Gathering Frequently Asked Questions

Everyone is welcome at the FGC Gathering, and each year we have a number of Friends from other continents and other branches in the Religious Society of Friends. However, as an organization, our core mission and our core constituency is serving affiliated Friends in Canada, Mexico, and the United States. We are a tri-national organization, and that’s where our resources are focused.

If you have a visa for something else, we encourage Friends to add the Gathering into their travel plans. FGC does not provide consulate letters for conference attenders. Please wait until you have a visa in order to register for the Gathering.

We are not able to provide any funding for travel for Friends outside the US, Canada, and Mexico. Priority for financial aid for the FGC Gathering is given to Friends who are part of FGC-affiliated yearly and monthly meetings. The policy of Friends General Conference is that scholarship funds for conferences are to be granted first to members and attenders of FGC-affiliated Meetings, then those in other North American Meetings, and those from outside the US who are providing program opportunities (such as leading a workshop). Scholarship funds are available to other foreign registrants only after these needs are met, but in recent years the requests for financial aid from Friends within the US, Canada, and Mexico have exceeded available funds.

If you decide to register, review our cancellation policy before you do so, as there are fees for cancelling a registration.

Yes! Once you’re at Gathering, there are many choices about what to do. We’ve compiled some suggestions for first-time attenders for self-care, connection, staying grounded, and navigating the event. Read Tips for First Time Attenders at the Gathering.

The Gathering is a week of Quaker worship, workshops, and community for all ages. About 1000 Quakers (mostly from the unprogrammed, liberal tradition) come together from across the US and Canada (and sometimes further) to deepen our connection to one another and the Spirit.

When the Gathering is held in-person (on even-numbered years), it is typically held on a college campus in late June/early July, and location changes from year to year.

In 2020, Friends General Conference first offered online Gathering programs as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. As of 2024, on-site Gatherings occur in even years while online Gatherings are held in odd years. Smaller, Young Adult & Youth (YAY) events are also held during odd years to offer continuity of programming for younger friends.

All are welcome to attend the Gathering of Friends. Gathering attenders range from newborns to elders in their 90s and include both long-time Friends (mostly from the unprogrammed, liberal tradition), and those newer to the Quaker faith. In structure, it’s part conference and part family camp. In content, it provides an abundance of opportunities to learn about Quakerism, foster spiritual life, and to have fun together.

Read more about the upcoming Gathering.

Yes! Please read our tips for a non-Quaker at the Gathering. 

The 2025 Online Gathering Attenders Directory will be available online once registration opens, and will be viewable through the end of February. You can access it by logging into your Gathering registration. There is not a pre-printed copy of the 2025 Attenders Directory. You will only be able to access it until March 1, 2025.

Return to the Online Gathering registration site. Alternately, use the link to view your registration in your registration confirmation email.

• Click “Already Registered?” near the top of the page.
• Enter primary registrant’s name and email address, exactly as entered on the registration form.
• Enter Confirmation Number. (It’s in your registration confirmation & final details emails, or you click on the request button.)
• Click the OK button.
• Click on the POST REGISTRATION tab at the top.
• Click on Attenders Directory tab on the next line down.
• The list is arranged by last name. Depending on the size of your screen you might have to scroll to the right to view all columns. (Scrolling bar is at the bottom of the page.)
• There is not a printer-friendly version, but you may print it from your web browser

Only Gathering participants who have opted-in to the Attenders Directory are listed. This list is only to be used by 2025 Gathering registrants for individual contact. Using data from this list for mailing lists or any bulk communication is expressly prohibited by Friends General Conference. Individuals included in this list have only given permission to be contacted on an individual basis by other Gathering attenders.  

Use the Gathering Contact Form! This form is updated for each Gathering event.

If you don’t see the contact person or activity you are looking for on the form, email the Gathering Office and we will connect you.

If you have signed up on the Gathering email list, or attended a previous Gathering and not opted-out of receiving email, you should be getting emails about the Gathering.

