Swarthmore Friends Meeting  of the Religious Society of Friends

Calendar Highlights: 

• Saturday and Sunday, February 23-24, Swarthmore Mountain Justice Convergence, Meetinghouse 
• Sunday, February 24, 11:30 a.m., Film: Free China: the Courage to Believe
• Sunday, February 24, 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. Harmony for the Homeless in Whittier Room  
• Sunday, March 3, 11:45 a.m., Forum: What is Spiritual Discipline and How 
  Can I Have Some in My Life, with Lynne Piersol
• Saturdays, March 23, and April 6, Mediation Training, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Meetinghouse
• Sunday, March 24, Forum: Maria Montessori and the Quaker Testimonies, with Shelley Costa

Queries on Social Responsibility and Witness 

Draft Minutes of Swarthmore Monthly Meeting for Business,  

Sunday, February 10, 2013, (edited for the Web)  

The Meeting opened with a few moments of silent worship. Christine DeGrado, Clerk, presided. Today's Meeting for Worship and the Intergenerational Worship Sharing prior to Meeting for Worship, as well as the Meeting's positive and deepening relationship with the College were mentioned as Moments of Light. Especially uplifting were the expressions of gratitude from several Swarthmore students for the care shown them by the Meeting. Jinny Schiffer presented background material about Teresita Hinnegan who with others founded Dawn's Place, a center for sexually abused and trafficked women in Philadelphia . The Meeting is assisting in this project through the efforts of Margot Ells, a high school student at Westtown. The Queries on Equality were read, contemplated and spoken to. One Friend mentioned the book The Righteous Mind, and urged that Friends with a liberal bent try to be more open to understanding the feelings of Conservatives. Others expanded on this theme to say we should not be just open to but seek to invite the viewpoints of others. 

Minutes of the previous Meeting were perused and accepted with one or two typographical corrections. 

The Outreach Working Group is developing a website. Peter Dyson, Susan Dyson's husband, has been most helpful in this. 

Steve Weimar reported for Budget and Finance Committee: contributions so far are behind, with several months to go until the end of the new fiscal year. The surge in contributions at the end of the calendar year was weaker this year than in previous years. 

Michael Malone reported for Care and Counsel Committee, noting the rise in numbers of new members this past year. 

Susan Edwards reported for Worship and Ministry Committee: She presented the final draft of 2012 State of the Meeting Report: After brief comment and a decision to rewrite the second paragraph of the Overview to include positive developments regarding new applications for membership, as had been requested at our last Meeting for Business, the Report was accepted. Conflict Resolution: March 23 was proposed as the date for a one-day training session on Conflict Resolutions. This will be conducted by a representative of The Center for Resolution in Media. Several Friends wanted very much to participate but would be unable to come on that date. After discussion, it was decided that a second session be offered pending sufficient interest with participants bearing the full cost. April 6 was proposed. Susan Edwards will see if the facilitator is available on April 6 and if there might be a discount for holding two sessions. Both opportunities will request an RSVP and will be publicized to the Meeting, Quarterly Meeting and the general public. 

Gary King noted that the Nursery School is looking for a treasurer. Anyone interested should contact him. 

Paul Greene reported for Peace and Social Concerns Committee: He presented the draft of a minute on gun control. A number of suggestions and points of clarification were made: A Friends suggested that a uniquely Quaker way should be sought as a means of dealing with the issue, as this might be more powerful than reiterating the common proposals. The importance was stressed, however, of getting behind the current public sentiment and keeping up the momentum. The Committee will take note of the suggestions and continue to work on the draft minute. It will be submitted for final approval next month. 

As regards First Day School , Rich Schiffer presented an idea that the Meeting may wish to consider: The Red Cross offers a six and one-half hour Babysitter Certification session for young people ages 11-15. Our current child-care providers are outside of this age range, and it was suggested that CPR and/or first-aid training might be more appropriate. It was suggested that if we were to require any kind of training for our child-care providers, the Meeting might want to cover the cost. After some discussion, it was decided that Rich should pursue the idea further and report back at a later Meeting for Business. 

