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Friends Meetings - Quakers - in the North Central U.S.

NYM 2020 Annual Session will not be held at Lions Camp

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Northern Yearly Meeting 2020 Annual Session Update

  • Session cancelled at Lions Camp
  • Electronic gathering sessions Memorial Day Weekend in planning stages - offer suggestions to Paul Conklin:  martonklin@alumni.duke.edu  
  • Possible fall gathering, depending on a number of things

The Annual Session Planning Committee met on Sunday night (March 22) to reconsider our plans for Northern Yearly Meeting’s 2020 annual session in light of the Covid-19 epidemic.  The committee agreed that, given projections that the virus will still be actively spread in May and June, it would be unwise to hold our normal session at Lion’s camp in May and agreed that cancelling it was the right thing to do. 

We also agreed that an electronic gathering should take place that weekend.  The Zoom meeting that was used for the spring interim session went well, and the committee proposes to use that platform to gather on Memorial Day weekend.  At a minimum, there are issues that must be decided in Meeting for Business, but we hope to be able to engage in some of the worship, sharing, learning and fun that would normally happen at Lion’s Camp.  The ASPC is very open to suggestions about what activities would work best in a video conference or webinar format.  Can we share our State of the Society reports? Consider our work against racism? Share insights from living through this pandemic? Hold workshops and interest groups?  Should we do everything on one day or schedule activities in 1 – 2 hour blocks over the course of a couple days?  Can we use this as an opportunity to engage members of NYM that don’t normally attend our Annual Session?  How much time and energy should we commit to this gathering, given the pressing needs that are growing in all of our local communities? Please email suggestions or comments to martonklin@alumni.duke.edu.

We also discussed the possibility of holding a physical gathering in the fall.  Lions Camp is normally closed on Labor Day weekend, but they have agreed to open for us that weekend if we wish.  A two day gathering later in the fall, at Lions camp or another venue is also a possibility.  The Committee agreed that it is too early to make a decision on a postponed gathering.  We need more information about course of this disease the needs and desires of Friends to make a wise decision.

Paul Conklin for the Annual Session Planning Committee

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