Bucks Quarter Takes Hybrid Meeting on the Road
When the pandemic halted most in-person worship in March 2020, many – but not all – Bucks Quarter meetings moved to virtual worship. Our Quarterly Meeting did as well, as our gatherings were exclusively virtual for the next two years. Last year, as meetinghouses re-opened, Friends began experimenting with a hybrid format and Bucks Quarter did as well.
But the question arose about what to do when the Quarterly Meeting host has neither the technology nor the tech support for a hybrid meeting?
Bucks Quarter Friends moved to explore assembling a “hybrid meeting in a box” that could travel from meeting to meeting. We appointed an Ad Hoc Technology Committee that discerned what equipment and personnel would be needed, as well as the associated costs. A prototype was assembled using equipment no longer needed by one of our meetings, and personal equipment belonging to members of the committee. It was time to try it out.
Quakertown (NJ) Monthly Meeting was scheduled to hold our November Quarterly Meeting and is one of those meetings that never went virtual and has no experience using Zoom. Our team conducted a trial run, trying to anticipate any issues that might arise. We even used a phone as a hotspot, as the meetinghouse was not wired for Wi-Fi. Between our tech experts and the meeting liaisons, we felt we were ready.
And we were! The day went off without a hitch – technically at least. The scheduled speaker had to cancel at the last minute due to illness, but Karen Tibbals rose to the occasion, and gave a fascinating presentation entitled ‘Just Debt’ – Quakers and Capitalism. You can view her presentation on YouTube.
The Zoom connection, speakers, microphones, projectors, and screens worked perfectly for both the program and meeting for business. Those who attended on Zoom could hear everything that was going on in the room, and those who attended in person were welcomed by the gracious hospitality offered by Quakertown Friends. From coffee and donuts upon arrival to the desserts and drinks to accompany a brown bag lunch, to the great signage, Quakertown Friends outdid themselves. And while it is wonderful that we could add a virtual component, who doesn’t like gathering in person for food and fellowship with Friends?
Friends enjoy some singing after lunch
Flush from our first success, we are now working toward the second trial of our traveling hybrid meeting, which will be at Solebury Friends Meeting in February. In the meantime, we plan to expand our equipment purchases and begin forming a Quarter-level Tech Support Committee so we can continue to grow as an inclusive and welcoming Quarter.