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Volume 12 August 2013 Number 4
Editor: Steven Davison

Contents

Special Feature: Two Row Wampum Renewal Campaign

Logo of the Two Row Wampum Renewal Campaign
Logo of the Two Row Wampum Renewal Campaign

Download a pdf file of InfoShare, August 2013

Meeting News

Yearly Meeting News

News of Wider Friends

Conferences & Workshops

Jobs

Staff Travel Schedules

 

 

Meeting News

Cornwall Meeting opens historic Smith Clove Meeting House
August 25, 10:30–1:00

Smith Clove Historic Meetinghouse exterior Smith Clove Historic Meetinghouse interior

 

On the last Sunday of every August, Cornwall Meeting worships in the otherwise empty "Smith Clove" Meetinghouse on Quaker Avenue in Highland Mills. This year, the Meetinghouse is open for viewing and for worship on August 25. Click the following to download Cornwall Meeting's press release on the Smith Clove Meetinghouse.

Easton Day
August 25, 2013

Featuring a Presentation by a Historian with Local Roots

Easton Monthly Meeting annually commemorates the 1777 "Feathers of Peace" incident when a party of Burgoyne's Indians set aside hostilities and joined Easton Friends in worship. Unlike previous years, when Easton Day was the Sunday following Labor Day, this year, it will be on the Sunday before Labor Day, and the schedule is different from past years, with worship beginning at 10:00 am and the speaker at 11:00.

The speaker is Christopher Klemek, Associate Professor of History at George Washington University in Washington, DC. His topic will be "A People's History of Peacemaking in the Hudson Valley." Click the following to download a pdf file of the event's flyer and a press release describing the program.

Ridgewood Meeting holds memorial meeting for Paul Hamell
September 28, 1 pm

Paul Hamell of Ridgewood Meeting died peacfully at home on July 7, 2013, aged 58, surrounded by his family. Ridgewood Meeting will hold a memorial meeting at the meetinghouse, 225 Highwood Ave., Ridgewood, NJ, on September 28 at 1 pm. Refreshments will be served after the meeting. Please contact John Edminster of Fifteenth Street Meeting if you plan to attend. Click the following to download a short document giving directions and a brief profile of Friend Hamell. Click the following to visit Friend Hamell's blog, Something Entirely Different.

"Faith, Hope, and Peace"
Anna O. Buchholz Memorial Lecture, Poughkeepsie Meeting

Date: September 29, 2013, 2 pm
Place: Poughkeepsie Friends Meeting House

Don Badgley will share the truths that have been revealed to him in his lifelong Quaker journey, and what the Quaker Way has to offer spiritual seekers today. Friends from around the region are invited. Questions and discussion will follow the talk and refreshments will be served. Click the following to download a pdf file of the Anna Buchholz Memorial Lecture poster

Manasquan Meeting writes a letter on gun violence

In late July, Manasquan Meeting approved a letter to be sent to local media editors on gun violence and gun control. Click the following to download a copy of the Manasqual Meeting letter on gun violence.

Minute of Concern regarding Drone Warfare

The following minute against drone warfare originated at Orange Grove Meeting of California, and has recently been approved by 15th Street Monthly Meeting of New York City and also by New York Quarterly Meeting. These meetings encourage other meetings to take a similar stand.

Minute of Concern regarding Drone Warfare

As Friends (Quakers) who believe there is "that of God" in everyone and therefore every life is sacred, we are deeply concerned about the proliferation of lethal unmanned aerial vehicles, commonly known as drones. The United States is leading the way in this new form of warfare where pilots in US bases kill people, by remote control, thousands of miles away. Drones have become the preferred weapons to conduct war due to the lack of direct risk to the lives of U.S. soldiers, but these drone strikes have led to the death of hundreds of innocent civilians (including American citizens) in countries where we are not at war, including Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia.
     We urge our government to put an end to this secretive, remote-controlled killing and instead promote foreign policies that are consistent with the values of a democratic and humane society. We call on the United Nations to regulate the international use of lethal drones in a fashion that promotes a just and peaceful world community, based on the rule of law, with full dignity and freedom for every human being.

