When: January 28-29, 2011 (in conjuction with the National Multicultural Conference & Summit)

Where: Seattle, WA

Details:

If you've never been to our midwinter events, we strongly encourage you to attend.  It's a chance to aid in divisional governance and get to know some other divisional members much better.  EVERY division member is welcome to attend any/all of our activities and there is no fee for attending our events. If you plan to attend, please email Andrew Smiler (andrew.smiler@gmail.com) so we can get a headcount.

Our events will be held at the Westin Seattle (1900 5th Ave) following the close of the National Multicultural Conference & Summit (NMCS). A link to the hotel can be found on the NMCS page. NOTE: There is a fee for the NMCS conference.

Agenda:

Friday, 1/28: The NMCS officially closes at 6:30pm; our executive meeting will start at 8:00pm to give folks attending the NMCS a chance to eat and wind down. The meeting will be in the Westin.

Saturday, 1/29: Annual (co-ed) retreat facilitated by Mike Andronico, Fred Rabinowitz, and Holly Sweet.  The retreat will be in the Westin from 9am-5pm with a break for lunch. Andrew Smiler is coordinating a working dinner for Saturday, 6-8pm. We will use this time for further and deeper discussion of divisional issues, including membership, internet and social media, and other suggestions. Please send suggestions to andrew.smiler@gmail.com.

Recap of the 2010 Midwinter Retreat

The 2010 Midwinter Retreat was historic for Division 51. For all of you who made it special, thank you. Long in its history as a space for the men of Division 51 to foster fellowship and to personally grow, this year’s retreat was the first to include women. Much debate and deliberation preceded this year’s invitation for women to join the group. Many who have been active in the Division are well aware of the strong desire of some perennial retreat goers to keep it an all-male event. For many of them, the desire was to create a separate retreat to be held concurrent to the all-male event, with an opportunity for a mixed-gender venue immediately following. This assertion was grounded in the belief that the presence of women may alter the dynamics and change how men confront personal and professional problems during the retreat. Men have not been the only advocates of this men’s group, as one Division 51 female leader has publicly stated a number of times, women have been pleased over the years on the effect that the group has had on the (male) participants. When men return from a retreat feeling refreshed and productive, which has apparently been a common observation, that’s a good thing for their families, co-workers, clients, and anyone else they encounter. Nonetheless, after nearly 20 years of being an all-male event, this past retreat was the first mixed-gender retreat of the Division’s history. In order to commemorate this event Jennifer Primack, David Whitcomb, Chris Liang, and Fred Rabinowitz offer their reflections on this year’s retreat and mid-year meetings.

2010 Midwinter Retreat Reflections

Back: Chris Kilmartin, Andy Smiler, Brandon Youngblood, Ryon McDermott, Chen Oren, Rory Remer

Middle: Jennifer Primack, Marina Epstein, Fred Rabinowitz, Ron Levant, David Whitcomb, Erin Reilly, Aaron Rochlen

Bottom: Larry Beer, Gary Brooks, Chris Liang, Sam Buser, David Scheinfeld, Joe Grasso