Spring Sessions 2016, Original pre-Session Portal Page

 

Spring Sessions 2016

April 1–3

First Baptist Church of Lincoln Gardens
Somerset, New Jersey
Rahway & Plainfield Meetinghouse
Plainfield, New Jersey

This is the original, pre-session portal page for Spring Sessions 2016.

Welcome . . .

Shrewsbury & Plainfield Half-yearly Meeting welcomes you to Spring Sessions 2016, to be held April 1–3 in central New Jersey.

Saturday, April 2: First Baptist Church of Lincoln Gardens, Somerset, New Jersey. (This was the location planned for Fall Sessions 2012, but Hurricane Sandy made that impossible.)

Friday evening and Sunday morning, April 1 and 3: Plainfield Meetinghouse, Plainfield, New Jersey.

 

Quicklinks

 

Registration

Deadline: the registration deadline is March 18, 2016.
    Please register as soon as possible—do not wait for Spark.
    March Spark will arrive very close to the deadline and we need to let our venue and our Youth Program resource people know accurate numbers by the deadline.

Download the Adult Registration Form
Download the Youth Registration Form
Download the Youth Medical Form

Instructions: Download the registration forms and, for youth, the Youth Medical Form, which are Word documents set up with tables so that you can tab from cell to cell to fill out the form. Then email it to the yearly meeting office at office[at]nyym.org.

Payment.

  • By check. If paying by check, checks should be made payable to NYYM and sent to the yearly meeting office: 15 Rutherford Place, New York, NY 10003.
  • Electronically. You may pay your registration fees electronically using the Yearly Meeting’s online donation/payment service, as follows:
    1. First, click this link to open the donation/payment web page.
    2. On the web page that opens, in the Payment Amount window under “NYYM Contribution,” fill in your total amount for registration and meals.
    3. Then, under the “Calculate Total” button, in the “This payment is for:” window, enter “Spring Sessions 2016 Registration.”
    4. Then complete the rest of the donation form.

Youth Program—The Pachamama Alliance "WakeUp"

Please register by March 18!
    We need to let the Pachamama Alliance resource people know how many children will be attending by March 16.

Saturday, April 2: The Pachamama Alliance Program

The WakeUp—Pachamama Teen Program, ages 13–18. Download a flyer.
The Web of Life—The Wonder of It All—Pahamama Youth Program, ages 6–12. Download a flyer.

Folk concert! 4:45 to 5:30, by Spook Handy, a good friend to New Brunswick Friends and an accomplished performer who sang for many years with Pete Seeger.

Sunday, April 3: Plainfield Meeting's First Day School.

The Pachamama Alliance

Please join us for Saturday’s youth and children program provided by the Pachamama Alliance, an international network standing with indigenous partners to protect the earth while working to shift the dominant worldview toward a just, sustainable and spiritually fulfilling life for all. (www.pachamama.org)

Teen Program (ages 13 – 18)

Download a flyer.

Program starts at 10:00 am Saturday; teens attend meeting for worship at 9:00 am.
    The Pachamama Alliance’s youth program, called a “WakeUp,” is an interactive, multimedia workshop about the challenges and opportunities of our time.
    Through music, powerful videos, dynamic group processes and from-the-heart conversations, participants explore ways to embrace commitments to individual and collective change. Thousands of young people around the world have found The WakeUp to be a profoundly moving, sometimes life-changing experience. This is a large claim, but it is grounded in integrity. Don’t let your teens miss this uniquely inspiring and empowering day!

Youth Program (ages 6 – 12)

Download a flyer.

Program starts at 9:00 am Saturday.
    Using a variety of age-appropriate creative methods, children in this program are immersed in the beauty and grandeur of the earth’s landscapes, oceans, animals and all living things. Brought together in a spirit of joyful play and community, children will revel in the opportunity to express their unique skills and personalities as well as to bond deeply with one another. They will end the day feeling a strong sense of connection to our magnificent planet and to one another. Chances are strong that they will remember this experience for much, if not all, of their lives.
    This program has been developed over the last several years in classrooms in Cinnaminson, NJ and at Beach Haven Elementary School on Long Beach Island, New Jersey. At Beach Haven, students recently founded the Barnegat Bay Defenders Club so that they could become active citizens in the effort to protect their environment.

Sessions Schedule

Friday Plainfield Meetinghouse, 225 Watchung Ave, Plainfield, NJ
7:00 – 9:00 pm Light supper and fellowship; White Privilege Conference discussion
Saturday First Baptist Church, 771 Somerset St, Somerset, NJ
8:15 – 9:00 am Registration with coffe, tea, and snacks
9:00 – 9:45 Meeting for worship
10:00 – 11:45 Meeting for worship with attention to business
12:00 – 1:00 Lunch / Sessions Committee meets
1:15 – 2:45 Meeting for worship with attention to business
3:00 – 4:00 Committee meetings 1
4:15 – 5:15 Committee meetings 2
5:30 – 6:30 Dinner
6:45 – 8:30 Coordinating committee meetings
Sunday Plainfield Meetinghouse
9:00 – 10:00 am Meeting for worship
10:15 – 12:15 Meeting for worship with attention to business
12:30 – 1:30 Lunch

 

Hospitality

On the registration form you may request hospitality with local Friends for Friday and/or Saturday night. Also, please indicate your special needs for food. Hospitality cannot be guaranteed after the registration deadline. Friends who prefer to stay in a hotel or motel will find a list of those in the areas of the meetings below.