Friends are also encouraged to read Barbara Ehrenreich and Medea Benjamin's book Drone Warfare: Killing by Remote Control and to engage in study on how to address this concern.

Schedule of Upcoming Regional Meetings

Meeting Date Location  
All Friends August 25, 2013 Dover-Randolph  
  October 27, 2013 Chatham-Summit  
  January 26, 2014 Ridgewood  
  April 27, 2014 Rockland  
Butternuts September 20–21, 2013 White Eagle  
Farmington-Scipio September 21, 2013 Farmington  
Long Island October 26, 2013 Manhasset  
  April 26, 2014 Westbury  
New York October 27, 2013 Morningside  
  January 26, 2014 Brooklyn  
  April 20, 2014 Fifteenth Street  
Nine Partners November 3, 2013 New Paltz  
  February 2, 2014 Poughkeepsie  
  May 4, 2014 Bulls Head-Oswego  
  August 3, 2014 TBD  
Northeastern October 27, 2013 Saranac Lake  
  May TBD Adirondack  
Purchase November 3, 2013 TBD  
Shrewsbury & Plainfield September 21, 2013 Manasquan
  April 5, 2014 New Brunswick  

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Yearly Meeting News

Deadline approaching for Witness Activities Fund grant applications

Friends are reminded that applications for grants from the Witness Activities Fund are due in early September. These grants are intended to encourage the activities of monthly meetings, their committees, and Friends pursuing ministries within the areas of peace and social concern under the care of their meetings. The guidelines for applying can be found on the NYYM Handbook page for the Witness Coordinating Committee on the NYYM website.

Piecemakers for Peacemakers quilt
Naomi Paz Greenberg (left) receiving her "Piecemakers for Peacemakers" quilt from Anita Paul and Ruth Ralston

Naomi Paz Greenberg receives Peacemaker quilt

NYYM Friends Ruth Ralston, Kate Lawson, and Anita Paul make quilts and sign them "Piecemakers for Peacemakers" and give them to Friends who they feel have worked for peace in significant ways, including in the past, Steven Angell, Pat Beetle, Jens and Spee Braun, and Shirley Way. This quilt was given to Naomi Paz Greenburg at Summer Sessions 2013.

 

 

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ARCH Offerings

ARCH Visitor Training—October 11–13, 2013, Ocean Grove, NJ
For anyone in your meeting who holds or carries aging concerns. This amazing experience from Friday evening to Sunday noon is filled with important information, personal nurture, and community building. For information or to apply, contact Barbara Spring at [email protected]. IT'S FREE!

Care Giver’s Weekend Retreat—November 15-17, 2013, Powell House, Old Chatham, NY
Provides rest and renewal for your meeting’s caregivers.

Invite us!
We would love to facilitate a workshop at your meeting! Choose from our available topics, or request a customized session, one hour to one weekend.

For more information, please contact:

Anita Paul [email protected]
Barbara Spring [email protected]
Callie Janoff [email protected]

Nightingales—A weekend of singing

Date: October 18–20, 2013
Place: The farm of Craig Kukuk and A.T. Miller, near Poplar Ridge, NY

Join us for a weekend of singing. You can either camp or bedroll on the living room floor. All welcome, regardless of singing ability, to share fellowship beloved songs. Watch the NYYM website, its calendar, and our Facebook page for details in coming weeks.

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News of Wider Friends

Minneapolis Friends produce Quaker videos

Minneapolis Friends Meeting has produced several videos on a number of Quaker topics, including: Why are you a Quaker? The Spark of the Divine in every Person; two Friends describing their discovery of Quakers; and two interviews with George Watson. The videos have a simple head-shot interview format. Click the following to go to the Minneapolis Meeting website.

Cuba Work Team
January 20–February 1, 2014

Join Friends United Meeting (FUM) for an enriching encounter in Cuba this coming January. This experience might just increase your faith, encourage a more frugal approach to life, and set you on fire to share with others.

As a participant you will work on the construction of the three-story building in Holguin to house the seminary, retired pastors residence, and Cuba Yearly Meeting offices. No particular construction skills are required, but a good sense of humor and a willingness to learn from and fellowship with our Cuban Friends is critical. Translation will be provided. Dates are tentative and include travel days to Miami for departure. Click the following to download a pdf file of the Cuba Team Brochure.