Christine DeGrado reported for Nominating Committee on behalf of Virginia Williams Joyce. Nominating Committee reminds the Meeting that we need to name a Naming Committee to suggest names for Nominating Committee members. Paul Greene, George Alexander and Virginia Williams Joyce have agreed to serve. Approved. 

A request has been made that there be two threshing sessions on financial priorities of the Meeting. Approved. Andrea Knox has gotten valuable input from the professional fundraiser who works with the Chester Children’s Chorus. Christine DeGrado will work with Mary Titus to come up with possible dates for the threshing sessions. 

Mary Titus spoke on scheduling conflicts that sometimes arise regarding outside groups that use Whittier House. Friends General Conference has requested space for 12-14 high school students for Clerkship training March 22-24. Efforts will be made to accommodate them if our facilities prove appropriate for them. We have agreed to let Chester Children’s Chorus use Whittier Room for hip-hop classes but the noise generated in those classes makes it impossible for other renters to use Whittier Room. There will be times when we have to ask CCC to move the hiphop lessons to another venue. 

Several suggestions were made for next Month's agenda: a report from the ad-hoc fundraising group and a report from the Outreach Working group. After a period of brief silent worship, the Meeting adjourned. 

General Swarthmore Meeting Announcements

Upcoming Meeting Events: 

Peace & Social Concerns Forum

• Sunday, February 24, at 11:30am in Whittier Room

The Committee will host a screening of Free China: The Courage To Believe. The award-winning documentary film examines Falun Gong whose practitioners believe in Truthfulness, Compassion and Tolerance. Like early Friends, Falun Gong practitioners have been subjected to severe persecutions. After the screening, a Falun Gong practitioner will lead us in a brief exercise, and be available for worship sharing. 

Submitted by Bere Saxon, Peace & Social Concerns Committee 

What is a Spiritual Discipline and How Can I have Some in my Life?

• Sunday,  March 3, at 11:45 a.m. 

Come to a discussion led by Lynne Piersol of the Worship and Ministry Committee. We'll explore the concept, brainstorm, and have a chance to learn more about a few. Lynne attended a workshop at Friends General Conference Gathering in 2012 on this topic. 

Submitted by Lynne Piersol, Worship & Ministry Committee 

Upcoming First Day School Forum 

• Sunday, March 24th

First Day School is sponsoring a forum on "Maria Montessori and the Quaker Testimonies." Shelley Costa will speak about the Italian doctor and pedagogical innovator (1870-1952), summarizing her influential approach and how and why it originated. This model of early childhood learning is in harmony with all of the Quaker testimonies. Shelley will illustrate this with examples of Page Two Montessori education (including photographs of her daughter Sage in action at the Forest Farm school in Oxford, England last year) as well as through principles Maria Montessori articulated in her own prolific speeches and writings. Dr. Montessori herself very strongly promoted the model's consonance with spirituality and world peace, which may surprise those of us familiar with the secular nature of modern Montessori schools. In Shelley's view, the robustness of the approach whether or not its spirituality is overt is one of the features that harmonize with modern Quakerism. At the same time, we can more deeply appreciate the approach when its spiritual aspects are more clearly in focus. 

Submitted by Shelley Costa 

Friendly Gatherings in April 

Care and Counsel Committee is seeking volunteers to host a Friendly Gathering on a weekend in April. It could be a luncheon, a dinner, a tea – whatever you’re comfortable hosting. It can be as elaborate or as simple as you wish. The specific weekend has not been chosen yet. If you would be willing to have a few Friends over to share good food and good fellowship, please let John McKinstry know. 

Visiting Committee Needs Help 

Care and Counsel Committee is wondering if there are any who are willing to take up the visiting committee responsibilities. If you are interested, please let John McKinstry know. 

