Dear Ballot Bodhisattvas, We’ve just returned from scouting retreat locations in Carson City, NV and Grass Valley, CA and we have some exciting news: After a 4-year hiatus, we’ll be offering two in-person election retreats this year from October 24th to November 9th!
For more information, read on! TO REGISTER NOW, CLICK HERE
As you know, these midterm elections will determine control of the House and Senate. And the stakes couldn’t be higher: with the recent overthrow of Roe v. Wade, the burgeoning threat to our democracy, and economic uncertainty, plus the dangers of climate change, war in Europe, and resurgent nationalism and fascism worldwide, we need to do all we can to help: it is critical that we take our Buddhist practice out to the street and work to help save all beings.
The Candidates
- In California’s Congressional District 3, stretching nearly 400 miles along California’s eastern border from Death Valley in the south to Chester in the north, Democrat Kermit Jones is running a spirited campaign for this new, open, congressional seat. Kermit is a doctor and veteran and served as a Navy flight surgeon. His Republican opponent, Kevin Kiley, is a billionaire and helped finance the failed effort to recall Governor Gavin Newsom;
- In Nevada, US Senator Katherine Cortez-Masto is running for reelection. (We campaigned for her in 2016.) Her opponent is Adam Laxalt, treasurer for the 2020 Trump campaign in Nevada, and an election denier. (Laxalt is the grandson of Paul Laxalt, former Nevada Senator and friend of Ronald Reagan). We will also be campaigning to re-elect Democratic Governor Steve Sisolak.
The Retreat
If you’re unfamiliar with our retreat format, essentially what we offer is a residential meditation retreat that takes place during the last two weeks of the election campaign. We live together in a group house and follow a daily schedule: in the morning we meditate together, hear a dharma talk, and take meals together, and at the end of the day we eat dinner together and meditate again. In between, in the afternoon, we walk precincts to get out the vote. (For a full description, check out our Retreat Guide here).
The Locations
This year we’re offering two retreat locations:
- Grass Valley, CA. We’ll be staying at the Woolman Conference Center, a former Quaker school and meeting center; and
- Carson City, NV. For you in-person election retreat veterans, we will be staying again with our dear friends the Thornleys, who have graciously housed us for three previous in-person retreats.
A Note About COVID
To ensure the health of all our participants we’ll require everyone to be fully vaccinated and boostered. We’ll take our meals outdoors (weather permitting) and indoors we’ll be masked and practice social distancing. We will ask that everyone be tested prior to arrival at the site. And we’ll be super vigilant, on the lookout for symptoms, and respond appropriately if something arises.
Registration
We invite you to join us for up to two weeks, with a minimum of 3 days (for example, if you want to come up for a weekend, we ask that you travel on Friday morning, then work Friday, Saturday and Sunday afternoons, and return Sunday evening). A few details:
- Price is $30 per person per day, which will cover all meals and lodging.
- You should provide transportation to the retreat location, and ideally you should have a car available to do canvassing – although there will be opportunities to carpool;
- We’ll train you to do the neighborhood get-out-the-vote work. (We’ll be going to Democratic households, so there should be a minimum of conflict!)
- We’ll send you a list of things to bring, including clothing, bedding, rain gear, lights, etc.
- All denominations are welcome: various branches of Buddhism, Catholics, Unitarians, Muslims, Quakers . . .
Also, for you election retreat veterans: we are looking for volunteers who can staff positions for the retreats: cook or cook’s helper, political coordinator, and administrator.
READY TO REGISTER? CLICK HERE
If you have any questions, please visit our website at www.electionretreat.org, or call Ed Herzog (510) 773-6855, or Rob Lyons at 510.655.6555.
Peace, The Buddhist Election Retreat Organizing Committee (Stan Dewey, Susan Moon, Michael Sanders, Cynthia Schrager, Ed Herzog, Melody Ermachild Chavis, Alan Senauke, Rob Lyons, Laurie Senauke, Lynn MacMichael, Susan Marvin, Karen Sundheim) |
