Any activity can be bewildering the first time it’s experienced, so this page gives you an overview. The gathering is set-up and run by volunteers, so you’ll find the weekend very casual and organic. Instead of a slick corporate conference with assigned rooms and stressful schedule, this is a bunch of friends camping in cabins, who decide together on organized activities, and have somebody else doing the cooking.
We have some traditional activities, such a the Saturday “talent” show, and lots of opportunities for doing your own thing. While we have a general agenda, the details will be decided after our opening gathering, based on feedback from the group, and whatever talents, passions and expertise individual men wish to share.
The individual experiences you’ll have will be relaxing, slow-paced, emotional, social, personal, thought provoking, fun and very much broader than what you read here.
COVID-19 Policy
Our community consists of caring men from across the lifespan, some of whom are especially vulnerable to the effects of COVID-19. We also recognize the shift to living with Covid and strive to minimize the risk to all attendees’ health.
In an effort to balance these interests, we have updated our approach:
- In the days leading up to the retreat, please test yourself using a rapid test (freely-available from most pharmacies)
- If you test positive for COVID-19, we ask that you please stay home and not join us at Sasamat. (Contact admin@heyuu.ca for a refund.)
- Masks are optional to wear at Sasamat.
All other activities will return to normal, including shared cabins and indoor meals. Proof of vaccination will no longer be required to register. Rapid test kits will be available at Sasamat. Please take care of yourself and others around you.
If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to the volunteer organizers at admin@heyuu.ca.
What to Bring
There is a pretty comprehensive list of what you should bring for the weekend available here: http://heyuu.ca/what-to-bring/
Some brave souls do go swimming (yes, in October!), so consider an extra towel, as yours may already be wet from showering. Others go trail running, so bring a water bottle and appropriate gear if you wish to join them.
If you think you may wish to lead a session on something the men would enjoy, remember to bring what you need for the session (and let us know!). Simpler is always better, of course.
Location and Environment
A good synopsis of the location, with pictures, is available on the Sasamat Outdoor Centre web site: https://sasamat.org/facilities.html
Be prepared for a wet-coast autumn, with unpredictable weather skewing cool and wet.
At almost any point, you are welcome to partake in events, or be on your own. (We want everybody to be present for Friday evening and Sunday morning “ceremonies”.) We ask that if you leave the premises, you let somebody know so you’re not the reason for a “missing person” man-hunt!
Sleeping and Showering Arrangements
The cabins where we sleep are in the woods to the left of the lodge and parking lot. There are paths between the cabins and lodge. The “ahead of time” crew will have turned on a few lights outside the cabins, but the paths are still dark so have your light handy. The cabins will be marked for “Snorers” and “Non-snorers”. At any time, you can bring your personal items to one of the cabins and find an empty bed. We only use 50% to 75% the beds available, so there should be plenty of space. Cottages with easier accessibility are located behind and to the left of the main lodge.
Each cabin is heated and has electricity (for charging any devices). Please bring a sleeping bag or your own bedding, including pillows.
Also bring your own towels and toiletries.
The showers are located outside the main lodge, and are individual stalls with a door. There is a change area just outside the stalls. (The event is for men, so we sometimes use the women’s showers as well, but please check for posted signs about this protocol out of respect for the female staff.)
Meals
Meal times are 8:30am Breakfast; 12:30pm Lunch; 5:30pm Dinner; all day Saturday through Sunday lunch. Please note that no cooked meal will be provided Friday evening, but there will be an array of snacks and finger food available should you arrive hungry.
We ring a cow-bell outside at meal time to advise people it’s time to eat. Meals are served cafeteria style, with the cooked part being dispensed at the kitchen, and the rest available on tables nearby.
Everybody is welcome to help setup the room for meal times. Large, round tables are wheeled into the main room. Feel free to sit with anyone – we’re all friends here. After the meal, we bus our own tables, and collapse and wheel away the tables to free up the room again.
Sessions
Based on men’s anonymous input from Friday night, we will come up with a variety of group discussion topics, and assign times and locations. Other topics will be offered by men based on their talents and experience. Topics that are growth focused, offer solutions to common life challenges, or a new skill, are most popular, so please suggest one on Friday night if you wish.
PRE-ARRANGED WORKSHOPS
If you would like to propose a workshop or discussion to lead, please let us know at admin@heyuu.ca.