August 22 to 29, 2015
The Chairs for LOAS 2, 2015 are Jamie & Paul
Jensen
Archived
"Igniting
Human Potential"
Can businesses (and individuals) aspire to
more noble purposes…and manage themselves according to a set of shared
values? What happens when
they do? As Chief Leadership
Officer of Luck Companies, a 90 year-old family business based in
Richmond, Mark Fernandes is a leading thinker and speaker on the topic
of Values Based Leadership (VBL). Mark will share his company’s
amazing journey and their mission to ignite human potential and
positively impact the lives of others. He
will also share his thoughts on how VBL can apply to our own lives and
help us attend to our mind, body and spirit to experience self-renewal.
The Theme Speaker: Mark
Fernandes, Chief
Leadership Officer of Luck Companies
As
Chief Leadership Officer of Luck Companies, Mark Fernandes is a leading
thinker on the topic of Values Based Leadership. Mark will share
his company’s amazing journey and mission to ignite human potential.
He will also share his thoughts on how VBL can apply to our own lives
and help us experience self-renewal.
Minister of the Week: The
Reverend Dr. Stephanie May
The Rev.
Dr. Stephanie May is Minister of the First Parish in Wayland,
MA. A lifelong lover of religious community, Stephanie was
ordained as a Unitarian Universalist minister in 2014 after a long
search for a spiritual home. Stephanie brings to her work a love of
religious questions and a passion for building community. She
received her Masters of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary in
2002 and a doctorate in theology (ThD) from Harvard Divinity School in
2012. Her academic work explores the intersection of religion and
women's studies with a particular focus on concepts of home. Stephanie
has been adjunct faculty at Brandeis University and Boston College as
well as a chaplain at Wellesley College. A former managing editor of the Journal
of Feminist Studies in Religion, Stephanie continues to sit on the
editorial and governing boards.
Raised
in Michigan, Stephanie has lived in the Boston area for more than a
decade. Although new to Star Island, she has attended religious camps
all of her life, including an old-fashioned Methodist camp meeting and a
Lutheran community in the Cascade Mountains. Excited for her first visit
to Star Island, she looks forward to fostering a sense of connection to
one another and to the beautiful place we will share.
Registrar: Mary
Heafy
An answer to: What do kids do during your
conference?
Life on A
Star is a family conference. Children
and youth meet with their peer groups and two experienced group leaders
every morning and afternoon for fun and adventure.
On any given day, you might find your child playing ping pong or
volleyball, exploring a neighboring island, racing hand made boats off
the dock, visiting the marine lab, climbing on the playground equipment
or tie dying. And while your
children are busy reconnecting with old friends and meeting new ones,
you will be free to explore workshops and special activities designed
just for the grown ups. Meals
are served family style and evening activities are geared for the whole
family as well. Some of the
LOAS 2 beloved traditions include: the Talent Show, intergenerational
dance, the Musicale, lobster night, marshmallow roast on the rocks,
bingo night, sharing a lime rickey at the snack bar, or just relaxing
over a board game with a group of new friends.
Youth
Coordinator: Edie
Crane
Any
questions before we are on-island should be directed to Jamie
Jensen
Youth
Floater: Susan
Haase
While on Island, the children and youth join a youth group named
for one of the Isles of Shoal - these groups are loosely based
on their age group assignment. The island names, age
group and youth leader are listed below.
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Group Youth Leaders
|
GROUP |
LEADERS |
LOCATION |
GRADES |
Malaga |
Michael Scott and Sally Byrne
|
Louisa's Barn |
|
Lunging |
Jennifer LeBaire and Dana Shoults |
Kiddie Barn |
|
Cedar |
Bill LeBaire and Andrea Freund |
Lawrence |
|
Duck |
Toby Dills and Jessica Robidoux |
Parker |
|
Smutty |
Victor
Finizio and Michael Leger |
Brookfield |
|
Appledore |
Anna Henschel and Michael Millesap |
Marshman |
|
Workshops and Starbursts:
WORKSHOPS
Week long classes offered daily |
Special
programming
with the National
Wildlife Federation
We are
delighted to bring the National Wildlife Federation to Star Island
this year. Children, youth, and adults will have the opportunity to
learn from NWF educators in a series of informative, fun and
interactive sessions, and explore opportunities for increasing our
environmental stewardship.
