Over the Rainbow

Join us for a journey into a magical realm,

a world of hope and vibrant colors, 

symbolizing our dream of equality, acceptance and unity.

Experience more than just a melody;

visualize a welcoming world and realize your own magical gifts.

The theme of the Summer 2024 CMG,

 “Over the Rainbow” reminds many of us of the 1939 film "The Wizard of Oz" and its message of hope for a better future.

Thus, we celebrate the symbol of the rainbow and its many colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet ~~ our symbol for a world of equality. 

“Over the Rainbow” speaks to our longing for a life that is free of the difficulties of the everyday… where bluebirds fly to a place where dreams really do come true. Through Community Assemblies, Small Groups, Workshops of many and wondrous kinds, and special "Camp" Gatherings, we will share our personal journeys and hopes for the future.

We will also celebrate the vibrant and fantastical world of Oz. Our Saturday night Video Request Dance, Sunday afternoon Pool Party/Fashion Show and Sunday night Variety Show "should" feature colorful costumes, dramatic characters, and memorable music. This isn't just about escape; it is 

about finding our inner strength and empowerment. Like Dorothy’s diverse friends, we will celebrate our quirks and differences, showing that we have the Courage, Heart, Brains and Spirit to be ourselves, despite the world around us.

Come journey with us “Over the Rainbow” as we create a truly welcoming and inclusive community where troubles melt away, like lemon drops. A place “way up high” where, for a weekend at least, dreams of Equality, Acceptance and Belonging really do come true.....

“Over the Rainbow”

Special for First Time Attendees: Consider being in a "Buddy picture"!

If you're feeling a little like Dorothy just after the house has landed on the Witch of the East, READ ON. We know you'll want to Follow the Yellow Brick Road to find if your heart's own true desire is still in your own backyard....if you only start at the very beginning and meeing a Buddy happen for her right away!

Really DO consider asking for a Buddy! Just like Dot, having a "native" friend or three is a BIG help. They might not be "perfect": perhaps lacking a bit of Brain, Heart or Courage. But they've been to a Gathering before and they really can answer your questions and be a friendly face that you might find you "miss most of all" when it comes time to go home.

In most cases, they'll MEET with you before you go to camp, either in person or at least talk with you on the phone, Zoom or Facetime. And they'll be LOOKING for You on Friday afternoon. That's a pretty nice feeling all by itself! Even if you are "partnered" or are coming with a friend, you STILL can have a Buddy. This isn't a blind date. They're a resource to help you have the BEST POSSIBLE GATHERING. That's all.

Whatever else happens, is up to you. I will tell you that MANY, MANY lifetime friendships come out of Buddies helping Newbies to navigate the Poppy Fields on their journey, just sayin'.

How do I get to camp &

What should I bring?

We endeavor to coordinate ride sharing for participants both for improved Gathering experience and for our impact on the environment. If you need a ride or wish to provide one, please indicate that information during registration and men might contact you about a week ahead to coordinate ride sharing. If you are registering

late or live in a remote rural area, it may not be possible for us to find you a ride but our track record is fabulous.

And simply by registering, we reserve the right to give enough information to a man needing a ride for him to call/email you and ASK you for one if we think you "might" be a match. That’s WHY our track record is fabulous. You don’t have to both TAKE and RETURN a man as one way rides are sometimes how it needs to be. Many a lasting friendship started on a a [Yellow Brick] road trip too!

Around 10 days before the Gathering, you will receive a “Welcome Letter” email with logistical information about the weekend, including directions to the venue, and a recommended list of what to bring (and not to bring).



Go to Registration

Oh, and for you Guys who are NEW to CMG [and as a reminder to the humbugs that are in every group], we DO allow "Pay Later". BUT we DO NOT "hold space", especially Room Upgrades UNTIL they're paid for. And, if that "Late Registration" deadline passes, and we don't have payment, oops, your rate just went UP $100 lollypops! Worse, if your registration isn't PAID for and your room upgrade SELLS OUT [and there are only FOUR Private Queens, princess], then you get to be on the wait list. And the world keeps on spinning.

Oh, and we really cannot do "time payments", partial payments, payments AFTER the Gathering & etc. We're all volunteers and nobody got time to chase after people who don't keep their promises. It's hard to have to say that, but that will be the answer if you ask. Like the Wizard, that is just not in my bag of tricks. I love you all, I just can't "usually" get someone in without them paying. Even at the height of AIDS, the camp still needed to get paid.

SUPER IMPORTANT for you ALL to know:

Near the end of Registration there will be "Agreements". You should READ them. You can cancel after you register, but there is the $50 Processing Fee and after the cutoff date, we don't promise to refund anything. The Agreements are the standard we expect CMG guys to live up to. Please be one of us!

