Officer Retreat

Officer retreat is an informal, social, officers-only event that gives the officers the opportunity to relax, have fun, and get to know each other better. It often includes icebreakers, team-building activities, and personal sharings.

General

 * Uniforms are typically not worn for this event, as Officer Retreat is not considered a volunteer event. That is not to say that uniform cannot be worn for some or all of the event, but it is important to remember that officers would then have to abide by the Ten Precepts while doing so.
 * Officer Retreats are often deemed as mandatory, as the team-building is an important part of ensuring that the cabinet is familiar with each other and can work together effectively

Duration
Options for how long the Officer Retreat lasts include day-long and overnight.
 * Day-long: if the Officer Retreat schedule only lasts for a day, then officers are much more likely to be able to commit. At the same time, however, choosing to only have the retreat last for a day makes it more difficult for those with schedule conflicts to join late, as the event will likely be over by the time they are free.
 * Overnight: Having the retreat stretch over two days has the advantage of allowing more time for activities. Overnight retreats tend to feel more personal and special, which leads to officers sharing and participating in activities more openly. On the downside, officers are much more likely, due to schedule conflicts, to miss out on parts of or the whole of the retreat. Also, sleeping arrangements will have to be made, which can include making sure officers have sleeping bags and changes of clothes, finding separate areas for guys and girls to sleep, and ensuring that officers wake up at a certain time for the next day's activities.

Previous Activities
For inspiration on activities that can be incorporated into an Officer Retreat.

Appreciation Circle
 Objective:    This warm, fuzzy feeling activity should be done towards the end of the retreat. It is meant to enhance unity and inspire continuous interaction between officers. This activity is sometimes also referred to as "Shoulder Tap".  Instructions:  


 * One method is to divide your group in half. One half of the group will sit in a tight circle with their eyes closed, while the other group walks around the inside of the circle. An alternative is to only have 2-3 people at a time come to the center of the circle, if you would prefer the center to be less crowded.
 * Give instructions that those on the inside of the circle will walk around the group and tap the shoulders of as many people for which they think that statement applies.
 * Read the following statements:
 *  ​ Tap the shoulder of... 


 * Someone who made you smile today.
 * Someone who made you look at things differently.
 * Someone you respect and admire.
 * Someone who pleasantly surprised you.
 * Someone who you relate to.
 * Someone you would like to know better.
 * Someone you find interesting.
 * Someone you would like to thank for teaching your something.
 * Someone who has enriched your life.
 * Someone with whom you have at least one thing in common.
 * Someone who you think is creative.
 * Someone who you think is open-minded.
 * Someone who you would want to be stuck on a desert island with.
 * Someone who would tell you if you had something stuck in your teeth.

Group Skits
 Objective:    This activity allows officers to show off their energy and creativity, presenting fun and sometimes informative skits to each other.  Instructions:  


 * Host of the activity splits up officers into as many groups as desired.
 * Announce that there will be a certain number of rounds, where each round will have a different theme/set of instructions for the groups' skits to follow. Rounds should consist of two parts: a preparation phase, where groups discuss and practice their skits, and the presentation phase, where one group at a time shows off its skit to the other groups.
 * Host will determine a "winner" for each round before moving on to the next round
 * Continue for as long as you want!

Example Themes: (Tzu Ching-related themes)

(Random themes)
 * Create a UCSD Tzu Ching commercial
 * Show one creative way for our chapter to publicize
 * Create a skit based on the Four Missions of Tzu Chi (or the Eight Footprints, or the Ten Precepts)
 * Create a skit that shows why uniform is important
 * Create a skit that describes one of your favorite chapter events, and what you like about it.


 * Re-enact in a 15-30 second skit a famous Disney scene
 * Each group must create a skit based on a song lyric chosen by another group (give groups a few minutes to decide on a song lyric).
 * Create a skit that contains a problem of some sort, and a positive, teamwork-oriented solution

Paired Introductions
 Objective:    This activity gives participants the opportunity to give a short personal introduction to a silent and attentive listener. This activity helps both the listener -- in the process of introducing themselves to the listener, the sharer also learns things about themselves.  Instructions:  


 * Participants pair up -- the pair arbitrarily decides on who is "Person A" and who is "Person B"
 * Host designates whether Person A or Person B will introduce themselves first, and also announces how much time each person's introduction has to last (typically 1-2 minutes are said to be required for an introduction)
 * Host announces that Person A can start their introduction, and sets a timer for however long it was decided that introductions need to last
 * Person A introduces themselves, talking about things like their hometown(s), their major, their family, their friends, their interests, their goals, or anything else they can think of. During this time, Person B is not allowed to speak.
 * After the allotted time is up, the roles are switched between pairs - Person A becomes the listener, and Person B becomes the introducer. Process is repeated.

Past Officer Retreats

 * 2014-2015 Officer Cabinet: Single day retreat at Peggy SG's house from 10AM to 3:30PM. Activities included personality quizzes, paired introductions, "Egg, Chicken, DInosaur" Tzu Ching-themed charades, creating a music video as group, and appreciation circle.


 * 2011-2012 Officer Cabinet: Sleepover at Ashley Chang's house. Activities included competing in impromptu group skits, personal sharings, appreciation activities, and kayaking.