WINTER 2005Rita Varley
Central Philadelphia MM[Rita Varley is the librarian for the PYM Library. Her presence and the materials she brings for borrowing have been a highlight of Tri-Quarter Gathering each year.—ED.]
nnually, about 100 Friends from Burlington, Haddonfield, and Salem Quarters – and a handful from the other side of the Delaware River – gather for their fall Tri-Quarter Gathering weekend at Camp Ockanickon in Medford Lakes, N.J. This year, at the end of September and the first few days of October, the weather was perfect and all the Friends and their activities were full of joyful energy. The people who organize this event (George and Cindy Cox Crispin, Fred Millner and Chris Darlington, Marsha Gaspar, Phil Anthony, Fran Campbell, Kandy Lippincott for children's program, with Bob and Meed Barnett) have become highly skilled at creating a perfect balance between workshops, free time, childrens's activities and sharing. They have developed a warm relationship with the camp directors, who go all out to keep everyone who attends happy.
The theme this year was "Together in the Light." Workshop topics ranged from inward searching (forgiveness, affirmation) to world concerns (AFSC service and Quakers in Ramallah). Ed Dreby led a plenary session on the environment focusing on the wonderful work Friends Committee on National Legislation is doing and on the Yearly Meeting project to transform Friends Center into an environmentally sustainable "green" building which will operate totally free of fossil fuels.
I brought a large exhibit of books, CD's and DVD's. The circulation was higher than any exhibit I can remember. Well over half of the books were borrowed – more books went out than there were people attending – and many more read during the weekend.
Camp Ockanickon is on the shore of several beautiful lakes. These have become marshes after last year's flood, which washed out the dams. Reconstruction of the dams is under way to restore the lakes by next year. In the meantime, Nature has made the marshes beautiful, so Friends enjoyed exploring them on quiet walks. Tim Siftar organized some wild and vigorous games, and donated a copy of his game book to the library. Marjorie Candau did her annual square dance calling. Carolyn Shafer led us in a thumping drumming session. Budd Howard, an astronomer who worked with Hal Taylor, opened the observatory and amazed us with stargazing and star stories. There were hay rides, four of them, and a camp fire. The children participated fully in every activity. All these things were wonderful, community building fun, and fed people's hearts what they needed.
The next Tri-Quarter will be the last Friday and Saturday in September and first Sunday in October 2006. You are all invited to attend.
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Monday, November 21, 2005 at 04:24 PM
