2016 Spring Retreat
Our 58th Spring Conference
June 3-5, 2016
Pilgrim Park, Illinois
Keynote Speaker: Christine Organ
“Honoring Our Sacred Stories”
Christine Organ is a writer, author, and speaker who seeks to inspire, connect, and celebrate the human condition.
Her book Open Boxes: the Gifts of Living a Full and Connected Life is a collection of stories about grace, wonder, and everyday miracles. Her work has appeared on The New York Times website, Washington Post, and Huffington Post, among several other well-known publications. She frequently speaks at UU congregations on topics related to everyday spirituality, and has led a number of writing workshops.
Christine’s topic was “Honoring Our Sacred Stories.” She will focus on the importance of accepting, honoring, and sharing our stories. Following a quiet reflection on our own stories, women had an opportunity to share their own untold stories.
AIR is the element we honored at our 58th Annual Spring Conference for UU Women’s Connection. We danced to sacred songs, flew some kites, and watched our handmade prayer flags float in the breeze. We drummed and chanted around the bonfire in the evenings, and shared our talents at Open Mic on Saturday night.
2015 Spring Conference
57th Annual Spring Conference
Pilgrim Park Conference Center, Princeton, IL
June 5-7, 2015
Journeys of the Spirit
Featured keynote speaker Marsha Forrest
Our 2015 Spring Conference Keynote is a health and wellness consultant.
In her own words:
I am a woman of Mohawk ancestry who was born and raised on the Six Nations Reservation in Ontario, Canada. I was encouraged by a large extended family to pursue my goal of becoming a Registered Nurse. I lived in Haida Gwaii, the Queen Charlotte Islands of B.C., for thirty three years, and was adopted into the Ts'aalth Clan of the Eagle Clan of the Haida. I moved with my husband from Haida Gwaii to Southern Illinois and I am working with the Cherokee and women's groups in that area.
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2014 Fall Conference
2014 Fall Retreat
October 10-12, 2014
Women as Voices of Wisdom and Compassion
DeKoven Retreat Center -- 600 - 21st Street, Racine, WI 53403
A weekend of learning and celebrating as women who have unique gifts of wisdom and compassion to bring to each other and the culture. Together we explored how compassion is often expressed through the lens of one's moral span, and tried on the perspectives of compassion from different worldviews. We learned the elements of compassionate listening and communication, and experimented with some skills together with fun and laughter, sharing ideas on how to bring our unique voices back home and to the world.
This was our annual Women's Connection Fall Retreat at the DeKoven Center in Racine Wisconsin. The Center is within walking distance of Lake Michigan. The lodging, dining hall and most of the workshops are all located in the same comfortable building. Our opening and closing ceremonies, keynote address, several workshops and our vendor area took place a short, well-lit walk across the beautiful quad.
Our guest presenter this year was Joyce Higginbotham.
Joyce, along with her husband River, has taught Paganism classes throughout the past decade. She has planned and organized local and national Pagan gatherings, written articles for Pagan publications, appeared on radio and television broadcasts, spoken at Christian and Unitarian Universalist churches, and attended interfaith councils. She also helped found the Council for Alternative Spiritual Traditions, which hosts public Pagan and alternative events in the Midwest. Joyce has co-authored three books: Paganism: An Introduction To Earth-centered Religions, Pagan Spirituality: A Guide To Personal Transformation, and Christo-Paganism: An Inclusive Path.
Those of us who have attended the Fall Retreat in the past 2 years can't stress enough just how beautiful, comfortable, warm and inviting the DeKoven Center is. Come and help us to continue creating our new tradition.
In the fall of the year we join together and connect to gather inner warmth for the winter to come. We CONNECT with other like minded women, see old friends and make new ones. This was our 32nd Fall retreat.