Fall Conference – Gay Spirit Visions

GSV 2024 Fall Conference Post 2

August 2, 2024 Don Wilson Fall Conference, Gay Spirit Visions

Where Are Your Feet?

September 26 – 29, 2024

The Mountain Retreat and Learning Center, Highlands NC

Convener: ChaseR

4 Day/3 Night Package (Thursday through Sunday)

Bunk House (shared room up to 4 people) $300.00 + 6.75% tax = $320.25

Lodge or Duplex Cabin (double occupancy) $345.00 + 6.75% = $368.29

For All Rooms, Add Required GSV Program Fee $100.00

Check out the Registration System for Optional Extra Night Before (Wednesday Night) and/or After (Sunday Night) the Conference

Register Now!

Treewalker

Where Are Your Feet?

One of my mentors while I was on the GSV Council was Treewalker. This photo, taken by Lem Arnold, has the qualities of an icon. The photo radiates Treewalker’s energy, presence, joy of life, and also his feet! He would remind those serving on the Council that the GSV Fall Conference is like a spinning top toy. We all put energy, intention, prayers, and work into preparing for the Fall Conference. It is like winding up a spinning top toy. All of us are winding that spinning top right now — those of us that are planning to attend and those of us that are supporting from afar. In 56 days, on Thursday evening, September 26, 2024, we will let go of this spinning top and watch it spin across The Mountain and into our lives.

Join us around our council fire, listening deeply in our heart circles, sharing meals, experiencing workshops, practicing gender freedom and expression, talent shows, dance, small groups, and a thousand other ways of being together.

Together we will explore ideas and practices around the ideas of mindfulness, awareness, and presence. Experiences offered will include yoga, breath, sound meditation, storytelling, dance, body work, panel discussions, singing, and others. My intention, hope, and prayer is that there will be specific practices that you will want to take back with you when you leave The Mountain.

I invite you to make origami cranes to bring to The Mountain and display. I am hoping for 1000 paper cranes. Below is a link to the story The Story of Sadako Sasaki and the Thousand Paper Cranes. You will also find links on how to make a paper crane. So, now is the time to begin your journey to The Mountain. Write down your prayers, intentions, and hopes, and fold them into the paper cranes you make. Many of you have already begun your journey.
The Story of Sadako Sasaki and the Thousand Paper Cranes (YouTube Video)
How to make a paper crane – Origami Crane Step by Step (YouTube Video)
Origami: Crane [tutorial] (YouTube Video)

Call For Workshops

As usual, there are times in the schedule for breakout workshops and activities. If you have a breakout workshop or activity you would like to facilitate (and, well, you are planning to attend the conference), please send me the following information:

• Your name (as you would like it listed in the conference schedule)
• The title of the workshop/activity
• A brief description of the workshop/activity for the conference schedule, facility/set-up requirements, and an explanation to help me understand what you want to do

I can’t guarantee I can accept all submissions, but I’ll do my best to provide a variety of options. Remember: we like these breakout workshops and activities to be more interactive and participatory than presentational. Please email your breakout workshop/activity proposal to me at [email protected] by August 15th, 2024.

ChaseR
GSV 2024 Fall Conference Convener

Scholarship Information and Application Deadline

Financial assistance in the form of scholarships is available. The financial assistance application submission deadline is September 5, 2024. We hope that anyone who resonates with our mission and community, and who has the desire to attend, can join us at our gatherings. To that end we offer financial assistance through the Raven Wolfdancer Financial Assistance Fund. Please go to the Financial Assistance page on the Gay Spirit Visions website for more information and for a link to the GSV financial assistance application form. Remember, the financial assistance application submission deadline is September 5, 2024.

Registration

Registration for the GSV 2024 Fall Conference is open now. The GSV Council has asked me to remind all who plan to register that there are a maximum of six single occupancy accommodations. If a positive GSV and Mountain experience is contingent upon single room accommodations, please email [email protected] for single room occupancy request consideration.

