2020 Epistle from Junior Yearly Meeting

Dear Friends,

We are a group of 24 Quakers ages 5 to 10 who came together under extraordinary circumstances from August 1-9, 2020. Although the COVID-19 pandemic kept us at home, we were able to participate in JYM through Zoom. Our theme was “Row On, There’s Dawn Beyond the Night.” It meant to be hopeful and keep going.

Sessions this year was both a happy and sad event. Talking and hearing each other on Zoom could be challenging. It was tough spending so much time on the computer. We wished we could spend time with older kids and adults outside of our group, and we missed hugging people.

Our staff members helped us to have fun, though, with games, songs, and stories. We had family time in the morning with younger kids and families joining JYM. We especially enjoyed creating art together on a shared white board. In the evening, we split up into three smaller groups. Being on Zoom allowed us to see stuffed animals, pets, and other interesting items in each others’ homes. It also meant that people could join us from outside of New England, including some Friends from Cuba!

In our small groups, we enjoyed games like dressing up as different objects shown on the screen and taking a pretend journey in rowboats. Gretchen mailed us boxes before JYM started, and we had fun opening them on Zoom to see what was inside. We made our own boats out of foil, and some of us tried them out later in the bathtub. We talked about making sure there was room for everyone in the boat and not having to be perfect when we travel together—sometimes we “catch a crab” with our oars!

We learned that our community is strong even when we can’t physically be together, and that connecting with friends makes it easier to get through this difficult time. We hope to be able to meet in person next year, but we will keep our loving connections no matter what.

In love and Light,

New England Yearly Meeting JYM