orientation Session

Season 11 - Q3 2023

• 2023-09-30 Orientation Session
• 2023-09-25 Meta Meeting 11.12
• 2023-09-24 Community Practice Session 11.12 - Zones and Change
• 2023-09-18 Meta Meeting 11.11
• 2023-09-17 Community Practice Session 11.11 - Why(s)?
• 2023-09-11 Meta Meeting 11.10
• 2023-09-10 Community Practice Session 11.10 - Giving & Receiving Practice
• 2023-09-04 Meta Meeting 11.9
• 2023-09-03 Community Practice Session 11.9 - Story debugging
• 2023-08-28 Meta Meeting 11.8
• 2023-08-27 Community Practice Session 11.8 - Sphere of awareness
• 2023-08-25 Meta Meeting 11.7
• 2023-08-20 Community Practice Session 11.7 - I can't believe it's not Circling
• 2023-08-19 Orientation Session
• 2023-08-14 Meta Meeting 11.6
• 2023-08-13 Community Practice Session 11.6 - Circling cleanly
• 2023-08-07 Meta Meeting 11.5
• 2023-08-06 Community Practice Session 11.5 - Clean kata
• 2023-08-05 Orientation Session
• 2023-07-31 Meta Meeting 11.4
• 2023-07-30 Community Practice Session 11.4 - Clean Language w/ Gina C
• 2023-07-24 Meta Meeting 11.3
• 2023-07-23 Community Practice Session 11.3 - Crewing & Relaxing
• 2023-07-17 Meta Meeting 11.2
• 2023-07-16 Community Practice Session 11.2 - Doing & Crewing
• 2023-07-10 Meta Meeting 11.1
• 2023-07-09 Community Practice Session 11.1 - Kickoff
• 2023-07-08 Orientation Session
• 2023-07-01 Orientation Session

Season 10 - Q2 2023

• 2023-06-26 Meta Meeting 10.11
• 2023-06-25 Community Practice Session 10.11 - Season Finale
• 2023-06-19 Meta Meeting 10.10
• 2023-06-18 Community Practice Session 10.10 - Giving & Receiving Practice
• 2023-06-17 Orientation Session
• 2023-06-12 Meta Meeting 10.9
• 2023-06-11 Community Practice Session 10.9 - Doing Aliveness
• 2023-06-05 Meta Meeting 10.8
• 2023-06-04 Community Practice Session 10.8 - Alively Learning w/ Caroline A
• 2023-05-29 Meta Meeting 10.7
• 2023-05-28 Community Practice Session 10.7 - Revealing Experience
• 2023-05-22 Meta Meeting 10.6
• 2023-05-21 Community Practice Session 10.6 - T-Group Fishbowl
• 2023-05-20 Orientation Session
• 2023-05-15 Meta Meeting 10.5
• 2023-05-14 Community Practice Session 10.5 - Simple Presence
• 2023-05-09 Meta Meeting 10.4
• 2023-05-07 Community Practice Session 10.4 - Social Tooling (decision-making, retros)
• 2023-05-01 Meta Meeting 10.3
• 2023-04-30 Community Practice Session 10.3 - Crew Formation
• 2023-04-24 Meta Meeting 10.2
• 2023-04-23 Community Practice Session 10.2 - Mini-Cases
• 2023-04-22 Orientation Session
• 2023-04-17 Meta Meeting 10.1
• 2023-04-16 Community Practice Session 10.1 - Kickoff
• 2023-04-15 Orientation Session
• (stopped tracking Circling Practice and other new crews here, too many for this format)

