2022 Annual Session Information

This is the information page for Pacific Yearly Meeting’s 2022 Annual Session which took place July 22 – 27, 2022.  The in-person gathering was held at Mount Madonna Center (near Watsonville, CA) with offerings for remote or online participation (via Zoom). 
On this page you will find everything you needed to know about attending the 2022 Annual Session … and if you have any questions, please contact Heather (AssistantToTheClerk@pacificyearlymeeting.org)

The theme this year is “Beloved Community: What Does It Mean to Belong: to Ourselves, to Each Other, to the Earth?”
Clerk’s Call to Annual Session 2022
Convocatoria a la Sesión Anual 2022 (en español)

 After Annual Session

Epistles

Attenders List

The 2022 Annual Session Attenders List is provided to registered attenders for the purposes of contacting individual Friends.  Please do not use this information for broadcast or commercial purposes.

The Attenders List can be found on the Attenders List 2022 page.  Registered attenders received the password to the page by email from the Administrative Assistant on September 26th.  (Note: the PDF of the Attenders List is also password protected with the same password.)  Please do not share the password with non-registrants.

Minutes

About the Sessions

Guidelines for Deep and Spirit-led Worship

Ministry Committee, working with the Racial Justice Subcommittee, is presenting augmented guidelines for worship – and other spaces where two or more are gathered.  Please read the guidelines carefully, as often as you can, between now and our gathering, to help insure that our discernment is deep and Spirit-led. 

Schedules and Agendas

Daily Miracle

The “Daily Miracle” is the bulletin that miraculously appears each morning during Annual Session. Each day’s issue will be emailed to all registered attendees as well as being posted here each morning.  Friends attending in person at Mount Madonna must sign up at the Information Desk if you wish to receive a paper copy of the Daily Miracle.  We are trying to reduce the number of printed copies to save a few trees.

Keynote Panel

Three Friends will speak to our theme of Beloved Community as our keynote speakers on Saturday morning.  They are Marlene Coach-Eisenstein, Honolulu Meeting, Peni Hall, Strawberry Creek Meeting, and Keith Runyan, Santa Cruz Meeting. Diego Navarro will moderate this panel, and of course it will be available both  in person and on Zoom.  The panelists will also be available for further discussion at an interest group in the afternoon, also hybrid.

Interest Groups

Sessions on different topics of interest sponsored by PacYM Committees and Friends’ organizations. The time for submitting proposals for interest group sessions has passed. If you would like to facilitate a conversation on a topic of interest to Friends during Annual Session,  contact  Heather (assistanttotheclerk@pacificyearlymeeting.org) 

We have a number of Interest Groups in several formats associated with our Annual Session this year. In addition to the three 90 minute time slots during the Annual Session itself, with multiple options to choose from in each time slot, we will be experimenting this year with having some interest groups on the Saturday before session begins – July 16 – in two 90 minute blocks, and some on the Sunday after session ends – July 31. This is an experiment which has been tried by other Yearly Meetings, and we will see how it works for us.

Interest Groups Before Annual Session (Saturday, July 16)
Interest Groups At Annual Session
Interest Groups After Annual Session (Sunday, July 31)

Affinity Groups

Affinity Groups gather Friends around a common concern or a common identity. These groups create safe spaces for sharing and meet at different times during Annual Session (often in the evenings). In the past there have been Affinity groups for 12-Step programs, Friends of Color, LGBTQIA+, White Allies, and others.

Since Mount Madonna’s technical equipment will not be available for Affinity Groups, these conversations will not be able to be hybrid/blended unless Friends provide their own laptop. 

For groups meeting in person at Mount Madonna, go to the Master Schedule chart (near the Information Desk) to select a time and place and make a welcoming sign to help Friends find the group.
If this is an online meeting, ask the Zoom host to assign your group a breakout room.
In either case,  write up a welcoming announcement for the Daily Miracle to add to the basic information on the name, time and place. 

Friends wishing to host a one-time conversation about a specific topic should also select a space or request a breakout room, announce it at a plenary and in the Daily Miracle and if in-person, make a sign for the location.

