AUGUST 2015
ABIQUIU, NEW MEXICO
60 YEARS The vision of Ghost Ranch, just as the timeless, immutable scenery, continues
DEFINES OUR LEGACY AND CHARTS OUR PATH
The summer College Staff program has been ongoing since 1959. January Term has been offered for 54 years.
to draw, inspire and renew generations of visitors and those who call it home, whether they live here or not.
In November 2015 we will mark our 60th anniversary. It was 1955 when the Presbyterian Church convened to take over ownership. The remote wilderness required unique approach and, in 1955, moved by the grandeur of this place, the Board of Christian Education for the Presbyterian Church created something of lasting value to the Church and humanity. Much has changed, yet the efforts of the Board of Christian Education for the Presbyterian Church continue as the guiding force of Ghost Ranch. The focus on God’s creation, the agreement of a stronghold for spiritual health and well-being, the commitment to forging ahead in a remote location and honoring the unique culture continue to be the filters for planning, strategy and future direction. With a 60-year legacy, Ghost Ranch is pledged to its many communities and strong traditions that stand as pillars for the future of Ghost Ranch programs. Photo by Steven Bundy
Other strongholds and long-held traditions include Youth Programming, Service Corp, Spring and Fall Ministry Week, and Stillpoint Spiritual Direction Formation program. Summer programming at Ghost Ranch has never faltered. With Bluegrass Camp, Community Day-Camp, Fall Writing Festival, Earth Honoring Faith, Gospel Choir, John Philip & Ali Newell, Discerning the Signs of the Times... the list of powerful programs is long. October’s 2015 Wisdom Sharing: Being Human Together promises to be another transformational event. Last October, Ghost Ranch launched Wisdom Sharing with Alice Walker, Gloria Steinem and Chung Hyun Kyung. This year Dr. Chung is returning with Dr. Robert Thurman, an American Buddhist writer and academic. Sister Lucy Kurien, a Catholic nun from Kerala, India will join the dialogue. Use of Ghost Ranch as a host site for PC(USA) and other faith groups is as much a part of our legacy as our programs. Pilgrimages, youth groups, spring breaks, college spiritual retreats, college orientation, men’s retreats,
weddings, social justice meetings, Peace Corps reunions, confirmations, community gatherings: all of these activities encompass the many expressions to serve God in the world. We continue to attract those who come to learn and develop self through spiritual training, instruction and conversation. They find release in art, acting, welding, hiking and learning about archaeology and the dinosaurs that once roamed these lands. Our legacy is our future and we’re looking forward to the next 60 years. Your gift is making a difference. Your gift adds value to peoples’ lives. Your gift has a ripple effect around the world.
INSIDE 2015 MESSAGE FROM LEADERSHIP
JON HALL REFLECTS WELCOME
CHRIS DUTKIEWICZ SUPPORTER
DOROTHY ROBERTS HOME BY
DIANE ARENBERG
MESSAGE FROM
LEADERSHIP Every season is a beautiful
or a toddler or teenager in a safe and natural environment, or
time of the year at Ghost
a family writing a song together, or a pastor in renewal and
Ranch. In the midst of
retreat, or travelers stopping in from the highway for respite,
this summer, after much-
there is a new experience awaiting, a deepening of the abun-
needed rains that ended
dant life we were all meant to live.
a multi-year drought (but
Debra Hepler, Executive Director
an unfortunate destructive
Physical work continues on the infrastructure of the Ranch,
flood), the Ranch is alive
like new roofs, mattresses, pool repair, water lines, com-
and full of green grasses,
mercial kitchen equipment, building foundations and walls;
bursting purple and yellow
nothing glamorous but greatly needed for the comfort and
blossoms on the cholla, tall
safety of our guests. Grounds work at the Farm, Wetlands and
yellow daisies and brilliant orange Indian paintbrush.
all-around landscaping is taking place as well. And creative programming, dedicated instructors and staff, and the appre-
It is a joy to see the same brilliance in the souls and faces of
ciation of all those who wander or intentionally come into this
the thousands of people at the Ranch: adults and children here
holy space, round out the blessings for which we are grateful
for the first time in amazement of the beauty and the learning
in this and every season.
opportunities, and families and individuals who return year after year as they feel called in body and spirit.
In peace and gratitude,
The values of Ghost Ranch reflect Caring and Hospitality, Spiritual Yearning, Curiosity, Family and Creativity. Whether
Debra M. Hepler
it’s a young girl exuberant over finding dinosaur teeth,
Executive Director
FLOOD UPDATE On Tuesday, July 7, the arroyo that runs through Box Canyon, and around Pot Hollow, Staff House, Casa del Arroyo, and Casa Alegre flooded with high and rushing water of historic proportions. While this arroyo has flooded in the past, this was unprecedented in Weather Service records. Staff House and Casa del Arroyo were not affected but the aqueduct in Box Canyon, used for irrigation purposes, the Pottery, Art Welding and Stained Glass structures built in the 1970’s, the Low Ropes Course and equipment shed near Pot Hollow, and the new Fiber Arts Studio just completed in the existing garage of Casa Alegre, were all completely destroyed. Casa Alegre, built in the early 1980’s, was being used as volunteer housing for three volunteers, and had water damage to the interior making it uninhabitable. With great thanksgiving, no one was hurt or injured and the 400 adults and children on-site were all safe, as were the horses, sheep, chickens and burros. Guest lodging and most of the programs and day offerings were not affected. Immediately after the flood, a double rainbow appeared above the hay field and the next day a mother robin began rebuilding her nest on a remaining beam in Pot Hollow.
