CMwD-Cakes for the Queen of Heaven Train the Trainer (T3) program

Evolution of the Cakes T3
by Pat Goller, CMwD UU Women’s Connection Council

I met Jean Pierce at 2004 WomanSpirit and agreed, with Joanne Fought of Peoria, to co chair the 2005 Central Illinois planning committee for the 2005 WomanSpirit held in Springfield, Illinois. I had been on the board of the CMwD-UUWomen’s Federation and working two years with a task force to re-vision what would become the UU Women’s Connection. It is during that time, that Jean asked, “How can the Central Midwest District Women and Religion Committee work together with the UU Women’s Connection?”

At the Annual Meeting of the UU Women’s Connection in the fall of 2006, Diana DeWeese and I presented the idea of doing a “woman’s spirituality” project with the W&R Committee. The goal of “meeting with and discussing such a project” with the W&R committee chair was set for 2007. Sherry Dearborn (W&R Co Chair) and I soon met in Peoria for lunch and discussed the possibility of a common women’s spirituality project. Sherry was agreeable and was willing to take the idea to the CMwD-W&R committee. At our lunch we discussed the rewrite by Rev Ranck’s Cakes for the Queen of Heaven feminist curriculum and the basic concept of training trainers at key locations within the district for the re-release of the Cakes curriculum due at GA.

In the late winter of 2007 Gretchen Ohmann mentioned the Cakes release and discussion about a common project to me again; a loose committee formed called Cakes Train-the-Trainer or T3 a core-planning group. Connection council chair Jennifer Evans and I took up the project. Members of the W&R committee, Nancy Irons and Sherry Dearborn did, as well. By spring core planners were developing the basic concept: “To provide a one day training in diverse parts of the district for those local women who wished to facilitate the curriculum in their congregations.”

We recruited churches and scheduled dates for the trainings, recruited other key volunteers, developed an approach to the curriculum and training and enlisted congregation liaisons. Janet Nortrom was a facilitator trainer when the original Cakes curriculum was introduced. Nancy attended one of these sessions and kept an outline, which served as the basis for the T3 curriculum.

By spring core planners had an established e-mail list through the national UUW&R website, thanks to Gretchen’s interest and support. She also convinced the national W&R organization to host the website, helped plan and carry out PR and set up website registration program and blog. Most of our early discussions took place on the Cakes T3 e-mail list with occasional conference calls. Questions such as schedules, scholarships, congregational liaisons, childcare, registration, per-event budget, calendar, liaison responsibilities, and much more were settled. Planners met at the first face-to-face meeting with Rev. Ranck at Winter WomanSpirit 2008 at North Shore Unitarian Church in Deerfield, Illinois to receive her ideas and blessings.

The UU Women’s Connection Council added a $1000 line item to its 2008 budget for the Cakes project, extended the goal through 2008 when T3s were scheduled, recruited a treasurer, Nicole Lisk, opened a bank account in the Connection name to handle finances for the project, and began the budgeting process. In the spring the W&R committee donated $1000 and dedicated sales of water at retreats to the T3 project. Others at W&R retreats gave direct donations.

In April at the 2008 District Assembly a shortened “taste” of the trainings was presented as a workshop. During 2008 five other trainings took place at Berrien UU Fellowship in St Joseph, Michigan; Unity UU Temple, Oak Park, Illinois; Eliot Chapel St Louis, Missouri; UU Church of Peoria, Illinois, and First UU Society of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Nearly 60 women from at least 23 churches participated. A handful of women traveled from neighboring districts to take the training, some from as far away as Arkansas. The final T3 session in Milwaukee drew nearly 30 women!

UU Women’s Connection volunteers were: Jennifer Evans, Pat Goller, Diana DeWeese and Nicole Lisk. Diana, as registrar, and Nicole, as treasurer, both entered the work in 2008. Women and Religion Committee volunteers were: Gretchen Ohmann, Nancy Irons, and Sherry Dearborn. Sherry returned to the W&R committee work after agreeing to host a T3 at her Peoria Congregation. Janet Nortrom, who hosted and facilitated the final T3 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was in the mix from the beginning, planning and preparing the training packets with others assistance. Other volunteers joined later in the calendar for specific programs: Teresa LaPlante, St Joseph, Michigan assisted with the District Assembly workshop and Julie Bock, Milwaukee assisted with the final T3 in Milwaukee. Kelsey Neutsel joined to assist facilitation of a “Cup Cakes” workshop at Lake Geneva Fall Retreat.

