On the Island

2007 Star Island Personal Retreat Details

July 18, 2007

PDF documents available for download: Personal Retreat Registration Form (this is for reference—reservations will be taken by phone, see below for details) and Personal Retreat Information Sheet

We are incredibly pleased to be able to offer this time as an opportunity for personal retreats at Our Spirit’s Home. This is wonderful news on so many fronts. Shoalers whose conferences had been cancelled will now be able to spend some time on Star…the Star Island Corporation will be able to recover some of the financial losses it has incurred since June….relations between the Rye Fire Department and Star Island Corporation are cooperative and collaborative….the Island is safer than ever….YOU CAN (and WILL) COME BACK!

Services: We are able to offer personal retreats, not conferences. A number of traditional island services are offered, but not official conference programming. We hope this is a time for Shoalers from many different Island groups to come together on Star to share the natural environment, fellowship and spirit that the Island has to offer. Conference Services will be available to work with guests who are interested in setting up impromptu events, and all scheduled events should be inclusive of all guests.

  • Vaughn Cottage, the Marine Lab and other buildings will be open
  • Welcome wagon
  • Morning coffee
  • Lobster Night on Thursday (Lobsters are $12; order at the Front Desk)
  • Showers Tuesday & Friday from 1:00 to 6:00
  • Hot water delivery available every morning
  • Pel Show on Wednesday
  • Banquet night on Friday
  • Grand March on Friday
  • Behind-the-scenes tour (day TBA)
  • Bird walk
  • Botany walk
  • “Death tour” (our kid-friendly cemetery tour)
  • Q&A Session on the Summer Closure etc (day TBA)
  • Geology walk
  • Low tide walk
  • Historical tour
  • Polar bearing & swimming
  • Rowboats ($3 per hour)
  • Softball on Tuesday, Retreaters vs. Pelicans
  • Lindquist Deck/Newton Hall Social Hours
  • Evening hall monitoring for children under age 8, 8:00 to 11:00 pm

Registration & Confirmation: Application is by phone only—(603) 601-0832. The Front Desk will be taking applications from 8 a.m. until 10 p.m. daily. Please refer to the accompanying sample Personal Retreat Registration Form before making your phone call. Registrations must be confirmed verbally or in writing. Our registrar will review your application and determine availability. You will get a confirmation call or email within 24 hours. If you have not heard from us by then, please contact the Front Desk.

Room Classifications: Single, double with 2 twin beds, double with a double bed and triple rooms are available. We also have motel units, which have 2 twin beds and a private bathroom. Manager’s Cottage is a private building with three bedrooms, a living area, and a bathroom with shower—speak to the island registrar for details. Room preferences will be honored when possible; no specific room request is guaranteed.

Deposits: We are not collecting deposits for personal retreats. We ask that you seriously commit to coming to Star if you make a reservation. Please do not make a reservation unless you are able to keep it.

Room and Board: Room and board is charged per night per person. Adult Double, $87. Adult Single, $105. Adult Motel Double, $93. Adult Triple, $81. Adult Motel Single, $154. Adult Manager’s Cottage, $130. Youth rates are charged by age regardless of room type. Youth aged 12-17, $69. Youth aged 6-11, $54. Youth aged 2-5, $41. Youth under age 2, $18.

Other Fees:

  • Boat fare is $39 for age 13-adult. Youth aged 2-12, $28. Youth under 2, no charge.
  • Evening Child Monitoring is $46 for a full week, $20 for a partial week—this is a mandatory charge for all families with children under age 8.
  • Parking is $10 per car per day or any part of a day.

Payment on Island: Full payment is required on island. We do not accept credit cards—we take checks, cash, or traveler’s checks. There is a $25 fee for failure to pay bill on-island.

Boat Schedule:

  • Boats depart Rye at 2:00 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.
  • Boats depart Star at 8:15 a.m. and 10:15 a.m.
  • Your boat will be assigned when your registration is confirmed. Because we use block parking, your departure time cannot be altered. The boat takes about 30 minutes.

Luggage Restrictions: Luggage is restricted to one checked bag per person, weighing not more than 50 pounds. One carry on bag per person is also welcome plus one additional luggable item such as an easel, a musical instrument, a tennis racket, etc.

For more information: Please download a PDF of our “Blue Book,” which details island life and conference information in much greater detail (although it does not include specifics of this new Personal Retreat ‘conference’). If you have other questions, you can call the Front Desk at (603) 601-0832 or email frontdesk@starisland.org (note that we cannot take emailed reservations).