Resident Leadership Retreat: 2019 Recap
By: Gracie Cohen
On a Wednesday afternoon in Lake Como, Pennsylvania, 25 residents from B’nai B’rith housing properties met at Camp Perlman to commence their six-day retreat. The bi-annual Resident Leadership Retreat, operating for 32 years since its initial launch in 1987, not only connects fellow resident leaders throughout the B’nai B’rith housing network, but provides many tools to strengthen their communities back home. This year, the retreat took place from Aug. 7 to Aug. 13.
Participants were immersed in intensive, day-long workshops. Sessions covered the whole gamut of challenges residents (and sometimes management) face. BBI staff members Janel Doughten, Evan Carmen, Gracie Cohen and our CSS co-chair, Abbie Stone, facilitated sessions, including how to: start a residents council and write substantial by-laws; address language and culture barriers; communicate with management; publish a newsletter and more. Resident leaders even had a set time in the program to bounce ideas off of each other, and problem-solve any issues they are encountering in their residents association or buildings in general.
Aside from workshops, resident leaders spent time with many of the campers who were already at Camp Perlman, folks born at least three generations after our residents! Young campers were able to get to know the residents in a song session and neat ice-breaker games.
One of the huge takeaways from the retreat, aside from residents connecting with each other, is that every program presented throughout the week can be replicated in each of their buildings. So, for those seeking fresh ideas who want to change things up in their building, we encourage you to attend the next retreat scheduled for summer 2021!
On a Wednesday afternoon in Lake Como, Pennsylvania, 25 residents from B’nai B’rith housing properties met at Camp Perlman to commence their six-day retreat. The bi-annual Resident Leadership Retreat, operating for 32 years since its initial launch in 1987, not only connects fellow resident leaders throughout the B’nai B’rith housing network, but provides many tools to strengthen their communities back home. This year, the retreat took place from Aug. 7 to Aug. 13.
Participants were immersed in intensive, day-long workshops. Sessions covered the whole gamut of challenges residents (and sometimes management) face. BBI staff members Janel Doughten, Evan Carmen, Gracie Cohen and our CSS co-chair, Abbie Stone, facilitated sessions, including how to: start a residents council and write substantial by-laws; address language and culture barriers; communicate with management; publish a newsletter and more. Resident leaders even had a set time in the program to bounce ideas off of each other, and problem-solve any issues they are encountering in their residents association or buildings in general.
Aside from workshops, resident leaders spent time with many of the campers who were already at Camp Perlman, folks born at least three generations after our residents! Young campers were able to get to know the residents in a song session and neat ice-breaker games.
One of the huge takeaways from the retreat, aside from residents connecting with each other, is that every program presented throughout the week can be replicated in each of their buildings. So, for those seeking fresh ideas who want to change things up in their building, we encourage you to attend the next retreat scheduled for summer 2021!
