|
April 2004 QuakerShaker
|
QuakerShaker on-line distribution
|
Mar 29, 2004 10:07 PST
|
This is the April 2004 QuakerShaker, Newsletter of the Yellow Springs
meeting of the Religious Society of Friends. For information or feedback
about the newsletter, contact the editor, Ann Cooper, at
adco-@aol.com. To unsubscribe from e-mail edition, e-mail
DABlan-@aol.com. To subscribe to paper e-mail edition, contact
Harold Putnam at HPu-@aol.com. For information or feedback about the
newsletter, contact the editor, Ann Cooper, at adco-@aol.com.
************
In this issue:
1. April Calendar
2. FCNL, Nuclear Weapons & Friends-Denise Runyon
3. Author Talks and Travels-Irwin Abrams
4. If War Is Not the Answer… -Irwin Abrams
5. The Spiritual Enrichment Fund-Peg Champney
6. Simplicity Circle-Mary Thorp
7. Dances of Universal Peace-Denise Runyon
8. Committee Job Descriptions-Nominating Committee
9. FRIENDS' WORLD COMMITTEE FOR CONSULTATION, TRIENNIAL EPISTLE, 2004
10. Summary of Yellow Springs Friends' Discussion of the Quaker Peace
Testimony
11. Friends General Conference 2004 Gathering of Friends
12. From the Ohio Valley Yearly Meeting Calendar
13. Minutes of Monthly Meeting for Business March 7, 2004
************
Fourth Query: Do you keep to simplicity and moderation in your speech,
your manner
of living, and your pursuit of business? Are you careful to keep your
business and your outward activities from absorbing time and energy that
should be given to spiritual growth and to the service of your religious
society? Are you just in your dealings and careful to fulfill your
promises? Do you take care of such members as need aid, and assist
them, when possible, to become self-supporting?
Read more queries on our website at
http://www.quakershaker.net/thirteenth.html
April Calendar
Sundays
8:30 a.m. Meeting for Worship, Rockford
10:00 a.m. First Day School (Sept-May), Rockford Friendly Living
Discussion Circle
11:00 a.m. Meeting for Worship, Rockford (Childcare is available)
Mondays
7:00-8:15 PM Introduction to Quaker Faith & Practice, Rockford
Wednesdays
7:00 a.m. Meeting for Worship, Rockford
Saturdays
12-1:00 p.m. Peace Vigil, corner of Limestone & Xenia Ave.
Sunday, April 4 Monthly Meeting for Business, following a noon potluck,
Rockford
Tuesday, April 6 Membership & Pastoral Care Committee Meeting, 7:00 PM
Jane Morgan's home
Thurs., April 15 Simplicity Circle, 7:00-8:00 PM, Thorpe home
Friday, April 16 Meeting with Scott Stedjan (FCNL): Rep. Hobson's
opposition to Bush's Nuclear Weapons Proposals, 7-9:00 PM, Rockford
Sun., April 18 Meeting to discuss distribution of Contributions Pool
funds, following Meeting for Worship
Sunday, April 18 Deadline for May Quakershaker submissions
Sunday, April 25 Dances of Universal Peace, 3:00-5:00 PM, Rockford
Don't see your committee meeting listed here? Contact the Quakershaker
editor with information about times, places and activities to be
included in future newsletters.
Ann Cooper, 937/767-7973; Adco-@aol.com
**********
1. April Calendar
**********
Always:
Sundays
8:30 a.m. Early Meeting for Worship, Rockford
10:00 a.m. First Day School (Sept-May), Rockford
11:00 a.m. Meeting for Worship, Rockford (Child care is available)
Wednesdays 7:00 a.m.Meeting for Worship, Rockford
Saturdays 12-1:00 p.m. Peace Vigil, corner of Limestone & Xenia Ave.
*********
2. FCNL, Nuclear Weapons & Friends-Denise Runyon
**********
Scott Stedjan from FCNL plans to arrive in Yellow Springs on April 15th.