Our carbon
“footprint” measures the impact certain activities have on our
planet. On Star Island
this year, we will look for opportunities to talk about our
“handprint” -- those small things we can do to make a difference
in caring for our environment and the world around us.
The National
Wildlife Federation is a voice for wildlife, dedicated to protecting
wildlife and habitat and inspiring the future generation of
conservationists.
|
Dyeing
with Natural Materials
Elizabeth
Hutchinson
Spend the week with our Art Historian, Elizabeth Hutchinson, and
step back in time as she teaches us the art of dyeing with natural
materials found on the island.
Long before synthetic dyes were invented in
the nineteenth century, artists and craftspeople produced a
marvelous range of colored cloth using natural materials.
Natural dyes are biodegradable, non-toxic, and yield rich, muted
tones from across the spectrum. In this workshop, we will dye cloth
and yarn with pigments derived from indigo, kitchen scraps, and
plants and lichens gathered (with the naturalist’s permission)
from Star Island. Coordinated starbursts will focus on
teaching sewn piecework and two-color knitting in order to allow
participants to produce more complicated projects. In
addition to producing small samples for study, participants will end
up with finished products to show in the art exhibition and bring
home.
Small pieces of silk and muslin and short
lengths of yarn will be provided. In addition, each
participant will get a silk scarf to work on for a final project.
Additional materials for dyeing will be available for purchase at
cost and participants can bring their own. (Because natural
dyeing is resource-intensive, I ask that no one bring more than 8 oz
of materials for dyeing.)
Elizabeth Hutchinson,
who teaches American Art History at Barnard College, is an
experienced knitter who has studied dyeing at the Textile Arts
Center in Brooklyn. When not writing scholarly articles and
mentoring doctoral students, she brews dyestuffs, designs knitwear
and sews in a small apartment just off Central Park.
|
Handwork
with hand-dyed fabrics:
a special three days
with Jeanie Linquist
Jeanie and Elizabeth have joined forces. Join Jeanie on
Wednesday to make art from the beautiful fabrics you have dyed.
During your time with Jeanie, you will take some or all of the
pieces you have prepared in the hand dyeing workshop, cut them up
and reassemble them into a star (or other design) that you will sew
onto your hand-dyed base fabrics
Participants will learn the fairly simple technique of
needle-turn applique using freezer-paper patterns.
The workshop will start on Wednesday, once participants have created
enough fabric to work with. There
will be a tutorial class on the needle-turn applique technique on
Tuesday for those who wish, but I will teach the technique on
Wednesday as well. All
are welcome to come and play with fabric and needle-turn applique,
even if you don’t take the natural dyeing workshop.
Supplies you should bring on island:
small scissors, needles, pins, and thread (cotton or silk in
neutral color). Jeanie
will have spares in case you forget.
Jeanie will provide freezer paper, irons, and some fabrics to
supplement your project as desired.
If you have questions, feel free to contact her at <jeaniequilts@gmail.com>
|
Finding
Yourself in the Rhythm
Matt
Meyer
Matt
was so well received at LOAS 2 in 2014 that he is back to teach us
about rhythms and percussion from around the world…and much more.
His workshop will explore all kinds of world music through lessons,
freestyle playing, stories, games and discussion.
The group will also look at what music can teach us about
identity, culture, and the role of power and influence between races
and nations. Matt
welcomes folks to bring their own drums but if you don’t have
them, we will provide them.
Matt Meyer is a lifelong Unitarian Universalist, a graduate of the
Berklee College of Music and has studied abroad in Cuba, Ghana and
Central America.
Matt has led hundreds of services for UU congregations and
lives in Boston where he plays with several world music bands.
He serves on the UUA’s Council for Cross-Cultural
Engagement and is also a founding board member and resident of the Lucy
Stone Cooperative.
|
Soap Stone
Carving
Candis
Dixon
Carvers new and old will be back on the Lindquist deck, working
under the careful eye and creative spirit of our beloved Candis.
Come relax in the warm afternoon light (and expect to get a
bit dusty!) as you turn an ordinary piece of soapstone into a
beautiful, artistic expression of your own.