There are several steps you can take to make sure you allow Gathering email to get through to you and out of your spam folder. The Gathering office uses email to communicate critical information to attenders! Please make sure our emails will get to you by telling your email client to allow all emails originating from the following domains. (CVENT is the registration software we use.)

fgcquaker.org

cventmail.com

The email could come from different specific senders at FGC or CVENT.  Perhaps your email client will recognize  *@fgcquaker.org  and *@cventmail.com to indicate that you want all emails from FGC and CVENT.

For Gmail users, read our step by step instructions for adding FGC email addresses below. Here are instructions for Outlook. For other email applications, you can search “how to whitelist emails in (name of your email application)”.

For Gmail users:

• Go to your Inbox
• Click on the cogwheel in the upper right corner, and choose “Settings”click the “Filters” tab
• Click on “Filters” (to the right of the “Compose” button)
• Select “Create a new filter” (at the very bottom)
• Put:  *@fgcquaker.org in the From field.  (This means “any emails from fgcquaker.org”)
• Leave other fields blank
• Click “Create a filter with this search” in the bottom right corner of the filter box
• Check the box “Never send to spam”
• If you wish, check the box “Always mark as important”
• Click blue “Create Filter” button
• REPEAT process for *@cventmail.com

Please send feedback about these instructions to the Gathering Office

Google also has e-mail categories like Primary, Social, Promotions, Updates, and Forums. When you open your inbox, you’ll see your Primary tab first. If you want to make sure FGC e-mail appears in your primary e-mail, or if you want it sorted into another specific category, please follow these Gmail instructions.

CAUTION

It is possible for other computers to masquerade as someone you know, making it look like e-mail is coming from us when it isn’t. We will never send you a zip file or an executable program file (has .zip or .exe at the end), and we only send weblinks which we identify as Gathering-related. Use caution when clicking on a link, and feel free to call us if you are not sure something came from one of us (215-561-1700, option 2 on the menu).

FGC wants Friends to attend our gatherings regardless of financial need. Scholarships and workgrants are available for those registering for the YAY Gathering, or for the full or half-Gathering options for all-ages in-person Gatherings (but not for part-time registrants). Register early to get highest priority for financial assistance.

A workgrant is a fee waiver for specific volunteer service. You can apply for a workgrant or scholarship when you register. Priority for scholarships goes to Friends in FGC-affiliated meetings. There is also funding specifically to help Friends of Color attend FGC events – learn more about applying for this funding.

As well, many monthly meetings have funds for just these type of events – we suggest you ask your meeting early!

Learn more about Financial Aid for the 2025 YAY Gathering.

You will receive emails with links to events you registered for a day or two before the event. For afternoon activities, a daily email will go out with the links to that day’s activities. 

Visit the Using Gathering Technology webpage for more information.

What you attend is up to you. If you don’t want to – or are unable to – attend every event, that’s ok. While there are so many options, it’s also important to rest, take care of our bodies, and to allow time for informal connection.

We do ask that you attend your workshop sessions. Those have a limited capacity, and if you register but don’t attend, you could be keeping that spot from someone who wants to attend. There are some workshops that said part-time attendance is ok – so it’s fine if you don’t attend every session of those workshops. 

If these instructions don’t help, then click “Needs staff processing” as your payment option and contact the Gathering Office via email or phone: 215-561-1700, ext. 3200. Do not leave your credit card number on our voice mail!

To make a payment by credit card:

1. Visit this link to access your YAY Gathering registration
2. Click “Already Registered”
3. Enter primary registrant’s email address, exactly as entered on the registration form.
4. Enter Confirmation Number (it’s in the primary registrant’s confirmation email, or you can click on the request button).
5. Click “Log In” button.
6. Click “Submit Payment” button.
7. Complete credit/debit card information
8. Click “Submit” button at the bottom of the page.

The primary registrant will automatically receive an email noting the payment .

