Swarthmore Friends Meeting Swarthmore,
Pennsylvania
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Newsletter, May, 2009
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Queries on Integrity and Simplicity Addressed to the Meeting:
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from Philadelphia Yearly Meeting's Faith and Practice, 2002, page 214
Partial Draft Minutes of Swarthmore Monthly Meeting for Business held Sunday, April 19, 2009 The Meeting opened after a period of silent worship. Jon Van Til, Assistant Clerk, presided. The Queries on Stewardship of the Environment were read, considered, and spoken to. It was noted that a number of people in the Meeting are actively working to address concerns raised by the Queries. The importance of education of our youth on the environmental issues was noted as well. One member spoke of his own family's decision to have a geothermal system installed in order to reduce reliance on conventional energy use. Minutes of the previous Meeting were approved with certain corrections: 1) in the Care and Counsel Committee report: "Baltimore Monthly Meeting" should read "Baltimore Yearly Meeting" and the transfer of William Hollinsed should read "Accepted" rather than "Approved." Also, 143 local members and attenders were invited to the Friendly Gatherings while only 33 actually took part. 2) it was further noted that Mike Malone should be referred to as "Interim" rather than "Acting" Clerk. Chris DeGrado reported for Nominating Committee: The Committee is making up next year's roster. Ed Jones and Andrea Knox have requested to continue on Budget and Finance Committee. Steve Weimar will continue on the Committee as well as being Meeting Treasurer. Steve Weimar and Nancy Saunders will serve on Personnel Committee. Pat Thomas wishes to resign from Worship and Ministry Committee but will serve on Peace and Social Concerns Committee. Mimi Hall and Bill DeGrado will serve on House and Property Committee; LaDorna Pfaff and Mary Lou Parker will continue on Care and Counsel Committee; and Shelley Costa will continue on First Day School Committee. She has also been nominated by Peace and Social Concerns to serve on the Anne Bernstein Richan Peace Action Fund Task Force while Mike Malone is stepping down. Approved. Chris also reported on the Inreach/Outreach Task Force: She spoke in some detail regarding the three goals established, as well as actions already taken and actions planned. 1) Improving Meeting connections with the Nursery School: The Nursery School Board is planning to name a contact person to work with the Meeting. Joint efforts to raise Nursery School funds and more invitations to Nursery School families for Meeting events were suggested. 2) Improving our connection with the outside world - especially the College. Greater use of e-mails to publicize Meeting events is one avenue. 3) Perhaps most important is implementation of the Quaker Quest program. Chris related her own experience in participating in workshops at Pendle Hill in this regard. She was impressed by the transformative nature of the program. The preparative work for public presentation in itself would be of great value to the Meeting. The Task Force is considering a one-day workshop based on the program. Pamphlets are available, as are facilitators from Yearly Meeting and Friends General Conference. Andrea Knox reported for the Treasurer: donations received thus far are on a par with last year at this time. Frank Lindgren reported for House and Property Committee: The Committee has received one estimate of $20,000 for needed re-pointing of Whittier House stone work. This amount would come from the Depreciation (Capital) Fund. Discussion followed. The Committee will be getting other estimates and the College will be contacted for advice on the matter. Environmental issues will be considered. Approval was given for up to $20,000 and assurance given that the Meeting will be kept informed as the project progresses. The contractor who gave the estimate suggested sealing the stonework after the pointing is done for an additional $8,000. The Committee does not contemplate doing this now. LaDorna Pfaff reported for Care and Counsel Committee: A Memorial Minute for Robert A. Wilson, prepared by Virginia C. Wilson, his wife, and LaDorna, was read by the Recording Secretary. This was approved and will appear in the Newsletter. Our member Marilyn Weinstock-Colllins has requested transfer to Lancaster Monthly Meeting. The Meeting accepted her transfer. She is the daughter of Art and Joyce Collins and has lived in the Lancaster area for many years. The Committee has sent letters to 13 associate members (over age 21) in an effort to determine whether they wish to become full members