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This reply to Fleet's posting is in hopes of helping others whom, like myself, may want to organize a Street Retreat, but haven't done something like this before - may my questions and the replies below be of service. I will continue posting here as receive more information.
Lisa Hill [Vancouver, BC]
From: Hope Malkan [Austin,TX]
Hi Lisa! I've been out of town and just got your email. Is it too late for my input to be of use? Truthfully, though I'm happy to answer any questions, I'm guessing Stephan is by far the more experienced organizer and a wealth of information compared to me. I'm happy to tell you what I can. And I do have a couple of observations that may prove worthwhile.
My first (unsolicited!) observation is that August in Vancouver sounds more like a vacation than a Street Retreat. We chose to do the retreat here in August because the temperature is in the triple digits every day at that time of year. If not for the brutal heat with which we were forced to contend, I cannot really imagine how we could have gone so deep. Breaking through preconceived limitations, dealing w/ intense discomfort, confronting the “cocoon”–these are all things that have come up in the interviews I've done w/ participants since doing the Retreat. Intense physical adversity seems to me a necessary ingredient.
My other observation is that I did not properly understand the “raising a mala” practice until just last week when I read Bernie Glassman's book, “Bearing Witness.” I would handle this aspect of the retreat completely differently now, with what I know. It is a big deal, and I didn't get that. We're actually each supposed to raise $3,024.
The other part has to do w/ the difficulty of promoting the Retreat discreetly to the right potential participants. This is a difficult and time consuming task. Perhaps Stephan could be of help in making recommendations?
I wish you a lot of luck. It was a fabulous experience and one which we are already talking about making an annual event here in Austin. Please contact me w/ any questions that may arise. I'll do my best to be of assistance.
cheers,
Hope Malkan
From Hope Malkan [Austin,TX]:
I just read another email in which you asked about a framework. What I can tell you is that I coordinated w/ the Zen Center here, and we emailed out to every sangha in Austin. With the replies we got back, we began a listserve which we communicated with regularly. I sent articles about past retreats, and I sent guidelines and info. We had information sessions for curious potential participants. I would have begun coaching about Mala Raising way back when, had I known.
Then I did a BIG p.r. push, trying to get radio people interested in doing interviews, and local magazines or papers in doing articles. I was marginally successful. Anyone who did respond to these articles got put on the listserve and sent a bunch of info. I also put up flyers at other sangha's meeting places and attended a couple of there meetings to talk about the Retreat. Promoting this is very time consuming. The sooner you start, the better.
That's all I can think to tell you at this moment. I tried to promote the retreat w/ people who work w/ the homeless social services–interestingly enough, I got no response from them. It might be different in Canada, though.
I wish you the best of luck. Let me know if I can be of further help.
hope
From Stephan Clarke [Baltimore, MD]:
Greetings,
I hope this finds everyone well. Having a place that people could see what is needed to organize a street retreat and that people could share resources would be great. I have organized 7 retreats, leading 3 of them. Attached is three documents that were created by Genro, myself and/or people who helped me advertise. They may prove a little helpful. Also is attached an article written by a British journalist that accompanied us on one of the Montreal retreats.
The Retreat in Ottawa, from the flier attached, was canceled until the spring. A local Shambhala inspired social activist group is putting on a Street Retreat in Baltimore in the beginning of October that I am leading.
The first retreat in Montreal, I lead an introductory day long retreat where we raised money and the money was donated on behalf of the center to a local charity. The Shambhala center then helped collect money for the full street retreat. The Montreal Center was very supportive.
A year later I tried to organize one in Baltimore. The Baltimore Center would not touch it because of liability. They still won't get near it. American Centers may not be as easy to have retreats unless an outside organization like the Peacemaker community, etc. take responsibility for it.
Let me know if you need anything else.
Take care,
steph
From Stephan Clarke [Baltimore, MD]:
Hi Stephan,
Thanks once again for your mail and the attachments, all were very useful and very much appreciated.