Season 9 - Q1 2023

• 2023-04-06 S10 Design Session
• 2023-04-03 Meta Meeting 9.13
• 2023-04-02 Community Practice Session 9.13 - Retrospective & Reunion
• 2023-04-01 Orientation Session
• 2023-03-27 Meta Meeting 9.12
• 2023-03-26 Community Practice Session 9.12 - Container Struggle
• 2023-03-22 Circling Practice
• 2023-03-20 Meta Meeting 9.11
• 2023-03-19 Community Practice Session 9.11 - Giving & Receiving Practice
• 2023-03-13 Meta Meeting 9.10
• 2023-03-12 Community Practice Session 9.10 - What's missing?
• 2023-03-08 Circling Practice
• 2023-03-04 Watch Party - Rebuilding Society on Meaning
• 2023-03-06 Meta Meeting 9.9
• 2023-03-05 Community Practice Session 9.9 - What's real?
• 2023-03-04 Possibility Engines Game
• 2023-02-27 Meta Meeting 9.8
• 2023-02-26 Community Practice Session 9.8 - Honesty & Sensitivity Dials
• 2023-02-22 Circling Practice
• 2023-02-21 Meta Meeting 9.7
• 2023-02-19 Community Practice Session 9.7 - Exploring Feedback
• 2023-02-13 Meta Meeting 9.6
• 2023-02-12 Community Practice Session 9.6 - Fishbowl T-Groups 2
• 2023-02-08 Circling Practice
• 2023-02-06 Meta Meeting 9.5
• 2023-02-05 Community Practice Session 9.5 - Fishbowl T-Groups
• 2023-02-04 Orientation Session
• 2023-02-03 Design for Collab Jam
• 2023-01-30 Meta Meeting 9.4
• 2023-01-29 Community Practice Session 9.4 - Integrity in Connections
• 2023-01-25 Circling Practice
• 2023-01-23 Meta Meeting 9.3
• 2023-01-22 Community Practice Session 9.3 - Relating Languages w/ Sara N
• 2023-01-21 Orientation Session
• 2023-01-16 Meta Meeting 9.2
• 2023-01-15 Community Practice Session 9.2 - Empathic Resonance
• 2023-01-11 Circling Practice
• 2023-01-09 Meta Meeting 9.1
• 2023-01-08 Community Practice Session 9.1 - Kickoff
• 2023-01-07 Orientation Session
• 2023-01-01 New Year's Party

Season 8 - Q4 2022

• 2022-12-31 Orientation Session
• 2022-12-19 Meta Meeting 8.12
• 2022-12-18 Community Practice Session 8.12 - Improv Future-casting
• 2022-12-14 Practice: Circling
• 2022-12-12 Meta Meeting 8.11
• 2022-12-11 Community Practice Session 8.11 - Relating to Stories
• 2022-12-10 Orientation Session
• 2022-12-05 Meta Meeting 8.10
• 2022-12-04 Community Practice Session 8.10 - Relating to Choice
• 2022-11-30 Practice: Circling
• 2022-11-28 Meta Meeting 8.9
• 2022-11-27 Community Practice Session 8.9 - Mini-Circles
• 2022-11-26 Orientation Session
• 2022-11-21 Meta Meeting 8.8
• 2022-11-20 Community Practice Session 8.8 - Mini-Cases
• 2022-11-14 Meta Meeting 8.7
• 2022-11-13 Community Practice Session 8.7 - Exploring Relational Giving and Trust
• 2022-11-12 Orientation Session
• 2022-11-09 Practice: Circling
• 2022-11-07 Meta Meeting 8.6
• 2022-11-06 Community Practice Session 8.6 - Giving & Receiving Prototype
• 2022-11-05 Practice Design Session
• 2022-10-31 Meta Meeting 8.5
• 2022-10-30 Community Practice Session 8.5 - Landscapes of Care
• 2022-10-29 Orientation Session
• 2022-10-24 Meta Meeting 8.4
• 2022-10-23 Community Practice Session 8.4 - Emergence and Purpose w/ DAVP
• 2022-10-17 Meta Meeting 8.3
• 2022-10-16 Community Practice Session 8.3 - Exploring Doing
• 2022-10-15 Orientation Session
• 2022-10-10 Meta Meeting 8.2
• 2022-10-09 Community Practice Session 8.2 - Collective Pres-Tension-ing
• 2022-10-08 Event: House Party Social
• 2022-10-05 Practice: Circling
• 2022-10-04 Meta Meeting 8.1
• 2022-10-02 Community Practice Session 8.1 - Kickoff
• 2022-10-01 Orientation Session

