Stones Family
Gathering Sept 1 - 4, 2023
Buffalo Gap Retreat
Capon Bridge, WV |
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Stones Family Gathering - Moving and Raising Big Rocks!
We are changing locations, the same general area as years previous but this year will be at Buffalo Gap Retreat in Capon Bridge, WV which will have more room and swimming for us.
Trilithon!!!
DId you not get a chance to raise a Trilithon with us in 2019? Did you get to and you remember how amazing and awesome it was? Come raise another one with us this Labor Day. |
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Eclipse Magic Weekend
April 6 - 9, 2024 Grand Valley, PA
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Join Stone Circle Council for a magical weekend of watching the total Solar Eclipse. Geographical viewing areas are limited, so we will be traveling north towards Lake Erie. It will be *cold* with probable overnight lows in the 30s and daily highs likely not more than 55. Our venue, therefore, will be hotel-style!
The weekend will include outdoor viewing of almost 2 full minutes (1m52s) of totality. We will be including beverages, meals, and snacks for the weekend in registration!
The weekend will lead to ample opportunities to connect, relax, do magic, learn some things, and witness something that won't be back in the states for the next 20 years! That's the basics!
RSVP now so we can make sure we've got the right-sized venue!! Formal registration will open later this summer!
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Community Articles & Updates:
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Sunshine Funds use the community’s generosity to help pay for registration costs when they are a barrier to someone joining an event. Sadly, our community’s well of Sunshine Funds has run dry. Can you help us replenish it? You can make a one-time or a recurring donation here by selecting “Sunshine Funds,” and you can also make one-time contributions when you register for any SCC event!
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Bylaw Revision Vote The second vote on our bylaw revisions is approaching. Watch your mailbox for the link for your vote on August 18th. The revisions can be found here. Please complete your ballot before Midnight on Saturday September 2nd. We'll be announcing the results of this election at Stones Town Hall on Sunday! Thanks for participating in our democracy!
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Strategic Planning Committee SCC needs you! What will SCC look like in a year? Five years? Ten? Only you can decide that—so contact Liz at lharman@stonecirclecouncil.org to join the Strategic Planning Committee and bring your vision for our future to the community. Our first meeting will be in August. Thank you to everyone who has already let us know of your interest in helping. Its not too late to volunteer! Let Liz know by Lugh and she will make sure you get the meeting details. |
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Stones Family Gathering - What to Expect
A Weekend at Buffalo Gap Campground - “Argon” Jon Noll
Going to a new site for an event can be an exciting and daunting prospect. How close can I park to my camp site, where are the bathrooms, and how is the water pressure, are but some of the questions that may come to mind. With all this, and more, in mind, I took it upon myself to spend a recent Friday evening through Sunday morning at the location for Stones Family Gathering (SFG) 2023 at Buffalo Gap Retreat (BGR) Campground.
The first thing that struck me as I made the final approach to the campground is just how lovely the fields, stream, and hills are in this section of West Virginia. The twists and bends in the road certainly kept my attention as a driver!
Pulling up to the campground, there are two entrances: one immediately to the right for folks staying in cabins or at the Lake View camp sites, and another a little further down the road and to the right for the Creekside Campsites. The Creekside parking is in a wide section of the field and allows easy access to all the sites. The ground was mostly flat, all sites had a family-size picnic table, and campfire ring. It did get pretty dark at night, so remember to bring along a flashlight and some illumination for your site!
The lake is a nice feature if you’re looking for some time away from camp to relax in/by the water. There is a decent-size section of sand, and the lake bottom is sand until you get to about waist-deep where the seaweed takes over. The lake is well-stocked with fish for those who like to do some catch and release, but this also means that your toes and other exposed bits are fair game for a friendly peck!
The café has a wide-open feel, with vaulted ceilings, fans that keep the air moving, ample seating, and plenty of natural light coming in through the windows that line that wall facing the lake. This is your best spot to hop on the free camp wi-fi and there are some interesting games available for play. There are also four bathrooms in the café (toilet and sink).
