A common practice of many Forums is to host a one-day retreat per year. While nothing about a one-day retreat is set in stone, here are some common guidelines to help Forums run a successful one-day retreat:
- Held locally
- Starts early AM goes late PM
- No overnight stay required
- Replaces a monthly meeting
- Some hire an outside Facilitator to plan and run the retreat
- Mandatory by all members
- 1/3 is Forum Content
- Monthly updates
- Member-to-Member Assessment
- Clear The Air (if needed)
- Constitution Issues (if needed)
- New members
- etc
- 1/3 is New Learning (Personal, Career, Family)
- Bring in an outside expert
- Attend a class together
- etc
- 1/3 is Adventure
Bonding- Unique culinary experience
- Group activity
- Group challenge
- etc
- The Unexpected – I also usually try to include some sort of surprise for the group that is unexpected and gives them a “wow” experience to talk about afterwards. For example in my Forum, I hired a photographer to follow us all day and take paparazzi like photos of the group. Then we did a big reveal of the photos at the end of the night.
Day retreats and longer retreats involve some of the deepest bonding that happens between members, which is why I highly recommend Forums include them as part of their yearly scheduling. The stories from the day retreat last long on after the retreat is over.
In the comments below, share what your Forum has done for their day retreat.