2023 Upper Susquehanna Quarter Fall Family Gathering

Friends,

We are excited to announce that registration is now open for Upper Susquehanna Quarterly Meeting’s Fall Family Gathering at Crystal Lake Camps from September 29- October 1, 2023! 

Quiet and remote, come and relax, learn, play and connect in the natural beauty of Crystal Lake and the surrounding forest. You can camp or stay in comfortable cabins or the lodge.

This year’s theme is: “Call to Climate Change and Equity”.  Please review the attached preliminary schedule to see all of the wonderful workshops we have planned for all ages. We will once again have assistance from PYM staff for youth programming.  Our headliner workshops will be run by USQM’s own Climate Steward, Jackie Bonomo.  Don’t forget to plan for arrival early on Friday if you can.

Register here ASAP, early bird pricing ends 9/5. Registration ends at midnight on 9/24.

If you have questions or concerns, contact Coordinator Amy Harte at amharte3@gmail.com

2023 Fall Family Gathering Schedule of Events

FRIDAY - September 29

10:00-1:00 Early Volunteers for Setup and Food/Kitchen prep

12:00- Lunch (for Friday morning volunteers only)

1:00 – 8:00 pm Registration and Check-in – Tent outside of the Dining Hall
1:00 - 4:30 Free time for hiking, setup, and gathering

4:30 - 6:00  Workshop #1 - Climate Racism - Jackie Bonomo - Alford Hall (14 powerpoint slides) Given the fact of existential climate crisis, are we making timely choices based on our concern and awareness of the profoundly unequal impact climate change has on races, cultures, genders, economic classes, regions, and nationalities?

OR Youth Activities

6:00 – 7:00 Dinner – Dining Hall/Outside tents

Volunteers needed for meal preparation and cleanup

7:00 – 8:00 Show and Share your story – a collection, art work, hobbies. Items related to Climate Action and Equity are encouraged (displays will stay up throughout the weekend)

7:00 - 7:45 Meeting for Worship – Side Porch

8:00 - 10:00 Movie Showing, Earth: One Amazing Day - Alford Hall

SATURDAY - September 30

7:00 – 7:30 Meeting for Worship – Side Porch

7:30 – 8:30 Breakfast – Dining Hall/Outside tents

Volunteers needed for meal preparation and cleanup

8:30 – 9:15 Group Icebreaker, Share your Story – PYM Staff - Outside tents/Playing Field

9:15– 10:30 Workshop #2 – Braiding Sweetgrass hosted by Joshua Miller, Intergenerational Activitiy and Discussion - Outside Tents

10:45 - 11:45 Workshop #3  - Using Finances for Action on Climate - Jackie Bonomo (powerpoint slides) Is our Money working for or against the Climate Catastrophe?
● Investments, savings, banking, and insurance with resource links
● Accessing help with financing climate positive changes in our homes and
Meetinghouses with resource links

OR Youth activities

11:45 - 12:15 Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address, Greetings and Thanks to the Natural World – Outside tents

12:15 Group Photo – By the Lake
12:30 – 1:30 Lunch – Dining Hall/Outside tents (lunch line open approx. 12:30-1:00)

Volunteers needed for meal preparation and cleanup

1:30 – 3:00 Workshop #4 - Art Project - Recycled Paper postcards with embedded seeds with Ruth Zelanski

OR Singing –  Side porch

OR Free time

3:30 – 5:30 Meeting for Worship with Attention to Business - Outdoors, Rain Location Long House

OR 

Workshop #5 - Youth Workshop: Taking Care of Our Earth

5:45 – 7:00 Dinner – Dining Hall/Outside tents (dinner line open approx. 5:45-6:15)

Volunteers needed for meal preparation and cleanup

7:30 – Bedtime – Campfire with drumming, singing, and storytelling, at the campfire by the rope swing

SUNDAY – October 1

7:30 – 8:30 Breakfast – Dining Hall/Outside tents

Volunteers needed for meal preparation and cleanup

8:45  – 10:45  Workshop #6–Cyanotypes. Intergenerational Art Project with Ruth Zelanski. - Outdoors, Rain Location Long House

9:00 - 9:45 - Workshop # 7- Sharing environmental activities of your meeting and household (based on suggestions from attendees on flip charts throughout the weekend) - side porch

10:00 - 10:45 Workshop # 8 Book Club - Braiding Sweetgrass Robin Wall Kimmerer, Monique Gray Smith, young adult version

11:00 – 12:00 Meeting for Worship
All Ages

Children come into worship with their parent/guardians. (Friends are welcome to bring supplies for drawing or quiet activities.) The start of meeting will include a directed activity geared toward our youngest friends then there will be Young Friend Supervision/Childcare available if needed.

12:15 – 1:15 Lunch – Dining Hall/Outside tents (lunch line open approx. 12:15-12:45)

Volunteers needed for meal preparation and cleanup

1:15 – 2:30 Whole camp cleanup (all)

OR

Planning Meeting for 2022 Family Gathering – Porch near Dining Hall

●    Assess what went well, what we can change.

●    New participants welcome for all or part of this meeting.

Don’t forget to sign-up to help with a kitchen shift, caring for young friends, and food items:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70a0a48aca628aafa7-2023#/

A quick packing list, in additional to personal items:

Towels & bed linens will be provided - do not pack!

Updated clearances for adults- the original and a photocopy

Clothing appropriate for outdoors and probable cold weather

Camping equipment such as a small folding table, chairs, a Pop-up tent if you have one

A reusable mug for hot and cold beverages

Games or activities to share, particularly for inclement weather

Any food you have volunteered to bring

Personal art or other projects for Show & Tell