EarthLight Bookstore

EarthLight has offered on-site sale of books of interest to Friends since 2012 (by Zoom only the last two years).  The 2022 bookstore is located in the Willow Room of the Mt. Madonna Conference Center; check the Daily Miracle for open hours. EarthLight also sponsors activities like storytelling and talks by authors about their recent books. Click here for the 2022 schedule of activities.

Worship Sharing

Early Quaker Writings

Early Quakers were different in many ways from any branch of Quakerism today. Some of the ideas expressed in their writings seem strange to us. Some things ring just as true for us today. We’ll explore together a work that was popular among early Friends and try to find the timeless truth expressed therein.

Meeting for Memorials

The Meeting for Memorials will occur 3:00-5:00 pm Sunday.  You are invited to contribute your memories of Friends who have died in the past year by posting text and photos on each individual’s guestbook pages. These pages are accessed through the Meeting for Memorials Guestbook 2022. The guestbook pages will remain open for entries for at least a month after the end of annual session.

The PacYM Epistle

An epistle from this Annual Session of PacYM (the adult portion, anyway) will be drafted by the Epistle Committee consisting of Roena Oesting, Judith Favor and Kindred Gottlieb.  Suggestions for the epistle can be sent to EpistleClerk@pacificyearlymeeting.org.  Drafts may be posted here at the direction of the committee, so keep an eye out for them.

Children’s Program

Children love Annual Session. The Children’s Program works to engage our youngest with fun, explorative, and learning experiences. Kids get to connect with other Quaker kids over activities like art and crafts, nature walks, gardening, story telling, and much more. For more information about the Children’s Program at Annual Session 2022, click HERE

Junior Yearly Meeting (Teens)

Junior Yearly Meeting (JYM) is composed of Friends of junior high and high school age 13-18. It’s a fun, youth led group that focuses on welcoming each other and connecting deeply through fun and shared reflections. The schedule will be packed with games, art, hikes, worship sharing, Alternatives to Violence Project, Respectful Relationships, support groups. For more information about JYM (Teen Program) at Annual Session 2022, click HERE

To see photos of what the Youth are up to, visit their Instagram channel at https://www.instagram.com/pacificyouthprograms/

Reports

All committee reports and other reports and documents received for Annual Session 2022 will be posted here.  Most are included in the Advance Packet, linked immediately below:

The Advance Packet

  • The All-In-One Advance Packet — Reports that were received by the July 1st deadline are included in the all-in-one Advance Packet.  (posted 7/10).

Updates to the Advance Packet

Reports and documents received after July 1st or needing correction will be itemized here and also listed with the individual reports below, marked not in Advance Packet. 

Individual Reports

Committee Reports

Representative and Observer Reports

Reports from Friends Organizations

Guidelines for Preparing Reports

PacYM Committees, Officers and Representatives to outside organizations are asked to prepare written reports in advance of Annual Session. If you have any questions about writing a report to Annual Session 2022, contact Heather (assistanttotheclerk@pacificyearlymeeting.org).

Please be aware that attenders at Annual Session are being asked to read many reports, and keep your report as concise as possible, under two pages (or 800 words) unless more is absolutely necessary. The Assistant to the Clerk will retain the right to edit longer reports.

Your report needs minimally to contain the name of your committee or organization, your name, and the name of any committee members working with you. Items for the consideration of the body at the PacYM Annual Session needed to have been raised first at RepCom earlier this year and should be included in your report. Contact Laura (clerk@pacificyearlymeeting.org) to request plenary time at Annual Session.

Please submit your report in Word, or similar, format to Heather (assistanttotheclerk@pacificyearlymeeting.org).

Thinking about attending Annual Session?

Here’s some basic information to get you started.

A message from Laura Magnani, Presiding Clerk

Covid has come closer and closer to home, for some of us into our own bodies or those of our loved ones. In spite of this, we are committed to holding our long-awaited in-person gathering. The longing to be together again, especially as expressed by our beloved youth, is strong. While we embrace the profound goodness of spending time in each other’s company, we acknowledge the risk of possible illness resulting from this choice. It will be up to each of us to fully embrace the COVID policy as outlined by the Safety Committee, designed to mitigate the risks of gathering. For all who can, we hope you will join us at Mount Madonna. For those who can’t, we honor that and welcome you to the beloved community through the world of Zoom.

Covid Safety Policy

Please read the full Covid Safety Policy. Friends planning to attend Annual Session in person will be required to acknowledge that you agree to abide by this policy on the registration form.