To make a payment by check:

Make out the check to Friends General Conference and write “YAY Gathering registration” in the memo line along with the names of everyone you’re paying for

Mail the check to:

Gathering Staff
Friends General Conference
1216 Arch #2B
Philadelphia, PA 19107

Send an email to the Gathering Office with your name, the amount you charged, and the amount you wanted to charge. We can only issue a credit to your card once your bank has processed the transaction (not necessarily the same day). Please do not send your credit card number to us via email and do not leave it on our voicemail!

Mail the check to the Gathering Office, payable to Friends General Conference. Make sure that the memo line includes your name and “FGC Gathering”

The mailing address is:
Gathering Staff
Friends General Conference
1216 Arch #2B
Philadelphia, PA 19107

1. Make sure that the amount you’ve entered as your total payment is equal to or less than the balance due on your account—the form won’t let you overpay. (If you want to make a donation, we can add that to your registration.)
2. If paying less than the total due on your account, make sure you have itemized your payment (for example, if you want to make a payment of $100, you need to say whether you want that applied to your program fee, housing, etc). You can’t pay more than is due on any single item, and the total in those item boxes must add up to your total payment.
3. Check the formatting of your total payment. It should have a dollar amount, decimal point, and cent amount, with no dollar sign or other punctuation. For example, if you were paying $100, your total amount should look like this: “100.00” not like “$100.00” or “100”.
4. Please make sure that your billing name and address exactly match your credit card bill. Slight variations (such as “Ave” instead of “Avenue”) can prevent your charges from going through for some banks.
5. If you still have problems, click “Needs staff processing” to complete your registration form and email the Gathering Office or call 215-561-1700, ext. 3200.

Please direct mail to: 

Haverford College, ATTN: [name], FGC Conference
370 Lancaster Ave, Haverford, PA 19041

Full time Attender: The Dining Center (the DC) is available to you for two or three meals, depending on your meal plan

Day Pass and Part time Attender: You can purchase individual meal tickets at the Gathering Office. Use these at the dining hall at Haverford College Dining Center (the DC)

During the 2024 Gathering everyone who has on-campus housing must have a meal plan. However, you may choose to buy a two-meal plan and then choose to occasionally buy breakfast in the dining center, or you may be staying off campus and choose not to have a meal plan. Learn more about meals here.

The Gathering will have a number of golf carts to help people with mobility problems move around the campus. Golf Cart Central will dispatch carts by cell phone when people call us, by prearrangement, and run regular routes throughout campus.

Look for the Golf Cart Central phone number in your packet when you Check-In at the Gathering.

In advance of the Gathering : follow the directions for modifying your registration. 

After the Gathering has begun: Change your workshop after you arrive at the Online Gathering Info Desk.

The conference center reports that there is free wireless in all of the rooms throughout the building.

• View the Google map
• Visit the interactive campus map
• Download a PDF of the campus map
• Travel Information
• Field Trips

There is a mini fridge in all dorm rooms. There are full-size fridges in the apartments.

No, Haverford College does not have a swimming pool that we can access for the 2024 Gathering.

No. There is only one workshop timeblock during the Gathering, and the workshop meets each day throughout the week. There are other shorter afternoon and evening events that are different each day and you can show up to different events each day – no advance sign-up needed!

Learn more on the workshops page.

In advance of the Gathering : follow the directions for modifying your registration. 

After the Gathering has begun: Change your workshop after you arrive at the Online Gathering Info Desk.

Online Gathering workshops have capacity limits that are determined by the workshop leaders. Workshops will be marked as “FULL” on this page when they reach the maximum capacity. This page will be updated weekly. Workshop capacities are also listed on registration when you select a workshop.

(Short answer, No.)

All Friends registering during Early Registration (usually early April) have an equal chance of getting into their first choice workshop. This is why even the person who registers on the morning registration opens is not guaranteed to get their first choice workshop, and is why we ask for a second choice as well. Friends registering the last day of early registration are as likely to get into a popular workshop as those registering on the first day. This practice helps relieve the pressure on the computer system caused by many people trying to be “first in line.” It also accommodates Friends who may not have access to a computer or time to register on the day registration opens.

