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Newsletter
for June,
2012
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Queries on Stewardship of
the Environment
Addressed
to the Meeting:
-
Is
the Meeting concerned that human interaction with nature be responsible, guided
by a reverence for life and a sense of the splendor of God’s continuing
creation?
-
Are
the decisions of the Meeting and its committees relating to the uses of
property, goods and services, and energy made with sensitivity toward
the environmental impact of these choices?
-
How
does our Meeting learn about environmental concerns and then act in the
community on its concerns?
Addressed
to the individual:
-
How
am I helping to develop a social, economic, and political system which will
nurture an environment which sustains and enriches life for all?
-
Am
I aware of the place of water, air and soil in my life?
-
Do
I consider with care the necessity of purchasing substances hazardous
to the environment?
-
Do
I act as a faithful steward of the environment in the use and disposal
of such hazardous substances?
-
Do
I choose with care the use of technology and devices that truly simplify and
add quality to my life without adding an undue burden to essential
resources?
From Faith
and Practice of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting, 2002, page 213
Partial
Draft Minutes of
Swarthmore Monthly Meeting for Business
held
Sunday, May 13, 2012
The Meeting opened with a
few moments of silent worship. Christine DeGrado, Clerk, presided. Moments
of light were noted: The success of yesterday's Tibetan fund raising and the
Meeting's Resourcing Our Vision Retreat; the generosity of Keith Calmes and
his student for their recent concert which raised $252.00 for relief in
Haiti
; the concert may become an annual event. Also, the Meeting was able to quickly
respond to an appeal from our member Andrea Knox on behalf of the Chester
Children's Chorus when they needed to reschedule their piano concert.
The Queries on Outreach and
Collaboration were read, considered and spoken to: One Friend spoke on a recent
experience in which a client of his expressed a reluctance to attend Meeting for
Worship because she thought that Quakers were a closed group. We need to be
bolder in informing the public about us and remove any misunderstanding
that causes others to feel unwelcome. The Meeting's participation in SWIM, the
Swarthmore- Wallingford Interfaith Ministry, was noted as a good example of
successful collaboration. At the Retreat yesterday a concern was raised
that the Meeting should seek greater contact with Chester Monthly Meeting. Also,
it was suggested that an old practice of inviting representatives of other
Faiths to come and speak should be revived. Worship and Ministry Committee
will look into all this.
Minutes of the previous
Meeting were perused and approved.
Christine DeGrado read Mary
Lou Parker's Care and Counsel Committee report: Amy Grove and her long time
partner Bill Kolb have asked to be married under the Care of the Meeting. A
Clearness Committee consisting of George Alexander, LaDorna Pfaff and Mary
Lou Parker met with the couple, see no obstacle and joyfully recommend Meeting
approval of their request. Approved.
The wedding is planned for September 29, 2012, at Bill's parents' farm in Doylestown.
The Committee also recommends approval of the membership of Samantha Griggs. Approved.
Edmund Jones reported
for Budget and Finance Committee: The Committee is hoping for a balanced budget
by the end of June so as to not start the new fiscal year with a shortfall.
Barbara BurgerLentz reported
for Jumble Sale Committee: June 3 will be a drop-off day for sale items. The
time will most likely be 11:30 a.m. to 3:00 or 4:00 p.m. Barbara also
expressed gratitude to Barbara Grove, Ann Renninger and the College for making
the Dungeon into a far better storage space.
Christine DeGrado presented
Virginia Williams Joyce's Nominating Committee report: An updated Roster of
assignments was distributed, briefly discussed and readily approved with
thanks expressed to
Virginia
for her fine work.
Barbara Blake and Gary King
spoke for the
Friends
Nursery School
: Barbara reported that the School held a developmental workshop with
Irene McHenry of PYM; she cited, as well, the Governing
Handbook for Friends Schools as a valuable tool. The Committee wishes
to improve its commitment with the Meeting and will be establishing a list
of things to work on.
Gary
read the
Mission
Statement for Friends Schools. In
light of this he expressed serious concern about the on-going problem with
mold in the classrooms. Although attempts have been made by the Meeting to
address this in the past few years, there are areas where the problem, seemingly
solved, is recurring. The Meeting will ask House and Property Committee to
refocus on the issue.
Nancy Saunders reported on
yesterday's Resourcing Our Vision Retreat: The Retreat was referred to by
several who spoke in Meeting for Worship as well as earlier in Meeting for
Business.
Nancy
wished to highlight one point expressed at the Retreat - the suggestion
that more accommodation be made for multigenerational worship sharing.
