Swarthmore Friends Meeting

Swarthmore, Pennsylvania

Queries on Social Responsibility and Witness

Addressed to the Meeting:

• How does our Meeting work to overcome social, legal, economic, and political injustices, locally and in the wider world?  for the funding of community services that does not rely on gambling income?

• Does our Meeting serve the community through action on concerns for civic improvement?

• What actions are we taking to assure everyone equal access to education, health care, legal services, housing and employment as well as equal opportunities in business and in the professions?

• When a member has lifted up a concern, how does our Meeting respond? 

• Does our Meeting encourage those seeking clearness for their convictions of conscience to hold up such convictions with prayerful openness to the Light?

Addressed to the individual:

• Am I mindful of how my lifestyle and my investments can contribute to the improvement of the human condition, or to the exploitation of others?

• Am I open to seeking clearness on matters of conscience and to assisting others in doing so?

• How do I respond and support one who acts out of a clear leading when I am under the weight of another?

• What am I doing to work for the betterment of my community to assure the maintenance of effective public services which do not rely on funding from gambling?

• Do I fulfill my civic responsibilities when they do not conflict with divine leadings?

from Philadelphia Yearly Meeting's Faith and Practice, 2002, pages 210-211

Partial Draft Minutes of Swarthmore Monthly Meeting for Business held Sunday, January 9, 2011

The Meeting opened, after a period of silent worship, with Christine DeGrado, Clerk, presiding. Eighteen people were in attendance. The Clerk presented several “Moments of Light” from the life of our Meeting in the last month: 1) the gift from Lynne Piersol to the Meeting of Where Shall I Stand? A Field Guide for Monthly Meeting Clerks, by Elizabeth Boardman (mentioning “Moments of Light” at Meeting for Business is an idea suggested in the book); 2) The discussion of the Pendle Hill pamphlet “The Mind of Christ: Bill Taber on Meeting for Business,” facilitated by Paul Joyce Collins Williams ; 3) Several from the Meeting have met with Ralph Thayer of the College’s Facilities and Services Department to discuss cost-sharing concerning the building’s maintenance. Ann Renninger and Barbara Grove of House and Property Committee arranged the meeting; 4) Meeting member Charlie Shoemaker has made Eagle Scout; 5) Meeting members Nico Starr and Maggie Schell have applied for Quaker leadership grants at Westtown School; 6) Today and over the weekend, about 45 Young Adult Friends have held their Retreat here, attended Meeting for Worship, and invited Meeting members and attenders to the breakfast they had prepared. Others in attendance mentioned as other “Moments of Light:” the tea held on Christmas Eve at the home of Virginia Williams Joyce and Paul J.C. Williams for those who might be missing being with family; and the Christmas tree that was donated to the Meeting by Barbara and David Grove, and then enjoyed by Susan Larson and her family.

The Queries on Equality were read, considered and spoken to. The question of how people should be addressed, how formal one should be and the historical use of “Thee” and ‘Thou” were discussed. Adult Religious Education is planning a session to explore the matter of Equality in more detail.

Minutes of the previous Meeting were perused and approved with the following correction: Under Care and Council Committee report the phrase “several representatives” should be replaced with the phrase “another member.”

Frank Costello reported for Budget and Finance Committee: He distributed and commented on this year’s proposed budget as well as the results from 2010. Although the final figure on contributions has not been finalized, it appears this will be about short of the budgeted amount. Better-than- expected results from rentals and the Jumble sale, plus some savings on the expense side mean the 2010 budget will be close to balanced. The budgeted expectation for contributions in 2011 remains the same as 2010 expectations and it is hoped that this year the figure can be reached. Several clarifications were made regarding expenses under “Committees:” 1) in some cases this should read “Committees and Working Groups” 2) Child Care expenses are now included under First Day School 3) Nursery School Committee will be deleted in that the School has its own Board. A concern was raised that there should be a line item providing funds to those requesting assistance to attend Quaker functions such as Friends General Conference. There are specific funds such as the Price-Moore Fund but people are often unaware of them and the kind of specific assistance they offer. It was decided that these available funds should be better advertised to the Meeting community. The proposed 2011 Budget was approved and special thanks recorded to the Committee for their work.

