Customized Retreats for Team-Building and Leadership

GETTYSBURG

Legacy At

"I decided to go on the Gettysburg retreat not because I am interested in the battle of Gettysburg, in fact I would say I am not that interested in the American Civil War.  I went simply because several of my friends were going and I enjoy spending time with them.  The trip was a great time with friends, as I knew it would be.  What I didn’t expect was how much I continue to reflect on the stories from the battlefield, standing where those men stood and hearing their stories you can’t help but be changed as a man from this trip.  I continue to draw parallels to my own life to those brave men, this is truly a trip that every man should go on!"

                             Justin, 2014

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1. Who can go on a Legacy Retreat?

Women, men, families, leadership boards, people who work together in teams, and other groups can all benefit from a Legacy Retreat At Gettysburg! The lessons learned from the stories told and principles taught are broadly applicable, relevant and life-changing.

2. What if I don't like history?  

Most people don't like history because it's been taught in a dry, stale way, focusing on names, dates and actions.  Everybody loves a good story and that's really what history is. History is about people, what they did and how and why they did it. When Chris leads a retreat at Gettysburg, he tell stories about real people who stood right where the group is standing. These are stories about everyday, ordinary people who did amazing things. The stories are about, brothers, son's, fathers, sisters, and mothers: people like you and me who found themselves in the midst of a maelstrom of violence
 
2.  What's the weather like in Gettysburg? 

That depends on the time of year.  Spring and Fall can be cold, and rainy or cool and beautiful.  The Fall also bring out the colors in Gettysburg's many variety of trees. Summers can be hot and humid with afternoon thundershowers.  While winter at Gettysburg can be beautiful, the damp cold and potential for snow make it an undesirable time to conduct a retreat.

3.  Does Chris talk politics during his retreats? 

Only if it's to explain the changing and complex political environment of the country before, during and after the war. Politics played a big part on both sides and the political decisions made impacted the outcome of the battle and the war.

4.  Is Chris biased in his approach to the Civil War? 

Chris tells stories from both a Union and Confederate perspective. If a retreat focussing on one side is desired, that could certainly be provided. Chris has ancestors who fought on both sides in the war, with one ancestor who fought at Gettysburg and was wounded there. As Chris often says, "This isn't simply about what the North or the South did at Gettysburg. It's about what Americans did at Gettysburg."

5.  How does Chris handle the African American experience in 1863? 

Gettysburg had about 250 African American residents at the time of the battle. Gettysburg was also a stop on the Underground Railroad. Though Chris may tell a story from the Confederate perspective, slavery is never defended or justified. With sensitivity to the African American experience, he explains how racism was institutional in both North and South but was visibly tied to the Southern economy. Ironically and sadly, though on Northern soil, racism was seen in Gettysburg in that African Americans (even Civil War veterans)  were not allowed to be buried with whites but had to have their own cemetery, the Lincoln cemetery.

6.  Why is the name for this business, "Legacy?" 

Many years ago Chris began to think about the legacy he received and the one he was leaving. People continue to ask him, "Chris, will I leave a legacy?"  He says, "Yes. The question isn't if you'll leave a legacy but  rather what kind of legacy will you leave?" Legacy is about the long-lasting impact one has upon another. It's also about how one is thought of or remembered. With Legacy Retreats at Gettysburg, Chris wants to move people to consider their lives, their impact, their potential, how they are living and what changes need to be made to leave a good and lasting legacy.

 7.  Why does Chris want to lead retreats and not just tours? 

Tour are tremendous and provide a great deal of information about what happened at Gettysburg. He loves leading tours too. But Chris doesn't simply want to provide information about the battle: he wants the stories from the battle and the character traits they demonstrate to provoke people to think and to consider their own lives. Information about Gettysburg isn't the goal: if needed, personal change or transformation is the goal.

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