Damage assessments and replacement costs are still being determined. The Ranch does have property insurance with a $100,000 deductible and many donations, prayers and words of encouragement are coming in steadily. We need to rebuild the aqueduct as soon as possible but of course we will never rebuild in the former studio areas. We are currently planning short and long term strategies for these studios and the associated programming.
THE STILLNESS REMAINS accepted as the mystery that flows through the arroyos and circles the cliffs.
by Jon Hall Jon Hall, son of Jim Hall, grew up at Ghost Ranch. He is the CEO of a community bank with three offices in rural Minnesota. He is also a member of NGRF and served on the Governing Board.
I recently returned to the Ranch after having been away for too long. There were changes to some buildings and some new faces. Even some of the immutable cliffs had changed with wider gaps in the sandstone rock. Some museum exhibits were changed and displays rearranged. But throughout my time here, I was aware that I was seeing the Ranch in some new ways because I accept that I am one in an integral way with a fluid, ever creating, and evolving universe. As John Phillip Newell describes panentheism as part of Celtic tradition, I accept that God is in every grain of sandstone, in every blade of Western Grama Grass, and in every person, including me. At the Ranch, it is in the “alert stillness,” as named by Eckhart Tolle, that we find our own heart beating in synchronicity with all creation. And the “how” of the transformation that happens must simply be
Once I let my heart follow the stillness and silence at the Ranch, through which God speaks, I could not help but be transformed. As I followed the ever-present and continuous creation story surrounding me, all my senses became alert. Being on the Ranch, in its solitude and energy of creation, I found myself both calm and energized; in surprised awe and the familiar; in mystery and comprehension; and above all, at peace. In some ways, I found myself seeing the ranch as Richard Rohr describes it, with a “beginner’s mind.” What a beautiful experience! I grew up on the Ranch and have spent some part of every year there for the past 54 years. This trip I surprisingly found myself sitting with Vernon Pack, one of Arthur Pack’s children, whose history and time with the Ranch long predates my own. In listening to his stories, I heard that same sense of awe and mystery. In his stories, I heard again that the Ranch has always been a place of opportunity to listen to that stillness that seems to be how God, as creator, speaks to us as co-participants in God’s creation. This trip, more than ever, I found the transforming Love of God in the warm acceptance of friends, the creation of abundant flowers from all the rain, golden eagles gently riding the updrafts, and even mushrooms pushing through the hard dry ground.
Wisdom Sharing leaders and participants will explore this year’s theme: Being Human Together, by focusing on bridging the differences of humankind, breaking open the breadth and gift of reconciliation, and supporting the growth and reformation of gender, intergenerational and interracial relations. Joining Dr. Chung, Dr. Thurman and Sister Lucy are Rev. Cynthia Brix and Dr. William Keepin, founders of Gender Reconciliation International. Through their work, Rev. Brix and Dr. Keepin offer opportunities for transformational healing and reconciliation between men, women and all genders. Wisdom Sharing: Being Human Together precedes the world’s largest interfaith gathering, the Parliament of World Religions, occurring this year in Salt Lake City, Utah and we hope to have voices from the Parliament event in attendance. Please join us!
For details visit GHOSTRANCH.ORG/ RE T RE AT / W I SD O M - S H A R I N G B E I N G -H U M A N - T O G ET H ER
WE ARE GHOST RANCH
Chris Dutkiewicz, our new Director of Hospitality and Revenue Management, is steering our focus towards the guest.
Our mission to enrich lives begins with hospitality, and our goal is continual improvement toward high marks in guest satisfaction. To this end we’ve brought on, Chris Dutkiewicz, as Director of Hospitality and Revenue Management for Ghost Ranch. Chris began his hospitality career over 25 years ago in New York, N.Y., and in that time has managed reservations, front desk, revenue and all systems of hospitality, the last 15 with Helmsley Hotels, a juggernaut in the world of guest services. “Guest satisfaction is a lot of little things,” Chris said. “We need to understand how it all fits together for the guest.” Chris has taken the reins with a subtle yet powerful force
since arriving this spring. Slight re-organization in roles, office swaps here and there—adjustments to align staff toward improved flow—and two words attached to all his internal communications, “working together.” Improving and expanding technology is top on the list as well. Chris continues, “We’ll be moving toward one system to manage the property. I envision Ghost Ranch providing a seamless experience for our guests.” Not everyone can make the transition from the cosmopolitan, realcity life of Manhattan to rural living of Abiquiu, N.M. But Chris and his partner love their new home. His eyes light up as he talks about the warm welcome they’re experiencing. “The people are the greatest surprise,” says Chris, “We’ve had complete acceptance from the people in Española and the small towns we stop in. They take pride in where they come from, and the spirit of help we’ve received warms my heart. We’re both so happy to be here.” It’s fitting that the person in charge of providing Ranch guests with a warm welcome is basking in the one he’s receiving here in northern New Mexico.
