Quaker Blog

Less than a month until Yearly Gathering 2023!

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Yearly Meeting is less than a month away, and we have lots of exciting activities and developments to report on!
 
News from the Children & Youth Program
The Children & Youth Program will be a crowd! We have 17 youths registered, ranging from 2 to 17 years old, and we have a core leadership group of four adult caregivers. Nathalie Brunet has been previously introduced as C&Y Program Coordinator. Kamila Nasr (Annapolis Valley MM) and Kathryn Wiersma (Hamilton MM) will be our full-time Group Leaders, with the assistance of Beverly Plett (Winnipeg MM) for the afternoon sessions. We will be joined at different times by beloved older Friends for companionship and special activities such as art and sports.
 
The schedule of outside activities is not finalized yet, but up for our consideration and excitement are swimming expeditions, visits to the nearby Fort Whyte Alive nature education centre, and age-appropriate tours at the Canadian Museum of Human Rights.
 
Get a load of the SIGs
The Special interest groups (SIGs) are also formed for this year’s Gathering, and there’s something for everyone! Some groups will be blended, combining online and in-person activities, while others will be exclusively online or in-person. Don’t miss out on these incredible opportunities to connect, learn, and contribute. Register today for the Gathering and secure your spot in person before June 26, or online before July 4.
 
Check out some of what will be discussed this year:
  • How does justice come here? Join CFSC’s Indigenous Rights Committee in a SIG that builds on the themes of Dick Preston’s SPG Lecture by exploring the Committees’ own stories of relationship and reconciliation.
  • What does the Quaker peace testimony mean in a time of war? Explore how Quakers can support the peace process in Ukraine and elsewhere with the CFSC’s Quaker Peace Committee
  • Bible Study the Quaker Way! In the Friendly Bible Study session learn (then practice!) an approach to scripture that lifts up personal experience as a central part of our spiritual lives.
The Gathering promises to be an unforgettable experience, filled with moments of growth and community-building. Register today for the Gathering and secure your spot in person before June 26, or online before July 4.
 
See you there!

Registration is open for CYM Annual Gathering 2023!

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Registration for the Annual Gathering opens today, May 1st!

Friends, we’re over the moon excited to announce that registration for our first blended annual gathering – our first in-person gathering in three years – is open. This year, the gathering will include Quaker study sessions, worship, the Sunderland P. Gardner keynote lecture, programming for children and youth, and special interest group workshops.

Find information and links to the online and in-person registration on two different platforms, so please double check you are applying for the right one: forms here.

We invite you to register as soon as possible, particularly if you are planning to attend in person. The more quickly we have a sense of how many are coming, the better we can prepare.

Speaking of which: we could use some help!

Please look over the volunteer opportunities at the gathering this year and consider which one or two suits you most. We need you whether you’re a people-person, technology-person, or a picking-up-SPG-Lecture-cake person. We need you whether you plan to come in person or online.

An FAQ page is available to answer your questions! 

Key Dates for the Annual Gathering

  • May 1: Online and in-person registration opens
  • May 25:  Closing date to apply to the Education and Outreach Committee for a grant to assist with the costs of attending the gathering
  • May 31: Closing date to register young ones for a guaranteed spot in the Children and Youth Program
  • June 26: Closing date for In-person registration; we need this time if we are to ensure your meal and lodging choices

Planning for 2023’s Yearly Meeting – July 8-13

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Canadian Yearly Meeting 2023 will take place July 8-13 online and at the Canadian Mennonite University in Winnipeg. An overview of the schedule is now available on the Yearly Meeting in Session site. Registration is not yet open, but it will soon be added, with lots more information, to that site.

Canadian Yearly Meeting (CYM, also known as Yearly Meeting in Session) is a blended gathering once a year for all Canadian Quakers and those interested in or new to Quakers. Its Business Meetings are the main decision-making body of Quakers in Canada. There’s also lots of time for fun and games, music, socializing, and sessions focusing on spiritual development, social justice, and Quaker history. This year, the gathering will include Quaker study sessions, worship, the Sunderland P. Gardner keynote lecture, programming for children and youth, and special interest group workshops.

Online Course: Quaker 101 – Introduction to Quakers

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We are offering an online Quaker 101 course “Introduction to Quakers and Friends’ Ways” in 6 sessions starting April 1. This is a Friendly (pun intended) course for people interested in learning about Quakers and the ways of Canadian Friends. The course is meant to be an experience, more so than an academic course. There is no testing or examination!

The facilitator Jackie Bonner will meet with participants once a week, for six weeks, for approximately an hour and a half to worship, discuss, and reflect on various topics.

The cost of the course is $100. If cost is a barrier to entry, participants are encouraged to contact their local meeting for financial assistance.

Topics include but are not limited to: 

  • Introductions and the Basics of Quakers
  • Experiencing Spirit
  • Early Friends
  • Testimonies
  • Meetings
  • Business Meetings, and
  • Living the Spiritual Community

Students will receive an email from the facilitator with a small reading along with thoughts, tasks, and questions to reflect on throughout the week.

Oh, and don’t worry… the silence is included.

Registration & Details

To register (and pay!), go to Canada Helps.

Registration closes March 28. A minimum of 12 members is needed for this workshop, so please register early if you plan to attend.

Dates: April 1, 15, 22 & 29 and May 6 & 13, 2023
Time: Saturdays 1:00-2:30 pm (Atlantic)

Jackie Facilitator

Facilitator Bio

Jackie Bonner has been part of the Quaker Community since 2017. She simply started going to Quaker Meetings and never stopped. She has taught in the public school system for over ten years and has recently completed her Masters in Counseling Psychology. She has a deep love for nature, the mountains, and reading.

Jackie is excited to have the opportunity to spend time with people and explore Quakerism, maybe even throw in a Quaker joke or two. Jackie resides in Sydney, Nova Scotia the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq People. She lives with her daughter, partner, and plants.

Welcoming our new Communications Coordinator 

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Join us in welcoming Holly Spencer to the new role of Communications Coordinator for Canadian Yearly Meeting. 

Holly has worked for non-profits in the peacebuilding and anti-arms trade movement for the last five years, including Peace Direct in London and Stop Fuelling War in Paris. She is a peace activist who has protested many weapons fairs.

Holly has experience supporting small teams with all their communication needs, including working freelance for Friends World Committee for Consultation (FWCC) organizing online events! She recently finished a three-year term as co-clerk on the Quaker United Nations Committee for the Quaker United Nations Office (QUNO) Geneva.

Holly is a member of France Yearly Meeting, having grown up in the south of France. She just moved to Canada from the UK and is keen to get to know everyone and the amazing things Canada offers. Holly enjoys all things food-related, crafting, board games and the great outdoors.