Young Friends in Quakers Aotearoa span the years 18-39. They organise Meetings, activities, and online and face to face gatherings of their own; many are also active in the overall life of their local Meeting, as their work, study and family life allow. Photo by Helena Lopes on Unsplash
Young Friends have recently helped represent Aotearoa New Zealand in international gatherings, such as the Friends World Conference in Peru (2016) and Australia Yearly Meeting, and helped organise actions on Climate Justice, Peace, Equality and Economic Justice.
Young adults have always been at the heart of Quakerism. In the 1650s, the 'Valiant Sixty', a network of Quakers who first spread the Quaker faith, were almost entirely in their 20s and 30s. George Fox, one of the founders of Quakerism, was only 21 when he left home to 'seek the Truth'.
From those early days onwards, young people have helped move the society forward at key moments in our history. They have also often been at the forefront of movements for social change. Bayard Rustin, a young black American Quaker who was deeply involved along with Martin Luther King Jr., in the civil rights movement, was 25 when he first attended 15th Street Meeting in New York.
Young Friends in Quakers Aotearoa span the years 18-39. They organise Meetings, activities, and online and face to face gatherings of their own; many are also active in the overall life of their local Meeting, as their work, study and family life allow. Young Friends play an active role in Yearly Meeting and Summer Gathering.
Each year at Easter, Young Friends hold a Camp where they conduct Business, worship and play together. They prepare an Epistle at the end of their gathering.
Epistle of Young Friends Camp 2024
Ōtaki, 29 March – 2 April, 2024
Over Easter weekend Young Friends from all around the motu gathered together for YF camp. Some of us had been there before, to attend and cook for Ōtaki Summer Camp held in January. There was a strong sense of community at the Leason farm. The property is full of tiny homes where people can come to live, and we got to see several more which are currently being built. The community was described to us as “the Quaker Settlement without any money”. All of the toilets on the property are composting toilets, which is even more impressive during the Summer Camp as it is attended by 300 people. The weather was clear but proved to be cold enough that by the end of the camp we had all moved our mattresses into the barn to sleep by the fire.
Meeting new friends and greeting old friends, the camp provided a chance to spend time in a beautiful setting, talking, crafting and relaxing. Our three days in Ōtaki were refreshing. We spent time helping the Leason Family with farm chores and otherwise were crafting, lounging by the fire, reading, eating chocolate, op-shopping, and mending the op shop finds! We also found time to complete more adventurous pursuits including ocean swims, tree climbing, river walks and treehouse exploring.
The Young Friends are looking forward to next year’s YF camp which is to be held on Quarantine Island in Dunedin.
A group of young people (referred to as young adults in the UK) talk about their experience in Quaker Meeting, Quaker beliefs, faith in action, and their spiritual journeys.