Our Letter to You

Please feel free to print this letter to have it on hand for reference.

Dear Faculty/Staff Moderator,

We are delighted to know that you will be a part of your school’s upcoming retreat at the Marianist Retreat and Conference Center. We are looking forward to working with you. The active participation of the adults is an integral part of the retreat experience, which engages youth, faculty moderators and MRCC youth ministers in a two day experience of building Christian community.

As a moderator on the retreat, your primary role will be to participate fully in the retreat experience, sharing in the activities and discussions and contributing from your adult experience. Also, you will be needed to assist with supervision and be available to the facilitators and the students for consultation or to assist in disciplinary situations.

It is important that adult moderators arrive and depart with the students and that they do not spend time away from the retreat. After the general orientation, the retreat staff will meet with you to discuss the details of the retreat.

The retreat is organized into large group and small group sessions, as well as individual sessions and break times. Student leaders are designated in advance by your school’s Campus Minister to direct the small groups. You will also be assigned to one of the small groups. In the small group, you should take care not to assume leadership of the group. Only if the student leader is really struggling will you need to help until he/she is able to handle the situation. Large group sessions will be conducted by the retreat staff – you are always encouraged to share in the discussion portion of the sessions. Unless the Campus Minister has prepared the list ahead of time, it will also be the responsibility of the moderators to partner the students together for a one-on-one discussion. There is ample time during the first day for this task. The MRCC staff will brief you about the specifics of each session and questions are always welcome.

Spouses and children of faculty moderators are cordially invited to join us for meals during the retreat. Advance notice and exact numbers to be expected are necessary for meal preparation. Our phone number is 636-938-5390. Meals the first day are at 12:00 and 5:30. Meals the second day are tentatively scheduled for 8:30 and 12:15.

Know that you are an important and welcome part of the retreat dynamic. We hope that you and your students will experience one another as mutual searchers for God. Come prepared to relax and to enjoy the retreat experience as you participate in well-planned sessions that will allow you to share in the lives of your students as they, in their turn, share in yours. Moderators in the past have often remarked how positive the retreat experience was for them personally. For many moderators, relationships established with students while on retreat have proven both significant and long-lasting.

We are looking forward to having you with us. We hope that you too are looking forward to being a part of the retreat!

Thanks in advance for your help and participation!

Sincerely,

The MRCC Youth Team

Information for School Moderators

Please inform the retreat coordinator:

Of any changes to the list of participants.
Of any changes to scheduled departure time (usually 3 pm).
Of any guests who will be joining us for meals (numbers and times).
How you would like to be addressed while on retreat (Mr./Mrs.,etc.)

Your active participation is necessary for the success of the retreat.

As an adult moderator, you will function most effectively:

sitting with the group (rather than in the back or on the side).
asking questions you may have at any time during an explanation or a session.
giving your attention to the retreat facilitators during presentations, thereby setting a good example for the students and not causing any distractions
contributing your own point of view, insight, and experience in a way that encourages the participation of the students.
affirming your group leader & other students by providing positive feedback during & in between sessions.
serving as a support and resource for your small group leader whenever needed, being careful not to take over leadership.
remembering that in the small group discussion, the quality of the sharing is the desired end.
The questions/topics suggested are only the means. There is no need to finish all the material provided for the session.

During the breaks and informal time, please:

help supervise the students during breaks as indicated by the staff.
dine with the MRCC staff during meals for ongoing evaluation and briefing for upcoming sessions.
be available and present to the students during breaks.

Other Responsibilities may include:

dividing the students into pairs for the Dyad session, which will be explained during lunch time.
During the Reconciliation Service, speaking privately with the moderators in the Chapel is one of the opportunities provided to the students.
Writing Affirmation Notes for your small group will be the final activity. Feel free to get a head start with the small pad of paper provided and ask the retreat staff if you need more.

Discipline

This is the shared responsibility of the school moderators and the MRCC staff. During break times, adults should monitor student activity. If you witness something which needs attention, please act accordingly, keeping in mind the guidelines and rules presented during orientation.

If a retreatant is dismissed from the retreat for misconduct, the following procedure will occur:

The MRCC retreat coordinator will inform the school moderator of the decision and the reasons for dismissal.
The MRCC coordinator or school moderator will contact the student’s parents, informing them of the fact and the reasons for the dismissal, and request that they come immediately to pick up their son/daughter.
the MRCC coordinator and school moderator will meet with the parents upon their arrival to clarify with them both the offense for the dismissal and any other action deemed advisable.
The school moderator will inform the school administration of the dismissal.

Emergency Contact Information

The MRCC phone number is 636-938-5390.
Our address: 4000 Hwy. 109, between Interstate 44 and Manchester Rd. (Hwy. 100)
For moderator use only, a phone is available. Ask a retreat staff person for help.

Other helpful information

Fresh fruit, soda, water, tea, and coffee will be available in the dining room for moderators throughout the retreat. Please ask the Youth Team staff if you have other needs. Due to Health Department regulations, we can no longer have an open kitchen. Alcoholic beverages (beer, wine, hard liquor) are not to be used during the high school retreats by school moderators or MRCC staff.
For all meals, a table is reserved in the dining room for school moderators and the MRCC staff.
Curfew is strictly enforced. The MRCC staff supervise curfew. After the final session of the first day you are free to relax and retire. You can help in setting the tone for curfew by not engaging students in conversation after the curfew – there are breaks during the second day for this. Students will be sent home for violating curfew. The staff will notify the moderators.
MRCC is a non-smoking facility. Outdoor smoking areas are available for adults and students 18+ years old.

For Faculty and Staff Moderators of Youth Retreats