39th Annual Gathering, "Simplicity and Ecojustice”
June 9 - 16, 2012; Ghost Ranch, Abiquiu, New Mexico
Friends in Utah, Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico—Come together this summer for fellowship, business and deepening your Quaker practice. There are two powerful opportunities in our area and all are encouraged to plan to participate as fully as possible. Intermountain Yearly Meeting will be at Ghost Ranch, New Mexico, June 9-12 for Early Days and June 12-16 for Annual Sessions. Friends General Conference Annual Gathering will be at University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, June 30 – July 6, with the theme, “At the Growing Edges of our Faith.” FGC’s Annual Gathering moves around the country each year and is coming to our area for the first time.
The theme for Intermountain Yearly Meeting will be “Simplicity and Ecojustice.” We are responding to the Kabarak Call for Peace and Ecojustice issued at the Friends World Committee for Consultation “World Conference of Friends” held last year in Kenya. It calls us to examine how we can:
Joining us as keynote speaker will be Steve Chase of Putney Friends Meeting in New England Yearly Meeting of Friends. Steve is a traveling minister who speaks regularly among Quakers and other communities of faith. Steve tells us, “I am very enthusiastic about the possibility of inspiring members of your yearly meeting to deepen their response to the prophetic call of Quaker faith and activism in more and more creative and soul-satisfying ways. I believe our inspired activism on behalf of creating what Martin Luther King, Jr. called the ‘Beloved Community’ is now more urgent than ever.”
Steve and his wife Katy will provide an Early Days seminar on the Transition movement (a grassroots network of communities that are working to build resilience in response to peak oil, climate destruction, and economic instability), and two evening films on Monday and Tuesday nights. He will spend time with our youth.
Other workshops and interest groups are planned (some for all ages) that are relevant to simplicity and how we might view and live by this testimony. Senior Young Friends will sponsor a Listening Session on Friday afternoon with queries on the theme.
Welcome to all who can come for any or all of the week. We especially welcome young people of all ages.
Sara Keeney, Clerk
Intermountain Yearly Meeting
Biographical Information for Steve Chase
Steve Chase lives in Keene, New Hampshire and is a member of Putney Friends Meeting. The author of Quaker Press’ recent book, Letters To A Fellow Seeker: A Short Introduction To The Quaker Way, he is also a frequent writer for Friends Journal and has written for Quaker Life. Steve serves on the national Quaker Quest Traveling Team of Friends General Conference and has led workshops on various topics at Quaker retreat centers such as Pendle Hill in Pennsylvania and Woolman Hill in Massachusetts. He has also co-led workshops at the annual sessions of New England Yearly Meeting and at Friends General Conference gatherings. He and his wife Katy Locke co-facilitate Awakening The Dreamer workshops for Quaker meetings and gatherings, community groups, and other faith communities, as well as co-facilitate day-long or weekend workshops entitled Transition, Faith, and Action: An Interactive Introduction To The Transition Movement For People of Faith.
He is also a traveling minister who speaks regularly among Quakers and other communities of faith. He gave the keynote address at the New England Yearly Meeting annual summer sessions in 2011. His talk was entitled Blessed Are The Organized: How Quakers Can Help Their Local Communities Transition From Oil Dependency To A Simpler, Just, and More Resilient Way of Life. More recently, he gave the keynote address at the Young Adult Friends Leadership Development Conference at Pendle Hill, with a talk entitled Creative Maladjustment: The Prophetic Call of Quaker Faith and Activism.
Besides his paid work as the educational director of Antioch University New England’s Environmental Studies master’s program in Advocacy in Social Justice and Sustainability, Steve is one of the co-founders of the Transition Keene Task Force, the 56th Transition Initiative in the United States and the first in New Hampshire. He is also the co-director of the online Quakers in Transition project sponsored by New England Yearly Meeting’s Earthcare Ministries Committee.
Steve’s work in traveling ministry among Friends and other spiritual communities is under the oversight of a committee set up by Putney Friends Meeting. Below is Putney Friends Meeting’s letter of support for Steve’s ministry.
Dear Friends in New England Yearly Meeting and beyond,
We at Putney Friends Meeting are writing in support of the traveling ministry of Steve Chase. Steve is a treasured member of Putney Friends Meeting who has long shared a gift for prophetic and soulful ministry in our Meetings for Worship. He is increasingly called to share his ministry with Friends and others. Whether through his writing, speaking, or leading workshops or retreats, we can attest that Steve’s work in the traveling ministry is deeply rooted in loving God with all one’s heart, soul, and strength; loving our neighbors as ourselves; and loving God’s good earth by acting in unity with Creation.
