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  1. You are here:  
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  3. Schedule of Events
  4. Men's Retreat

What to Bring

Everyone: A camp chair, clothing appropriate for the weather and shoes appropriate for hiking, sunscreen, bottled water or other drinks, plates, cups, and eating utensils.

Overnight Guests: An air mattress or foam mattress pad (there are beds and cots in the cabin, but we may not have enough for everyone), sleeping bag / bedding, personal hygiene products, towel, washcloth, shampoo, soap or body wash, changes of clothes, etc.

Optional: A flashlight or glow sticks, insect repellent (probably won't need it this time of year, but you never know), extra snacks, notebook and pen to take notes, and a drum or other percussion instrument.

Items for the Hero's Altar: Everyone please bring an item or two to place on the Hero's Altar.  These should be items of personal significance rather than something necessarily store bought. This can be something that relates to someone in your life or that you look up to that you consider a hero, or something related to heroism on your own personal journey. Examples include:  a photo of someone from your life that you consider a hero, a memento from a time where you or someone you love did something heroic, a medal or accomplishment, etc.  Please be prepared to share its significance.

Retreat Schedule

This year's schedule is an organic process more than a specific time table.   Like a true hero's journey, commitment is everything.  So, while the event is open to those who can only attend on Saturday, the richest experience will be had by those that commit to being with us from Friday evening through Sunday  afternoon.  This year's event will be facilitated by teacher and author Tom Crockett, as he takes us through symbolic model of the hero's journey as it relates to our own lives.

Through a variety of activities ranging from visual presentation, engaged discussion, ceremony, music, and symbolic manifestation through art, our intention is to make this a personal journey for each participant.  By the end of the weekend you should understand where you are on your own hero's journey or your need to step over a threshold of your own or commit to completing a journey in which you find yourself stuck.

Friday, March 10, 2017

2:30pm -- Staff arrive and set-up cabin and sacred space

5pm (and after) -- Guest arrival and Check-in

6-7pm -- Dinner

Friday Evening: The Calling and what it is that makes someone a hero

Saturday, March 11, 2017

8:30-9:30am -- Arrival / Check-in / Breakfast

Saturday Morning: Crossing the Threshold and understanding the aspects of the quest

Lunch

Saturday Afternoon: The Challenges and Opportunities of the Quest and making it personal

Dinner

Saturday Evening: The Long Dark Night and the moment of Transformation

Sunday, March 12, 2017

8-9am -- Breakfast

9-10am -- Packing up and cleaning up (cabin must be vacated by 10am)

10:15am -- Meet at the First Landing Main Picnic area for the remainder of the process

Sunday Morning: The Return Journey and the reintegration of hero in the ordinary realm

Lunch for anyone who wants to join us at Shorebreak Pizza and Taphouse, 2941 Shore Drive, Virginia Beach, VA 23451.

 

Call for Workshops and Activities

Our staff and keynote presenter will take care of the rituals, and our guest presenter(s) will each be responsible for one workshop / activity. We have space for up to 6 workshops / activities total on Saturday and we are hoping YOU might be interested in sharing your knowledge and experience. If you would like to present a workshop or activity, please This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Please include a title, workshop description, and your background or qualifications to present on the topic. All workshops should somehow relate to the topic of the "Hero's Journey" and should last approximately 50 minutes.

The deadline for submitting proposals is December 31, 2016. You must be pre-registered before that date for us to consider your proposal. Our staff will decide on the workshops / activities and contact you in early January should your workshop proposal be accepted. We will likely also select a few backup workshops just in case something falls through.

Vendors and Networking

Folks are encouraged to bring information on their groups, gatherings, projects, and anything they wish to promote or sell. There is no charge for vending, but folks will need to bring any supplies or equipment they might need.

Those wishing to promote or sell may do so during meal periods and other designated free time. A table or other space might be set-up for sharing flyers, business cards, and so forth throughout the weekend.

Meals

Because this is a focused weekend retreat, we will be including meals in your pre-registration / registration cost. There is no need to purchase an additional food plan. This will help us keep to schedule and keep guests from having to scramble around to hunt, forage, and cook food during the weekend. You are more than welcome to bring your own food or to eat your meals at nearby restaurants, but there's really no need to do so. You are also welcome to bring snacks and drinks, if you would like to supplement the meals provided. For your convenience, there is a Food Lion and a number of restaurants near the campground.

If you have any special dietary restrictions or food allergies, please mention them when you register.

Guests may bring alcohol provided they are of legal age, but alcohol must remain within the confines of the cabin and its immediate grounds.

There is a refrigerator, stove, microwave, toaster, and coffeemaker in the cabin.

To help us reduce costs and environmental impact, please bring your own plates, cups, and utensils if possible. There are some provided in the cabin, but we're not sure there will be enough for everyone. We will also have some paper plates, plastic cups, and plastic utensils on hand, as well as paper towels / napkins.

Menu

This is a suggested menu. Because side items may be added or substituted based on budget and availability, we are only listing the main entree or theme of the meal.

Friday

Dinner: Pizza and salad

Saturday

Breakfast: Traditional breakfast items

Lunch: Hero Sandwiches

Dinner: Tacos and nachos and a dessert

Sunday

Breakfast: Continental breakfast

  1. Policies and Guidelines
  2. The Venue and Directions
  3. Registration
  4. Retreat Staff
  • Men's Retreat
  • Venue and Directions
  • Retreat Staff
  • Policies and Guidelines
  • Vendors and Networking
  • Meals
  • Schedule of Events
  • What to Bring
  • Registration