The Send-Off Ceremony

This is a ceremony about moving on and moving forward, most typically used when a congregant has graduated high school and is heading to university where they will live in a dorm. In these instances this is completed after their graduation on a day of their choosing. However, this can also be used when a congregant is actively moving away from the area in which their local sanctuary resides, that is the sanctuary in which they attend congregation hour. In these instances this is done the Sunday before they must leave.

During the ceremony, the person of honor will actively and silently walk the labyrinth of stones away from their family, friends and other congregants all of whom remain standing at the entrance of this labyrinth, as they, the person honor, moves to the center where they will be greeted by their minister who will then recite to them a poem. For graduated high school students, this is the "poem of life", and are given the "gifts of life" which may include book about adulthood in addition to a seedling for them to carry with them on their travels that will grow with them and remind them of home.

Whoever this ceremony is for and whatever the purpose, the person of honor will then have a chance to feast with the other attending members, listen to music, dance and party with everyone, during which point they will say goodbye to everyone, receive any other gifts people have brought for them, and more.

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