Site Directory

About SUUSI

Mission Statement The mission of SUUSI is to provide a one week experience evoking the best within us, in concert with Unitarian Universalist principles. SUUSI offers the opportunity to share an intergenerational environment of love, personal freedom, ethics, and joy in an intentional, nonjudgmental community. Frequently Asked Questions Directory of information on this site

Come To SUUSI!

Would you like to request a copy of our paper catalog? If this is the first time you'll be coming to SUUSI, we are glad you will be joining us and want you to feel comfortable from the minute you arrive. If you have any pre-SUUSI questions about SUUSI, please email the Newcomers Coordinator at firstime@suusi.org. Our Newcomers Ambassadors will give you a warm welcome you when you arrive at SUUSI. Registration for SUUSI 2008 will open in the spring. In the meantime, feel free to browse the site, check out last year's catalog, or join one of our community listservs. Frequently Asked Questions Coming Early?

Accessibility

In 2008, SUUSI will be at Radford which offers lots of open spaces and less accessiblity challenges than our previous location.

SUUSI provides limited on-campus shuttle transportation (the Star Cars) and we work hard to accommodate any physically challenged persons.

The Radford campus is an accessible place that all can enjoy with ramps, curb cuts and more for those with special needs.

Be sure to note special needs on your registration form. We do our best to accommodate all needs, but SUUSI cannot guarantee easy accessibility of all spaces.

Dining at SUUSI

In 2008, the first meal served at SUUSI will be Sunday evening, July 20th and the last will be Saturday morning breakfast, July 26th. Meals at SUUSI will be provided by Radford’s food services and offer sound nutritional choices that are both attractive and yummy.

Housing at SUUSI

Participants stay in Radford residence halls on campus during SUUSI. As more details are available about the layout and furniture in the rooms, we will post them here. You may also indicate a preference for loud or quiet housing on your registration form. Although all SUUSI participants live near each other, there are specific areas of housing for people with different needs and desires. Housing areas are designated for the childcare co-op, families, teens, young adults and adults-only. The cost of housing and more housing details are provided in the catalog. If you wish to share a room or suite with friends or extended family, please make sure all roommates or suitemates note the details on the housing form and return it by May 1 (deadline for group housing preference). Spaces will be held for unregistered roommates or suitemates until the registration deadline. If not registered by then, the Registrar will assign you a roommate or suitemates.

Information Office

The Information Office is the place for:
• late Registration and adding/dropping workshops (after Sunday)
• logistics ("Where does Workshop #107 meet? Will the worship service on Friday be outdoors if it rains?")
• schedules ("When does the hike to the Cascades leave on Thursday?")
• people ("Where can I find the Minister of the Day?")
• lost and found ("Have you seen my sparkly fairy hat with blue beads and a flashing red beacon?")
The Information Office is open daily from 8 am to 7 pm, to steer SUUSI participants to resources for solving problems or to staff members who can be of assistance. Lost and found items? Check at the Information Office. (Let us know if you find Nirvana...)

A message board is located near the Information Office so SUUSI participants may exchange notes and receive mail/phone messages from the outside world (home, job, etc.). If you expect to get phone calls or messages, check the board daily - we’ll add a note to the message board near the Info Office if the message was for you.

Late registration, workshop changes and additions will be handled by registration staff in the Drop/Add Office located next to the Information Office. Nature Trip changes and additions will be done at the Nature tent. Read your confirmation packet newsletter and watch the daily SUUSI NUUS for telephone numbers, mailing address, hours of service, and hours of late registration.

There's also a ride board, for people trying to hitch a ride at the end of SUUSI.

Key dates for 2007

October 15	Workshop Proposal Deadline
December 1	Image Theme Contest Deadline
March	Catalogs Mailed, Registration Begins!
July 15	SUUSI 2007 Starts
July 21	SUUSI 2007 ends

Key dates for 2008

TBA	Registration deadline for groups wishing to house together
TBA	Staff registration deadline
TBA	SUUSIship Deadline
TBA	Registration deadline to receive $50 per person discount
TBA	Registration deadline to receive $25 per person discount
July 20	SUUSI 2008 begins!
July 26	SUUSI 2008 ends

Staying Healthy

SUUSI offers a chance to examine your mind, body, and spirit... but take care of yourself. Stretch yourself, but don’t overstress your body.

The SUUSI Info Office can point you in the direction of local medical resources if you need them. Bring your own medications and supplies, including band-aids, aspirin, and the usual vacation remedies. SUUSI staff members are not permitted to provide participants with medication of any kind. So come prepared to stay well and to be able to enjoy SUUSI to the fullest!

In case you do have an emergency, you can access the excellent emergency system on campus or emergency services from hospitals in the local area. You do not have to contact a SUUSI staff member before calling 911!

The western Virginia area is a mecca for retirees, in part because of the good medical facilities. You're not isolated on the edge of civilization when you're at SUUSI. There's a wide range of medical expertise at Montgomery Regional Hospital and New River Valley Medical Center.

Community

SUUSI - An intentional community

SUUSI is an intentional community, and we make time to build community. We are a diverse mix of ages, philosophies, and interests, and it's stimulating to make new friends as well as meet old buddies at SUUSI each year. About one-third of the 1,000 or so participants are attending SUUSI for the first time, and a special effort is made to build that sense of community with the "newcomers" or "first timers." Each afternoon we gather at Community Time to connect as a group.



SUUSI is both a vacation week and far more than a vacation week. Many experience the workshops, expeditions into the Appalachians, music, and the relaxed conversations with new friends as a welcome time of recharge and re-creation before returning to hectic lives a week later. They discover new interests, new ideas, and new friends in an environment that is safe and family-oriented, but also offers opportunities to stretch and accept new challenges. Some challenges are physical - if you have never been canoeing or caving, or want to "get into" biking, then SUUSI is a great place to give it a try. Others discover a deeper understanding of their spirit and emotions, especially through the worship services, theme talks, and workshops. There's also a subtle change that comes from living for a week with 1,000 others who have a wide range of perspectives on politics, food preferences, music, and all the other facets of life. So often, those differences can divide us. At SUUSI, we create an "intentional community" where we acknowledge our diversity and reconnect with others based on our shared humanity. At the end of a week, our sense of trust and confidence in the inherent goodness of others reaches a new level. The good feeling is often reflected by simple things, such as a willingness to sit at a table with strangers and make friends through casual conversation. We sit down at the table in the cafeteria with people we've never met, start a conversation ("So how did you find out about SUUSI? What did you think about that worship service last night? What's your favorite workshop experience so far at SUUSI?"). By the time a meal is over, tablemates are not strangers. That's part of the SUUSI community magic - could you behave the same way at a regular restaurant? After SUUSI, you may still choose to bury your head in a book when eating alone at a restaurant on a business trip. At SUUSI, however, the sense of "aloneness" tends to fade and the sense of belonging to a supportive community tends to grow. The good feeling from knowing that the strangers are not strange tends to stimulate proposals to extend SUUSI for another week - but the alternative is to extend SUUSI into our "regular" lives, and create more of a sense of community with those who have not attended SUUSI... yet.

SUUSI community expectations

We have an abundance of freedom at SUUSI, and with it comes full responsibility. Some basic expectations of all participants include: * Be alert to the needs and personal boundaries of others. Help make SUUSI safe and enjoyable for everyone! In our communinty of 800-1000 people, let us remember to respect each individual's rights and privacy. * Parents and guardians are responsible for their children when the children are not in SUUSI-sponsored activities for youth. * Excessive noise when others are trying to sleep is inappropriate. We ask that you be mindful of others and that you move to an area that will not be disruptive. * Leave pets at home. There are no accommodations on campus for live animals. * Skates and skateboards are not welcome in many areas - please respect the local rules. * Fire is a serious concern in college residence halls. Best way to deal with it - don't use any open flames inside any building on campus. We have special arrangements when we light the chalice at Ingathering, Theme Talks, and Worship Services. * The breaking of alcohol, drug, or any other local laws will not be tolerated. The Staff and Board are all committed to compliance with these laws and will not allow violators to remain at SUUSI. * SUUSI affirms its commitment to maintain an environment free of discrimination, harassment, and violence based on sex, race, color, ethnicity, religion, national origin, age, handicap, gender, or affectional orientation. * SUUSI expects its board, staff, and participants to conduct themselves in a dignified manner, showing concern and respect for their colleagues, participants, and the surrounding community.

How some participants have described their experience with "intentional community"

In 2003, one message on the listserver generated quite a response, summarized below. The discussion started with: bq. ...SUUSI was a huge first for me in many ways. Not only my first SUUSI, it was my first retreat of any sort. It was the first time I've ever shared my spirituality with a community. It was my first extended interaction with strangers in three years. It was my first real UU participation. These things I knew, but it turns out that SUUSI was a first for me in ways that I never could have imagined. I have lived my life in a bitter, cynical world full of bitter, cynical people. This is what I have known, and for all my worldly viewpoints, this is what I believed that all people have known. I never could have conceived that such a thing as SUUSI could exist. I could never have been prepared for what I would find when I pulled onto that campus. I found myself Friday night at a local pizza joint trying to explain to one of my bitter, cynical friends exactly what it is that I found. Try as I might, despite all my over-developed skills of articulation, I could not communicate in words this thing I now carry inside myself. "It's a social club," he said. "It's a chat room without computers." In the world he lives in, the world I so recently inhabited, there is no context for understanding it. There is no frame of reference to give it meaning. Last night, I was speaking to one of my less-bitter, less-cynical friends and I was able to convey it in a word. I found beauty. I found people who see beauty in life. And now my life can never be the same. It has been a week back in the Real World, and my head is still spinning. It looks the same. It sounds the same. I have the same apartment with the same cats and the same messy kitchen. I have the same parents, the same friends, and the same neighbors. But everything is different now. I have this force inside me, this connection, and it will not rest. It dances, it leaps, it twirls. And it sings, oh how it sings. My old life is quite simply inadequate now. I have no choice but to orient my life around this amazing new thing I have found. I don't have the slightest idea how that will happen at this point, but I have faith that it is inevitable. New places, new jobs, new people, and somewhere a congregation that I can finally call home... perhaps. We shall see what shows up. But whatever may or may not come, I cannot escape a single, pervading feeling: I have only just begun. I told several of you that when I discovered the SUUSI website, I declared myself a UU and signed up. But I think I got it backwards. I think I signed up and then during SUUSI I became a Unitarian Universalist. You have indeed given me your treasures, and I do love you so. Thank you, from every part of my soul, thank you. - Chris One response was: bq. SUUSI is not a special time. SUUSI is not a magical place. It is created by each of us. Each of us experiences something different --- some negative, mostly positive. What each of us experiences at SUUSI, we each create for ourselves. The physical happening of SUUSI is made possible by a relative small group of dedicated staff people who work their bottoms off for most of the 12 months --- including the week of being there. That it happens at all is something just short of a miracle. And what they create is the environment in which your --- and our --- SUUSI happens. The rest is up to us. Seems to me the beauty of SUUSI is that participants both get and give themselves permission to be themselves, in whatever form that may take --- again, some negative, mostly positive. Many of us take that permission to heart, hence the frequency of hugs, smiles, hellos, hugs, tears, laughter, hugs, being silly, kindness --- many of those things not found on this side of reality, or if found, seems to be rationed out as if they are on short supply. Hard to imagine what miracles might happen in a business setting staff meeting which begins with many of the people hugging each other prior to getting started --- and again at the end. And what most folks, primarily those following their first year or two don't realize is that they can take that experience home with them and transform their lives and perhaps the lives of those around them. A matter of record is that many SUUSI people go home and experience depression, not knowing how to cope with the transition from SUUSI to the home reality. What we miss is that we don't really have to make a transition --- we have a choice of the hugs, smiles, hellos, hugs, tears, laughter, hugs, being silly --- those things which 'make' SUUSI what it is. Those things are normally not part of our reality --- and we can make it so --- we just have to choose it. On Friday a.m. of SUUSI this year, I was going down the steps at Owens, two new comers were walking up ---- one said to the other: "can you imagine doing this for TWO weeks?" Well, I think that most of us would be completely exhausted rather than 80% that way and probably could not make it thru 2 weeks. Nor do I think most individuals could maintain the same pace at home for the remainder of the 12 months. What we can do however is take the attitude of SUUSI home with us: be kind to others, be kind to ourselves, do good deeds --- and get lots of hugs. Imagine your life being on the 'high' of SUUSI. Wonderful! - Alexis Another response was: bq. SUUSI gives us the "simple gift" of an amazing glimpse into who we can be at our best... what life would be like if we lived as our best selves. - Ethel-Marie Chris reacted with: bq. I'm reminded about a conversation I had at SUUSI about ways in which we might change the world. I said that I believed that when we go out into the world, who we are radiates out and effects everyone we encounter. These effects are usually very subtle, but they are always present. Thus by seeking an ever truer expression of our highest self, we radiate that out into the world. I'm also reminded of a more recent conversation about getting back what we give to others. She said that when we reach out to help others, we help ourselves, that when we send healing without, we receive healing within.