Mary Titus gave the
Secretary's report: The Swarthmore Recreation Association will again be renting
Whittier House for its summer pre-school program. The Scottish dancers and
the Toastmasters will continue to rent as well. An unexpected and serious
problem arose during the week when the water cooler in the lobby began spewing
waste water. Mary called the College, they responded quickly and were able
to fix the problem - a clogged service line. It should be noted, however,
that the water cooler itself suffers from age and may soon need to be replaced.
The Clerk and others expressed their appreciation to Mary for her extra
effort in solving two recent unexplained occurrences— one, a huge mess
which suddenly appeared in the kitchen after several rental groups used the
building; the other, a mysterious bill from the Delco Times.
The
Clerk noted several announcements and correspondence including a letter from
Adelphi Meeting reaffirming support for same-sex marriage and the June 1
Botanical Art Show at Friends Hospital. A letter of appreciation for the
Meeting's support for the Memorial Service of “Pete” Hess was read. For
Future Consideration: A proposal that a bench be placed outside main entrance to
Whittier House. This would be of benefit to those who arrive early on
Sundays. Perhaps the College could help with this. After a short period of
silent worship, the Meeting adjourned.
Submitted by Leslie Keighton, Recorder
General
Swarthmore Meeting Announcements
Thank You Corner
Thanks
to:
-
Lynn
Goff, SFNS teacher, for helping deliver food to the homeless, and for having
her pre-K class prepare treat bags for the homeless in March and April;
-
To
the many volunteers who helped make the Meeting Retreat a success;
-
And
to others who serve the Meeting in silent and unacknowledged ways.
New Meeting Directory
Updates
Please
see the printed Newsletter for Directory Updates. Please let the Office
know if you have moved, or have a new phone number or e-mail address. We
can then update our database, and make the new directory as accurate as
possible. If you’re not sure if your entry is correct, please call or email
the Office and Mary will send your information back to you. Please
email changes to [email protected]
Volunteers
Needed
What better way to feel good
about your summer than to read with a child? The Chester Children’s Chorus
will need 50 adults to read with children every Monday through Thursday
from June 25 to July 25. The reading takes place from 11:00 a.m. to noon in
Lang
Music
Building
on the College campus. For information, email Andrea Knox at [email protected]
Summer
Plans at Swarthmore Meeting
We are
pleased to welcome back the Swarthmore Recreation Association’s Preschool Day
Camp to Whittier House; they will be here weekday mornings from Monday,
June 25 through Friday, July 27. The College’s Yoga classes will also be
meeting in Whittier Room throughout the summer, due to renovations to Lang dance
studio. On Sunday, June 10 we move to Whittier Room for our Meeting for
Worship, until Labor Day Weekend.
If
Not Now......When?
When
will you clean out that basement (attic, garage, extra room)? On Saturday,
June 9, 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Donate your old and extra STUFF at the
Jumble Spring Drop-Off.
Resourcing our
Vision Retreat
On
Saturday, May 12, about 25 members and attenders of SMM participated in a day
long retreat. We shared laughter and tears, dreams and frustrations, inward
searching and Fellowship. By the end of the session we emerged with an
energized and refreshed commitment to nurture the Spiritual center of our
corporate and individual lives. The following queries are offered to
help carry forward the gifts of our day: 1) To what extent do we want the
culture and activity of SMM to reflect spirituality as our primary focus? 2)
To what extent are our personal gifts expressed through the work each of us does
for the Meeting? 3) To what extent does our spirituality, both
corporate and individual, nurture the expression and development of our
gifts? 4) How can we be sure that the committee structure and our committee
process are grounded in our spirituality? 5) How do we support one
another in our spiritual journeys? Help when people in our community are faced with
spiritual dilemmas or dark times? Thanks to all who participated and helped
with planning.
Submitted
by Nancy Saunders
Swarthmore
Friends
Nursery School
It’s so hard to believe that we
are in our final weeks of the school year. The time has flown, and it’s been a
very good year at SFNS! We are winding down with each classroom’s
traditional unit. The 3’s have been studying ladybugs and will have a
parade of ladybugs on Thursday, May 17 and Friday, May 18 to release live
ladybugs in the rose garden on campus. The 4’s are finishing their
baseball unit and are hoping for cooperative weather in order to play a
game of kickball/baseball in the meadow on Wednesday, May 16. The 5’s are
finishing up an art unit and will hold an exhibit of their beautiful works
on Friday, May 18. Then we wind down the school year with lots of outdoor
play and a celebratory dance party on May 25 at 10:00 a.m. Members of the
Meeting are more than welcome to attend this fun gathering as we close out
our school year. Thanks to all who ordered spring flowers from us. We
raised just over $500.00 for our scholarship fund. We hope everyone enjoys a
pleasant summer break, and we imagine it will fly by as well. We head into
summer with a few openings still available in our three- and four-year-old
classrooms, so if you know of any interested families, please send them our way
and we’ll be happy to show them what a great place
Swarthmore
Friends
Nursery School
is for young people just starting their school experience. Thanks!
