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NEYM  young friends  NEYm

2003  Fall Calendar  2003

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Sept 6-7............... ............... Northwest Quarterly Mtg Retreat at Farm & Wilderness, Plymouth VT*

Sept. 5-7............... ............... Vassalboro Quarterly Meeting Retreat at Friends Camp, China ME*

Sept. 20............... ............... Yearly Meeting Sessions Committee (for YF Clerk only)

Sept 26-28............... ............... YF Officers and Ministry and Counsel Retreat at Allen’s Neck MA

Oct 4............... ............... ............... Committee Day (for YouthQuakers and perhaps for YF reps to Youth Prog Comm)
............... ............... ............... at Cambridge Friends School

Oct. 10-13........... Young Quakes Conference (FGC) – Kingston Springs near Nashville TN

Theme:  “Strength in Vulnerability”  Info below

Oct 17-19........... Young Friend Retreat at Portland Meeting, ME 

                                    Theme:  “Creative Splurge!”  flyer enclosed

Nov. 21-23........... Young Friend Retreat at Hartford Meeting, CT

........... ........... Theme:  “Quakerism and World/Politics” – flyer enclosed

Dec 27-Jan1........... YouthQuake 2003 – Estes Park, CO – info below

Jan 16-19........... Young Friends Midwinter – Friendly Crossways, Littleton MA...........
........... ...........
Theme:  “Mind, Body, and Soul” – flyer enclosed


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some 2004 dates, GET A CALENDAR AND PUT THEM ON!:    Jan 3 - Sessions Committee for YF clerk; January 31 – Committee Day for YF reps to Youth Programs Comm.;  February 20-22 - Young Friend retreat, Relationships and Sexuality, at Wellesley Meeting;  March 12-14 – Gender Retreats;  March 27 – Sessions Committee for YF Clerk; April 3 – Committee Day for YF reps to Youth Programs Comm; April 16-18 - Young Friends  retreat at Mt. Toby, Simplicity and Silence;  May 7-9 – Young Friend Seniors retreat    

Questions? call Chris Jorgenson, NEYM Youth and Education Secretary, 617-625-4494 or cmjorgens@aol.com

 

About Young Quakes:  It is “a YouthQuake-like experience in the unprogrammed Friends tradition to explore our Quaker Biblical roots and the Christian and universalist expressions of our faith” sponsored by Friends General Conference.   It could be great prep YouthQuake;   there will be presentations, workshops, small groups, games, music, and getting to know Young Friends from many different places.  It may give you insight about how the “Christian and universalist expressions of our faith” relate to you and how you live your life.  You can find registration forms on the FGC website:  www.fgcquaker.org or get one by calling me (see Chris info above)

 

About YouthQuake, Estes Park CO:  The brochure came in a July mailing – and now is the time!!

“YouthQuake is a conference for Young Friends ages 14-20 from all Quaker traditions.  You are invited to build a spiritual community based on love, respect, truth, and understanding across the breadth of Friends investigating these queries:  What does it mean to be a Quaker follower of Jesus Christ?  What is your response to the biblical witness and message?  How did early Friends live the message of Jesus Christ?  How do we practice the presence of the Living Spirit of Christ in our midst? 

 

The cost of YouthQuake itself is $425 (signup deadline October 15).  The plane flight to Denver looks to be about $500.  By the time you get this flyer, I expect to have confirmed the number of seats (which are scarce) and price.  That means if you are interested in going and haven’t contacted me, you should do so right away!  We can also talk about whether it’s the right conference for you.  Estes Park is a great place with lots of fun things to do, ringed by mountains.  Meeting other Quaker youth from around the country is really cool.  The speakers and workshops and worship will be engaging.  We hope all participants will come ready to speak about their own life and faith, to listen well to others, and be open to the spirit of love, to experiment with ‘practicing the presence of the Living Spirit of Christ in our midst’.  It could be an exciting experience. 

 

Let me know if you want to go and what your financial needs are.  Let’s meet at Committee Day on October 4 and talk together about it.  We have always been able to send all Young Friends who wanted to go.  Ask your family, your meeting, maybe your quarter for help.  Raise money together.  Then come back and report. 


