POM PROJECT
In and around 1962 three men came together through a series of
serendipity encounters. Robert
Barritt, Harry N. Olsen, Ph.D. and Frank R. Strong had a vision of Teilhard's
dream. It so inspired them
that they began to search out the application and implications of what that
dream means to each human and humanity. There
passion continued to grow from informal gatherings to larger group
discussions. In the process
they attracted a couple of other inspired visionaries and formed and
incorporated on Friday, May 12, 1967, what they called The Phenomenon Of Man Project (POM
Project). There first
President was Ernest Tamminga; later followed by Harry Olsen.
The Board of Directors who directed the
flow of the POM Project over the years included Donald J. Bloom who served as
President and then later on as Secretary; Harry Olsen; Charles Goetz; Benito
Lizardi; Robert McGowan. The
Advisory Council included such people as Beatrice Bruteau; Evarts Loomis;
Andrew Sugamele; Sebastian Temple. The
executive secretary was Edythe Miller.
In 1973 they released for the first time
there greatest and most noted work which was a filmstrip on Teilhard's major
work The Phenomenon Of Man. It
is this filmstrip which forms the basis of the Into The Light Educational
Series offered by the Workshop.
The POM Project committed itself to
exploring the areas of relevance and the avenues of possible application of
Teilhard's perspective to the world situation we found ourselves in. Over it's history the POM Project
published a newsletter that went out to over 7,000 members; made over 245
presentations to more than a 100,000 people from New York to Hawaii; printed
7,000 copies of their study guide Survival
and
planned two major symposia; they sponsored several major conventions; and
reprinted another 5,000 copies of the revised study guide Survival. The POM Project continued on for many
years attracting in 1982 a very young, inspired, Teilhardian follower who
latter went on to found The
Wonder Workshop. In the
latter part of the 1980's and early 1990's the group and membership began
fading. The POM Project was
never dissolved and is still today listed in the State of
Don Bloom was one of the original members who helped form the Phenomenon
Of Man Project. He was an artist and communications
professional. He enjoyed
sharing his passion of Teilhard's vision through his artwork.
It is in deep admiration and thankfulness
to the POM Project and the people listed above, especially Don Bloom, who took
a wide-eyed student and directed his passion for Teilhard in the direction of
unifying science with the world. They
showed me, these people of the world and open to its glory, how to infuse my
religious desire with Teilhard's vision of hope. Though they are gone, their student
remains ever more committed to sharing the vision of Teilhard that these men
help me to discover. The
sharing of this artwork is my way of saying:
THANK YOU.
---David Pinto,
Founder & Director