In this time-honored workshop, Shoalers carve and converse
throughout the week, making new friends and coming away with unique
treasures, which often are displayed at our Friday night art show.
Candis Dixon makes and teaches art in Rhode
Island.

“Every
block of stone has a statue inside it, and it is the task of the
sculptor to discover it.” – Michelangelo.
|
Unlock
Your Imagination- Improvisational Acting
with Alex Landau
Alexandra Landau is a working actress, teacher and a familiar face
at LOAS 2 is excited to be leading her first workshop here.
A recent graduate of Fairleigh Dickinson University with a BA
in Theatre and a Masters in Education, Alex has acted in several
musicals, plays and films, and just recently finished working as a
member of the improvisation troupe at Sterling Renaissance Festival,
where she fine-tuned her craft as an interactive, improvisational
performer.
Alexandra will bring her expertise to lead an improvisational acting
workshop, where everyone is free to try out new things and take
risks in a fun, accepting environment.
You will be invited to take part in imagination exercises to
unlock your minds and use all your senses to imagine new and
interesting possibilities. This
workshop promises not only to aid you in making ‘interesting
decisions’ during the acting exercises, it should help you when
communicating with people in everyday life and looking at life
through a more creative lens. You will engage in activities to open
up your physicality for use in acting exercises. And you will
practice the skill of listening and responding to a partner
truthfully, which is the basis of all acting and of meaningful, open
communication in life. All ages and experience levels are welcome to
come to the workshop. Expect
to laugh, while learning to accept, listen, and play with others
through Improv with Alex.
|
Yoga
on Star: A Meditation-in-Motion
Thea
Bourke Martin
Join us for Yoga in a supportive, relaxed environment. In this
all-levels class, we will explore yoga postures, relaxation
techniques, and meditation designed to leave you relaxed
and renewed. For those of
you looking to deepen your
practice, each class will offer additional teachings in
pranayama, yogic philosophy and energy awareness.
Thea Bourke-Martin is a certified Yoga Teacher with Yoga
Alliance. In her classes, Thea endeavors to create a healing,
supportive environment where students can listen to their bodies.
She calls on students to observe themselves without judgment, so
that over time they can come to love their bodies, quiet their
minds, and engage in deep self-study. At their best, her classes are
meditations-in-motion.
Thea has studied yoga on and off the mat for over a decade. She has
been most deeply influenced by Kripalu yoga. Its teachings –
particularly the call to observe oneself without judgment – are
woven into her classes. In addition, Thea has trained as a Yoga
teacher in the lineage of Parayoga, and incorporates Parayoga’s
teachings into her practice.
|
Writing Circle with Ellen
Schmitt
Ellen Schmitt
I invite you to the pleasure of writing from
your heart in a warm, supportive, and stimulating environment!
Each day I will offer a spark to kindle a memory, inspire a story,
or ignite a poem. Whether fiction or non-fiction,
there’s a deeper truth to what you write. Experimenting with
new and familiar forms often yields surprises. Best of all,
there is no wrong way to do this! Feedback is kind,
encouraging, honest, and specific. You can attend for one day,
a few or the whole week. Welcome to a workshop of mirrors of
insights and self-discovery, and windows of understanding and
connecting with one another.
Ellen Schmidt
teaches writing in Ithaca, NY in private practice as well as
workshops at Cornell University. She has 25 years of teaching
experience, including numerous Star Island workshops at LOAS II and
in 2008 and 2013 at the Star Arts Conference. She has been
invited to the Morristown Unitarian Fellowship in NJ for many years
to give a weekend workshop.
More at: Writing
Room Workshops: Writing Through The Rough Spots with Ellen Schmidt
(Ithaca, NY)
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S T AR B U R S T S
Single, 45 Minute Mini-Workshops to fill in your days
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Folks will be gathering
all week to play games (from cards to bocce to kick ball), discover
the relaxing power of adult coloring, take up a favorite craft or
share a particularly unique experience through personal slides.