EQAT
Green Walk for Jobs and Justice
On
Monday evening, April 30th, a group of about 30 walkers with the Earth Quaker
Action Team's "Green Walk for Jobs and Justice" arrived at our
Meeting in time for a potluck supper provided by people in our Meeting community
and then they offered an evening program at which they shared their goal of PNC
Bank changing its practice of financing mountain top removal mining. Four
households from our meeting provided overnight lodging for eight of the
walkers. (The others lived locally and didn't require beds for the night.) On
Tuesday morning, May 1st, I was at the PNC Bank in Swarthmore when they opened,
along with Earth Quaker Action Team (EQAT) (pronounced “equate) and
supporters, including several from Kendall/Crosslands. This was a stop on
their Green Walk from
Philadelphia
to
Pittsburgh
, where PNC's headquarters are located. EQAT is asking that PNC cease
commercial lending and investment banking services to all coal companies that
practice Mountain Top Removal (MTR) mining.
I and
one other EQAT walker were invited in to speak with the manager about our concerns.
It seemed that the branch manager whom I know was not in. We were greeted by
“Matt” (no last name, no business cards) from PNC's regional office. He
listened as we showed him photos of a lovely mountain scene before this
kind of mining and of a flat-topped “mountain” looking like the surface of
the moon after MTR. We explained that every week, a
Hiroshima
's worth of TNT is exploded on mountain tops in
Appalachia
, and after the thin veins of coal are extracted, the remains are
bulldozed into the valleys, lacing the streams and rivers with toxic
chemicals and heavy metals. Residents have reported many health problems,
including cancer, liver and kidney disease, and skin rashes related to
drinking water from wells contaminated by coal mining. We talked about how
this rips communities apart and leaves wastelands not unlike
Chernobyl
or
Centralia
.
PNC is
the largest financier of this practice in
America
, providing loans and bonds to six mining companies that practice MTR. PNC had
declared a new policy in October 2010, saying they would not “provide credit
to coal producers whose primary extraction method is MTR,” but this
policy has not been shown to have affected PNC's investment practices since then. I
walked with the Green Walk that day as far as
Westtown
School
, a distance of about 14 miles. Other walkers will join in for portions of
the journey; two people will be walking the entire way to
Pittsburgh
, arriving in mid-May. (There will be a stretch by auto after
Harrisburg
.) My husband and I have banked with PNC for decades, but we are
frustrated by their foot-dragging on this issue, and we are considering
“greening our money” by shifting our funds out of PNC to a credit union.
If
others would like information about this issue, you are invited to go on
online to the EQAT site, www.greenpnc.org
You can also get information about mountain top removal by watching the DVD,
“The Last Mountain,” at http://thelastmountainmovie.com/
Submitted
by Sue Edwards
Philadelphia
Yearly Meeting Annual Fund Needs our Support!
The
end of the fiscal year is June 30. A minority of members support the Yearly
Meeting Annual Fund – if we all give a little, they would make their goal
easily. The PYM Annual Fund supports many programs that benefit us, including
programming for children, teens and young adults. Gifts can be made online at http://www.pym.org/giving-to-pym
or mailed to Philadelphia Yearly Meeting,
1515 Cherry Street
,
Philadelphia
,
PA
19102
. Contact Lynne Piersol, Swarthmore Meeting’s Annual Fund Representative if
you have questions.
Wider
News from Friends
Philadelphia Yearly
Meeting (PYM) News
To
view PYM News in its entirety, go to www.pym.org.
for a complete list of activities.
Annual Sessions: July 25-29.
Registration is open for Annual Sessions 2012: "Living
the Holy Experiment", at Arch Street Meetinghouse in
Philadelphia and other nearby locations. To register visit http://www.pym.org/annualsessions.
For assistance please call Sessions
Registration 215 241-7232 Thank you!
If you are
interested in attending and need financial assistance, please apply
for funds through Swarthmore Meeting's Price Moore Fund by
contacting the Care and Counsel Committee.