Susan Larson reported for Care and Counsel Committee: Susan read a Memorial Minute for our member Cornelia Dashiell McCurdy. 

Memorial Minute for Cornelia Dashiell McCurdy

 Cornelia “Corney” Ringgold Dashiell McCurdy, Swarthmore Meeting member, died at her home in Swarthmore, October 28, 2010, at eighty-five-years-of-age.  She was born July 23, 1925, in New York City to Alfred S, and Cornelia R. Dashiell.  She was graduated from George School in 1943. While attending George School , she met the love of her life, the school’s physician, “Dino” E.P. McCurdy, M.D. After meeting him for the first time at fifteen-years-of-age, she said “He’s mine!” She and Dino had five children: Dino, Richard, Cornelia (Terri), Marcia, and Gretchen.  George School instilled in her values of academic excellence and the values of Quaker tradition. She used both as a touchstone for her family. She joined Swarthmore Meeting February 15, 1966. Being a skilled “domestic engineer,” she orchestrated flute and piano practice times for the children in her home, and she could effortlessly add two or three other people to their dining table.  She was a magnet to many of the neighborhood children, who often flowed through their Swarthmore home on Chester Road .  She loved to organize social events; she and Dino spent many summer weekends entertaining families from Swarthmore Meeting in their second home in Ocean City , Maryland . She added a sense of humor to her organizing – for instance, displaying a bright orange sign on her porch…”Kookie Sale” for the annual Girl Scout cookie drive.  She used her efficient organizational skills to help unstintingly with the house wares department in the Swarthmore Meeting’s Jumble Sale.   She had a welcoming magnetic personality that many, many of the long-time Meeting members fondly remember.

A Memorial Meeting for her was held in Swarthmore Friends Meetinghouse, Saturday, December 11, 2010. She is survived by her beloved husband of 67 years, five children, thirteen grandchildren, and seven great-great grandchildren.

Prepared by the Care and Counsel Committee with help from Nancy Hayden, Sally Shane, Mary Manglesdorf, and friends and family attending her Memorial Service.

Susan mentioned a note received from Cornelia's daughter for the Meeting’s help with the Memorial Service. The Committee and the Meeting expressed their thanks to Paul Joyce Collins Williams and Virginia Williams Joyce for the Christmas Eve Gathering in their home which offered hospitality to those unable to be with family during the Christmas season. The application for membership for Richard Norboru Monari was approved. Patricia Thomas, Mary Lou Parker , and John McKinstry will welcome. Friendly Gatherings are planned for February 25, 26 and 27. Volunteer hosts are still needed. Amy Mildred March, now living in Austin , Texas , has requested resignation. Her resignation was accepted and the Meeting will notify her. A number of members for whom we had no address were listed in last month’s newsletter. Information has been received about several. The others (eighteen) will be put on inactive status.

Shelley Costa reported for Peace and Social Concerns Committee: Five people have expressed interest in reviving the Environmental Working Group. She expressed her personal and the Committee’s thanks for the Meeting’s help in the observance of the 350th anniversary of the Peace Testimony. The remarks of those moved to speak in Meeting for Worship today were greatly appreciated. The Committee has been discussing the possibility of hiring Annette Reyman to conduct one or several workshops on the program she developed and presents called “Home as a Sacred Space.” Shelley has availed herself of the program on a personal basis and has found it to be very rewarding. She distributed a sheet explaining the program in detail and reviewed the possible costs involved. Peace and Social Concerns Committee is supportive of the program. It was noted that Worship and Ministry has also discussed it and its reaction is quite positive. Shelley will head a Working Group to meet with Worship and Ministry Committee and other Committees to establish a firm proposal to bring before next month’s Meeting for Business. Mary Lou Parker will also be asked to serve with the Group in that she is Annette’s neighbor and seems to know her well. The film Gasland which won a Sundance Film Festival award was discussed. Its subject is the environmental consequences of wastewater from the fracturing drilling process in Pennsylvania ’s Marcellus shale. It was suggested that the Meeting work with the College and the Environmental Quaker Action Group when the film is shown on campus.

