Newsletter, February, 2009

Navigation links within the February Newsletter:

Queries
Meeting for Business
General Swarthmore Meeting Announcements
Wider News from Across Philadelphia Yearly Meeting
Pendle Hill Programs
Calendar

The Meeting opened, after a few moments of silent worship, with Mike Malone, Clerk, presiding. The Query on Social Responsibility and Witness was read and contemplated. Minutes of the previous Meeting were perused and approved with some clarification::"Alexander Kendrick" should read Alexandra Kendrick" and a final budget will be adopted after the "Threshing Session" on our covenant with Yearly Meeting.

Mike Malone presented a request from Camila Leiva, a Swarthmore College Senior, for the use of our facilities to sleep about sixty students who will attend the HOLA (High School Organizing for Labor Action) Conference, Friday and Saturday night, February 27 and 28. Ten chaperones are expected and the group will make a $100 refundable deposit. Approved.

Steve Weimar reported for Budget and Finance Committee regarding the 2008 budget: the overall shortfall will be covered, as established in last month's Business Meeting, from cash reserves. Contributions were down and rentals were less than expected. A grant for Feeding the Homeless as well as a larger than expected return on the Jumble sale were more or less neutralized by greater than anticipated expenses. Steve also noted some clarifications on the individuals authorized to sign Meeting checks. He also noted that any long-term major capital expenses, such as roofing, could pretty well drain special funds.

Andrea Knox reported on the proposed 2009 budget -- actually two proposed budgets, one reflecting the same total budget as 2008, and the other adding in additional money for the complete covenant with Yearly Meeting. Several concerns were raised: 1) that even given the present severe economic environment, perhaps a 20% reduction is too much, especially as other Monthly Meetings may be considering reducing their covenants as well. 2) it is wise to maintain a good relationship with Yearly Meeting since there are special funds under its control to which our Monthly Meeting may want to make a request while undertaking major capital improvements. 3) Meeting members should make a special effort to increase their individual financial support of Yearly Meeting. Budget number 1 was adopted with the understanding that this figure could be changed and that the expense figures may be slightly modified. It was agreed that, if this is the final budget, any excess income should go to Yearly Meeting. A Threshing Session scheduled for February 15, after Pot Luck, will discuss the Covenant amount.

Pat Thomas reported for Worship and Ministry Committee: She presented a written final draft of the State of the Meeting Report. With minor clarifications noted, the Report was approved.There was brief discussion of other Committee activities: the replenishing of pamphlets in the Meetinghouse, and invitation to Meeting members to display/perform their artistic talents , and the recent change to have the Holding in the Light segment at the end of Meeting for Worship, rather than immediately after.

LaDorna Pfaff reported for Care and Counsel Committee: The membership of Frank Lindgren was presented for final approval. Approved. Sally Shane and others will formally welcome him. Florence Lewis, who recently transferred from Old Haverford Meeting, has been welcomed by Sue Larsen, Mary Lou Parker, and Johanna Sibbett. The Committee was just recently informed that our long-time member Ethel Day died in 2007. Her daughter, Janet Day-Strehlow notified the Committee and sent a large contribution to the Meeting The committee is requesting an obituary from Janet and will proceed to write a Memorial Minute. Help is welcomed. Word has been received that our member Robert A. Wilson died on 3/15/08. Help is also welcomed in writing a Memorial Minute for him. His wife, Virginia, will b contacted. Longtime attender, Gloria Evans, died on 12/25/08. A Memorial Service will be held at the Meetinghouse on Friday, January 30, 2009, at 4:00 p.m. Friendly Gatherings will take place February 20-22. Also noted: 1) the approval of a scholarship from the Price-Moor Fund for Mimi Hall to attend the Pendle Hill workshop, "Radical Spirituality- Radical Simplicity" 2) the wedding of our member Genoa Carver to Larry Dillon on August 4, 2008 in Billings, Montana, 3) Our member Zak Haviland is now teaching learning disabled childen in the Bronx.

The Meeting approved the following Minute of Appreciation submitted by the Committee: "Care and Counsel Committee minutes its heartfelt appreciation to Lois Sellers for her four years of delightful clerking. She has guided our Committee in doing its tasks along with providing Meetings filled with laughter and time for everyone to get to know each other very well. Under her influence Care and Counsel was a fun Committee to be on. Thank you , Lois, very much."

There were no other Committee reports. After a few moments of silent worship, the Meeting was adjourned.

