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February 2003 QuakerShaker
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Editor, QuakerShaker
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Jun 15, 2003 10:42 PDT
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Posted June 2003
QUAKERSHAKER, February, 2003
Newsletter of the Yellow Springs Religious Society of Friends
Al Bader al-Hazmi, an Arab physician, was doing post-doctoral training
at a San Antonio hospital in September, 2001; he was held by the FBI
under harsh conditions 13 days for suspected involvement in the attack
on the twin towers. On his release he told the press:
At the end I said to myself, “These guys are clueless. How can they
figure out who is behind this thing?” I would suggest that Americans
don’t rely on the FBI. I say, God must protect America instead.(quoted
in the NY Times Magazine, October 21, 2001)
1. Calendar
2. Query for February
3. Execution of Richard Fox scheduled for February 12
4. Report of an ad hoc meeting of a few Friends to discuss same-sex
marriage.
5. Friendly Sharing, from Betty Wagner
6. The Good News in 2002
7. Minutes of the Business Meeting of January 12, 2003
Quakershaker deadline for March is February 16. Give information to Bill
Houston (email: htul-@antioch-college.edu) or Irwin Abrams
1. Calendar
Always:
Sundays: 8:30 am, Meeting for Worship, at Rockford
10:00 am First Day School (Sept-May), at Rockford
11:00 am, Meeting for Worship, at Rockford
Wednesdays: 7:00 am Meeting for Worship, at Rockford
Saturdays: noon - 1 pm Peace Vigil, SW corner of
Limestone St. & Xenia Ave.
Sunday, February 2, noon: Potluck lunch preceding Monthly Meeting for
Business, at Rockford
Sunday, February 9, 12:30 pm: Brown bag lunch and an open discussion of
our individual positions on same-sex marriage in light of the values
behind those positions
Wednesday, February 12: Scheduled execution of Richard Fox, at
Lucasville Prison (see item 3 below)
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2. Query for Second Month: Do you so order your life as to include
reading, meditation and communion, that you may know more of the
presence and guidance of the Divine Spirit? Do you remember the need to
pray for others, holding them in the presence of God?
************
3. Execution of Richard Fox scheduled for February 13: Carl Hyde
writes that the Ohio Supreme Court has now scheduled the execution of
Richard Fox for February 12. God willing, I will plan to take my van
and any passengers that are moved to go to the vigil outside the
Lucasville prison where executions take place. I will pick up folks
from Yellow Springs at about 6 am and Springfield at about
6:30.
Let us pray that this execution will not actually happen. Richard Fox
has admitted his guilt, and expressed remorse. Letters asking that for
clemency can be sent to Governor Bob Taft, 77 S. High St. Columbus, OH
43215-6117; Phone: 614-466-3555; Fax: 614-466-9354; E-mail:
governo-@das.state.oh.us
But while e-mail is better than no communication at all, it is much more
likely to be overlooked than snail mail or calls. Your letter does not
need to be long or go into detail about the case, but if you want to
include a few details, Richard Fox was convicted for the 1989 murder of
Leslie Renee Keckler in Bowling Green. This was his first conviction.
He confessed to the crime and has since been remorseful
If you want a ride to Lucasville, you can reach Carl at 767-3571.
************
4. Conclusions of an ad hoc group of Friends who discussed same-sex
marriage:
On December 8, 2002, Ken Champney,Bruce Heckman, Carl and David Hyde,
and Paul Wagner met. The attempt was to bring together those with the
strongest opinions pro and con “same-sex marriage” to see if they could
come to any consensus. They didn’t come to unity on that issue. They did
agree on these points:
We value, encourage and support committed exclusive relationships
between adult couples, and marriages that are entered into with the
expectation that they will be for life.
We welcome families of all types into our Meeting community,
regardless of how they define themselves.
We seek to nurture all family relationships and welcome participation
of all family units in the Meeting community regardless of how they are
configured.
We recognize the need of all young people in our Meeting to have their
families recognized and affirmed by the Meeting community. We support
the nurture of Meeting children and their family ties both within and
outside of the Meeting.
We affirm the importance of extended parenting and making both male
and female role models available to all young people.
************
5. Friendly Sharing: Betty Wagner shares these thoughts she had
recently.