of be released. Considerable discussion followed. This is a vexing situation for the Meeting. On the one hand, it is important to know if those on the books wish to continue their relationship; on the other, the Meeting does not want to offend and push people away. It was pointed out that those around college age are at a most vulnerable time in their lives and that so many of this age are lost to membership. In any event, it was established that any communication with such individuals should be especially supportive, allowing them more time to decide if need be. Worship and Ministry Committee still invites suggestions on creating a more settled Meeting for Worship. Mimi Hall reported for Peace and Social Concerns Committee: 1) She distributed a statement of Chester Monthly Meeting opposed to Gov. Rendell's proposal to legalize video poker in bars and clubs to raise $550 million for college tuition assistance; 2) There will be an April 30, 7:00 p.m. talk by Ray Krone at the Delaware County Peace Center on his wrongful conviction and life on Death Row. (see www.delcopeacecenter.org and www.witnesstoinnocence.org ; 3) The June 21 potluck featuring a talk by Joan Broadfield on her recent trip to Israel and Palestine. 4) This year's Discretionary Fund will be devoted to three charities: American Friends Service Committee, Friends Committee on National Legislation, and Voices of Women. Paul Joyce Collins Williams spoke on the recent Yearly Meeting Sessions and distributed two items: 1) Recommendations of the Governance Project Group of March 2009 (items #1 and #3 were removed.) 2) "Heeding God's Call: A Gathering on Peace" (report to PYM) which includes collaboration with other peace churches in addressing the problem of gun violence. Paul noted the upcoming summer session at DeSales University which will feature discussion on the book, Right Relationship: Building a Whole Earth Economy by Peter G. Brown and Geoffrey Garver. He suggested, as well, that one look at the published report of the PYM Grant Group to see how funds are distributed and to foresee the possibilities for financial aid for fledgling projects. Paul also suggested that we designate a family or group from the Meeting to represent Swarthmore at the Summer Sessions. Sharon Gunther presented a document from Princeton Meeting titled Listening Session Agenda: Observations and Queries voicing certain concerns still strongly felt in regards to the Governance Report. After a few moments of silent reflection, the Meeting adjourned. Submitted by Leslie Keighton, Recording Clerk
General Swarthmore Meeting Announcements Homemade Breads at Friendship Coffee Hour Starting in May, homemade breads will be served at Fellowship Coffee Hour on the second First Days of each month. This kind and generous offering will be provided by eight members/attenders who are passionate about baking, and call themselves, appropriately enough, "The Grateful Bread." They are: Ruth Cary, Christine DeGrado, Sharon Gunther, Catherine King, LaDorna Pfaff, Nancy Saunders, Colleen Shoemaker, and Pat Thomas. Please express your appreciation to them whenever you have a chance. Happy snacking! Submitted by Ray Ripper First Day School Events The May 3 Bird Walk, one of our Meeting's oldest traditions, has a change this year! 7:45 - 9:00 a.m. Bird Walk on Campus 9:00 - 10:00 a.m. Breakfast for everyone, even if you don't go strolling in the woods 10:00 - 11:00 a.m. Meeting for Worship The last First Day School classes will be on May 17. During Meeting for Worship, Johanna Sibbett will present Bibles to the 4th graders, and Faith and Practice to the 8th graders and the college senior attenders. For the following special refreshments to thank the First Day School teachers, sweet or savory finger foods would be appreciated. Every Sunday from Memorial Day through Labor Day, there is family-style, multi-age, childcare, provided by the Meeting's teens. Submitted by Kit Raven, Clerk of First Day School Committee, and Barbara Burger-Lentz Changes in May Calendar Since Mother's Day falls on the second Sunday in May (May 10), Meeting for Business will be held on the third Sunday, May 17. There will be no meeting of the Prayer Shawl Crafters on May 10. Forms available for Automatic Payment from Bank Accounts The Meeting can now accept contributions made by automatic deduction from your bank account on a monthly, quarterly, or yearly basis. Forms are available from Meeting Secretary, Mary Titus; a voided check must accompany each form. Submitted by Andrea Knox for Budget and Finance Committee