The year 2008 witnessed efforts by our Committees and the Meeting as a whole to continue our many activities while moving through a time of change. Steps were taken to improve communication and administrative functioning. The process of reorganizing the office and methods for scheduling events has been beneficial. We have lost seven members due to death, transfers, and release from membership, and we have gained two new members and two transfers. We also have a regular contingent of college students. While there are fewer people attending our Meeting for Worship, we appreciate the enthusiasm and dedication of our new members and others who have developed informative and creative programs. Recognizing that declining membership and participation in our Meeting for Worship needed to be addressed, the Meeting scheduled a “taster” session of the PYM Deepening and Strengthening program. After considering this program, we decided to develop an in-house plan for facing these problems. At a well-attended threshing session in December, suggestions were offered as to how we might bring more people into our Meeting. A working group was formed to head up this endeavor. Thus, we head into a new year with the intention of focusing on building our community so that the spirit felt in Meeting for worship will touch more lives.

The Budget and Finance Committee was gratified at the beginning of the year to learn that contributions from Meeting members and attenders in 2007 reached our budgeted goal for the year. However, we were concerned to find that only 54 percent of Meeting members had made financial contributions. Feeling it was important for the life of the Meeting community to understand the reasons for such low financial participation, we decided to contact those who had not made financial contributions for at least two years to see if we could learn more about how they viewed their relationship with the Meeting or if they had concerns that were affecting their decision not to give. A letter raising these questions was sent to about 80 individuals or households after having been reviewed by members of Care and Counsel and Worship and Ministry Committees. The response rate was disappointingly low. We received contributions and apologies from two members, and a substantive discussion of concerns from one. Two other responses indicated that our records were in error and that contributions had been made. We also received several responses from people who seemed to indicate that they were no longer interested in being part of the Meeting. These letters and the one raising substantive concerns were referred to Care and Counsel Committee for follow-up. About half a dozen letters were returned because the recipient no longer lived at the address. In 2009 we will consider what next steps we should take in addressing the issues of financial non-participation and lack of response to the mailing. As of December 31, contributions did not match the 2008 budget expenditures, due to a shortfall of $7,336.

Care and Counsel Committee continued in 2008 to welcome new members to Meeting, attend to the community needs of our members, and celebrate the birthdays of our longest lived members. Friendly Gatherings were held in the spring. Marriages, memorial services and other transitions were facilitated. The Committee's work improved the lives of many Meeting members and several other committees of the Meeting. Several members attended Friends General Conference and other Friends programs with financial support from the Price Moore fund under the care of the Committee. Care and Counsel Committee supported Worship and Ministry Committee in exploring the Deepening and Strengthening program of PYM including the “tasting” session. Care and Counsel Committee also provided support for Budget and Finance Committee's effort to renew and cultivate participation of members who have not made financial contributions in recent years. Finally, in a major undertaking, Care and Counsel Committee oversaw the entry of the Meeting directory into a database, modernized the directory process, and republished the directory in its 2008 edition.

Currently in our First Day School (FDS)there are three warm, vibrant classes, where values are explored. The grade 2-5 class is a lively place of crafts and performances. The grade 6-8 class has spirited discussions, looking in particular at the moral dimensions of events in the news. A new high school class brings the moral discussions to the individual, personal level, that is, what does it mean to lead a good life. The disappointing news is that there are fewer children overall in FDS and no younger children. There are occasionally young children who come to childcare, but no regular attenders and thus no critical mass to encourage others and feed into future classes.

The House and Property Committee has installed “green” lights in the Whittier Room, had hall lighting repaired throughout the Whittier House, and had the rugs in Whittier Room cleaned. We are having plumbing repaired in the Nursery School Office, and tile work done in a classroom. The floors in the kitchen and Rushmore Room will also be scraped and waxed. Outside the Meetinghouse, the Committee has had gutters cleaned, window woodwork painted, sills repaired, and is having the fireplace and north wall investigated by a professional to see the extent of water damage. We're trying to build a 5-year plan that will probably include installing a new roof. The Committee held a Work Session on Saturday Nov. 22, to check and discard unneeded material in a hall closet and in the kitchen.

The 2008 Jumble Sale was successful in generating over $10,000, aided by considerably lower expenses. For the third year in a row, rain reduced the number of attendees, but we were fortunate to have many especially good contributions. The Committee is considering a smaller Jumble Sale for the future, since there were fewer helpers, and a small number of people had to assume a large responsibility.

This Committee has added books from the Jumble sale to our library, when appropriate. Additional members are needed to do things such as catalogue the books. A locked cabinet for valuable books would be desirable.

