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and, therefore, much more fun. We hope that our new building will entice them back to us and also give the much-needed room in which these programs can grow.
Our children may be few, but they managed to raise $60 trick or treating for UNICEF. The money went for children's relief in Afghanistan. Other outings for our smaller Friends included an Easter egg hunt, strawberry picking (which turned out to be just strawberry eating), and joining adults for Christmas caroling at the Champaign County Nursing Home. They also met one on one with their "Special Friend": a program pairing each young Friend with a not-so-young Friend to foster intergenerational activity, understanding and just plain fun.
The Fundraising Committee has worked very hard. They sent out letters, had a garage sale, and are still applying for grants. As of this writing over $52,000 has been donated or pledged. This is a good beginning in our effort to raise $100,000.
Peace and Service has been extremely busy. Meeting has supported the Campaign of Conscience for the Iraqi People (though several Friends stood aside), Charter school creation, petition to U.S. senators urging required waiting periods and background checks for gun purchases for private individuals at gun shows. The Meeting has cosponsored the Friday Forum Series held at the University YMCA, and has supported establishment of a citizen police board for the city of Urbana.
In response to 9-11 and the continuing war, what was planned to be a workshop for conscientious objection, similar to last year's event, expanded to a six-week series titled "Living Your Principles." A video of the PBS series on nonviolence, "A Force More Powerful," was used as a springboard for discussion. We were joined in this effort by the Channing Murray Foundation, Church of the Brethren, University YMCA, the Mennonite Church, Illinois Disci
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ples Foundation, the Independent Media Center, Vietnam Veterans Against the War, and the School for Designing a Society.
The annual Peace Bazaar, held in conjunction with Community United Church of Christ, raised approximately $3000, with the proceeds going to the Eastern Illinois Foodbank, Empty Tomb, the BOAST Academy after-school program, Oxfam, relief for Afghan children through UNICEF, and the Church World Service landmine eradication program.
Sunday morning study group finished with the parables and moved on to the Tao te
Ching. Currently we are reading Matthew Fox's Passion for Creation: The Earth-Honoring Spirituality of Meister Eckhart. We will probably be moving to a weeknight so more Friends can share this experience.
Blue River Quarterly's program planning fell to us this last fall. People wanted to talk about the war, so the program became role-playing conversations with people in favor of the war. The children presented a skit on how Jesus would resolve conflicts they see in their own lives.
The spiritual discernment group continues to meet nearly monthly. They are only four in number now but hope to start new groups eventually.
Mariellen Gilpin continues to be on the editorial committee of What Canst Thou Say? - a small newsletter on Quakers, mysticism and contemplative living. Her issue's theme for last August was "Forgiveness." This August she takes a look at "God's Marvelous Workarounds."
We welcome new members Ian Hanson and Terri Mittenthal, and new attenders Cynthia, Kory and Conner Ching, and Jim Watkins.
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