Meals

Free Coffee, tea and snacks will be available Saturday morning at the church. Lunch and dinner will be also be provided at the church. Meal prices are shown on the registration form. Lunch will be available on Sunday at the Plainfield Meetinghouse.

Childcare

Parents are responsible for their children during meal times. Please indicate your childcare needs on the registration form. We may not be able to provide child care if you have not pre-registered.

Driving Directions

Note: We suggest that you NOT USE GPS for Plainfield Meetinghouse unless you confirm that the destination is at the corner of 3rd Street in Plainfield and not in North Plainfield, which has the same zip code.

To Plainfield Meetinghouse (from the north or west)

  1. Take I-78 and then take exit 40 toward The Plainfields/Gillette/Watchung.
  2. If coming from I-78 going west, turn left onto Hillcrest Rd.  (1.05 miles)
  3. If coming from I-78 going east, turn right onto Hillcrest Rd.  (1.0 miles)
  4. Turn right onto Valley Rd/CR-527 to the circle (0.06 miles
  5. Enter the circle and take the 3rd exit right onto Somerset St. (1.1miles)
  6. Turn left to take the ramp over rte 22 toward the Plainfields. (0.1 miles)
  7. Keep left on the ramp and turn left onto Somerset St. (go 0.16 miles)
  8. Take 1st left onto Mountain Ave.
  9. Take the 1st right onto Watchung Ave. (0.8 miles)
  10. 225 Watchung Ave. is on the left, just prior to the rail road underpass

To The Plainfield Meetinghouse (from Staten Island)

  1. Take the rte 440 across the Outer Bridge to New Jersey and continue on rte 440, which becomes I-287.
  2. Continue on I-287 to I-78E.
  3. Take exit 40 onto Hillcrest Rd. and proceed as above.

To First Baptist Church of Lincoln Gardens, in Somerset (from the north or from Plainfield)

  1. Take either I-78 or US Rte 22 west to I-287S (12.4 miles west of I-78 Exit 40)
  2. Turn right at exit 10 onto Easton Ave. / CR-527S toward New Brunswick (go 3.7 miles)
  3. Turn right onto Franklin Blvd./CR-617 (3.3 miles)
  4. Turn left onto Somerset St./RT-27 (1.9 miles)
  5. Turn left immediately onto Millstone Road, entrance to church lot at 771 Somerset St.

To First Baptist Church of Lincoln Gardens, in Somerset.
         (from Staten Island)
1.  Take the rte 440 across the Outer Bridge to New Jersey and continue on rte 440        which becomes I-287.
2.   Continue on I-287 and take exit 10 onto Easton Ave./CR-527S toward New    Brunswick (go 3.7 miles)
3.  Turn right onto Franklin Blvd./CR-617 (3.3 miles)
4.  Turn left onto Somerset St./RT-27 (1.9 miles)

 

  1.  Turn left immediately onto Millstone Road, entrance to church lot at 771 Somerset St.

Public Transportation

Both the Plainfield Meetinghouse and New Brunswick can be reached via New Jersey Transit from Penn Station, NYC. Plainfield Meetinghouse is on the Raritan Valley Line and across the street from the Plainfield station. The Host Committee will meet trains and transport Friends to the Somerset Baptist Church from the New Brunswick station (North East Corridor Line). Schedules can be found at NJTransit.com.
    For questions or help with transportation, please contact Jeffrey Aaron at 732 801-3430.

Hotels and Motels

The Heldrich
10 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick, NJ; 732-654-6356; $149.

The Hyatt Regency, New Brunswick
Two Albany Street, New Brunswick, NJ 8901; 888-882-1234; $149.

Econo Lodge, Somerset
1850 Easton Ave., Somerset, NJ 08873; 855-849-1513; $56.

Comfort Inn and Suites
255 Davidson Avenue, Somerset, NJ 08873; 855-849-151; $84.

Holiday Inn South Plainfield-Piscataway
4701 Stelton Road, South Plainfield, NJ 07080; 877-859-5095; $90.25.

Hampton Inn South Plainfield-Piscataway
205 New World Way, South Plainfield, NJ 07080; 908-561-2600; $84.

Display Space

Please direct requests to reserve committee display space to Sandy and Gordon Clark: SGEM[at]optonline.net, 732-403-6414.

Meeting Space

Committee clerks please direct requests for meeting space to Mary Ann Allard: chezallard[at]optonline.net, 732-248-0827. Make your request by March 14, 2016.

 

This item was presented at

Spring Sessions 2016