Young Friend retreats

are usually held at Quaker Meetinghouses around New England, are open to high school students (or older) who are Friends or friends of Friends or otherwise interested teens.

 

THEMES are chosen at Young Friend business meetings that are held at Yearly Meeting sessions in August (with occasional interjections by the coordinator). 

 

RESOURCE PEOPLE are usually recruited by the coordinator (Chris Jorgenson, the NEYM Youth and Education Secretary), at a ratio of at least one adult to eight teens.  These adults are present for the whole weekend, guiding the program and being a Friendly presence.  We also have adults who come to make program presentations.

We are always looking for both program and “general purpose” resource people.  PLEASE RECRUIT FOR US!

 

 

SCHEDULE of the weekend varies, but here’s a sample:

Friday:
6:00                Resource people meet at meetinghouse
7:00                Registration, greeting, making nametags
7:30         Program session I:  get acquainted, theme intro
9:30         Snack and free time
10:30       Quiet hours
11:30       Lights out

Saturday:
6:30                Breakfast preppers up
7:00                Everyone up
7:30                Breakfast
8:00                Breakfast cleanup
8:45         Morning Meeting
9:45         Program session II
11:45       Lunch prep
12:15       Lunch
12:45       Lunch cleanup/ free time
3:30                snack/group picture
4:00         Program session III
5:30         Dinner prep
6:15         Dinner
6:45         Dinner cleanup
7:30         Program session IV
9:30         Snack and free time
10:30       Quiet hours
11:30       Lights out

Sunday:
6:30                Breakfast preppers up
6:45                Everyone up and pack up
7:15                Breakfast
7:45                Breakfast cleanup and facility cleanup
8:45                Evaluation process
10:00       Meeting with host Meeting (time varies)
11:15       Lunch prep
11:30       Lunch
12:15       Lunch cleanup
1:00                Goodbyes

 


FOOD is simple, mostly vegetarian, with some meat options available.  Snacks and drinks are always available.  Young Friends assist in food prep and cleanup, with guidance from a Culinary Resource Person, a stipended position.  Being the “cook” and doing food shopping are valuable ways Meeting members and parents can contribute to the Y.F. program.

 

THE PROGRAM includes games, singing, name games, discussion, exercises to help Y.F.’s learn about the topic, and meeting with a small group we call an “affinity group”.  We aim for a variety of group size, activity level, and physical/intellectual/emotional intensity so individual needs can be met.  There are also business meetings at some retreats for Young Friend decision-making, led by the Y.F. clerk and recording clerk.

 

FREE TIME is tucked in around meal times, as the prep and cleanup crews are working, and a chunk on Saturday afternoon.  Outside activity, playing musical instruments, talking, browsing books in the YF book collection, taking a nap, inventing games . . . there’s always lots to do.  

 

SLEEPING is on the floor in sleeping bags.  There is always a quiet room for early sleepers.  At lights out everyone is expected to have found their spot for the night and quiet.  Adults take on a certain amount of shushing duty, but are not expected to be “sleep cops”.  We must rely on Young Friends to respect their program enough to get some sleep in order to function. 

 

COMMITMENTS to abstain from alcohol, drugs, and sexual intimacy at retreats are taken seriously.  Smokers are asked to limit their smoking as much as possible and there is no sharing of tobacco or group smoking.  We also uphold positive commitments to contribute to the group process, be cooperative and helpful, be open to friendship, inclusive of others, and generally respectful and nurturing of  the Light within oneself and others.  Young Friends has a committee, which they choose at Yearly Meeting sessions, called Ministry and Counsel,  pledged to respond to individuals’ needs and help the community live up to its commitments.

 

QUAKERISM is the basis for our program, striving to understand and live out the testimonies of Equality, Peace, Simplicity, and Community as it relates to high school age Friends.  Each weekend has a meeting for worship on Saturday morning, and we join our host meeting for Sunday morning worship.  We hope to create a safe, welcoming environment where Young Friends can take time out from the pressures of school and society with people they can trust.  It’s a time to experience God’s presence, learning about love and becoming one’s best self.

 

FOR MORE INFORMATION, you can call Chris Jorgenson, Young Friends Coordinator, at 617-625-4494