New York Yearly Meeting

Representative Meeting, April 1, 2006
Busch Campus, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey

Linda Chidsey, Clerk
Ernestine Buscemi, Assistant Clerk
Lee Haring, Recording Clerk
Anne Wright, Reading Clerk

2006-04-1. Friends gathered in worship at 10:00 A.M. The Clerk welcomed Friends, introduced those at the clerks' table, and explained adjustments to the schedule, which were intended to provide more spaciousness in our worship for business. The reading clerk called the roll, and Friends stood in response.

2006-04-2. Paula McClure (Montclair), clerk of General Services, presented the final Treasurer's Report for 2005. She pointed out that the Yearly Meeting in 2005 succeeded in holding down spending. In response to a question, Paula explained the present method of covenant donations to the Yearly Meeting, which are based on Friends' sense of commitment. Friends received the year-end report. Paula then presented the report for the first two months of 2006. Friends received this report.

2006-04-3. Paula introduced George McClure (Montclair), clerk of trustees, who in turn introduced James Oltman (Purchase) to present a recommendation of the trustees that Powell House be allowed to lease land to Old Chatham Monthly Meeting for the building of a meetinghouse. Friends were reminded that the Powell House property was conveyed by deed from New York Yearly Meeting to Powell House. Under the terms of that deed, any conveyance of the kind proposed by Powell House and Old Chatham Monthly Meeting requires the specific approval of New York Yearly Meeting. The trustees recommend as follows.

The proposed ground lease between Powell House and Old Chatham Monthly Meeting is approved in principle, and the Yearly Meeting Trustees, when they are satisfied that appropriate minor changes in the terms of the lease have been made, are authorized to approve the lease on behalf of New York Yearly Meeting.

The lease provides that in the event of dispute or serious disagreement between the parties, they may avail themselves of whatever dispute-mediation or -resolution procedures may be available from the Yearly Meeting. Friends approved the recommendation; the clerk expressed thanks to those who have worked toward this goal, and to God for blessings.

2006-04-4. Christopher Sammond, general secretary, spoke to his report, which was distributed in writing. He mentioned increases in membership and "a fresh wind of the Spirit blowing across this Yearly Meeting." Changes in the last three issues in Spark have been well received by Friends; some meetings have asked to reprint articles and hand them out to newcomers. The changes call for more effort from staff and volunteers. Christopher asked that Friends spread the word about the changes in Spark and encourage Friends to use the articles. He then described the series of successful workshops in Drawing Out Gifts, held at Powell House, which have had substantial impact on our community without drawing much expense from our operating budget. The reception of the workshops indicates to him a spiritual hunger in the Yearly Meeting, a concern that is being addressed in the Coordinating Committee on Ministry and Counsel. Information on the allocation of staff time, which was not available today, will be presented at the Summer Session. Christopher ended his report by thanking Friends for their messages of condolence for loss in the immediate families of staff members.

2006-04-5. The reading clerk read a travel minute for Nadine Hoover from her home meeting, Alfred, which has been endorsed by Farmington-Scipio Regional Meeting. Friends direct the clerk to endorse this minute. Nadine advised Friends that a written form of the minute is available for distribution, accompanied by information about her recent travels in Indonesia with Deborah B. Wood (Purchase). Nadine described the need of teachers there for higher education; Deborah spoke to other educational needs of Indonesians, which call for ever more support.

2006-04-6. James Hamilton (Wilton), clerk of Peace Concerns, read a minute from that committee, requesting the Yearly Meeting to endorse the International Conscientious Objectors' Conference, being planned for New York and Washington in May. Friends agree to endorse the events of that week and to have the name of the Yearly Meeting listed accordingly. Additional suggestions about participation and hospitality were given to James Hamilton.

Reading and approval of the minutes was deferred to the afternoon session. Friends closed the meeting in worship.

Afternoon Session

Linda Chidsey, Clerk
Ernestine Buscemi, Assistant Clerk
Melanie-Claire Mallison, Recording Clerk
Rima Segal, Reading Clerk

2006-04-7. Friends gathered together in worship.

2006-04-8. The morning minutes were read and approved.

