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Welcome! The Women and Religion Movement is alive and well in the 21st Century. A grassroots project started by lay leaders in the 1970s as an effort to promote examination of religious roots of sexism and patriarchy within the UUA and beyond, UU Women and Religion officially began as a task force following the unanimously-passed WOMEN AND RELIGION RESOLUTION at the 1977 UUA General Assembly. Although the Task Force was eventually sunsetted, the movement still exists in UU communities that hold Women & Religion programs and gatherings for those who identify as women. It exists at the UU General Assembly, where UUW&R brings our Store to the Exhibit Hall and occasionally hosts a gathering. And it lives in the hearts and lives of people who have been touched by the many changes inspired by this movement.

"We do not want a piece of the pie. It is still a patriarchal pie. We want to change the recipe!" -- Rosemary Matson

ACCOMMODATIONS

  1. If possible, find a nearby hotel/motel willing to offer a conference rate for a block of rooms. Some may also offer a flat rate for a room and allow as many as four to share it and split that flat rate. Hotel/motel information, including phone number, address, directions and rate range, should be included in conference brochure.
  2. Participants with limited income often appreciate having home hospitality available. Providing such may involve a lot of time-consuming and troublesome maneuvering, however. Facilitators may want to avoid it unless the host society already has a home hospitality squad in operation. The conference facilitator should never attempt to manage it, but instead should put someone else solely in charge of home hospitality.
  3. Some societies have grounds which lend themselves to safe, secluded camping — or are willing to have participants "camp" in specified rooms in the building. Consider this as an alternative or augmentation to home hospitality. A modest fee might be charged to offset building rental/clean-up costs. (It is a nice touch to designate "late night talkers" and "early risers" rooms and tent sites to accommodate differing internal time clocks.)
  4. It is important to find out whether the sponsoring organization has a policy about child care availability.* Nursing mothers are commonly invited to come with their babies.


* Policies of FL W&R and FL District UUA both require child care availability at all events.

SIGNS, PACKETS, AND PEOPLE

  1. When planning how to provide information to participants try to visualize a stranger coming to the conference site. This person should receive as much information as is needed to be self-directed throughout the conference.
  2. There should be a BIG SIGN outside, or at the door, announcing where to find conference registration.
  3. Helpful information in a registration packet includes:
    • complete schedule with locations for each event.
    • map of conference site.
    • description of workshops with biographical note on leaders.
    • quotation or short theme statement for the conference and a note about the guest speaker.
    • conference evaluation form.
    • list of participants with addresses and phone numbers. This may be provided after all have registered in order to include everyone present; and should include a statement as to how the list may be used.
  4. Participants will not have their packets in hand every minute. Thus, it is also helpful to have a prominent sign in a central location giving the over-all schedule.
  5. It is also useful to have directional signs to outlying rooms — and to rest rooms.
  6. Finally, it is helpful to have people from the host society wear special identifying name tags and have them stand and be introduced at the beginning of the conference so that participants can easily spot them as appropriate people to ask questions about the site.


* FL W & R policy: The participant list prepared at each event will indicate that: "This list is only for the personal, non-business use of each participant." (2-11-96)

VENDORS - ARTS AND CRAFTS SALES

  1. Conference participants usually like the opportunity to buy and sell such items as books, jewelry, buttons, bumper stickers, and various art objects. A sales bazaar is usually a popular place between programs.
  2. The conference facilitator needs to know whether the sponsoring organization has a policy limiting sales to items made by the participants, or, at least, to sales by participants.
  3. The conference facilitator needs also to confirm any policies on charges to vendors: flat fees for use of space or percentage of profits donated for specific purposes (such as scholarships for future events).
  4. Registration forms should include a check-off box for vendors and name of person to contact about fees and space availability.

CUSTODIAL SERVICES

  1. If the conference is held at a society, it is important to have a clear understanding who is responsible for cleaning up after the conference.
  2. In particular, it is important to have a clear understanding about what cleaning needs to be done after Saturday activities and before Sunday morning services.

WHEN IT'S ALL OVER

  1. Clear up all financial matters as promptly as possible.
  2. Give multitudinous thanks — in person, or in writing — or both
    • Thank everyone who came and participated.
    • Thank everyone who helped with preparation and presentation, including workshop leaders, food preparers, home hospitality hosts, etc., etc., etc.
  3. Thank the host society.
  4. Be generous with hugs — including yourself — for jobs well done and time well spent!

AFTER YOU GET BACK HOME

  1. Those who make special contributions, including site manager(s), will appreciate a note of thanks from you.
  2. The treasurer will appreciate your turning in your expense list as soon as possible, though you may need to wait for phone bills to come to complete that list.
  3. The people who facilitate the next retreat will appreciate it if you turn over to them any unused materials, anything useful you learned on the evaluation forms, and any changes/additions you made to this manual!

AT THE END OF THE RETREAT

  1. Have a closing activity or ritual that will bring a sense of closure to the group.
  2. Consider having this closing include a chance for participants to share something about what they have gotten from the retreat.
  3. Encourage participants to complete the evaluation form before they leave.
  4. See if someone will write an article about the retreat for your district's newsletter (Sunshine), for your W&R newsletter (Womanspirit), or for UUWF's newsletter (The Communicator).
  5. Remember that you are responsible for checking out with the site manager(s). Make sure they are paid. Make sure you leave the place as you found it. (It's a nice touch to invite the site manager(s) and kitchen crew into your final gathering for a round of thanks.)
  6. Give yourself a pat on the back. Give your co-facilitator, and everyone else in reach, a hug. You have just completed a big job and, hopefully, had a good time while your were at it.

Subcategories

Timeline

Retreat Guides

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You may make a donation to UU Women and Religion here. We are a 501(c)3 organization. Please select the quantity of $10 increments you would like to donate.

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