Community Time

Community Time is our chance to connect and reconnect with the larger SUUSI community. We gather together in the afternoons for intergenerational fun, frolic, and festivities. Each year, we choose different themes for community time. In 2006, our community sundance had a theme of Community SunDance.The name was chosen to honor the spirit of the Sun Dance, a ceremony practiced by some Native American tribes. We dedicated the time towards time for renewal, sharing, rejuvenation and play as a community. Throughout the week there were various ceremonies honoring commitments, friendships and other important bonds within our community, such as marriage vows, friendship and parent-child relationships.

• Monday: Welcome to SUUSI 2006
• Tuesday: Create and share
• Wednesday: Groovy TUUNES
• Thursday: Play day
• Friday: Decorate and rejuvenate

In 2007, we added more music into the mix and themes included:

• Monday: Street Fair
• Tuesday: Community Concert, Kym Tuvim
• Wenesday: Play Day & Diagon Alley HP Party
• Thursday: Community Concert, Beaucoup Blue

Stay tuned for 2008 Community Time themes.

Intergenerational

in·ter·gen·er·a·tion·al

adj.
1. Being or occurring between generations
2. See SUUSI

Ingathering

On Sunday evening after our first meal together, we gather with neighbors old and new for the famous Banner Parade to Ingathering.

We come together as a SUUSI community for the first time at Ingathering, and celebrate our fellowship. If you belong to a Unitarian Universalist group, bring a banner or make one to show us who you are. Typically, members of each group gather with friends under their banner and march across campus. It's a powerful processional of 1,000 people cheering and laughing as masses of colorful banners coming down the rows of the auditorium.

Bring your drum and join us--everyone is welcome and no training is required! The parade is more of a straggle, and clearly not a march. It's organized, but loosely. (Can you image 1,000 free-thinkers all marching in step?)
Ingathering itself is our opening ceremony at SUUSI. We assemble to start the fun, meet one another, recognize the key organizers, and start building our interdependent web of connections with each other.

Programs

At SUUSI we strive to meet the needs of as many different folks as possible. We offer age-centered programs for youth, teens, and young adults. We offer over 100 workshops and over 70 nature trips. We also have lots of nightlife options. There is sure to be something to interest you!

Athletics

Everyone at SUUSI is invited to get a little exercise and jump in on the fun of SUUSI Athletics! The SUUSI Young Adults will be leading any interested and present bodies in games that will be focused on enjoying the company instead of the competition. Everyone is a winner when we play together, and nobody loses anything but a few unwanted calories. Games will include volleyball, basketball, touch-football, kickball, ultimate Frisbee, various pool games and anything else you would like to suggest to the group! Keep an eye on the SUUSI NUUS during SUUSI for the athletics schedule, though usually we gather in the afternoon during Community Time in the quad. So put on your shorts and sneakers, grab a bottle of water and get ready to have a great time!

Nature Trips

We encourage you to sign up for at least one Nature trip. You'll be spending a week in the New River Valley, in our special community of SUUSI people and Nature. While you're here, be sure to take advantage of the opportunities to explore an area rich in mountainous terrain, rocky cliffs, caves and the lovely New River. This is a great opportunity to add richness and challenges to your SUUSI experience. In our SUUSI circle, with interlocking components of the interdependent web, Nature trips get us out in the natural world to experience biodiversity. And we have a diversity of experiences to offer - we have about 90 trips on our schedule, offering expeditions at all hours of the day and night. Some trips are physically easy, and some are demanding - even strenuous. Whether you are attending SUUSI for the first-time or a veteran, we think there's a Nature trip on our schedule just calling you. We have added many new trips for 2008, including more family friendly. We also have brought back some of the old favorites.

The SUUSI nature program has officially adopted Leave No Trace (LNT) outdoor ethics. LNT is a program dedicated to building awareness, appreciation and respect for the great outdoors, particuraly public recreation places. We will be promoting the program as well as spreading the Leave No Trace message throughout the week during our activities.

Register early for trips, rather than wait until you arrive at SUUSI. We rent the vans based on advance registration. To keep costs down, we usually cancel trips with low registration before SUUSI, so don't wait to register. We no longer have waiting lists for workshops and Nature trips. If you don't get the trip you want when you pre-register, don't despair. You can often add more trips at Registration on the first day of SUUSI - and even after SUUSI starts, come by the Nature Office throughout the week to see what trips still have spaces available. Be at the Nature Tent 10-15 minutes before your trip is scheduled to leave. SUUSI is a magical vacation time, but the vans run on real-world time. And we'll take stand-by Nature trippers just before we leave, so don't be late. If a trip is full even at Registration, consider coming to the Nature Tent at the start time and taking a chance as a standby, because often there is a "no show." (Yeah, we've discovered some folks really will oversleep... the nap workshop gets very popular starting about Wednesday of every SUUSI.) Since our trip leaders are all volunteers and must fulfill their responsibilities to everyone, we require any person needing one-on-one assistance at SUUSI to be accompanied on Nature trips by a caregiver who also registers for the workshop. Each child under 14 must be accompanied by an adult who takes responsibility for that child's safety and behavior during the trip.
Click HERE to see Approved Footwear
Register the kids too, whatever their age, if you want them to join you on a trip. Everyone on a trip has to register. Be sure each child and each adult signs up for a trip, so we can ensure there's a seat belt for everyone in the vans and handle other logistics. In Virginia, car seats are required for all children under 8 years old. Please bring the car seat to the Nature tent when you arrive for your trip. Unless we say otherwise in the trip descriptions, the minimum age requirement is 14 years of age to take a Nature trip. To help you decipher the trip descriptions: 0+ means anyone can go, 12+ means anyone at least 12 years old at SUUSI registration can go, etc. The trips we have designated as Family Friendly are open to families with children less than 14 years old but are appropriate for children and adults of all ages. We encourage adults without children to participate in these trips.
You don't need to be athletic to "do Nature."
The requirements for trips are real. We emphasize safety, along with fun and companionship. If it's listed in the trip description, you really do have to wear approved footwear, bring water, flashlight, or other equipment as listed in the trip description. We want you to get into the natural setting at SUUSI - but we really do say "No" when we think the trip is a bad match for your skills or preparation. If you don't show up on time with the right gear, we may not allow you to participate. Mother Nature has beautiful vistas and wondrous patterns but also tree roots in trails, rocks in rivers, rain in the sky... and the trip leaders can't provide a cocoon of protection against all natural hazards. Don't make anyone depend on random acts of kindness. Nature workshops are group experiences as well as personal explorations, so please be considerate of others when deciding if you can handle a trip. We want you to stretch your self, but not the patience of your companions. On rare occasions we will change a trip's intended location to ensure safety. We cancel trips because of unsafe weather, not just because of rain. If we actually have to cancel a trip, your money will be refunded- or you can donate it to SUUSI. Refunds are not offered to people who don't come to the assembly point. If you have specific physical limitations or other questions, we can help you determine what trips are do-able. Anyone under physician's care should get their physician's permission before registering for trips. Trip leaders are under orders to "play it safe" and may not allow participants to go on trips they consider inappropriate. Questions? Contact the Nature Staff at nature@suusi.org. Please identify in your e-mail that you're asking about a SUUSI Nature trip.

What shoes do I need for nature trips?

"Approved immersible footware" is the type of shoe required on Aquatic Trips. They will not slip off when we walk through a stream. They will not fall off when we are in the river. They won't fall off when we hike through grass covered with wet dew and our shoes get soaked. To insure our safety, we require that everyone on a Nature Trip , wears shoes that stay on your feet, provide ankle support , protection and grip. Tied Athletic shoes are acceptable. Hiking boots are OK (except for aquatics trips), and for some circumstances in canoes and kayaks, some specialized booties are OK. We do not allow any "slip on" shoes.
Closed Toed Tied Submersibles The point: to keep your feet protected from rocks, broken glass, etc. They MUST stay on your feet throughout the trip and have a sole thick enough to stop sharp objects. No slip-ons, ancient shoes that are barely together, or other footwear that does not protect your feet. For other Nature Trips For hiking and discovery trips sturdy foot ware with adequate tread is required. For climbing, sturdy shoes or athletic shoes to provide good grip on rocks is required. For rappelling, sturdy above ankle boots with tread soles to provide footing while climbing to the top of the rappel site and to protect ankles from overturning is required. There's a bunch of shoes we wear in everyday life that work fine at the office, or in the garden, or walking around the yard... but don't provide the margin of safety we need for SUUSI trips. After all, we want to see Mother Nature and experience Father Time, not visit the emergency room.
We can't take you on the trip, or even refund your money, if you don't come prepared with the right footwear.

Nightlife

How can you possibly top a SUUSI day, full of growing, exploring, learning and loving – by going to Nightlife, of course! The 2008 venue locations have changed, and are more exciting than ever. There is something everywhere for everyone.