2006-04-9. Out of the open worship, Roger Dreisbach-Williams read a statement from Langley Hill Friends Meeting on the death of their friend Tom Fox while working with the Christian Peacemaker Teams in Iraq. Tom was a member of Langley Hill for over fifteen years, and his death has been especially difficult for the children of the Meeting, whom Tom loved working with. The Meeting supports Tom's own words of conviction, "We forgive those who consider us their enemies. Therefore any penalty should be in the spirit of restorative justice, rather than in the form of violent retribution." Encouraging us all to continue Tom's work, Langley Hill also asks that we remember that this personal loss has happened to thousands of Iraqis—painful losses we do not hear about. Everyone's story must be told.

Out of the silence Friends spoke to the life and witness of Tom Fox.

2006-04-10. James Hamilton, clerk of Peace Concerns Committee, reported on a request to New York Yearly Meeting to minute approval of the preparation and filing of an amicus brief in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit (New York), in support of the appeal of Daniel Jenkins (an attender at Saranac Lake) v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue. His case bears on conscientious objection to military taxation. The Meeting approved the Yearly Meeting clerk, the clerk of the Witness Coordinating Committee, the clerk of Peace Concerns, and the clerk of the subcommittee on Conscientious Objection to Military Taxation working with Friend and attorney Tom Wyatt (Philipstown Worship Group) on filing such a brief.

2006-04-11. Karen Reixach (Rochester) presented the following minute from Alfred Monthly Meeting and approved by Farmington-Scipio Regional Meeting, asking for New York Yearly Meeting's endorsement:

The Living Spirit works in the world to give life, joy, peace and prosperity through love, integrity and compassionate justice among people. We are united in this Power. We acknowledge that paying for war violates our religious conviction. We will seek ways to witness to this religious conviction in each of our communities.

The Yearly Meeting approves endorsing this minute and circulating it within the Yearly Meeting, to other Quaker bodies, and to our federal representatives. Individuals may feel led to include this minute with their tax forms.

Out of worship, Friends spoke of their gratefulness at being part of a faith community with such convictions.

2006-04-12. James Hamilton brought a request from Peace Concerns to endorse the anti-torture conference in June at Guilford College, and designate Anita Paul and Mara Komoska as the Yearly Meeting's representatives to the conference. Friends approved.

2006-04-13. The minutes were read and approved.

2006-04-14. The meeting closed with full and heartfelt worship.

Minutes of Sunday, April 2, 2006
Plainfield Meetinghouse, Plainfield, New Jersey

Linda Chidsey, Clerk
Ernestine G. Buscemi, Assistant Clerk
Karen Way, Recording Clerk
Rima Segal, Reading Clerk

2006-04-15. The meeting opened with worship.

2006-04-16. Roger Dreisbach-Williams read an epistle from German Yearly Meeting, 2005, urging us to treasure the stories we tell each other about our life in the spirit. The 80-year history of the German Yearly Meeting, beginning with a Quaker office in Berlin, is one such story. Thus is spiritual community built, in shared narratives that preserve common experience, beyond individual lives.

2006-04-17. The Clerk introduced the Friends at the clerks' table and the business of the day, recalling us to the Spirit-filled inward space of the previous day's sessions.

2006-04-18. Ernestine Buscemi presented the report of the Transition Working Group, which offered two items. First, a draft of the NYYM Clerk and Committee Guidelines is now available in hard copy and on the Yearly Meeting Web site. Comments should be directed to Herbert Lape (Westbury), Melanie-Claire Mallison (Ithaca), or Deborah B. Wood (Purchase) no later than April 30.

Second, the Transition Working Group recommended placing the Worship and Action Working Group under the care of the Coordinating Committee on Ministry and Counsel. Friends received this report and approved the new placement of the Worship and Action Working Group.

2006-04-19. The Clerk read a recommendation from the Advancement Committee to release up to $2,500 of Lockport-Brinckerhoff funds, for painting the Quaker Street meetinghouse. Friends approved

2006-04-20. The Clerk introduced Anita Paul, clerk of Witness Coordinating Committee, who read a minute on Meeting the Minimum Needs of All from Peconic Bay Monthly Meeting and Long Island Quarterly Meeting.

