Yearly Meeting Gathering 2024
The 2024 SEYM Gathering & Annual Sessions
March 27 – 31, 2024
Dayspring Camp & Conference Center 8411 25th Street East, Parrish, FL 34219
The Friends We Are Becoming
embracing our longings & leadings
Join Friends from all over the SEYM region and the wider Quaker world for workshops, worship-sharing, the Walton Retreats and Lecture, intergenerational fun, a full Youth Program, Yearly Business Meeting Sessions, getting close to nature, and more. See the 2023 Gathering Photo Gallery.
Some sessions will be offered online for Friends who attend virtually; check the schedule below.
Yearly Business Meeting will be held in six plenary sessions Wednesday through Sunday.
Our Speaker
Registration
Program
Youth Program
All the Details
The Walton Lecture & Retreats
will be presented by
Hilary Burgin
Retreat #1: Truth and Telling Our Stories Thursday, March 28th, 10 am.
Each of us has a Truth to tell about our relationship with the Divine and the path we are each (and collectively) on. We will joyfully explore, through worship, activities, and sharing, the way we tell our Truth.
Retreat #2: Living Loudly Friday, March 29th, 10 am
What do Friends have to offer one another and the wider community today? How are we testifying to our faith in our everyday lives? Again through interactive and joyful conversation and activity, we’ll explore the ways we are and want to be living into our spirituality every day.
The Walton Lecture: Longing at Every Age Saturday, March 30th, 7 pm
Hilary will speak out of the worship, encouraging Friends to engage with our Longings.
This year we welcome Hilary Burgin (she/her) to present the Walton Lecture and Retreats. Hilary is a member of Beacon Hill Friends Meeting and, after moving to western Massachusetts several years ago, attends Northampton Friends Meeting.
Hilary has had the opportunity to grow in her ministry through her work on staff with Quaker Voluntary Service (QVS) where she currently serves as Executive Director. Before this role, she coordinated the Boston house of QVS and simultaneously worked with New England Yearly Meeting (NEYM) as the Young Adult Engagement Coordinator.
Additionally, Hilary was a participant of the inaugural “Nurturing Worship, Faith, and Faithfulness” program in New England, and then co-taught the second and third offerings of this program, “Nurturing Faithfulness,” in partnership with co-teacher Marcelle Martin and elders Janet Hough, Anne Pomeroy, and LVM Shelton. “Nurturing Faithfulness” focuses on the use of Faithfulness Groups as a way of listening for the nudge (and sometimes shove) of God.
Hilary will bring interactive activities to the Walton Retreats and Lecture, encouraging Friends to be in their bodies and engage with one another throughout. She’s excited to meet SEYM Friends and experience where Spirit leads us together!
Registration
Registration will be open January 25th – March 10th, 2024.
Virtual Registration will be open February 1 – March 27, 2024.
Registration is on a pay-as-led basis. This is a way of acknowledging that wealth is not distributed evenly among us Quakers, and that we do not wish to exclude anyone from the Gathering based on their ability to pay.
Making this system work depends on those of us with the means paying our full cost, and adding a donation to help others attend. Meetings and Worship Groups can help by offering scholarships.
Scholarships: Check to see if your Meeting or Worship Group offers scholarships. See Scholarship information here.
For questions or changes to your registration, please email Andrea Hoskins, Registrar or call her at 305-609-9704.
Payment Options: We encourage you to pay your total registration fees when you register online. You may also pay by check made payable to SEYM and mailed to: SEYM, P.O. Box 1062, St. Petersburg, Florida 33731-1062. You may also pay at check-in.
Registration to attend in-person is closed. You may email Andrea Hoskins, Registrar, or call her at (305) 609-9704 to learn of room availability due to cancellations.
Registration for Virtual attendance is open until March 27th.
Program & Schedule
Our schedule officially begins with check-in on Wednesday, March 27th, at 3 pm. Committees are being asked to meet virtually prior to the Gathering, though they may also meet again in person at the camp during interest group time if they wish.
Virtual Schedule. We are expanding our online programming this year to include worship sharing, business plenaries, and the Walton lecture. Virtual sessions are indicated in blue on the schedule.
Yearly Business Meeting
Yearly Business Meeting will be held in 6 plenaries over 5 days. All sessions will by hybrid.
If you want to attend online, please register for Virtual attendance here>
For the Agenda, Reports, and Zoom login,
See the Documents In Advance.
For general questions, please email Susan Wade, SEYM Administrative Secretary, or call her at 407-739-4150.
If you have an agenda item please email Bill Carlie, YM Clerk or phone him at (407) 840-9862.