Seminar on Mediation Skills 

• Saturday, March 23, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

• Saturday, April 6, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Worship & Ministry Committee will host a seminar in mediation skills open to the Meeting and the public. (The two sessions will cover the same material; you need only attend one.) Led by trainers from the Center for Resolutions, a Quaker-founded mediation center in Media, the trainings will cover strategies for handling conflict, communication skills, using neutral language, asking effective questions, brainstorming for solutions, and framing negotiable issues that lead to joint problem solving. It will be held in the Meetinghouse. A simple lunch of soup and bread will be provided by members of the committee. There is a limit of 20 people for each session, so register early! We expect these trainings to help participants become better able to reach out to the good in the other and to have a heightened ability to handle differences. These skills are invaluable in faith communities as well as in all of our lives at work, in our families, and with those with whom we may experience conflict. We hope you will come and bring your friends! It will be publicized in the local press in order to draw a wider participation and bring people into our space as a form of outreach. NOTE: we are requesting a voluntary contribution of $30 from attendees to help cover the cost of the training. (Those for whom the cost is too much of a burden may pay what they can afford. Those who are able to pay more will make it possible for others to attend.) We request that those who wish to take part register with Mary Titus at the Meeting Office by March 16, and let her know which date you prefer. ([email protected]  or 610-328-8699). To hold your place, please send a check made out to Swarthmore Monthly Meeting when you register. 

Thank You Corner 

Thanks to: 

• Paul Indorf for contacting the manufacturer and ascertaining that our dish sterilizer in the kitchen does indeed function properly; *

• The Cheung and Costa Baker families for faithfully providing college student breakfasts during the school year; 

• Alan Baker for his piano accompaniment during hymn singing on Sunday mornings; 

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

An Essay About Spoken Ministry 

I've been laboring for some time with the noticing that there are many who attend our Meeting for Worship but are never heard to offer a spoken message, even over years and years. While it is certainly possible that these have not felt led to share a thought, I wonder if there might not be something else operating. One person recently said to me that she is rather terrified of getting up to speak in Meeting, so she usually doesn't. What I said to her is that when I feel scared to death of saying something in Meeting, it makes me tremble, and then I know I am a true Quaker! If I am virtually moved to tears as I speak, I know I am profoundly struck with something coming through me. In Faith and Practice (page 20) it says, “Friends should not put obstacles in the way of the call, whether by deciding in advance to speak or not to speak.” If you are someone who thinks you could never get up to speak in Meeting, it seems to me that you are deciding in advance not to speak. I hope that more people will consider that they may have a message that needs saying and that the rest of us might benefit by. I do not mean to imply that anything and everything is worthy of sharing, but I would hope that those at meeting for worship will not have any automatic roadblocks to the Light operating through them. There is another possible thing happening. At times, hopefully all in the past, I hear that people have been eldered after they have spoken in Meeting, and this has had a strangling effect on their willingness to be open to a spirit-led message coming through them. If you are someone who feels there is a problem with another individual's spoken ministry, I hope you will approach someone on Worship & Ministry Committee and let the committee consider whether and how to approach the person in question. But we do hope that eldering will not go on by people who are annoyed with another's message, as this will have a stifling effect that will go a long way in harming our richness of messages. One final and crucial thought. Faith and Practice says that “Even if not a word is spoken, Meetings for Worship can be profoundly nurturing.” This also is true. 

