Better Marriages North Carolina 2015 Retreat/Conference

Join us for an exciting marriage enrichment experience in the Raleigh/Cary area.  Enjoy quality sessions designed to help couples look at their relevant issues, located in a fantastic Atrium Hotel where you will connect with other couples committed to their marriages.

The retreat kicks off on Friday at 7 p.m. Couples will need to have dinner prior to coming to the program, but will enjoy an ice cream bar, social time and a dance after the keynote speakers.  

The retreat continues Saturday morning at 9 a.m. with Track #1: Disconnecting, and Track #2: Connecting with three workshops in each track from which you may choose. 

Lunch and a luncheon program will follow the morning workshops. After lunch, Track #3 will be offered again with three workshops from which to choose.

The retreat will close by 4:30 p.m. after a time to reflect on our retreat experiences and a retreat wrap-up. 
Door prizes and a raffle will also be part of the retreat.

Register Now! Download the brochure with program details and a mail-in registration form by clicking here. 

PROGRAM DETAILS

Friday afternoon registration is from 4-6 p.m. Join us in the Hospitality Suite for light refreshments from 5-7 p.m. Friday evening keynoters are Wayne and Turner Tamberelli. They will lighten your hearts as you smile and laugh through their presentation of a modern married couple in this age of numerous marriage distractions. Watch and listen as this couple overcomes their obsessions with electronics and the many other activities that keep couples from sharing the love and joy of a happy growing marriage. Following the ice cream social, there will be music and dancing with our DJ, James Herrick.  

Saturday will give couples the opportunity to select workshops from three tailored Tracks dealing with the important issues of Unplug to Connect: Disconnecting, Connecting, and Getting Back on Track. Lunch will be in the Triangle Ballroom with entertainment and a brief business meeting.

SCHEDULE

FRIDAY 5 p.m. to 11 p.m.

4 p.m. – 6 p.m.  Registration
5 p.m. – 7 p.m.  Pre-Conference Social Hospitality Suite
7:15 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.     Opening Presentation “Disconnecting From the Distractors”
8:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.     Ice Cream Bar Social
9:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.    Dancing

SATURDAY 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

9 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Special Track Option– Marriage Enrichment 101 (Couples stay together for all 3 Tracks) 

9 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. Track 1 – Disconnecting 
• What to do When the Power Goes Out              
• Disconnecting from Distractors: “Keeping the Main Thing: The Main Thing”        
• Taking a Tech Time Out on Your Marriage        

10:30 – 10:45 a.m.   Break

10:45 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. Track 2 – Connecting
• Connecting in the Bedroom (Intimacy and Sex) 
• Connecting in the Kitchen (Cooking Together)          
• Make Love Not War: Anger is a Significant Gift  

12:15 p.m. – 12:45 .p.m Break

12:45 p.m. – 1:45 p.m. Lunch

1:45 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.  After Lunch Break 

2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. Track 3 – Getting Back on Track
• Connecting: “The Happy Secret to a Happy Marriage”
• Connecting to Enhance Your Communication          
• Connecting Through Couple Massage        

3:30 p.m. – 3:45 p.m.  Break

3:45 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.  Closing Session Wrap Up

ACCOMMODATIONS

The Embassy Suites is offering a special Better Marriages North Carolina rate: $109.00 per night plus tax and fees. This rate is guaranteed through February 6, 2015, based on room availability, so make your reservations NOW! Call 919-677-1840 and ask for the Better Marriages North Carolina rate. This same rate is good March 5- – the day before the Retreat and through March 7 – the day after the retreat.  All rooms are two room suites. A daily hot breakfast in the morning, and cocktails and hors d’oeuvres in the Atrium each afternoon are included.

Questions?
If you have any questions about the program, you can contact Carl and Nancy Terry at 919-559-2827 or 919-559-2696.

