This year’s retreat is September 16-18, 2022!
We are delighted to announce the details for our 2022 Retreat.
The Exponent II Retreat has been going on since the early 1980s in New England as part of our mission to provide a forum for Mormon adult women (18 years and older) in all our diversity, including those based in how we identify our faith, race, ethnicity, gender (including cis and transgender women, gender-fluid individuals as well as female-identifying intersex women), to share their life experiences in an atmosphere of trust and acceptance.
Registration
This year’s retreat will open for registration on SATURDAY, JULY 2, 2022 at 12:00PM (Eastern Time). There have been years when Retreat has sold out in less than 24 hours, so be ready to register if you are able to join us this year. Registration closes FRIDAY, JULY 8, 2022 at 12:00PM ET.
Location
Retreat is at the Barbara C Harris Episcopal Camp and Retreat Center in Greenfield, New Hampshire. If you are flying in from out-of-state, the nearest airports are Portsmouth or Manchester (both in NH), but it is generally easier to find a ride from the Boston airport, since so many locals drive from there. As the retreat date approaches, we can help coordinate rideshares.
Changes due to COVID-19
As the world is still experiencing the pandemic, the 2022 Retreat will be a little different from previous years.
The Barbara C. Harris Center has some limitations — please review these carefully:
- They do not require COVID-19 vaccines for staff, and nor does the 60-person youth group that will be using the venue on the same weekend. In order to keep our attendees as safe as possible, we will require proof of full COVID-19 vaccination in order to attend this year, and we are unable to accept vaccine exemptions.
- Further to keeping our attendees as safe as possible, children (including nursing infants) are unable to attend this year. We acknowledge this will be disappointing for some attendees. Please consider this when registering.
- The Barbara C. Harris Center does require masks indoors, except while eating. Please ensure you bring enough masks to meet your needs during the retreat.
Keynote Speaker
The Exponent II Board is pleased to announce this year’s Keynote, Allison Hong Merrill!
Allison was born and raised in Taiwan and arrived in the U.S. at twenty-two as a university student. That’s when she realized her school English wasn’t much help when asking for directions on the street or opening a bank account. By recording each of the classes she took and reviewing the tape every night for a year, she eventually learned English well enough to earn an MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts. But please excuse her if she misuses verb tenses or mixes up genders in third-person pronouns when she speaks. It’s no secret––English is hard to learn.
Allison writes in both Chinese and English, both fiction and creative nonfiction, which means she spends a lot of time looking up words on Dictionary.com. Her memoir, Ninety-Nine Fire Hoops, came out in September 2021 and continues to win both national and international literary awards. Get your copy here. Also, sign up for Allison’s monthly email at allisonhongmerrill.com to learn about Chinese culture and get your name translated into Chinese characters.
Cost
The retreat center offers three types of accommodations:
- Semi-Private room: $315
Two beds, attached bath, hotel style in the St John’s Lodge, linens provided - Adult-friendly cabins: $275
4 twin beds per cabin, shared bath, linens provided
- Bunk cabin: $210
10-12 beds per cabin, wooden bunk beds, shared bath, bring your own bedding and towel
See HERE for more details.
We will finalize room arrangements in semi-private and adult-friendly cabins after registration closes. We will try our best to accommodate your requests.
Your registration confirmation email will also include a link to a shared Google Doc to allow for people who need rides and bedding to make arrangements with those willing to provide those services. Be sure to enter a correct email address to get retreat updates!
We work hard to make the retreat as low cost as possible. If cost is preventing you from joining us, please email [email protected] about the availability of a scholarship.
Retreat Scholarships
We are pleased to announce that there are funds available for scholarships to this year’s retreat. In addition to limited need-based scholarships available, this year we are also able to provide a number of scholarships funded by The Exponent’s Diversity Equity and Inclusion initiative. Ensuring that Retreat is accessible, welcoming, and inclusive is a top priority for the Exponent Board.
If you identify as a gender minority, member of the LGBTQ community, or are a member of the BIPOC community, we would love to support your attendance at the 2022 Exponent Retreat!
To apply for either a need-based or DEI Retreat Scholarship, please fill out THIS FORM.
Waitlist and cancellations
If you would like to come but registration is full, please email [email protected] to be placed on a waitlist.
If you registered for a space and find that you cannot attend after all, please email [email protected] as soon as possible and we will do our best to connect you with someone on our waitlist, but we cannot make any guarantees and we cannot issue refunds after Saturday, July 23, 2022. Our cancellation policy can be found HERE.
Location, Arrival/Departure times, and packing list can be found HERE.
Questions? Email [email protected]
Save the date for next year’s retreat: September 15-17, 2023