Submitted by Sue Edwards 

Profile - New Meeting Member Jan Alexander 

Swarthmore Meeting is excited to introduce its newest member, Jan Alexander. Jan was raised in Swarthmore Meeting and considers herself a life-long Quaker. After she graduated from Oberlin College , she met her husband, George, in 1971, while they were both working at the American Friends Service Committee. Jan and George married two years later. They spent their early years together in Bloomington Indiana , where their son, Chris, was born in 1979. A job opportunity brought them to Swarthmore, and in 1981, their daughter, Becky was born. They lived in Swarthmore for 25 years. Jan earned her MS in Information Science at Drexel and has since worked for more than 15 years at Widener   University as a reference librarian and the University Archivist. A highlight of her work there, was the creation with two of her colleagues, of a timeline of the US , Chester and Widener from 1821 to the present. In working on this project, she learned about Chester 's long and fascinating history and they enjoy sharing this history. Jan enjoys reading, photography and working on a massive family history project with her sister on their VanDeusen and Edwards ancestry. The project is expected to be three volumes of pictures and research. George's and Jan's son, Chris, is 33 and is a web developer. He recently finished hiking all 2560 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail from Mexico to Canada , and is working on a book with his photographs of that journey. Their daughter Becky, is 31 and graduated from Smith in Studio Art. She works at the San Francisco Art Institute and lives in a communal house in Oakland . Jan, having let her earlier membership in Swarthmore Meeting lapse when she first moved away, is delighted to rejoin the Meeting. Please make a special effort to welcome her back as our newest member. 

2012 Delegation Epistle, January 23, 2013 

To Friends Everywhere: In October and November 2012, a delegation of Friends from Philadelphia YM traveled in India to meet with Friends from Bhopal YM, Bundelkhand YM, General Conference of Friends in India , and Mid-India YM. We are grateful for the hospitality and openness of Indian Friends and their desire to include us in their All India Gathering of Friends this year. Three began our journey in New Delhi , meeting leaders of the South Asia Peace Alliance at the Gandhi Peace Foundation and worshipping with the New Delhi Worship Group. We were Scott Rhodewalt of London Grove Monthly Meeting and Clerk of the India Friends Working Group, Jack Walz of Mount Holly Monthly Meeting and Co-Director of the John Woolman Memorial Association, and Samantha Griggs, an active Young Adult Friend and Member of Swarthmore Monthly Meeting. From New Delhi , we stopped briefly in Bhopal , before gathering in Itarsi, with Leland Kimball and W. Frances Elling of Central Philadelphia Monthly Meeting. From October 24 to October 28th, we joined with Quakers from all over India at George Fox Hall, Itarsi for the 6th All India Friends Gathering. We were a group of about 80 Quakers and our schedule included Worship, lectures, fellowship meals, cultural activities, and business. Four Young Adult Friends from Evangelical Friends Meeting Nepal were also present. When asked to speak in one session, Scott Rhodewalt shared greetings from the India Friends Working group, Samantha Griggs described her service and experience in the Philadelphia YM Young Adult Friends’ community, and Jack Walz described the ministry of John Woolman. Jack carried with him a travel minute from Mount Holly MM, endorsing his ministry in sharing the life of John Woolman with Quakers in India, and he listened intently throughout the trip for possible connections between Gandhi and Woolman. The Spirit was present in George Fox Hall, in the dining room, and in all the conversations we shared. From Itarsi, Scott Rhodewalt attended the Young Friends Work-cum-Study Camp at Friends Rural Centre, Rasulia in Hshongabad from October 29th to November 4th. That week included frequent Worship and deep sharing among Friends from Karnataka, Madyha Pradesh, and Nepal . During the same week Phillip Donnelly and Scott visited overnight in Bhimkothi – a remote tribal village with whom Unami MM has a sisterhood relationship – and even introduced Ikta Parishad organizers to the Co-Directors of Friends Rural Centre, Rasulia. This past weekend, we gathered once again to reflect on our experiences, share stories and pictures with Friends in Philadelphia , and begin discerning the next steps for the India Friends Working Group. In the invitation to Friends from Summer 2012, India Friends Working Group described itself as a “small group of Quakers in the greater Philadelphia area who are determined to nurture ties with Quakers in India and also with Gandhian activists seeking social justice,” and our delegation’s activities in India followed this purpose. While there, however, Indian Friends asked us to focus and engage in conversations about nurturing Young Adult leadership, and think about how we can foster greater connection and inter-visitation between Young Adult Friends in the U.S. and Young Adult Friends in India . The delegation has brought this concern back to the working group and there is energy around listening to this leading and working with Indian Friends to address this concern. Please contact Scott Rhodewalt at [email protected] with questions or comments about the delegation, future trips, or the India Friends Working Group. Feel free to contact Samantha Griggs (through the Meeting Office, [email protected]) with concerns, leadings, or questions about Quaker international visitation and young adult leadership. 