After the events of 9/11/01, Friend Radh Achuthan (Peconic Bay) began to test a leading to travel to bring attention to the extent of global poverty, the connection between global poverty and world unrest, and the need for international organizations to address these issues. With travel minutes from his monthly and quarterly meetings and from Yearly Meeting, he began this work. During the past year, Peconic Bay Meeting, Long Island Quarterly Meeting, the Witness Coordinating Committee, and monthly meetings throughout our Yearly Meeting have labored over how to deepen and broaden the commitment to meeting the needs of all people. Friends approved the following minute:

Friends share a concern about meeting the minimum needs of all people, which we define to be: providing adequate drinking water, nutrition, clothing, housing, primary health care and five years of primary education, to be achieved by the year 2030. Friends are advised to raise the issue on all occasions where it is possible to influence individuals, groups, and organizations. We charge our Clerk and General Secretary to make a special effort to speak about this issue with regional, national, and international groups. We encourage Radh Achuthan to continue his ministry on this issue under his existing travel minute.

Friends approved.

2006-04-21. The minutes of the Sunday business session were read and approved.

2006-04-22. Friends heard and accepted the following report on Friday evening's presentations. Nadine Hoover (Alfred) and Deborah B. Wood (Purchase) reported on their Quaker service in Indonesia. Nadine has worked in Indonesia since 1980, first as a Friends World College student, later as an international-development consultant. After the devastation of the tsunami in December 2004, Nadine went to Aceh to provide assistance to tsunami victims. From March through September 2005, she worked to organize AFSC's tsunami relief and recovery efforts. In October 2005, Friends decided to continue supporting her service in Indonesia directly, under a travel minute endorsed by NYYM to bring early childhood development and Alternatives to Violence training to people in North Sumatra and Aceh. She plans to travel in this ministry two times per year with adult and young adult companions.

Nadine Hoover has worked along the northeast shore of Aceh despite the active civil war, present there until the peace accord on 15 August 2005. Nadine noted that while the southwest shore was hit the worst by the tsunami, that region has also received the most aid. The northeast shore also suffered severe damage, but because of the civil war, Nadine has been the only foreigner assisting particular areas such as East Aceh. Over the past month, Nadine and Deb offered Alternatives to Violence Project (AVP) workshops in Aceh. Deb worked to translate the lengthy English AVP manuals into more simple, straightforward English, which then in turn were more easily translated into Indonesian. She also provided invaluable feedback to new and old AVP facilitators.

Nadine shared with us what she has learned about preparing for such service. One must be faithful. A crisis of faith leads to service in which one helps in order to keep control, or stays busy in order not to feel exhaustion and despair, or tries to earn a sense of value through good works to ease a sense of worthlessness, or appeases a sense of guilt over one's wealth, or plays God oneself, since "The world is going to hell in a handbasket," and one knows, "If I were God, it would be better." She witnessed these motivations driving many individuals or even organizations, which cause a further sense of violation among the people already devastated by the war and tsunami.

To be prepared for service that is healing and peaceful, one must overcome these spiritual crises and be faithful. Experience the Spirit in every person and all creation in every moment. Experiment with the Spirit in one's own daily life, to come to know the divine personally, in the hard times as well as the glory. Be willing to learn, change, and be teachable. Test one's sense of conscience and discernment, and act based on one's best sense of what is right. Realize world security depends on honesty and friendships. Spirit-led service to others is founded on realizing that all we have is a pure gift from God. We are responsible for using what we need to care for ourselves and then deliver the rest to others, as it was freely given for all of us.

Two comments, from people Nadine worked with at different times, point out how dramatically different life is in Aceh. Before the peace accord people told her, as she offered recovery assistance, "Don't build me a bathroom, because if you do, the military will take my house." And the woman whose house they used for the AVP workshops came up to her and said, "I know I was not to peek, but I couldn't help it—to have people from all over Aceh, Indonesia and the world gathered together in my home, and to hear them laughing—I had to see it, I had to peek." In the war it has been illegal for people to gather; that simple act of gathering was overwhelmingly joyous for her.

There are many opportunities to support Nadine in her work. Please send letters and pictures for the Indonesians, donations, and invitations to for Nadine to visit or speak to Alfred Friends Meeting, PO Box 773, Alfred, NY 14802. Checks should be payable to Alfred Friends Meeting with a memo noting that it is for the Released Friend Fund.

2006-04-23. In the closing worship that followed, Friends spoke to powerful experience of unity in the Spirit in these sessions. One Friend described the weekend as "a Pentecostal moment, a time when we could see, hear, taste what the world is like in the Peaceable Kingdom." Another said, "We are a Resurrection people. While the prevailing language of society today is a language of sarcasm, irony, and despair, this is not our language. We are a people of hope."