Local chapter activities vary with the location, facilities used to meet, talents and interests of the leaders and participants as well as local resources. Many of the leaders in my London Ontario group meet for coffee every Friday morning. This helps “keep the pot boiling “ with ideas, resources, offers of assistance.
Canada has about 10 local chapters most affiliated with the Canadian Company of Pilgrims for the past 5 to 15 years. As a person who stood up at the American Gathering in Florida in 2009 and recommended they follow our example, I am delighted that APoC has facilitated this and chapters are springing up all over the USA.
Since some groups are in their infancy, I thought it might be helpful to describe some of the activites that it is possible to engage in. The places of meeting vary from Universities, Churches, Community Centres or private homes depending on the intercession of members who can acquire or provide a favourable venue.
Most chapters have a spring information meeting and an autumn welcome back for returning pilgrims. Some groups celebrate St James Day with walks, church services, pot luck dinners. My local group walks in the morning on a hiking trail for two hours, has Spanish soup (Caldo Gallego and Sopa de Ajo) for lunch and then walks following yellow arrows to a church service, a lily garden where refreshments always await and a return to our start where we feast on Spanish influenced food and wine. This, weather permitting, is always our most popular event.
Meetings (spring, autumn and St James) often start with a welcome back and commissioning on intended pilgrims. To welcome them back, most often experienced pilgrims recite one of the 10 points from “Pilgrim You are Blessed” to the returning pilgrims who simply tell us their names and where and when they walked. These newly returned pilgrims then read “Blessings on Your Journey” to people who will leave shortly for their first (or eighth) Camino.
For meetings we often try to have a topic of interest to everyone in the first half. These include speakers on Food of Spain, Routes that few have Traveled, Books or guides we enjoy, An author of a new book or video, etc. Just before the coffee break we ask people to stand up to identify who has walked the different routes. We then break for a few minutes to allow people to connect and exchange contact info so they can meet later. Following this, we divide so that inexperienced pilgrims can get equipment or question and answer info while experienced pilgrims deal with life after the Camino.
Local groups have also engaged in group hikes, Spiritual retreats, Camino art shows, labyrinth walks, Spanish dinners, wine and tapas with Camino "open mike" storytelling, Spanish conversatios groups, panel discussions after showings of “The Way” or other movies, information Q & As for new pilgrims and serving dinner to the local disadvantaged community. We also raise funds to support specific albergues. Hospitalero training in Canada has also often taken place in conjunction with a local chapter event.
The local chapter concept is a valuable instrument to connect a local Camino community. I do wish to say as well that I truly value the national Gatherings I have also attended.
Canada has about 10 local chapters most affiliated with the Canadian Company of Pilgrims for the past 5 to 15 years. As a person who stood up at the American Gathering in Florida in 2009 and recommended they follow our example, I am delighted that APoC has facilitated this and chapters are springing up all over the USA.
Since some groups are in their infancy, I thought it might be helpful to describe some of the activites that it is possible to engage in. The places of meeting vary from Universities, Churches, Community Centres or private homes depending on the intercession of members who can acquire or provide a favourable venue.
Most chapters have a spring information meeting and an autumn welcome back for returning pilgrims. Some groups celebrate St James Day with walks, church services, pot luck dinners. My local group walks in the morning on a hiking trail for two hours, has Spanish soup (Caldo Gallego and Sopa de Ajo) for lunch and then walks following yellow arrows to a church service, a lily garden where refreshments always await and a return to our start where we feast on Spanish influenced food and wine. This, weather permitting, is always our most popular event.
Meetings (spring, autumn and St James) often start with a welcome back and commissioning on intended pilgrims. To welcome them back, most often experienced pilgrims recite one of the 10 points from “Pilgrim You are Blessed” to the returning pilgrims who simply tell us their names and where and when they walked. These newly returned pilgrims then read “Blessings on Your Journey” to people who will leave shortly for their first (or eighth) Camino.
For meetings we often try to have a topic of interest to everyone in the first half. These include speakers on Food of Spain, Routes that few have Traveled, Books or guides we enjoy, An author of a new book or video, etc. Just before the coffee break we ask people to stand up to identify who has walked the different routes. We then break for a few minutes to allow people to connect and exchange contact info so they can meet later. Following this, we divide so that inexperienced pilgrims can get equipment or question and answer info while experienced pilgrims deal with life after the Camino.
Local groups have also engaged in group hikes, Spiritual retreats, Camino art shows, labyrinth walks, Spanish dinners, wine and tapas with Camino "open mike" storytelling, Spanish conversatios groups, panel discussions after showings of “The Way” or other movies, information Q & As for new pilgrims and serving dinner to the local disadvantaged community. We also raise funds to support specific albergues. Hospitalero training in Canada has also often taken place in conjunction with a local chapter event.
The local chapter concept is a valuable instrument to connect a local Camino community. I do wish to say as well that I truly value the national Gatherings I have also attended.