Journey’s
End Farm Camp
Journey's End Farm Camp is
still accepting campers, ages 7-12, for second session (3 weeks) and boy campers
for all sessions. You can also join us for family camp during the last week
of the summer. Journey's End is a small, Quaker family-run farm camp in the
Poconos of Pennsylvania rooted in Quaker testimonies of Peace, Equality,
and Stewardship. It's also a lot of fun! If you have any questions visit
the Journey's End website. http://www.journeysendfarm.org/about.html
Friends
General Conference: All God's Critters Got a Place in the Choir
This year the FGC Gathering
theme is "All God's Critters Got a Place in the Choir." This
echoes my ongoing query: "Is there REALLY a place at the table for
all?" I have participated in FGC Gathering for 25 years, missing last
year due to illness. The spiritual connections of meeting Friends from all
over the country once a year is a most wonderful time to realize just how much
"The people want to be together" to quote David Rockwell in his
Faith and Play story. Where else can you live for a week and have Friends
living in integrity and openness to the Spirit? This is the way life should
be in all of our local communities. FGC Gathering models caring, curiosity,
connectedness, joy, love, and is a wonderful place to share truths and
stories of our journey in the Spirit. In this loving time together, we also have
opportunities to learn more about societal issues that need to be addressed,
bringing about justice by taking away the occasion for racism, sexism,
ageism, heterosexism, and classism. In giving loving attention to these issues, makes
more room at the table for all. My participation over the years has
included leading workshops, "Transforming the Patriarchy into the
Peaceable
Kingdom
," 3 years in a row, and "Framing the Sacred, Digital Photography as
Spiritual Journey," this will be the second year. Beverly
Shepard’s Chanting workshop, oh my, how we loved this, I participated in for 6
years, and produced two CD's of chant so that Friends could have this
prayerful practice in their home Meetings. I highly recommend this! Joyful
community prayer! George Lakey's evening Broadway Sings! Plenerys! Morning
Bible half hour! Gathering worship! Drumming circle! Dancing! But
what brings me back each year, are the deep friendships with folks from other
Yearly Meetings, who come together to share our stories, of our home
Meetings and lives, sad and joyful, all the while, holding each other throughout
the year in loving countenance, until that blessed week of July comes around
again. I hope to see you there.
Submitted by Sharon
Gunther
Swarthmore
Meeting has some funds for members and attenders to attend FGC. If you are
interested in attending and need financial assistance, please apply for funds
through the Price Moore Fund by contacting the Care and Counsel Committee.
Dear Faith Leaders
of Old
Philadelphia
Congregations,
I
represent the Interfaith Working Group of Occupy Philly. We are reaching out
today to introduce ourselves and invite you into dialogue. We are people
drawn from various faith and spiritual communities, who've been working together
for 6 months to support the Occupiers and explore spiritual dimensions of this
social phenomenon. We have talented speakers who are more than willing to
come out to present to you and/or your congregations about the Occupy
Movement. We also seek to insure your congregations are well-informed and feel
welcomed to participate in the National Gathering of the Occupy Movement
happening on Independence Mall from June 30 - July 5. If you would
like more information, have questions or concerns, or would like a speaker to
come to your congregation, please don't hesitate to contact me. Thank
you!
Submitted
by
Tricia
Shore
Occupy
Faith Statement
As
people from various faith and spiritual communities, we find in the Occupy
Wall Street (OWS) Movement a Waking Force that has dispelled despair,
depression, and denial about the gross injustices of society and the
suffering of our people. We stand together for engaged, transforming
action that says: Yes to open democracy, fair justice systems, and
public conversations that respect every person’s voice in determining
the quality and future of our lives.
-
POLIS Yes
to just economic policies that create greater equality and that enable
all to share responsibility for a common public good.
-
FINANCE Yes
to a generous society that provides high quality education, affordable
housing, adequate income, meaningful work, and universal access to
health care.
-
SOCIAL JUSTICE Yes
to strong environmental policies that guard the well-beings of the
planet we all share.
-
ECOLOGY Yes
to peace among nations based on human rights, compassion for all who
suffer, religious liberty, mutual respect, and civil liberties.
PEACE Yes to immigration policies based on hospitality and
generosity and respect for the vast diversity of human beings by
race, sexuality, class, nationality, ethnicity, physical ability,
occupation, gender, and age. LOVE Yes to the transforming, creative
works of human imagination and freedom that enliven our lives together
and bring us life-giving joy and laughter.
-
BEAUTY/ART We
are part of this still very new movement because these values have been
betrayed by an economic and political elite who have proven
indifferent to the common good and their moral obligations to the public
welfare. Their betrayal cannot go unchallenged. We will continue to
apply our Waking Forces to grow this movement and it's
effectiveness. The well-being of the world's people and the delicate
balance of Earthly life hang in the balance.
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.
For more information visit www.pendlehill.org
or call ext. 3 at (610) 566-4507 or (800) 742-3150.
