The Lake Erie Yearly Meeting is moving its website to a new home. From now on, new updates and news will be found at http://leym.org - Please update your bookmarks and news feeds as needed so we don’t lose touch with you.

Sincerely,
Bill Warters
LEYM Outgoing Webmaster

Dear Friends,

Green Pastures Quarterly Meeting invites you to a gathering of Friends
for worship followed by a pot luck on Sunday August 7 at 11:00 a.m. at
Quaker Park in Battle Creek.

This annual gathering is for worship focusing on prayers for peace in
memory of Hiroshima Day.

Attenders are asked to bring a chair as well as dish to pass and a
place setting.

Quaker Park is located between Fremont Street and Groveland Street in
Battle Creek.

Here is a flyer with details. Hope to see you there!

Blessings and peace,
Dianne

Thomas Taylor, clerk of the Ad Hoc Committee on LEYM Advices and Queries has asked us to share the attached document to be considered for approval at our yearly meeting sessions on 28-31 July in Bluffton. One important point to note is that the YM will be asked to decide whether the material in the "afterward," which deals with the LEYM experience with advices and queries and the process used in developing this booklet (pp 20-24), should be included in the final printed edition.

In addition to the attached word document which can be downloaded, Thomas will have draft copies available at the YM sessions for Friends to consult.

LEYM Advices and Queries (Word document for review prior to YM.)

High school teens are cordially invited to the
Lake Erie Yearly Meeting 2011 Summer Teen Retreat
Friday, July 15 – Monday, July 18
Friends of the Light Meeting House, Traverse City, MI

Theme: Water
Issues facing fresh water, global concerns about water, water conversation, water management in Costa Rica, and the controversy over bottled water will be explored. Presenters will include Philip Clampitt (Birmingham MM), Co-Clerk of the LEYM Earthcare Committee and Consttanza Hazelwood, Ph.D., Education and Outreach Coordinator for the Northwestern Michigan College Water Studies Institute. We will also be attending the Inland Seas Education Association Summer Festival and watching water-themed movies, including “Tapped,” “Flow,” and “Thurst.”

Service Project: Painting the outside of buildings for the Civic Center

Cost: $25/person Includes weekend program and all meals. Additional contributions welcome. Make checks payable to Lake Erie Yearly Meeting. We do not want costs to be a barrier preventing teens from attending. Monthly Meetings are encouraged to help teens attend. LEYM also has a limited amount of financial assistance available. Ask your meeting for their help and contact Cari if you still need help.

RSVP: Online Registration Available! For paper registration, please fill out the attached registration form and contact Cari Burke, LEYM High School Teen Retreat Program Coordinator (cell: 231-383-1296, e-mail: cariupnorth@gmail.com). Please also contact Cari for help with carpooling. For online registration, fill out the form at the following link: Online Registration Form (don't forget to send or fax Cari a signed medical release form if you register online).

Weekend activities:

- Hanging-out
- Meeting for Business
- Swimming
- Beach wink & bonfire!
- Inland Seas Festival
- Meeting for Worship
- Service Project
- Worship Sharing
- Water workshops

Things to bring:

- Payment (checks, please)
- Sleeping bag, pad, & pillow
- Swimsuit & sunscreen
- Water bottle
- Towel, toiletries & medicines
- Musical instruments, games
- Painting clothing for service work
- Clothing for wink (i.e. t-shirt & sweats - yoga or gym-type clothing)
- Snacks to share

We are looking for FAPs (Friendly Adult Presences) and carpooling drivers for the weekend. If you are interested in this call to service, please contact Cari.