All Ages Activities
Our intergenerational activities this year include:
Thursday night: intergenerational games & dance
Friday night: All Ages Talent Show, campfire
Saturday afternoon: Workshop
Family canoeing
Intergenerational outdoor games every afternoon.
Workshops
We have 13 workshops planned, including:
- Affinity Groups
- You are called to feed the hungry but have YOU eaten lately?
- AFSC-Miami: Know Your Rights
- Becoming Who We’ve Always Been: Spiritual Tools for Supporting Trans Life
- Extended Worship
- Individual Spiritual Discernment
- The Power of Enough
- Where Cultural Differences and Racism Intersect
- Personal Spiritual Narratives
- Friends Committee on National Legislation
- A Friendly Guide to Perma[nent] Culture
- Seeking Peace in Your Community
- The Friends We Are Becoming: Stories of Transformation
Worship Sharing
Worship Sharing is an opportunity for small groups to deepen their understanding of life in the Spirit and get to know each other on a deeper level, through listening to each others’ experiences and insights in a worship-grounded setting. In a covering of silent worship, Friends share their responses to a query that provides a focus for the group. We listen deeply to what is shared, without discussion. Worship Sharing may last an hour, or less, depending in part on the size of the group.
Bookstore
Books from Quakerbooks of FGC and SEYM Publications will be available for browsing and purchase from our Bookstore located in the Bishop Haynes Meeting Room, adjacent to the Lounge.
John Heimburg and Caroline Kaufmann are our Bookstore Coordinators this year.
Youth Program
The theme for our 2024 Youth Program is
The Friends We Are Becoming
Youth activities we are planning include: an on-site service project, journaling, worship sharing, the Ropes Course for youth ages 11+ , Canopy Walk for Young Friends, arts and crafts, outdoor games, swimming, family canoeing, nature hikes, story time, and more. There will also be an intergenerational workshop and two evenings of all-ages fun.
Youth Program leaders, volunteer staff, and parents work together to create a community where all young Friends feel included.
All youth are expected to participate in the youth program during their stay.
Youth must attend with a parent, guardian, or a designated adult sponsor. Youth need to bring a parent/guardian signed Parental Consent Form> in order to participate. Please bring completed forms with you.
If you need your child excused from classes, you can give this excuse letter to their school. The Gathering is a religious holiday for Quakers in SEYM.
Parents/sponsors are responsible for signing youth in and out of all sessions. Afternoon activities are optional. Parent/sponsors are responsible for youth any time they are not signed in for a youth program session.
All the Details
Before you register: Please carefully read and consider the housing options and charges. Housing on site is limited; please consider whether you can share a room or commute from home or nearby hotel. Note: Total registration fees are on a pay-as-led basis.
Be courteous and safe! Please read the SEYM & Camp rules before you arrive.
Dayspring Lodging
Dayspring offers both semi-private and private accommodations in cabins, houses, and dorms. There are also rooms for families of 3 or more. Cabins and houses have common areas including living areas, kitchens, and porches. Kitchens provide small refrigerators and coffee makers; no cooking is permitted. Coffee, filters, creamers and sugar are provided, but you may bring your own.
Dorms are located next to the Lounge and Dining Room. They have bunk bed cubicles (we will only use bottom bunks), which allow some degree of privacy. There are separate he/they and she/they dorm areas, each with bunk rooms, bath, and shower rooms connected by a covered porch. Beds are rather firm; bring a comfy topper if you need it.
Learn more about Lodging options here>
Meals are included in your lodging fees, beginning with dinner on your arrival day and ending with lunch on your departure day. You may add lunch for arrival day on the registration form. Note: Youth attending with families receive meals for free!
Lodging Fees:
- Couple/Family with Youth, sharing a room = $104/day/Adult, $64/day/Youth ages 4-18, Youth 3 or under are free. You may bring a travel crib.
- Private Room (includes linen & towels) = $140/day. The number of private rooms will be limited so we can house more people on site.
- Semi-Private (includes linen and towels) = $104/day/person
- Dorms (bring your own linens & towels) = $70/day/person This is a real bargain, considering the rate includes meals ($40/day)!
Commuting
Friends may commute from home or a nearby hotel. The camp is about 30 minutes away from Sarasota and from St. Petersburg.
Friends staying at a hotel or commuting must also register to attend the Gathering, using the Commuter section in the site use option.
Commuter Charges: $28/day/adult, and $15/day/youth, which includes lunch on the days you attend. You can sign up for additional meals on the Registration Form.
