Standing
Committee on Education Children's
Religious Education Programs
Dear Expediters,
Dear Expediters,
Thanks for spreading the word about March sessions at Arch Street. Because you shared information about the children’s program with meeting families, several families attended yearly meeting for the first time – many coming on Sunday morning. And thank you for making sure that we had enough volunteers. About 50 volunteers helped in programs with about 225 children and young people, enough to make each child feel safe and assured that Yearly Meeting cared about them.
The fact that 15 age-level leaders gave up at least one day of their time to work with the children during sessions was very moving to me. The teachers came from meetings throughout the Delaware Valley, planned very carefully, and delivered with inspiration, the message of Friends. How blessed PYM is to have had them working with our children!
Gratefully,Marty Smith, editor
martys@pym.org
“God Is…” Curriculum Is Not Just for Yearly MeetingIt is clear to me that many First-day teachers used the Yearly Meeting packet “God Is….”, in spite of the fact that it arrived only in February. At least 35 meetings completed the banner portion of the YM packet which showed a deep understanding of the theme and much creativity. But if your meeting did not have time to use the packet before yearly meeting, please pull it out and use it this spring, summer or fall. It has activities designed for Kg.–Adults for sharing ideas on what God is (in a non-threatening environment). The packet invites the use of more than words to describe our experiences of God and works particularly well with small meetings. Using this packet gives us an opportunity to talk about what we believe about God and Quakerism with children and young people in our meetings. Adults will learn a great deal by listening, and our children really do want to know what we believe.
“God Is…..” was created by the CYPYM Group, which also planned the activities for children at Yearly Session. If you cannot locate the copy which was sent to meetings in PYM, it can be purchased from FGC Bookstore for $11.25 by phoning at 1-800-966 4556.
What Easter Is All About
In the weeks leading up to Easter, several PYM First-day teachers try to make sure that the children in their classes know that Easter is more than dressing up and hunting Easter eggs. The teachers work on the real meaning of Easter, at least from a Quaker perspective. A good resource for such preparation is Teaching Children About Jesus, Part II, chapters on Palm Sunday and Holy Week and The Resurrection (pp. 21-40).
In addressing the issue of the crucifiction of Jesus, a number of expert sources agree that, while the fact of the death of Jesus must be told, the details do not need to be dwelt upon, especially with young children. For young children it may be enough to present the fact of any death and Jesus’ death, in particular, in this light. As for the resurrection of Jesus, a teacher can emphasize the incredible compassion, dedication, and selflessness of Jesus as he tried to live out what God was like. The children can see how much Jesus loved them and He them. One can explain to young children that even though people or animals we love die, just like Jesus, because they were so special to us, we remember them, how we felt about them, and that makes us happy.
Teaching Children About Jesus, Part II can be borrowed from the PYM library (1-800-220-0796, #7220), purchased from FGC Bookstore (1-800-966-4556), or copies of the two chapters dealing with Easter, can be sent to you by calling Marty Smith at 215-241-7008 or by E-mail at: martys@pym.org.
“Young, Young Friends” (ages 7-13 years) and their Familes. Blairstown Camping Weekend, May 12-14, 2000. Located 1 ½ hours northwest of Princeton, NJ, near the Delaware River Water Gap. Under the oversight of Princeton Monthly Meeting, activities will include non-competitive games, hiking the Appalachian Trail, canoeing on the Delaware, and rowing on Bass Lake. The cost is $45.00 for 7-13 yr. olds and $90.00 for 18 years and older. For more information, call John Kelly (609) 883-2414. Registration deadline is April 12. Send registration to: John Kelly, 1 Devon Avenue, Lawrenceville, NJ 08648. Make checks payable to: Princeton Monthly Meeting (not PYM).