**Join our Facebook group: “LEYM Youth Retreat Program” **

LEYM Spiritual Formation Program 2011-2012
Retreat Leader: Richard Lee
Retreat Theme: TBA
Fall Retreat September 9-11, 2011: Weber Retreat Center, Adrian, MI

Spring Retreat May 5, 2012: If you think your meeting might be interested in hosting this one-day retreat, please contact Mathilda Navias at galaxy@woh.rr.com

The Spring 2011 LEYM Bulletin is now available online. Editor Leslie Walden has done a great job on the latest edition. In it you’ll find all the details regarding our yearly gathering to be held July 28-30 at Bluffton University. A separate download of just the LEYM Registration Pack is also available as a pdf.

The GPQM spring gathering will take place on Saturday, May 21, from 9
am to 4 pm at the Michigan Friends Center in Chelsea.  The focus of
the meeting will be on the business of the Quarter.  Ed Harris, the
new Head of School at Friends School in Detroit, will present on the
state of the school.  Natalie Holbrook from the AFSC Criminal Justice
Office in Ann Arbor and Max Heirich from the Inclusive Justice Program
will give updates.  And we are happy to have both Michigan Friends
Center and the Friends Lake Cooperative represented at this meeting by
Steve Daut and Richard Tucker respectively not only to report but also
to reflect on how to better collaborate with Quarterly.  There will
also be other committee reports and business as part of the agenda.

Lunch is provided ($5 donation is accepted) and childcare is organized
by Pine River Monthly Meeting.

We look forward to seeing many Friends and friends at this meeting!

For more information please contact: Dianne Guenin-Lelle,
dgueninlelle@albion.edu .

Have you heard about the Together in Faith conference May 14, 2011, in Lansing?-- an interfaith venture that needs and deserves strong Quaker presence. Can people from your Meeting be part of this gathering? Do you think several people might drive together? This one-day conference developed through activities of the Inclusive Justice program (formerly AFSC's Inclusive Justice program) which our Quarterly Meeting supports financially. Now there is an opportunity to become more directly involved.

I hope several members of your Friends Meeting can attend, and that your Meeting will want to be an active part of efforts this coalition develops. Our Quaker testimony of equality leads us to witness, and to plan together with persons of other faiths to frame and proclaim the spiritual issues that are

YOU ARE INVITED!

"Lifting Up the Voice of All-Embracing Love"
At Pilgrim United Church of Christ
125 S. Pennsylvania Avenue, Lansing, MI 48912
Saturday May 14, 2011
8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

$35 Registration Fee (scholarships available)

Go to: www.inclusive-justice-together-in-faith.org

"Lifting Up the Voice of All-Embracing Love"
This unique statewide conference was planned by a coalition of organizations, called together by the Inclusive Justice program, which until 2010 was a program of the American Friends Service Committee. This statewide conference continues the Together In Faith conferences which Inclusive Justice formerly sponsored on its own. This provides a great opportunity to network with people of different faiths who share our passion for Standing on the Side of Love.

Workshops include:

- Panel: Stories of Courage - Becoming "Welcoming and Inclusive"
- Panel: Call for Action - Advocacy for Equal Rights; Anti-bullying; Local Ordinances
- Finding Your Voice: Telling Your Story Effectively
- Successful Models for Organizing Within Faith Traditions (MUUSJN is one model)
- Resouces for Creating more Welcoming Communities and Traditions
- Working Effectively with Legislators and Secular Groups

Contact Joan Burleigh (joburleigh@aol.com, 734-369-4992) or Max Heirich (of the Ann Arbor Friends Meeting) mheirich@umich.edu>. 734-668-1008 for more info.
Together, we can do great things.

Any couple in a committed relationship is invited to participate in an FGC Couple Enrichment Retreat being held in the Red Cedar Friends Meeting House, Lansing, Michigan, during the weekend of June 3-5, 2011. This weekend retreat will be led by Merry Stanford and Peter Wood, is sponsored by Red Cedar Friends Meeting, and is a program of Friends General Conference (FGC). The retreat will help couples celebrate the joys and strengths of their relationships and develop skills to enrich facets that could be improved, in the company of other Friends. Couple Enrichment is based on Quaker testimonies and practices.
 
