As Friends around the globe gathered to celebrate World Quaker Day, PYM Friends joined in on the festivities, attending and even volunteering at events throughout the Delaware Valley and Upper Susquehanna regions hosted by monthly and quarterly meetings. There was truly something for everyone! So, how did you celebrate World Quaker Day this year?
2023 Tri-Quarter Gathering
F/friends of all ages — including children and adults who’ve grown up attending the Tri-Quarter Gathering year after year — gathered for this annual event hosted by Burlington, Haddonfield, and Salem Quarterly Meetings in New Jersey. What a lovely sight to see that there were also Friends who visited from other parts of the Yearly Meeting! PYM General Secretary Christie Duncan-Tessmer attended on Saturday, and shared that she was inspired to participate in the high ropes course after watching a brave six year old and two middle schoolers fearlessly navigate the fun course. PYM Youth Programs staff Alix Vallery, Middle School Friends Co-Facilitator, and Children and Families Co-Facilitators Abby Brace-Higgins and Crystal Hershey supported programs for younger Friends throughout the weekend!
A beautiful art show display kicked off activities along with a poetry reading and live music. In addition to a daring high ropes course, Friends bonded while enjoying a host of indoor and outdoor activities, including canoeing against the rustic backdrop of the YMCA’s ‘Camp in the Pines’ located in Medford, New Jersey.
Westfield Meeting’s World Quaker Day Celebration
Westfield Meeting’s outreach committee clerk, Gail Fountaine, organized the World Quaker Day celebration hosted by Westfield Monthly Meeting located in Cinnaminson, New Jersey. Children from Westfield Monthly Meeting and Westfield Friends School presented a short introduction to Ubuntu – a Zulu word that means, “I am because we are” – a World Quaker Day theme shared by Friends World Committee for Consultation (FWCC). Nearly 80 people, including many families who had never attended meeting before, attended the presentation. Popular mobile ice creamery Mr. Softee along with a Texmex food truck made cameos on campus to the delight of young and adult Friends alike. Refreshments were made possible by a grant from the Membership Development Granting Group. New connections and friendships were made during the celebration amongst Friends.
Bucks Quarter Peace Fair and PYM Young Friends Service
Friends from across the region attended the Bucks Quarterly Meeting 23rd Annual Peace Fair. Participants from the PYM Young Friends community volunteered alongside Peace Fair volunteers at various booths and stations throughout the event which seeks to focus on peace, community service, healthy living and the environment. A beautiful presentation of crafts and artwork displays by various vendors thrilled attendees as they enjoyed delicious food by volunteers, including grill master Olivia Brangan, PYM Community Engagement Coordinator. Families enjoyed fun-filled kids’ games, watched brave souls take turns hitting the target launching gracious volunteers into the infamous dunk tank, and listened in on poetry readings and lively music by bluegrass band entertainers.
The Young Friends were supported at the Peace Fair by Clare Chalkley, Young Friends Facilitator, and Friendly Presence Robert Rosenthal (Central Philadelphia Meeting). After volunteering throughout the day, they gathered at Buckingham Meeting for dinner and fun. They reflected on the day and the query, “What does it mean to hold the testimony of peace in today’s world?”
Friends from Upper Susquehanna Quarterly Meeting gathered for the weekend at beautiful Crystal Lake for their annual Fall Family Gathering. They spent time connecting with one another and reflecting on the theme, “Call to Climate Change and Equity.” Workshops provided time to reflect and share information about climate work – both individual and collective – and also included opportunities for nature-based art projects, and learning how to braid sweetgrass! The youth spent time bonding with one another, playing outside, and participating in the workshops and activities. Worship on Sunday morning was intergenerational, and opened with reading the picture book, The First Blade of Sweetgrass: A Native American Story. Kristin Simmons, Youth Engagement Coordinator, and Elizabeth Croce, Middle School Friends Co-Facilitator, were delighted to join Friends in USQM for the weekend in the woods!
It truly was a Super Quaker Weekend with events all over the Delaware Valley Region and beyond, and the PYM community of meetinghouses in celebration of the history and presence today of Quakerism.
