2021 Annual Sessions

Adult   Children   All

Times listed are Central (the location of the ILYM campus); See High School Sessions for schedule for High Schoolers.

Monday, June 14

Groups for worship sharing will meet Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, 1:00-1:45 p.m.

Participants will arrive in a general meeting room and will be moved to break out rooms for small group worship sharing.

Queries

Queries are not currently available

Worship Sharing Guidelines

1. The leader provides a seed for sharing usually in the form of queries.

2. Reach as deeply as you can into the sacred center of your life.

3. Speak out of the silence, and leave a period of silence between speakers.

4. Speak from your own experience, about your own experience. Concentrate on feelings and changes rather than on thoughts or theories.

5. Do not respond to what anyone else has said, either to praise or to refute.

6. Listen carefully and deeply to what is spoken.

7. Expect to speak only once, until everyone has had a chance to speak.

8. Respect the confidentiality of what is shared.

9. The leader lets the group know when the time is almost up, and ends with at least a brief period of silence.

Workshops will be Thursday, Friday, and Saturday beginning at 2:00 pm.

Participants will be in day's general meeting room and be moved to a breakout room for the workshop they want to attend. Some workshops will be held at a different Zoom meeting.

Opening to Our Unity in the Divine Light, Marcelle Martin and  Phyllis Reynolds (Clerk of ILYM Ministry and Advancement). Experiencing our unity in God, through meeting for worship and particularly the gathered meeting, has been foundational in Friends’ understanding of the equality of all people. This workshop will provide an opportunity for intimate spiritual sharing and exploration together.  Participants will discuss ways to prepare for and experience God in meeting for worship and how to make ourselves more receptive to the gift of the gathered meeting. Marcelle Martin will speak about the spiritual practices that have helped her open more to the leading of the Spirit in worship, and also about her experiences of groups becoming gathered by God. In the gathered meeting, Friends tap into the underlying reality of our oneness in God. In this workshop, participants will have an opportunity to explore surrendering to God together in a period of worship, to share in breakout rooms, and to reflect in the whole group about being gathered by the Spirit in meeting for worship. (Thursday, 90 minutes, held in a different Zoom meeting)

In-person, Zoom, Hybrid? What is going on at your meeting? Pam Kuhn (Lake Forest Friends Meeting). A time to share with each other the excitement and challenges our meetings and worship groups have faced. Participants will discuss ways in which they are finding (or searching for) a new post-pandemic identity in their meeting communities. Perhaps participants can bring forward general queries as well as technology specifics. (Thusday, Friday, Saturday, repeats, 90 min)

Ending Youth Incarceration in Illinois! Debbie Southorn (American Friends Service Committee Chicago). Join this interactive workshop to learn about AFSC Chicago Peacebuilding Program's work to divest from policing and incarceration, and invest in youth and communities. The workshop will share information about the five remaining youth prisons in Illinois, and how youth are organizing to close them and invest those resources in life-affirming services instead. There will be opportunities to discuss alternatives to incarceration, and how meetings can get involved in this important effort. (Friday, 60 min)

Listening for Our Future Vision for the ILYM Campus, Christopher Goode and Noel Pavlovic (both on ILYM Maintenance, Planning & Envisioning Committee and Environmental Concerns Committee). It has almost been a decade since the last property plan. These committees need input from the members of they yearly meeting in regards to future improvements to the property.  Workshop leaders will make the previous plan available to participants and through queries will elicit yours dreams for the property. (Thursday, Saturday, repeats, 90 min)

Speaking Truth to Power: Storytelling in Quaker Advocacy, Bobby Trice (FCNL). We all have stories to tell and ministry to share about the change we want to see in our society. In this workshop, participants will learn how to frame and tell their stories as a form of advocacy and practice telling their personal stories about why they care about policy change using FCNL’s tried and true RAFT principles and framework. The content of this workshop provides transferable skills in storytelling applicable to any communication with Congress, including media advocacy and virtual lobbying.  As constituent lobbyists, stories are the power used when talking to a congressional office. Stories humanize policy issues for members of Congress, showing them the real people at the end of their decisions, and inspiring them to open their hearts and act beyond self-interest out of love of neighbor, kindness, and justice. FCNL’s emphasis on storytelling is an outgrowth of Quaker tradition. Friends have spoken truth to power from personal experience of God and Quaker testimonies almost as long as there have been Friends. Some of Friends most beloved texts are journals and petitions from individuals and bodies of Friends seeking to articulate their experience of God and bring about a more just world through everyday actions. This workshop will prepare participants to join past and future generations of Friends in using story to carry our witness into the world in this same tradition. (Saturday, 90 minutes, held in a different Zoom meeting)

Children's Sessions (Preschool through Middle School)

Annual Sessions is a gathering of Friends that is supportive of families with children. Children’s Sessions provide the opportunity for children to experience various aspects of Quaker faith and life.  Children's Sessions will run June 25-26. Sunday, June 27 will be a special musical epistle reading program for all ages (adults and children)

There will be small age-appropriate groups designed to be meaningful while giving children a chance to connect with other Friends of their age. Age groups will meet at different times on Friday and Saturday. There will also be a time on Friday and Saturday for young people of all ages to hang out with each other.

Developing out of the Annual Sessions theme, the groups will focus on the following:

Preschool Children (3-5 year-olds), Friday and Saturday, 2:00-2:25 p.m.

