109th California Men's Gathering

Friday Novermber 29 - Monday December 2

Registration is now open

First Time Attendees should read all the way to the bottom!

What do we mean when we say "Love EveryBody"? Several things, actually. First, we think that this fall, we might be feeling a bit "bruised" and in need of a little love and tenderness. Whether it is family or friends or people we work with, there will be tension running up to Nov 5th and after it. No matter the outcome, it isn't likely to be pretty or "normal". And we hope that this weekend can be a place where we CAN, at least for a little while, "Love Everybody". Julie Chen Moonves says "Love one another." at the end of every live episode of Big Brother where someone has just been voted out of the house. And, usually, even those voted out seem to do this; love everybody.

And, there's a reason that we've written it differently too! Because, often at a Gathering, we DO end up "loving everybody". That's usually pretty easy to do. But we're also encouraging you to "Love Every Body"! The wrapping we all come in is various and wonderful. Some are white, or brown, or black or yellow or red [and I'm talking HAIR color here, the ribbon on top ~ or NO RIBBON AT ALL!]. And below that, well, big and small, short and tall, buff or comfortable, and many, many other descriptors; we do come in all shapes and sizes and colors and ages. As our logo shows [and you might recognize some familiar faces!], we are a big box assortment of chocolates. We encourage you to appreciate them ALL!

And, lastly, you are "somebody" too! And we certainly encourage you to "love your own body and the embodiment of you that is inside too. Sometimes, that is the hardest task of all, Scarecrow [WAIT! Wrong leitmotif!]. To let others love you, you have to love yourself too! Is this too much to get done in a weekend? We think NOT! It happens for nearly everyone at nearly every CMG. It is what we DO!

And how, this time will we do it? This weekend will be in the "Getaway" format. We have an Opening [8 pm Friday] and a Closing [10 am MONDAY]. And that's IT. We WON'T be having Community Gatherings/Assemblies during the weekend. We aren't going to cover the topic that way. We're going to encourage you to "swim in the love like fish swim in water", just noticing that you are surrounded by love while you do it. We create the bubble & we all fill it with the Love, EveryBody!

We WILL have several workshop sessions on Saturday and Sunday. YOU will provide these "love-fests"! We assume there will be MASSAGE each session [isn't there always?] and wonderful ways to explore the many facets of each other and gain insights on loving each other, and ourselves. New this time, Massage and the Play Space will be in Discovery [also known as Cabin D for....never mind], for those who know the Camp. We won't have Smith-Hale [also often called "Cabin B for "body"] this time due to a change in the way the camp allows us to book the lodges so it is a new world for all of us! We are the "dry run" for Spring on this ["moist run" sounds very, very BAD somehow!].

We REALLY encourage you to PLAN to attend through MONDAY's closing! Take the day OFF! Don't miss the ending. Guys who do that often have regrets at not staying "until the end". And they really DO miss out. But if we close earlier, then we "aren't done". That's a worse trade off. We know, it is a holiday weekend and that might be hard for your work to accept. Take a vacation day. We promise you that it is WORTH IT! The First Timer "debrief" will also be Monday morning.

A word about the camp/lodging: We are SURE to have enough "lower bunks" for 60-66 [depending on "sharing" happening of beds in some upgrade spaces]. The various types of upgrade rooms are pretty sure to sell out. If we "sell out" of ALL lower bunks, we'll make an offer to those registered for a discount to "take an upper bunk" which will allow us to accept more registrations up to about 90 where we get another lodge [the camp is NOT allowing us to "buy" an extra lodge anymore unless our guest count reaches 90]. If we get there , GREAT, but we are usually closer to 70 for Fall Gathers. Tenting is NOT an option due to the "coolness" of the weather. You "might" be able to make an RV work for you. Let us know if that is how you "roll".

The price for Fall is $325!!!! Such a deal! This is "all inclusive". Room Upgrades are separately priced in registration for the TOTAL price of Registration plus that type of room upgrade. Be sure and note that SOME of them might lend themselves to more guys in those rooms. When they're GONE, they're GONE. You can hope for a cancellation. Contact Registration@thecmg.org to wait-list for the the types you don't see [specifics below]. Of course, we still have the optional "First-Timer" discount of $150 for guys attending their FIRST "in person" Gathering anywhere [if you've been to another camp, you're a Returnee, not a Firstie!]. Firsties CAN pay for a room upgrade if they are available.

Financial Aid is also available for those below the CA Median Household Income of $90,000. This camp is cheaper than the camp we're at for Summer Gather. Please consider that the price for Fall w/o FA is nearly cheaper then the price for Summer as a Firstie! We would like you to consider if you NEED FA to attend. Financial Aid is funded by donations by your brothers and we have to cut it off when requests exceed donations. So, also consider if you "need" FA to attend the Gathering. And, please send an email to Registration@thecmg.org to request Financial Aid and you will receive instructions on how to register when we have funds for you to do so. You can also just reply to this email to request it. Pleasee not that we don't ask you to "prove" anything, but rather trust that you wouldn't ask if you don't need to. The FA Grant is $100 off. We don't have "work/study" or "full scholarships". We just don't have the funds for that. All our FA comes from individual donations from guys attending who pay extra to help someone else go.

