Your Membership Committee has been hard at work trying to preserve the wonderful spirit of camaraderie that’s been the hallmark of our recent Stony Point Community Weekends. On June 5-7, we’re proud to offer our members the first (and if at all possible, the last) Virtual Community Weekend on Zoom.
By taking advantage of some of the wonderful adaptations the Society has already made to keep us involved through Zoom, we’ve developed a menu of events with wide appeal. As a Bergen Society member, you’re free to attend any or all of these get-togethers facilitated by your fellow members. There’ll be everything from Socrates Café, mindfulness meditation, and inspirational photography to intergenerational games, movie chat, and Zumba. (Note: To participate in the movie chat, please be ready to discuss Orson Welles’ thriller “The Stranger” and/or Monty Python’s gleefully blasphemous “Life of Brian,” both available on Netflix.)
Following is a full schedule of the activities offered for the weekend. We hope that you will participate in this fun-filled weekend to keep the spirit of our Community Weekend alive through Zoom. The Zoom link for these events will be in the Weekly Announcements email sent to members and will be posted on our members-only Facebook page.
Friday, June 5
6-7 pm: Welcome dinner with Diana & Lisa. Let’s eat dinner together on Zoom as Diana and Lisa welcome you and present a description of the weekend’s activities.
7:30-8:15 pm: Inter-generational dance instruction with Jessie Schwartz. Get that body moving as you work off some pandemic calories with innovative modern dance steps. All ages and skill levels welcome.
Saturday, June 6
10-10:45 am Zumba with Silvia. Let’s start our day with more movement as we work off more pandemic calories and get that adrenaline flowing.
11 am-noon: You, Me and Tea – Mindfulness. Brew your favorite cup of tea and join the mindfulness meditation tea party with Deb Sgro Watsky. Like a good tea sampler box, we’ll enjoy a number of mindfulness practices, and talk about how these enhance our general well being by integrating body, brain, mind, and relationship. All are welcome, “first-time tasters” and “tea connoisseurs.”
12:15-12:45 pm Joe’s garden tour. Join Joe Chuman for a tour and description of his lovely and serene backyard garden.
12:45-3 pm: Lunch/Outdoors Break: Take a break from Zoom to be outdoors and explore nature.
3:15-4 pm: Movie Talk with Ed: Join Ed Gross to discuss two Netflix films. Watch Orson Welles’ “The Stranger “and/or Monty Python’s “Life of Brian” beforehand and be ready to share your thoughts on one or both
4:15-5 pm: Cocktails and inspirational photos with Margo Moss: Come prepared to share your own photos, perhaps those taken during an afternoon hike, or simply enjoy the inspirational photos taken by others. BYO snacks and cocktails.
5-6 pm: Family Scavenger Hunt, led by Samantha Stankiewicz: A fun hour for all ages.
6-7:30 pm: Socrates Café with Terri: Join Terri Karp in a stimulating engagement of ideas as she leads the group in a philosophical discussion of a topic chosen by participants. BYO dinner.
8-9 pm: Intergenerational campfire led by Ron: Bring a song, poem, prose story, or campfire memory to share, including photos of past community weekends. BYO s’mores, snacks, and drink.
9 pm – ?: Party and games led by Paulo. Let’s party and enjoy some late-night virtual games as we wind down the day. This is always a fun time filled with fun, laughter, food, and drink. Come and enjoy this adventure! BYO snacks and drink
Sunday, June 7
11-12:30 am: Sunday Platform with Joe: In keeping with the tradition of our Community Weekend platforms, Joe will interview three members about their backgrounds and what brought them to Ethical Culture.
1:30 pm: A special treat. Marinka and Peter Haring will provide us with a virtual tour of their 100% sustainable home in The Netherlands. This promises to be a most interesting tour, including Marinka’s beautiful garden, which will be an added treat. Do not miss this as we close out our first (and hopefully last) virtual Community Weekend.
Please mark your 2021 calendar, June 4-6, 2021, when we resume our Community Weekend at Stony Point Conference Center. For now, don’t forget to ZOOM in to our virtual Community Weekend. Any questions, please contact Diana Gross or Lisa Schwartz.
Membership Committee