Godly Play Stories: Margaret Fell and Meeting for Worship. Teachers: Camille Roberts, Evanston Friends Meeting and Bobbi Trist, Urbana-Champaign Friends Meeting

 
Primary Children’s Program (6-7 year-olds), Friday and Saturday, 2:30 – 2:55PM

Godly Play Stories: Woolman and the Indians and Martin Luther King, Jr. Teachers: Camille Roberts, Evanston Friends Meeting and TBA

 
Intermediate Children’s Program (8-10 year-olds), Friday and Saturday, 3:00-3:45 p.m.

Theme: How and what did we, as a society, change from unequal to equal in our past? These classes will include talking, learning and students working and creating a short presentation for Sunday’s program, could include and not limited to, utilizing shared screen, power points, videos, etc. All students are encouraged to take an active role. Teachers: TBA and Charlotta Koppanyi, Evanston Friends Meeting
 

Middle School Program (10-13 year-olds)
4:00 – 4:45PM

Meeting Theme: Difference between Equality and Equity – what does that mean in reality? These classes will include discussions, dialoging, learning and students working and creating a short presentation for Sunday’s program, could include and not limited to, utilizing shared screen, power points, videos, animations created by them etc. All students are encouraged to take an active role. Teachers: Rex Nyquist and Charlotta Koppanyi, Evanston Friends 
 

Hang Out Session for All Students of All Ages
4:45 – 5:30PM

Each day will have time for all students to socialize informally with each. Teachers will be present, but the space is for the young people of all ages.
 

Epistles Reading and Musical Presentation Sunday, June 27, 2:00PM

• Opening by internationally acclaimed concert violinist, Rachel Barton Pine
• Adult and childrens epistles reading
• Improvised musical performance by 9-year-old Sylvia Pine, inspired by the childrens epistles
  
  

High School Program

The Youth Oversight Committee and High School Friends (entering grade 9 through recent high school graduates) plan the program. The Youth Coordinator will contact youth and youth's parents with program specifics after the youth is registered for the program. High School Program times will be:

• June 16: 3pm-5pm, 8pm-10pm
• June 17: 10am-12pm, 3pm-5pm, 8pm-10pm
• June 18: 10am-12pm, 3pm-5pm, 8pm-10pm
• June 19: 10am-12pm, 3pm-5pm, 8pm-10pm
• June 20: 10am-12pm

Adult Young Friends

The Adult Young Friends of ILYM are a group of 18 to 35-year-old Friends led to maintain a sense of community. While a subgroup of adult Friends, AYFs participate as active adult members of ILYM. No special programming is being scheduled for 2021.

Due to large gathering cautions and restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the ILYM 2021 Annual Sessions will be held on-line, instead of on-campus, via a series of video conference events. While this will be a different experience than gathering on the ILYM campus in McNabb, Illinois, it can be taken up as an opportunity to connect with Friends who do not usual come to on-campus gatherings.

Many of the regular components of on-campus Annual Sessions will be offered during these on-line Annual Sessions: worship, business sessions, presentations, worship sharing, workshops, dancing, children's religious education and high school programs. There will be a pre-sessions meeting on Monday for people who want to check out their setup and get familiar with Zoom.

REGISTRATION:

Registration is required if you want to attend any of the online programs. Registration will put you on the list to receive links to programs. Registration helps in planning for these programs, helps to prevent unauthorized people crashing programs, and helps to keep contact data current. Please register before June 3, especially for Children's Sessions. You will not be able to register after June 12. If you are mailing in registration, it should arrive before June 12.

FEES/DONATIONS:

The per day fee for on-campus Annual Sessions is set to cover the costs of on-campus Annual Sessions. Due to on-line nature of this year's Annual Sessions there is not a per day fee structure. However there are still costs associated with holding on-line annual sessions. Friends are asked to provide a donation to help off-set these costs.

TECHNOLOGY CONCERNS:

Some Friends might be unfamiliar with video conferencing. There will be a preliminary program Monday evening for those who might what to verify that their setup works and to get familiar with the video conferencing platform. Technical assistance will be available throughout the meeting time. Monthly meetings are encouraged to assist members who may have technological concerns.

Stay informed about what is happening in ILYM.

To get updates and further details on Annual Sessions programming Subscribe to the twice-a-month e-newsletter. Use the contact form to request to be added on to the distribution list. Please include your name and meeting along with your e-mail address.

Adult sessions registration closed June 12.

Children's Sessions registration will close June 23.

REGISTRATION: Registration is required if you want to attend any of the online programs. Registration will put you on the list to receive links to programs. Registration helps in planning for these programs, helps to prevent unauthorized people crashing programs, and helps to keep contact data current.

FEES/DONATIONS: The per day fee for on-campus Annual Sessions is set to cover the costs of on-campus Annual Sessions. Due to the on-line nature of this year's Annual Sessions there is not a per day fee structure. However there are still costs associated with holding on-line annual sessions. Friends are asked to provide a donation to help off-set these costs.

Online Children's Sessions Registration

During on-campus Annual Sessions a series of folders is on the entry table. These folders contain additional documents for use during Annual Sessions. Links to the content of these folders follow below. Links will be active when content is available.

• Minutes of business sessions (June 16-19)
• Supplementary and late arriving documents (June 16)
• Proposed FY 2022 Budget (rev June 18)
• Schedule updates and additions

• Files for “Help Think about Next Year's Annual Sessions go to ilym.org/planning.
  • Site Overall Coordinator Form (Chicago South)
  • Program Overall Coordinator Form (BRQ)
  • Food Overall Coordinator Form (Chicago North)

• Instructions and Pointers for Joining On-line Sessions (Note: from 2020, so might not be slightly different than current Zoom version).

• State of Society Reports
• Memorial Minutes
• Minutes from Fall Continuing Committee and Spring Continuing Committee

• Epistles from other yearly meetings