Gathering staff almost always succeed in getting all early registrants into their first or second choice, when those choices are two different workshops. If your first and second choices are identical, you do not increase your chances of getting into that workshop.

After standard registration re-opens, workshops will be first-come first-served, and you will not choose a second choice workshop. What you register for then is the workshop you will be in. 

If you want to change your workshop, or check back later to see if you can switch into a workshop that was full, here are instructions for how to change your workshop after you are registered. We do not maintain waitlists for workshops. 

All cancellations must be submitted in writing (email preferred) or completed online by the registrant. We strongly recommend that anyone cancelling one person from a multi-person registration contact us rather than cancelling online. Cancellation fees apply, except in a few circumstances. Read the cancellation policy & instructions for how to cancel.

Adding or changing information about financial aid? Please do NOT make changes in your registration form. Instead, email the new information to the Gathering Office.

Option A (easiest method): Use link in primary registrant’s confirmation email

1. Follow the “Click here to view your registration” link from the primary registrant’s confirmation email
2. Click “Already registered?”
3. Enter Confirmation Number (it’s in your confirmation email)
4. Click “Log In” button
5. Click “Modify Registration” button
6. Click “Next” until you reach the page where you want to make a change
7. Make desired changes
8. Click “Next” Button until  you see a FINISH button
9. Click FINISH

Option B: Use generic link to completed registration forms

1. Use this link
2. Click “Already registered?”
3. Enter primary registrant’s name and email address, exactly as entered on the registration form
4. Enter Confirmation Number (it’s in the primary registrant’s confirmation email, or you click on the request button)
5. Click “Log In” button
6. Click “Modify Registration” button
7. Click “Next” until you reach the page where you want to make a change
8. Make desired changes
9. Click NEXT Button until  you see a FINISH button
10. Click FINISH

When you ask us to change a financial item, the registration software adds the cost for the new item to your bill. But it does not always remove the cost for the old item. Staff has to do this manually. Please allow several days for us to correct your account and send you an updated financial statement.

Your confirmation is very likely in your Junk Mail or Spam Mail folder. Go find it and other emails from the Gathering! Read more about Gathering email being treated as spam. If you do not find your confirmation, please call the Gathering Office. Do NOT assume that your registration is complete without a confirmation letter.

I click NEXT and nothing happens.  Scroll to the top of your screen to look for a red error message.  If you missed answering a required question or didn’t use the required format (for example you used a space or a letter when a number was required), the form won’t let you proceed to the next page.  But it will describe the error to you.

Please also check the top of the page for instructions you may have missed.

I’ve tried everything and I’m still stuck!  Email the Gathering Office or call us at 215-561-1700, ext. 3200 and leave a message if we are unable to answer right away. We will return your call and can finish your registration by phone. If you get stuck right before a deadline, we will check e-mail and phone messages for technical problems before closing those options.

• Rapid tests upon arrival will be provided.
• During the event, rapid tests will be provided if deemed necessary by FGC staff due to exposures, symptoms. or positive cases.
• Some masks will be available to those who have forgotten or run out, but plan to bring your own that are compliant with N-19, KN95, or KF94 standards.

• PCR testing is the most accurate available test for COVID-19, and best at catching asymptomatic infections. However, it has become harder and harder to get PCR tests.
• Rapid Antigen Tests are the most widely available tests and the most accessible.
• RATs are less sensitive to asymptomatic infections due what they assess, so serial testing can increase their sensitivity, leading to a better chance of catching an early infection.

• Wear a mask while obtaining food, then take the food outside to eat, while still considering physical distancing if possible. COVID transmission outside is much less likely.
• Wear a mask while obtaining food, take it off to eat or drink promptly, and then replace your mask to socialize. If possible, leave the dining area to socialize.