He will be staying with the Eastmans for a few days while he organizes
support for David Hobson, our Congressman for the 7th District and chair
of the House Energy and Water Appropriations Committee. Hobson opposes
Bush's proposals for new nuclear weapons. Scott would like to meet with
Yellow Springs Friends on Friday, April 16, 7-9:00 p.m., at Rockford.
Find more on our website, http://quakershaker.net/Stedjan.htm
**********
3. Author Talks and Travels-Irwin Abrams
**********
I have been asked by the Yellow Springs Library Association to speak
about the book, The Iraq War and Its Consequences, on April 13. I will
be telling about my experience in putting the anthology together, and
copies will be available for me to sign.
On April 22, I will be going to Geneva, Switzerland, with son David, to
speak in a Colloquy about one of my Nobel cast of characters, Elie
Ducommun, who won the prize in 1902. I was the first historian to use
the earliest archives of the International Peace Bureau, of which he had
been the first Executive Secretary. These documents were then in a
basement of the IPB and used with difficulty, now they are in the UN
Library in Geneva and properly classified.
**********
4. If War Is Not the Answer… -Irwin Abrams
**********
There has been discussion among us about the FCNL sign, "War Is Not The
Answer," which some of us have been putting up in front of our houses.
It is so negative, while Quakers prefer to affirm when we can, rather
than to deny. If War is not the Answer, What is the answer? I have
recently selected a number of excerpts for the book The Iraq War and Its
Consequences, which were to be posted on History News Network on March
22. The excerpt from the article written by Mary Ellen McNish, Executive
Secretary of the AFSC, speaks to the question. McNish writes:
We need to ask and answer, "What are the alternatives to war?" As we
know all too well, there are few alternatives once we are already at the
brink. Lasting peace depends on the hard and proactive work of
prevention. Our work at the American Friends Service Committee is to
take away the occasion for war and to examine our own behavior for the
seeds of war. But if we are to finally take away the occasion for war,
we must lift up an articulate vision of the world we want.
The link to History News Network is http://HNN.us. The editor said it
would be in the section called ROUND-UP.
**********
5. The Spiritual Enrichment Fund-Peg Champney
**********
This special fund of the Meeting is available to members and attenders
to provide financial support for special educational experiences. Grants
are approved by the Membership & Pastoral Care Committee. This fund will
pay for half the cost of sending any child who is a Meeting member or
attender to a Quaker or Quaker-related camp. For more information, call
Peg Champney, 767-1311.
Friendly Living-Mary Thorp
Friends continue to meet at 10:00 a.m. on First Days to discuss writings
about living out our Quaker faith. The current book is Patricia Loring's
Listening Spirituality, Vol. I; please contact Dale Blanchard if you
need a copy.
**********
6. Simplicity Circle-Mary Thorp
**********
The Simplicity Circle meets on the third Thursday of every month, from
7:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the Thorps' house (1420 Southgate, 767-2815) to
discuss the Northwest Earth Institute's course on Voluntary Simplicity.
There may be extra copies of the study/reading guide available from the
Thorps. Those dates, for the near future, are April 15 and May 20.
Please join us!
**********
7. Dances of Universal Peace-Denise Runyon
**********
Please join us for Dances of Universal Peace, April 25, 3-5:00 at
Rockford. The next session will be May 23.
Introductory Quakerism Series-Bruce Heckman
The Yellow Springs Friends Meeting is continuing the series, An
Introduction to Quaker Faith and Practice, which began February 16.
Consecutive weekly sessions take place Monday evenings 7:00 to 8:15
p.m., at the Rockford Meeting House on President Street in Yellow
Springs. Childcare is available if requested in advance.
This series provides interested adults with an introduction to Quaker
principles and practices. Those wishing to attend may know very little
about Quakerism, or they may already have some experience and
understanding of Quakerism but wish to learn more. Sessions include
opportunities for questions and discussion. Relevant reading materials
are available for participants' use. The Light Within and Evolution of
the Religious Society of Friends were introduced in February. Upcoming
topics include The Meeting for Worship; Discernment and Decision-making;
Quakers and Peace; Quaker Organizations; and Quaker Testimonies,
Traditions and Customs.Call Bruce Heckman at 767-7973 for additional
information or to request childcare.