We trust you will welcome Steve into your community, show him every hospitality, care for his spiritual life while he is among you, and hope that you will be uplifted by his ministry in whatever form it takes.
Sincerely,
Carol Forsythe
Clerk of Putney Friends Meeting
CALL TO CHILDREN'S YEARLY MEETING
We look forward to welcoming the Youngest Friends among us to Children’s Yearly Meeting 2013. The Children’s program accepts Friends from infancy up through entering 5th graders. We provide for:
Nursery (0-3+ for those who use diapers and still need naps)
Preschool (potty-trained, 3-5) and
Young Friends (children, 6-11).
Working with the Ghost Ranch staff, CYM provides programming for these groups during the mornings of Early Days (Monday - Wednesday) and full days during the Yearly Meeting (Thursday - Saturday). The programs are designed to allow parents to attend Worship Sharing, Plenary Sessions, and Interest Groups.
Care is not provided during scheduled meal times. Young Friends must be signed in each session by a parent or guardian and signed out and picked up by them promptly at the end of each session so that staff and volunteers can also eat and take a break. Families are encouraged to attend the evening intergenerational activities: singing, dancing and creativity night.
This year’s program will be coordinated by Marc Gacy (Boulder Monthly Meeting) with the wise guidance of Roxanne Seagraves plus an energetic group of Ghost Ranch staff and IMYM volunteers. We hope to be working closely this year with Ghost Ranch staff to provide continuity between the morning and afternoon programs. We are all looking forward to knitting these Youngest Friends into the heart of the 2013 Meeting.
Marc Gacy, Coordinator of CYM
CALL TO JUNIOR YOUNG FRIENDS
The Junior Young Friends program is for those entering 6th to entering 9th grade in the next school year. Friends from Mountain View Monthly Meeting are looking forward to another great JYF experience at Yearly Meeting. We are trying out new quarters, right next door to the Cantina, for many of our activities and are excited about this arrangement.
There will be a very important JYF parent meeting on Monday morning at breakfast. If you arrive after that we would very much want to talk with you personally. We will continue having this meeting each morning at breakfast for newly arriving parents. This will replace the former Mandatory Meet and Greet for JYFs and Parents on Wednesday evening under the big tree in front of the Lower Pavilion.
We are asking adults of the whole Yearly Meeting to take on a more active role with our middle school age young people of Junior Young Friends (JYF). We have a need for more adults to step up to volunteer to help with our program. We also would like to ask all adults to keep our eyes open to the activities of JYF during and outside of the program times and to feel empowered to engage with them and redirect them to JYF programs if necessary.
CALL TO SENIOR YOUNG FRIENDS
Sup, SYF?
We’re comin’ atcha from Tempe Arizona, dunkin’ organic biscuits in fair trade tea outa reusable hemp mugs, clackin’ away at this typewriter. Soon we’ll scan this letter at our public library and send it out over our g-mail sites. Since we were SYFs before it was cool, we’re gonna tell you what it’s all about. So we’re doing’ this eco-justice simple-city thing, or whatever. Some dude named Steve Chase (you probably haven’t heard of him. He’s way underground and stuff) is talking about all that save the planet so you can get up to speed.
Find somebody to babysit the chickens and pack your knitted beanies. Get yourself a recyclable nap sac. Fill up your wheels with bio-fuel and pack-it down to Ghost Ranch. Don’t forget to bring a rad Halgene (it’s like Nalgene but more obscure). Get some reusable silverware to reduce your carbon footprint. Pack some sunscreen because pasty is the new tan. Grab your Ray-Bans. Make sure you remember lenses. You have to put ‘em back in eventually. Leave your hops and still back at your place.
Also this is New Mexico, not Colorado, leave the dope. Hunger strikes are not a thing here, so grab some gluten-free veggie straws, and kale chips (anything you want for yourself). We’d really appreciate you keepin’ you’re hands to yourself and makin’ your relationships planet-tonic (plutonic for you mainstreamers) for the week. Don’t forget a new suit for swimming and a towel, and put a bird on it.
We’re looking forward to seeing you there, even though we’ll probably have been there for, like, a week before you.