Quaker Youth Pilgrimage to Bolivia and Peru
July 22–August 21, 2014

Application forms are how available for pilgrim and leader applicants.

The Quaker Youth Pilgrimage Program Committee is planning its 2014 QYP experience, to be hosted by Andean Friends in Peru and Bolivia. We are working carefully and prayerfully to construct the first QYP experience to be held entirely in evangelical yearly meetings, as well as the first Quaker Youth Pilgrimage in South America.

To learn more about the Youth Pilgrimage, visit fwccamericas.org.

Conferences

AVP Workshops

Community Basic Workshop—August 17+18, 2013, 15 Rutherford Place, NY, NY

Community Basic Workshop—August 23–25, 2013, Bath, NY

AVP New York's 2013 Annual Gathering—September 6–9, 2013, Powell House, Old Chatham, NY
Click here to register.

Basic Workshop—September 20–21, 2013, Buffalo, NY, Sister Karen Klimczak Center for Nonviolence, 80 Durham Ave., Buffalo, NY

Community Basic Workshop—October 11–13, 2013, Ossining, NY

 

Christ-Centered Friends Gathering
"Follow Me"—Exploring Radical Discipleship

Date: August 30–September 2, Labor Day Weekend
Place: Powell House

This fifth annual gathering of Christ-centered Friends from the Northeast will explore the radical discipleship among those early “friends” and how we might better live as disciples of Jesus. Our aim is to explore what being a disciple of Christ means to us as individuals and as a Body. What are we called to do among Friends and in the world? What could our lives look like if we gave them completely to God? How will our communities change if we commit to following Christ as individual or together? We will pray for guidance and boldness as we explore what it means to be fully committed disciples of Christ.

Fees: $200. For campers on the grounds: $100. 10% discount for all first time attenders to Powell House conferences.

Efforts are being made to help make attendance affordable to anyone who wishes to be present. Donations to a scholarship fund may be sent to Powell House, attn: Ann Davidson, with “Labor Day Weekend” on the memo line.

For more information contact Connie Bair-Thompson at [email protected]. To register for this or any Powell House conference, go to powellhouse.org/ or call PoHo at (518) 794-8811, Wednesday through Saturday, 9 AM to 5 PM. PoHo’s email address is [email protected]. Click here to download a flyer of the event.

Conference for those who care for youth and young adults

Registration is now open for Bridging the Gaps, a gathering at Friends United Meeting headquarters in Richmond, Indiana, September 20–22, 2013. We will explore what it means to practice ongoing care for and ministry to our youth and young adults. NYYM Young Adult Field Secretary Gabi Savory Bailey is one of the facilitators. Click the following to find out more: Bridging Gaps.

A Time for Silence and Renewal
A Silent Retreat in the Manner of Friends

Date: September 26, 2013
Place: St Raphaela Retreat Center, Haverford, PA

Come and simply be with God and attend to the divine stirrings of the soul in this three-night silent retreat. Early bird specials from $350 until August 27. Significant scholarship assistance available. For more information and to register, visit the School of the Spirit website.

Stewardship:
Loving Care of Ourselves, our Families, and the Bigger World

Date: November 1–3, 2013
Place: Powell House, Old Chatham, NY

How do we answer Spirit’s call to love and care for one another? How do we nurture that of God in our families, our friends, and ourselves? Join us for a practical, hands-on exploration of loving kindness through play, worship, art, and music. In this intentionally multi-generational weekend, all ages work together to develop connections within and between families. Facilitated by Gabi Savory Bailey, Young Adult Field Secretary for NYYM, Emily Provance, and Audrey Jaynes. Go to the Powell House website for more information.

Second NEYM-NYYM Eldership Retreat

Date: February 7—9, 2014
Place: Powell House, Old Chatham, NY

An opportunity for Friends functioning as elders in accompaniment of travelling ministers, in pastoral settings, holding Yearly Meeting bodies, on long-term anchor committees, etc., to come together to share experiences and grow in the Spirit in the practice of eldership. For more information, contact: Janet Hough, Ann Dodd Collins, Lu Harper, or Anne Pomeroy.

