Mom & Dad, how many sponsors must I have to go to Gathering by myself?
Our 9-year-old son kept asking us this after we attended our first Gathering (Live Love!) in New York in 1992. We had told our sons that the 19933 Gathering in Oklahoma (Riding the Wind of Spirit) was too far away. His persistence made us recognize what an important event just one Gathering had been in his young life. He led us all to go to Oklahoma! Such is the power and the draw for young Friends to attend Gathering. It is a life-changing experience!
What was he and his younger brother so drawn to? Junior Gathering!
Adults have Gathering, kids from infants until High School have their own Gathering, just for them. It’s not just ‘baby-sitting/child care!
What is Junior Gathering?
- Home base for newborns to rising ninth graders (High Schoolers have their own Gathering community and program).
- Where young people learn, play, and thrive at the Gathering.
- A safe and loving space for your children while you attend workshops and plenaries.
- A time for games, songs, and stories.
- A place to make friend and experience Quakerism with Friends from across the continent.
- Full of fun and educational Quaker-based activities led by a diverse, caring, and skilled staff.
- An opportunity to be immersed in a large collection of other young Friends, larger than almost any Monthly Meeting.
Junior Gathering was important in helping sustain our sons throughout the year, as they lived in the larger, less Quakerly world. What a gift to give a child! Gathering could be a gift for yourself as well. Come mingle with hundreds of other Quakers of all ages for a whole week of fun, worship, learning and friendship.
We had been invited to attend our first Gathering by a friend. This is my invitation to you: please come to Gathering (Rooted in Story) at Haverford College near Philadelphia, June 30th – July 6th, 2024. I want to be there with you!
Registration will open in April, 2024. There will be more information about the 2024 Gathering soon at: https://www.fgcquaker.org/fgcprograms/the-gathering/.
Frank Barch
Schuylkill Monthly Meeting