As well as the scheduled trainings in the district, W&R’s WomanSpirit 2008 Conference and UU Women’s Connection 2008 Lake Geneva Fall Conference both utilized themes around the Cakes curriculum. Rev. Shirley Ranck and Nancy Vedder-Shults were retreat keynotes, respectively.

This was a powerful project, an excellent feminist statement and pluralist ideal in action. The CMwD women who planned and carried out the Cakes T3 project and Rev Ranck whose help and blessing began long before the curriculum was released are to be commended, all. The UU Women’s Connection Council is proud to have been a part of this outstanding project.

Recently someone asked about men attending the Cakes classes. Here is Shirley’s recommendation, based on the years of experience with the original curriculum since it was published in 1986.

Regarding the teaching of Cakes to both men and women, it has been done successfully many times.  In one congregation, many years ago, the women took the course; then their husbands and significant others wanted to take it, so two women taught it to a class of men; then they ran another class for both men and women!  I have taught it mostly to all women classes, but a few times men have asked to participate.  What I say to them is that if there is more than one man who wants to participate, fine.  But not if there is only one man.  When we break into small groups for discussion of some very personal issues, the men need to have a group of their own and the women need groups without men.  I try to consult with women leaders ahead of time to find out how they feel about having men in the group and often they prefer to limit it to women.

The main thing I would say is that if there are men in the class, it will be a very different class from what it would be if there were only women.  It will be valuable in other ways, but women will not be as free in their discussions with men in the class.  This is a course that is not just about history and archeology; it is also about women’s issues in a patriarchal society.  Men have some issues with the society too, but they are different from those of women.

If I could bold or underline the next to last sentence above, I would.  In fact if I were re-writing, I would put that sentence first:  This is a course that is not just about history and archeology; it is also about women’s issues in a patriarchal society. I’d like men to understand those issues, but I think generally we women need to be clear about them first.

– Rev. Shirley Ranck

Are you planning to conduct the Cakes curriculum in your church? Let us know and we’ll post the dates on our new EVENTS calendar. As always, feel free to comment, ask questions, and post photos.

Use this e-mail: webweaver@cakesforthequeenofheaven.org

Here are links to photo albums from the facilitator training at Unity Temple in June, and the July session at Eliot Chapel in St. Louis (Kirkwood) Missouri.

Peoria and Milwaukee are coming up in November! REGISTER NOW.

Unity Temple photos by Gretchen Ohmann
Eliot Chapel photos by Pat Goller

Facilitators are invited and encouraged to share their experiences and tips on this blog. One Religious Education director I know decided to put together goody bags full of the craft supplies each participant would need. The church charged a $10 fee per person to cover the cost of these materials and copies of the handouts. See the “Comments-How To” button on the top right of this page? That tells you how to post your comments.

“What would it have been like to grow up in a world where the divine was imagined as female?” — Rev. Shirley Ranck, PhD

“Cakes for the Queen of Heaven” was credited on its introduction 21 years ago with providing women an opportunity of discovery and empowerment within the UUA goddess movement. Now, this revised, multi-session curriculum by Unitarian Universalist Minister Shirley Ranck will bring the break-out feminist theology curriculum in its updated version to those who wish to teach it in their local congregations to the many young and new UUs who have never experienced it. Or to others who want an injection of inspiration. “Cakes: In Ancient Times” is rising again in UU congregations all over the continent.

Would you like to present this curriculum in your congregation? This is an opportunity to receive facilitator training and purchase the curriculum.
CAKES Train-the-Trainer (T3) workshops include:

• Curriculum presentation by experienced district leaders.
• Experiential and interactive sessions.
• Herstory, music, poetry and thoughtful sharing in one day-long workshop.
• Continental breakfast, lunch and babysitting services.
• Curriculum resource materials and inspiration.
Curriculum can be purchased online at www.uuwr.org.
Trainer workshops offered at a reasonable cost. $30 per person includes continental breakfast and lunch. Curriculum will be available for purchase at $40.

June 14 • St. Joseph, Michigan: Berrien UU Fellowship (please note: Michigan is on EASTERN TIME)

June 21 • Chicago area: Unity Temple UU Congregation in Oak Park
July 26 • St. Louis area: Eliot Chapel
November 15 • Peoria, Illinois: Universalist Unitarian Church of Peoria
November 22 • Milwaukee, WI: The First Unitarian Society of Milwaukee, A Unitarian Universalist Congregation

Cakes for the Queen of Heaven Train-the-Trainers workshops are a joint project of
the CMwD Women and Religion Committee and UU Women’s Connection (formerly CMwD-UU Women’s Federation.)

Online registration HERE !

Contact CakesTraining [at] uuwr.org