**********
8. Committee Job Descriptions-Nominating Committee
**********
These committee descriptions are provided for Friends' information. You
can find these on our website: http://quakershaker.net/clerks.htm
**********
9. FRIENDS' WORLD COMMITTEE FOR CONSULTATION, TRIENNIAL EPISTLE, 2004
**********
Tena koutou, tena koutou, tena tatou katoa - greetings to you, greetings
to you, greetings to all of us, from those representatives of Te Haahi
Tuuhauwiri, the "religion which stands because it is shaken by the
Spirit". Our Maori welcome is sent across the world family of Friends
from the 300 of us gathered together in Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand.
From a nation which takes care of the environment, which has possibly
the world's only Minister for Disarmament and Arms Control (herself a
Quaker), in a land of volcanoes and hot springs, cities and forests, we
send greetings from the 21st FWCC Triennial.
We were a scattered and extended gathering for five of our ten days
together. A number of African and Indian Friends had faced increased
travel problems in a world in which fear and anxiety for the security of
nations affect our movements
We were called at this triennial to share our experiences of being
faithful witnesses: serving God in a changing world. Long queues for
meals gave us unexpected but valuable opportunities to exchange our
wealth of differences. Our small worship and sharing groups increased
our depth of knowledge of each other, as individuals and as members of
diverse Friends' meetings worldwide.
The keynote speech from Jean Zaru, a Palestinian Quaker living for over
30 years under occupation, gave us a message both of hope and of
challenge. 'What is my witness? What is the witness of my community, my
people? In the light of the challenges we face, what responsibility do
we bear? We have to bring forth true justice to all, to the Palestinians
but not at the expense of the Israelis, to women but not at the expense
of men, to humanity but not at the expense of nature and Mother Earth:
rather, justice for all creatures and creation.'
Both programmed and unprogrammed meetings for worship brought us closer
and helped us reach the truth of Galatians 3: 28:
"There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there
is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus."
We were confronted with financial reality early into the Triennial.
Shortfalls in income over the past four years have brought FWCC to a
crisis point. Planned business was rearranged to
enable our participation in a series of structured exercises. This
process drew out possibilities to be explored by the Interim Committee
and others. We discovered that the maturity of our Quaker practices
enabled us to work well and harmoniously. We were asked to envision FWCC
in 20 years' time. We looked forward to stronger sense of community,
greatly increased numbers of Friends and a better awareness of Quakerism
throughout the world. We want all Friends to know the joy of the world
fellowship which enriches us through meeting as we have in this
Triennial. We know there is hard work ahead to achieve this, not least
in the expectation that we shall find more money for this work. In our
vision of the growth of Friends, we know that principles of peace,
justice and care, unity and equality will prevail.
Interest groups, plenary sessions and working groups kept our attention
on the many serious issues through which our witness can be expressed -
development and sustainability, refugees and asylum seekers, sexual
orientation, genetic- modification, peace-making in times of war, HIV
and AIDS were amongst these.
Through music, song and laughter we spoke the language of the heart to
one another. Our interpreters taught us much about communication; we
rejoiced in the gifts we bring through a variety of tongues.
We leave this Triennial imbued with a renewed zeal for the Truths to
which we bear witness and sustained by the unity of our faith in the
living God.
David Purnell, Clerk
For more information about FWCC, go to
http://www.thefriend.org/fwcc.asp, and
http://www.fwccamericas.org/home.html#.
**********
10. Summary of Yellow Springs Friends' Discussion of the Quaker Peace
Testimony
**********
"Sustaining Our Peace Testimony in the 21st Century" 2/29/04
Present: Joan Brucker, Irwin Abrams, Paul Wagner, Dale Blanchard, Billie
Eastman, Jolee Robinson, Betty Wagner, Deb Kociszewski, Bruce Heckman,
Fran Goodman, Jane Morgan, Bill Houston, Peggy Champney, Luanne Ebert,
Terry Snyder. Cindy Butler-Jones, Ken Champney, Hazel Tulecke, Raymond
Ruka, and Denise Runyon, facilitator
Friends divided into groups of four to consider the following queries:
What does the peace testimony mean to you? How has it shown up in your
life? What current peace-related issues do you face? How can the Meeting
help to address these?
