With the start of the school year, comes the start of the BYM Junior Young Friends program for rising 6th ,7th , and 8th Graders. BYM staff and parents have developed a new program. JYF conferences are an important part of the BYM RE program as they provide an opportunity for JYFs to express their understanding and leadings in a supportive peer group which is based on Quaker values.

How to keep in touch with the JYF community

Eligible JYFs and their parents are encouraged to join a moderated mail list, BYM-JYF-subscribe@yahoogroups.com. Be sure to include an e-mail address, phone contact, address, and local meeting affiliation. As a member of the group, you will be kept up to date with the BYM JYF program plans. Also JYFs can contribute ideas to help the JYF program meet everyone’s needs.

First JYF Conference of the year 2006

This year we have three conferences planned. Langley Hill will host our first conference on November 18th & 19th. Activities, service projects, workshops, and games have been designed to help us explore our theme, Coping with the Scene:  Popularity, in-crowds, and peer pressures. The group scene is different at different schools, but all of us have to deal with friends and groups. JYFs are invited to explore these topics, while we work, worship, play, and discover new friends and new ideas.  The conference will start at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, the 18th. The conference will end at rise of meeting on Sunday November 19th.

Following Conferences 2007

Our next conference will occur in Mar 10th & 12th (site TBD) and will focus on the many changes occurring in the early teen years. The weekend of May 5 & 6 will be our last conference. Here we will consider how the value of simplicity is expressed in our daily living. The last conference of the year will correspond with the local annual apple blossom festival at Hopewell Centre.