In Love and Light, The October 2012 India Friends Working Group Delegation: 

• Phillip Donnelly 

• W. Frances Elling 

• Samantha Griggs 

• Leland Kimball 

• Scott Rhodewalt 

• Jack Walz 

Meeting Members Lyn Jones, Betsy Wray, and Johanna Sibbett shared good fellowship on a recent chilly Sunday. 

Nursery School News for March 

New!  Nursery School website: www.swarthmorefriends.org

We are about halfway through our school year, and things are going well! We’ve been very lucky with the weather yet again this winter. The mild temperatures and conditions have allowed us to continue to enjoy plenty of outdoor playtimes, and we haven’t lost any days to inclement weather. We will be finishing our parent/teacher conferences this month. We hope the spring like weather comes on strong this month for more opportunities to enjoy this beautiful arboretum around us, and to witness the change of seasons once again. We continue to accept applications for the 2012-13 school year. If you know of a potential student for our preschool, let us know and we’ll be happy to send information and an application to the family. You can email us at [email protected]  or call the Nursery School office at 610-328-8584. In the meantime, Happy Spring! 

Submitted by The Nursery School 

Swarthmore Mountain Justice (SMJ) to Hold Divestment Convergence at Swarthmore Friends Meeting

Wider News from Friends and Swarthmore College

Philadelphia Yearly Meeting  (PYM) News

 To view PYM News in its entirety, go to www.pym.org. for a complete list of activities.

Employment Opportunity 

Employment Opportunity - Director, Arch Street Meetinghouse, Philadelphia Yearly Meeting seeks a Director of the Arch Street Meetinghouse. This position is responsible for overseeing the operation and programs related to the historic building. This includes the interpretation of the historic role of Quakers in Philadelphia , activities by Philadelphia Yearly Meeting groups, extensive rental activity, maintenance and upkeep of the property, and maintaining relationships with the immediate community including  Old City congregations and the National Park Service. For more information, see the complete job description at http://www.pym.org/director-arch-street-meeting-house  or contact Linell McCurry, Interim Associate Secretary of Business and Finance at [email protected] or 215-241-7205. 

Featured Volunteer Opportunity :

Arch Street Meeting House Interpreter. Do you enjoy meeting people from all 50 states and from countries around the world? Do you find joy and satisfaction talking about Quakerism to others? Do you enjoy answering questions from curious and energetic school children? Join the Arch Street  Meeting House Interpreters! Arch Street Interpreters provide friendly outreach and hospitality in the historic Meetinghouse, interpretation of Quakerism, faith and practice, history, ideals, and faith in action, past and present. In frequent gatherings and enrichment programs, interpreters have the opportunity to interact with fellow volunteers who have in common a passion for sharing Quakerism with others. If you enjoy the sort of work described above, please consider volunteering a few hours a month. To learn more, visit http://archstreetmeetinghouse.org/volunteer, or contact the Tricia Coscia, PYM Volunteer Coordinator, [email protected] , 215 241-7238 

Quaker College Fair

Quaker College Fair, Saturday, March 2, at the Arch Street Meetinghouse. The Quaker College Fair gives all students an opportunity to become familiar with the benefits of higher education in a Quaker context. It also helps families understand the college process, learn about financial aid options, and get a sense of what the college search can be like from the perspective of students who’ve experienced it. For more information, please see our web page at http://www.pym.org/2013-quaker-college-fair  