If you’re looking for a quiet family-friendly space to enjoy a drink and conversation, choose Common Ground. Want to visit a high energy dance club? CACHE is your best bet. Serendipity is available for the over 21 SUUSI-ite with discriminating dance taste, and drinks available for purchase. If you’re into live music, visit Cabaret and, if you’re a real night owl, Late Night. All within walking distance…who could ask for more?

General Nightlife Times - please check daily schedule

Cabaret	9:00 pm - midnight
CACHE	10 pm - 1 am
Common Ground coffee house	Sunday-Friday, 24 hours (opens Sunday at 10 pm)
Concert Hour	Monday-Thursday, 8:00 - 9:00 pm
Family Movie Night	Wednesday, sunset (9pm)
Late Night	Sunday - Friday, 1 am until ?
Serendipity	9:00 pm - 1 am
Teen Way Off Broadway	Friday, 7 and 9 pm

Concert Hour Monday - Greg Greenway

Think of it as SUUSI’s version of South by Southwest. Talent awaits you every night of the week during this family friendly concert event. We have something for anyone and everyone! Greg Greenway is known as a one man tour-de-force who is one of those difficult-to-categorize performers who have found a home on the modern acoustic genre. Musically he draws inspiration from all over the map --gospel, rock, blues, even world music, but its central appeal is that it comes through the singular lens of Greenway's humanity and his soulful affinity for the audience. To hear Greg's music, visit his website at greggreenway.com.

Concert Hour Tuesday - Alastair Moock

His website, moock.com, states, ”There was a time in America when folk music was relevant, edgy, even dangerous – a tool of personal and political expression, at once raw and beautiful. That spirit lives on in the music of Alastair Moock.” Moock occasionally performs with a band or accompanist, but you’re most likely to find him alone on a stage, sitting in a low chair, stomping a booted foot, picking his beaten guitar and growling out some of the most beautifully crafted songs you’re ever likely to hear. Those songs have won Moock top honors at many of the country’s most prestigious contests, including those at the Falcon Ridge, Sisters, and Great Waters folk festivals. In 2007 he was nominated for a Boston Music Award for Outstanding Singer/Songwriter of the Year. The Boston Globe calls him “one of the town’s best and most adventurous songwriters” and The Washington Post says “every song is a gem.”

Concert Hour Wednesday - Tret Fure

Women’s music legend Tret Fure continues to turn out marvelous albums, her latest being “True Compass” (Tomboy Girl). Who else could have written a love song such as “Look What Love Has Given Me”? It’s a song that is at once personal and universal in its affectionate expression of happiness. Fure keeps it coming in the jazzy flourishes of the title track, the acoustic twang of “Six Beers,” the heartache of “32 Years,” the political voice of “Try” and the rhythmic “Leap of Faith.” To learn more about Tret Fure, visit her website at tretfure.com.

Concert Hour Thursday - School of Rock

Fasten your seatbelts, it’s going to be a bumpy night! The participants of the School of Rock workshop will be on tap tonight showing us their stuff. This is sure to be a high energy, high volume good time for all. We may even see a special guest or two in the midst.

Cabaret

Cabaret is the nightly intergenerational live music venue at SUUSI. It is the place to perform and see your friends perform. All ages are welcome, and the offerings remain family friendly for the early portion of the night. Later on, anything goes!

On Sunday night, an Open Mic(rophone) night will be held in order to give everyone a chance to show the SUUSI community their talent. Many performers on Sunday night will be asked to perform later in the week. “The Board” a large white board outside Cabaret, will show the schedule for each night – and is usually available by lunch each day.

Wrapping up the week on Friday night is Jamboree, in which two or more performers who have never appeared together on the cabaret stage agree to perform together for the first time. It is amazing and impressive what these groups can do!

Please stop by the Nightlife table at check in for more information.

CACHE: Clean Air, Clear Heads, Everyone

CACHE is an acronym that stands for Clean Air, Clear Heads everyone: A clean fun dance party for those 14 and better who love to dance in an alcohol and smoke free space. At CACHE you will hear tunes you would hear in clubs today – anything from the 80’s, to rap to hip hop. It is high energy, high fun so don’t expect to sit down for long, if at all. Bring your CD’s, as DJ’s will often accept requests.

On Tuesday and Thursday nights, CACHE is proud to offer extended "After Hours" until 3 am.

If you’re interested in a guest DJ slot at CACHE, please e-mail nightlife@suusi.org.

Common Ground Cafe

This is the SUUSI version of the coffee house – complete with delicious coffees and teas of all kinds, pastries and other treats available for purchase. The inviting, relaxing atmosphere is a great place to sit and chat, listen to fabulous recorded music during the day and live music during late night, play a game or all three. This year we are also offering wireless internet, so bring your laptops!

Common Ground opens at 10 pm Sunday night and stays open 24 hours a day until Friday evening. Brewed coffee is available most mornings, and throughout the day as well as the famous SUUSI Drip-O-Rama (self brewing device). Stop by on your way to workshops or just to relax.

Performers welcome during staffed hours listed below. Sign up ahead of time, or just show up!

Staffed hours:

Monday - 10 - 12 pm
Wednesday - 10 - 12 pm Smoothie night. Fresh, fruit smoothies, made to order.
Thursday - 10 - 12 pm

Please bring games (chess, board games, playing cards, puzzles, etc.) to share with others. If you find yourself looking for something to do at any time of the day or night, stop by Common Ground.

Family Movie Night

Come one; come all to family movie night on Wednesday evening at sunset. This year we'll bring back a classic, Charlotte's Web, by Paramount Pictures.

Bring a blanket, lawn chairs, snacks and a pillow and enjoy some well deserved (and often essential!) down time in the middle of the week. Eco friendly bug repellent is also recommended!

Be sure to check your arrival NUUS for location.

Late Night

For those who like to bring the sun up, Late Night is for you. Here you can grab a cup of coffee, listen to SUUSI talent (or let us listen to you!), play a game, or just chat. You never know what you’re likely to find, but you can bet it will be well worth staying up for!

Most late night activities occur in the Common Ground space, so if you're ready for even more SUUSI, please stop by after 1 am and see what's up...

Serendipity

If you’re over 21 and like to dance, watch people dance, or sit and chat with friends, this is the place to be nightly. DJ’s begin the night with “big band” music from 9 – 10 pm for ballroom dancing, and then just about anything goes. Our music collection spans over 80 years and too many genres to name. If you like a song, we probably have it! Bring your CD’s, as DJ’s will often accept requests.

Please note: A current photo id is REQUIRED to purchase alcohol.

If you’re interested in a guest DJ slot at Serendipity, please e-mail nightlife@suusi.org.

TWOB: Teen Way Off Broadway

What once began as an informal performance is now a full-fledged theatrical extravaganza!



TWOB began in a student lounge at Radford. The first TWOB was "Hair" and was performed on July 30, 1987, in the Highlander Room at Radford University. Who knows, one day it may be listed on the National Register of Historic Places...

TWOB gives our fabulous teens an opportunity to showcase their multiple talents in an original play. Previous productions include "Alice in SUUSIland", "How the Grinch Stole SUUSI", and last year's hit, "The Hitchhiker's Guide to SUUSI". Teens, if you have a love for the stage, are interested in designing/building sets, like the technical aspect of production, or have no theatre experience at all, check out the TWOB Workshop. For more information, contact our TWOB director at twob@suusi.org.

TWOB 1988: Tommy

TWOB 1989: Alice in SUUSI Land

TWOB 1990: Wizard of Blacksburg

TWOB 1991: Hair 1991

TWOB 1992: The SUUSI Brothers

TWOB 1993: Let There be SUUSI

TWOB 1994: Miracle of Summer

TWOB 1995: Jesus Christ SUUSIStar

TWOB 1996: Searching for SUUSI

TWOB 1997: How The Grinch Stole SUUSI

TWOB 1998: The UU Files

TWOB 1999: Return of the UUs

TWOB 2000: The SUUSI Bunch

TWOB 2001: Scooby DUU

TWOB 2002: A Mid-SUUSI Night's Dream

TWOB 2003: Forrest GUUmp

TWOB 2004: Batman UUnmasked

TWOB 2005: The Hitchhiker's Guide to SUUSI

TWOB 2007: Harriet and the Flaming Chalice

Teens (14-17)

The SUUSI Teen Program is an intense community experience for people ages 14 to 17. Adult staff and teen leaders work together to create a fun, safe and healthy place for teens to explore and grow. The week is focused around large and small group interactions, where UU principles are instilled and practiced. Each new day brings unlimited opportunities to meet new people, reconnect with old friends, and learn more about ourselves and our community. In the SUUSI Teen Program, friendships are made that last a lifetime.