Over the course of two dinners, one breakfast, and a snack I spent a total of $57.15 on food (with tax and tip). Overall, the service was prompt, food was hot, and portions were at least reasonable, if not larger than expected. The French Fries and Mozzarella Sticks (so I’m told) were a great value for the volume served. I found the Greek Omelet to be both refreshing and filling, and the Roasted Chicken and Vegetable dinner entrée was exceptional! The bacon-cheeseburger was less impressive. You do get free refills on coffee during breakfast, but I’ll stick with Darla and the magic, black bean juice that SCC pumps out. If you’re in the mood for something fancier like a latte, espresso, double, or even quadruple espresso the café isn’t a bad option.
There is a pair of flush toilets with a sink that is located just past the gymnasium, in a red building, adjacent to Creekside Camping. So, if you’re looking for facilities that are closer and require fewer steps than getting to the Slane’s Knob/Sandy Ridge Cabin, they can be an option. While I was not able to try out the Cabin showers because they were all occupied, the public showers next to the café were an experience. Both the water pressure and temperature were excellent, and while you can technically fit two people into one shower at a time, the floor to ceiling height is a tad tight. Again, SCC has rented two cabins with six full bathrooms available to its attendees, so use of these public showers would be optional. I will say that if the water pressure and temperature are anywhere near as good in the cabins, folks should have nothing to worry about.
I am so very glad to have spent the time I did getting to know this new space. It certainly helped to figure out where some signs and lighting will be needed to help guide SFG attendees from one spot to another! If you’ve already registered for SFG 2023, be on the lookout for additional communication about parking, especially for those who have rented a cabin or private room, and other exciting details. If you haven’t registered yet, what are you waiting for?! Please do consider this to be your personal invite to join us as we move and raise another trilithon into place, to celebrate with those who will join us on this path, and to create wonderful new memories and traditions.
Yours in the Fire,
Argon Jon |
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Packing Reminders
Whether this is your first Stones Family Gathering, or your 4th, we wanted to remind you of a few items to pack. For Rising Day, please remember that 'Safety is Sexy' and bring closed toes shoes, work gloves, and a water bottle.
For the water lovers, remember your swimming attire for the spring-fed creek and pond. Staying in a cabin? Linens are not provided, so remember to bring your linens, blanket(s), pillow(s), and towel.
After the stone pull, or before the wedding, you'll probably want to freshen up, so remember your toiletries.
We also wanted to let you know that you should bring some garb for you and your kids with an eye to the fae realms! Bring fairy wings, capes, claws, and flower crowns to get ready to join in the fun in style! |
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Cafe Coupons One feature of Buffalo Gap Resort is the onsite cafe. Their menu is available here. Instead of a meal plan, we are offering "cafe coupons". The coupons will work like store credit at the cafe. When you place your order, you will give your name and state that you are with SCC and your total will be deducted from your credit. If you find you need more credit, please find a SCC officer and let us know how much more you would like to add to your account. We can invoice you after the event. |
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New Swag in our Store! Looking for something new to wear to your next SCC event, or to show off your SCC pride around town? We've got you covered with some past favorites and new designs in our SCC store! |
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Call for articles and updates for our next Newsletter Help support our community newsletter. If you have something you think would be helpful to share, an article, an upcoming event, updates or requests from one of our groups or clubs, we want to hear about it! Click on the link below to submit your ideas to be featured in an upcoming newsletter! |
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At the June officers meeting, we discussed what to do with any excess revenue from our events. Beginning with TriFire 2023, up to 20% of any excess revenue will go to the indigenous communities where the event occurred and up to 20% will be transferred to Sunshine Funds!
We have also created an incident report form. If you cannot speak to an officer, this is a method you can use to report incidents ranging from accidents to security concerns to code of conduct and community standards concerns. The link is on our "About" page or accessed directly here.
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The Officers love hearing from you! Drop us a line on Facebook, Discord, or email us personally:
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Executive: Coriander Woodruff, John Nunemaker
Communications: Liz Harman
Financial: Chris "Tinder" McGrath
Projects: Jon "Argon" Noll
Advising: Jessie Taylor, Rhiannon Linfeld
Yours in Service, Liz Harman, Communications Officer |
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Where we gather, we are home. Where we go, we will raise Stones.
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THE STONE CIRCLE COUNCIL
