In the middle of September we convened our 5th annual open meeting at the beautiful Temenos Retreat Center near Philadelphia. This year we had record attendance of over fifty people, stretching the limits of the facilities. Participants included staff and board members, former and potential apprentices and Transformational Travel participants, and representatives from several other organizations wanting to learn more about our work. Besides the many participants from Haiti, others came from as far away as Florida, Missouri, and California. We are always encouraged to see such an enthusiastic outpouring of interest in Beyond Borders.

Special thanks go to Dave Fonda who not only served as our volunteer professional photographer, but who found time to make valuable contributions to our discussions. Thanks go to John Engle, too, who again served as our in-house expert Open Space facilitator.

Next year's meeting will be held from September 10 to 12, 2004. So, mark your calendar. If you can only make it for one day, try to come on Saturday, September 11. Participating in our annual meeting is not only a way to meet interesting people and learn more about the work of Beyond Borders, it is also a way to make you voice heard and help shape our work.