Registration closes Wednesday, September 18, 2024, at 5:00 p.m. ET. We remind you that recent fall conferences have reached capacity long before registration closes, so you are encouraged to register as soon as possible. All questions about the conference should be directed to [email protected] rather than The Mountain.

Register Now!

GSV 2024 Fall Conference Post 1

July 3, 2024 Don Wilson Fall Conference

Where Are Your Feet?

September 26 – 29, 2024

The Mountain Retreat and Learning Center, Highlands NC

Convener: ChaseR

4 Day/3 Night Package (Thursday through Sunday)

Bunk House (shared room up to 4 people) $300.00 + 6.75% tax = $320.25

Lodge or Duplex Cabin (double occupancy) $345.00 + 6.75% = $368.29

For All Rooms, Add Required GSV Program Fee $100.00

Check out the Registration System for Optional Extra Night Before (Wednesday Night) and/or After (Sunday Night) the Conference

Register Now!

Come, Come, Whoever You Are

Come, come, whoever you are!
Wanderer, worshiper, lover of leaving.
This is not a caravan of despair.
It does not matter that you have broken your vow a thousand times,
Still come,
And yet again,
Come.

Whatever your race, class, culture or color,
serostatus or sexual wounds.
Whatever you struggle with, heart, mind, body or soul …
Still come.

Whether you’re gay, bi, questioning, queer, or transgender,
single or partnered, poly or simply perplexed;
religious or atheist, spiritual, awestruck,
addicted, recovering, or reaching for heaven on earth.
Whether outrageous or quiet, flamboyant or shy, prophetic or peaceful,
elder or newcomer or somewhere between …
Still come.

We welcome your sorrows, we welcome your joys.
We welcome your hunger, we welcome your gifts.
We welcome your stories, questions, and yearnings.
We welcome you home!

~ChasR after Hunter Flournoy after Rumi~

The call has gone forth! In 86 days, we intend to gather together with 90 other kindred souls for the 35th annual Gay Spirit Visions Fall Conference. We will spend about 69 hours together around our council fire, listening deeply in our heart circles, sharing meals, experiencing workshops, practicing gender freedom and expression, talent shows, dance, small groups, and a thousand other ways of being together.

Scholarship Information and Application Deadline

Registration

Registration closes Wednesday, September 18, 2024, at 5:00 p.m. ET. We remind you that recent fall conferences have reached capacity long before registration closes, so you are encouraged to register as soon as possible. All questions about the conference should be directed to [email protected] rather than The Mountain.

ChaseR
GSV 2024 Fall Conference Convener

Register Now!

GSV 2023 Fall Conference Post 3

September 11, 2023 Don Wilson Fall Conference, Gay Spirit Visions

Queer Bodies/Gay Spirit

September 28 – October 1, 2023

The Mountain Retreat and Learning Center, Highlands NC

4 Day/3 Night Package (Thursday through Sunday)

Bunk House (shared room up to 4 people) $285.00

Lodge or Duplex Cabin (double occupancy) $330.00

For All Rooms, Add Mandatory GSV Program Fee $100.00
Check out the Registration System for Optional Extra Nights Before and After the Conference

Register Now!

Convener: Jonny “Mothra” Gray
Keynote Speaker: Tim Miller

Greetings, Siblings!

This is the “last call” for participation and registration for the Gay Spirit Visions 2023 Fall Conference! Tim Miller, our keynote speaker, is excited to work with us on community building through the stories in our bodies. And our GSV siblings have really stepped up to offer a great slate of workshops.

If you are curious about the kind of work Tim Miller has been doing for the queer community, the following URL includes the Canadian documentary, “Tim Miller: Loud & Queer.” The documentary chronicles Tim’s work with gay men’s groups in New York City in the early 1990s. https://vitheque.com/en/titles/tim-miller-loud-queer

Important Information

The conference begins on Thursday, September 28. Check-in at The Mountain begins at 3:00 p.m. EDT. There will be an informal reception at 5:00 p.m., new attendee orientation at 5:30 p.m., dinner at 6:00 p.m., and opening ceremonies will commence at about 7:30 p.m.

