Florida MGB Retreat - January 17-19, 2009

[Guest guest]

Start packing your bags! Well, maybe not quite yet. But definitely mark your

calendars for January 17, 18, and 19! MGB Friends of Central Florida (a newly

formed MGB support group) is sponsoring for the first MGB Retreat of 2009!

That's the weekend of Luther King, Jr.'s birthday... and yes, it is a

Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. We're hoping that many of you will join us for a

fun-filled, informative extended weekend. (Reservations and pre-payment are

required; see below.) Whether your surgery was performed in Florida, Nevada, or

another state, you're all welcome to join us for this spectacular event.

We have reserved space at the Future Farmers of America (FFA) Leadership

Training Center (LTC), which is located approximately 50 miles south of Orlando.

The LTC adjoins the Broussard State Park and is situated on the

southeast shore of beautiful Lake Pierce.

The workshops we have planned will be informative... with lots of attendee

participation. Among our speakers, we expect to have a professional fashion

consultant, a psychologist, a registered dietitian, a licensed personal trainer,

and of course, our own Dr. Peraglie. Come with an open mind and be prepared to

learn!

In addition to the workshops, there will be many exciting opportunities in which

you and your family can participate. Some of the activities include nature

walks, volleyball, basketball, and horseshoes. You can also fish from the

floating dock on Lake Pierce or from the shore of Catfish Creek; be sure to

bring your tackle and bait! You can even rent a canoe ($25 for a half day) and

glide down the creek. We'll have a bonfire on Saturday night followed by a

pajama party for any who want to join in the fun!

Sunday evening will be our very own version of a cocktail party... without the

cocktails. We're calling it a " cocktail-less " party. Feel free to dress up if

you'd like to do so. (For those who'd like to dress but aren't staying

overnight, there will be rooms available for you to change clothes.) There will

be a professional photographer available during the party. Each sitting will

cost only $15, and your photos will be sent to you electronically. If you'd

like to have a formal (or informal!) photo shoot, plan to take advantage of this

extremely good deal.

On Monday, we'll hit the road and take advantage of the MLK holiday sales at

retail stores, as well as visiting some local consignment and thrift shops. If

you'd rather take a relaxing cruise on Lake Pierce, sign up for the pontoon boat

ride.

We're delighted to have a professional scrapbook instructor who will help us

design a scrapbook page with our " before and after " pictures! There will be a

small materials charge for this class. All you need to bring are your " before

and after " pictures. If you don't have an " after " picture that you like, we'll

take one and print it for you at the class.

Another highlight of the weekend will be the clothing exchange. Be sure to

bring your no-longer-needed clothes (whether too big or too small) that are in

good condition for the exchange. Even if you don't have any clothes to

contribute, you're invited to go through the exchange... so be sure to bring an

empty suitcase. It won't be empty when you go home!

Here's a brief overview of our schedule for the weekend:

Saturday, January 17

12:00 - 1:00 pm

1:00 - 5:30 pm

6:00 pm

8:00 pm

10:00 pm

Sunday, January 18

6:00 - 8:30 am

7:00 - 8:00 am

9:00 - 11:30 am

11:30 - 1:00 pm

1:00 - 5:00 pm

6:30 pm

Monday, January 19

6:00 - 8:30 am

7:00 - 8:00 am

10:00 am

Retreat registration

Workshops & fun activities

Casual dinner buffet

Bonfire on the grounds

Pajama party!

Continental breakfast

Group walk on the nature trails

Workshops & fun activities

Soup & sandwiches

Workshops & more fun activities

Dressy cocktail-less party

Continental breakfast

Group walk on the nature trails

Shopping excursion & pontoon boat ride

The accommodations at the LTC are much like you'd find at any small, rural

conference center; they're not luxurious, but they're clean and very nice. Each

bedroom has 2 double beds and a bath; you can choose to have the room to

yourself (single) or share with a friend (double). (If you are bringing your

family, contact Elinor Reynolds (laussie04@...) for family rates.) If

you want to share a room but don't know anyone, feel free to ask on the group if

anyone is interested in rooming with you; we will not be assigning roommates.

The costs to you for the weekend are as follows:

a.. Conference registration (includes Sunday lunch and snacks) = $30 per

person

b.. Single room = $110 per night

c.. Double room = $160 per night (you and your roommate would split this

amount)

d.. Saturday night dinner = $30 per person

e.. Sunday night cocktail-less dinner party = $30 per person

f.. Breakfast = $5 per person/per day

g.. Scrapbooking = $3 per person (refunded only if class is cancelled)

h.. Pontoon boat ride (Monday morning from 10:00-11:00 am) = $15 per person

(refunded only if cruise is cancelled)

Reservations and pre-payment for the weekend are required. The following forms

of payment are accepted: Cash, check, money order, and PayPal. Don't wait!

Register now to attend at http://www.mgbhelp.com/Retreat.

Keep watching for more information about this spectacular MGB Retreat weekend!

..

Ava Vanyo

for the MGB Retreat Planning Committee