A vibrant discussion followed for approximately 40 minutes. Each group
then picked one person to tell their story to the whole circle.
Paul Wagner shared that peace is how a person lives, how you treat
people every day and this is how he tried to live his life.
Peggy Champney shared her interest in peace from being a little girl
opposed to WWII, to choosing a non-registrant as a marriage partner, to
choosing to avoid paying war taxes by living on income below taxable
levels. She identifies the stress of being in the minority outside of
Friends.
Raymond Ruka, from New Zealand, spoke deeply about his native
matriarchal culture and that peace meant the same as "to live." He
shared that his people had lived in peace and died in peace, maintaining
their integrity even when oppressed.
Bill Houston spoke about his involvement in justice issues and noted the
tension between political action and spirituality.
Jolee Robinson, Adelphi Meeting in Silver Spring, MD, shared that it was
her passionate anger with injustice that first brought her to peace
issues. She said that there are many individual activists in her home
Meeting, and raised the question of how to develop a corporate witness.
Some ideas were brought forth for further discussion:
" Conscientious objectors in the Meeting could talk with youth for peace
education.
" Friends might talk more about corporate witness.
" We could discuss how to have impact on peace issues.
" A strategic discernment meeting might identify issues Friends could
really impact, and around which they could unify.
" We could discuss the pulls and tension of political action and
spirituality.
" Friends might discuss capital punishment.
" Friends could be encouraged to complete the questionnaire from
Quakershaker editor, Ann Cooper, to help us get more acquainted with
each others' peace thoughts and work.
" Billie Eastman will find out more about the Peace Department bill from
FCNL.
**********
11. Friends General Conference 2004 Gathering of Friends -- website is
http://fgcquaker.org/gathering
**********
Simple Lives: Radiant Faith July 3-10 at the University of
Massachusetts at Amherst. Come gather with Friends and practice that
inward simplicity in which we hear and see clearly. Align your heart,
mind and spirit as you find time for worship and the spiritual growth
that surprises and challenges you at every turn. A Friend says of the
Gathering, "Whatever I need always has a way of finding me at the
Gathering." Focusing on the radiance of our faith will give us rich
ground in which to "sink to the seed."
**********
12. From the Ohio Valley Yearly Meeting Calendar
**********
April 3: Executive Committee Meeting, Community Friends, 12 - 3:30pm
April 17: Whitewater Quarter Meeting, Clear Creak Meetinghouse, 10 -
2:30pm
April 23-25: Lexington Friends Meeting Annual Retreat at Pine Mountain
Settlement School, Harlan County, KY.
**********
13, Minutes of Monthly Meeting for Business March 7, 2004
**********
Yellow Springs Friends met for business at Rockford Chapel March 7, 2004
Present were: Betty Wagner, Paul Wagner, Jane Morgan, Cindy
Butler-Jones, Dick Eastman, Bruce Heckman, Dale Blanchard, Harold
Putnam, Peg Champney, Luanne Ebert, Carl Hyde, Jean Putnam, Joan
Brucker, Lorena Hyde, Susan Hyde, Irwin Abrams, Allen Treadway, Carolyn
Treadway, Bill Houston, Claire Winold, Mary Morgan, Deb Kociszewski
The meeting opened in silence, which included prayerful consideration of
the third query on love and unity.
1. Minutes. The recording clerk read the minutes from the February 1
Meeting for Business, and the February 8 Called Meeting for Business.
The third Minute from the February 1 Meeting for Business, will be
updated to read:
"Jean Putnam reported for the [nominating] committee that the names Mark
Perry and Clyde Replogle are offered as Yellow Springs Friends
appointees to the Friends Care Center Board to serve from March, 2004 to
March, 2007. Friends approved."