Support
GHOST RANCH
BID www.32auctions.com/ NGRF2015
The third annual Ghost Ranch online auction will be running September 12October 10, 2015. If you’re not bidding, you’ll be missing out on some fantastic stuff! Many of this year’s auction items have been donated by artists, instructors and guests of Ghost Ranch. They have each been inspired in different ways by the landscape and experience of Ghost Ranch. Plus, there are Santa Fe fine dining experiences and some fun surprises. Our goal is to raise $25,000 to support our facilities and programming through the National Ghost Ranch Foundation. To participate in the auction, visit 32auctions.com/NGRF2014 and set up your account.
A SPECIAL COMADRE by Billie Rogers Ghost Ranch is filled with gratitude for long-time supporter Dorothy Roberts’ recent donation of her Southwestern art collection to the Florence Hawley Ellis Museum of Anthropology. Dorothy has been adding to her collection for over 25 years, and many of her pieces were purchased here at Ghost Ranch, making hers a special gift. She said, “It feels right that it is going back to the museum’s collection.” A small selection of 20th century baskets from Southwestern and Inuit Tribes.
“During the week I met such amazing people and staff... everyone was always smiling and spreading such joy to everyone. I made memories with friends I met that I will never forget.” -Savanna Guarino (17 years old)
The list of Dorothy’s contributions to the Ranch is endless and includes many “firsts.” Her husband, Merle, was on the National Ghost Ranch Foundation for many years, and his memorial plaque was the first one installed at the Camposanto in Box Canyon.
a scholarship for one young man so he could enjoy the experience. She was on the committee that was responsible for furnishing and decorating the Agape meeting room and adding the pews to the chapel. Dorothy provided the landscaping and the fountain outside of the Agape gathering space. She worked several times on Service Corps and took many classes over the years. Dorothy had a stroke and moved to assisted living recently, so couldn’t recall more of the many contributions she and other individuals and groups made over the years, but it is clear she loved giving her time, effort and funds to Ghost Ranch. When asked what she loved most about her years at Ghost Ranch, she said, “I loved every blessed thing about it! I hope I can go back someday.”
Dorothy brought the first youth group to Ghost Ranch, from Chicago, and remembers providing
Support the National Ghost Ranch Foundation The objective of the National Ghost Ranch Foundation (NGRF) is to support the mission of the Ranch. We do this by processing donations and focusing them on investments that most benefit the Ranch.
Cash Gifts
A Gift of Life Insurance
Cash gifts are simple. Funds are sent directly to NGRF. The investment and use of these funds are directed by NGRF leadership with guidance from the Executive Director of the Ranch.
This personal asset can be used creatively. Often, the original intent of an existing life insurance policy no longer applies. An existing policy may be redirected by naming NGRF as the beneficiary. In the same way, new policies can be set up. Giving a gift of life insurance is straightforward. We work with you or your estate planning professional to explore ways to accomplish your objectives.
Legacy Gifts You make a legacy gift by including NGRF in your estate planning. This is a way to provide long-term support for the Ranch in accordance with your wishes. If you are interested in or have already included NGRF in your estate plans, please let us know.
60th Anniversary Merchandise available at the Trading Post www.ghostranch.org/trading-post/
Non-Profit Org U.S. Postage PAID Albuquerque, NM Permit 1893
Ghost Ranch is a unique combination of natural beauty, paleontology, archaeology, history, geology and art. It is not just the values of each of these separate aspects of Ghost Ranch, but rather the synergy of its beauty, its scientific value, its cultural and historical traditions and its spirituality that make it like no other place in the world.
Ghost Ranch Conference Center 280 Private Drive 1708 Abiquiu, NM 87510 Presbyterian Church (USA)
FINDING HOME by Diane Arenberg Diane Arenberg has served on the Governing Board and NGRF.
How is it possible I can return to my soul spot that is 1,460 miles away in just a matter of hours? This truly humbles me and brings me to the brink of tears. It’s not that I dislike my hometown Milwaukee. It’s because I love New Mexico that much more. I first visited in 1988 for a painting trip to Ghost Ranch. I found out about Ghost Ranch from two sources. The first was a Presbyterian minister friend who said, “There is this place in New Mexico called Ghost
Ranch and I know you would love it there. That is all I am going to tell you.” The second is my mother-in-law who gave me a book on Georgia O’Keeffe. Lo and behold, I opened up that book to the chapter on Ghost Ranch! Two months later I was on a train headed west with my best two painting buddies and more art supplies then we could gracefully handle. (Yes, the cart loaded with all that paper and paint careened into the train tracks at Union Station in Chicago!) When we pulled into the long driveway at Ghost Ranch, there was a double rainbow over Orphan Mesa. A palpable calm flooded my body and my soul knew it was home. I hope every visitor has this feeling, a sense of knowing and purpose, a place that ushers in new-found freedom and passion. I was lucky to find mine in the weather-beaten canyons of red rock.
GHOSTRANCH.ORG