Haw River State Park
339 Conference Center Drive
Browns Summit NC 27214
June 5, 6, 7, 2026
REGISTRATION OPENS April 1: 2026 PF Retreat Registration CLOSES MAY 10
Share the Save-The-Date Flyer in your meetings:
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
Children & Youth Program Orientation (TBA)
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 Coffeehouse: 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 (possibilities):
Guided Nature Walk
Interest Group conversation—Peace & Social Justice: Immigration, nonviolent resistance, genocide in Gaza.
Will Rogers (Friendship), facilitating
Time for fellowship, settling-in
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 2:00 PM – Afternoon Interest Groups –
- Earthcare Witness. Amy Mackintosh (Raleigh), facilitating
- Tips on Building a First Day School Program, with Leslie Rountree (Chapel Hill)
- Early Friends: Meet Isaac and Mary Penington, with John March (Eno)
- OPEN BAND (for the dance party) Rehearsal, with Pearl Shirley
- Busy Hands Crafters
- Visit the organization information tables, the book sales
3:00 to 5:15 – Piedmont Friends Annual Sessions
3:00 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
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 11:30 – Junior Meeting for Worship
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.
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 of all ages 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.
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.
TOWARD ZERO WASTE
In previous years, the PF Retreat has succeeded a conducting a nearly Zero Waste event.
This year, we are limited by Haw River State Park and the local area not participating in recycling programs. The cafeteria will use re-usable vs. disposable products. But we will not be able to collect compostable waste this year.
All registrants are invited to participate in ways that can reduce our carbon footprint at the Retreat:
- Bring a water bottle to refill
- Collect any recyclables you use to “carry out” with you, as you would in camping
- 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)