Additional meals for Commuters:
- Breakfast $10
- Lunch $13 (included in your Commuter fee)
- Dinner $17
Hotels
Friends may commute from a nearby hotel.This may be a good option if you prefer more privacy, or if you have a roommate and would prefer a larger room to share, a desk, etc.
Hotels:
SEYM has reserved a block of rooms at the Hampton Inn Ellenton, 5810 20th Court East, Ellenton, FL, for a discount rate of $299/night (for 2 Queen Beds Nonsmoking or 1 King Bed Study with Sofabed Nonsmoking). The hotel is just 7 minutes from Dayspring.
- To get the discount, reservations must be made by March 6th.
- To reserve a room, use this link to their Southeastern Yearly Meeting page, OR call the hotel at 941-721-4000 and ask for the Southeastern Yearly Meeting Room Block.
There are also budget-friendly hotels in Ellenton and also at the intersection of I-75 and State Road 64, just 12 minutes from Dayspring. (Note: The Super 8 in Ellenton is next to a truck stop.)
Friends staying at a hotel must also register with SEYM to attend the Gathering, using the Commuter section in the site use option.
Commuter Charges: $28/day/adult, and $15/day/youth, which includes lunch on the days you attend. You can sign up for additional meals on the Registration Form.
Additional meals for Commuters:
- Breakfast $10
- Lunch $13 (included in your Commuter fee)
- Dinner $17
Meals
Meals are served buffet-style. Please take only what you need at your first pass through the line to ensure there’s enough for everybody. You can go back for seconds later.
Be prompt. Be in line outside the Dining Room when it opens. – we are allowed only one hour for meals.
For Dayspring Lodging, all meals are included in the costs of your room, starting with dinner on your arrival day and through lunch of your departure day. You may add lunch on your arrival day on the registration form. For Commuters, lunch is included for each day of attendance; you may add additional meals on your registration form.
Special Diets:
To request a special diet, you must fill out the ‘Special Diet’ section(s) on the SEYM registration form. The camp offers these special diets: vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, dairy free, and allergies.
Coffee:
Coffee & tea are available in the lounge 24/7, as well as in the Multi-Purpose Room and Classrooms A and B.
The kitchens in the cabins and houses have small refrigerators and coffee makers. No cooking is allowed. Coffee and filters are provided.
Food off campus: There are several restaurants near the camp. Please do not bring outside food back to the camp.
Camp Map
Program spaces we will be using:
- Dining is in Curry Hall
- Bishop Haynes Lounge: hang out anytime, coffee available 24/7
- Bishop Haynes Meeting Room: Registrar, Bookstore, SEYM Publications…and a piano.
- Outdoor Chapel: for early worship
- St. Thomas Chapel: for extended worship on Thursday
- Kline Hall: Adult program spaces — Multi-Purpose Room, and Classrooms A and B.
- Tripp Pavilion & Outdoor Pavilion: Youth Program
- Outdoor/Nature Trails: The Canopy Walk is available only as scheduled in the program. Other trails are the Point Trail and Stations of the Cross. And be sure to visit the Labyrinth!
- Pool is open only as scheduled. NO LIFEGUARD ON DUTY – USE AT YOUR OWN RISK. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Pool baths are in back of Kline Hall. You may be asked to sign a waiver to use the pool.
Location, Check in & Check out
Dayspring Conference Center
8411 25th Street East, Parrish, Florida 34219
Our group check-in time is 3 pm on Wednesday. We can’t give you your key before then, but you’re welcome to join us at the camp after 1 pm Wednesday.
Check in is at the Registrar’s table in the Lounge (see map); see the hours posted there.
If you will be arriving after dinner, please let the Registrar know ahead of time so you can make arrangements to get your key.
Check out time is 10 am. Please return your keys to the Registrar by 10am on the day of your departure. We will be charged a $25 fee for keys returned after 10am.
SEYM & Camp Rules
To be safe and considerate of other Friends and camp staff, please read these rules before you arrive, and go over them with your family.
Things to bring
- Masks (and COVID test kits, if you can)
- swimsuits and towels if you want to swim
- Water shoes if you’re going to canoe
- Toys for toddlers, children’s supplies (throw pillows, toys to share, soccer balls, etc.), and games for all ages.
- Musicians & Instruments needed for: the Faith & No Practice Band, Jammin’ on the Benches.
- A friend/Friend new to your Meeting. The SEYM Gathering is a great place to experience a welcome to the wider Quaker community and learn more.
- Documents-In-Advance (DIAs) for Annual Sessions. See Business Page>
- If you’re staying in the Dorms: bring your own linens and towels. A comfy mattress topper would be a bonus.
Questions? Contact Us