Pelham and Yonge Street HYM - June 2012 - Neekaunis - Saturday

We gathered again Saturday morning for Breakfast. Someone commented that while Friends are good at silence/stillness, when we’re not silent, we can be pretty chatty.

YAFs at Breakfast

AFs at Breakfast

Friends have been meeting at Camp Neekaunis for over 75 years, and it was very moving to see three generations feeling so at home here. Yonge Street Half Yearly Meeting has been holding their spring HYM at camp for a number of years, but for friends from Pelham HYM, it was a long time since some had been at camp…and some had never experienced this beautiful location.

Roger Davies, Halifax Monthly Meeting, offered a presentation on “Countering the Militarization of Youth”. Small group discussion gave us time for exploration of this topic. There were some Young Friends participating, and I would like to have heard more from their perspective. Three Young Friends are currently attending War Resistors International Conference on Youth and Militarization! One of them, Matthew Webb, was part of our discussion group, and spoke very passionately about his interest in the Conference. I’m looking forward to hearing about the experience of those who attend.

Roger Davies, Halifax MM - Militarization of Youth

Friends Listening

In early afternoon, in Meeting for Worship, a Friend from each Monthly Meeting read the MM’s State of Society Report. This was something I had not experienced before, and I was grateful to hear of the life of the Monthly Meetings. I was particularly touched by those Meetings who were open about some of their challenges over the past year, and whose Report was held with tender witness by those present.

The two Half Yearly Meetings held separate Meetings for Worship with Attention to Business. Each of the Clerks let me know the Meetings had approved minutes relating to transitional membership. When I receive these, I’ll be posting them on these pages.

The evening program, an informal one, encouraged Friends to connect in small groups in whatever activities they found engaging. Apparently board games (and other quiet games) are favorites, and there were plenty available for Friends to choose from.