Clerks and Officers Meeting There will be a meeting of Clerks and Officers on Wednesday, May 6, 2009, at 7:00 p.m. in the Meeting Office. Joan Broadfield to Visit our Meeting Joan Broadfield will be sharing a potluck lunch with us at the June 21 potluck and then share stories from her trip afterwards (approximately 12:00 noon) in Whittier Room. Joan is Co-Clerk at Chester Meeting and the Peace and Justice Coordinator, Philadelphia Yearly Meeting, Religious Society of Friends. In March 2008 Joan was part of the Delaware Valley Interfaith Compassionate Listening Delegation to Israel/Palestine with the purpose of learning more about this protracted conflict, and be a supportive means for some reconciliation work. Compassionate Listening is a process developed by a Quaker, Gene Knudson Hoffman. http://www.compassionatelistening.org/ Submitted by Mimi Hall, Clerk of Peace and Social Concerns Committee Two-for-One Donation Campaign of 2009 The Discretionary Fund Working Group invites you to participate in the Meeting's Two-for-One donation campaign. Members and attenders who donate to any of the three organizations below will have their donations matched by the Meeting's Discretionary Fund, up to a maximum of $500 per organization. Donations can be made through representatives of this working group. Watch for our table after the rise of Meeting. Alternatively, members or attenders can make donations directly to any of the organizations below, and inform any member of the working group(Paul Greene, Sue Larson or Mac Hoffman). The campaign ends on June 14, 2009. For more information, contact Paul Greene. American Friends Service Committee (AFSC). The American Friends Service Committee carries out service, development, social justice, and peace programs throughout the world. AFSC's work is based on the Quaker belief in the worth of every person and faith in the power of love to overcome violence and injustice. http://www.afsc.org Friends Committee for National Legislation (FCNL)). The Friends Committee on National Legislation is the largest peace lobby in Washington, D.C. founded by Quakers. FCNL is nonpartisan and has played a pivotal role in the creation of the Peace Corps, the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency, the Civil Rights Act, and led efforts to oppose both the Iraq wars. http://www.fcnl.org Voice of Women Organization (Afghanistan). The Voice of Women Organization, directed by Suraya Pakzad, seeks to improve the status of Afghan women by promoting their human rights, reducing poverty, and empowering women's active participation and action in decision-making and nation-building, at all levels. http://vwo.org.af Submitted by Paul Greene Memorial Minute for Robert A. Wilson Robert A. Wilson, member of Swarthmore Friends Meeting since 1938, died peacefully on March 15, 2008, after a short illness. He was born in Philadelphia, December 29, 1915, to Alfred C. Wilson and Anne Wilson, nee Ferris. Robert was their only child, raised as a Quaker at Swarthmore Meeting, and graduated in 1936 from William Penn Charter School, Philadelphia. He joined the Civilian conservation Corps and attended the University of Maryland. In 1935 he was awarded the National Amateur Rowing Championship Medal for 145-pound quadruple sculls. Robert enlisted in the U.S. Army as a conscientious objector and served as an Army Medic seeing combat in New Guinea and the Philippines winning the Bonze Star. He married widowed Virginia C. Bauer, with six-year-old son, Chuck. He was an honest, loving, romantic, and caring husband; and a wonder father to Chuck, giving him many good things to follow in life and setting the best examples. Later her re-joined the Army and served in the Korean War and Vietnam. He was one of only 36 people chosen to begin the Army's first polygraph program; this program was a good fit with his values of honesty. He also believed things should be done right for the best security of the country. In 1953 he and his family moved to Tennessee. After he was honorably discharged in 1970, he worked at Guardsmark, Inc., Memphis, Tennessee, as a polygraph examiner. He retired from Guardsmark in 1986. In 1998 he and Virginia moved to Madison, Wisconsin, where they richly enjoyed the most modest pleasures of life. He is survived by his wife of 55 years, Virginia C. Wilson, his step-son, Chuck Bauer, and other close friends. Written April 13, 2009, in consultation with Virginia C. Wilson
