- Gather any materials you will need, and make sure you keep receipts for all expenditures. (See Appendix H: Retreat/Conference Financial Statement) Retreat materials commonly include:
- pencils or pens and writing paper
- newsprint and marking pens, masking tape, scissors
- name tags or materials for participants to make name tags
- round table to use as center altar and interesting cloth to cover it
- candle
- sacred objects to put on altar
- copies of handouts, such as retreat activities schedule, readings or songsheets
- bell or other instrument to call people together
- materials for display, such as books, Women and Religion newsletters, UU Women's Federation membership brochures, etc.
- Make an hour-by-hour plan of activities, indicating exactly who is going to do what, when and where. Include any readings.
- Make any posters, diagrams, or other visual aids you will use, including signs to welcome retreat participants and tell them where to "check-in."
- Compose an evaluation for participants to complete at the end of the retreat. Keep in mind that the simpler the form, the more likely people are to fill it out. If you are truly curious about how participants react to some specific features of your retreat, then you will want to ask questions about those features directly. Otherwise, your form might just ask a few questions:
- What were your expectations for this retreat, and did it meet them?
- What did you like best about this retreat?
- What did you like least?
- If you were designing the next retreat, what would you like to see included? left out?
- Other comments?
- Check with registrar on number of people expected so you have enough handouts, etc. Assume you will have a few late registrants and a couple of cancellations.
- Have the registrar assign you and your co-facilitator a room together, with no one else in it.