The time is at hand to register for the annual WUUC Women’s Retreat, to be held once again at Mountain Springs Lodge in Plain, WA. The retreat will be from April 29 – May 1 and the cost is $230.  If the price is a deterrent to you, we don’t want it to be!  Confidential scholarships are available.

Start by filling out the WUUC Women’s Retreat Registration Form.

Then return your check to the Women’s Retreat folder in the lobby, or to the locked box on the wall of the church office.  If you need to pay in installments, that is fine.

If you have more questions, the Women’s Retreat FAQ document is below.

All future communications will be on the Women’s e-mail list.  I especially encourage newer members to attend–it is a wonderful way to get to know people and deepen connections with other women.

Alaine Davis
Registrar, 2016 Women’s Retreat

Who Should Come: Anyone who identifies as a woman and is at least 18 years old is welcome at this retreat. This is an especially wonderful opportunity for women who are newer to WUUC to make real connections with other women at our church. If you’ve never attended before, we hope you’ll make this year your first time.

Accommodations: Two lodge buildings near each other. The main lodge, Ponderosa, includes a large gathering space, kitchen, rooms upstairs and downstairs (2-8 women/room) and a loft. The smaller lodge, Pines, is just across the field and is good for those who prefer a quieter space to park their pillow. Beds are singles, and most people report finding them comfortable. Bathrooms are generally shared among roommates or just down the hall, depending on your specific room assignment.

Cost: Not finalized yet, but likely to be about the same as last year, $230 for the weekend, including three meals in the lodge dining room. Need-based, confidential partial or full scholarships are available.

Food: Friday evening is a potluck, usually Mexican food. Saturday morning is a breakfast buffet we put together in the Ponderosa lodge kitchen, paid for out of retreat funds. Saturday lunch and dinner as well as Sunday breakfast are all prepared for us and served in the lodge dining room. Most special dietary needs can be accommodated. Some women bring snacks to share which are available in the Ponderosa kitchen.

Activities: All women who have attended agree that the main appeal of the retreat is getting away from regular life to spend time with a group of amazing women. That’s the bottom line. Some women love the structured activities; others just lounge around in pajamas, visit with people, read, draw, nap and otherwise relax. Or a combination of both!

There will be a variety of activities that are open and available all weekend, like jewelry-making, decorating bottles for sacred water, and optional massages (at extra cost). And, of course, the hot tubs! (There are two: one at each lodge) Throughout the weekend there will be “playshops,” where anyone can lead an activity they think others would enjoy. In the past these have included an off-site hike, discussion about nutrition, henna painting, tarot card readings, doodling, and much more.

On Friday we all make some sort of crafty name tag (or, if you’re not in the mood to be crafty, get someone to make one for you) and an all-group opening circle generally involving a rather scary number of candles. Saturday morning is the “program,” where someone presents an all-group activity or talk about our theme, with follow-up activities. Our theme this year is Living Creatively (no experience required).

Playshops take place Saturday afternoon, and we have games Saturday evening after dinner. On Sunday morning we have a worship service with our sacred water, group singing, a discussion of next year’s retreat, and then everyone helps clean up and pack. Some women join in on a rafting trip Sunday early afternoon (at extra cost).

How to Register: Registration forms will be online and also available in the lobby within the next week. If possible, we urge you to register and pay by March 1—partly because we need to make our second payment with Mountain Springs Lodge soon after that time, and partly because we have only 40 beds available, and we want you to come!

Leavenworth area; about a 2-hour drive)  http://www.mtsprings.com/cabins.htm