I received an e-mail asking me to speak in Australia, on a four-city tour, all expenses paid. That's tempting. Dayna was the main speaker. I was already scheduled to speak at the HSC conference in Sacramento during part (but not all) of the tour.

I thought hard about it. If I had known then what I know now, it would have been an easier decision. This discussion about expanding it to something called "Shift" had already taken place: /problems/daynamartin/shift.html

What I was asked, and what I responded, are below. I didn't know that the organizers were just part of a committee that included Dayna. (If I'm misunderstanding this, I would be glad to reeive an e-mail or facebook message with clarification.)

From: Australian Unschooling Conference Organisers
Date: February 14, 2012 10:56:55 PM MST
To: [email protected]
Subject: Australian Unschooling, Natural Learning and Respectful Parenting Conference 2012

Dear Sandra

We are glad to make your acquaintance here via email, and excited to be organising the Australian Unschooling, Natural Learning and Respectful Parenting Conference in August this year.

We are planning a tour of one day intensive seminars in the major cities of Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney.  Following this, we will be holding a 3 day conference near Byron Bay.  The tour will be starting in Adelaide on Friday the 3rd August 2012, and finishing near Byron Bay Mon 13th August 2012.

We would love to have you here in Australia as one of the key speakers at the conference this year.

We are happy to fund flight and accommodation expenses during your stay, in return for your time presenting at the seminars and conference (and maybe in panels and workshops there too).  At the seminars and conference you are welcome to promote any upcoming events at which you would be present, and any books, products, etc that are in alignment with our conference.

We are hoping to be able to finalise speakers and dates by Monday 27th February 2012.

Warmly,

--
Maree Riedel & Brit Stephensen

Organisers of the Australian Unschooling, Natural Learning & Respectful Parenting Conference 2012
Email:  [email protected]

---

Nearly 24 hours later I responded.

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From: Sandra Dodd
Date: February 15, 2012 8:18:03 PM MST
To: Australian Unschooling Conference Organisers
Bcc: Sandra Dodd
Subject: Re: Australian Unschooling, Natural Learning and Respectful Parenting Conference 2012

Thank you for your inquiry.  

I'm speaking at the Homeschool Association of California (HSC) conference August 2-5 of this year, and will just have returned from two months in Europe.  https://speakingsandradodd.blogspot.com/

Even if my schedule were open, though, I am unwilling to be associated with "the law of attraction," and I find Dayna Martin's self-promotion to be dishonest and fraudulent in ways I cannot support or condone.

As great an offer as it seems on the surface—a flight to Australia and visiting four cities—I'm sorry I can't accept it.

Joyce Fetteroll and I will be speaking in Australia in late 2013—in Brisbane and Adelaide, thusfar—perhaps also with Schuyler Waynforth.   Both are longtime contributors to my "Always Learning" discussion, and to other radical unschooling projects and discussions over many years.

Sincerely,

Sandra Dodd

From: Sandra Dodd
Date: February 16, 2012 8:34:30 AM MST
To: [Nine people]

Subject: An unexpected update

This is to the short list of people who have expressed interest in trying to hear me speak in Australia (me, Joyce and maybe Schuyler) next year.   I'm still planning to come!!

The update is that 24 hours ago I was invited to speak there in August of this year.  Twelve hours or so ago, I declined.  That was rough, considering whether I really, truly was willing to turn down a free trip to four cities in Australia to maintain my integrity.   I knew the answer was going to be that I would decline, but that didn't make it a breezy, simple matter.   I'm not even giving myself a free trip next year!  I'll pay my way to Australia, and Joyce will pay hers, and maybe we can collect enough to get to Adelaide from Brisbane, and maybe another city; we'll see.  

I don't think the organizers knew much about me, which is fine.  That's why I said as much as I did in my response.  I'm guessing they had requests to include me, perhaps from people who didn't know the severity of the dilemma.  

I will share what I wrote, but I ask, please, that you not pass it on beyond the Always Learning sorts of folks.  I don't want to be mean or hateful.  It's about me, and not about the conference, which is probably really fun for people who like that sort of thing.

Thanks, and I'll see some or all of you on my first trip to Australia, next year!

Sandra

From: Australian Unschooling Conference Organisers
Date: March 21, 2012 10:19:53 AM GMT+01:00
To: Sandra Dodd
Subject: Re: Australian Unschooling, Natural Learning and Respectful Parenting Conference 2012

Hi Sandra,

Thank you for your response.  We apologise for our delayed reply as we have both had some family priorities and then been incredibly busy finishing our website to start promoting our conference in August. 

We appreciate your honesty with respect to your feelings about law of attraction and Dayna Martin.

We wish you a wonderful time when you do adventure to Australia in 2013, and we are keen to meet you when you come to Brisbane.  I know a lot of people who are looking forward to hearing your wisdom and experience, and who will benefit from your insight.

Warmly,

Maree & Brit

Maree Riedel & Brit Stephensen

Organisers of the Conscious Parenting & Natural Learning Conference 2012
Website: www.consciousparentingnaturallearning.net.au
Email:  [email protected]

Later I heard the "tour" failed and it was just at one site. Has I agreed to come, based on the offer they made, either the registrations would have been greater, and I would have been aiding and abetting Dayna, or it would have failed and I would have been used by the conference (or Dayna) under false pretenses.

In retrospect, that seems clear. Stories of Dayna rescinding offers to people regarding conferences are way too numerous for the number of conferences she has done. I would have been one of those stories, I think. And I'm willing to learn otherwise, if my assumption is baseless.

Accounts of Dayna's dealings as a speaker and as an organizer dealing with other speakers are (or will be) here: Contracts and dealings with speakers, and as a speaker