Diane Randall is the Former General Secretary for Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL)
I thoroughly enjoyed being a Friend of the week at Quaker House Chautauqua from July 22-29, 2023. The warm hospitality of Kriss and Gary Miller, Shari Castle and Deb and Ted First made both Roger and me feel welcome and a part of the community. Although I had heard of Chautauqua 20 years ago from friends who had been there, I couldn’t quite imagine the place or the experience until my week’s stay at Quaker House, and it was a wonderful way to get acquainted. I was delighted to be asked to come as a Friend of the Week for the theme of “infrastructure week.”
A couple of years ago, when I first learned that there was a new Quaker House, one of many on-site denominational houses at Chautauqua, I was happy to know Friends had a presence in the community. It is sometimes through history lessons but more often through institutional settings that people know of Quakers–Quaker schools,colleges, organizations, and Quaker spaces are a way that the Religious Society of Friends has a witness in the world today. People who may be curious about Quakerism can meet Friends and learn something of Quakerism in these “Quaker spaces.” While Quaker spaces connect Quakers to one another, the location of Quaker spaces that are open and welcoming in the neighborhoods and communities where they are located offer invitation and connection to many people beyond Quakers.
The structure Quaker House has created by hosting a Friend of the Week with brown bag sessions to share ministry and personal stories brings the distinct spiritual background and practices of the variety of Friends and encourages public sharing of our faith–both for the Friend of the Week and for those who attend the sessions and share their own stories.
It was fascinating to learn the history of Chautauqua–from the institutional perspective, but even better were the personal stories of Ellie Castle and others for whom summers at Chautauqua have always been part of the family summer tradition and reunion. I appreciate how much the place is woven into the fabric of peoples’ lives through the rich traditions of Chautauqua Institution, its programs for all ages, and through the relationships formed over years of connections. And, I appreciate the way Friends and others who live and attend Chautauqua are bringing new traditions and new people to experience Chautauqua. For example, the presence of people who are part of HomeBoy Industries was a mutually enriching experience for those who came from CA and for the people who met them.
Prior to arriving, I was looking forward to the events: taking in lectures, enjoying musical performances, participating in ecumenical worship and relishing the cooler climate from Washington, DC. I enjoyed all of those experiences, but it was the smaller group gatherings and impromptu discussions that offered a deeper connection and a greater appreciation of the place and what it means to those who live and visit there.