Susan Edwards reported for Worship and Ministry Committee: She reviewed the Committee’s discussion of “Home as a Sacred Place .” Worship and Ministry Committee recommends a one-time workshop (as opposed to a series of workshops.) The Committee is planning to more closely observe what occurs regarding Quakerism at the College. Susan distributed a draft of “The State of the Meeting Report.” Comments and corrections should be addressed to Worship and Ministry Committee within the next several weeks. A reminder will be included in the Newsletter and a draft of the State of the Meeting report will be sent out via e-mail.

Virginia Joyce Collins Williams Reported for Nominating Committee : John McKinstry will serve on Care and Counsel Committee; David Henderson and Joan Urban on Peace and Social Concerns Committee; and Mimi Hall on Library Committee. Alex Kendrick has resigned from Worship and Ministry Committee. Changes Approved. It was suggested by Nominating Committee that those with an interest in a certain Committee but who are not yet ready to commit, may want to sit in on a few Committee meetings first. Nominating Committee will submit a paragraph about this for inclusion in the Newsletter.

Ideas for discussion at next month’s Meeting for Business were solicited. The topic of the Meeting’s relationship with Swarthmore Friends Nursery School was suggested. After a few moments of silent worship, the Meeting adjourned.

Submitted by Leslie Keighton, Recorder

General Swarthmore Meeting Announcements

Thank You Corner

Thanks to:

• Susan Larson, who substituted for the Meeting Secretary while she was on vacation

• Ralph Thayer of the College, for meeting with representatives of House and Property Committee about heating issues

• Barbara and David Grove for donating our Christmas Tree

• Susan Larson, for taking down the Christmas Tree

• Elizabeth McAndrew, for a great job “producing” the holiday Pageant. She involved a lot of adults and almost all the Meeting kids, even a lot who do not come regularly to Meeting. Elizabeth helped create a great experience for the whole Meeting

• And to others who serve the Meeting in silent and unacknowledged ways.

Upcoming Forums

Sunday, January 30, 11:45 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. - Jon Van Til and Margaret Fraser talk about Northern Ireland. Everyone who has lived in Northern Ireland over the last thirty years has probably been affected personally by the “Troubles” in the death of a family member, co-worker or neighbor. Over 3,500 people died as a result of the Troubles. If a same proportion were to have been killed in the US , it would amount to more than half a million. Now that the most dramatic phase of the violence is over, how can relationships be “normalized?” While legislation has broadened access to higher education and employment opportunities, the rest of life is probably more segregated than ever. Almost 95% of parents choose to send their children to schools that are largely limited to one community. People choose to buy homes based on the background of their neighbors, and 95% of subsidized public housing is similarly segregated. The communities play different sports, often listen to different music, and have a different sense of history and identity. Last year, Jon Van Til and Margaret Fraser took a small delegation of Hungarians to meet people working in Northern Ireland on peace and reconciliation at all levels of society, from National and European Union to community groups. Everywhere, they found people of goodwill, doing their part to build new relationships. They have some encouraging stories to tell, and surprises to share. In the global context of intolerance and incidents of “ethnic cleansing,” what are the effective ways in which positive relationships can be built? Come to hear their reflections at the forum after worship on Sunday January 30.

Sunday, Feb 27, 11:45 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. - Forum, "Arts and Spirituality." Members and attenders are invited to present creative arts, whether visual, musical, culinary, or something else. Each presenter may say a few words about their offering and how it is intertwined with their sense of the spiritual. If you plan to participate, please tell Sue Edwards or Sharon Gunther so we know how many to expect. Don't hide your light under a bushel! Others are most welcome to come and appreciate what is offered.

Sunday, March 6, 11:45 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. - Forum led by Margaret Fraser on Cuba and the Dominican Republic . Details to follow at a later date.