Season 7 - Q3 2022

• 2022-09-21 Practice: Circling
• 2022-09-19 Meta Meeting 7.11
• 2022-09-18 Community Practice Session 7.11 - Retrospection
• 2022-09-14 Practice: Circling
• 2022-09-12 Meta Meeting 7.10
• 2022-09-11 Community Practice Session 7.10 - (Not) Cases
• 2022-09-05 Meta Meeting 7.9
• 2022-09-04 Community Practice Session 7.9 - Dancing with Scissors
• 2022-09-03 Orientation Session
• 2022-08-31 Practice: Circling
• 2022-08-29 Meta Meeting 7.8
• 2022-08-28 Community Practice Session 7.8 - Desire and Agency Games
• 2022-08-27 Orientation Session
• 2022-08-24 Practice: Circling
• 2022-08-22 Meta Meeting 7.7
• 2022-08-21 Community Practice Session 7.7 - Parts-oriented Circling
• 2022-08-15 Meta Meeting 7.6
• 2022-08-14 Community Practice Session 7.6 - Internal Family Systems
• 2022-08-13 Orientation Session
• 2022-08-08 Meta Meeting 7.5
• 2022-08-07 Community Practice Session 7.5 - Open Session w/ Seishin
• 2022-08-01 Meta Meeting 7.4
• 2022-07-31 Community Practice Session 7.4 - Layered Awareness
• 2022-07-30 Orientation Session
• 2022-07-25 Meta Meeting 7.3
• 2022-07-24 Community Practice Session 7.3 - Giving & Receiving w/ Mary
• 2022-07-18 Meta Meeting 7.2
• 2022-07-17 Community Practice Session 7.2 - Structured and Structureless
• 2022-07-15 Governance Working Session
• 2022-07-11 Meta Meeting 7.1
• 2022-07-10 Community Practice Session 7.1 - Kickoff: The Relational Field and Loveseat
• 2022-07-09 Orientation Session

Season 6 - Q2 2022

• 2022-07-03 Rest week
• 2022-06-27 Meta Meeting 6.10
• 2022-06-26 General Session 6.10 - Community Day
• 2022-06-20 Meta Meeting 6.9
• 2022-06-19 General Session 6.9 - CYOA Practices: Edge Case & Circling
• 2022-06-17 Work Party
• 2022-06-13 Meta Meeting 6.8
• 2022-06-12 General Session 6.8 - You Can Just...
• 2022-06-11 Orientation Session
• 2022-06-11 Event: Designing the Future 3
• 2022-06-06 Meta Meeting 6.7
• 2022-06-05 General Session 6.7 - Yeses and Nos
• 2022-05-30 Meta Meeting 6.6
• 2022-05-29 General Session 6.6 - The Field and Slow Proposal
• 2022-05-28 Orientation Session
• 2022-05-23 Meta Meeting 6.5
• 2022-05-22 General Session 6.5 - Nominations and Circling
• 2022-05-21 Event: Designing the Future 2
• 2022-05-16 Meta Meeting 6.4
• 2022-05-15 General Session 6.4 - Circling and Membership Design
• 2022-05-09 Meta Meeting 6.3
• 2022-05-08 General Session 6.3 - House Party
• 2022-05-05 Event: Designing the (Working Backwards from a Star Trek) Future 1
• 2022-05-02 Meta Meeting 6.2
• 2022-05-01 General Session 6.2 - T-Group and Doing∞Being
• 2022-04-30 Orientation Session
• 2022-04-25 Meta Meeting 6.1
• 2022-04-24 General Session 6.1 - Kickoff: AR and Acceptance
• 2022-04-23 Orientation Session