May 2 - "Finding Forgiveness" at Crosslands Friends Worship Group At Crosslands (Route 926, Kennett Square, PA), in the William Penn Room, on Saturday May 2, 1:30 p.m., a Hanover New Hampshire Friend and a minister, each of whom lost a family member to murder, will provide personal testimony and messages of forgiveness and healing, with the potential to help eliminate the death penalty in this country. Presenters' names are Bess Klassen Landis and Walt Everett. Bess comes on a Traveling Minute from Hanover Friends Meeting. This session is sponsored by Crosslands Friends Worship Group Peace and Social Concerns Committee and the tour in this state is arranged by Pennsylvanians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty. Contact Clarkson Palmer for further information. May 16 - PeaceWay Festival at Providence Meeting The PeaceWay Festival takes place Saturday, May 16, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., at Providence Meeting, 105 North Providence Road (Rt. 252), Media PA. Rain or shine. The theme is "Yes We Can Create Peace in our Hearts, Homes, Houses of Worship, and Halls of Power." Engage in a morning Peace Panel featuring bob Edgar, former Congressman, now heading Common Cause, and current Congressman Joe Sestack on the topic: "Working for Sustainable Peace and Diffusing Violence." After lunch join an Interfaith Conversation: "Faith-based Communities and Personal Experiences of Peace-Making." Childcare provided. Lunch for sale. Peace Concert at noon. Bring family and friends to enjoy peace crafts, face painting, games, music making for the kids. Peace Labyrinth, Peace Pole, awards honoring activists Sue Edwards and Tom Mullian, flower-planting in our Peace Garden, remembering the 201 Pennsylvania soldiers killed in Iraq. Information: www.peaceway.net May 16 - School of the Spirit Offers Retreat Day at Gwynedd Meeting A retreat day at Gwynedd Meeting, PA, on Saturday, May 16, will be facilitated by the core teachers of the School of the Spirit Ministry's program "On Being a Spiritual Nurturer." The retreat day, 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., is intended for those discerning whether they are led to apply to join the two-year program. Friends seeking a short retreat are also very welcome. A $25 donation is requested at the door. The program, "On Being a Spiritual Nurturer," now gathering its eighth class from across the country, is designed for those led to pay particular attention to God's transforming, guiding, and healing work. The program is grounded in the traditional Quaker practices of deep listening and of individual formation within community. The new class begins in September 2009. Application deadline is May 25; late applications may be considered. Scholarships are available. Much more information about the program can be found at www.schoolofthespirit.org or email [email protected]. The School of the Spirit is a ministry under the care of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting's Worship and Care Standing Committee. June 13 - A Peace Fair for All Ages at Birmingham Meeting The Peace Center at Birmingham Friends Meeting near West Chester, PA, invites you to come and enjoy their second annual Peace Fair on Saturday, June 13, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Free parking, free admission. A downloadable flyer can be found on our web site at http://www.birminghamfriends.org/pdfs/PeaceFair.pdf ;The main purpose of the fair is to raise awareness of actions that foster the peaceful resolution of violent conflicts and in doing so we hope to raise funds, as we did last year, for the purchase of landmine detectors. These will be distributed by the United Nations to civilian populations in areas of the world where hidden landmines continue to maim and kill thousands of innocent children and farmers long after hostilities have ceased. At the Peace Fair you will enjoy music, food and refreshments, interesting booths supported by local peace organizations, tours of our historic Meetinghouse and fun children's activities. If you would like to be part of the event with your display, please contact the Peace Center at (610) 793-1734 "One Book, One Yearly Meeting" Has Earthcare Theme in 2009 The "One Book, One Yearly Meeting" working group has selected the new book Right Relationship Building a Whole Earth Economy as the 2009 title. This is the second year for Philadelphia Yearly Meeting's "One Book" initiative for religious education. Right Relationship: Building a Whole Earth Economy" is written by Quakers Peter G. Brown and Geoffrey Garver. Monthly Meetings are invited and encouraged to build connections among Friends of all ages by facilitating conversations, discussion and activities around Right Relationship and a companion book selected for children, Earth Care: World Folktales to Talk About. The working group has created a FREE, downloadable curriculum available at www.pym.org/education/onebook The curriculum includes queries, book extracts, and activities for adults, children, and multi-generational groups. Both books are available at a 10 percent discount through QuakerBooks of FGC, www.quakerbooks.org, 1-800-96604556. Free copies can be borrowed from the PYM Library, [email