Community Building & Involvment
This retreat is part community service, part getting to know each other, and part discussion about what we want the Young Friends community to look like at future retreats. This retreat is specially designed to welcome new comers and freshmen into the Young Friends community.
Creativity
How does making art, music and food together help us get to know each other and ourselves? How can we use our creativity to make a vibrant community together? At this retreat we will sing, dance, bake, paint, draw, make and express ourselves in countless ways.
Quakerism & World Religions
What does it mean to be Quaker? Who are we? How are our beliefs similar to and different from others? How can we learn and grow from exploring different spiritual practices? We have dedicated our longest retreat to these numerous questions so that we may really sink our teeth into the sometimes amorphous topic of Quakerism and religion. We will explore our Quaker history and the many ways in which people worship.
Diversity
How does race, class, gender, sexual orientation, culture and religion affect our lives? How can we use the testimonies of Quakerism to address the oppression many people face? At this retreat will we explore our identities and seek to speak truth to each other. We will be joined by Theatre for Transformation, a theatre group from Philadelphia which challenges us to remember, forgive, and create new possibilities as we learn about African American history..
Sexuality & Relationships
Our annual Sexuality & Relationships retreat is the longest running retreat theme, and is the favorite for many YFs and RPs alike. Droves of former Young Friends still talk about this retreat as the highlight of the year for them, and little has changed in the nearly 20 years of its existence. From our RP Panel sharing their stories, to the Safer Sex Talk, to the well-loved Fish Bowl in which Young Friends can anonymously ask questions of each other, we dive into the many dimensions of sexuality & relationships Young Friends are faced with. Whether it be sexual orientation, sexual identity, healthy relationships with both ourselves and partners, or more straight forward questions about anatomy, we take it on with care for both truth in education and concern for the well-being of our youth's physical, spiritual, and emotional selves. Many of the Resource People are teachers, social workers, former camp counselors (you might be surprised how useful this is), and/or activists for many of the topics surrounding sexuality. Parents or Young Friends with concerns or questions are encouraged to contact Nia Thomas at (617) 945-0373 or yfcoord@neym.org
Rest and Relaxation
For several years now the Young Friends of New England Yearly Meeting have thoroughly basked in the opportunity to have a retreat at the end of the school year which focuses on rest & renewal of mind, body and spirit. Join us for a weekend of relaxation with active renewal & nourishment of our bodies. Sleep in a bit on Saturday morning, practice some yoga with us, eat nourishing (and delicious!) food, journal to your heart's content, and get back together with your inner zen self.