The program is 15 hours long over the course of the weekend, beginning Friday evening, continuing Saturday morning through evening, and ending Sunday afternoon. Cost for Friends in Lake Erie Yearly Meeting is just $85 per couple, since the space is being provided by the Meeting, and the leaders are donating their time. All proceeds will go to the FGC Couple Enrichment Program and Red Cedar Friends Meeting. For more information, please email Merry Stanford at merry.stanford@gmail.com. For more information generally about Couple Enrichment, see www.fgcquaker.org, and click on Couple Enrichment under Programs and Services.
 
A flyer and registration form is attached.
 
We hope you will consider joining us! Many blessings!

Playing in the Light: A Training Workshop on using the
Godly Play® ~ Faith and Play Curricula
A Program of Friends General Conference

When: May 13 – 15, 2011

Where: Red Cedar Friends Meeting, 1400 N. Turner Street, Lansing, Michigan

Who: This training is appropriate for religious education teachers,
parents, Quaker studies teachers at Friends schools, and religious
education committee members. It may also be useful to those interested
in adult religious education.

Presenters: Michael Gibson (FGC staff) and Melinda Wenner Bradley


What: Godly Play® is a Montessori-inspired approach to spiritual
formation for children from age three until early adolescence. It
focuses on the Bible, liturgy, and silence. Faith & Play is designed
for Friends who have been trained in the Godly Play® method, and is a
Quaker supplement to the Bible stories in the Godly Play® curriculum.
While Friends do not typically use all of the Godly Play® stories
(some liturgical ones are inappropriate for Quakers), both offer a
rich classroom culture of welcome and support that nurtures wonder and
honors the spiritual lives of children.

Program Times: The program is 15 hours long over the
course of the weekend, excluding breaks.

Friday, 6 pm to 9:30 pm Registration and simple meal at 6 pm.
Program begins at 7 pm.

Saturday, 9 am to 9 pm Lunch and dinner provided.

Sunday 9 am Worship

10:30 am Observe
Faith & Play lessons with children of Meeting

12:30 pm - 3:30 pm Program

Our limited spaces are reserved for Friends who can attend the entire program.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Register by May 1, 2011 by providing the following information:

Name: ______________________________________________________________________________

Email: ______________________________________________________________________________

Home phone: (___)______________________________ Cell:
(____)____________________________

Meeting: _______________________________________ Do you
need hospitality? ¨ Yes ¨No

Special Food Needs? (vegetarian, gluten-free, etc.)
___________________________________________

Cost:

· Friends from other Meetings are asked to write a check for $95
per person to Red Cedar Friends Meeting to help cover costs of program
and food.

· Red Cedar Friends are asked for a donation of $10 to help
cover food costs.

· Please mail with your registration to: Carolyn Lejuste, 219
Virginia Street, Lansing, MI 48912.

Questions? Email merry.stanford@gmail.com or clejuste@gmail.com
Get flyer as a pdf here.

The 18th Annual Wade McCree, Jr. Scholarship Fund Dinner benefiting students of Friends School in Detroit, will be held Saturday, April 16, at the Ford Field, Hall of Legends at 6:00 p.m. This year, both Denise Ilitch of Counsel, Clark Hill, P.L.C. and John Barfield, founder and chairman emeritus of The Bartech Group, Inc. will receive the “Friends for Children Award” for their outstanding and on-going support of children throughout our metro-communities.

“Made in Michigan” is the theme for this year’s event. We are celebrating friends in our own backyard who use their talents and skills to make our state, our community, a better place. The dinner, which also features a silent auction and dancing, is a great evening out in support of some truly amazing students—students who will undoubtedly help our state to continue to move forward!

Full details are available here and via the Friends School in Detroit website.


