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It is with great joy we announce the 2023 Charlotte Mason Educational Retreat.

WHO?

The CMER Team and our plenary speaker, Richele Baburina

We are excited to announce the Charlotte Mason Educational Retreat 2023 Plenary speaker! From Jane Austen to Geometry, Richele Baburina is passionate about sharing how simple methods rest on profound principles throughout Charlotte Mason’s philosophy of education. Her family resides in the foothills of the Appalachians in NE Tennessee where they continue to go on nature walks together though her children have all graduated. Author of The Charlotte Mason Elementary Arithmetic Series and Brush Drawing: A Basic Course, Richele also manages the Math Resources and Brush Drawing Resources pages for Charlotte Mason Poetry. Follow her musings on beauty, art, nature journaling, and brush drawing tutorials on Instagram @rbaburina.

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WHEN?

Friday, February 10, to Sunday, February 12, 2023

WHERE?

Colorado Spring, CO
The Hideaway

INFORMATION

Registration for CMER 2023 will open in September. At that time, cost, a schedule, session descriptions, and policies will also be available.

If you are on the edge about attending the Charlotte Mason Educational Retreat or didn’t register because our lodging was full, there is still an opportunity to come. Sadly, we have received a few cancellations this week, and we have already worked through the wait list. Please write us at cmeretreat@gmail.com if you are interested.

This year we will be singing the hymn Lead, Kindly Light. Can anyone guess why?

As I was researching the hymn, I came across this blog. As I read it, I realized I simply wanted to link to the blog rather than try to create here what was done so well there. As I finished, to my joy and wonder I learned it was written by sweet, past CMER attendee Jenna Dilts. She gave me permission to use the art work she chose for her blog.

I hope you enjoy learning some of the history of this hymn. For those who would like to hear it ahead of time, here is a YouTube video and the music to the version we will be singing at the retreat. There are also links to two other versions in Jenna’s blog.

We are happy to share that Don Rhymer will be joining us again this year. His session Critical Thinking and Narration will happen during Session C in place of folk dancing. Don’t worry! You may still attend folk dancing during Session H.

Critical Thinking and Narration

A former Harvard University President once claimed that critical thinking is the “most important purpose of undergraduate education.” Research also suggests its importance to employers and graduate schools as well. This session will survey various definitions of critical thinking, review a set of proficiencies for the critical thinking outcome at the Air Force Academy, and explore how narration can develop such proficiencies with a CM education, founded upon the mind being “‘thoroughly furnished’ with ideas that, of its own accord, it compares and examines critically.” (Charlotte Mason, Formation of Character)

We are happy to offer two options for the purchase of Picture Studies for those attending the retreat this year. Please read through the options carefully; option one is available by pre-order only.

OPTION ONE: A Humble Place is offering retreat attendees a 15% discount on Picture Study Aids, Art Prints, as well as Seasonal Art Devotions & Prints, limited to in-stock items. These items will be available for pick-up at the CMER Retreat (free shipping & handling) or may be shipped (standard shipping & handling fees apply). A coupon code and more details will be sent out via email.

OPTION TWO: The CMER will continue to have budget-quality art prints available for purchase at the retreat (no pre-order necessary). These will be $4 a set. This year we will have Bierstadt, Audubon, Remington, Vermeer, Gainsborough, and Millet. There will also be various artists available from previous years.

What is the difference between these offerings? 

• The prints available from A Humble Place are printed on the equivalent of 160# cardstock on a higher quality printer. Also available are Picture Study Aids which complement the prints. In addition, the prints from A Humble Place are unlabeled; they do not have the name of the artist or work on the front of the print. 
• The prints available from the CMER will be printed on 120# cardstock through Best Value Copy and most will have both the name of the artist and work on the front of the print.

But Cordeill said she lov'd him, as behoov'd:
    Whose simple answer, wanting colors fair
      To paint it forth, him to displeasance moov'd,
      That in his crown he counted her no heir,
But twixt the other twaine his kingdom whole did share.

Spenser’s The Fairie Queene Book II, Canto X

The Shakespeare evening would come to be looked on as a family festa.

Mason, Vol. 5, p.226

This year at the retreat, we will be offering a Shakespeare evening.  After a full day of workshops and sessions, we invite you to join us for a very relaxed and informal reading with the Bard. No preparation needed; scripts and a few props for fun will be provided. Spouses who join us on Saturday for the late afternoon/evening sessions are most welcome.

If you are not familiar with the storyline, read Nesbit’s brief story version here. And, if you would like to read a Parents’ Review article about King Lear, click here.