protected], 215-241-7220 Ministry for Racial Justice and Equality Members of the Ministry for Racial Justice and Equality (Philadelphia Yearly Meeting) in the Religious Society of Friends sent letters to Meetings last fall, offering a visit from the group to share about the ministry. They have scheduled visits to Woodstown Meeting (NJ), Third Have Meeting (MD), and Fallsington Meeting (PA).This Ministry is a PYM working group under the care of the Worship and Care Standing Committee. The group seeks to travel among Friends, with a shared concern for our beloved Religious Society of Friends, to help it to be the place of love and care for all who seek it. To learn more, visit our website: http://www.pym.org/pyn_wgs/racialjustice_wg.php or search for PYM Ministry racism. You can email the group at [email protected] to arrange a visit. From the Greater Pennsylvania Region of the Climate Action Network: New Climate Treaty: In December 2009, Copenhagen will host the UN Climate Change Conference where negotiations will conclude on the latest climate treaty. To avoid climate chaos, all countries will need to commit to ambitious, legally-binding greenhouse gas emission-reduction targets. The United States opted-out of the last treaty, the Kyoto Protocol; we need to step up to our responsibilities this time. Ask you senators and representatives to support U.S. efforts in the climate treaty negotiations. Antarctic Ice Shelf Has Disappeared Washington (Reuters) April 4, 2009 - One Antarctic ice shelf has quickly vanished, another is disappearing, and glaciers are melting faster than anyone thought due to climate change, U.S. and British government researchers reported on Friday. They said the Wordie Ice Shelf, which had been disintegrating since the 1960s, is gone and the northern part of the Larsen Ice Shelf no longer exists. More than 3,200 square miles have broken off from the Larsen shelf since 1986. Climate change is to blame, according to the report fro the U.S. Geological Survey and the British Antarctic Survey, available at http://pubs.usgs.gov/imap/2600/B/ "The rapid retreat of glaciers there demonstrates, once again, the profound effects our planet is already experiencing - more rapidly than previously known- as a consequence of climate change," U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said in a statement. "This continued and often significant glacier retreat is a wakeup call that change is happening...and we need to be prepared," USGS glaciologist Jane Ferrigno, who lead the Antarctica study, said in a statement. "Antarctica is of special interest because it holds an estimated 91% of the Earth's glacier volume, and change anywhere in the ice sheet poses significant hazards to society," she said. In another report published in the journal Geophysical Letters, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NOAA, reports that ice is melting much more rapidly than expected in the Arctic as well, based on new computer analyses and recent ice measurements. The UN Climate Panel projects that world atmospheric temperature will rise by between 1.8 and 4.0 degrees Celsius because of emissions of greenhouse gases that could bring floods, droughts, heat waves and more powerful storms. As glaciers and ice sheets melt, they can raise overall ocean levels and swamp low-lying levels (reported by Maggie Fox.) Submitted by Kathryn Garza Upcoming Quakerism Programs at Pendle Hill For registration information visit www.pendlehill.org or call (800) 742-3150, extension #3. Matching scholarships are available. Young Adult Leadership Development Program 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].The YALD program includes:
Pendle Hill's Summer Speaker Series Promotes Radically Faithful Living Pendle Hill's Summer Speaker Series, "The Kin-Dom of God: Living into the Covenant," will take place at 7:30 p.m., Thursdays from June 18 to July 23, in the Barn at Pendle Hill in Wallingford PA. The series is free and open to the public. For details visit www.pendlehill.org or call (800) 742-3150 Pendle Hill Weekends Support Meetings Do you serve as Clerk of a small Meeting? Are there new attenders or members of your Meeting who would welcome a Quakerism weekend with others new to Friends? Are you looking for support for your peace and justice work? This summer and fall Pendle Hill offers several weekend workshops designed to bring together Friends around common concerns to support the life of local Meetings. These workshops include:
Newsletter Calendar for May, 2009
SWARTHMORE MONTHLY MEETING Mike Malone, Clerk of the Meeting; Leslie Keighton, Recording Clerk; Stephen Weimar, Treasurer; 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
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