I am in the “Dead Presidents” Forum in EO Reno/Tahoe, and we recently had an amazing retreat experience in Vancouver, Canada. Our goal for the year is “Build One Forum,” since we had merged with another Forum, so Chapter President Karen Purcell and I planned the retreat around an event— the 2010 Winter Olympics.
Our trip started off on Interstate 5, as we headed to a luxurious house we rented on the Puget Sound, just 30 minutes north of Seattle, Washington, USA. Along the way, we stopped at for massages to relax and get our heads straight for the weekend. When we finally arrived at the house, we participated in various team-building activities that built our morale. We divided the Forum into two teams, ensuring both old Forums were evenly represented. Afterward, each team was given the makings for an apple pie, but no instructions. Needless to say, we had two very interesting deserts, and to every one’s surprise, they turned out great! The winners were given medals in honor of their culinary creations.
The next morning we ate breakfast on the deck while watching bald eagles fly around us and a killer whale swim past the house. Before we left, we handed out Olympic USA sweatshirts with the EO logo sewn into the sleeves. Everyone was so surprised! We then hopped in a limo and headed for Canada to watch a men’s Olympic hockey game. In true EO fashion, it was an in-your-face experience, as the bodies of players crashed into the glass three feet from us. When the game ended, we stopped at a nice restaurant, ate and drank, and then laughed on the limo ride home. The ride back was when we realized we were one Forum and our goal had been achieved.
At our next Forum meeting, we handed out custom-framed pictures of us on the retreat with a hockey ticket and a picture of Vancouver in the background. What a great memory!