Special Invitation for Families with Youth: Seabeck!

Mar 30, 2023 | Beacon, News, RE-Flections

Many of you may not be aware of the annual Memorial Day UU retreat that roughly 200 East Shore and other local UUs attend each year. This is a special invitation to you, the East Shore families with youth. You and your youth are so vital to our community — you transform us all — so please know that we all will be grateful for your presence this and any year.

What is there for kids to do at the Seabeck UU Retreat?

 The Seabeck UU Retreat is an intentionally inclusive and multi-generational annual church retreat over Memorial Day weekend at the Seabeck Conference Center overlooking the Olympic mountains on the Hood Canal The retreat offers Something for Everyone and is a wonderful way to get involved and more connected with members of East Shore, University Unitarian and the Northlake UU congregations.

Click Here to Register

Seabeck is made for kids, with three playgrounds, a treehouse, a beach, and kid-friendly meals. The location is very safe, and many parents feel comfortable letting their kids roam the grounds – giving many kids an experience of adventure and freedom they may not be used to in the city. Friendships are made and renewed each year during the retreat.

Mornings

Saturday and Sunday mornings include children and youth programming from 9 am to noon. Each classroom has a lead teacher with parent volunteers to assist. Classes have typically been about 4-8 children and the planned age breakdown for the groups are:

  • Pre-K – 2grade
  • 3– 5 Grade
  • Middle School
  • High School

Activities vary depending on the age of the group and in the past have included drawing, puppet making, other arts and crafts activities, nature hikes on the trails on Seabeck Grounds, or a visit to the civil war era cemetery behind Seabeck. The High School Group has a chaperoned sleepover on Saturday night and this year may participate in the featured speaker program which is exercises in improv.

 Afternoons

Afternoons are for families to come together for play and relaxation – or for older kids to do some independent exploring.

Outdoor activities:  boating in the lagoon (with a parent), playing on the playground, tetherball, ping pong, tennis, beach combing, nature hikes, UU “Olympics”, and hanging with their new friends.

Family activities: Participating in workshops with their parents, campfire sing along, Smores, all ages talent show and board games.

Here is a sample retreat schedule so that you can see how our days are filled with so many fun opportunities. If you have any questions, please email [email protected] and we’ll forward your question to the relevant retreat leadership team member.

Making Seabeck affordable for all

This year we have lowered our Tier 3 housing prices in order to make Seabeck more accessible to everyone. Additionally, partial and full scholarships are available according to need. Please contact Nicole Denman or me with any questions. We don’t want lack of access to financial resources to be a barrier to anyone coming to Seabeck.

Sincerely,

David Langrock
Seabeck Memorial Day Weekend Retreat Dean 2023