Retreats » Spring 2008 Retreat

European Unitarian Universalist Spring Retreat 2008 Spa, Belgium, 18-20 April 2008 Dr. Charlie Clements, President & C.E.O. of the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC)

What is it about Unitarian Universalism that makes social action an essential part of our faith?

The Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Paris invites you to join UUs from all over Europe for a thought-provoking and enjoyable weekend with activities for all age groups, including a full religious education program for children and teenagers.

EUU RETREAT APRIL 18-20, 2008: Protest that Endures: the Theology of Justice

!!!!!The deadline to register is Friday, March 28th!!!!!

Our guest speaker:

We are delighted to announce that our theme speaker will be Dr. Charlie Clements who will be coming from UUSC (Unitarian Universalist Service Committee) headquarters in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Rather than listing all of his accomplishments, we have decided to give Charlie's own description of the three decisions that have shaped the moral arc of his life. The first was as a young distinguished graduate of the Air Force Academy, when he refused to fly further missions in Vietnam in support of the invasion of Cambodia. The second decision occurred a decade later, when having become a Quaker and a physician, he volunteered to 'bear witness' in El Salvador and ended up working in rural communities that were bombed, rocketed, or strafed daily by some of the aircraft in which he had once trained. Finally, while on an emergency human rights mission to Iraq only weeks before the war started in 2003, Charlie was so outraged by the deception of his own government and by the suffering he encountered from a decade of sanctions that he decided to return to full-time human rights work. It was the last decision that would ultimately lead Charlie back to UUSC, where he serves today as CEO and President.

Though not an ordained minister, Charlie has been a guest speaker in UU congregations and fellowships across the United States and he will be leading our service on Sunday morning.

Saturday theme talk: "The Theology of Justice Making"

Charlie will trace some of the robust legacies of both our Unitarian and Universalist roots and then explore how the values of Unitarian Universalism are embedded in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). He will show a 30-minute film called "For Everyone, Everywhere," about the birth of the UDHR and then demonstrate the impact of this remarkable document in every corner of the world, every day.

The second portion of the morning we will break into four groups to study materials about four human rights programs of UUSC: environmental justice (defending the human right to water); civil liberties (ending U.S. sponsored torture); economic justice (the importance of living and minimum wages); rights in humanitarian crises (ending the genocide in Darfur).

Sunday service: "Do not be Daunted by the Enormity of the World's Grief."

The sermon will be an exploration of a commentary from the Talmud: "Do not be daunted by the enormity of the world's grief. Love mercy now. Walk humbly now. Do justice now. You are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to abandon it."

Charlie will be available throughout the weekend to help attendees understand the experiential education opportunities of UUSC from the Just Works Camps to Just Journeys to the UUA-UUSC Gulf Coast Volunteer Program. He would also like to hear from attendees about what UUSC might do to increase involvement of European UUs.

What is UUSC?

Founded in 1939 to rescue victims of Nazi persecution, the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee is an independent human rights organization whose work is grounded in UU principles. UUSC partners with local grassroots organizations in the United States and around the world to focus on four areas: advancing economic justice, defending civil liberties and access to democratic processes, promoting environmental justice and protecting rights in humanitarian crises. For more information about UUSC, go to http://www.uusc.org.

What Happens at a Retreat?

EUU retreats offer something for all ages. People begin arriving late Friday afternoon, but the first event is dinner that evening. After this, an evening activity helps everyone get to know one another. The theme talk takes place on Saturday morning, and after lunch there is a choice of various workshops and other activities. Saturday evening generally includes a youth presentation and will be followed by a cabaret-theme talent show. On Sunday morning, there is a worship service, led by Charlie Clements at this retreat. The retreat ends in the early afternoon after lunch.

The entire weekend is filled with activities but also opportunities to relax, meet fellow Unitarians from all over Europe, and generally have a good time. EUU retreats have been described as family reunions where newcomers feel at home right from the beginning.

The Ardennes, Spa and the Sol Cress Conference Center

The retreat will take place at the Sol Cress Conference Center, Spaloumont, 5, Spa, Belgium; Tel: +32(0)87 77 23 53, www.solcress.be.

EUU has hosted many retreats at Sol Cress and we are excited about returning to this lovely site in the Ardennes forest with its views and hiking trails. Playground equipment behind the main building entertains the little ones, and a soccer field, pool table and ping pong table occupy the bigger kids.

Spa has been known since Roman times for its healing waters. Since the 16th century it has been world-famous as a resort town for "taking the waters." Fountains of various springs are found throughout the town and we will have bottles of Spa water on the tables at Sol Cress.

The modern spa complex ("Les Thermes") is a stone's throw from Sol Cress. Their pools (Les Bains) are open to the public daily (10 Euros for ½ day, 17 Euros for full day) and you must bring your bathing suit and two towels. For spa health or beauty treatments (Soins), reservations are required. All information is available at www.thermesdespa.com.

You can arrange to stay another night at Sol Cress (possible before the retreat, difficult on Sunday April 21st) by contacting directly our English-speaking liaison at Sol Cress, Nancy Vertommen, mentioning that you are participating in the EUU weekend.

