Sairam,
The online registration is now closed. Only on-site (walk-in) registration is available.
If you would like to attend the retreat, you may come up to the retreat site and register
at the counter there. We have limited cabin accommodation available.
Here are some important reminders to help us get ready for the retreat:
Parking, Registration and Cabin Assignments: You would have received your cabin
assignments already from the registration team. As soon as you arrive at the retreat, volunteers in
the parking lot will confirm your registration information and complete the check-in process.
Registration will close at 10 pm on Friday and reopen on Saturday morning.
If you anticipate arriving later than 10 pm on Friday, please let us know as soon as
possible. You will not be able to enter the campsite until you complete the check-in
process.
Park your vehicle as instructed by the volunteers. Please note that cars are not allowed beyond the
main entry gate. Volunteer driven golf carts will take you and your luggage to registration and your
cabins. Please add identification tags to your bags with your name and Sai Center.
All are encouraged to wear their retreat registration badge and volunteer scarf (if you are a service
volunteer) at all times during the retreat. To recycle and reduce waste, we request you to
return the badges and scarves to the service desk prior to departure for home.
Early Arrival: Those who are planning to come to the retreat early on Friday are
requested to help with setting up the camp and devotion hall, help in the kitchen and in parking lot
seva.
Food allergies: If you have any food allergies, please make sure that the food team
is informed of that so they can make arrangements accordingly. If you didn’t mention your allergies
during the online registration, be sure to convey this information at the Registration desk when you
check in.
Dining hall schedule:For those arriving late on Friday night - fruit, milk, sandwich
supplies will be available in the Dining Hall. Meals will be served only at the times specified in
the schedule.
Weather: The Camp Director has provided the following website to check local weather
conditions - https://www.wnep.com/weather
in addition to your favorite weather forecast website. As of today, the forecast for Memorial Day
Weekend is in the mid 60s during the day and high 40s at night. There are some showers forecasted
for the weekend. The weather in the mountains can change at any time. So please pack for all
contingencies.
Accommodation and things to bring with you:Upon registration,please DO NOT
change the cabin that has been assigned to you even if cabins are not full on Friday
night when you arrive. Other devotees arriving on Saturday and Sunday would also have been
pre-assigned to cabins, so kindly be considerate to all involved.
All cabins have beds with mattresses. Please bring blankets, bed sheets, pillows (or if you
prefer a sleeping bag), warm clothes and thermals, towels, toiletries including soap, and
flashlight.The camp is in the Pocono Mountains and tends to get cold at night and early
morning. You may want to bring extra towels, socks, and waterproof shoes, umbrellas and
raincoats.
There are water filling stations at the campsite. As part of the go-green initiative, we also suggest
that you bring your own reusable water-bottle.
Health and Safety: We have designated on-call doctors who can be reached in case of
medical emergencies. In case of a medical emergency, immediately contact the Service Desk
(201-679-0826) and/or call Dr. Yatish Merchant (609-665-2221). The following hospital is the closest
to the campsite - Marian Community Hospital, 100 Lincoln Ave, Carbondale, PA 18407 (570-281-1000).
If you take prescription medications, please ensure that you have sufficient
quantities to last through Sunday evening. Because the retreat occurs
over the Memorial Day weekend and the campsite is remote, it
will be difficult to obtain specialized medications.
If any of the attendees or their family members experience Flu-like symptoms,
please do not attend the retreat for
your own safety and for the safety of all the attendees.
Dress code and
rules: Modest clothing, suitable for an Ashram, is required at all times. No shorts,
short
skirts, transparent or tight-fitting clothes are allowed. Early mornings and evenings can be cold so
please
come prepared with sweaters and shawls.
All devotees are reminded that the lake/pond area and all swimming pools are
strictly off-limits.
We ask for everyone’s co-operation in observing the Retreat guidelines,
especially the 10 pm lights out time for each
night. Please observe Sai-lence after 10 pm.
Program schedules
and information: An eBook
document that includes program details, workshop topics and facilitator bios, camp map,
etc.,
has been shared with you in a separate email. Program schedules are also available on our
retreat website
at https://retreat.sairegion2usa.org/
in
the program section. As part of our green
initiatives, we will not be providing paper registration packets this year. Please note that Young
Adult
programs are only for young men and women who are 18 to 40 years of age.
Shruti: Pitch-setting sessions for lead singers
are planned in the Devotion Hall. Please check at the Service Desk for the timings.
Seva: We
are organizing two service activities at the retreat this
year; a canned food drive for the local community food pantry and
free Health Consultations for anyone in need.
Canned Food
Drive: To support the local community food pantry in the Poconos, we are organizing a
canned
food drive. We request all attendees to bring one canned food item and drop it off at the service
desk in
the registration room.
Health
Consultations: Doctors from the Sai community will be offering free one-on-one health
consultations at the retreat for
anyone in need. The consultations will be offered from 7 – 8 am on
Saturday and 6 – 8 am on Sunday. Please sign up for a slot at the service desk in the registration
room.
Recycling - Take a
Bag home: Please help us reduce the Retreat's
carbon footprint by taking one or two bags of recyclable items (to
recycle along with your usual household curbside recycling pick-up service) with you when you return
home
from the retreat site
(there is no locally available or feasible option to recycle the
recyclable items we collect at the retreat).
SSE - Note to
Parents of SSE Students:
-
SSE children must participate in all organized SSE activities (See Schedule). Children
should not be wandering around the campsite during scheduled SSE activities. Parents are
required to
supervise children when they are not engaged in the SSE program at the retreat.
-
SSE children will also be participating in outdoor activities (games, nature walk, etc.).
It is important that they are dressed in full pants and are wearing comfortable walking shoes,
preferably sneakers.
-
Clothing should be modest in nature - no shorts,
tank tops, leggings, etc. Group 3 and 4
girls should plan to use a scarf or dupatta and have their neck and shoulders covered.
-
It is recommended that children bring a notebook / pencil to take notes from
sessions/activities planned for SSE Children
-
In order to save the environment, please send a reusable water bottle labeled with your
child’s name to the camp.
-
Insect repellent use is encouraged as there may be mosquitos or flies.
-
Parents are requested to stay with their children during the campfire at night. The
children will be brought back to the Dining Hall for lunch at noon and evening snacks at 4 pm
and dinner
at night. Please meet your children in the Dining Hall if they need assistance with meals.
Directions to Camp Westmont:
https://www.campwestmont.com/contact/directions-to-camp/
For Google directions use the address - 81 Spruce Lake Road, Poyntelle, PA 18439.
If Poyntelle does not appear on your GPS system, you can enter Lakewood, PA as the city and state.
Please be aware that some cell phones get weak connectivity or have no reception at the campsite. In
addition, some GPS systems do not provide exact driving directions, so it is advisable to take a
photo of the directions on your phone or carry printed directions.
If you need any information, please call the following numbers:
Mrs. Sai Lakshmi Rao 201-679-0826
Dr. Vijay Krishnamoorthy 585-489-1824
Camp Phone 570-448-2500
With love and cooperation, the retreat will be a great spiritual experience for everyone.
Let us all pray for His presence at the retreat and collectively offer our love and gratitude to our
Beloved Lord for His Centennial Celebrations.
Looking forward to seeing everyone at the Retreat!
With Love,
Retreat Planning Team
