Insatiable Curiosity
September 27 – 30, 2018
The Mountain Retreat and Learning Center, Highlands, NC
4 day / 3 night package (Thursday through Sunday)
Bunkhouse $324.18 | Cabin $380.22 | Lodge $418.65
5 day / 4 night package (Wednesday through Sunday)
Bunkhouse $398.90 | Cabin $473.63 | Lodge $524.87
Dear Brothers,
By recognizing ourselves as evolving gay spirits we are forced to question the norm. This questioning opens the world and allows our curiosity to expand and be a force that can guide us throughout our life. We begin to become curious about phenomena beyond our love for men. We question what we have been told about sensuality, beauty, ambiguity, science, compassion, and the world of the spirit. By being this ‘outsider’ we have a unique perspective on the world and can share that perspective with others. Some cultures value this perspective, and others do not.
With this curious perspective also comes a responsibility to go beyond being curious. It is one thing to ask the question and another to seek an answer. The process of seeking is the process of revelation and empowerment.
When one considers who we have become, one often looks to those who have come before and have inspired us. We have individuals from our past, and we have those who are larger than us who came down through history. We can choose to select the role models to further our individual growth and inspire us toward the realization of our potential. In “Bazar’s Book of Genius – And How to Unleash Your Own,” the person who rated highest in “Originality,” “Versatility,” “Dominance of Field,” “Universality-of-Vision,” and “Strength and Energy” is a gay man — Leonardo da Vinci.
Through our insatiable curiosity we find ways to test our questions and demonstrate our thoughts. We exalt in our sensuality and how we experience the world. We celebrate ambiguity and paradox. We cultivate grace, beauty, and spirit. We balance logic and imagination, art and science. We grow to recognize and appreciate the connectedness of all things and phenomena. We embody persistent empowerment. These are the ideals that encompassed the life of Leonardo, and these are the ideals that will be the driving force for our time together at the Fall Conference.
We will gather at The Mountain to ask questions, celebrate, and enliven our insatiable curiosity.
Be prepared for Pageantry and Artistic and Scientific Expression. Bring material for artistic expression — poetry, musical instruments, art supplies.
Bring fashion, garb, costumes, and makeup for the talent show, dancing, music making, and daily promenades.
Bring your love for men who love men.
“Heaven sometimes sends us a being who represents not humanity alone but divinity itself.” — Giorgio Vasari, speaking on da Vinci in “The Lives of the Artists (1550).”
Randy Taylor
2018 Fall Conference Convener