Season 5 - Q1 2022

• 2021-04-17 Rest week
• 2022-04-10 General Session 5.15 - Heavenly Glory
• 2022-04-09 Orientation Session
• 2022-04-04 Meta Meeting 5.14
• 2022-04-03 General Session 5.14 - Relating Games
• 2022-04-02 Orientation Session
• 2022-03-28 Meta Meeting 5.13
• 2022-03-27 General Session 5.13 - Contemplating Un-knowing
• 2022-03-26 Orientation Session
• 2022-03-25 Event: Wardley Mapping
• 2022-03-21 Meta Meeting 5.12
• 2022-03-20 General Session 5.12 - Case Clinic
• 2022-03-19 Orientation Session
• 2022-03-14 Meta Meeting 5.11
• 2022-03-13 General Session 5.11 - Build-your-own Case Practice
• 2022-03-12 Orientation Session
• 2022-03-07 Meta Meeting 5.10
• 2022-03-06 General Session 5.10 - Looking at Relational & Systemic Cases
• 2022-03-05 Orientation Session
• 2022-02-28 Stoa session
• 2022-02-28 Meta Meeting 5.9
• 2022-02-27 General Session 5.9 - Relational Cases
• 2022-02-26 Orientation Session
• 2022-02-21 Meta Meeting 5.8
• 2022-02-20 General Session 5.8 - Safe to Say
• 2022-02-19 Orientation Session
• 2022-02-14 Meta Meeting 5.7
• 2022-02-13 General Session 5.7 - Small+Combined Circling
• 2022-02-07 Meta Meeting 5.6
• 2022-02-06 General Session 5.6 - Themed Empathy Circling
• 2022-01-31 Meta Meeting 5.5
• 2022-01-30 General Session 5.5 - Condensing Growth Themes/Headlines
• 2022-01-29 Orientation Session
• 2022-01-24 Meta Meeting 5.4
• 2022-01-23 General Session 5.4 - Fast-CP Reflection on IFS & Anniversary Celebration
• 2022-01-22 Orientation Session
• 2022-01-17 Governance Design Meeting 1
• 2022-01-17 Meta Meeting 5.3
• 2022-01-16 General Session 5.3 - Deeper Parts
• 2022-01-15 Orientation Session
• 2022-01-10 Meta Meeting 5.2
• 2022-01-09 General Session 5.2 - IFS Parts Intro
• 2022-01-08 Orientation Session
• 2022-01-03 Meta Meeting 5.1
• 2022-01-02 General Session 5.1 - Welcoming House Party
• 2022-01-01 Orientation Session

Season 4 - Q4 2021

• 2021-12-29 Open social hangout time
• 2021-12-28 Planning meeting
• 2021-12-26 Self-organizing crewing discussion
• 2021-12-20 Meta Meeting 4.12
• 2021-12-19 General Session 4.12 - Relating to Wanting
• 2021-12-13 Meta Meeting 4.11
• 2021-12-12 General Session 4.11 - Sensing and Remembering
• 2021-12-11 Orientation Session
• 2021-12-06 Meta Meeting 4.10
• 2021-12-05 General Session 4.10 - Developmental Circling
• 2021-12-04 Orientation Session
• 2021-11-29 Meta Meeting 4.9
• 2021-11-28 General Session 4.9 - Free-flowing Circling
• 2021-11-22 Meta Meeting 4.8
• 2021-11-21 General Session 4.8 - Circling Intro
• 2021-11-15 Meta Meeting 4.7
• 2021-11-14 General Session 4.7 - Empathy Circling + Questions
• 2021-11-13 Orientation Session
• 2021-11-08 Meta Meeting 4.6
• 2021-11-07 General Session 4.6 - Friendship & Connection Norms
• 2021-11-06 Orientation Session
• 2021-11-01 Meta Meeting 4.5
• 2021-10-31 General Session 4.5 - Polarities and Tensions in Community
• 2021-10-30 Orientation Session
• 2021-10-25 Meta Meeting 4.4
• 2021-10-24 General Session 4.4 - Polarities Introduction
• 2021-10-18 Meta Meeting 4.3
• 2021-10-17 General Session 4.3 - Meta-aware Group Reflection
• 2021-10-16 Orientation Session
• 2021-10-11 Meta Meeting 4.2
• 2021-10-10 General Session 4.2 - Intentional House Party
• 2021-10-09 Orientation Session
• 2021-10-04 Meta Meeting 4.1
• 2021-10-03 General Session 4.1 - Kick off Season 4!
• 2021-10-02 Orientation Session

