National Quaker Youth Leadership Conference, February 1-3, 2007

A week has passed since the conference has ended and I wanted to write a few reflections on this major event in the life of Tandem Friends School.

Tandem was invited to send a larger number of students than the average to last year’s conference at Sandy Spring, Maryland. This group, mostly seniors this year, began serious planning meetings in August, even before the school year began. They met both during the spiritual life committee meetings, and on their own. At one of the more recent spiritual life committee meetings, I remember saying to the adults in the room, “Let them run things,. If they need any help, they’ll ask for it.”

From the beginning additional students who didn’t attend last year’s conference were also included in the planning group which numbered around fifteen.

Supporting his active committee, Terri Cady, volunteer mom par excellence, kept a computer list of schools and students attending, forms to fill out and advised students when her help was needed.

The last time Tandem ran this conference in 2001, the chaperons who attended still are fond of saying, “We felt so welcome at your school.” This conference increased at least by a power of ten, the participation of the Tandem community. While our lunch “mom” Kathy Kildea actually cooked the opening night dinner for 170, teams of parents, students, faculty and staff were present at all times, shopping, cleaning, serving, washing up, and helping things to go smoothly. Two breakfasts, two lunches, a major dinner, and ample snacks kept all stomachs filled.

But beyond just the planning committee, numbers of other Tandem students participated in many ways. Students were enlisted to welcome visitors and give tours on the opening night. Every community service group was led by other Tandem students who were familiar with the individual projects. Tandem also had its own delegation of younger students who actually attended the conference and participated in every event.

Students from George Andrews’ film class are preparing a film record of the event for future conferences.

Great praise needs to be given to our Head of School, Paul Perkinson, and to his administrative staff for their strong support of every phase of this gathering. Paul, his administrative assistant Michelle Jarman, Jean Dunnington and Kim Dukes in development, and Roger Bryant and his staff did so much to support elements as diverse as tee shirt design, lanyards, room temperatures, and burglar alarms.

Paul as head of school participated in both the planning and in nearly every part of the conference. He gave a welcoming speech that got the participants on their feet moving around to meet each other. He was present from the first event, he drove a bus to community service, and was present even to the final meeting for worship. Paul has, we hope, set the standard for future support from every head of school as the conference looks to its eleventh meeting in Providence, Rhode Island in February, 2008.

Keynote speaker, Mary Lord, of the American Friend Service Committee recalled for us the theme of this conference, the connection between service and leadership. Our gathering celebrated the 60^th anniversary of American and British Friends being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for their work in rebuilding Europe after World War II. Mary spoke eloquently of those peace-prize winners she has met personally and how many of them have been just ordinary people. She invited our students to participate in future nominations for this important award.

Because the British Quakers shared the awarding of the Nobel Prize, David Slezak is fond of calling this tenth Quaker Youth Leadership Conference the first International Quaker Youth Leadership Conference. After sending information to several British Friends schools, the Leighton Friends School in Reading, England sent two student delegates who were hosted by Tandem Friends families for a week. In addition, the conference was fortunate that the Sidwell Friends delegation had two students visiting from Ramallah Friends in Palestine who attended the gathering. The Palestinian students took some time away from the community service portion of the schedule to speak about their lives to the sophomore English and World Cultures classes at Tandem, before they went on to their service projects. David hopes that if there is any money left from the expenses of the conference, a fund might be started at the Friends Council for Education to support the attendance of students from Third World countries to future gatherings of this Conference.

I feel inadequate in any way of expressing my profound respect and deep admiration for the planning group for this conference. There were so many strong personalities, many of whom had attended previous conferences. They had areas that they cared deeply and personally about. Yet, each one contributed from his and her strength and ability, whether that be organization of community service, welcoming and hospitality, query group leadership, schedule making, Tandem student involvement, web-site organization, to scrubbing floors and washing dishes. When I as adult advisor was asked a question about something, I would most often say, “Ask the student leaders.” These young people, too, have set the standard for future conference leadership.

I began any discussion of this conference with a story about the importance of welcoming the stranger. Hospitality, to the ancients, was the greatest gift one could give to another person. The Tandem community was challenged over and over to make real this ancient value. Even the poorest people of the world, who have few or no possessions, can give this greatest of gifts. I hope that this spirit of hospitality has lived and will continue to live at Tandem Friends School.