Registration is now open

Room Upgrades: We have 16 spots that are each a Twin Bunk Bed, two to a room [8 rooms], with a DOOR [that doesn't have a lock] and which share the bathrooms with others staying in that lodge. If your roommate agrees, you can ADD 2 more guys in the upper bunks [no charge]. Let us know about that so we can sell their lower bunks! These are $225 per lower bunk [you cannot buy both, you need a "compadre"]. You CAN designate a roommate [sorry, Brad Pitt is unlikely to register and anyway, he'll be 61 in December! Not that there's anything wrong with being 61 and looking like Brad Pitt!]. NO LINENS are included for these upgrades. It is "just the room".

Another Room Upgrade: We have a ROOM with 2 Twin Beds which has a Private Bathroom. TWO of you can book this room [one paying for each bed] and sharing it each taking a bed. Expect this to SELL OUT FIRST! The price is $300 per bed. If only ONE of these is showing when you get to Registration, then someone bought ONE BED and you cannot get both. If they indicated a Roommate and someone registers [meaning "pays] for the other bed before that man does, the [paid] registration is what determines who gets the other bed. This is like a motel twin, linens, pillows, towels included.

Still MORE Room Upgrades: We have a ROOM with 2 QUEEN Beds, which has a Private Bathroom. TWO of you can book this room [paying for each bed] and IT IS ENCOURAGED and ALLOWED for the man who purchases each bed to SHARE it with another man [rather than a series of men, if you get my drift]. This does NOT require the other bed occupant[s] to agree. It is understood that we're selling this room to be a Quad Occupancy. We'd like to know who the other guys are so we can know if we have more lower bunks to sell. These cost $350 per BED. Again, Expect them to sell QUICKLY and if you see NONE in the inventory, they're gone. Arrange payment between you and your bedmate if you're splitting the cost. One of you registers and pays. This is like a motel double Queen, linens, pillows, towels included.

Last Room Upgrade! I know, an embarrassment of riches! There is ONE PRIVATE Room with a DOUBLE BED with A PRIVATE BATH and a DOOR WITH A KEY LOCK that is just next to the Dining Hall. One man can buy this room and CAN share it with another [again, we'd like to know to be able to sell the lower bunk he won't be using] for $450. Yes, it isn't cheap. Privacy is never cheap. It is also unique in this camp and when it is gone, it is gone. As with the previous two categories, linens, pillows, towels are included.

Registration Question > Registration@thecmg.org

Question about anything else > Question@thecmg.org

Registration is now open

Special for First Timers: Look for the First Timer Discount on the page AFTER you've selected your ticket. If you wish to take $150 off your registration, enter 1STCMG in the voucher code box. Good for your FIRST TIME AWAY at Camp with US! But you don't HAVE to take it. The price we charge is basically the price it costs us to have you in camp.

We really want you have a great experience at your FIRST Gathering! We encourage you to "ask for a Buddy" when you register. Buddies are guys who've been before who will contact you BEFORE the Gathering, tell you what to expect, answer your questions, meet with you if possible before AND be there for you AT camp if you need help to figure out "how to do this". Buddies aren't a boyfriend or even a "friend with benefits" [not that it hasn't happened]. That's not their job. But they ARE a friendly face to sit with at a meal when you feel you don't know anyone else or sit down and have a converstation with if it is not going well for you. After the first night, you'll know LOTS of guys already and you might not even need your Buddy. But that doesn't mean that you still can't go to them, hang out with them or whatever with them, as they have time. They are "having a Gathering" too, of course!

Also, Firsties, consider what you're willing to share in the ROSTER. This is created and given [virtually] ONLY to the men AT camp. Most guys share "at least" their name, City/State/Zip and email and many now add their phone number as our messaging habits change. A majority also give us a photo which really helps, when you're meeting a BUNCH of new people, to figure out which "Steve" it was! There will be someone taking photos at Check-In so you don't have to provide one in registration [we don't have a system for storing them anyway]. The Roster is for "personal networking" ONLY, not "MASS MARKETING". Please use it to keep in touch with guys you've met and not to sell Amway [nobody has ever done that, but you get the idea, verboten!] What you put down in Registration is our default of what is in the ROSTER. You can change that at Check-in once you see we're not terrible people but by Saturday, the Roster will be "fixed" and there won't be an opportunity to update it until AFTER the Gathering.

Lastly, and this is for everyone, but the Returnees already know about it: Workshops are "self-generated" at CMG. YOU offer the Workshops. What can a workshop be about? What CAN'T it be about!?! You don't even have to "lead" the workshop. You can "convene the discussion" and the guys who show up are there to do that with you. There is a workshop form linked in the Confirmation Letter. How do you want to "share the love" with your brothers? There can also be any kind of 12 step meetings that you care to convene.

AND

The Magnificent CMG Variety Show!!!!!

Sunday Night [see why you NEED to stay until Monday?] anyone who wants to can get FIVE minutes to strut their stuff on our stage. And, really, it is the "loveliest stage in the Universe". We applaud terrible acts [because they're over]. We're enraptured by terrific acts and want them to never end. You can bring us your best stuff from home OR become part of an impromptu duo, trio, octet & etc AT CAMP! Really, some of the BEST acts are put together during the weekend. We love them all. We love you sharing yourself with us. There will be SIGN UP FORMS AT CAMP. The only reason someone doesn't get in is because we have TOO MANY ACTS [more than about 24 makes the show "too long"]. So, bring your tap shoes, or your ukulele or your Shakespeare or your music [wi-fi at camp is NOT super so HAVING your music at least on your phone is preferable to thinking it can be streamed because it often, alas, cannot].

Need MORE information, okay, send an email to Registration@TheCMG.org and I'll try and answer your questions.

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Registration is now open