GATHERED in SPIRIT – NOURISHED in NATURE – NURTURED in COMMUNITY
Haw River State Park
339 Conference Center Drive
Browns Summit NC 27214
June 5, 6, 7, 2026
See the Group Photo from June 6:
Piedmont Friends Gathered-June 7, 2026
Watch for candid photos from the Retreat
160 Friends from NC, SC, VA, WVA, registered and/or attended the 2026 PF Retreat. The gathering included 17 children, 6 teens, adult young friends, families and seasoned Friends. The Retreat fulfilled the theme of the weekend, to be GATHERED in SPIRIT – NOURISHED in NATURE – NURTURED in COMMUNITY
We Sang with Each Other
Liz Nicholson (Friendship Friends) and Darrell Cobb (New Garden Friends) led a Sunday morning group singing session.
One song was especially moving:
We Belong to Each Other- Annie Schlaefer
From Annie: This song came to me after reading a poem by Nikita Gill:
We Belong to Each Other
“Every bombed village is my hometown”
-James Baldwin
And every dead child is my child
Every grieving mother is my mother.
Every crying father is my father.
Every home turned to rubble
is the home I grew up in.
Every brother carrying the remains
of his brother across borders
is my brother.
Every sister waiting for a sister
who will never come home
is my sister.
Every one of these people are ours,
Just like we are theirs.
We belong to them
and they belong to us.
Other songs we sang included:–
– Be Open- Debbie Nargi-Brown
– No One is Getting Left Behind this Time- Joshua Blaine
– Rich Man’s House– Anne Feeney
Study War No More
YOUTH EPISTLE
Eight teens participated in the Retreat. They prepared this Epistle reflecting on their time together.
(Be sure to scroll down to see photos)
PIEDMONT FRIENDS FOURTH ANNUAL SESSIONS
ADVANCE DOCUMENTS
Organizational Representatives Reports
Other Organizational Reports
Meetings Minutes of Concern
Affiliated Organizations- with QR Code access
Retreat Schedule
FRIDAY, JUNE 5th
3:00 PM – registration/check-in for the weekend
Friday afternoon recreation options for families/children/youth: lake, canoes, kayaks, swimming pool, nature trails.
Fellowship and time to explore Haw River State Park
Help create a Meditation Labyrinth
5:30 to 6:30 PM – Dinner
7:00 PM – Evening Family Fun Night—introductions and games.
Getting-to-Know-You intergenerational games.
Open Mic Teahouse: SHARE a poem, story or joke, PLAY an instrument (no keyboard available); SING a song
SATURDAY, JUNE 6th
7:15 AM – Early morning worship (amphitheater- weather permitting)
8:00 to 8:45 AM – Breakfast
8:30 AM – Registration opens for day guests and Saturday arrivals.
9:00 to 11:45 – Children & Youth Program (TBA)
9:00 AM to 10: AM– Morning activities (Time for fellowship, settling-in):
Guided Nature Walks
Piedmont Loop Trail (1.4 mile loop) with John Cardarelli (Salem Creek)
Lake Loop Trail (0.7 mile loop) with Amy Macintosh (Raleigh)
Interest Group conversation—Peace & Social Justice: Immigration, genocide in Gaza, Earth Quaker Action Team’s Never Vanguard campaign, nonviolent resistance,
Will Rogers (Friendship) and Mary Ross (Durham), facilitating
10:15 AM to 11:45 AM – Morning Workshops and activities.
The Power of Enough, with Traci Hjelt Sullivan, Right Sharing of World Resources
Bearing Witness to the Quaker Peace Testimony in a Time of War, with Raleigh Friends Seeds of War/Seeds of Peace
12:00 to 12:45 PM – lunch
Break for after-lunch activity / free time / fellowship
1:00 to 2:30 PM – Afternoon Interest Groups –
- Earthcare Witness. Amy Mackintosh (Raleigh), facilitating
- Tips on Building a First Day School Program, with Leslie Rountree (Chapel Hill)
- The History of NC Friends, as revealed in their writings and actions, with David Haines (Durham)
- OPEN BAND (for the dance party) Rehearsal, with Pearl Shirley
- Busy Hands Crafters
- Visit the organization information tables, the book sales
2:30 to 2:45 PM – Group Photo (Central Courtyard)
2:45 to 5:15 – Piedmont Friends Worship and Annual Sessions
2:30 to 5:15 – Children & Youth Program (TBA)
5:30 to 6:30 PM – Dinner
7:00 to 8:30 PM – Family Contra/Folk Dancing, later fire-circle
SUNDAY, JUNE 7th
7:15 AM – Early morning walk
8:00 to 8:45 AM – Breakfast
8:45 to 10:00 – Check out time
10:00 to 10:30 – Singing with Liz Nicholson and Darrell Cobb
10:30 to 11:30 – Meeting for Worship
10:30 to 11:15 – Junior Meeting for Worship and First Day School (join larger meeting for worship at 11:15)
11:30 to 12:00 – Sharing of reflections and appreciation
12:00 to 12:45 PM – lunch
PF Bearing Witness to the Quaker Peace Testimony in a Time of War
Led by the Seeds of War/Seeds of Peace working group of Raleigh Friends Meeting.
