3014 Intergenerational Lunch With Entertainment
Planning Committee Sponsored

 

The planners of this event imagined an antidote to the atmosphere of "serious-ity" generated at General Assembly and came up with an alternative! The atmosphere was festive and fun - even silly. It was their "Dream come True," a place for people of all ages to mingle, eat and make merry - together, in the spirit of community and family.

The theme of the event was Cirque Day, Québec style. Buffet tables were abundantly spread with delicious food for people of both persuasions: vegetarians and non-vegetarians, and there was a cornucopia of activities.

Minstrels wandered through the crowds and tables, jugglers juggled (warning that at any slip of the fingers a ball could land in the plate of a gourmand). Stilt-walkers walked about in costumes, defying anyone not to leave their ponderous thoughts behind and break into a smile. There were storytellers, face painters, and even a very able portrait caricaturist for those who took the vow promising to take themselves lighter after this GA!

Even UUs trying not to always inform and educate couldn't leave all traditions behind. An invited speaker earnestly stood behind the podium trying to explain the historical significance of St. Jean Baptiste Day, the Patron Saint of Québec, and the importance of the annual Fête (inaugurated by the Vatican in 1908) to defend the interests of the "nation." But, the sounds of forks gnashing, lips smacking, and laughter and talk generated from a convivial atmosphere, won out.

The event attracted people of all ages. There was a Jacob, a 20-year-old student of creative writing from Toronto who had come to GA with his mother. There was William, a retired physicist from Wichita, Kansas, who had financially sponsored a teenager to come and experience the many facets of GA. There was Paul, a Director of Religious Education from Ithaca, New York, who had come to the event just to have access to new people. And there were the kids, and many teenagers. Even the lost 4-year-old found wandering didn't break down in the usual panic cry!

Alas, the serious purpose behind the event should not be forgotten. The organizers, part of the Families Matter Task Force, acknowledge that the issue of strengthening family in the community needs more attention. Their work focuses on four areas: providing support to individual families; advocating in the public sphere where family values are co-opted; sensitizing leadership to kinds of support families need; and transforming congregations into family-friendly environments.

Committee member threw themselves into the carnival, wearing tall red and white striped Dr. Seuss hats, "Cat in the Hat" style. They amused, they laughed, and they beamed with the evident success of their event. Bravo!

Reporter Caroline Jondahl; Photographer Robert Hurst

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