The conference ends with lunch on Sunday, October 1. We anticipate lunch will be served between 12:30 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. If you don’t have to hit the road right away, you are welcome to stay after lunch and assist the various working circles with clean up, but we understand many of you may have a long commute.

Finally, you may be following the summer uptick in COVID-19 cases in some parts of the U.S.; so are the GSV Council and the Fall Conference Convener. GSV and The Mountain are currently following CDC guidelines for dealing with large group gatherings, which emphasize personal responsibility. Those guidelines and our plans can change; we will keep you notified if they do. As with other elements of GSV, we encourage you to attend the conference at your own comfort level. You are strongly encouraged to be up to date on your vaccines and boosters, mask if you need to, notify close contacts, and isolate if you have been exposed and/or test positive for COVID-19. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/prevention.html

Scholarship Information and Application Deadline

Financial assistance in the form of scholarships is available. The financial assistance application submission deadline is September 16. We hope that anyone who resonates with our mission and community, and who has the desire to attend, can join us at our gatherings. To that end, we offer financial assistance through the Raven Wolfdancer Financial Assistance Fund. Please go to the Financial Assistance page on the Gay Spirit Visions website for more information and for a link to the GSV financial assistance application form. Remember, the financial assistance application submission deadline is September 16.

Registration

While the Fall Conference is currently full, we anticipate that some slots will be opening up. You are encouraged to join the waitlist by following the prompts on The Mountain’s registration system or call the registrar at (828) 526-5838 x218. No payment is required to join the waitlist.

The GSV Council has asked me to remind all who plan to register that single occupancy requests must be cleared with the Council and require a medical excuse. For private room consideration please email [email protected].

Registration closes Saturday, September 23 at 5:00 p.m. All questions about the conference should be directed to the Council ([email protected]) rather than The Mountain.

The GSV 2023 Fall Conference schedule is coming together, and our time together will be heartwarming, thought-provoking, and fun. I am so looking forward to seeing you all there!
Warmest regards,
Jonny “Mothra” Gray
2023 GSV Fall Conference Convener

Register Now!

GSV 2023 Fall Conference Post 3

August 21, 2023 Don Wilson Fall Conference

Queer Bodies/Gay Spirit

September 28 – October 1, 2023

The Mountain Retreat and Learning Center, Highlands NC

4 Day/3 Night Package (Thursday through Sunday)

Bunk House (shared room up to 4 people) $285.00

Lodge or Duplex Cabin (double occupancy) $330.00

For All Rooms, Add Mandatory GSV Program Fee $100.00
Check out the Registration System for Optional Extra Nights Before and After the Conference

Register Now!

Convener: Jonny “Mothra” Gray
Keynote Speaker: Tim Miller

Dear Friends,

This may be the last official communication before the attendee letter drops next month.

As you consider attending and making travel plans, I wanted to offer some information that might be useful and offer some gratitude to those who have requested this information. First, the conference begins on Thursday, September 28. Check-in at The Mountain begins at 3:00 p.m. EDT. There will be an informal reception at 5:00 p.m., new attendee orientation at 5:30 p.m., dinner at 6:00 p.m., and opening ceremonies will commence at about 7:30 p.m.

Second, the conference ends with lunch on Sunday, October 1. We anticipate lunch will be served between 12:30 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. If you don’t have to hit the road right away, you are welcome to stay after lunch and assist the various working circles with clean-up, but we understand many of you may have a long commute.

