Woodhull -- the explanation

[sun_set_bravely]

curmudgeon asked me to tell her about Woodhull, the organization that I'm often on about, and when I started to respond to her comment, I realized that I should post it for everyone to read, since the group is a big part of my life. So here's the story:

The full name is The Woodhull Institute for Ethical Leadership, which is a kind of clunky name for a incredible organization. It was founded in 1997 by Naomi Wolf and Margot Magowan with the guiding principle is that power and idealism don't have to be mutually exclusive. They noticed that many young women didn't have access to the kinds of information and leadership training that men receive for most of their lives. It's a not-for-profit, non-partisan, non-sectarian educational organization, open to everyone.

The namesake to the group is Victoria Woodhull, a nineteenth-century feminist who was the first woman stockbroker on Wall Street; the first woman to produce her own newspaper; and the first woman to run for President of the United States.

The heart of the organization is its Young Women's Ethical Leadership Retreat, which presents women with basic empowerment skills that prepare them for leadership roles in their communities and workplaces. Over 500 women have attended our retreats and learned advocacy and negotiation, financial strategies, public speaking, and ethical leadership. The retreats are held on a beautiful 368 acre site (owned by the organization) near the Berkshire Mountains, two hours outside of New York City, and at the Green Gulch Zen Farm in Sausalito, CA.

On these weekends, many women realize for the first time that they have the power to change the world. And once they've attended a retreat, they know that Woodhull's community of influential women will support them as they do. Because it's not just a weekend retreat; Woodhull alumnae stay connected for a lifetime. They are part of a network of powerful, ethical leaders who are changing the world, one person at a time.

There is a Woodhull credo that's read at the beginning of any Woodhull meeting or retreat, and all attendees are asked to live by the credo while present. It's a tall order, and not always easy to follow, but the amazing thing is that most Woodhull women truly strive to live by these words:

Woodhull Credo

To manifest, teach and learn in our relationships ethical conduct and compassionate leadership.

To create an environment of trust, respect, kindness, safety and open-mindedness.

To commit to honoring a higher purpose through our work.

To be mindful of practicing honesty, compassion, and courage.

To recognize the essential equality and dignity of all.

To avoid negative gossip and to refuse to denigrate one person over another.

To bring up problems constructively and to confront tension directly.

To find common ground in our differences.

To be of service to one another and to the community at large.

To take the risk of communicating honestly.

To be grateful for what others have done for you.

To be responsible for our actions and to practice forgiveness.

To tithe time and income.

To celebrate the achievements of ourselves and of others.

To understand that what we send out into the world comes back to us.

~ ~ ~

I found out about this group in 2002 through my then roommate freak1c, who is a student of Robin Stern's (one of the board members, and a professor at Columbia). He called me one Tuesday after school and said, "Dude! My teacher told me about this retreat but I can't go because I'm a boy, so you should go!" I was stressed out by home and work at the time, so I figured that I could use a weekend in the country. I attended the retreat (on scholarship, as I was broke at the time), and it blew my mind. They challenged me in ways I hadn't been challenged in a long time, and I was dazzled by the accomplishments of my fellow retreatants, and I knew that they were going to change the world. And I wanted to be a part of that change.

Ever since then I've been heavily involved with the group, and I never fail to leave a Woodhull gathering uninspired. It's one of the rare places where I can proudly tout my accomplishments to other women, and they will respond with glee and congratulations. I have never encountered jealousy or petty competition in the community.

I'm currently working part-time with them, doing outreach for the Atlanta and Chicago retreats. It's the first time we've done them "on the road," so it's very exciting, and I'm learning a lot very quickly. This is why I was calling various colleges in Atlanta to offer scholarships to women who wanted to come to the retreat, but couldn't afford it. Our Chicago retreat is November 12-14, and a limited number of scholarships will be available for that weekend as well. If anyone knows of someone who would like to go, drop me an e-mail!

It's still a young company, so it has its organizational flaws (the office is constantly understaffed), but its heart is good, and I have seen the program change lives.

Whew. Any questions?

edit 11:31 a.m.: I forgot to mention that in NYC, we do three different retreats. The Young Women's retreat was just the first one created:

1) Young Women's Leadership (21-early 30s)
2) Women's Leadership (30s and 40s)
3) Wise Women (45+)

The retreats in Chicago and Atlanta are open to any age, because it's our first time in these cities. In Atlanta, we had a range from 20 to 55.

