Greetings Letter 2010 | Greetings Letter 2010 |
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Download Greetings letter here.
Greetings from 4th Annual Happy Destiny Retreat!
We’re so glad you are coming - the weekend promises to be a great experience for all of us. Put aside your daily worries and bring along your gratitude – we know the mountain air, sober fellowship and fun around the campfire will renew your spirit. You’re probably wondering what the retreat will be like . . . we’ve got a lot in store including workshops, great food & fellowship, and AA meetings. This year, we’ll have a ‘coffee house’ musical event on Saturday night after our Speaker’s Meeting, followed by open mic music. So, feel free to bring along your instrument and talent to join in on that! We’ll also have games and the campfire with s’mores. Love and Service: Happy Destiny Retreat is guided by the spiritual principles of Alcoholics Anonymous –we are fully self-supporting including service work for all participants. If you have any physical limitations that we should know about, please email me at This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it Here are some of the tasks you might be doing: setting up the dining hall, preparing meals, cleaning up the camp, or setting up for meetings and workshops. Lodging: Camp Greentop was built in the 1930’s and is used mostly as a summer camp for the physically handicapped. There are 12 rustic cabins with cots for 10 people each. Sleeping arrangements will be “first-come, first served.” (However, anyone with physical limitations should contact us in advance.) In addition, there is one large lodge that sleeps 12 people. All of the bunks are equipped with mattresses and the cabins have lighting, but they are not heated and have no electrical outlets. See the list below for items you will need. Some of the cabins will be designated as “female only” or as “male only.” Others will be co-ed and, for those who are married or otherwise attached, some of the cots can be moved together, but others are built in the walls. You can see some pictures of the cabins at our website in the Gallery area. There are heated restrooms in the lodge area, each with three toilets, sinks and heated showers. The main shower house located near the dining hall has twelve showers and five toilets. Again, electricity for any appliances you bring is available in the shower houses only, but not in the cabins. Also, the main dining hall/meeting room is heated and has a huge fireplace. (We are hoping that we will have warm weather, but spring nights can be chilly in the mountains – be sure to bring warm bedding and the appropriate clothing.) Here are some items you will need:
Dining: All of us on the committee agreed that we want to have great food – sharing a meal together is one of life’s joys. All food planning and preparation will be done by retreat participants and the cost for meals is included in your registration fee. No caterers will be hired, but our food committee chair is a professional caterer and certified food handler. We’ve posted the menu on our website (www.happydestinyretreat.org) We will serve a light dinner on Friday evening before the first meeting. Saturday features breakfast, lunch and dinner. Sunday, we are planning breakfast only. Throughout the weekend, we will offer vegetarian/vegan choices in our menu selection. If you have special food restrictions or need to bring your own food, please contact David D. at (301) 655-4291. Cell phones and wireless: The camp has a Verizon tower nearby. The park rangers tell us that usually only Verizon users get a signal. For those who might need it, there is a 24-hour emergency phone line for Camp Greentop. Other stuff to know: No tent camping is permitted at Camp Greentop. Smoking will be allowed in designated areas only. The camp is fully accessible for the physically handicapped. Check in time: Friday, May 7th – 6pm Check out time: Sunday, May 9th – 12pm For more info about the camp: http://www.nps.gov/cato/planyourvisit/greentop.htm or check out the pictures in the Gallery section of our website: www.happydestinyretreat.org Accessing the Park: We strongly encourage all of you to carpool to the park as parking space is limited. If you need a ride to Camp Greentop, please email us – we’ll try to assist you. From Washington DC take the George Washington Memorial Parkway north to I495 to I270 north 27 miles to Frederick, MD. Take Route 15 17 miles north to Thurmont, MD. Take Route 77 West, the exit sign is marked Catoctin Mountain Park. Travel approximately 6 miles west on 77 (you will pass Park Central Road and the park Visitor Center) and turn right onto Foxville-Deerfield Road. As the road forks, turn right onto Manahan Road. At the next intersection, turn right onto Park Central Road. Continue approximately 1/2 mile and turn right into Camp Greentop. From Baltimore, MD take I695 beltway to I70 West to Frederick, MD. Take Route 15 North to Thurmont, MD. Take Route 77 West (the exit sign says Catoctin Mountain Park.) Travel approximately 6 miles west on 77 (you will pass Park Central Road and the park Visitor Center) and turn right onto Foxville-Deerfield Road. As the road forks, turn right onto Manahan Road. At the next intersection, turn right onto Park Central Road. Continue approximately 1/2 mile and turn right into Camp Greentop. Join Us on the Broad Highway! This is our fourth Happy Destiny Retreat and we hope it will flourish! With your help and participation to inspire us, we know it will. ~ Stevie C. & Happy Destiny Retreat Committee This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it (240) 876-8043 |