I awoke this morning thinking of our meeting and our lengthy discussions
trying to decide whether or not to approve same sex marriage. And I
thought how wonderful it is that, no matter how different our beliefs
are, we still love and respect each other and realize how important each
of us is to the life of the Meeting.
Then I began thinking how wonderful it would be if our national
leaders could do this - truly love and respect each other and value
their differences instead of fighting wars over them.
[Editor’s note: somehow this reminded me of the hymn that begins “I woke
up this morning with my mind stayed on Jesus, Hallelu, Hallelu,
Hallelujah.”]
************
6. The Gospel last year: Susan Thompson has put together a list of
some of the good news (no, it hasn’t all been bad) that broke in 2002.
Below is the list of the stories she picked; for more details (and links
to more still ) go to the web site www. moveon.org. Here’s the list:
Good News for Peace
1. There's Still Time to Stop a U.S.-led War on Iraq
2. The Internet
3. Democratic Republic of Congo/Rwanda Peace Pact
4. Angola/UNITA Cease-Fire
5. Sri Lankan Cease-Fire
Good News for the World
1. World Becoming More Free
2. Ozone Hole Closing
3. Kyoto Protocol to Take Effect Soon
4. International Criminal Court Gains Jurisdiction
5. Bahraini Women Given Right to Vote
And a new British study suggests that raising hell helps improve
psychological and physical health. According to researcher Dr. John
Drury, "The take-home message from this research therefore might be that
people should get more involved in campaigns, struggles and social
movements, not only in the wider interest of social change but also for
their own personal good." For more, see
http://thunderbay.indymedia.org/news/2002/12/2599.php
7. Minutes of Monthly Meeting for Business, January 12, 2003
Yellow Springs Friends met for business at the meetinghouse January 12,
2003. Present were Eva Paige, Diane Chiddister, Joan Brucker, Greg
Webb, Lou Ann Ebert, Dick Eastman, Ken Champney, Peg Champney, Mary
Morgan, Irwin Abrams, Cindy Butler-Jones, Susan Hyde, Bruce Heckman,
Carl Hyde, Hazel Tulecke, and Deb Kociszewski
The meeting opened in silent worship, which included prayerful
consideration of the first query on meeting for worship.
1. Minutes. The recording clerk read the minutes from the December 1,
2002 meeting for business. No corrections were noted.
2. Ministry and Advancement. Greg Webb reported for Ministry and
Advancement on their project to improve sound amplification in the
meetinghouse rooms. Greg presented information on a personal P.A.
system from Williams Sound for a cost of approximately $1100. Friends
approved the expenditure for a base system. Ministry and Advancement
will consult with Paul Wagner and the treasurer
regarding the financing.
3. Peace and Social Concerns. Hazel Tulecke reported that the Peace
and Social Concerns committee is in need of good younger energy.
Friends requested that the Nominating Committee seek an interim clerk
for Peace and Social Concerns, as Dale Gardner, the current clerk, is
experiencing schedule overload. Friends re-affirmed the importance of
the Peace and Social Concerns committee in light of the current world
situation. Hazel also reported that the committee has authorized a $25
donation to the Martin Luther King Jr. essay contest within the Yellow
Springs schools.
4. Mary Morgan encouraged Friends to maintain communication with young
adult Quakers from our meeting. Mary reminded Friends of the deep
appreciation of such efforts.
5. Ad Hoc Committee on Sexuality. Diane Chiddister reported that the
committee has met regularly throughout the time of the discussion
series. The committee recommends two actions: An open discussion on
February 9, 2003 to consider our individual positions in light of the
values behind those positions, and a possible discussion of the minute
proposed by Betty and Paul Wagner at the March,
2003 meeting for business. Friends discussed alternatives for
continuing this matter, and agreed to seek sense of the meeting on this
matter.
6. Miami Quarterly Meeting, February 16, 2003 in Waynesville. Peg and
Ken Champney will serve as Yellow Springs representatives to the
February 16, 2003 Miami Quarterly Meeting in Waynesville, Ohio. They
will also request that Fran Goodman serve. Representatives at the
February meeting will serve as Nominating Committee for the Quarter.
7. The February, 2003 meeting for business will be held February 2,
2003 at the meetinghouse.
The meeting closed in silent worship.
Submitted,
Deb Kociszewski, Recording Clerk
Yellow Springs Friends Meeting
Yellow Springs Religious Society of Friends
PO Box 45
Yellow Springs, OH 45387
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