We Have a New CFL Center Director!
Marilynn Shackelford has been hired as our
new CFL Center Director. Marilynn has a successful history of working in business
and most recently has been employed with St. Mary Parish in Wilmington as Director
of Development. She is well known in the Diocese of Raleigh and was highly
recommended by personnel in the Diocese Office of Development. Her duties at
St Mary involved recruiting, encouraging and guiding volunteers in the ministries
of the parish, grant writing, and promoting activities and fundraising efforts,
as well as overseeing the Bishop’s Annual Appeal. Marilynn has a marvelous
way in working with a broad range of individuals and has a strong sense of
creativity in addition to her organizational and technical ability, communication
and interpersonal skills.
Marilynn has begun her responsibilities as Center Director as of March 14. Please join us in welcoming Marilynn by writing her at CFLdirector@charterinternet.com and by personally greeting her when you have the opportunity to meet her at the Center. Working together we will be evidence of God’s love and care for families.
A Message from our New Director
I want to extend a warm hello as I join you
in anticipation of spring weather and our shared journey into the 2006 Summer
Family Retreat Weeks. I also wish to thank our Board of Directors, and so many
people, both local and far away, for their gracious welcome and help during
my first weeks here at CFL. And for those of you who, like me, have had the
pleasure of working with our Administrative Assistant, Mrs. Pat Willems, you
know she is beyond delightful. She has kept the CFL Center Office running smoothly
while managing the particulars of rentals, retreats, Away Days and Family Weeks
and future events. We are fortunate to have her!
I look forward to hearing from you with phone calls and emails to my new address: CFLdirector@charterinternet.com. Registration Applications are coming in daily and program staff schedules are forming. Please send in your register as soon as you can and consider serving on any of the various activities listed in this issue of High Tidings. I can't wait you meet you.
Summer Family Retreats: Families and staff needed
Sign up and let your friends know about 2006
CFL Family retreats. The theme for this year’s retreats is “Family
Life, What a Circus.” Join other families as we discover that in the
circus of life there are opportunities to grow in family unity and spirituality.
Summer family weeks begin the week of Sunday June 18 and end the week of September
10-15. Weekend family retreats include the retreats over Holy Thursday/Easter,
Mothers Day, Memorial Day, Thanksgiving, and Advent. Spiritual retreats are
also being planned for women and men.
See the complete schedule at www.christianfamilyliving.org. For more information,
please contact the Center at (910) 328-1584 or by e-mail at cflcenter@charterinternet.com
.
The summer staff schedule is ready to be filled & we want YOU!! If you would like to be on staff or be Host Family for any of the summer weeks, please contact Liz Bonet at: p3dbonet@att.net or 770-623-4333 & she will be happy to add you to the list! To be a staff member, you must be 18 years of age & have had CFL “experience” in at least 2 programs. Host Families must have attended a minimum of 2 years of the summer programs in the past. The list gets filled up quickly – so... if you want or need a particular week – contact Liz ASAP. We look forward to working with all of you to make the summer Family retreats the best ever in 2006!
Bro. Gene—whom Jim Eppy describes as a Math teacher’s teacher—trained his students to think in ways they never thought possible. He recognizes the key to a good Catholic education—to train the mind to think…to help the student see beyond what is immediately in front of them.
Phase 2 week - "A Family Reunion"
Has your family participated in a CFL summer
program week for several years? If your family is looking to build on previous
CFL experiences you may want to consider attending the Phase 2 week during
July 30 - August 4, 2006. The week was introduced in 2005 with six families
participating. The week emphasized the five common themes of affirmation, communication,
reconciliation, commitment & commissioning in a more challenging way. Some
time honored activities such as daily Mass, the teen commitment dance, the
Pecos Mime and Commitment Service remain while new activities like a silent
family walk, family feud and scavenger hunt were added. Emphasis is placed
on building a healthy spirit filed culture within the family. It turned out
that there were no Superstars or Turtles on the week last year and it helped
provide time and focus for some of the new activities. This year we would like
to repeat that, so the week may not be suitable for families with Superstars
or Turtles. This is a great opportunity for parents/caregivers with older children
to enhance their relationship with them. The feedback from 2005 was overwhelmingly
positive, so the 2006 week may fill up quickly. Hurry and sign up so you don't
miss out on this exciting week.
Attention All Directors and Host families
First time Directors and Host Families for
the summer program are expected to attend the Memorial Day weekend program
introduction and training. As always, there will be a lot of preparation
and set up needed over the Memorial Day weekend for our summer program. Your
help is needed. There is no charge for those volunteering. Any questions
please contact Greta Morris at 434-384-2218 or mor243@yahoo.com.
Rededication Celebration and Open House: Sunday May 28, 2006
You are invited to come to CFL for the Rededication
Celebration and Open House on Sunday May 28, 2006, from 2-5 p.m. The celebration
will include Mass and a reception. Bishop Gossman of the Raleigh Diocese
and leaders from the Marianist Province are being invited. Written invitations
are being sent out to all CFLers where we are reasonably certain we have
a correct address. Please make plans to attend and let Pat Willems at the
Center know, whether you get the formal invitation or not. Contact Pat at
cflcenter@charterinternet.com
Calling All Donors
Over the past three years, our CFL Family
Retreat Center has weathered storms of both fire and hurricane. We have come
out of them in fine shape in every respect except financially. The truth
is that our reserves are at a low point since the rebuilding costs were higher
than expected and fund raising did not meet the budgeted amount. We need
the support of those of you who treasure the jewel that is CFL and the Marianist
Family retreat ministry. Please send your tax deductible contribution made
out to Marianist Family Ministry, Inc. and send it to 2006 Wicker Street,
North Topsail Beach, NC 28460. You can also charge your contribution by going
to the CFL website (www.christianfamilyliving.org) and clicking on “donate.”
Seeking Directors for the Board
The new nominating process for selection of
Board directors was put in place as of December 2005. The bylaws call for
a Nominating Committee that is responsible for seeking and referring candidates
for open positions on the MFM Board. There will be several open positions
this year and our Nominating Committee will be calling for interested persons
in the near future. It is a privilege, an honor and a responsibility to serve
as a Board Director. Contact Rick Young at 919-467-8575.
Thanks For Your Donated Items, And We Still need…
A great big CFL hug and thanks to Heather
Grimes for donating a rug for the Super Star Room; and we still need:
(Please telephone the Center at (910) 328-1584 or e-mail prayer requests and other items for High Tidings to cflcenter@charterinternet.com.)
High Tidings is published by the Marianist Family Ministry’s CFL
Family Retreat Center
To unsubscribe, please e-mail cflcenter@charterinternet.com.