This year's dinner will include a Very Special Memorial Tribute to Dores McCrary McCree, who was instrumental in the founding of Friends School in Detroit, along with her husband Judge Wade H. McCree, Jr. Mrs. McCree supported the school consistently and immeasurably up until her recent death, December 9, 2010.

Jeff Cooper, clerk of the Lake Erie Yearly Meeting ad hoc committee on revising Policies and Procedures, sends the following:

Dear Friends,

Below are links to two pdf files, one a draft of a new edition of LEYM Policies and Procedures, the other a summary of the changes in this edition. We expect to consider the draft at Representative Meeting (on April 2 at Ann Arbor Meeting) with the goal of understanding what further revision is needed, so that we can approve this edition at Annual Sessions in July. Friends are invited to look at the draft, consider how it might be improved, and send suggestions, comments, corrections, and questions to me, preferably well before Representative Meeting. A short explanation of the sorts of changes made is included in the “Introduction to Draft Policies and Procedures,” immediately preceding the Table of Contents in the draft.

Looking forward to hearing from you,
Jeff Cooper, for the ad hoc committee on revising Policies and Procedures

Policy and Procedures Draft 2-20-11
Policy and Procedures Changes

The Winter 2011 LEYM Bulletin is now available - you can get it here or by visiting the leym.quaker.org website.

High school teens are cordially invited to the
Lake Erie Yearly Meeting 2011 Spring Teen Retreat

Friday, March 25 – Monday, March 28
Olney Friends School, Barnesville, OH

Theme: Creating a Culture of Peace
Cost: $40/person Includes weekend program and all meals. Additional contributions welcome. Make checks payable to Lake Erie Yearly Meeting. We do not want costs to be a barrier preventing teens from attending. Monthly Meetings are encouraged to help teens attend. LEYM also has a limited amount of financial assistance available. Ask your meeting for their help and contact Cari if you still need help.

Workshop:
We will be doing a modified version of the Creating a Culture of Peace (CCP) curriculum. The full training takes three days. Creating a Culture of Peace was developed by Janet Chisholm, a nationally recognized leader in faith based peacemaking and nonviolence, inspired by Pace e Bene’s book, From Violence to Wholeness. She wanted to develop an interactive, experience-based program without a lot of reading – one that would build community and promote action and project planning over the course of a long weekend.

Using a popular education approach CCP explores the nature of violence and its misuses; increase awareness of how active nonviolence can be used; understand social change movements as engines for change; consider the values of community and identify steps and tools for planning nonviolent actions.

Service Project: Headstart Playground Assembly

Workshop Leader: Scilla Wahrhaftig, Program Director American Friends Service Committee PA

RSVP: Please read and fill out the attached registration form and contact Cari Burke, LEYM High School Teen Retreat Program Coordinator (cell: 231-383-1296, e-mail: cariupnorth@gmail.com). If you are vegan, vegetarian, or have specific dietary needs, please indicate so on the registration form and contact Cari beforehand so that we may plan accordingly. Please also contact Cari for help with carpooling.

Weekend activities:
- Hanging-out
- Olney GymEx Performance
- Meeting for Business
- Wink!
- Music, singing and dancing
- Meeting for Worship
- Worship Sharing
- Games
- Planning for future retreats
- Service project: Head Start Playground Assembly

Things to Bring:
- Payment (checks, please)
- Sleeping bag, pad, & pillow
- Towel & toiletries
- Medicines
- Acoustic musical instruments
- Clothing for wink (i.e. t-shirt & sweats - yoga or gym-type clothing)
- Dance party music!
- Games
- Snacks to share
- Your calendar (for planning)

We are looking for FAPs (Friendly Adult Presences) and carpooling drivers for the weekend. If you are interested in this call to service, please contact Cari.

For driving directions to Olney Friends School, visit:
http://www.olneyfriends.org/admissions/directions.htm

Use this link to visit the Online Registration Form

Related Documents
Retreat Flyer
Paper Registration Form and Medical Release
Medical Release form for Online Registrants