Submitted by Sue Edwards, Worship & Ministry Committee

Coming at Pendle Hill

Our attender, Jennifer Elam, will share her creative work and talk about connections between the arts and the life of the Spirit when she gives a presentation at Pendle Hill on Tuesday, March 1, from 7:30 to 9:00 p.m. in the Barn as part of the Pendle Hill Free Tuesday Evening Speaker Series.

 Friendly Gatherings -- Be a Host, Be a Guest, But Come!

Swarthmore Friendly Quaker Gatherings – February 26, 27 and 28, 2011

Add a little Quaker Light and warmth to your life this winter by attending one of the Meeting’s Friendly Quaker Gatherings, Friday, February 26, Saturday, February 27, or Sunday, February 28. These gatherings are held in people’s homes. You can offer to host a group for a meal, tea, or potluck, or you can choose to attend one of your choice—as space allows. It is a wonderful way to get to know the people in our Meeting. Sign up sheets will be available at Fellowship starting in February. Mark your calendar! Save the dates! Sign up early! Be a host! Please contact anyone on Care and Counsel if you would like to host a Friendly Quaker Gathering. (Susan Larson, Patricia Thomas, Mary Lou Parker , David Grove, LaDorna Pfaff, John McKinstry, or Lois Sellers.)

Submitted by the Care and Counsel Committee

Necessitous Members

For Meeting members who are experiencing financial difficulties, there is assistance available from the John Martin Trust (JMT). Swarthmore members may be eligible for grants or loans from this Trust which is administered by the Monthly Meeting of Friends of Philadelphia (4th and Arch Street ). Grant limits per person are $7500 within each 6-month term. In cases where a person has significant assets, the JMT Committee may approve a loan instead of a grant. The new Clerk of the John Martin Trust is Mignon Adams. In her introductory letter, she has spelled out the procedure for application. The process Swarthmore Friends will use is: A Co-Clerk from the Care and Counsel Committee, the Treasurer, and the member meet together to fill out the application. This will be done in confidentiality. The member of Care and Counsel Committee will submit the application to the JMT on behalf of the member who needs assistance. If a member is in financial need and wants to be considered for the JMT, please contact LaDorna Pfaff or Susan Larson, Co-Clerks of Care and Counsel, directly, or via the Meeting Office, 610-328-8699 or [email protected] 

Submitted by Care and Counsel Committee

 Worship, Ministry, and Eldering

Gatherings of Friends with a Full Morning of Extended Worship

1)    Saturday, February 12, 2011, 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Swarthmore Meeting, 12 Whittier Place, Swarthmore, PA 19081

2)    Saturday April 2, 2010, 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Camden Meeting, 122 East  Camden-Wyoming Ave , Camden DE 19934

• Do you long to taste the kind of worship known by early Friends?

• Do you pray for God to be more central to your life?

• Do you long for the fellowship of others seeking a deep communion with the Divine?

Consider gathering with us in Extended Worship!

We invite you to gather with us for a full morning of unprogrammed worship, lasting three hours or so.  The extended period is an invitation for the Spirit to work within each person and the group in transforming ways.  Many find much spiritual nourishment in the silence, where vocal ministry can ripen and be spoken in keen discernment about the movement of the Spirit within each of us.  Many are surprised at how quickly these hours can pass.

If your longing is to make more space inside you for God, and to taste the deeper possibilities of Quaker spiritual life, participating in these days of Worship and fellowship is a rich way to do so.  For those called to ministry of any sort, including spiritual nurture of others or your Meeting, this day can be a rich time for seasoning and discernment.  Come gather with others who also feel a call.

We share a brown bag lunch and fellowship afterwards.  Worship Sharing in the afternoon flows out of the morning Worship.  We seek to let God guide our time, rather than depend on our own planning. Afternoon activities usually involve Worship Sharing, and occasionally prayer, discussion, or singing.