Workshop Information

Saturday will give couples the opportunity to select workshops from three tailored Tracks dealing with the important issues of Unplug to Connect: Disconnecting (Track 1 Saturday 9-10:30 a.m. sessions), Connecting (Track 2 Saturday 10:45 a.m.-12:15 p.m. sessions), and Getting Back on Track (Track 3 Saturday 2-3:30 p.m. sessions).

Workshop descriptions are listed below. During registration, you will be asked to select a first and second choice for the two morning and one afternoon session. You will only be scheduled for your second choice if your first session fills up early or become unavailable. 

Track 1 – Disconnecting 

What To Do When the Power Goes Out
Leslie and Jim Rhodes 
This workshop will focus on ways to enhance our relationships that are not dependent on twenty-first century technology. Last year’s ice storms introduced many of us to a non-electronic time. Each couple will be invited to participate in an “unplugged” activity and begin to formulate ideas for their future “snow days.”

Disconnecting from Distractors: Keeping the Main Thing: The Main Thing
Elaine and Bill Matthews 
It has been said that the average person checks his/her cell phone 110 times per day and that young adults (18 to 24) send 2,022 texts per month. Want to know how to identify and keep the main thing the main thing? Then come and explore an innovative approach to: (1) evaluating your current relationship, (2) making what you discover and like a part of your daily routine, and (3) creating a to-don’t list!

Turn Off the Tech and Turn On Your Marriage
Myra and Michael Holmes 
Can the beauty and elegance of an iPhone, iPad, or Galaxy negatively impact your relationship? … You bet it can.  During this seminar, Michael and Myra will help you to better understand when it’s okay to turn on the technology; but more importantly, you will leave knowing when to turn off those sexy little devices and redirect your attention toward your mate. 

Track 2 – Connecting 

Connecting in the Bedroom (Intimacy and Sex)  
Ken and Vernita Griffith 
It's not unusual to become disconnected in the romance department every now and then. In this workshop we will explore a collection of ideas and activities that promise to reconnect you to your spouse and allow those sparks to fly once again. Prepare yourself for gleaming giggles, igniting information, and energetic incentives.   

Connecting in the Kitchen (Cooking Together) 
J’Metria and Arthur Anderson
Romance can and should start in the kitchen. Come learn how to flirt and cook in order to warm up for the love making that will take place in the bedroom. We will show you a sweet treat to get the flirting started before you get home.

Make Love Not War: Anger is a Significant Relationship Gift
Bill and Linda McConahey
Many couples avoid conflict in their lives together, however both anger and conflict are inevitable in intimate relationships. If fact, conflict is often a gift and points to the growing edges of your relationship. This workshop will focus on using anger and conflict to enhance and grow your relationship.

Track 3 – Getting Back on Track 

The Happy Secret to a Happy Marriage 
Roberta and Terry Heinlein
According to psychologist Shawn Anchor’s book, The Happiness Advantage, 90% of long term happiness is predicted not by the external world, but by the way we process the world. Couples will participate in five activities to promote happiness and improve success in their marriage.

Connecting to Enhance Your Communication
Renee and Chuck Hinson
In this session, we will be reviewing the best features of several communication strategies and exploring how each of these might be applied to the challenge of reestablishing intimacy after a disconnect. There will be opportunities for couple dialogue throughout this workshop.

Connecting Through Couple Massage (Bring a pillow)
Mary and Tim Hart
Enjoy couple time while learning basic massage techniques that will bring you closer. Learn a powerful non-verbal communication method. During this session, couples will learn about the importance of touch and the value to their relationship, and how touch affects both the physical and emotional aspects of each person

Special Track  – Marriage Enrichment 101 (Couples stay together for all three tracks)
Alice and Lee Carnes
Connecting for First Time Couples ***This class is highly recommended for all couples who are new to Marriage Enrichment and/or Better Marriages***This workshop is an introduction to relationship principles and skills that are the hallmark of Better Marriages. Learn proven skills to take your relationship to a deeper, happier, and more loving place.