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Jobs

AFSC: Leadership and Planned Gift Officer
Philadelphia or Northeast regional area office

The Leadership and Planned Gift Officer focuses on cultivating and soliciting individuals who have the greatest potential for supporting the American Friends Service Committee’s programs. The Leadership and Planned Gift Officer relates to donors who require the most deftly carried-out cultivation, leading to soliciting major outright and planned gifts, including bequests. He/she will coordinate the other development staff, the program staff, and volunteers in identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and maintaining an ongoing relationship with donors, keeping priorities in view, meeting deadlines, and avoiding the duplication of efforts and working at cross purposes. Click the following to download AFSC's full job description.

Pendle Hill: Communications Intern

Pendle Hill is seeking a communications intern, a paid internship with housing, meals, and healthcare. Click the following to see Pendle Hill's full job description.

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Travel Schedules

ARCH Coordinators
Callie Janoof

September 19 — Kendal at Longwood and Crosslands, PA, for Friends Services for the Aging annual meeting.

October 11–13 — Ocean Grove, NJ, to facilitate an ARCH Visitor training.

Anita Paul

September 28 — Poughkeepsie, for the annual Committee on Aging Concerns retreat.

November 9–10 — Powell House, to facilitate a Caregivers Weekend Retreat.

Barbara Spring

September 28 — Poughkeepsie, for the annual Committee on Aging Concerns retreat.

October 11–13 — Ocean Grove, NJ, to facilitate an ARCH Visitor training.

November 9–10 — Powell House, to facilitate a Caregivers Weekend Retreat.

Travel Calendar: Gabrielle Savory Bailey
Young Adult Field Secretary
September to November, 2013

September 13–15 Advancement Consultation, Powell House, Chatham, NY
September 20–22 Facilitator at the Bridging the Gaps conference, Richmond, IN
October 11–12 Chatham-Summit Meeting retreat
October 20 Visit to Farmington Meeting, Farmington, NY
November 1–3 Family Powell House weekend on Stewardship
November 13–15 Fall Sessions, Caldwell College and Chatham-Summit Meeting, New Jersey

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Travel Calendar: Christopher Sammond
General Secretary
August to October, 2013

August

4 Visit Brooktondale Indulged Meeting, Caroline, NY
30–31 Help facilitate Northeast Christ-Centered Friends Gathering, Powell House, Old Chatham, NY

September

1–2 Help facilitate Northeast Christ-Centered Friends Gathering, Powell House, Old Chatham, NY
13–15 Help facilitate the Advancement Consultation on Prophetic Ministry and Eldering, Powell House, Old Chatham, NY
14 Participate in the Priorities Working Group meeting, New Paltz, NY
15 Attend Trustees Meeting, Cornwall, NY
16–18 Attend Superintendents and Secretaries Retreat, Wichita, KA
22 Visit Purchase Meeting, Purchase, NY

October

9–12 Attend FUM North American Ministries and General Board Meetings, Richmond, IN
15–17 Co-facilitate NYYM/NEYM Pastors Retreat, Weekapaug, RI
26 Participate in Budget Saturday, Purchase, NY

Travel Calendar: Helen Garay Toppins,
Associate Secretary
August to September, 2013

August 4 Brooklyn Meeting, Brooklyn, NY
August 6 AVP Landing Strip, New York, NY
August 9 Welcome Two Row Treaty Campaign, New York, NY
August 9 Brooklyn Meeting Two Row Campaign Potluck, Brooklyn Meeting, Brooklyn, NY
August 12 Women's Worship—15th Street Meeting, New York, NY
August 25 Sing Sing Quaker Prison Worship Group, Ossining, NY
August 25 Scarsdale Meeting, Scarsdale, NY
September 15 Flushing Meeting, Queens, NY
September 21 Co-facilitate Quaker Quest Workshop, 15th Street Meeting, New York, NY
September 22 Flushing Meeting & Queens Historical Society, Queens, NY
September 22 Quaker Exhibit, Queens Historical Society, Queens, NY

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