This year, since we’re moving to a new place, life in the teen dorm will be a little different. We’ll have more open space in the dorm to be together for activities like worship, teen meeting, and just hanging out. We’ll also have more time in our schedule so that we can get to know each other, the SUUSI community, and Radford. Days will start slow, but each afternoon there will be a variety of workshops to interest every teen. Touch groups, led by teen leaders, will give all teens a chance to reflect on their day with a few new friends. Then teen meetings each evening will bring the whole Teen dorm together to find out about upcoming events and share a brief worship experience. Nights, as always, will be the time when the Teen dorm truly comes to life. Teens can hang out at the dorm, play games, or attend Clear Air Clear Heads Everyone (CACHE), the nightly dance. After curfew, staff will lead trips to 7-11 or out to a field for wink, and there are always plenty of people awake for an all-night movie marathon or a late night culinary adventure in our kitchen. There will be interesting, challenging and fun activities 24 /7! For further information, look for a draft copy of the Teen Program Schedule in your arrival packet. When the catalog is published, be sure to check out General Workshops - many are open to teen participants. Check the Nature section for great trips within the larger SUUSI community or Nature trips specifically for Teens. You must register for them separately from the Teen Program, so make sure you get in before they fill up! The 2008 schedule is not yet available, but you can view the 2007 SUUSI Teens Schedule to get an idea of the types of activities. Life in the Teen Dorm Teen activities are based in the Teen Dorm. You can choose to live there communally with other Teens (single sex or co-ed floors) or to stay with your parent(s)/guardian. Teens not living in the Teen Dorm are welcome to join any activity at any hour. Between the hours of 1-6 am, teens not living in the dorm must check in with the staff and be accompanied by a parent/guardian when coming to or leaving the Teen Dorm. The Teen Dorm is a busy place and the center of all Teen Program activities. Something is happening in the dorm 24 hours a day. Because of this, the dorm is divided into areas for sleeping and areas for activities. We keep strict quiet hours on the sleeping floors (midnight to 7 am) and have a 24-hour courtesy policy on these floors (because we know that someone will be sleeping at pretty much all hours). In order to protect the safety of all teens, access to the Teen Dorm will be through the front door only. Attention Teens and Parents: This is VERY IMPORTANT The SUUSI Teen Program is only for people 14 to 17 years old as of the first Sunday of SUUSI. Because of this, all Teens must have proof of age on file with SUUSI. Everyone new to the SUUSI Teen Program must provide a copy of a birth certificate, passport or driver’s license as proof of age with your registration. Don’t forget! You will not be able to stay in the teen dorm or participate in the teen program without proof of age! Absolutely no exceptions will be made. Important Information for Parents and Guardians of Teens! The extent to which your teen participates in our program is up to you and your teen. All teens and their parent/guardian must sign our behavior agreement as part of the registration process. There is room for you to set your own rules with your teen on the form. The teen staff cannot enforce any additional rules that you may set for your teen but it is always good to have a few of your own rules to let them know your expectations. See the section in the registration packet entitled ‘Rules for Teens’. Please read these rules carefully. All parents, guardians, and teens are required to attend Sunday night’s Teen Program Orientation, the exact time and location of which will be in the Arrival NUUS when you check in at SUUSI. Your responsibility for your teen will be for the duration of SUUSI. Parents/guardians are welcome to visit the Teen Dorm at any time. For the safety of the teens, staff, parents, and guardians, a Teen Staff member will ask you to identify yourself with your SUUSI name tag. Adults will be allowed past the lobby of the Teen Dorm only when escorted by a Teen Staff member. No exceptions will be made to this rule. You will be sent a schedule for the week early in July, and a copy of the Teen Schedule will be in your registration packet when you arrive at SUUSI. Any updates to that schedule will be posted each day in the Teen Dorm lobby. You will need to discuss your teen’s schedule and make time each day to meet. Each teen and teen staff member will have a mailbag for messages and goodies in the lobby of the teen dorm. We really do want to hear from you! Attention Guardians of Teens Guardians of teens must be at least 21 years of age, and each guardian may only be responsible for 2 teens (other than their own). All guardians must have a guardian form that has been notarized in the presence of the teen’s legal guardian (see registration packet). Being a guardian is in all respects equivalent to being a parent. Your responsibility for the teen will be for the duration of SUUSI. This means that you must communicate with the teens you are in charge of on a DAILY basis in addition to being the responsible person we can contact if needed. Teen Staff Teen Staff consists of volunteers with a wide range of backgrounds, life experiences, points of view, cultures, theologies, and skills. The biggest thing that they have in common is that they value and respect teens! They are there to create a safe space for teens in which they can learn, explore, experiment, laugh, cry, sing, play, talk, share, and open up to each other. They are there to create an environment that is free from physical and emotional danger, and to empower teens to have as much fun as possible. Would you like to be a part of the Teen dorm? Are you an advisor, a graduate of the Teen dorm, a parent, or just want to help make the Teen dorm the best it can be? We can use you on staff. If you are over 21 and would like to be a part of this wonderful staff group for 2008, please apply for staff and fill out the Teen Staff application. Full time staffers will get a full voucher that covers the costs of your SUUSI registration, housing and meals. Feel free to contact the Teen Director, Lindsay Bennett-Jacobs, at teens@suusi.org if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions. We can’t wait to see you for another fabulous year in the Teen dorm!

Young Adults (18-25)

The SUUSI Young Adult program offers a strong, caring, loving community to participants ages 18 to 25. We come together to live in a dorm for one week a year and participate in activities made by, and for young adults. It’s a smaller community within SUUSI’s own welcoming arms where you will meet new, interesting, and caring people every year you come. The YA program also offers exciting workshops that stretch the mind, body and soul. Each year the YA Staff put together a host of workshops and events based on the year’s themes, our individual experiences, and any past events that people still crave. Workshop topics include religion, politics, environment, beauty secrets, wrestling, sexuality, gender stereotypes, screen printing, being single, music, thrift store shopping tattooing and piercing (which involves an exciting field trip to downtown Blacksburg), and more. We also have plenty of late night activities such as a love feast, hilarious games, dirty dancing, kick-ass movies, late night 7-11 trips and karaoke, not to mention spontaneous craziness that usually breaks out. Watch out for performances: YA talent tends to surface at the coffee house, cabaret, and other more random outlets as well. The YAs also dominate the dance floors at CACHE and Serendipity. We participate in two important bridging ceremonies as well. One ceremony will be to welcome the teens that will be young adults at the following SUUSI, and the second to recognize those YAs that are 25 years old and will be leaving the YA program and transitioning in to SUUSI’s median programming. This is a new and very exciting year for the Young Adult program as it will certainly be for the entire SUUSI Community. When we look at the meaning of this year’s theme, ‘Pilgrimage’, we often think about returning to the roots of our spiritual, communal, or personal beliefs. This year, SUUSI returns to Radford, a place that has welcomed us in many previous years, and where from 1975 to 1979, we grew from 640 members to the current number of nearly 1,000 people coming every year. This year, as we go on this Pilgrimage to Radford, it is time to think about the roots of the SUUSI community and the UU heritage we share. But what does this pilgrimage mean for the YA program in itself? This year, the YA Staff is hoping to bring the ideas of returning to the SUUSI roots into our whole process of planning our events, workshops, discussions, and worships for the YA community. In this we hope to bring back focus on our integration into this amazing Intergenerational community that SUUSI offers us. We will be modifying old events, or offering new ones that we hope to bring to everyone in the SUUSI community. We hope to bring our community out to everyone else so that every SUUSI participant might get to experience the community bonds that have brought YA’s back to SUUSI year after year after year. We do this by holding various staff positions, continuing leading the daily athletics, inviting other SUUSI-goers to specific workshops, and leading some community time activities too. And watch out for our performers: YA talent tends to surface at the coffee house, cabaret, and other, more random outlets as well. And make sure to come challenge us to a dance off on the floors at Cache and Serendipity. Wondering what you should pack for the week? Must haves are cameras, swimsuits, music, instruments, and fans! Also, bring your games, toys, inflatable anythings, your favorite clothes for all types of weather and for dressing up, an open mind, good ideas, and great feelings. If you bring a book, this is fair warning that you will have little time to read it. That is, unless you enjoy seclusion and introversion, which is totally cool too. One of the ways to get to know the YAs and be a part of the community before and after SUUSI is through the young adult listserv. If you would like to join and share with the community on-line, simply email us! And if you have any additional questions/concerns/ ideas about the YA program, feel free to email the YA Director, Davin Taddeo, at ya@suusi.org. Can't wait to see you there!

Young Adult Staff

ANNOUNCEMENT!

There is a new, specially oriented position on YA staff this year. There is now, along with the role of Chaplain, the new role of SUUSI Community Liaison joining our ranks. This will be a young adult staffer who's purpose is to help better integrate the YA community with the general SUUSI population, the teen program, youth program, coffee house, late night, cabaret, etc.. I'm hoping that this will be a role the many will want to fill and expand upon to help our community grow with the SUUSI ideals of a truly integrated, intergenerational, intentional community. Davin Taddeo 2008 Young Adult Programs Director -------------------------- Each year, several members of the young adult community step forward to take responsibility to plan discussions, workshops, late night activities, and more for the entire Young Adult Community to enjoy. Though one of our main goals may be to provide the entertainment to the YA community at SUUSI we also:
• Support YAs physically and emotionally should they need it,
• Mediate minor conflicts if there are any,
• Set an example of the behavior expected at SUUSI,
• Act as a portal between the young adults and the rest of the SUUSI community,
• Encourage integration between the YAs and other groups here at SUUSI,
• Have fun with our SUUSI friends!
For those of you interested in applying to be on staff, take a look at the YA Staff Expectations. Or feel free to contact the YA Director at ya@suusi.org if you have any questions.

Young Adult Staff Expectations

The following are expectations that I have for anybody who would like to be a young adult staffer. The General expectations apply to all staff members, including the Chaplain and the Community Liaison, except where their individual expectations differ. Where there is a difference (i.e. number of workshops that they need to plan, those positions will be held to their position expectations. If you have any questions about the expectations or being on staff, e-mail Davin Taddeo, the director at ya@suusi.org.

General Staff Expectations:

1. COMMUNITY BUILDING:  Independently and together as a staff work to help build and maintain a safe and welcoming community of young adults that integrate smoothly with the greater SUUSI web.
2. PARTICIPATION:  Actively participate in the young adult program.  This means dedication to pre-SUUSI planning, supporting/attending young adult workshops, worships and nightlife activities, and encouraging young adult participants to do the same.
3. COMMUNICATION:  Keep up with and contribute to the YA staff online communications, engage in conversations with fellow staffers, and speak up when something is wrong!  Open communication is so important for all aspects of staffing especially planning and brainstorming, problem solving, and maintaining staff unity.  It is essential to communicate in order to maintain your position on staff.
4. WORKSHOPS:  Plan and help lead/facilitate young adult workshops, activities and events. Full staff members are expected to work for 40 hours, which basically equates to planning, preparing for, leading, and cleaning up after at least 2 workshops, helping out with at least 5 other activities, and being available to help if needed.  Half staff members are expected to work for 20 hours, which equates to planning, preparing for, leading, and cleaning up after at least 1 workshop, helping out with at least 3 other activities, and being there for fellow staffers in a pinch.
5. TRAINING:  Attend the staff training weekend, which will be held in March.  Travel for the meeting will be covered by SUUSI, so this event is intended to unite the staff members as a whole, train for staff preparedness, and finalize any planning details.
6. MEETINGS:  Attend all YA meetings held during SUUSI (usually once a day for about 30 minutes or less) Arrive the day before SUUSI starts (Saturday), for crucial planning and set up.
7. RULES:  Understand, adhere to and enforce the by-laws and policies of SUUSI, uphold the governing laws and statutes of the state in which SUUSI is held, abide by any and all rules and regulations of the institution where SUUSI is held, adhere to all the rules set for the YA community AND help enforce the rules to insure the safety and well being of everyone at SUUSI and SUUSI itself.
8. ATTITUDE:  Commit to working with the young adult staff and director in an open, unified, collaborative and cooperative way.  Speak up and confront issues in a positive, constructive manner.
9. RELIABILITY:  All staffers are responsible to ensure that any YA functions under their control are carried out.  If they are unable to mange a specific event for some reason, it is their responsibility to ensure that another staffer is given the information and materials to carry it out for them.
10. HAVE FUN!!!  We all go to SUUSI to have a good time, and being on staff should be a labor of love and a lot of FUN!!!!

Young Adult Chaplain Expectations:

1. Abide by the General YA Staff Expectations, except where they differ from the following expectations of the YA Chaplain.
2. WORSHIP: The YA Chaplain is responsible for planning a very short chalice lighting and closing for the Staff Meeting.  They are expected to hold a very short worship for the early arrival staff members.  They will be responsible for ensuring that worship takes place for the general YA community for 5 of the 6 nights of SUUSI.
3. COMFORT: The Chaplain's other responsibility is to be there to talk to the individual members of the YA community should they need to confide in someone or discuss problems they are having during the week.  Though these are private and confidential, the Chaplain is not a minister and should be willing and ready to call the Minister of the day if someone needs them.  They should also be prepared to call the YA Director or another staffer, should there need to be some sort of action taken to respond to rule violations or possible conflicts with the YA community itself.
4. WORKSHOPS:  The Chaplain is expected to still lead a minimum of one workshop or discussion and help with one late night activity and one other workshop/discussion.

