Young Friends Fall Retreat
Young Friends are invited to gather for our first retreat of this school year! Young Friends Retreats are special opportunities for high schoolers in New England to take a deeper dive into building community and exploring the Quaker way together. At this particular retreat we will be exploring what it means to be seekers on our spiritual journeys, and how to seek together.
So what does it mean to be a seeker?
Seekers have more questions than answers.
They feel curious, open-minded, and excited by new ways of being in the world.
They might feel disillusioned or disappointed as they learn more about the world, and they might find themselves wandering looking for meaning in new places or with new people.
They want to learn about themselves and what's important to them.
Seekers might feel unsure if they identify with a particular religion or spiritual identity.
They are noticing the ways they are growing and changing.
If any of this resonates with you, that makes total sense! Many many teens find themselves in the "seeking" stage of their spiritual journey, and the Young Friends program is an especially good place to be seeking spiritual truths with peers with similar questions. We'll explore this theme and also do many of our favorite retreat activities, such as singing, going for a walk, choosing from various interest groups, hanging out with friends new and old, playing games, and spending time in Home Groups (smaller groups for connecting and reflecting).
This retreat will be an in person overnight weekend retreat held at Portland Friends Meeting (a Quaker meetinghouse) in Portland, Maine. Young Friends can arrive between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Friday October 21st. We'll end the retreat by worshipping with Portland Friends at 10:45 a.m., and Young Friends should plan to leave between noon and 1 p.m. on Sunday October 23rd.
Please register by Friday, October 7th.
Delicious meals will be provided by the Exalted Food Wizard, Carol Baker, with something for everyone according to the dietary needs you describe when you register. Because this retreat is being held at a meetinghouse and not a retreat center, we will sleep on the floor. Young Friends should being sleeping bags and sleeping pads, or reach out to Maggie to borrow things to sleep on. Bathrooms are single stall and gender neutral.
This retreat is "pay-as-led," meaning families can pay what they are able on a scale from $0 to $150+. Families may pay online upon registration, or enter $0 and bring a check or cash to the retreat. Here are three suggested tiers:
$40 covers some of the cost of one YF attending
$75 covers the basic cost of one YF attending
$150 covers the full cost of one YF attending as well as related costs for putting on this event
Covid Safety Plan
All participants* must be vaccinated in order to attend. Those eligible for a booster should get one before the retreat if at all possible. Proof of vaccination will be uploaded via CampBrain (see below).
All participants are required to take an antigen test prior to arrival. If you are not able to test before leaving home, or you forget, we'll have plenty of tests on hand for you to use when you arrive.
Masking is optional indoors with the exception of when the group is asked to mask, for example while singing or in worship with Portland Friends on Sunday.
We'll make space for those who prefer more masking or distance at meals and in sleep spaces.
*Those with medical exemptions will need a letter from their primary care doctor saying it would be dangerous for them to receive the vaccine. They will need to receive a negative PCR test within 72 hours of the retreat. Please talk to Maggie ahead of the retreat if this is the case for you.
Health and Permission Forms and Proof of Vaccination
All Young Friends will need to complete a health and permission form and upload proof of vaccination here in our secure database, CampBrain. Those who have attended Friends Camp before, or Annual Sessions this summer, will be familiar with CampBrain and can log in using their existing account. If you have trouble logging in or uploading your documents, check out this how-to video or contact Maggie or our office manager Sara Hubner. If you attended Annual Sessions this past summer, your health and permission form and proof of vaccination should already be up to date for this school year, so you're all set.
If you have questions or concerns about attending this retreat, don't hesitate to reach out to Maggie by email or phone at 978-382-1850.
Please register by Friday, October 7th.
We hope to see you soon!