Ironically yours,
The SYFs
(Dominic, Erin, Joy, Alicia, Damon, Adriana, Jacob, and the FAPs: Becca, Eleanor, and Jerry)
PEACE!
P.S.
If you are way ahead of the financial times and are thinking that you cannot purchase your bio-fuel or munchies, there are sponsorships being provided by exclusive resources. Go first to your monthly meeting and ask for aid. If that is an issue, you can contact the IMYM registrar through your registration.
YOUNG ADULT FRIENDS CALL TO YEARLY MEETING
Ready for a revolution? A turn of the earth, a turning of hearts and minds, perhaps even, as Joanna Macy calls it, The Great Turning? Wondering how your leadings are or can be a part of something bigger? Wondering what a leading looks like?
This year’s Intermountain Yearly Meeting is a part of the revolution! We are taking our guidance from Friends in the Global South when they ask us how we can be patterns and examples in a 21st century campaign for peace and ecojustice, a task as difficult and decisive as the 18th and 19th century drive to abolish slavery. You don’t have to be an activist to participate, however.
"The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (Galatians 5:22). We don’t bring our goodness to the table to prove we are worthy. We bring our brokenness, need, and longing for connection to the table and are given hoes, rakes and shovels, with which we cultivate gardens. Spirit provides soil, sun and rain. Following OUR own leadings, sitting in worship, serving the meeting and other doings of our tradition come first and the sense of peace, rightness, goodness and such are really fruits of that labor. Miraculous, just like every gardener sees in every harvest. We will explore our leadings and our role in this process during our YAF time together as well as in the broader gathering.
Oh, yes, there will be fun, fellowship, and worship with other Young Adult Friends, OAFs (Older Adult Friends), SYFs (Senior Young Friends) and more. There will also be gorgeous high desert scenery, opportunities to explore your creativity, stretch your mind, and grow your heart. There will be singing, dancing, and business meeting. Food, hiking, and sun. You will grow. You will laugh. You will relax. You will be grateful you came.
Big promises? Yes, but they are all things I have experienced year after year at Intermountain Yearly Meeting and invite you to come and experience this year.
Peace,
Patricia Morrison
Young Adult Friend Convenor, 2012-2013
PS- Ask for financial aid from your meeting, then ask IMYM after you know what your meeting is offering you. Many meetings have funds to send friends (especially Young Adult Friends) to IMYM and would be THRILLED to help you attend. Carpooling is often an option, too. And, our designated YAF housing is among the least expensive housing options available. There is usually YAF area of the campground as well.
CALL TO MOUNTAIN FRIENDS CAMP
Calling all Friends young and old, near and far, to IMYM’s Quaker summer camp focused on building community, exploring nature, and having fun. This summer we’ll return to Timberline Trails, a nonprofit with cozy facilities and decades of experience hosting youth camps. Last year, campers and staff enjoyed a variety of activities including hiking, canoeing, campfire songs, meeting for worship, silk-screening, washing dishes, working on plork projects, contra dancing, jewelry making, and playing volleyball and cooperative games.
We have lots of plans for this summer like growing our Counselors in Training teen leadership program, exploring farther afield on foot and canoe, creating a MFC songbook-and hope you’ll come share your ideas and gifts! See you this summer!
Dates: Staff Training July 9-13
Session I July 13-20
Session II July 20-27
Location: Timberline Trails, Tincup, Colorado
Rates: $300 per session. $25 discount for 2nd session or 2nd siblings.
Need-based camperships are available.
Who: Campers entering 5th-10th grade (ages 10-15)
Counselors in Training entering 11th -12th grade (ages 16-17)
Counselors and Kitchen staff ages 18+ (we welcome more retirees!)
Why: New friends, old friends, new skills, hard work, quiet worship, MUCH FUN
Contact: Ana Easterling (435)554-1132 [email protected] MountainFriendsCamp.org
LISTENING SESSION
The Listening Session will focus on hearing the voices of all those present at IMYM. The current ecological/environmental crisis is a critical issue that all of us face--every person, every nation, every species, every forest, reef, ecosystem--and must face together. The youth of this planet have an important role in this crisis, as "the future is in the hands of the younger generation." We need to come together, in support of each other, to enact change. Coping with our own individual emotional and spiritual investments, our fears, and the obstacles we face will be crucial to achieving our goals for eco-justice. The listening session will be a space for expression and acceptance of our hope and hopelessness as it stems from our great love and concern for the Earth and all things part of it.