Middle School Friends (grades 6-8)
Camp Swatara, May 5-7, 2000. Held in rustic Camp Swatara, located on a wooded hillside at the base of the Appalachian Trail. Middle Schoolers will stay in cabins, go
on a hike up to the famous “rock pile”, do an adventure games course, and participate in square dancing and singing by the campfire in the evenings with others from Caln Quarter and around the Yearly Meeting. Cost is $58.00. Registration deadline is: April 21; scholarships are available. Flyer is in the mail; call Melanie Douty at (215) 241-7171, or E-mail at: melanied@pym.org for more information. Send registration to: Donna Scanlon, 582 E. Front Street, Marietta, PA 17547. Checks payable to: Caln Quarterly Meeting (not PYM).Quaker Arts Camp, August 13-17, 2000. Held at
Burlington Meeting House, Burlington, NJ. This camp for Middle School Friends will include improvisational theater, giant puppet building, juggling, and dancing. Afternoon workshops will be in clay, mosaics, creative writing, collage, and games with a whole day at the beach. Cost of the camp is $275.00, with a deposit of $150.00 due by June 1. Flyer is in the mail. Call Melanie Douty for details at (215) 241-7171, or E-mail at: melanied@pym.org.Young Friends (grades 9 through age 20). Young Friends Mexico Work Camp, June 27-July 10, 2000. To be held at Casa De Los Amigos in Mexico City. A flyer is in the mail, and you can call Cookie Caldwell at: (215)241-7171 for details or E-mail at: cookiec@pym. org. Young Friends will be staying in homes of high school students in San Luis Coyotzingo and working on a project with the village leaders. This workcamp, which could be transformational experience for you, costs $815.00, plus personal expenses with scholarship available. Clearness from you Monthly Meeting, in addition to an application (due by May 1) and a selection process are required for the trip.
Young Friends (grades 9-12)
Camp Swatara, May 5-7, 2000. The Young Friends program will spend Saturday morning on the adventure games course at the camp and in the afternoon will hike up the “rock pile” and along the Applachian Trail. Saturday evening will include an intergenerational program and square dance. Cost is $58.00. Registration deadline is: April 21; scholarships are available. Flyer is in the mail; call Cookie at (215) 241-7222, or E-mail at: cookiec@pym.org for more information. Send registration to: Donna Scanlon, 582 E. Front Street, Marietta, PA 17547. Checks payable to: Caln Quarterly Meeting (not PYM).
April 2001
Now that First-day year is drawing to a close, we are asking First-day teachers for their input as to what went really well this year in their Religious Education Program. What ideas were particularly successful? What ways of organizing your RE committee could be shared with the rest of the Yearly Meeting? Please send your Nifty Idea along to us by surface mail or by E-mail: martys@pym.org.
Solving the Easter Egg Hunt DilemmaThe idea which follows is a slight variation of bringing one’s own eggs to dye Easter morning was sent to us sent to us by Randy and Deb Lyons of West Chester Friends Meeting:
“As many of you know, Easter Egg hunts can become seriously competitive, with winners and losers. And that is not a good message for this wonderful holiday. So West Chester Meeting asked its members and attenders to bring hard-boiled, undecorated eggs on Easter morning, and then divide up the eggs so that each child has the same number. Each child then decorates his/her own eggs as she/he wishes and the newly decorated eggs are hidden, while the children wait somewhere else.
The trick here is that EACH CHILD ONLY PICKS UP HIS OR HER OWN EGGS, so that everyone should end up with the same number. An unexpected benefit has risen with this approach: the older children or young people actually help the younger ones look for their eggs. It is usually pretty obvious which eggs were done by the younger children, and the ones hiding the eggs try to make those easy to find.So with this approach to an Easter Egg Hunt, we encourage the artistic talents of our youngsters and eliminate the anxiety and tears that often accompanies the hunt.”
Thanks Randy and Deb Lyons for this excellent idea!
Published by Religious Education Concerns Group, Philadelphia Yearly Meeting
Office: 1515 Cherry Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102
Marty Smith: (215) 241-7008 (E-mail: martys@pym.org);
Cookie Caldwell: (215) 241-7222 (e-mail: cookiec@pym.org);
Melanie Douty: (215) 241-7171 (e-mail: melanied@pym.org);
Mary Anne Crowley: (215) 241-7221 (e-mail: maryc@pym.org);
Gene Hillman: (215) 241-7182 (e-mail: geneh@pym.org)
or: 1-800-220-0796, with the appropriate extension number.
Last modified: Tuesday, June 07, 2005 at 04:22 PM