Young Adult Community Liaison Expectations:

1. Abide by the General YA Staff Expectations, except where they differ from the following expectations of the YA Chaplain.
2. WORDSPREADING: The YA Community Liaison is responsible for having an article in each issue of the SUUSI NUUS to in some way encourage interaction between the young adults and the greater community.  Either through invitations to YA workshop/discussions that are being held that day, or just asking the general community to meet a YA.
3. YA INTEGRATION: The Liaison should encourage as many YAs to attend general SUUSI events such as Theme Talks, Worships, and Town Hall Meetings.  They are also to attend many of these where possible and report on them in the YA Community Meetings in order to keep our community in tune with the course and mindset of SUUSI
4. WORKSHOPS:  The Laison is expected to still lead a minimum of one workshop or discussion and help with one late night activity and one other workshop/discussion.

Youth

NEW for 2008
• Music for youth with concert performer Alistair Moock
• 11-12 year old's trip to Claytor Lake
• Messing with Boats workshop for 11-13 year olds
Also, in response to your evaluation feedback, we are now offering childcare for parents taking nature trips. Youth staff will be available one hour before morning programming (8:00-9:00 AM) and thirty minutes after morning programming (12:00-12:30 PM). For dietary reasons, Youth staffers are not authorized to take children to lunch or dinner. There is no charge for this additional childcare; however, we do need to know how many children will be staying for childcare time so that we can ensure a safe child-staff ratio. Please let us know if you are taking one of the nature trips for which babysitting is available and you need SUUSI Youth Staff to provide babysitting.
Oldies but Goodies
• Tie-dye
• 13 year olds' SLOG trip
• Arts & Crafts
• Outdoor Games
• Bowling
• Caving and Advanced Caving for 9-13 year olds
• UU Principles
• Snacks
• Youth Closing Circle with performances by the age groups!
• Childcare Co-op in the evenings so you can enjoy some adult time!
Children ages 1 day to 13 years old get to be a part of SUUSI Youth programming, where we work to create a safe place to explore, interact and grow. Each year we offer a medly of fun including outdoor games, indoor games,water play, art projects, drama, music, UU Principles, science,sandcastles, and tie-dye.


It's time to plan for summer!!!

E-mail or call me to let me know what you liked last year, what you didn’t like, and what you want to do in 2008! If you know grown-ups or really responsible teens that you think should be on staff, please have them contact me. Dianna 804-798-2416 youth@suusi.org

At SUUSI, youth are divided into groups by age. Our Youth Staff members have experience working with youth in RE programs, school settings, a variety of camps and, of course, prior SUUSI experience. Many were once SUUSI Youths themselves. All Youth Staff are focused on ensuring the safety and fun of every participant.

If you are new to SUUSI, or if you haven't attended for a while,
Click (more info) to visit our SUUSI Youth Program Overview page!

Morning programming for SUUSI youth includes a wide variety of age group activies including traditional camp games, crafts, music, and games. Afternoons are time for multi-age Children's Worship and workshops for our older youth. Younger children remain with their age groups, and many participate in our most popular afternoon activity - nap time! See the Youth Program Overview for more details.


Youth Programming runs Monday through Friday 9 am - noon and 2 - 4 pm to coincide with most adult workshops Youth Workshops will be listed in the spring catalog again in 2008!

Would you like to know more about the Children's or adult version of the Unitarian Universalist Principles? Click (more info) to see the words that we use to help kids remember what we believe. On the same page is the "adult language" UU Principles and our common sources of knowledge. See the links below for even more information. Interested in learning more about the Unitarian Universalist faith? Click (more info) to visit the UUA web site. Interested in how you can help your children live their beliefs every day? Click (more info) for EXCELLENT resources that you can use at home with your kids. Never forget that YOU are the most important religious educator in your child’s life! Remember: SUUSI is a family oriented summer church camp for UU's and non-UU's alike!
Where else can you have a multi-generational vacation that keeps everyone happy and inspired? Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Contact the Youth Director, Dianna MacPherson, at youth@suusi.org.

Childcare Co-Op

In 2006, the Childcare Co-op was officially adopted by SUUSI Youth! The childcare co-operative program is designed for parents who wish to share nighttime supervision of their children throughout the week of SUUSI. The co-op makes it easier for parents to enjoy all that SUUSI Nightlife has to offer. The childcare co-op is open to children ages newborn to 13. All adults who stay in the co-op dorm participate in the shared supervision program. Adults with children who do not wish to participate in the shared supervision program should choose to stay in the non co-op family dorm. The Childcare co-op provides parents with approximately 25 hours of shared supervision for their children in the evening during Nightlife programming. In return, each parent typically contributes 2-2½ hours of supervision. Parents or guardians wishing to participate in the co-op should check the childcare co-op option on the registration form in Section B. Co-op adults who have SUUSI staff responsibilities between 9:30 PM and 1:00 AM (or later on Friday) should notify the co-op coordinator of potential conflicts as soon as possible. Lois Stanton, the childcare co-op coordinator can be reached at childcareco-op@suusi.org.

Registration

Arriving Late?

Registration will be open on Sunday from 10 am - 4 pm. Consult your Confirmation NUUS for late arrival information.

Catalog

The SUUSI catalog will be mailed via bulk mail at the end of March. Until then, check for updates here on the website, SUUSI NUUS, or browse last year's catalog. The catalog is provided complete and in smaller sections for those who do not have high speed Internet access. You will need to have Acrobat Reader software to view the files below. Each year, registration forms are not published on the website until the first catalog has been received by mail in the wild. If you'd like to be put on the mailing list for future catalogs, please click here.

SUUSI 2008 catalog

The SUUSI 2008 catalog will be bulk mailed at the end of March. Until you receive your copy, or if you would prefer an electronic copy, you can download the catalog below.

SUUSI 2008 catalog - without registration forms (2.3 MB)

SUUSI 2007 catalog

The 2007 SUUSI catalog will be mailed via bulk mail at the end of March. Until then, or if you'd just prefer to have an electronic copy, you can download the catalog below.

• Complete SUUSI 2007 catalog (2.5 MB)
• SUUSI 2007 catalog - part 1 (1.2 MB)
• SUUSI 2007 catalog - part 2 (1.2 MB)
• SUUSI 2007 catalog - part 3 (210 KB)
• SUUSI 2007 catalog - part 4 - registration forms (115 KB)

Request a Catalog

We mail a paper copy of the annual SUUSI catalog to everyone who requests a copy. If you came to SUUSI in the last five years, we'll automatically mail you a catalog. The catalog is the paper document with the logistics and detailed listing of workshops, Nature trips, and other activities for SUUSI. We post all the information in the catalog - and more - on this Web site, including the registration forms, but SUUSI is a paper-friendly as well as Web-friendly organization. We even have the catalogs from previous SUUSIs still online. You can let us know when you move so the catalog will find whither thou hast gone - yea verily, even unto the nether regions of northern Alabama and the wilds of Toronto. (We use bulk mail to reduce postage costs substantially, but that means the US Postal Service won't forward the catalog to you.) If you have not attended in the last five years and wish to receive information for the next SUUSI, or if you have attended SUUSI recently but need to make changes to your name or address, please fill out the following form.

Previous Catalogs

You can print all the information in the catalog from this web site, but we also print around 3,000 copies of an 80-page (or so) catalog each year. It costs about $1.50 per copy to provide paper copies, but that's one way to reach a large number of potential participants. (The catalog is convenient and never loses power - and do you see people taking laptops into bathrooms?) Most of our marketing is via word of mouth from previous SUUSI participants, but if our information distribution is effective and the universe evolves as it should, about 900-1,000 people should come to SUUSI each year... We usually mail catalogs near the start of April. Mailing costs are substantial, and we always try to minimize the administrative costs for SUUSI, so we mail catalogs via a bulk rate. It saves a large percentage of the postage cost, but delivery typically takes 5-21 days. We send catalogs to congregations after we mail them to individual addresses. (In theory at least, few "old time SUUSI people" will pick up a duplicate copy on Sunday, if they already have received their personal copy at home, so the copies sent to congregations will reach new-to-SUUSI folks.) If you think you might come to SUUSI this year or next, please add your name to the mailing list for future SUUSI catalogs. Each year, there's a different graphic that illuminates the theme for SUUSI. We use the annual image on the catalog cover, as well as on annual editions of the SUUSI T-shirt. There's a great quilt of catalog covers, scanned by Jim Blowers. NOTE: You will need to have Acrobat Reader software to view the PDF files below.

2006 Catalog

Workshop changes
Click here to read about workshop schedule changes for SUUSI 2006.
• Complete 2006 SUUSI catalog (5.97 MB)
• SUUSI 2006 catalog - part 1 - introduction, services, youth and teen programs (2.23 MB)
• SUUSI 2006 catalog - part 2 - activities, groups and programs (1.19 MB)
• SUUSI 2006 catalog - part 3 - general workshops (1.33 MB)
• SUUSI 2006 catalog - part 4 - nature workshops (982 KB)
• SUUSI 2006 catalog - part 5 - registration information and instructions (384 KB)

2005 Catalog

• General Information (pages 1-13)
• Activities (pages 14-56)
• Who To Contact (page 73)
• Last Page

2004 Catalog

• General Information - pages 1-15 (Will this be your first SUUSI?, Calling All Ministers, General Information, Getting to SUUSI in Blacksburg, SUUSIBoyz, Community Expectations, Volunteers, Information Office, Housing, Food!, About the Campus and Accessibility, Heath Care at SUUSI, Support Groups, Child Care COOP Dorm, Ingathering and Banner Parade, Spiritual Growth, Nightlife, Youth Program, Teens, Young Adults, Medians, Athletics)
• General Information - pages 16-33 (General Workshop and Nature Activities Information, General Workshops)
• Nature Program - pages 34-48 (Overview and Detailed Trip Descriptions)
• Registration - pages 49-53 (Fees, Deposits, Room Assignments, SUUSIships)
• Registration Forms - pages 54-64 (Oodles and Oodles of Forms...)