The Memorial Committee provided its regular support for three Memorial Services, two for college-related services and one for a Meeting member. Memorial Committee relies on its own members as well as on other Meeting members to provide ushers for memorial services. A form for indicating memorial preferences was made available.

Nominating Committee requested Meeting clarification about the “two three-year terms” guideline used for staffing committees. At Meeting for Business it was agreed that exceptions could be made for persons who feel particularly led to continue on a particular committee, when the committee is in agreement. The number of members on all committees has declined in recent years. While at one time nearly all committees had twelve members, most now work with ten or fewer. Nominating Committee continues its work throughout the year, seeking to identify more members for all committees. Nominating Committee is particularly grateful this year to Meeting members who moved out of their comfort zones on certain committees and are providing vital service to other committees in need of their talents, as well as to those Meeting members who serve on more than one committee. Any member or attender with an interest in serving on a committee is encouraged to contact a member of Nominating Committee.

Much of the work of the Nursery School Committee this year involved working with the Meeting at large on resolving some tax/insurance issues discovered the previous year. These had come to light as a result of contracting with a private pay service that questioned the nonprofit status of the school. With the help and support of members of the Clerks & Officers Committee of the Meeting, the Committee retained the services of lawyer Susan Garrison to resolve these issues, using funding from the Meeting. The Nursery School Committee was transformed into a Board of Trustees in September. We also updated the by-laws, scheduled to be adopted at the Board’s next meeting in January 2009.

Other undertakings of the Board included hosting October’s family potluck at Meeting, and reporting on the Nursery School at Meeting for Business, formally in November, but also informally on a regular basis at monthly Meeting for Business. Significant steps were taken to improve the communication between the Meeting and the Nursery School.

The Peace and Social Concerns Committee continued its outreach by preparing a monthly meal for the homeless, aided by contributions from Crop Walk. Discretionary Fund Working Group and Quaker Quick Notes were revitalized. Facilitation of a ‘one book, one Meeting’ reading of Three Cups of Tea generated enthusiasm as did a discussion of FCNL suggested legislative priorities. The Anne Bernstein Richan Peace Action Fund Working Group helped to fund worthwhile activities such as the Bosnia Project and CEPAD and arranged for related forums. A bulletin board posts publications related to peace and justice. Our Committee’s role and responsibility statement was revised and posted on the Meeting website. PSC supported the peace work of Meeting members in a variety of activities. Members attended events to learn about and promote peace work. A Non-Violent Crisis Intervention Training gathering was facilitated, as well. Although we have had to lay down some activities such as the Environmental Working Group and the Peace Page, PSC anticipates and welcomes several new members and the experience and energy they bring to the Committee.

After many years of service, the Meeting Secretary resigned. Personnel Committee, working with input from all other Committees, refined the job description for Meeting Secretary. A new Meeting Secretary was hired in the spring and has proven to be a good choice. The regular cleaning of Whittier House was contracted out to a cleaning service (the same one used by the SFNS). The new position of Events Custodian was created, for opening and closing Whittier House and setting up and closing up for events that generate rental income for the Meeting. The Events Custodian also helps the Meeting Secretary on a regular basis to accomplish various tasks in Whittier House.

The spiritual well-being of the community and our Meeting for Worship is this Committee’s first and foremost concern. In worship we feel that the Spirit is alive and can and does spill over into conversations and interactions afterwards.

An important focus for this Committee was the matter of eldering. Through the reading of Margery Larabee’s Spirit-led Eldering and as a result of a number of discussions, members agreed that eldering would be based on having personal connections with people, thus creating mutual understanding and support. The positive side of eldering, which can foster spiritual relationship and individual gifts, is our intent. When issues arise concerning individual vocal ministry, they are usually best brought to the Committee for careful consideration. The Committee continued to offer programs of interest to both new attenders and members through Religious Education, Seekers Sessions, and a series of topics giving basic information about Quaker practices, history, and beliefs. The Fellowship Working Group provided refreshments as well as a special breakfast for college students, bringing people together for conversation and community building. Different committees and individuals assisted with these opportunities for fellowship, and the occasions were much appreciated and enjoyed. A Prayer Shawl Ministry was formed to pray for healing and provide a tangible sign for recipients of the care of the Meeting.

Threshing Session on PYM Covenant and Other Budget Issues: Sunday, February 15

All members and active attenders are invited to participate in a threshing session on our Philadelphia Yearly Meeting covenant payment and related budget issues following the potluck lunch on Sunday, February 15.

