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There is no traditional structure that I have found within the Society of Friends to help people transition from childhood to adulthood or between other life stages. Perhaps for good reason? Many people who have undertaken a traditional religious rite of passage--catechism, bat mitzvah, confirmation--express a similar sentiment: "It was okay--I guess I learned about my faith tradition--but it was something I did because I turned 12, and it wasn't really a life-changing thing at all. It was just another thing." A pilgrimage or rite of passage does not have to be just another thing--it can be a journey developed and undertaken specifically and intentionally to seek self-knowledge and personal growth while exploring one's place in community. How can we create a structure for Quakers to have the opportunity to experience life change without forcing life change upon them? Continue to the next page to explore this query. 
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