2003 Catalog

• front cover
• General Information - pages 1-6 (Will this be your first SUUSI?, Calling All Ministers, General Information, Getting to SUUSI in Blacksburg, Artisans Bazaar and Gallery, Community Expectations, Volunteers, Spiritual Growth, Gatherings, Athletics)
• General Information - pages 7-8 (Nightlife)
• General Information - pages 9-11 Youth, Teens, Young Adults, Medians)
• General Information - pages 12-13 (Information Office, Housing, Food, SUUSI Store, Telecommunications, Accessibility, Health Care, Child-Care Co-ops)
• General Information - page 14 (General Workshop and Nature Activities Information)
• General Workshops - pages 15-27
• Nature Program - page 28 (Introduction)
• Nature Program - page 29 (Introduction - continued)
• Nature Program - pages 30-42 (Overview and Detailed Trip Descriptions)
• Registration - pages 43-46
• Forms - pages 47-56

2002 Catalog

• all 52 pages of the 2002
• pages1-7 (What's New, General Information, Volunterers, Gatherings, Spiritual Growth)
• pages 8-17 (General Workshop and Nature Trip Information, Teen Way Off Broadway, Artisans Bazaar and Gallery, Nightlife, Young Adults, Medians, Athletics, Youth, Teens
• pages 18-19 (Information Office, Housing, SUUSI Store, Telecommunications, Food, About the Campus and Accessibility, Heath Care, Child-Care Co-ops, Support Groups)
• pages 20-33 (General Workshops)
• pages 33-43 (Nature Trips)
• pages 44-52 (Registration Information, Forms)

2001 Catalog

• all 48 pages of the 2001 (in one large - 1MB - PDF file)
• Inside Front Cover
• General Information (page 1-10 in printed )
• General Workshops and Nature Trip Information (page 13 in printed )
• General Workshops (page 14-29 in printed )
• Nature Trips (page 30-41 in printed )
• Support Groups (page 41 in printed )
• Registration Information (page 42-44 in printed )
• Inside Back Cover
• Back Cover

2000 Catalog

• Inside front cover: contains table of contents for the
• Pages 1-5: General information about SUUSI
• Pages 6-9: Worship & Nightlife
• Pages 10-13: Teens, Young Adults, Youth, Workshop Guidelines
• Pages 14-32: General Workshops, including a summary by day and time and full workshop descriptions.
• Pages 33-46: Nature Trips, including a summary by day and time and detailed trip descriptions.
• Pages 47-48: Registration Information
• Registration forms
• Inside back cover: Core staff contact information, and registration checklist

1999 Catalog

• Front cover illustration
• Table of contents
• Introduction to SUUSI 99
• General Information
• SUUSI Programs: Denominational, Nightlife, Young Adults, Teen, Youth
• General Information for Workshops and Nature
• Workshop Descriptions
• Nature Trip descriptions
• Enrollment Information
• Enrollment Forms
• Staff and Board staff

Early Arrival Information

Coming before SUUSI starts on Sunday?

The Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of the New River Valley offers pre-SUUSI hospitality for Saturday night before SUUSI starts, for a small fee. Proceeds go to the Fellowship. Contact information will be available in the catalog in March. Sorry, you can't come early and hope to "crash" on the campus, no matter how anxious you might be to get started. On the Saturday night before SUUSI, you can't slip into the dorm and use a bed, or even sleep on the floor. SUUSI pays for each room we use, and we honor our commitments. NOTE: Some SUUSI staff do come a day or two in advance to set up the computers, arrange for Registration Sunday, check out the safety of planned Nature trips, etc. We identify the specific number of "early arrival" beds that we will use, and SUUSI pays the university for those staff to use the dorm rooms for one or two extra nights. You may know someone arriving early, but they can't sneak you into the dorm early without violating our contract with the university. SUUSI is an intentional community - you don't want to start the week with a breach of ethics, right?

Registering Youth and Teens

All youth and teens registering for SUUSI must be under the supervision of a legally responsible adult. Youth/teens who attend SUUSI without their legal guardian must have an adult (over 21) who is willing to be their guardian at SUUSI. Adults may not serve as a guardian for more than two youths/teens for whom they are not the legal guardian. Guardianship forms must be signed and notarized by the legal guardian. We need someone to be responsible for youth at all times. If the responsible adult registers for a Workshop or Nature trip that meets off-campus when Youth programming is not scheduled, you must designate a responsible adult on campus. Please inform the Youth staff and post your daily schedule on your room door at SUUSI, so we know which adult to contact regarding Youth (newborn-13 years old) at all times. Important: To confirm the age of participants in the Teen program, a notarized (yes, notarized) copy of a birth certificate or a driver’s license is required for all new participants. This documentation must accompany registration forms. No exceptions. We also need a statement from the legal guardian for each youth/teen, authorizing the guardian at SUUSI to sign medical release forms if necessary. This authorization must be included with the youth/teen’s registration. These forms must be notarized before they are mailed. Teens (ages 14-17) registering for the Teen Dorm must check the appropriate box in Section B of the registration form – and you’re encouraged to write in the name of your proposed roommate, if you’ve made such arrangements. All teens staying in the Teen Dorm must pay for a bed (even if everyone decides to crash on the floor during SUUSI). The SUUSI Teen-Parent Agreement Form must be completed and signed by both teen and parent and submitted with registration forms. New this year: Teens and parents must both sign if they want their teen to be housed on the co-ed dorm floor.

SUUSIships

Financial Assistance Available to Attend SUUSI

There are two major ways that an individual or family may receive assistance with financial difficulties that will allow them to attend SUUSI. SUSSI does not have any employees.

SUUSI staff members work throughout the year and at SUUSI to make all of the workshops, nature outings, and special activities possible. The members of the SUUSI staff are not paid for their efforts, but are provided with staff credit toward their own SUUSI costs. Staff credit provides opportunities for participants to come to SUUSI and make a difference.

SUUSI also provides a limited number of scholarships for individuals and families. These SUUSIships are designed to make it possible to bridge the gap in resources to allow people to experience the magic of SUUSI.

Staff Positions

SUUSI is always looking for new people to join our SUUSI staff family. If you would like to apply for a staff position, please go to SOLIS (SUUSI Online Information System) to complete an application. You'll need to create a SOLIS account if you don't already have one in order to apply for a staff position. All staff positions are fully volunteer, but you can get some or all of your SUUSI registration costs covered in return for your efforts. Many of our staff members would find it difficult to attend SUUSI without this assistance.

If you would like more information about joining the SUUSI staff, or if you are just interested in volunteering, please complete the staff form. If working on staff isn't your thing, there are many other ways to be involved. Please tell us about you and your interest and we can help you explore the opportunities to be involved in making our week at SUUSI very special for everyone.

Lead a Workshop

Leading a workshop is a great way to meet new people and contribute to the SUUSI community. To submit your idea for a workshop just go to the SUUSI home page and click on the link at the top right of the page. You'll first need to register as a user in SOLIS - SUUSI Online Information System.

This registration is a quick and easy process of providing your e-mail address, selecting a password and clicking on a link that we e-mail to you automatically. Once you're registered, you can fill out the Workshop Proposal Form in order to submit a proposal for SUUSI.

Every year, we welcome new workshops and workshop leaders, and we're especially looking for workshops with class participation (rather than lecture-style).

For additional information about leading a SUUSI workshop, please visit our Workshops.

SUUSIship Scholarships

SUUSI offers scholarships to individuals and families wishing who would otherwise be unable to attend without financial assistance. Funds that are offered through SUUSIships are limited. SUUSIship awards are based upon financial need and aim to help individuals and families bridge a financial gap so that they can participate in SUUSI activities.

To be considered in the first round of SUUSIship awards, applications must be received by the deadline. All requests and applications are kept strictly confidential.

To apply for a SUUSIship, please submit an SUUSIship application. If you wish to apply, but cannot do so on–line, please click here to download the application form (Adobe Acrobat Reader required). If you download the application, please complete it and mail it to: Jerry King, SUUSIships, 1589 Skeet Club Road, Suite 102 Box 290, High Point, NC 27265-8817.

If you have any questions concerning the SUUSIship application, you may e-mail Jerry King at jleeking@aol.com. If you wish to be considered in the first round of applications, it is important that your information reach Jerry by May 15, 2008 or be postmarked by that date. This will allow the SUUSIship committee to inform you of your award in time to get the lowest possible rate for attending SUUSI.

In addition to the SUUSIship application you will be asked to provide a personal reference. The person whose name and contact information you provide, will be asked to complete a brief form on your behalf.

If you send in applications after the May date, your request will be considered as funds are available.

If you receive a SUUSIship you will receive a listing of volunteer opportunities at SUUSI. Those who receive SUUSIship awards are asked to provide a maximum of 10 hours of volunteer work time in exchange for your award. The number of hours that you will be asked to work will be dependent upon the size of your award and your age. Paperwork concerning your acceptance of your SUUSIship and your commitment to volunteer will be sent to you as soon as you have been notified of your award.

SUUSIship Funds

Funds for SUUSIship Awards

Limited scholarship (SUUSIship) funds are available to assist those individuals and families who otherwise might not be able to attend SUUSI. SUUSIships are awarded based on need and other factors, as well as on the ability to participate in, contribute to, and benefit from the SUUSI experience.

Grant amounts vary as determined by individual or family circumstances, with the maximum award based on the costs of registration and room and board, not including any additional expenses such as travel, workshops, or air conditioning. A volunteer commitment is required from each recipient age 10 and over.

SUUSIship awards are funded by the generosity of our SUUSI participants, you and me. There are six ways in which people contribute to the SUUSIship fund which is a separate off budget fund reserved for SUUSIship awards.

1. Before you even get to SUUSI you can indicate that you wish to make a contribution to SUUSIships on your registration form. All funds that you mark for supporting SUUSIships will go into the SUUSIship fund to be disbursed for the following year.
2. Today, you can begin saving your old books, cassettes (books or music), videos, DVDs, CDs, to bring with you to SUUSI. There will be a table at registration for you to leave your donations to SUUSIships, and buy others to replace the holes left in your shelves by your donations. The funds raised from the sale of the donated books, CD’s, DVD’s and so forth will go directly to fund SUUSIships for the following year. After registration is over all of the remaining donations will be moved to the SUUSI Bookstore for everyone to purchase throughout the week.
3. After SUUSI you can check the box on your Key Return envelope that indicates you wish to donate your key return to SUUSIships. This is often the single largest source of funding for SUUSIships.
4. Funds for SUUSIships come from the generously of our participants, and from congregations who add funding to help someone go to SUUSI to their operating budget. It is a way to help someone strengthen their connection to the congregation and the denomination.
5. A percentage of the sales from the Artisans' Bazaar, and the Coffee House, during SUUSI also go to support SUUSIships.

Spiritual growth

Unitarian Universalism calls us into a life-long journey of spiritual growth. As an intentional UU summer camp experience, SUUSI offers us many opportunities for spiritual exploration. Each day during the week we will reflect together on our theme during morning Theme Talks, and worship together as a community during evening Worship Services. For more information about these and other denominational activities, contact the Denominational Coordinator, Julie Emmer at denominational@suusi.org.

SUUSI Theme Talks

Each morning, Monday through Friday, a Unitarian Universalist minister will share with us thoughts on the theme. These daily theme presentations are a great way to start your SUUSI day.

SUUSI Evening Worship

Every evening, we gather for an opportunity to worship together as only the SUUSI community can! These services also touch on our theme while providing a chance for participation, renewal, and reflection on our day.

Calling All Ministers

Attention UU ministers: We want you to join our spiritual community at SUUSI this year! As you can tell, there will be many wonderful colleagues with whom to connect – not to mention about 1,000 other great UUs. (And ordained UU clergy receive a registration discount.) If you would like more information or to receive your registration discount, contact Denominational Coordinator Julie Emmer at denominational@suusi.org.