June 24 - 28,
Women Weaving Work and Worship, Facilitator: Sara Knisely
Bixler. Practice weaving, spinning, and knitting will women who
love working with fibers. 12
July 8-12,
Writing you Spiritual Autobiography, Facilitator: Dan
Wakefield. Remember and write about the most meaningful parts of our
life's journey. Discover why preparing a spiritual autobiography is
sacred work.
July 12-19, Creating
Poetry and Song Write Now!
Facilitator: David LaMotte. Words change hearts; changed hears change
the world.
July 27-29, The
Ancestors are Calling on You,
Facilitator: Amanda Kemp. Spiritual resources for living life
powerfully.
Newsletter
Calendar for June, 2012
Date |
Time |
Event |
Friday,
June 1 |
4:00
to 11:00 p.m. |
Alumni
Weekend in Whittier and the Meetinghouse |
Saturday
June 2 |
All
day |
Alumni
Weekend in Whittier and the Meetinghouse |
Sunday,
June 3 |
8:30
to 9:30 a.m. |
Worship
and Ministry Committee in Meeting Office |
|
9:30
to 10:00 a.m. |
Hymn
singing in Whittier Room* |
|
10:00 to 11:00 a.m.
|
Meeting for
Worship in Whittier Room*
|
|
10:00
to 11:00 a.m. |
Childcare
in upstairs Whittier* |
|
11:15 to 11:45 a.m.
|
Fellowship in
Rushmore Room*
|
|
11:45
to 1:00 p.m. |
Adult
Religious Education Forum in Whittier Room, Intergenerational Faith
and Play led by Sharon Gunther |
|
2:00
to 4:00 p.m. |
Violin
Concert in Whittier Room |
|
3:00
to 5:00 p.m. |
Whittier
Knittiers in Meeting Office |
Thursday,
June 7 |
7:30
to 9:00 p.m. |
Care
and Counsel Committee Meeting in Meeting Office |
Saturday,
June 9 |
10:00
a.m. to 2:00 p.m. |
Jumble
Drop Off at Whittier Circle |
|
6:00
p.m. |
Voice
Recital in Whittier Room |
Sunday,
June 10 |
|
Similar Sunday Schedule as
above* |
|
|
Meeting
for Worship in Whittier Room |
|
11:00
a.m. to 1:00 p.m. |
Rain
date for wedding in Meetinghouse |
|
11:45
a.m. to 1:00 p.m. |
Meeting
for Business in Whittier Room |
|
3:00
to 6:00 p.m. |
Voice
Recital in Whittier Room |
Saturday,
June 16 |
9:30
a.m. to 1:30 p.m. |
Cooking
for the homeless in Whittier house |
|
1:30
to 4:30 p.m. |
Rain
date for wedding in Meetinghouse |
Sunday,
June 17 |
|
Similar
Sunday Schedule* |
|
|
Meeting
for Worship in Whittier Room |
|
11:30
a.m. to 1:00 p.m. |
Pot
luck brunch in Rushmore Room |
|
2:00
to 4:00 p.m. |
Piano
Concert in Whittier Room |
Tuesday,
June 19 |
noon |
Newsletter
deadline in Meeting Office |
Thursday,
June 21 |
9:30
to 11:00 a.m. |
Newsletter
folding party in Whittier Room |
Friday,
June 22 |
9:00
a.m. to 4:00 p.m. |
SRA
set up in Whittier House |
|
7:00
to 10:00 p.m. |
Tai
Chi slide show in Whittier Room |
Saturday,
June 23 |
9:00
a.m. to 5:00 p.m. |
Tai
Chi workshop in Whittier Room |
|
5:30
to 6:30 p.m. |
Rain
date for wedding in Meetinghouse |
Sunday, June 24
|
|
Similar
Sunday schedule * |
|
|
Meeting
for Worship in Whittier Room |
|
2:20
to 4:30 p.m. |
Piano
concert in Whittier Room |
Monday,
June 25 |
7:30
to 9:00 p.m. |
Budget
and Finance Committee location TBA |
Swarthmore
Monthly Meeting
-
Christine
DeGrado, Clerk of the Meeting;
-
Leslie
Keighton, Recording Clerk;
-
Stephen
Weimar, Treasurer;
-
Susan Edwards,
Clerk of Worship & Ministry Committee;
-
Mary
Lou Parker, Clerk of Care and Counsel Committee;
-
Mary
Titus, Meeting Secretary
-
Meeting
telephone and voice mail: 610-328-8699
-
Meeting
e-mail address: [email protected]
-
Web:
http://swarthmore.quaker.org
-
Office
hours: Tuesday through Friday: 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
|