Please join us. All are welcome.  Bring a bag lunch.  We welcome donations to meet our expenses.  Call a week in advance if childcare is needed.  For more information, please contact the Meeting Office...forward questions to Marcelle Martin, Mike Malone (Swarthmore Monthly Meeting, Pennsylvania ), or Susan Kight (Camden Meeting, Delaware )

Wider News from Friends

Philadelphia Yearly Meeting  (PYM) News

 For a complete list of activities go to www.pym.org  

1. Annual Sessions On-line Survey Please fill out the on-line survey http://www.pym.org/news/survey

Our Annual Sessions are the single place in the life of the Yearly Meeting where there is an opportunity for ALL of us to come together – Friends of all ages; Friends with particular callings to deep worship, to powerful witness, to education, to children, to administration, to pastoral care, to outreach and sharing our stories. All of us together have the experience of living in the Spirit as a community at Sessions. At the conclusion of each of the last three summer sessions, Friends have commented “This was the best year ever!” Our hope is that more Friends will have this experience of the Spirit and of Sessions in the coming summer and into the future. We invite Friends from across the Yearly Meeting to participate in a survey so that we may find more ways for more Friends to attend these important gatherings. For instance, there may be financial stumbling blocks, or there might be programs that could be added or enhanced that would speak to Friends’ condition. We are especially interested in hearing from Friends who have not attended Sessions in the past. As Friends may be unfamiliar with Annual Sessions, here is a brief description: In Philadelphia Yearly Meeting, we come together once a year in the summer (in the past we have also met in March) for five days. In the mornings and the evenings we engage in the business of the Yearly Meeting (children, middle schoolers, high schoolers and adults in their own settings, each gathering in their own ways). We all come together for worship at the end of each morning and for key, multigenerational events. In the afternoons we learn and play together in workshops and other activities. For many years and for this coming summer we meet at the DeSales University Campus in Center Valley , PA. In the summer of 2012 we will gather in Center City Philadelphia. The 2011 Annual Sessions will be Wednesday evening, July 27 through Sunday afternoon, July 30, with a special pre-sessions gathering during the day on the 27th. 

Thank you for sharing five minutes of your time to complete the survey. We welcome your forwarding the survey link to others in your meeting. (http://www.pym.org/news/survey). Christie Duncan-Tessmer, Associate Secretary, Program & Religious Life

2. Workshop and Interest Group Proposals for 2011 Yearly Meeting Sessions (July 27 to 31). We ask that you spread the word in seeking leadership for workshops and Interest Groups framed around the theme - Powerful Beyond Measure: Trusting the Call to Leadership. Help us find the hidden talent in Quarterly and Monthly Meetings! Workshops and interest groups are the vehicles for gathering into small groups to explore more deeply our faith work and our work in the world. They also provide a picture of the work being done by PYM. Workshops provide carefully planned transformational activities while interest groups are more informal gatherings for F/friends to share their common concerns. All materials needed to submit a proposal are on-line at www.pym.org/annualsessions  Workshop and Interest Group Guidelines and Proposal forms are also attached to this email for your convenience. Here is a brief outline of the schedule:

Applicants submit workshop proposals to Margaret Mansfield by March 15. This is a firm deadline. Workshop and Interest Group Coordinators select workshops, notify workshop leaders and write all publicity for incorporation in on-line registration by April 30. Applicants submit Interest Group Proposals to Margaret Mansfield by April 30. Pre-registration for all workshops and on-line registration for Summer Sessions will begin in May. Workshop and Interest Group Coordinators select interest groups and notify Interest Group leaders by May 30. The schedule does not involve a firm dead line for interest group proposals because they are not included in preregistration and therefore are not as time-sensitive. It is always helpful to receive proposals early to facilitate planning for the entire program.   Amy Ward Brimmer and Margaret Mansfield, Workshop and Interest Group Coordinators