Morning Theme Talks

Morning Theme Talks


Mon-Fri from 9-9:45 am in Porterfield Hall’s Pridemore Theatre, a Unitarian Universalist minister will share with the SUUSI community thoughts on this year’s theme: Pilgrimage. These are a great way to start your SUUSI day!

Monday - The Rev. Dr. Rebecca Parker

Saving Paradise: How Christianity Traded Love for This World for Crucifixion and Empire
For a thousand years, Christians did not produce images of Jesus suffering and dying on the cross. Instead when they gathered to worship they were surrounded by lush and beautiful images of this world as paradise. But beginning in the 10th century, western Christianity shifted to images of crucifixion. This talk will examine the legacy of Christianity’s turn to crucifixion and empire, and explore the positive possibilities buried in Christianity’s more ancient spirituality of love for life.

Rebecca Parker is President and Professor of Theology at Starr King School for the Ministry in Berkeley, CA. An ordained minister in dual relationship with the UUA and the United Methodist Church, she is the author of Blessing the World: What Can Save Us Now (Skinner House Books, 2006) and co-author with Rita Nakashima Brock of Proverbs of Ashes: Violence, Redemptive Suffering, and the Search for What Saves Us (Beacon Press, 2001). Their newest book, Saving Paradise, will be released by Beacon Press in summer, 2008. (rparker@sksm.edu)

Tuesday - Rev. Alison Miller

Spiraling into the Center

The greatest journey we can make is the sojourn to the center of our being. It is here we come to know our deepest selves, our purpose and call, and our sacred source. There are many roads that can be taken. There are the intentional paths of spiritual practices or the tumultuous and disorienting twists of illness, loss and transition. These paths offer to reveal terrors and delights, limits and unfettered possibilities, the voices of our false idols and the whispers of the divine. We can then wind back outwards and bring to life all that is in harmony with our heart’s true longing.

The Rev. Alison B. Miller has been serving as the minister of the Morristown Unitarian Fellowship since fall 2005. She holds an A.B. from Bryn Mawr College and a Masters of Divinity from Harvard Divinity School. She is a lifelong Unitarian Universalist who was raised in an interfaith Jewish-Christian family in New York City. Alison has been very involved over the years in congregations, in our association, and in the communities in which she serves around the issues of youth ministry, young adult and campus ministry, and anti-racism and diversity work. (amiller@muuf.org)

Wednesday - Rev. Gail R. Geisenhainer

Pilgrimage: Tourism or Transformation?

The art and discipline of religious pilgrimage feeds the human hunger for meaning, purpose, connection and ultimacy…., or not.

The Reverend Gail Ruth Geisenhainer was raised in Concord, MA and lived in Maine and New Hampshire before entering the Unitarian Universalist Ministry. She holds graduate degrees from the Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge, MA and Bangor Theological Seminary in Maine. After her Internship in Reading, Massachusetts, she served as an Extension Minister in Los Angeles for five years. Since 2002 she has served the UU Fellowship of Vero Beach, Florida. Currently she serves as Treasurer for the UU Ministers Association. Rev. Gail’s life-partner of 24 years, Celeste DeRoche, writes and teaches US History for Barry University. They share a passion for books, road trips, and the company of their dog Waldo. (GGeisenhainer@uuma.org

Thursday - The Rev. Chip Roush

A Long Strange Trip It Is

Each life, each day, each relationship might be seen as a pilgrimage--to greater understanding, if not to an actual place. Using the lyrics and the experiences of the music group, “The Grateful Dead,” we’ll explore how to find more meaning and more joy in our lives.

The Rev. Chip Roush serves the UU Congregation of Grand Traverse, Michigan as its Senior Minister. He has preached on the liberal humanism of the Grateful Dead over a dozen times, and he danced to the band many more times than that. Besides the Dead, he lists Ken Wilber, the Rev. Dr. Thandeka, and his wife, Becky, as his chief influences. (revuucgt@charterinternet.com)

Friday - Rev. Anthony David

Seasons of Life

In his classic work Let Your Life Speak, Parker Palmer introduces a metaphor that helps us integrate and name the stages and cycles of our spiritual journey through life: the turning seasons. That’s what we will explore in Friday’s theme talk. I have found Parker Palmer’s metaphor to be profoundly helpful, and perhaps so will you.

The Rev. Anthony David is Senior Minister of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Atlanta. Before this, he was Senior Minister of Pathways Church, the experimental rapid-start large church in Dallas/Fort Worth. His most recent publication is an article in Wrestling With Adulthood: UU Men Talk About Growing Up (Skinner House Press, ed. Rev. Ken Beldon). (adavid@uuma.org)

Evening Worship

Evening Worship

Every evening we have the opportunity to gather to worship together in a family friendly environment as only the SUUSI community can! Each service will touch on our theme, while providing a chance for participation, renewal and reflection on our day. Mon-Thurs worship will be from 7-7:45 pm; Fri, worship will be from 8:30 to 9:15PM.




Monday - Jan Taddeo

Sacred Places

Pilgrimages are long journeys that take us to sacred places or places of religious significance. Are you on a pilgrimage? How far have you traveled on your journey, where are you going, what is your mode of transportation, who travels with you, what is your roadmap, and how will you know when you’ve arrived?

Jan Taddeo is a ministerial student at Meadville Lombard Theological School. A fifth generation UU, and long-time SUUSI participant, Jan held several lay-leadership roles at her home congregation in Fairfax, VA. She is currently living in Miramar, Florida with her husband, Russ, and attending the River of Grass UU Congregation. Before moving south, she served five years on the staff of the River Road UU Congregation as the Youth Ministry Coordinator, and two years for the Joseph Priestley District as the Coordinator of Youth Activities.

Tuesday - The Rev. Evan Keely

Our First Avowed Intent

How do we know whether our pilgrimages are worth it? After all, it isn’t easy being a pilgrim. It can be lonely, tiring, even frightening. But the pilgrimage worth making is a journey to greater freedom, greater wisdom, and greater love. We find the courage to bear the hardships by keeping our minds and hearts set on how we can be transformed by the journey.

Rev. Evan Keely currently serves as the interim minister at the UU Congregation of Monmouth County, in Lincroft, NJ. He is an Accredited Interim Minister in Training. Evan obtained his Masters in Divinity at Harvard Divinity School and holds a Bachelor of Music in Music History from Boston University. It was through music that he met his wife Sarah. Together with their sons Joseph and Benjamin, they look forward to their first time at SUUSI! (minister@uucmc.org)

Wednesday - The Rev. Michael Tino

Travelin’ Thru

Sometimes, our spiritual journeys take us to the most surprising places. Tonight, we will take a pilgrimage to the Smoky Mountains of eastern Tennessee to a magical world in which spiritual insights sometimes come with sequins and a wig. Come learn why this city boy takes regular pilgrimages to Dollywood.

Rev. Dr. Michael Tino is the Minister of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Northern Westchester in Mt. Kisco, New York. Michael is thrilled to return to SUUSI, the community in which he realized his call to the ministry. His original pilgrimage to Dollywood was taken with an old friend from SUUSI while making important Teen Program plans. In previous years, Michael has served on SUUSI Teen Staff and presented the SUUSI Thursday worship several times. He lives in Peekskill, New York with his partner Eric. (mjtino@yahoo.com)




Thursday - Amy Carol Webb

Pilgrimage: Purpose, Progress, Passage

Gather with us to mark milestones along this pilgrimage pathway we walk together. We will welcome new life with SUUSI baby dedications, celebrate our teens heading into young adulthood with a Bridging Ceremony and honor the memory of those who have passed from us. Please contact Amy directly (songweaver@amycarolwebb.com) if you’ll have a baby to dedicate, or an elder to honor.

Many of you have known Amy Carol Webb and her family in the SUUSI community since 1999. She first attended as a Concert Performer, then returned as a workshop leader, then joined TWOB staff, and then took a seat on the SUUSI Board. Still singing from Miami to Maine, she is now in seminary at Andover Newton Theological School in Boston as a future Unitarian Universalist Minister.

Friday - Laureen Blackmore with Ethel Marie Underhill & the Womanspirit Group of the New River Valley and the Blacksburg UU Congregations

Pagan Service

Our rituals embrace many spiritual paths and are drawn from a variety of Pagan sources including Wicca, Native American, and Goddess traditions found within other religions such as Buddhism, Hinduism, and Taoism. Each ritual is designed and led by our members and as such, they are all unique. We are looking forward to sharing a meaningful, spiritual ritual with the SUUSI community. All are welcome and encouraged to be ready to participate! Please bring your drums!

The Womenspirit Group of the NRV is an open, caring, laughing sisterhood of women who explore and honor Nature and Goddess spiritual traditions. We meet on the New and Full Moons of each month to create sacred space for learning, fellowship, and ritual. We honor the cycle and seasons of Mother Earth and often gather to celebrate the Sabbats, Full Moons and New Moons. We are affiliated with the UU Congregation of Blacksburg, Virginia.

Ministers at SUUSI

SUUSI loves Ministers!

The SUUSI community is eager to welcome ministers to the SUUSI experience. If fact, all ministers ordained by a legitimate divinity school receive a 50% discount in ther registration fees simply for coming to SUUSI. In order to receive your discount, please contact the Denominational Coordinator, Julie Emmer at denominational@suusi.org prior to registering for SUUSI.

Ministers of the Day

SUUSI provides a minister on-call for emergencies throughout the SUUSI experience. These ministers are compensated by receiving an additional 50% discount on their SUUSI registration fees. If you are an ordained minister and would like to serve in this capacity, please contact the Denominational Coordinator, Julie Emmer at denominational@suusi.org.

If you are scheduled as a speaker for Morning Theme Talk or Evening Worship

You should already be in contact with the SUUSI denominational team. We are here to help! You will be receiving a packet of information in the mail during Spring 2008 which should answer most of your questions.

New this year: Joe Jencks has joined the Denominational staff. He is eager to arrange for the perfect live music to augment your presentation. Give some thought to what will best meet your needs. He will be contacting you this spring to talk about your service and how we can help. In the meantime, you know how to reach us: Julie Emmer at denominational@suusi.org.

Covenant Groups

Covenant Groups are coming to SUUSI!

New this year: Covenant groups are coming to SUUSI. Be on the lookout for more information coming soon!

Communication

E-mail Lists

SUUSI Listservers

Our listservers are a great way for everyone interested in SUUSI to stay in touch via e-mail regarding SUUSI experiences/ideas/questions, upcoming plans and schedules, even logistics. A note on the SUUSI Friends listserver is a great way to snag a ride to Southwest Virginia for the last week of July...

We have diffferent listservers to satisfy the interests of for different groups. You can subscribe to one or more:

SUUSI Announce

suusi-announce@suusi.org is our listserver for "official" announcements. Subscribers will receive about one message each month highlighting when the catalog was mailed, status of available space in Workshops and Nature trips, registration deadlines, etc. To minimize the traffic, this listserver is a one-way street replies to announcements will not be distributed to all subscribers.

