Guidelines for Scheduling and Staffing Longer Retreats (four days or more)

Retreat Scheduling Advisor has developed guidelines for scheduling longer retreats. This role was initiated to help coordinate the timing of all the courses now being offered so that each would generate the best outcome. Note that these are guidelines, not rules, meant to maximize everyone's success.

Contact the role-holder before scheduling a new course or date change, and we’ll go over your variables together. These are guidelines, not rules. I feel they will help you in picking the best dates for your course in coordination with those courses already scheduled.

The market will ultimately determine the numbers attending your retreat, but the following considerations will help you to assess the mutual impact of your retreat and those which are already scheduled to best insure the success of all.

PROXIMITY: How close is your retreat in time zones to retreats already scheduled within the same time of year? For example a long retreat on the east coast will have less impact on a retreat in California than a similar retreat in Maryland.

SIMILARITY: How similar is your retreat to those already scheduled? For example, some long retreats are much cheaper and more rustic and can draw from a broader base than those that include room and board. Cost is one significant factor that will impact attendance and distinguish retreats.

FORMAT: How structured is your course? Can students pick and choose how they participate? For example, the TR in California is a structured retreat with the added cost of room and board, while Fairfield’s Feast of Sittings is a less expensive, a la carte type event where people find lodging they can afford. They are two time zones apart and so will have less impact on each other for that reason as well.

TEACHING/STAFFING: Is your course is a Trillium Awakening Core Dharma event or Trillium Awakening Related Event? This will impact transition requirements and could have some influence on attendance. See guidelines for Trillium Awakening Core Dharma event vs. Trillium Awakening Related Event: https://glassfrog.holacracy.org/roles/1965 (This link will also update you on the latest guidelines on scheduling your course and promoting it on the website and mailing list.)