Cohousing-L Mailing List: Retreats

[David Entin (davidentin]

Rocky Hill Cohousing has had two retreats the past two years.  The first was a 
one-day retreat around Feb. 1 and the second was an overnight at a camp in the 
nearby Berkshires mid-June.  The participants considered both successful, but I 
always hope for greater participation.  The one day retreats had better 
participation.  The 2009 winter retreat was at a local cross country skiing  
place where we were able to ski in the morning (great snow available and a 
beautiful day), do some community building exercises in the afternoon, and 
share a late afternoon meal prepared by the hosts.  This year the winter 
retreat featured mosaic making in the morning in our Common House with an 
expert to assist us (this was extremely popular -- we made the letters of our 
name and will put up on the wall of our common house), lunches in individual 
houses of six adults to talk quietly and our cohousing community, afternoon out 
to local swimming pool or bowling alley, late afternoon drinks around our 
fireplace, a catered dinner, and dancing afterward in our common house with a 
caller.   The June retreats involved sleeping over in bunk beds in half dozen 
rooms, and many camp activities with camp staff to guide us including ropes 
course, hiking, swimming and boating (canoes and kayaks), sauna, volleyball, 
climbing wall, evening "no-talent" show, and Sunday morning discussion and 
meditation, with four meals provided by the camp.  Always issues of cost and 
care of young children to deal with.    
David Entin, Rocky Hill Cohousing