bbcovert@juno.com

Have you been discouraged by the cost of attending a homeschool convention? Is being away from your family for several days not an option? Or is there no homeschool conference within easy driving distance? You don’t have to be left out. When you can’t go to the homeschool conference, you can still bring a homeschool retreat to your community!

Carol Anne Swett did just that this past winter. The idea came to her after she attended a homeschool moms’ retreat last fall. It was a gift from a friend whose plans to attend had fallen through. Carol Anne enjoyed taking her friend’s place for the weekend, but she couldn’t stop thinking about other homeschoolers who needed such a weekend but either couldn’t afford it or didn’t have the freedom to leave their families behind for a 3-day retreat.

She says, "I had the thought, ‘If you hold it, they will come …’"

Her vision was to offer homeschool moms a low-cost, half-day retreat. It would be a time to leave responsibilities behind and feel pampered. The retreat would be far enough away from home that the women would feel like they had "been somewhere" without being so far that they wouldn’t want to make the trip. Carol Anne also wanted a special meal that the women could enjoy together.

After praying and discussing her idea with friends, Carol Anne contacted a venue about dates and head counts. Then she posted her intention on several local homeschool e-loops to see if there was any interest. The response was overwhelming!

If you’re going to offer a retreat, you’re going to need to line up some speakers! Carol Anne knew a woman who was a published author and who often shared inspirational ideas at local support group meetings. She agreed to be a speaker and made a suggestion for a second speaker. Chances are good that in a group of homeschooling moms there will be several women with the gift of encouragement or inspiration or who have a wealth of knowledge in specific homeschool topics. It never hurts to ask!

The women agreed to accept a goodwill offering instead of a set fee. This was crucial, since this was Carol Anne’s first attempt to host a retreat, and she wasn’t sure how much money would be left after paying for the food and the venue. Carol Anne didn’t keep any of the proceeds. The work she put into organizing this retreat was done out of the goodness of her heart. She said that most retreat organizers don’t pay themselves for their efforts.

When asked whether she encountered any problems with the retreat, Carol Anne said, "My original venue was only going to charge for food. They cancelled two weeks after we inked our deal because they had to have an emergency kitchen overhaul due to code violations.  The speakers and I prayed and came up with a new venue that accommodated more people, but there was a per person venue fee which cut into my speakers’ gratuity."

There was a minor problem with one of the catered items, but on the whole the women raved about the meal that was prepared. Not much was left afterwards! To help cut food costs, the women were asked to bring a snack or dessert.

Carol Anne was actually surprised that people showed up and enjoyed themselves as much as they did! The event ran smoothly and was a blessing to many. What a relief!

Besides food and speakers, Carol Anne had some other ideas to round out the retreat. She asked the participants to bring their favorite homeschool and/or inspirational books to display on a table. She had also asked for help in gathering door prizes. There were many to be had, and every attendee went home with at least a new book, if not more! Also, a time of quiet reflection was scheduled. Women could go outside, stay indoors, and sit wherever they wished, but it was to be a time of thought and devotion. For homeschool moms used to the nonstop chatter and clatter of children, this was a new and refreshing experience!

Asked what, if anything, she would change should she do this again, Carol Anne said,

"I'd consider charging more so that I could pay the speakers more and have a little larger food buffet. The fee was the one thing I was not sure of.  I really wanted it to be dirt cheap so cost would not be an object. However, you have to be able to pay expenses which do not change even though folks change their minds or things come up at the last
minute.  I do not think I'd offer a refund of more than 50% after 30 days and none within 14 days of the event because you have to nail the caterer down and commit to a number so far ahead of time."

Carol Anne has some advice for those who would like to see something like this come together in their own community.

1. Don't be afraid to try.  So many of the available homeschool events are huge and cost/time prohibitive.  There is a real need for half-day events of this type.

2. Determine your per person costs for food, location, and speakers before you publish your event fee. Also realize that you have to cover the cost of your speakers’ venue/food fee by rolling it into your cover charge.  Have an idea of the minimum number of guests you need to book to cover your costs. 

3. Start out small the first time.  From what ladies have said, expect each event after the first one to increase by about a third as attendees tell their friends about their experience! Later on you might want to add a used book sale or invite vendors to attend. However, don’t overwhelm yourself by trying to offer more than you can handle your first time out.

4. Remember that organizing a retreat is a ministry. This is not something to do as a way to make money. However, if you have something to sell, you might include the items on a display table and see what happens. If your speakers have published books, you should allow them to take orders or sell onsite.

Give it some thought. Is this something your homeschool community is starving for? Is this something you could pull together? There’s no need to feel sorry for yourself if you’ve been missing out on the big homeschool events. You can create the type of event that will encourage not only others, but also you!

If you feel God calling you to organize a homeschool retreat for your community, or if you have experience in organizing such events, Carol Anne Swett would like to hear from you. She will gladly offer advice or accept advice! You can send her an e-mail in care of me. I will be sure to pass along any messages addressed to her.

Happy homeschooling!

Copyright 2005  by Brenda B. Covert