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May 2014 News Update from Springwater Center

Dear friend,

Space is available in upcoming summer events at the Center. For further information about retreat and to apply, click here. To register for All-Day Sittings, Quiet Weeks and Annual Meeting, please contact reception.

Sandra Gonzalez Click here for information about Sandra, including articles and talks

May 31 All-Day Sitting 8:30 - 4:30
This day of meditation will have a talk by Wayne Coger or Sandra Gonzalez and an opportunity to take part in group dialogue. Lunch is provided. A $15 donation is requested for attendance. Click here to see the day's schedule. It is helpful if participants arrive between 8 and 8:15 a.m. to sign in and choose a seat. A brief introduction will take place at 8:30. Please contact reception if you wish to attend and also if you wish to stay overnight before or after the All-Day.

June Rental Friday June 6 - Sunday June 8
The Center is being rented to a group for a weekend retreat based on a Course in Miracles. The Center will reopen June 11. Please contact Patti Fields for information about the retreat.

June 14 - 21 Seven-Day Retreat with Wayne Coger
Wayne will give talks and be available for group and individual meetings. Click here to access more information about Wayne, including articles and talks.

Wayne Coger

June 22 - July 4 Quiet Weeks During Quiet weeks the building is in silence following the regular work day and on the weekend. The June All-Day Sitting and the Annual Meeting will take place during the Quiet Weeks. If you would like more information or to make a reservation to stay during all or part of the period, please contact reception.

Weekend of June 28/29 - All-Day Sitting/Annual Meeting/Trustees Meeting
This weekend takes place during the Quiet Weeks. Please contact reception if you wish to attend all or part of the weekend and if you would like to reserve a room to stay one or more overnights. The All-Day Sitting will follow the same format as the May 31 sitting described above, with a live talk. The Annual Meeting begins at 10 a.m. on Sunday. On the agenda is the year in review, a financial report, confirmation of the election of trustees (see below for information about the trustees being elected this year) and open discussion. The meeting will be followed by a pot-luck lunch. Please bring a dish to share if you will be attending the Annual Meeting. The Board of Trustees will meet at 2 p.m. following the pot-luck.

Richard Witteman

July 5 - 12 Seven-Day Retreat with Richard Witteman
Richard will give talks, take part in group dialogues and be available for private meetings.
Click here for articles, talks and more information about Richard.

July 25 - 28 Three-Day Retreat with Wayne Coger, Sandra Gonzalez and Richard Witteman
All three teachers will take part in this retreat. They will give talks and be available for group and private meetings.

For more information about retreats, including daily schedules, application procedure, fees, and applying for assistance to attend, please see the Retreats section of the website.

See the Calendar for the remaining events scheduled this year.

News

Featured talks this month
The digitization of Toni Packer's talks has had a slight delay as the digitization company is moving its premises. This month we bring you two new talks. Click here to access a March 2014 retreat talk by Sandra Gonzalez on Choice; the Quality of listening; and Being oneself. Click here for a March 2014 All-Day Sitting talk by Wayne Coger on Quiet sitting...a shared silence.

For more talks, check an individual teacher's audio pages on the website.

Retreats in Germany, Sweden and Carmel, CA
See the Retreats Away page of the website for retreats outside of Springwater with Stephan Bielfeldt, Sandra Gonzalez and Wayne Coger.

Sam Nelson

Board of Trustees

The trustee terms of Sam Nelson and Sally Woodmansee expire this year. Sally decided not to run again; Sam Nelson is willing to continue to serve. Heartfelt thanks to Sally, who has made valuable contributions to the board and the Center as a whole, including serving as secretary for many years. December's call for nominations resulted in the nomination of Susan Schepp for trustee. Members present at the Annual Meeting will be asked to confirm Sam and Susan as trustees. Both were asked to write brief bios for this News Update.

Sam Nelson writes: I first came to Rochester in 1977, left in 1980 and returned in 1983 to volunteer at what is now Springwater Center. My educational background is in Economics, B.A. and M.A. with some Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering. PhD Environmental Studies. I have been a trustee for over 20 years., serving on the finance committee for most of that time. I 've maintained a Feldenkrais Practice in Rochester, NY since 1987 and have also worked as a contractor in FEMA’s Radiological Emergency Preparedness Program for the last twenty-eight years. I am the coauthor of Singing with Your Whole Self: The Feldenkrais Method and Voice.

Susan Schepp

Susan Schepp writes: I came to Rochester in 1978 with my then husband Kevin Frank. We joined the staff at the Rochester Zen Center to be part of Toni Packer's staff in the fall of 1979. We had been members of the Rochester Zen Center for about 8 years and then left to work with Toni and helped build the center in Springwater, NY. I have remained a member of the Springwater Center since its inception, attending retreats and volunteering from time to time. On a few occasions I have been kitchen coordinator during retreats.

I remarried in 1989 to Christopher Schepp and have a daughter Celeste who is 22 years old. I work as a teacher at the Urban Choice Charter School in Rochester, NY and make porcelain pottery during the summer which is sold in local galleries.

Thanks to Volunteers
Work has begun to restore the garden that was impacted by replacing the well last autumn. Hearty thanks to Richard Shearer and Bruce Sternberg for sharing their expertise and adopting the project to restore and maintain this garden.

Erica Edwards and Koshin Cherin have been giving time to the Center in the area of day-to-day operations. Their help is deeply appreciated. Please contact the Center if you would like to help out as a volunteer.