Description:
How is the Spirit leading us to act in a time of war, when over 6 million people have been forcibly displaced in Gaza, the West Bank, Iran, Lebanon, and Israel?
1. What are the early roots of the Quaker Peace Testimony?
2. How has the Quaker Peace Testimony and our own discernment connected to the work that we have been doing and influenced our own personal spiritual journeys?
3. How do all of these relate to our work for peace and justice in Palestine?
Those of us in the Raleigh Friends Meeting working group have been inspired by our visits with four other monthly meetings within PF to broaden our conversation with others. We hope you will join us.
Workshop Handout:
Power of Enough
How can I balance my use of time, energy, money, and “things,” to free myself to meaningful work (God’s work) and contribute to right order in our world? The Power of Enough workshop invites participants through queries and experiential exercises to let Spirit in and find that place where Enough is actually an abundant life for each of us. Grounding ourselves in Love, Friends will be both a window and a door for each other as they share their own stories or experiences, reflecting together as individuals and as a community.
Palestinian Olive Oil
Friends have collaborated with Knoxville (TN) Meeting to provide a “shipment” of very high quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil from West Bank Palestinian farmers. These bottles, 500ml, will be available for $20, with $4 going to support AFSC’s relief efforts in Gaza.
Knoxville’s non-profit project has been operating for 18 years offering extra virgin, organic, fair-trade oil that comes from farmer coops in the West Bank. Swannanoa Valley Friends have been participating for some time.
The order form is available here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc3o2W6RjsZZL39Nm5hU-KV4Rc72azpVtvrMRhBRiiUvQ_ITg/viewform?usp=dialog
OLIVE BRANCH Olive Oil Brochure
Invitation to Local Authors: This year’s Piedmont Friends Retreat, held over a weekend, allows more time for attendees to browse books. We will have available a table for local authors who wish to sell their books. We will be sharing this space so it might be crowded.
You will be responsible for collecting payment for your own sales either with a box for cash and checks or a Venmo QR code.
To reserve space, contact Nancy Haines [nlhaines@gmail.com]
Interested in Growing your First Day School Program? With Leslie Rountree (Chapel Hill Friends)
I’ll be sharing strategies to kickstart (or expand) a program, ideas for community building, best practices that ensure professionalism and safety, favorite sources for curriculum, lesson plans, crafts, and more! Examples and sample crafts will be on display, with lots of time for open discussion, questions and sharing of ideas. If you have any specific questions or issues you’d like me to address, email me at lesrountree@fastmail.com. I look forward to meeting you!
Leslie Rountree is a 30-plus-year member of Chapel Hill Monthly Meeting, and served as its First Day School Coordinator for five of them (2010-2015). Currently, she is a First Day School teacher for children in kindergarten through second grade, but has taught every age group over the past 20 years.
History of early North Carolina Quakers, as revealed in their writings and actions, with David Haines (Durham)
Who were the first North Carolina Quakers and how did they develop their identity and community values in their early years? How did they learn to be “good Quakers?”
How did they evolve from being an inward-looking community into an activist and strongly anti-slavery community? How did they deal with legal barriers to their priorities? How did they accept community responsibility for finding ways forward in a time when their moral values and actions were widely criticized by the broader society? Bring your questions and your curiosity for an introduction to what information is available on early North Carolina Friends
TOWARD ZERO WASTE
In previous years, the PF Retreat has succeeded a conducting a nearly Zero Waste event.
Haw River State Park has recently added recycling bins to their trash service.
The cafeteria will use re-usable vs. disposable products.
The park’s dining service does not compost, but we will have a compost event bin to collect compostable materials where appropriate..
All registrants are invited to participate in ways that can reduce our carbon footprint at the Retreat:
- Bring a water bottle to refill
- Bring a coffee/tea mug to use Friday night and through Saturday
- Bring or use a cloth “travel napkin.” Nancy Riemer (Raleigh) will be bringing a supply of cloth napkins, which she will collect to launder at home.
Unplug and take a Digital Break
Friends are encouraged to leave cellphones in their rooms and refrain from our tendencies to be overly tuned-in to life on the internet.
Of course, there may be need to have access to communications, but the beautiful nature and nurturing fellowship invite a brief digital detox
PHOTOS:
Watch this YouTube introduction to Haw River State Park: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJc97_O1n0U
Site Visit Photos (Aug. 29)
