Middle School Friends Working Group

The working group meets four times a year to pursue, support, and ground the MSF program's goals which are:

• to nurture the faith, practice and witness of Quakerism in our young people and the adults who work with them
• to support our youth in their spiritual and personal growth and awareness
• to provide a safe and fun environment for quality Quaker programming and an age-appropriate community for PYM Friends in 6th-8th grades
• to provide an emotionally and physically safe and loving, supportive opportunity for retreat so that our youth can together build a sanctuary to live fully into themselves spiritually, socially, and emotionally.

Current Members: Kamali Busch, Kitt Evans, Richard George, Todd Krasnai, Traci Hjelt-Sullivan

Committee Responsibilities:

• Developing a "big picture" sens of where we are steering the MSF program in the long-term, strategizing about how to get there Playing a role in publicizing the MSF program, as well as engaging in personal networking to spread the word about the program
• Inviting in new Middle School Friends (MSFs) and new Friendly Adult Presences (FAPs) 
• Providing accountability, support, and feedback to coordinator to better the MSF program 
• Providing support to parents of Middle School Friends 
• Discerning the themes for the gatherings held over a year
• Envisioning inspirational ideas to manifest the gathering themes, and researching the necessary information to accompany these themes.

Who might fit well:

• Anyone who is passionate about using play, song, theater, and other creative mediums to help Friends grow spiritually 
• Friends who feel the need to get back in touch with their inner-child (the fun, playful one -not the immature tantrum-throwing one), and can comfortably model being their authentic self. 
• Someone who is looking for a way to be connected inter-generationally and better understand the diversity and richness among Friends of different ages
• A Middle School Friend who wants to take on some leadership and self-determination in their MSF program 
• A High School Friend who loved being a Middle School Friend and wants to ensure that future Young Friends have a great program
• A Young Adult Friend interested in having an arena to exercise their servant leadership skills and possibly receive an Emerging Leadership Scholarship (contact MSF coordinator for details) 
• Parents of current or former Middle School Friends. Relatives of Middle School Friends who are interested in finding new ways to engage and support their nephews, nieces, grand-children, etc.

Click Here to goto the Middle School Friends Program Page