The minute of the February 8 Called Meeting for Business will be revised
to read:
Friends shared concerns about an appropriate level of explanation of
spiritual concerns supporting the minute. Friends agreed that it is
appropriate to issue the statement as a group concerned about voter
issues with no additional explanation of Quaker spiritual foundation.
The minute will be forwarded to Miami Quarterly Meeting for
consideration at its February 15, 2004 meeting, with three Friends
standing aside from this decision.
2. Miami Quarterly Meeting. Dick Eastman reported that Miami Quarterly
Meeting is seeking a clerk. The Journey of Hope, a program supporting
eliminating the death penalty was the subject of the program for the
Quarterly Meeting. Friends reported that the program was interesting and
moving.
Yellow Springs Friends will be responsible for the adult
program at the May 2004 meeting to be hosted by Lexington, the adult
program at the February, 2005 meeting to be hosted by Campus Meeting,
and for hosting the May 2005 Quarterly Meeting.
Discussion of the OVYM assessment led to understanding that
Miami Quarterly Meeting is not under the weight of this concern. Friends
carrying this concern are encouraged to attend Whitewater Quarterly
Meeting on April 17, 2004, at Clear Creek Meetinghouse. Miami Quarterly
Meeting considered the Yellow Springs Friends minute on electronic
voting. It was clear that the Quarter is under the weight of this
concern, but would like to include the spiritual dimension in a version
to be forwarded to OVYM. A revised version of the minute will be
considered at the May 2004 Miami Quarterly Meeting.
3. OVYM Executive Committee. OVYM Executive Committee met on February 7,
2004. The OVYM Travel Fund was discussed, and guidelines are being
clarified for its use. The theme for the 2004 OVYM session at
Wilmington College is "Telling Our Stories of Faith." James Taylor
(J.T.) is the new OVYM Youth Secretary. OVYM Teens will be participating
in a work camp from June 13-19 at Pipestem, WV. Yellow Springs Friends
will publicize the work camp through regular announcements at Meeting
for Worship and The Quakershaker.
4. Ministry and Advancement. A work session is scheduled for May 22,
2004, at Rockford. There will be a Fall Retreat in the fall of 2004,
probably in October. It is suggested that an ad hoc committee be formed
to plan the retreat. Friends interested in serving should contact Bruce
Heckman.
5. Nominating Committee. Jean Putnam reported that committee job
descriptions are needed from Peace and Social Concerns, Memorial,
Religious Education, Library, Newsletter and Finance. The committee will
meet during the week of March 8, 2004. Committee job descriptions are to
be forwarded to the Quakershaker editor for publication in the April
edition.
6. Nature Photograph in Rockford. Jane Morgan has offered to withdraw
the donation of the nature photograph by John Morgan, and would like to
donate it to a group that has a setting appropriate for it. Friends were
unable to reach a sense of the meeting about the donation, and the clerk
requested that Jane hold the picture at this time.
7. Quaker Wall Hanging. Susan Hyde displayed a wall hanging made by OVYM
youth at the 2003 OVYM session. The wall hanging is to be shared among
OVYM meeting. Friends agreed to display the wall hanging in the multi
purpose room until the May 2004 Miami Quarterly Meeting.
8. Friends and the Environment Draft. The draft of the section on
Friends and the Environment from the Book of Discipline revision
committee will be posted on the Meeting website. The matter will be
discussed at the April Meeting for Business.
9. Urbana-Champaign Friends Meeting. The Urbana-Champaign Friends
Meeting has issued a request for funds to help pay for their
meetinghouse. The clerk has forwarded the request to Peg Champney for
consideration by the Contributions Pool. Individual Friends are also
asked to consider the need.
The meeting closed in silent worship.
The next Meeting for Business will be held on April 4, 2004, at 12:45
P.M. at Rockford.
**********
14. Agenda for Meeting for Worship with Attention to Business Fourth
Month 4, 2004 available on our website
http://quakershaker/net/Agenda.htm
*******end April 2004 Quaker Shaker*****************
|
|
 |
|
