The Arrow RIver Forest Hermitage is a small centre operated and maintained entirely by the residents and visitors. There is no other staff. Everyone is expected to do their share to keep the place working.
![[snow]](../images/chadchop.jpg)
Daily tasks include helping in the kitchen, cleaning, outdoor maintenance such as snow-shovelling or grass cutting. Other occasional tasks may include driving, wood-chopping and stacking, building maintenance and etc.
![[snow]](../images/kitchen-13.jpg)
We strive to keep the work load on everyone reasonable, no more than a few hours a day at most, in order to leave plenty of time for meditation and study.
At Arrow River we follow a minimal daily routine.
7:00 AM - group chanting and meditation. 8:00 - 8:15 AM - brief meeting to discuss the days tasks and activities. 10:30 AM - the one meal of the day (as in Thai forest monasteries)
Depending on the tasks needed to be done that day, the visitor can help out either in the morning or the afternoon,