We did a survey after Summer 2023 and asked what you wanted for Summer 2024. The guys who responded said, "We WANT Camp Newman and We WANT Labor Day Weekend! Camp Newman costs MORE than it used to and MORE than our So CA home, Pathfinder Ranch where we are for Spring and Fall Gathers. But we got what you WANTED. And guess what? The PRICE WENT UP this year. Not surprising, everything else got MORE expensive too: food, energy, staff, materials, interest. Even in OZ, the bills gotta be paid.

We were able to LOWER the cost PER MAN, for EACH MAN, by $75 [based on 100 attendees] because TWO wonderfully generous guys DONATED for that specific purpose. When you get to the end of the pricing page, there's a note about this next to DONATIONS. ALL donations allow us to lower the price for guys to attend. Donations you make in Registration specifically go towards the cost of Financial Aid and First Timer Discounts and NOTHING ELSE. So, if you can, "give a little bit back". You got $75 off whatever you paid. FA that's $100 more. Firsties auto-matically get $150 off. Any one of those numbers is NICE. Any amount at all is APPRECIATED.

You can ALSO put money aside for CMG in via our LEGACY Fund by writing it into your Will or Trust. You can transfer $$$ directly from your Retirement Accounts to CMG to avoid having to pay TAXES on the distributions and getting a Tax-Deductible Donation Credit if you do that correctly. We are an IRS 501 (c)(3) Educational "all-volunteer" Non-Profit.

Nobody gets paid [except the Lifeguard because we legally have to have one and since we make him WORK all weekend and he needs to keep up his Life Safety Certification, we PAY him, or rather woefully UNDERPAY him, but that is how he contributes back!]. So, think about it. Nobody gets OUT of Kansas with any money just like nobody came IN with any. Pay it forward, just like the guys who started CMG 46 years ago this Gathering did! Contact Al, our Cheerfully Funding Organism to "make a plan" at Treasurer@thecmg.org

Oh, and no matter who you meet at the Summer Gather, remember, TWO of them donated to make it cheaper for EVERYONE! I'm not telling you who because they asked to anonymous. So just treat everyone like they're your "Sugar Daddy"! Because Karma. And join their club if you possibly can!

back to top of column 2.....>

You got all the way to the bottom, and didn't find your answers, an email to Registrar@TheCMG.org might be your ticket to ride.

Continued from column one....

What about “our”

Emerald City?

We're at the Koret Conference Center @ Camp Newman, Santa Rosa, CA

link to camp

This is our SEVENTEENTH Gathering at Camp Newman since 2003 and our 2nd back at the newly rebuilt Camp Newman after the Tubbs Fire of 2017! Featuring:

• Upgraded menus designed and executed by Chef Danny, an accomplished large group chef & Newman alumni.

• Upscale lodging, "The Lodge" has 28 rooms with 1 or 2 queen hotel beds, private baths & amenities & include a COMPLETE LINEN package, just like a fine hotel room should! The camp calls this “Village 2” and so do we in registration.

• Meeting spaces have state of the art audiovisual video walls or 85" screens viewable in full sunlight. [Just think how The Wizard of Oz would look with 85 inches!]

• Most spaces have adjoining outdoor patios and walls or doors that open to that space.

• All bathrooms are "all gender" bathrooms with separate stall rooms for toilets. We have exclusive use of our section of the camp.

• Gas Fire Pits are located throughout the property with adjoining seating and available to anyone anytime.

• New recreation opportunities including a campus wide 18 hole disc golf course. I plan to take on the Munchkins!

• Workshops, we don't know what those ARE yet, because all of YOU haven't told us! You can offer a workshop about ANYTHING! There will be a link in the Confirmation Letter.

• Variety Show, "Sing out, Louise!" This is the friendliest stage on the PLANET. You get FIVE minutes to do whatever you want. We appreciate your performance. NO SHADE! Sign ups at Camp.

• Pool Party Fashion Show, is even MORE impromptu. Why some people decide to do it only FIVE minutes before they're on the catwalk! Just long enough to write a brief bio for your humble MC. Wear what you have or what you can beg, borrow or "steal" as in "She wore the dress, and I stayed home!" So, bring stuff! What stuff? How could we possibly tell you what you'll need, require, desire or be able to help you or another look their best? EMPTY THE CLOSET!

Go to Registration 

Perhaps some more useful Registration Info first:

Standard Accommodations: [the camp calls this housing Village ONE so we will too!] includes dormitory housing with 8 TWIN BED bunk beds per dorm. There are TWO rooms with FOUR bunk beds in each and they SHARE the same bathroom suite.

Most guys will only take a top bunk if they HAVE to, so you'll usually be sharing your room with at most 3 or 4 other guys with a dedicated shared bathroom [and you’ll be sharing the bathroom with at most 7-9 total guys but they’re designed for 16 so it works well]. If this doesn't suit you, you may be able to grab one of the housing upgrades [in Village TWO below]. 

