NPYM 2009 Youth EpistlesJuly 22, 2007 Early Elementary Epistle
We created Friendly Aliens from recycled things and then we painted them with sparkle paint so they looked new. We told stories about how our Friendly Aliens will help people and animals on earth when they come to visit us. We went on a field trip to Splash Montana, where we enjoyed the Lazy River and water slides. On a different day we walked to the Carousel. We also created a giant game of 'Life' on the floor. We did Yoga poses, listened to stories, sang songs, flew paper gliders and drew with chalk. Sincerely, Upper Elementary Epistle
The Upper Elementary Epistle, which unfortunately has been lost, was read to the plenary. Central Friends Epistle: Grades 6-8
Peaceful Greetings from the NPYM Central Friends in 2009, Missoula Montana. Thursday morning, we hiked down to the river and observed nature and wildlife on Jacobs Island. Later, we went to Splash Montana. It very fun (even our teachers went down the water slides) and we are glad we went. We played Ping-Pong. We learned that most of us aren't very good at Ping-Pong. On Friday, we hiked up the trail towards the "M" on Mount Sentinel, but we couldn't make it quite all the way to the top. Then, we went back to the river and Jacobs Island and swam in the river for a little while. It was really hot outside, so the cool water felt good. We played Ping-Pong. We got a little bit better. Richard, our instructor, taught us the peaceful martial art of Aikido. Joe Snyder came to tell Bible stories and showed us slides from his veterinary practice and a movie about tribal conflict and resolution. John Calvi, our friend in residence, taught us about keeping our bodies healthy, through massage and healing. We played even more Ping-Pong. That game never gets old. At Community Night we performed a skit involving bubble gum, slugs, dogs, and bubble gum again - we don't know exactly the theme - maybe "Things are not always as they seem." Of course, we spent time hanging out and connecting; getting to know each other. We're all going to leave having made new friends and new memories. And, of course, we played Ping-Pong. Junior Friends Epistle
Twenty Junior Friends ages 14 through 19 gathered in Missoula, Montana to congregate under the big sky for annual session. First we ventured into town equipped with scars, wands and an invisibility cloak to watch the sixth Harry Potter movie. Coming back to campus in the wee hours of the morning, we began our streak of sleepless nights. Throughout the session, we coped with the heat by tubing and cooling off in the river. Several excursions to Big Dipper were enjoyed by all. Saturday night brought around the traditional Junior Friend and Young Friend hosted dance (dance = toga dance). There we enjoyed awesome intergenerational dancing. Directly following the dance we migrated to Knowles Hall for a 'Feast of Love' with Young Friends, where we only ate food fed to us by others. Also with the Young Friends, we met with this year's Friend in Residence, John Calvi. There we learned about energy healing during a hands-on workshop. We attended intergenerational worship sharing, which we found interesting and discussion inducing. Thursday night the Junior Friends retreated to the lounge for a meeting for worship with a concern for business. We discussed the possibility of a service trip to Jamaica (proposed for summer 2010), addressed the need for more advisors, and heard speakers to represent the Youth Committee and Ministry and Oversight. Most Junior Friends will now be continuing on to Idaho for summer camp during which we will swim in the lake and discuss the role of the advisor and our safety policy. We look forward to gathering once again in summer 2010(also in Missoula) as sell as in February for our annual ski trip. Peace, Love and Light Young Friends Epistle
We, the NPYM Young Friends, gathered in Missoula, Montana for Annual Session 2009. Not only did we have the largest Young Friends group in recent history, we also enjoyed the extra day afforded to us by an extended Annual Session. With the extra time, Young Friends created community through many outdoor activities and card games. Several of these events were intergenerational, particularly with the Junior Friends. We co-hosted an intergenerational dance with the Junior Friends on Saturday night, followed by a feast of love (a meal where friends must feed each other.) This activity was a culmination of the trust building we had begun in a healing touch workshop with John Calvi. We also centered ourselves through worship sharing, both with the greater meeting and within our smaller community. In particular, many Young Friends found themselves reflecting on the life and life work of Bonnie Tinker, whose impact on friends has been great. Several of us attended a meeting for worship for memorial, and some felt further compelled to write a letter of support to Bonnie's son, Alex Tinker. On the business side of affairs, progress was made involving the ongoing visioning of the Young Friends program. We established a new position to meet the demands of coordinating a larger group, which will be filled by Meghann Willard. We also welcomed a new clerk — Noah Visscher. Our business meetings produced three minutes, one re-affirming the Young Friends commitment to following the NPYM policies, and the other two encouraging clarity regarding financial aid available to Young Friends. In business meeting and in an interest group, we discussed the desire for new members and continuity within the Young Friends Group. In peace, |
North Pacific Yearly Meeting