If you have time, I have a few more specific questions to ask:
1) I received the following from Hope Malkan:
The other part has to do w/ the difficulty of promoting the Retreat discreetly to the right potential participants. This is a difficult and time consuming task. Perhaps Stephan could be of help in making recommendations?
I was wondering if you could address this for me? People are either interested or not. It is pretty self selecting. This kind of retreat and fundraising brings up a lot of fear for people.
The thing with advertising is to get as many people as possible interested because undoubtedly people drop out before the retreat begins. Many people really want to do it, but can't bring themselves to ask others for money, or their kids get sick or a professor assigns a lot of work that week. What ever the reason, people can't do it.
2) Can you tell me specifically what the requirements of the mala practice were on the retreats you organized. From reading “Bearing Witness” to reading what was required to be raised for the Austin retreat, it seems to vary. Hope mentions:
My other observation is that I did not properly understand the “raising a mala” practice until just last week when I read Bernie Glassman's book, “Bearing Witness.” I would handle this aspect of the retreat completely differently now, with what I know. It is a big deal, and I didn't get that. We're actually each supposed to raise $3,024. Everyone that leads the retreats has different requirements for the mala. Genro has people raise $300 for a 3 day retreat. He leads the most of anyone I know. Bernie and Fleet are more traditional with the mala requirements. I have followed Genro's example with the shorter retreats and less money required. I am starting to lead one day retreats and require $108. I have reaised over $3000 for a retreat and it was fine, and have raised $300 and this also seems fine. The amount is not the important thing. It is just an arbitrary number. The leader sets the amount. It is important that people raise it before coming to the retreat, and that the coordinator is firm in the amount asking for. Many people don't do the retreat just because of the Mala practice. But this practice really sets the stage for the retreat.
3) The money raised for the mala, does this differ from the money raised that is donated to the social services used by the participants on the retreat? Is the money that is donated to street resources, the money raised while on the streets begging or is it raised beforehand as well? Is there a specific amount raised and donated by each participant? The money raised for the mala is what is donated. Every participant has to raise a mala. I have had people raise money through begging on street corners, writing letters to friends and families, asking their sangha to support them. What happens to the money raised while on the street is determined by the people on the retreat. Sometimes we give it to other people we meet, and sometimes we have bought food.
4) Since you led the retreats you've been involved with i'm not sure if you can answer this for me, but there is the airfare and honorarium to pay for the person leading the retreat - is this paid for from the mala, by the shambhala centre, by the individuals participating in the retreat, other? The coordinator buys the airfare out of the money raised. Typically there is no honorarium. Mostly what happens is 1/3 of the money raised is donated to the organization the leader is coming from. This supports them and also the mission of their organization. 2/3 are then donated to homeless services.
5) the following was from Hope as well:
What I can tell you is that I coordinated w/ the Zen Center here, and we emailed out to every sangha in Austin. With the replies we got back, we began a listserve which we communicated with regularly. I sent articles about past retreats, and I sent guidelines and info. We had information sessions for curious potential participants.
I'm wondering if this is similar to what you did? If not, please explain. If so, how far in advance of the retreat did you start approaching varying sanghas, etc.? This is a great idea. I emailed every sangha in each of the cities closest to the city we held the retreat in and in that city. getting on Listserves is the best idea. Yahoo has a bunch of listserves that local groups use. You send out one e-mail and get thousands of people. Having information sessions almost seems essential, if you have someone that can lead it. I would recommend trying to partner with many different religious organizations as well. Churches, temples etc are great places to post flyers. I would approach people as far in advance as possible. You need to get allies that can help you put the word out.
6) I believe I read that 15 people is the max. allowable to participate in this type of retreat. Was this the group size on your retreats? Did you find you had a lot more people wanting to participate than the allowable amount, or was it a struggle to find people wanting to participate in such a retreat? There is no maximum number allowed, per se. It is set by each leader. I personally would not take more then 10 people out by myself. If there is over a certain number, a second or thrid leader can be found. I honestly like smaller numbers of retreatants. My favorite retreat comprised of two leaders of three participants. I felt as though we really blended into our environment. With large numbers, you tend to stick out like a sore thumb.
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