Fall Gathering in the Mountains

Nine (or was it thirteen?) Young Friends gathered in the mountains to celebrate the Fall Gathering and to catch up with one another mid-way through the year after Ghost Ranch. We:

played football, went swimming, played miniature golf, played cherades, listened to a woman talking of the many names of God and sharing her prayer beads from around the world, roller skated, ate, watched Anime and Dog Town, hiked, played basketball, played checkers, listened to music, agreed that the hardest part about being a Quaker is "a pain in the butt to try to explain it to people," enjoyed the talent show, balanced (or not) on the balance board ("the record is held by Zack at 84 minutes"), read (briefly), decided upon favorite activities, slept from time to time.

We expect to be back next year.

Dedication

Fort Collins Friends joined together to dedicate the new Young Friends Room and the Library on September 11. The design and financing and decision-making and construction of the additional facility took a number of years and hundreds of hours on the part of Friends. The additional space has been needed as our Young Friends got older and as the Meeting gained confidence in its willingness to take on a new financial responsibility. Furnishing of the new space is continuing and will include updating of the Multipurpose Room.

Quaker worship at Elitch Gardens

Of course, worship can have its ups and downs. The First Day School recently experienced life as an amusement park (though each one of these Young Friends expressed themselves differently). Some like it to go up and down; some like it to go around; some like to stay planted on the ground. As in the rest of life, Quakers express their testimonies through their individual leadings.

Gathering on the Poudre

Young Friends and Older Friends from Fort Collins spent August 8 - 10 gathered beside the Poudre River. The river was running cold and swift. The rain fell occasionally, When that happened, we gathered in the large building whose stones were set by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s. The building has one of those fireplaces you can sit in. We cooked; we ate; we talked; and we gathered on Sunday for silent worship in the sweet fresh air.



This was our fifth year to gather on the Poudre. Over time, the Friends who come have changed; the numbers vary from year to year; the children grow older; the old have more difficulty sleeping on the ground (thank goodness for air mattresses). But the sense is the same: to gather as a Friends community by the river that gives life to our community and to share time together, time being the only thing that we have...and that being so fleeting.

Community Youth Garden

The Community Youth Garden has been a project of Fort Collins Friends for several years. It was begun with the efforts of Lorin Unterberger and has continued with oversight from several individuals. For the past few years, a cooperative planning group from Colorado State University (coordinated by Kawika), Irish Elementary School and the Friends Meeting has worked on the project.



On April 13, a group of volunteers from Sigma Alpha, a woman's professional agricultural sorority at CSU, and from Fort Collins Friends worked to prepare the garden for springtime. The work went well on a cold, windy, sunny day and was followed by a barbecue for those who had come out. It is good to share the life of the community with others.

Quakers Who Ski

Young Friends Update

During 2007, young Friends held our annual ski trip at the nearby Snowy Range in Wyoming. The day was cold and full of snow. Our skill levels are rising each year and we might have to graduate to one of the bigger resorts in Colorado one of these winters.


In the spring, we went to Elitch Gardens in Denver to celebrate the end of school, though our First Day School continues all year round. And in the late summer, we go camping along the Poudre River. The Poudre and its canyon are one of our natural playgrounds.
A few years back, we had a rock climbing day with David and Ashley Lloyd who are the caretakers of our Meeting House and awesome climbers.




At Christmas, we held a fundraiser and donated gloves and mittens to a local charity. We also donated funds to buy a goat and some chickens for a Heifer Project overseas.

Music in the Hammock

And exploring the worlds of music with a Friend, especially when suspended above ground by a purple silk-like fabric, is a way of being open to the senses.  

Another Gathering on the Poudre

Tubing together, catching the flow of the Poudre, is one way to experience an aspect of friendship...the need to hold on in the face of uncertainty and very cold water.  

At our annual Gathering on the Poudre, Fort Collins Friends discussed the spiritual aspects of S'mores, tubing, and lying in hammocks with books or good friends.