No beds in Village ONE come with linens. Bring your own or rent them from the camp during registration [for just $30 more, that's two sheets, a pillow, blanket and towel!]. Dormitory rooms are situated around a beautiful grass field and are 100 ft from

the Dining Hall and 200 ft from the Event Center and everything is basically on the same level.

The cabins are mostly two levels so there are stairs from the lower or upper ones but there are also ramps. If you cannot do one flight of stairs, pick a bunk you can get to without them when you get to camp. These are BRAND NEW, POSH "cabins". They are NOT in the LEAST "rustic"! The old Camp Newman dated as far back as the 40's! Everything here now is NEW since 2017!

All Accommodations: Eight meals in total are served from Friday Dinner to Monday Breakfast, with vegetarian and vegan options available [please let us know how the kitchen can keep you well fed in registration]. The camp also serves an evening "snack" and will provide a s’mores kit [remember all those "fire pits?]. In addition, snacks [fruit usually] are available 24/7 in the Dining Hall and "less healthy ones" in our "Cafe" which is in The Lodge. Want to add to the snack table with your own delights? We’d love that! Regardless, you will not go hungry! ;-) We're also trying to arrange a "leftovers lunch" on MONDAY and to keep the POOL open until THREE PM for those who can't bear to leave camp until the very last grain of sand has trickled out of the hourglass!

Upgrade Accommodation Area: but available to all, public areas: Village TWO which is also called "The Lodge" is two stories [there IS a sloped path to get to the 2nd floor] and about 200' beyond the Dining Hall [a guess, it isn't as far as OZ!] and is a slight elevation change. Looks like it belongs in a National Park. Our Hangout Lounge [w/ The Snacks] is on the ground floor and the Massage Space is on the 2nd floor on top of it [with the treats, naturally]. The Pool area SURVIVED the fire as did the Play Cabin beyond [Okay, that's gotta be the Emerald City, right?]. Those are both a BIT uphill. Stroll up, the party starts when YOU get there! Perhaps you'll pick up a scarecrow, tin man or a cowardly lion on your way. It has certainly happened before!

If you see a housing upgrade option that you like, it is best to complete registration NOW, as these upgrades go fast. The camp calls this Village TWO & s0 we will too. The building they're IN is called "The Lodge".

Semiprivate rooms have 2 Queen-sized beds and are shared with another man who also paid for that upgrade. If you wish to designate your roommate there is a place on the info part of the registration form to indicate who that is OR we will pair you up [this includes when you say “Brad Pitt” and he doesn’t register, pay to upgrade AND/OR name you as his roomie! But maybe a Flying Monkey? I've heard they can be nice.]. You can put FOUR guys into a Double Queen [there's a dirty joke in there somewhere] if BOTH 0f the men who have paid for a bed AGREE and, obviously, the other two will pay for a Dorm registration bed and just don't ever use it, except in emergencies. There are TWENTY-FOUR of these rooms.

Private rooms only have 1 Queen-sized bed and therefore only ONE person pays. The guys who pay for a Private do not need to designate a roommate; no one will be checking on whom is occupying your room. There are FOUR only of these! Hurry!

Please note: FIRST TIME ATTENDEES [their first CMG Gathering at ANY camp] CAN book into Village TWO by paying for the upgrade. FINANCIAL AID RECIPIENTS CANNOT upgrade to Village TWO AND get financial aid. Choose wisely!

If, and only if, we have an EXCESS of Village Two rooms available will we

then announce that we have upgrades available and FA recipients THEN CAN book an upgraded room and PAY for it at the normal rate for that upgrade. Sorry, the camp charges EXTRA for these so we pay and you pay. Mrow, mrow, mrow, mrow, we all pay together!

Further, IF we have "extra" SemiPrivate Rooms, we will ALSO OFFER them as SINGLES [$100 MORE than a SP which is $250 but per BED]. We would like The Lodge to be FULL. It will actually hold 104 with 24 Quad occupancy SP's and 4 Double occupancy Singles. There are 72 Lower Bunks in Village One, so, hypothetically, NOBODY has to take an upper bunk until we get to 176, but realistically it's somewhere between that and 124 because not everyone wants to Quad or even Double.

Lastly, and just to show that we understand that you will figure this out and we're FINE with it, IF a Financial Aid guy can get a spot in The Lodge [either with a Private Dick or a Triple/Quad poly arrangement], that's not "breaking the rules". It just won't be made available to him directly by us unless we have a surplus of those kinds of rooms, and then he'll have to PAY for it and perhaps SHARE it [if it is a SemiPrivate], FA or NO. We are a community and we only have to figure out HOW to pay for the camp in the most Equitable way we can. We don't make rules to beat up on people.

Go to Registration

Need an answer or seven? Registrar@TheCMG.org