Look for these small, informal gatherings on the porch, in
the lobby, and in the writing room (located off the west end of the
porch) and join in. And
remember, when in doubt, check the chalkboard
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Mac
& Cheese 101
(A special for Young Adults and friends)
with Bill LaBaire
College
Students, join Bill as he presents and teaches his first real
cooking experience learned some 20 years ago - a one-hour cooking
demonstration just for you. Simple
but flavorful, this dish is still a favorite for Bill to make and
one that you can play with and try countless variations. Bill
will limit this class to 10. All are welcome but Bill
will give first preference to our College age students and recent
graduates. Newton Rear,
Monday 4 pm
|
Financial
Management for College Students
with Bill LaBaire
Are you one of the many high school graduates and college age students
who have said? "No one teaches the basics of everyday
finance." Bill will spend an hour with
interested young adults answering their questions about budgeting,
saving, lending, mortgages, renting, check writing, taxes, and
building your credit rating.
Bring
your questions and experiences. This will be youth directed
conversation. Tuesday,
Sandpiper 4:30-5:15 pm
|
Aging
with Dignaty
with Mary Heafy
Bringing
her experience leading Five
Wishes workshops at her place of work, Mary is happy to bring
Five Wishes to our community at Star.
Five Wishes is an easy to use legal document written in everyday
language that lets adults of all ages plan how they want to be cared
for in case they become seriously ill. It is America’s most
popular living will with more than 18 million copies in circulation.
Five Wishes helps you express how you want to be
treated if you are seriously ill and unable to speak for yourself.
It is unique among all other living will and health agent forms
because it speaks to all a person's needs: medical, personal,
emotional and spiritual. Five Wishes also helps
structure discussions with your family and physician.
Join Mary Wednesday, 4-5:15 in Elliot.
|
Windpower
with National Wild Life Federation
Off
Shore Wind Power: Solutions
that can rise to the challenge of climate change
Large-scale clean
energy solutions are available at or above the scale needed to meet
our pressing environmental challenges. With a focus on offshore wind
power as the largest untapped clean energy opportunity in the
Northeast, NWF will lead a compelling conversation about where
things stand, and what we need to do to realize this massive
potential.
Join
Amber Hewett of National Wildlife Federation Sunday evening at 8:15
in Elliot.
(Tom Blum is happy to host a follow up starburst on
Alternative Energy TBD)
|
Musical History Tour
with Diane Taraz
Joining
us again from last year, the ever-talented, widely acclaimed Diane
Taraz. Diane
will modify her workshop so more of us can enjoy her magical tour in
three bursts of song. Using
her glorious voice and dulcimer playing, Diane will lead us through
a history of music from our island’s past as a fishing village,
summer resort, and conference center.
She has stories to share and songs to sing that were enjoyed
by the residents of Gosport in the 1700’s.
You will hear songs and poems from Celia Thaxter and her
contemporaries, and poetry by Shoalers written in the 1930s and 40s
and set to music of the day, including selections by Fred McGill.
Join Diane for one or all three of her starbursts – Monday,
Tuesday, Thursday at 4 in Parker.
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Hatha
Yoga
with Nicola Hayward
Nicola
will offer daily Yoga opportunities for our Youth Leaders, late
sleepers, those who were not able to attend Thea’s Meditation in
Motion workshop and all those who just want more yoga.
Nicola is a student of Hatha yoga and has been teaching for
three years. Nicola’s
class will focus on awareness, breath, contentment and will be
geared to all levels. In
her words, “We will
bring our attention to our bodies, allowing our emotions to simplify
and open and our thoughts to quiet and clarify. ” You
can check out her bio at http://www.abcsanctuary.com/teacher-bios.html
Join Nicola 4-5
daily in Brookfield and bring a Yoga Mat if you have one.
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Stenciling
with June House -one
time event
Here’s
your chance to make your own Star Island original! Stenciling is
fast and fun. You bring the stuff you want to stencil -- any kind of
cotton clothing you wish, tote bags, socks, pieces of driftwood….
I will bring original stencils, paints, and applicators. You will
leave this workshop with one or more original creations celebrating
Star Island. … Something you will wear/use year after year when
you return. I love my tote bag, stenciled many years ago. (photo
attached) This old bag is more dear to me than any Gucci or Prada
could ever be. It comes with me to the Island every year.
If you wish to make your own tote, blank canvas bags are typically
available in the craft department in big box stores. Dharma Trading
(online) also has quite an assortment. Give it a wash to remove
sizing before you come to the island.
Bring an item you want to Stencil Join June Thursday: 3:30-5 in Sandpiper
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