Season 3 - Q3 2021

• 2021-09-26 Rest week
• 2021-09-20 Meta Meeting 3.11
• 2021-09-19 General Session 3.11 - CP-style desire sharing for I/you/we/world
• 2021-09-13 Meta Meeting 3.10
• 2021-09-12 General Session 3.10 - Eye-gazing + Transformation sensemaking
• 2021-09-11 Orientation Session
• 2021-09-06 Meta Meeting 3.9
• 2021-09-05 General Session 3.9 - Stories cont. - responding in resonance
• 2021-08-30 Meta Meeting 3.8
• 2021-08-29 General Session 3.8 - Stories of perspective transformation
• 2021-08-28 Orientation Session
• 2021-08-23 Meta Meeting 3.7
• 2021-08-22 General Session 3.7 - Curiosity Game + Transformations intro
• 2021-08-21 Orientation Session
• 2021-08-16 Meta Meeting 3.6
• 2021-08-15 General Session 3.6 - SD stage role-playing
• 2021-08-14 Orientation Session
• 2021-08-09 Meta Meeting 3.5
• 2021-08-08 General Session 3.5 - Exploring edge-finding
• 2021-08-07 Orientation Session
• 2021-08-02 Meta Meeting 3.4
• 2021-08-01 General Session 3.4 - Edge Case practice again
• 2021-07-26 Meta Meeting 3.3
• 2021-07-25 General Session 3.3 - Prototyping new practice: Edge Case
• 2021-07-24 Orientation Session
• 2021-07-19 Meta Meeting 3.2
• 2021-07-18 General Session 3.2 - Why grow?
• 2021-07-17 Orientation Session
• 2021-07-12 Meta Meeting 3.1
• 2021-07-11 General Session 3.1 - Welcoming, Noticing Game, Sharing
• 2021-07-10 Orientation Session

Season 2 - Q2 2021

• 2021-07-04 Rest week
• 2021-06-27 General Session 2.12 - T-Group
• 2021-06-21 Meta Meeting 2.11
• 2021-06-20 General Session 2.11 - T-Group
• 2021-06-14 Meta Meeting 2.10
• 2021-06-13 General Session 2.10 - Redesign + Planning + The Wave
• 2021-06-12 Informational Session
• 2021-06-07 Meta Meeting 2.9
• 2021-06-06 General Session 2.9 - Voyage Retrospective
• 2021-05-31 Meta Meeting 2.8
• 2021-05-30 General Session 2.8 - Inquiry Spiraling
• 2021-05-24 Meta Meeting 2.7
• 2021-05-23 General Session 2.7 - One Word Turns + Voyaging 4/4
• 2021-05-17 Meta Meeting 2.6
• 2021-05-16 General Session 2.6 - Voyaging 3/4
• 2021-05-15 Informational Session
• 2021-05-10 Meta Meeting 2.5
• 2021-05-09 General Session 2.5 - Voyaging 2/4 + Noticing Game
• 2021-05-08 Informational Session
• 2021-05-03 Meta Meeting 2.4 (first MM)
• 2021-05-02 General Session 2.4 - Voyaging 1/4 + Empathy Circling
• 2021-05-01 Informational Session
• 2021-04-25 General Session 2.3 - Boat-building part 2
• 2021-04-24 Informational Session
• 2021-04-18 General Session 2.2 - Boat-building part 1
• 2021-04-11 General Session 2.1 - Structural redesign
• 2021-04-10 Informational Session

Season 1 - Q1 2021

• 2021-04-04 Rest week
• 2021-03-28 General Session 1.11 - Adult Development intro part 2
• 2021-03-27 Informational Session
• 2021-03-21 General Session 1.10 - Adult Development intro part 1
• 2021-03-21 Informational Session
• 2021-03-14 General Session 1.9 - Collective Presencing
• 2021-03-07 General Session 1.8 - Authentic Relating, Hotseat
• 2021-03-07 Informational Session
• 2021-02-28 General Session 1.7 - Glass Bead Game
• 2021-02-28 Informational Session
• 2021-02-21 General Session 1.6 - Empathy Circling
• 2021-02-21 Informational Session
• 2021-02-14 General Session 1.5 - DEI
• 2021-02-07 General Session 1.4 - examining avoidance
• 2021-02-07 Informational Session
• 2021-01-31 General Session 1.3 - I seem, we seem
• 2021-01-31 Informational Session
• 2021-01-24 General Session 1.2 - being with you, I notice
• 2021-01-24 Informational Session
• 2021-01-17 General Session 1.1 - sensing and seeking
• 2021-01-17 Informational Session
• 2021-01-10 Informational Session
• 2020-12-27 Informational Session
• 2020-12-19 Call text revised
• 2020-12-05 Website deployed
• 2020-11-10 Domain name registered