Third, you may be following the summer uptick in COVID-19 cases in some parts of the U.S.; so are the GSV Council and the Fall Conference convener. GSV and The Mountain are currently following CDC guidelines for dealing with large group gatherings, which emphasize personal responsibility. Those guidelines and our plans can change; we will keep you notified if they do. As with other elements of GSV, we encourage you to attend the conference at your own comfort level. You are strongly encouraged to be up to date on your vaccines and boosters, mask if you need to, notify close contacts, and isolate if you have been exposed and/or test positive for COVID-19.
(CDC Guidelines: COVID-19 Prevention Actions)

Scholarship Information and Application Deadline

Financial assistance in the form of scholarships is available. The financial assistance application submission deadline is September 16. We hope that anyone who resonates with our mission and community, and who has the desire to attend, can join us at our gatherings. To that end we offer financial assistance through the Raven Wolfdancer Financial Assistance Fund. Please go to the Financial Assistance page on the Gay Spirit Visions website for more information and for a link to the GSV financial assistance application form. Remember, the financial assistance application submission deadline is September 16.

Registration

Registration for the GSV 2023 Fall Conference is open now. The GSV Council has asked me to remind all who plan to register that single occupancy requests must be cleared with the Council and require a medical excuse. For private room consideration please email [email protected].

Registration closes Saturday, September 23 at 5:00 PM. We remind you that recent fall conferences have reached capacity long before registration closes, so you are encouraged to register as soon as possible. All questions about the conference should be directed to the Council ([email protected]) rather than The Mountain.

The 2023 Fall Conference schedule is coming together, and our time together will be heartwarming, thought-provoking, and fun. I am so looking forward to seeing you all there!

Warmest regards,
Jonny “Mothra” Gray
2023 GSV Fall Conference Convener

Register Now!

GSV 2023 Fall Conference Post 2

August 7, 2023 Don Wilson Fall Conference, Gay Spirit Visions

Queer Bodies/Gay Spirit

September 28 – October 1, 2023

The Mountain Retreat and Learning Center, Highlands NC

4 Day/3 Night Package (Thursday through Sunday)

Bunk House (shared room up to 4 people) $285.00

Lodge or Duplex Cabin (double occupancy) $330.00

For All Rooms, Add Mandatory GSV Program Fee $100.00
Check out the Registration System for Optional Extra Nights Before and After the Conference

Register Now!

Convener: Jonny “Mothra” Gray
Keynote Speaker: Tim Miller

Hello Friends!

You’ve seen the email about the GSV 2023 Fall Conference. We’ve got some good things planned already, and I am getting excited about the conference.

Call For Workshops

As usual, there are times on the schedule for break-out workshops and activities. If you have a break-out workshop or activity you would like to facilitate (and, well, you are planning to attend the conference), please send me the following information: your name (as you would like it listed in the conference schedule), the title of the workshop/activity, a brief description for the conference program, facility/set-up requirements, and an explanation to help me understand what you want to do. I can’t guarantee I can accept all submissions, but I’ll do my best to provide a variety of options. Remember: we like these break-out workshops and activities to be more interactive and participatory than presentational.

Please email your proposal to me at [email protected] by August 15th. Ideas half-baked and in-process are also welcome.

Let’s see what we can cook up together.

Scholarship Information and Application Deadline

Financial assistance in the form of scholarships is available. The financial assistance application submission deadline is September 16. We hope that anyone who resonates with our mission and community, and who has the desire to attend, can join us at our gatherings. To that end we offer financial assistance through the Raven Wolfdancer Financial Assistance Fund. Please go to the Financial Assistance page on the Gay Spirit Visions website for more information and for a link to the GSV financial assistance application form. Remember, the financial assistance application submission deadline is September 16.

Registration

Registration for the GSV 2023 Fall Conference is open now. The GSV Council has asked me to remind all who plan to register that single occupancy requests must be cleared with the Council and require a medical excuse. For private room consideration please email [email protected].

Registration closes Saturday, September 23 at 5:00 PM. We remind you that recent fall conferences have reached capacity long before registration closes, so you are encouraged to register as soon as possible. All questions about the conference should be directed to the Council ([email protected]) rather than The Mountain.

Jonny “Mothra” Gray
GSV 2023 Fall Conference Convener

Register Now!

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