Comments

[robertainnc.livejournal.com]

interesting--i had been thinking to ask you about this very thing today.

as you note it's for young women--is there an age limit/restriction on who can attend the retreats?

[sun-set-bravely.livejournal.com]

The retreats in NYC are broken down into three types:

1) Young Women's Leadership (21-early 30s)
2) Women's Leadership (30s and 40s)
3) Wise Women (45+)

The retreats in Chicago and Atlanta are more broad-based, age-wise: they're open to anyone who would like to join us. We had a range from 20 to 55 in Atlanta.

[gurdonark.livejournal.com]

I am a big believer in the notion that power and idealism need not, and should not, be mutually exclusive. I think it's good you're involved with this group.

[curmudgeon.livejournal.com]

I am fascinated! I wish it had existed when I was in college! I'm going to go find out more now.

[sun-set-bravely.livejournal.com]

I think that you'd really enjoy going to one of the San Francisco retreats. There's one coming up this weekend, actually. I'm not sure how registration looks for it, but you should give the office a call if you're interested: 646-495-6060. I'm sure there's always room for one more person. Ask for Tara, who's the program coordinator there, and tell her that I sent you!

[curmudgeon.livejournal.com]

This weekend I am going to be in Pittsburgh at a wedding. Boo!

[sun-set-bravely.livejournal.com]

Oh duh, I forgot that you've got a big wedding this weekend. Not to worry; there will be more San Francisco retreats at the beginning of next year. I'll let you know when the 2005 calendar is set.

[oceanic.livejournal.com]

ooh, ooh, me too!!

[sun-set-bravely.livejournal.com]

Will do!

[schpahky.livejournal.com]

I wanna go! You've described this before and it is so so so cool that you're a part of it.

In other news, would you recommend any Naomi Wolf reading? Or, unless I've missed it somewhere, what are your top feminist books, whether they are outright feminist or not?

[sun-set-bravely.livejournal.com]

I think that you would really, really dig this group. If there's ever a time that you want to attend one of the retreats, let me know, and I will put in a good word for you. They give a good amount of partial (75% covered) scholarships, which is how I attended.

Okay, so books. It's been a while since I read Naomi's books. That said, I would definitely recommend "The Beauty Myth," as it's the book that put her on the map, and was highly influential in beginning the current wave of feminism. I liked "Fire With Fire" and "Misconceptions" as well, and I don't quite remember "Promiscuities." She has a new one coming out in May, a memoir about her father, which should be really interesting.

My top feminist books, in no particular order, and surely with omissions:

* "Dream of a Common Language" - Adrienne Rich
* "Of Woman Born" - Adrienne Rich
* "The Whole Woman" - Germaine Greer (fabulous polemics that you will either love or hate)
* "Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe" - Fannie Flagg (not outright feminist, but it feels that way to me)
* the Anne of Green Gables series - L.M. Montgomery
* "The Red Tent" - Anita Diamant
* "To The Lighthouse" - Virginia Woolf
* "Beloved" - Toni Morrison
* "Backlash" - Susan Faludi (blows my mind every time I read it)
* "Journal of a Solitude" - May Sarton
* "Outrageous Acts and Everyday Rebellions" - Gloria Steinem
* "If You Want to Write" - Brenda Ueland (not outright feminist either)
* "Wouldn't Take Nothing For My Journey Now" - Maya Angelou
* "Gynecology: The Metaethics of Radical Feminism" - Mary Daly (it's been a long time since I read this, but it affected me deeply when I read it)

Wow. Looking over this list, I realize suddenly that it's overwhelmingly caucasian, which is kind of weird and troubling to me. American feminism is so often accused of being white-washed, and I agree that a feminism without inclusivity is useless. This reading list is indicative more of my limited reading scope than it is of the feminist reading scene.

[poetbear.livejournal.com]

sound to me like a good Credo for anyone! ~paul

Very interesting!

[ksp24.livejournal.com]

This sounds great, and thanks for talking about it. I'd like to learn more about this and possibly attend. I am NY-based but travel frequently, so it's a question of timing.

Thanks!

Re: Very interesting!

[sun-set-bravely.livejournal.com]

Drop me an e-mail if you have any questions. I love the group, and I'm always happy to recommend it to others!