At Meeting for Business on January 11, the Meeting adopted a provisional 2009 budget that calls for a reduction in our annual PYM covenant payment to $40,000 from its current level of $49,000. The Pym payment was reduced so that we could balance the budget at a lower level of individual contributions and interest income. Member contributions in 2008 were less that our budget. The entire budget cut was taken out of the PYM payment; no other expenditure was reduced. The budget was adopted on a provisional basis to allow for possible revisions after the February 15 threshing session.

Please add you voice and your thoughts as we consider the financial and other aspects of our relationship with PYM, as well as concerns raised at Meeting for Business about the drop in contributions in 2008.

I you have suggestions for topics to be considered or questions whose answers may require advance preparation, please send them to Andrea Knox, Co-Clerk of Budget and Finance Committee.

On Sunday, February 22, at 11:45 a.m. in Whittier Room, Worship and Ministry Committee will discuss the Quaker Quest pamphlet, "Twelve Quakers and Worship." Pamphlets will be for sale prior to this session. The Forum will be an opportunity to experience part of the Quaker Quest program now under consideration as an outreach/inreach initiative. http://www.fgcquaker.org/quakerquest

At the January Meeting for Business, Worship and Ministry Committee presented a proposal for a different scheduled time for holding people in the Light during Meeting for Worship. Traditionally, worship concludes with shaking hands and greetings. For a number of Sundays, the Clerks have asked for requests before the greetings. this change has been tried with the intention of holding people in the Light at a point in the Meeting for Worship when we are still a gathered group and in a worshipful attitude. We invite you to think about this change. Comments may be shared with Worship and Ministry Committee members or by contacting Pat Thomas. At a future Meeting for Business this change will be considered for acceptance if the consensus of comments is positive.

The Meeting is planning its traditional mid-winter Friendly Gatherings the third weekend in February. Local people will host these social get-together in their homes on either: Friday, February 20; Saturday, February 21; or Sunday, February 22. If you are interested in hosting one of the gatherings, please sign the clipboard in the Rushmore Room during Fellowship or contact Mary Lou Parker or Colleen Shoemaker. We need to know how many people you can accommodate. Beginning in February there will be sigh-up sheets in Rushmore Room for people to designate which one they would like to attend.

Please set aside part of this weekend so you can attend on of our Friendly Gatherings. This is a wonderful way to get to know others in a deeper way and connect with new people in the Meeting.

On Sunday, March 15, after the Potluck, you are invited to share inspiration and delight found through the arts. Be a listener or prepare to share poetry, music, photography, crafts, etc. More detailed information can be found in our poster fliers or by talking to a member of Worship and Ministry Committee. SAVE THE DATE.

The foundations of Quaker pacifism are religious. We fully recognize the value of the intuitive recognition of the evil of coercive violence in the individual and national life. The sense of the contrast between the way of war and the way of love shown us in the life of Jesus Christ has compelling force. It is also enlightening to think of pacifism as a corollary of the fundamental Quaker postulate of the Divine Spark in every human being. This fundamental Quaker postulate lays on us the obligation to consider and cherish every human being. It follows, for those who accept the postulate, that they cannot do to human beings the things that war involves. In may follow that they become aware that other sorts of human relations are also evil, such as slavery economic injustice, interior status for women, and the results of the traffic in narcotic...

Quaker pacifism is an obligation, not a promise. We are not guaranteed that it will be safe. We are sure that it is right. We desire to make our individual decisions in harmony with it, and to help our fellows to do so.

Submitted by Friends Peace Committee, Philadelphia Yearly Meeting (Race Street, 1940), from Philadelphia Yearly Meeting's Faith and Practice, 2002, page 152, #217

Our Yearly Meeting will gather March 27-29, 2009, at the Fourth and Arch Street Meetinghouse in Philadelphia for worship, fellowship, and business. As we explore how to live up to the Light together, we will also engage the following business items:

Further details, including schedule, registration, meals, lodging, and youth programs will be available online at http://www.pym.org/annualsessions or contact Sessions Coordinator, Michael Gagné, at [email protected]

The Faith ad Play Working Group of PYM's Children's Spiritual Life Committee is pleased to make available its first volume of stories, published through Quaker Press of Friends General Conference and available from QuakerBooks of FGC. "Faith and Play: Quaker Stories for Friends Trained in the Godly Play® Method" includes six stories of Friends' faith and witness that are appropriate for children's religious education programs or multigenerational gatherings.