3. Camp Onas Information Day –Sunday, February 6, 2:00 p.m. The Quaker Camp in Bucks County for all kids ages 8 to 13. Our active and creative program stresses sharing, cooperation, understanding, simple living, and most essential of all, fun! Campers can come for 2 or 4 week sessions starting June 26 and running into August. A one-week session for 7, 8 and 9- year-old campers is available to introduce younger campers to overnight camp. Special rates for Quaker kids and financial aid is available. Please check www.camponas.org/ for dates, rates and session availability. Information Days at Camp Onas are Sunday, February 6 and March 6 at 2:00 p.m. Contact us at 610-847-5858 or [email protected]  for more information and a brochure. Plan now for a fun-filled summer camp experience at Camp Onas ! Dates: Camp Onas February Info Day – Sunday February 6 at 2pm Camp Onas March Info Day – Sunday, March 6 at 2pm Camp Onas Open House – Sunday, May 15 from 2-4pm Camp Onas Family Camp Weekend – May 28-30 New for 2011 – Family Camp Weekend, May 28-May 30. Call Camp Onas for more information. Website www.camponas.org/  

4. Fellowship of Quakers in the Arts Conference  (FQA) - February 18-19, 2011. Theme: “The Power of the Arts.” Burlington Meetinghouse and Conference Center . All are invited! Come sing along with Annie Patterson and Peter Blood, learn new skills, share your art, and enjoy good food, fun and fellowship. The Friday evening program will begin with dinner and a welcome, followed by a performance and sing-along with Annie Patterson and Peter Blood (creators of Rise Up Singing). There will also be an open microphone opportunity for participants to share their art such as music, poetry, dance and storytelling before retiring to our beds. Next day we’ll have breakfast, worship, workshops, a business meeting, lunch, and more workshops. Workshops include “pudding painting,” led by Sherry McVickar; poetry with Adele Bourne; printmaking with Jules; a writing workshop with Stephen Dotson; and a discussion on “the power of art” facilitated by Blair Seitz. We will conclude our time together with a reception for artists whose work is in the conference exhibit. This will include refreshments, music with Marti Rogers and Tom Levy, and worship sharing. If you would like to receive more information about “The Power of the Arts” conference, see our website http://fqa.quaker.org/  or contact conference coordinator Carol Sexton at [email protected]  or at Pendle Hill, 338 Plush Mill Road , Wallingford PA 19086-6023 . For FQA membership, see our website http://fqa.quaker.org/ or write to FQA c/o PYM, 1515 Cherry Street , Philadelphia , PA 19102 . FQA welcomes as members both artists and art appreciators with Quaker leanings (you need not be formally a Quaker to join FQA).

5. We Can Do It Day: Children in Our Meetings – Saturday, February 26, 2011, 9:00 a.m.- 4:30 p.m., Friends Center , 1515 Cherry St. , Philadelphia , PA. We Can Do It Day offers support and skills training to Meetings through workshops, information, a children’s program and fellowship. Coming in the winter We Can Do It Day will focus on our care for and inclusion of children in the fabric of the Meeting’s life, from pastoral care to effective witness, from worship to property concerns, from parenting to First Day School . Caring for our children is the work of the entire Meeting. Watch for registration materials in January. For more information, contact Pam Anderson [email protected]

Upcoming Programs at Pendle Hill

Pendle Hill, a Quaker study, retreat, and conference center in Wallingford, Pennsylvania, offers programs throughout the year on Quaker faith and practice. Matching scholarships and bring-a-friend discounts are available for most programs to help enable Friends to attend. For more information visit www.pendlehill.org  or call ext. 3 at (610) 566-4507 or (800) 742-3150. 

February 4-6,  John Yungblut - Guide on the Mystic's Journey, facilitated by Charles Finn

February 4-11, The Practice of Presence; A Mindfulness Meditation Retreat, facilitated by Mary Grace Orr.

February 25-27, Telling our Spiritual Stories: Lessons from the Inward Teacher, facilitated by Lucy Duncan and Kathy Hyzy

March 1, 7:30 p.m., Art and Life of the Spirit, with Jennifer Elam, Free Tuesday Evening Speaker Series

Newsletter Calendar for February, 2011

SWARTHMORE MONTHLY MEETING

Christine DeGrado, Clerk of Meeting; Leslie Keighton, Recording Clerk;  Stephen Weimar, Treasurer; Susan Edwards, Clerk of Worship and Ministry Committee; Mary Titus, Meeting Secretary

Office hours: Tuesday though Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Telephone: (610) 328-8699; email: [email protected], website: http://swarthmore.quaker.org