Thursday, January 7, 2010

Brainstorming Six Billion Paths to Peace Retreat in OKC

Participants: Respect Diversity Foundation: Joan Kornblit; Peace Education Institute: Rachel Rettinger; Casady School: Father Charles Blizzard, Carmen Clay, Jeanie Johnson, Sarah Cox, Emily Skalovsky; Silence Foundation: Pat Webb. Not Present: Learn and Serve: Charles Mohr, Putnam City North: Linda Esser. Oklahoma City Univeraity will be contacted by Carmen Clay as a possible retreat site.

Minutes of brainstorming meeting Six Billion Paths to Peace, Find Yours Retreat
1. What? Experience the ShinnyoEn Foundation Six Billion Paths to Peace and Be the Peace initiatives
2. Why? Invitation to slow down, de-stress, explore inner peace, service, spirituality, silence, and peace activism
3. When? Hard to find a date without conflicts: June 18-21 (Casady Alumni Picnic: June 19) Friday starting at 6:30, ending Sunday after late lunch
4. Where? The Sullivan Retreat Center in Norman http://www.sullivantretreat.com/ being explored by Carmen. Thank you Jeanie for the suggestion.
5. Who? X# participants per organization by electronic invitation with application. First come, first served keeping diversity and intergenerational balance. We are still not sure how many people we want for our first retreat. There was a suggestion of 10 people per organization. We will request guidance from ShinnyoEn.
6. How much? We are considering $70 for adults and $30 for youth. ($50 per night per person-Participants cover the cost of one night)
7. How? ShinnyoEn trainers will guide here, but Respect Diversity and Silence Foundations as well as Peace Education Institute are willing to provide workshops on Saturday afternoon-open time (Explore the retreat area/ Attend workshops). Casady Service-Learning will handle retreat logistics.

Possible locations of retreat
1. Rachel will see if the Peace Education Institute can handle marketing, invitation, registration and application process; in case Learn and Serve is unable.
2. Carmen will contact Sullivan's Retreat Center Director: Drew LaMunyon, 405-329-2990 - Booking office, 405-321-4700 - Grounds.
Preliminary Research: The retreat center is reserved for college age and above. Discipleship Lodge: 15 rooms minimum, $750 per night , capacity for 112 people. Home Stead accomodates 24 people $352 per night for 16 people with each additional person for $22. Meeting rooms: $250 per day, $25 to set-up tables and chairs. Entire retreat center for exclusive use by one group: $2,700 regarless of the number of beds (capacity 150), $1,350 due the week the retreat center is booked. This does not include meals, just kitchen facilities. I will ask Drew about a catering service for meals, snacks, non alcoholic drinks and fresh flowers for meeting rooms. No smoking allowed on premises. Carmen will update via e-mail.
3. Carmen will explore funding sources for retreat with ShinnyoEn and local businesses in December. Carmen is going away next week, but will return to OKC on December 23.
4. Carmen will request a conference call with ShinnyoEn trainers in January.

December research of possible locations
1. Quartz Mountain Resort and Conference Center: Great beauty, expensive, about two hours from the city. Most like Marconi http://www.quartzmountainresort.com/ (Left message for group reservations director to call me tomorrow, on line the week of August 20-22 is full until 2016 http://www.quartzmountainresort.com/pdf/doc-meeting-planners-guide-1235509500.pdf ). Thank you Dr. Davis for this suggestion during our preliminary meeting.

2. Saint Crispins: http://www.episcopaloklahoma.org/conference/stcrispins.html (Hollie Massay, Director, 36302 State Highway 9, Wewoka, Oklahoma 74884, 405/382-1619,e-mail: stcrispins@yahoo.com) I have called several times but yet to contact them. I have personally attended two retreats here, one for Casady faculty, my first year at Casady School, and one as part of my Leadership Oklahoma City training and Colors test retreat. This is also a lovely place. Father Blizzard will be a great connection for this location

3. Ok Christian Camp in Guthrie, One Twin Cedar Lane, Guthrie, Oklahoma 73044,(405) 282-281, 1-800-299-2811, fax (405) 282-1367: http://www.centralchristiancamp.org/. Left message for Susie Shield to call me tomorrow. Thank you to the Respect Diversity Foundation for this suggestion.

4. Catholic Retreat Center are also a possibility. Some have labyrints on site.

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