Dear Brothers,

Last year’s virtual reunion retreat was very successful - well worth all the time, planning, and experience together. We were hopeful that this January we could be together in person, and explore “Gratitude and Practices to Enhance Gratefulness.” However, the SARS-Cov-2 virus has made other plans. So we find ourselves in another COVID-19 illness surge with the new omicron variant, just as the delta variant has slowly been decreasing. 

You do not need to be a public health physician like our team member, Jim Gaudino, to know that meeting this month would be unwise. After confirming that Pilgrim Firs is canceling all its January events, it was a straightforward but very disappointing decision for our planning team to cancel our in-person retreat.

Those who have registered and paid through the Ultra Camp site will be reimbursed by the same method.

To help our PNC-UCC retreat centers stay alive during this difficult time, we urge all to please donate to Pilgrim Firs Camp and Conference Center! You may donate here.

So for now, we look forward to an in-person retreat next year. We encourage everyone to read and reflect on the book, Grateful: the Transformative Power of Giving Thanks, by Diana Butler Bass. We hope to draw on it in a future retreat and explore "Gratitude and Practices to Enhance Gratefulness."

Please let us know your interest in joining or being involved with the Retreat Planning Group! We meet on Zoom every month. If you are interested, send a message to office@pncucc.org and we will contact you. Also please feel free to share with on our Facebook page.

Stay healthy and thriving. Thank you, 

The Conference Men's Retreat Planning Committee:

Charlie Torres, Don Jenkins, Hans Dankers, Jim Gaudino, Larry Kiriluk, Paul Withington, and Rick Russell