Shenanigans

Registration for our 2010 retreat ended on Oct. 24, and women had a few more days to make their final payment on their balance due for the retreat.  Our goal is now to have the rooming list done by oct. 31, ready to turn in to the hotel next week.  This is a critical time to keep close communication with the hotel to make sure you have enough rooms or to release the unused rooms, based on the attrition rate on your contract.

Things always speed up at the end of registration, and there is a flurry of activity.  Laura, who works with registration and rooming, has a word for this: “Shenanigans”.  It is not a surprise, because it happens every year at this time.

• You have those last-minute women who have had over a month to register, and somehow they miss the last day of registration.  They are begging for you to make a place for them.
• You have the women who have paid their deposit, but have trouble coming up with the remainder of the balance.  If there is scholarship money available, we can possibly help them; otherwise, they may have to cancel their plans to attend the retreat, losing their non-refundable deposit.
• You have those who cancel because a conflict has suddenly come up.
• You have those who keep us busy trying to make last-minute rooming changes.  As you will note on our registration form, we have a place for ladies to designate their roommate.   If those who register fill in their desired roommate, it simplifies the rooming process immensely.  However, as registration closes,  for some reason people want to make changes–adding person to a room, changing roommates for one reason or another…and on and on…
• We have those who have been on the waiting list, or who hurriedly add their names to the waiting list at the last minute.  When something opens up, these ladies need to be called individually to find out if they can still come to the retreat.

Shenanigans.  They are going to happen.  Accept them, work through the problems, and know that “this too shall pass.”

Teen Rooms

Our women’s retreats are open for teenaged girls 7th grade and above.  Our pastor’s wife, Denise, believes that it is good for teen girls to participate in women’s retreats and that it helps them cross the bridge from youth to young women.  Both her daughter, and later my daughter attended many of our women’s retreats as young teens and now as young adults.  Speaking as a mom, I highly recommend it!  She was involved in youth activities at church.  However, the women’s retreats gave her an opportunity to see Jesus working in women’s lives, and hear from women other than her mother.    And of course, any opportunity to instill God’s Word into a young life is a good thing!

Sometimes the teens will attend the retreat and room with their moms.  However, every year we offer a “teen room” option, where the teens can be together in a room with a chaperone (or two chaperones, depending on the number of teens).   While we know the girls profit from the main sessions during the retreat, being together with those their own age gives them the option of sharing with other teens and participating in more teen activities.  Often, we will provide a workshop specifically for the teens.  If possible, we plan free time activities specifically geared to them.

We would offer a few guidelines as you open your retreat to teens:

• Of course, a parental permission slip is required for girls attending the retreat when their mother is not in attendance. If a teen attends without her mother, another woman who is attending must be designated as the responsible adult, and this is noted on the parental permission form (this could be the chaperone);
• Teens need to stay with their moms, or be with the teen group at all times;
• The teen chaparone(s) are not allowed to take the girls off the retreat property (i.e. going away for lunch or shopping during free time);
• We ask chaperones to ensure that teens are in attendance at all main sessions (usually three main teachings and the ending session with communion).