Friends interested in learning more can visit the Faith and Play website at www.faithandplay.org for information about training, Faith and Play in the home and in Friends Schools, resources, and materials. FGC is sponsoring a teachers' workshop, in cooperation with Pendle Hill, the weekend of May 15-17. The Faith and Play working group is working on a second volume of stories.

QuakerPress of Friends General Conference is publishing a much-anticipated book on racial discrimination in the Religious Society of Friends. Everyone is invited to the February 5 kick-off event for "Fit for Freedom, Not for Friendship: Quakers, African-Americans, and the Myth of Racial Justice" by Donna McDaniel and Vanessa Julye.

The book kick-off event is Thursday, February 5, from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m. at the Fourth and Arch Street Meetinghouse in Philadelphia. All are welcome for an evening of music with Tribe 1, keynote speaker Charlotte Blake Alston, and book signings by the authors. The book will be sold by QuakerBooks of FGC. For more information on the book visit www.fgcquaker.org/fit-for-freedom

Quaker authors Peter G. Brown, Geoffrey Garver, and Keith Helmuth will be at Arch Street Meetinghouse in Philadelphia on Saturday, February 14, from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. to make a presentation about their new book, "Right Relationship: Building a Whole Earth Economy," published by Berrett-Koehler, www.bkconnection.com .Copies of their book will be available for sale from QuakerBooks of FGC. The PYM Library is a co-sponsor of this event, which follows a morning session of PYM Interim Meeting at arch Street.2

Book Recommendation from the Greater PA region of PYM's Climate Action Network

"Low Carbon Diet: A 30-Day Program to Lose 5000 Pounds" by David Gershon. Any household can be part of the solution to global warming. Begin by calculating your household carbon footprint to learn exactly how many pounds of carbon dioxide you are responsible for emitting. David Gershon identifies many practical steps and the reduction in CO₂ each offers. By using these easy tools, a concern for the environment can make a real difference.

For registration information visit www.pendlehill.org or call (800) 742-3150, extension #3. Matching scholarships are available.

Friends age 18-24 are encouraged to apply for Pendle Hill's seven-week Young Adult Leadership Development Program (YALD), designed for young people serious about serving as leaders in their communities and among Friends, developing the tools for social transformation, and living a life grounded in God's Spirit. This summer's program will take place June 14 to August 1, 2009.

Applications are due March 20, 2009. For more information and applications materials, visit YALD at www.pendlehill.org or contact Emma Churchman at [email protected].

Pendle Hill weekend with Deborah Fisch and Bill Deutsch. New and experienced Clerks will consider the fundamentals of a Quaker Meeting for Worship with attention to Business, discerning and recording the "sense of the Meeting," setting agendas, distinguishing between political and spiritual statements, and exploring ways to deal with difficult issues.

Pendle Hill short course with Mary Lord. Friends believe we are led by the Spirit, but how do we know it is God and not our own will or imagination? Come to Pendle Hill to explore ways of listening, testing personal and corporate leadings, preparing for and following a leading, and knowing when to lay down a concern and rest.

Pendle Hill weekend with Elaine Crauderueff and Rubye Howard Braye. Co-sponsored by the Advancement & Outreach Committee of Friends General Conference.

Do you believe that Quakerism is "a spiritual path for our time" and want to share it? Quaker Quest is a dynamic Monthly Meeting-based outreach program that has proven successful in engaging seekers in the Quaker way across England for the past six years. Learn to articulate your faith and discover how Meetings can experience new vitality and build community. Websites: http://www.quakerquest.org/ and http://www.fgcquaker.org/quakerquest .

Friends are invited to attend Pendle Hill's winter Tuesday Evening Lecture Series, "Finding the Way: Practical Choices that Support Faithful Living." The free lectures are scheduled for January 13 through March 3, 2009, from 7:30 to 9:00 p.m., in the Barn at Pendle Hill, 338 Plush Mill Road, Wallingford, PA. Presenters include Mary Wade (February 3), Jens Braun (February 10), Cathy Draine (February 17), Elaine Emily (February 24), and Barbarajene Williams (March 3). Their presentations concern fundamental issues many Friends face:

Hear about challenges the speakers have faced, choices they have made, and lessons they have learned, as they have sought to walk faithfully along the path of a living ministry.Detailed information is available at www.pendlehill.org

Mike Malone, Clerk of the Meeting; Leslie Keighton, Recording Clerk; Stephen Weimar, Treasurer; Mary Titus, Meeting Secretary