Richmond (VA) Friends Meeting

The Gathering

by WebPost | Nov 26, 2021 | Announcement

The Gathering
The annual Quaker weeklong retreat, The Gathering, will finally happen in person at Radford University. This Friends General Conference (FGC) event will take place July 3 - 9. Plans for the workshops and other events are coming together. More information will be available soon. In the meantime, save the first week in July for this family friendly event.
A COVID working group under the care of FGC’s Executive Committee is working to create a COVID Health and Safety policy all FGC events. Our RFM Adult Spiritual Education Committee has scholarship money available to attend The Gathering.
What is The Gathering?
The Gathering is a week of Quaker worship, workshops, and community for all ages. Friends come together from across the US and Canada (and sometimes further) to deepen our connection to one another and the Spirit. The Gathering is typically held on a college campus in late June/early July, and location changes from year to year.
Attenders range from newborns to elders in their 90s, and include both long-time Friends (mostly from the unprogrammed, liberal tradition), and those newer to Quakerism. In structure, it’s part conference and part family camp. In content, it provides an abundance of opportunities to learn about Quakerism and to foster your spiritual life – and to have fun together.
The Gathering schedule at a glance is available at this link: https://www.fgcquaker.org/connect/gathering/2022- schedule-glance You can also sign up to receive email updates to the schedule and registration information on the same page.
Where is The Gathering in 2022?
Radford University is the location of the 2022 Gathering. Radford University is located in Radford, Virginia, a town of about 17,400 in the "heart of the New River Valley", near the scenic Blue Ridge Mountains of Southwestern Virginia.
The campus is fairly level with some mild inclines in the central areas of the campus. The well-kept buildings made of red brick, the green grass and pathways are welcoming. There is a mix of air conditioned and non-air conditioned housing. The campus is relatively compact, with shade trees, benches, and pleasant quads scattered across campus.
Radford is about 15 miles southwest of Blacksburg, 45 minutes from the Roanoke airport, 20 minutes from Claytor Lake State Park and about an hour from the Blue Ridge Parkway. There is Amtrak service to Roanoke. For those who are driving, it is quite close to I-81.
How do I register?
Early Registration starts April 4, 2022 around 10:00 am (Eastern Daylight Time.) All full-time registrations completed during this time have equal access to workshops and housing options, and priority consideration for financial aid. Early registration closes April 14, 11:59 pm EDT.
Registration will temporarily close from April 15–21: Lotteries will occur for any oversubscribed workshops & housing choices. All early registrants will be informed of their workshop & housing assignments.
Standard Registration starts April 22: Workshops and financial assistance will be available on a first-come, first- served basis. Beginning June 1, there is a late fee for all full-time and half-Gathering registrations. Late fees will not be charged for part-time registrations.
Deadlines for younger Friends: Junior Gathering (infant - rising 9th grade) and High School program (teens in rising 10th grade to 12th grade*) participants must be registered in advance of the Gathering. Check back for the exact deadline (often May 31.) Registration is not complete until FGC receives a Parental Release Form for each registered young Friend.