Young Adult Friends Spring 2022 Retreat
This retreat is for young adults (ages 18-35) who are Quaker or who want to explore Quakerism. Registration closes April 20.
Young Adult Friends (YAF) retreats are an opportunity to "try on" Quaker spiritual practices, connect with peers in the Quaker movement, enjoy time spent in joy & worshipful togetherness, bring a spiritual lens to the decisions in our lives, and cultivate our spiritual friendships with one another.
The theme of this retreat is "Nurturing Spirituality & Spiritual Connection."
We’ll focus throughout the retreat on what it can look like to nurture our spiritual side, including personal spiritual practices and spiritual connections with others in our lives.
There will also be space at the retreat for resting, hiking, playing, eating, singing (outside), worshiping, and enjoying the peaceful beauty of spring atop Woolman Hill in Deerfield, MA.
Participants should show up ready to (mostly) unplug and contribute to making the retreat wonderful for us all.
About the location:
The retreat will be held at Woolman Hill Quaker Retreat Center in Deerfield, Massachusetts. Woolman Hill is surrounded by the beauty of meadows and woods and features simple facilities such as a big farmhouse-turned-dormitory, an old meetinghouse, and rustic cabins heated by wood stoves. Those who choose not to camp or commute will sleep in shared rooms on a mixture of bunks and other beds. When you register, you’ll be able to specify your housing needs.
Arrivals & Departures
Arrivals begin at 6pm with a simple, informal supper on Friday, April 29th and the retreat ends at noon on Sunday, May 1.
If you cannot participate in the retreat full time, we recommend registering as a Saturday commuter, arriving after breakfast on Saturday and staying through dinner.
Covid Protocols
This retreat will involve many layers of prevention to decrease the risk of Covid transmission at the retreat. We will regularly review and revise our protocols as the retreat approaches to align our practice with Covid conditions and public safety recommendations. Currently, our safety plan includes:
Requiring masks indoors except for when sleeping, eating, showering/washing.
Limiting the number of participants to the number of people we can comfortably feed and house at Woolman Hill, allowing people to spread out.
Keeping windows and doors open as much as possible.
As weather allows, going outside for meals, programs and worship.
Requiring all participants who are sleeping in Woolman Hill housing to be fully vaccinated. Boosters strongly encouraged.
Requiring Covid tests (you may show us results from a test taken within 72 hours of the retreat or take a rapid test provided by us upon arrival).
A symptom survey just before the retreat.
Emails to registrants if any of these protocols change before the retreat.
Fees & Payment
Thanks to the generous support of New England Quakers and Woolman Hill, this retreat is offered on a pay-as-led basis, meaning individuals can pay what they are able.
We ask for a $10 deposit to hold your space. If the $10 deposit is a burden for you, please contact us (yaf@neym.org). No one will be turned away for lack of funds.
Here are some suggested fee amounts:
$100 makes a helpful contribution towards our costs, for those with a limited income
$175 covers the room & board costs of one participant (thanks to a reduced rate from Woolman Hill)
$225 covers the direct cost of one participant attending as well as some of the related costs for putting on this event.
You may pay in full online upon registration, or enter the amount you wish to pay today and bring a check or cash to the retreat.
Capacity & Cancellations
It is especially important that if your plans change, you contact us ASAP (yaf@neym.org).
We do offer refunds and ask that anyone canceling within 14 days of the event consider making a contribution to the event if possible.
About the coordinators
Rose Hatem started attending Northampton Friends Meeting in 2020, while attending Smith College. She grew up in the Maronite Catholic Church and has had a lifelong interest in spirituality ever since forming her first career goal of becoming a nun. While that's no longer in the cards, she is thrilled to be building intentional Quaker community and prioritizing spiritual opportunities for young people through participating in her first YAF Retreat.
Nia Thomas grew up as a Quaker in New England and has been participating in Young Adult Friends retreats since 2005. She currently serves as New England Yearly Meeting’s Quaker Practice & Leadership Facilitator, striving to foster a thriving, multigenerational Quaker movement. She is the mother to an adorable 4 year old, and you can see pictures of him at the retreat if you ask.