Everyone attending SUUSI is automagically subscribed to suusi-announce@suusi.org Of course you can unsubscribe - go to the bottom of the form at http://lists.suusi.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/suusi-announce

SUUSI Friends

suusi-friends@suusi.org is our listserver for general discussion, chat-with-each-other, keep-the-conversation-going listserver. Expect to get several messages a week about people moving and announcing their new addresses, requests for a ride to SUUSI, jokes about those songs at Cabaret (especially if skeet were involved...), comments on news, requests for signing a petition, etc. In other words, it's like sitting down for a meal at SUUSI... the topics of conversation will vary.

Your interest in the topics may vary as well. At times, a hot-and-heavy discussion may trigger a lot of traffic that's only marginally interesting to you. Naturally, there's a technique to minimize the hassle... when you subscribe, check the box saying you want to receive suusi-friends messages batched in a daily digest. You'll get only one message a day.

See http://lists.suusi.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/suusi-friends to subscribe or unsubscribe. If you want to configure the listserver to send just one daily digest, look for the Would you like to receive list mail batched in a daily digest? option just below where you enter your password. Everyone interested in SUUSI may subscribe.

SUUSI Youth Staff

suusi-youth-staff@suusi.org is a listserver for Youth Staff to coordinate plans, logistics, events, etc.

See http://lists.suusi.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/suusi-youth-staff to subscribe or unsubscribe, etc. The Youth Staff director will have to approve your subscription.

SUUSI Teens

suusi-teens@suusi.org is a listserver for members of the Teen group to stay in touch. You don't have to live in the Teen Dorm at SUUSI to join, but you do have to be a previous SUUSI participant between 13 and 17 years old or planning to come to a future SUUSI. Those associated with Teen Staff may also subscribe.

See http://lists.suusi.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/suusi-teens to subscribe or unsubscribe, etc. The Teen Staff director will have to approve your subscription.

SUUSI Nature Staff

suusi-naturestaff@suusi.org is a listserver for Nature Staff to coordinate plans, logistics, events, etc.

See http://lists.suusi.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/suusi-naturestaff to subscribe or unsubscribe, etc. The Nature directors will have to approve your subscription.

SUUSI Core Staff

suusi-corestaff@suusi.org is a listserver for Core Staff to coordinate plans, logistics, events, etc.

See http://lists.suusi.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/suusi-corestaff to subscribe or unsubscribe, etc. The Director will have to approve your subscription.

SUUSI Board

suusi-board@suusi.org is a listserver for the SUUSI Board to coordinate plans, logistics, events, etc.

See http://lists.suusi.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/suusi-board to subscribe or unsubscribe, etc. The Board Chair or Board Secretary will have to approve your subscription.

SUUSI Young Adults

suusiyoungadults@googlegroups.com is a Google Group for Young Adults. Email them to learn more.

How The SUUSI Listservers Work

If you subscribe to a SUUSI listserver, you can be in the loop. It's a great way to keep up with the SUUSI news and all the questions... and answers... about what's going on related to SUUSI.

When you subscribe, you'll get a message like the following:

suusi-announce -- confirmation of subscription -- request 744268 We have received a request from 164.159.255.226 for subscription ofyour email address, [your e-mail address], to the suusi-announce@lists.suusi.org mailing list. To confirm the request, please send a message to announcements-request@suusi.org, and either: - maintain the subject line as is (the reply's additional "Re:" is ok) - or include the following line - and only the following line - in the message body: confirm 744268 (Simply sending a 'reply' to this message should work from most email interfaces, since that usually leaves the subject line in the right form.) If you do not wish to subscribe to this list, please simply disregard this message. Send questions to suusi-announce-admin@lists.suusi.org.

After you reply and confirm you want to be on the listserver, you'll get the welcome message next:

Welcome to the suusi-announce@lists.suusi.org mailing list! This e-mail list will distribute occasional (monthly...) announcements about SUUSI, including the dates when we mailed the catalog, registration deadlines, changes in workshops, etc. This is a low-traffic, moderated list. You won't get swamped with e-mail from this suusi-announce list. In fact, you can't reply to messages from suusi-announce and have yourmessage distributed to everyone else. (Please join the"suusi-friends" list if you want to participate in the busier,interactive discussion.) If you want an official SUUSI announcement distributed by this list, contact us at communications@suusi.org General information about the mailing list is at: http://lists.suusi.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/suusi-announce If you ever want to unsubscribe or change your options (eg, switch toor from digest mode, change your password, etc.), visit yoursubscription page at: http://lists.suusi.org/cgi-bin/mailman/options/suusi-announce/[your e-mail address] You can also make such adjustments via email by sending a message to: suusi-announce-request@lists.suusi.org with the word `help' in the subject or body (don't include thequotes), and you will get back a message with instructions. You must know your password to change your options (including changingthe password, itself) or to unsubscribe. It is: [your password] If you forget your password, don't worry, you will receive a monthlyreminder telling you what all your lists.suusi.org mailing list passwords are, and how to unsubscribe or change your options. There is also a button on your options page that will email your currentpassword to you. You may also have your password mailed to you automatically off of the Web page noted above.

When you send an e-mail message to a SUUSI listserver (other than suusi-info), all subscribers will receive your message. Please remember your netiquette. No one needs more junk e-mail, so please don't forward the latest off-color jokes, rumors about viruses, purported plans to tax the Internet, urban legends, etc. to everyone else on the listserver. Share those messages directly with people you know are interested in those topics - remember, the folks registered on the SUUSI listservers are interested in SUUSI.

If you have questions about the listservers, please contact the listserver administrator at listserver@suusi.org or the Communications Director at communications@suusi.org

[If you have technical questions about our use of the Mailman software, contact the listserver technical guru, Michael Ivey, at ivey@suusi.org Be sure to tell him thanks for running the listservers...]

Mug Book

We’ll take a digital photo at Registration (even if it’s a bad hair day) and create a portfolio of pictures and postal/e-mail addresses of SUUSI participants, so you can connect with new friends afterwards. Be sure to order a copy of the mugbook during your registration. Some people order multiple copies for their entire family - so kids can circle their friends and have them signed. You can also buy a copy at SUUSI, but the price goes up...so pre-order and save!

SUUSI NUUS

During the week of SUUSI we publish a newsletter, called the SUUSI NUUS, to keep participants informed about what's happening during the week. We also sometimes publish issues of the NUUS during the year as well. If you'd like to stay up to date about what's happening at SUUSI, subscribe to the SUUSI Announce or SUUSI Friends e-mail lists. If you'd like to see what's happened at previous SUUSIs, here are most issues of the NUUS published since 2000. (All issues of the NUUS are in Adobe Acrobat format.)
• SUUSI 2007
• 2007 Departure NUUS
• 2007 Friday NUUS
• 2007 Thursday NUUS
• 2007 Wednesday NUUS
• 2007 Tuesday NUUS
• 2007 Monday NUUS
• 2007 Arrival NUUS
• 2007 Confirmation NUUS
• 2007 Winter NUUS
• SUUSI 2006
• 2006 Confirmation NUUS
• SUUSI 2005
• 2005 Departure NUUS
• 2005 Friday NUUS
• 2005 Thursday NUUS
• 2005 Wednesday NUUS
• 2005 Tuesday NUUS
• 2005 Monday NUUS
• 2005 Arrival NUUS
• 2005 Confirmation NUUS
• 2005 Winter NUUS
• SUUSI 2004
• 2004 Friday NUUS
• 2004 Thursday NUUS
• 2004 Wednesday NUUS
• 2004 Tuesday NUUS
• 2004 Monday NUUS
• 2004 Arrival NUUS
• 2004 Confirmation NUUS
• 2004 Winter NUUS
• SUUSI 2003
• 2003 Friday NUUS
• 2003 Thursday NUUS
• 2003 Tuesday NUUS
• 2003 Monday NUUS
• 2003 Arrival NUUS
• 2003 Winter NUUS
• SUUSI 2002
• 2002 FridayNUUS
• 2002 ThursdayNUUS
• 2002 WednesdayNUUS
• 2002 TuesdayNUUS
• 2002 MondayNUUS
• 2002 Arrival NUUS
• 2002 Confirmation NUUS (June, 2002)
• SUUSI 2001
  • Sunday Arrival NUUS
  • Monday morning NUUS
  • Monday afternoon NUUS
  • Tuesday morning NUUS
  • Tuesday afternoon NUUS
  • Wednesday morning NUUS
  • Wednesday afternoon NUUS
  • Thursday morning NUUS
  • Thursday afternoon NUUS
  • Friday morning NUUS
  • Friday afternoon NUUS
  • the 2001 Confirmation NUUS was mailed in late June with the confirmation of registration
  • May Update
  • the 2001 WinterNUUS

• SUUSI 2000
  • Sunday ArrivalNUUS: Page One
  • Sunday ArrivalNUUS: the other 5 pages
  • Monday MorningNUUS
  • Monday EveningNUUS
  • Tuesday MorningNUUS
  • 2000 - Tuesday EveningNUUS
  • Wednesday MorningNUUS
  • Wednesday EveningNUUS
  • Thursday MorningNUUS
  • Thursday EveningNUUS
  • Friday MorningNUUS
  • Friday EveningNUUS
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SUUSI Leadership

SUUSI is all about volunteering. And we’re not just talking about our dedicated staff. All those you see hard at work during the week receive no pay for what they do. Besides our many staffers, volunteers pitch in all week long, from the wonderful madness of Registration and moving into the dorms, to driving the Star Cars, to breaking down sets or helping with move-out at the end. Volunteers make all the difference.

In fact, volunteering is a way of life at SUUSI. If you see a need, step right in and help. It’s about lugging and tugging our equipment and chairs for workshops and Cabaret, carrying those canoes on nature trips, or helping those of us who are less able. Everyone can pitch in. Keep the SUUSI spirit alive by volunteering during the week and by showing your appreciation for staffers and volunteers who are working so hard to make SUUSI happen.

Be On Staff

We are always looking for new people to join our SUUSI staff family. If you would like more information about joining the SUUSI staff, please fill out the form below. Click here if you would like to apply for a staff position for SUUSI 2008. You'll need to create an account in the SUUSI Online Information System (SOLIS), if you don't already have one, in order to complete the application. All staff positions are fully volunteer, but you do get some or all of your SUUSI registration costs covered. If staff isn't your thing, there are other ways to get involved.

Core Staff

Director	Devin Gordon director@suusi.org
Assistant to the director	Hannalies Bosman assistant@suusi.org
Communications	Jenian Gebeaux communications@suusi.org
Director-Elect	Jerry King director-elect@suusi.org
Denominational Affairs	Julie Emmer denominational@suusi.org
Locations	Jiffy Shore locations@suusi.org
Nature	Stephanie Lowenhaupt & Ralph Phipps nature@suusi.org
Nightlife	Peggy Joseph nightlife@suusi.org
Registration & Housing	Kate Hofmann registration@suusi.org
SUUSI Services	Mina Greenfield services@suusi.org
Teens	Lindsay Bennett-Jacobs teens@suusi.org
Treasurer	Wendell Putney treasurer@suusi.org
Workshops	Torie Camp