You first need to register for YAY Gathering. Then you can view the carpool list:

1. Return to the registration site by following this link.
2. Click “Already Registered”
3. Enter your Email and Confirmation number (it’s in your confirmation email) and click the Log In button.
4. Click on upper POST REGISTRATION tab at the top.
5. Click on CARPOOL LIST tab on the next line down.
6. The list is arranged by state. Look at the column listing departure date.

Using this list: Contact the people traveling from the same state or region you are coming from or traveling through to arrange carpooling.

For those wanting to carpool from an airport in the region, others interested are listed under the province or state where the airport is located (i.e. Michigan) and then listed by city or airport. You may need to click on the person’s name to see all the information available.

Haverford College will provide ONE set of linens for each bed IF you ordered them on your registration (set includes pillow, one fitted sheet, one flat sheet, one lightweight blanket, two towels, one washcloth, one pillow, and one pillowcase). There will not be replacement sets of linens. If you think you might want additional blankets, you will need to bring them. If you would like a change of sheets or towels during the week, bring your own. If you did not order linens, you need to bring your own, including a pillow.

No linens are provided for children sleeping on the floor. Parents will need to bring a sleeping bag/bedroll, pillow and towel for these children. Early arriving high schoolers will need to bring their own bedroll for early housing on the floor in their parent’s or sponsor’s room. 

Definitely Bring:

• N-95, KN-94, or KN-95 mask that is comfortable for you to wear
• If you have a child sleeping on the floor or early arriving High Schooler: sleeping bag/bedroll, linens, pillow and towel for that child
• Fragrance free toiletries 
• Sweatshirt or jacket for cooler evenings

Consider Bringing:

• shower shoes & robe (your preferred shower may be a bit of a walk from your room)
• water bottle (labeled!)
• travel mug
• rain gear
• sunglasses, hat, fragrance-free sunscreen and insect repellent
• musical instrument
• any props you may need for the talent show
• extra bath towel
• notebook and pen or pencil
• fan or white noise maker to help disguise dorm noises
• earplugs
• alarm clock

Don’t Bring:

• pets (working service animals are permitted on campus.)
• fireworks (including sparklers)
• candles (they are not allowed in the retreat center)

Because hosting full, simultaneous online and in-person events places an unsustainable burden on staff and volunteers, the schedule of online events this year is limited. A fully online Gathering of Friends, with much more extensive program offerings, is in the works for 2025!

FGC also offers online events year-round through the Spiritual Deepening Program and the Ministry on Racism.

Read more here about plans for future FGC events.

The FGC High School Program is open to young people who have completed ninth grade, have not yet turned 19 as of June 30, 2025, and have not yet completed a first year of college. If you meet those criteria, registering for the High School Program is an option for you. 18-year-olds who have completed high school have a choice between registering as high school participants and registering as adults.

High School Program participants enjoy a close-knit community with an abundance of support and mutual care. If you’ve never experienced the FGC High School Program before and want to see what it’s like, or if you have participated and enjoyed the experience, registering as a high schooler may be the right decision for you.

Adult attenders have a high degree of autonomy, and may need to be more proactive about seeking connection, structure, and support. The Adult Young Friends community and dorm is available to help connect and support adults ages 18-35. If you want to be more independent, registering as a young adult may be the right choice for you.

Please consider this choice carefully before registering, as we are not able to accommodate last minute changes from one registration group to another.

Friends General Conference is committed to creating safe and affirming community spaces for transgender, non-binary, genderqueer, gender non-conforming, and questioning youth. All youth workers receive training in respecting and celebrating gender diversity, including using young people’s chosen names and pronouns. We work to recruit and support youth workers with a range of gender identities and experiences. Participants in FGC youth programs can expect a welcoming social environment, positive adult role models, and support addressing any challenges that arise. Please contact event staff (gathering@fgcquaker.org)  with any specific needs or questions you may have.