Planning a Family Directed Funeral

Planning a Family Directed Funeral, Saturday March 23, 9:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. at Friends Center , 1515 Cherry Street ,  Philadelphia , PA 19102 . This Saturday workshop will focus on the practical details of planning a family directed funeral and green burial. Participants will explore the various tasks of a Care Committee formed by their Friends Meeting to give practical, emotional and spiritual help to families during the difficult times of terminal illness and death. Cheryl Clark will be our major resource person for the workshop. A Resource Kit will be provided that includes information on the issues and concerns addressed in the Workshop. This workshop is co-sponsored by the Friends Southwestern Burial Ground Committee and by the PYM Care and Aging Program. For more information, contact Brad Sheeks  through PYM, www.pym.org/ 

William Penn Lecture

William Penn Lecture, Saturday, March 23 from 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. at Arch Street Meetinghouse. Young Adult Friends of Yearly Meeting invite everyone to the third William Penn Lecture of the 21st century. Michael Gagne will be this year’s speaker on “Continuing Revolution? Love, Truth, Soul Force and the Future of the Religious Society of Friends.” Michael is a member of Central Philadelphia Monthly Meeting, Executive Director of the  Envision Peace Museum and former EcoJustice Organizer for Philadelphia Yearly Meeting. Swarthmore Meeting Member Samantha Griggs will be the Convener. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., and refreshments follow the lecture. 

World Affairs and Quaker Testimonies

World Affairs and Quaker Testimonies, fourth Wednesday of each month, 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. in the Monthly Meeting Room at Friends Center, Philadelphia, PA. Members of Central Philadelphia Meeting and Arch Street Meeting meet for a discussion on World Affairs and Quaker Testimonies. We discuss how to live our Friendly positions in the midst of a world of conflict, chaos and uncertainty. We begin each session with a short passage from Faith and Practice and consider how it helps us to relate to selected recent national and international news. All are welcome. For more information, contact Patricia (Pat) Torosian, Arch Street Meeting, http://archstreetmeetinghouse.org/  or Brian Spooner, Central Philadelphia Meeting, www.cpmm.org/ 

PYM Annual Sessions 2013: July 24-28, 2013 at Muhlenberg College , Allentown PA. Sessions Planning Group invites friends to mark your calendars for the next PYM Annual Sessions: Gathering Together Our Past, Our Presence, and Our Future. Ken Park, Clerk of Sessions Planning, writes about the theme and the group’s discernment, "After much hard work, the Workgroup sensed unity in expressing the need to celebrate who we are, the importance of our past and future while looking at what presence we hold to each other and the world." Read his full statement at http://www.pym.org/gathering-together-our-past-our-presence-and-our-future and please save the dates! Contact Tricia Coscia, Annual Sessions and Volunteer Coordinator [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.  For more information visit www.pendlehill.org  or call ext. 3 at (610) 566-4507 or (800) 742-3150.

Listed below are a few of Pendle Hill’s upcoming events. Please view the entire program at www.pendlehill.org

• March 8-10 Quakers and the Song of Songs, a weekend with Michael Birkel

• March 10-14, Liberation: A Quaker-Jewish Dialogue, a short course with Marcia Prager and Rebecca Mays

• March 31-April 4, Walk Humbly, Serve Boldly, Prophetic Ministry among Friends Today, with Margery Post Abbott and Noah Baker Merrill

March, 2013 Calendar

Swarthmore Monthly Meeting

This Newsletter is published eleven times each year by Swarthmore Monthly Meeting, 12 Whittier Place, Swarthmore PA 19081, Office hours: Tuesday through Friday: 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., Telephone: 610 328 8699, Email: [email protected], Web: http://swarthmore.quaker.org 

Meeting for Worship – each Sunday at 10:00 a.m. Everyone is welcome. First Day School and/or Childcare provided. 

• Christine DeGrado, Clerk of the Meeting;

• Leslie Keighton, Recording Clerk;

• Stephen Weimar, Treasurer;

• Susan Edwards, Clerk of Worship & Ministry Committee;

• John McKinstry, Clerk of Care and Counsel Committee;

• Mary Titus, Meeting Secretary