We honor Pacific Yearly Meeting as a resilient spiritual community in which individuals care for one another and follow long-held Quaker testimonies. Implicit in each testimony is the recognition that Friends live in close relationship with one another. Our decisions and actions on a daily basis have consequences, not only for ourselves but for others in our community.

Requirements

  • Up-to-date COVID Vaccination of everyone age 5 and up. 
  • Negative rapid COVID test performed on arrival at Mount Madonna.
  • Masking with N95, KN95 or KF94 masks indoors (except while actively eating or drinking).  Required for all ages, 2 and above. Friends are expected to bring their own masks. 
  • Daily Temperature Checks  will be done at lunch and at the Children’s Program.
  • Anyone who tests positive for COVID during Annual Session will be asked to leave Mount Madonna.

We recognize that there are many reasons members of the Quaker community may not be vaccinated. The decision to require vaccination for the in-person annual session is not meant to ostracize people who cannot or choose not to vaccinate, but rather to acknowledge the limitations of Pacific Yearly Meeting to provide a safe gathering and experience for our community.

The above summary is provided as a quick reference only. Please read the full Covid Safety Policy. This policy is subject to change between now and Annual Session.

About the site

Mount Madonna Center sits on a mountain-top with 380 acres of redwoods and grasslands.

There are hiking trails, two small ponds, and spaces for us to gather – indoor and out. Most of the areas we will use at Annual Session are on a reasonably flat road. The campsites are a ten minute walk up a fairly steep hill. Our meeting rooms are all accessible, and Friendly Golf Cart drivers will be available to help us get around.

Visit the IN PERSON page for practical information. 

Practical Information for Zoom and In-Person

  • for attending Annual Session 2022 IN PERSON at Mount Madonna 
  • for attending Annual Session ONLINE via Zoom

Dates & Links 

  • Registration has closed. For more information about the registration process and payments, see Registration below.
  • Reports: Officer, Committee and Representative reports are due July 1st. See the Guidelines for how to submit a report. 
  • Packet of Advance Materials:  An all-in-one PDF containing the Clerk’s call, worship guidelines and (nearly all of the) committee reports was shared and posted on this page July 10th.
  • Practical information for attending Annual Session 2022 IN PERSON at Mount Madonna or ONLINE via Zoom
  • NEW this year – Interest Groups before and after Annual Session! See Interest Groups below.

Registration

  • Registration to attend Annual Session 2022 has closed. If you have any question about your registration, please contact Lawrence at registrar@pacificyearlymeeting.org 
  • Annual Session 2022 is on a pay-as-led basis. Those who wish to contribute towards the cost of attendance will receive an estimate at the end of their registration based on their selections. Friends will then have an option to pay nothing, pay online or pay later online or via check. Contributions received over the estimated cost of attendance will be treated as a charitable contribution and acknowledged by our Treasurer.
  • Here is the PacYM PayPal link to make an online contribution towards the cost of Annual Session 2022 (after submitting your registration — you can pay online directly when submitting your registration):  PacYM Annual Session 2022 Contributions
  • If you would like to make a contribution by check towards the cost of Annual Session 2022, please make it out to “Pacific Yearly Meeting” and mail the check to: 
    Pacific Yearly Meeting Registrar
    c/o Lawrence Alderson
    10 Leeds Lane
    Aliso Viejo, CA, 92656-5295

Get Involved

  • Whether attending Annual Session in person or online, we hope you will consider sharing your skills and smiles by volunteering some time to support the holding of Annual Session. Contact arrangementsclerk@pacificyearlymeeting.org for more information.
  • The year-round work of Pacific Yearly Meeting is conducted almost entirely by volunteers. Working on committees is also a great way to deepen your spiritual life and to enlarge your circle of F/friends beyond your local community. Visit the Get Involved page or contact nominatingclerk@pacificyearlymeeting.org  

Contacts

  • General questions: Heather (assistanttotheclerk@pacificyearlymeeting.org)
  • Registration: Lawrence (registrar@pacificyearlymeeting.org)
  • Logistics : Bronwen (arrangementsclerk@pacificyearlymeeting.org)
  • Plenaries and business at Annual Session: Laura (clerk@pacificyearlymeeting.org)