How do we get to Spa?

Located in the French-speaking province of Liège, Spa is situated in a romantic valley, some 35 km (22 miles) southeast of the city of Liège, and 45 km (28 miles) southwest of Aachen. There is plenty of parking space at the site.

You can come to Spa by train either via Brussels or via Liège. Two websites for trains are: www.thalys.com/fr/en and www.b-rail.be/main/E (both come up in English). We will arrange for rides to Sol Cress from the Spa station.

Youth Programs

Our UU children and teens are an integral and very important part of the retreat. Youth activities are scheduled to coincide with adult activities so that parents can participate fully while their youngsters are having a great time. Contact Michelle Poiani at EUU Retreat Committee. for details of the program or if you wish to help out.

Child care will be provided for children under 3.

Music: Enjoy a variety of musical opportunities, both listening and participation, throughout the weekend. We are fortunate that many of our members and friends are talented musicians. Please bring an instrument if you play one, and volunteer to perform at the Saturday cabaret talent night. All are welcome to join the EUU choir which will sing at the Sunday service. In the evenings after the official program, we gather informally to listen to and sing along with music until the wee hours of the morning!

Workshops: If you would like to offer a workshop on Saturday afternoon, indicate it on your registration and you will be contacted. Charlie Clements will be offering a workshop with a film on the USC (predecessor of the UUSC) from 1939-45 and there will be a walk in the forest with a local guide.

EUU Annual General Meeting

At the spring retreat, we always have our Annual General Meeting where new officers are nominated and elected and the business of EUU is discussed. While all are invited to attend, only members may vote on the issues brought up.

Social Action and English Book Exchange

• We are continuing to collect used eyeglasses and cases for Burkina Faso, as well as collecting used corks and used postage stamps for charities in Germany.
• Remember to bring back your UUSC Guest At Your Table box if you picked one up at the fall retreat (see information below)
• At every retreat, there is a used English book exchange where everyone can bring books that are just taking up space on their shelves. A small cash contribution is made for each book taken, and the money is donated to a worthy cause.

EUU Retreat Grants:

EUU strongly believes that no one should miss a retreat because of a lack of funds, so we have a grant fund. If you can contribute to this fund, please do so with your registration. If you need to apply for grant assistance, simply write to EUU Treasurer Peter Jarrett at EUU Retreat Committee stating the reasons for your request. All grant applications are handled confidentially.

Prices for the weekend include your room for Friday and Saturday nights, all meals from Friday evening through Sunday lunch, and coffee breaks.

Room description	Adult	Young Adult (19-26yrs)	Teens (13-18yrs)	Child (6-12yrs)	Child (2-5yrs)	Child (under 2)
Two-bed room w/shared WC & shower	200 €	150 €	110 €	80 €	50 €	0 €
Two-bed room w/private WC & shower	220 €	170 €	130 €	100 €	70 €	0 €
Single w/shared WC & shower	215 €	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
Single w/private WC & shower	240 €	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a

For questions contact Alison Laborderie and the Paris retreat committee at EUU Retreat Committee

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BRING YOUR UUSC GUEST AT YOUR TABLE CONTRIBUTIONS TO SPA!

Those of you who attended the fall retreat in Münster were given a special box at the closing ceremony. You were encouraged to participate in the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee's Guest At Your Table program by keeping this box on your dinner table for a month and putting coins in as if you were paying for a meal for one guest each day.

At Spa, your contributions will be collected as you register on Friday and throughout the weekend.

Thank you for giving us either a US dollar check made out to UUSC or cash in Euros and put them in an envelope with your name and address. Please give us Euro notes only (no coins) Sorry, we cannot deal with Euro checks.

At the closing ceremony on Sunday we intend to give to Charlie Clements the total amount we will have collected for UUSC's Guest At Your Table program.

If you will be unable to attend the Spa retreat, please send your US dollar check made out to UUSC to Bettina Lande, noting clearly your address so that you will receive an acknowledgment from UUSC for your contribution. If you do not have her address, send an email to Bettina with her name in the subject line at EUU Retreat Committee. Thank you for ensuring that Bettina receives your contribution before April 12. If you do not have US dollar checks, please contact Bettina about a bank transfer. If you were not at the Münster retreat or if your family forgot to take a GAYT collection, you can still make a donation to the UUSC at the retreat.

If you were not at the Münster retreat or if your family forgot to take a GAYT collection, you can still make a donation to the UUSC at the retreat.

Parisians: If you are a member of the Paris Fellowship, we assume you have already handed in your GAYT contribution. You are not expected to give again at the retreat.

PRACTICAL INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR UUSC CONTRIBUTION:
You can become a member of the UUSC with your Guest At Your Table contribution:
Membership levels (in US dollars):
$40 - regular (1 adult)
$75 - dual regular (2 adults)
$20 - senior (65 and over)
$10 - student (high school and up) and youth
NOTE: All individual and family unrestricted contributions of $100 or more (or equivalent in Euros) will be matched dollar for dollar by the UU congregation at Shelter Rock in Manhasset, N.Y.