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Volume 32
Number 4 |
SPARK
15 Rutherford Place
New York, NY 10003 |
September 2001 |
SPARK (ISSN 00240591)
New York Yearly Meeting News
Published five times a year: January,
March, May, September, November
By New York Yearly Meeting,
Religious Society of Friends,
15 Rutherford Place
New York, NY 10003
212-673-5750
office@nyym.org
Editorial Board: Publications Committee
Editor: Helen Garay Toppins
SPARK deadlines are the first of the month preceding the publication month.
Permission is granted to reprint
any article, provided Spark is acknowledged as the source.
New York
Yearly Meeting Staff
Paul Busby paul@nyym.org
Barbara Heizman
Helen Garay Toppins
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Contents
To Friends Everywhere!
Amidst the natural beauty of the mountains and lake surrounding Silver Bay, the 306th Session of New
York Yearly Meeting convened with 480 adults and 173 youth in attendance.
Jubilee was a time of reconciliation. There has been a tremendous amount of healing in our Yearly Meeting.
We sense spirits at peace and hearts at rest.
In this first year after Jubilee, our Clerk invited us to "look at each other again as if for the first time." She
also suggested that we focus on our basic procedures, as seasoned musicians practice the scales, so that we
remain faithful to Friends' ways. In this spirit we began to labor over the recommendations of our Ad Hoc
Committee on the Function of New York Yearly Meeting, and we followed a rich schedule of meetings for
worship, study groups, and meetings for worship with attention to business. Friends participating in Bible
study felt the relevance of the story about Abraham, Sarah, Hagar, Ishmael, and Isaac to the tensions in the
Middle East today.
God's healing grace was felt throughout our Yearly Meeting in many places and many times: in reflecting
on memorial minutes, in the coming home of some who had been absent, in the visits of members of four
Indian nations, and in workshops dealing with peace and reconciliation. The sudden illness of a beloved
senior Friend in attendance gave us opportunities for prayer and care.
Our Yearly Meeting was especially enlivened with the presence and enthusiasm of our young people. They
were everywhere. We noticed spiritual development among them, and that many are assuming
responsibilities in the activities of our Yearly Meeting. One Friend passionately expressed in vocal ministry
that his experiences with Young Friends provided him with not only hope, but also assurance for the future.
For your epistles our sense of community has been heightened, and our knowledge of the work of other
yearly meetings expanded. We are grateful to share a witness that contains the message of peace and
goodwill throughout the world.
Yours in the Light,
Linda Chidsey, Clerk
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Susanna Thomas, from Summit Monthly Meeting, is home again! Su, as she is known, is a life-long Quaker
and a committed pacifist. She was arrested in Genoa, Italy, on July 22, 2001, because the group with which
she was traveling fit a profile intended to apprehend demonstrators at the Group of 8 summit July 16-21.
She was finally released on August 14.
Su went to Genoa before the summit to work at the Independent Media Center as a journalist and translator.
She hoped to spread the word about the events during the summit and to defuse violence to build bridges of
understanding among various groups.
Su was a witness to the police raid of August 21 on two schools. One school housed the Independent Media
Center where Su was working. No one was hurt in that building. The school across the street had been
designated as a safe place for demonstrators to sleep. Newspapers reported that the young demonstrators
were asleep in their sleeping bags when the police raided. Afterward there were pools of blood beside the
sleeping bags and teeth on the floor. Susanna tells of seeing one young man walking around seeming dazed,
carrying a crucifix whose arms had been broken off and saying, "Poor Jesus . . . poor Jesus . . ."
Su was with the Publix Theatre, a nonviolent Austrian street-theater group, when they were all arrested.
During the next several days, members of NYYM, many Quaker Organizations, and Meetings around the
world worked to secure her release. Bologna Friends Meeting in Italy was very supportive and effective.
They alerted the Italian media of her plight, worked to explain Quaker values to others, visited her in prison,
and continue to keep in touch.
Su's legal expenses so far have been covered by NYYM's Committee on Sufferings, which provides aid
and assistance to those who suffer because of fidelity to Friends' testimonies.
Now at home, Susanna writes the following:
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Hello, Friends.
Thank you so much for all of the work you have done to help get all of the Publix Theatre detainees freed.
There is more work to be done, for the rights of art and free expression.
I have traveled with the Publix Theatre caravan's No Border tour since June 26, working with media,
learning some languages, and generally having a good time.
I learned about the political, economic and social issues that face this world, and met many committed,
courageous, gentle and loving people. I also learned some about the practices of nonviolent social activism,
something that is important for me both as a student and as a Quaker.
The major part of the struggle that currently accompanies convergences of global summits is artistic,
intellectual and spiritual.
As capital crosses borders with increasing ease, people must reach across borders with increasing bonds
of friendship and trust. I feel that the most important story is still issues such as respect for the environment,
respect for the rights of laborers, respect for economic equity, and respect for basic human rights.
Nobody who was at Genoa will ever be the same. The effects of Carlo Giuliani's death and the
imprisonment and injuries of hundreds are still being felt around the world. Certainly nobody who was in either of the A. Diaz schools on the night of July 21 will ever forget the terror of the raids there. Thankfully, I was never beaten. I pray for all of those who were, and for all police officers as well. As Quakers say, "There is that of God in everyone."
I believe that all of those arrested and detained need help and support. Some of this support must be financial, some must be spiritual, and some must be cultural. Each person works against the systemic violence of this world in his own way.
Art and information are not crimes. Any attempt to criminalize free cultural interchange and dialogue
jeopardizes all those who value the human right to freedom of expression. I pray that the Italian authorities remember their democratic heritage and honor that right, and honor the continued political dissent that is so vital to any democracy. This is my prayer for all nations.
In peace and love,
Susanna Thomas, Summit Monthly Meeting
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For information about Quakers and the Political Process please see http://www.pym.org/exhibit/.
For information on the caravan, please see http://www.no-racism.net/nobordertour/index_uk.html.
For information on the Publix Theatre Caravan, contact Publix Theatre Caravan, PO Box 31, Gillette NJ 07933 USA.
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Friends Historical Association will be holding their annual meeting on November 12, 2001, in Philadelphia, Pa. The speaker is J. William Frost, Howard M. and Charles F. Jenkins Professor of Quaker history and Research and Director of the Friends Historical Library, Swarthmore College. The topic will be Sex is Not a Shortcut to Spirituality: Liberal Quakers Confront the 20th Century Sexual Revolution. For more information or to RSVP, see Web site at www.haverford.edu/library/fha/fha.html; e-mail: fha@haverford.edu, or phone 610-896-1161.
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MLK on Violence
The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral, begetting the very thing it seeks to
destroy. Instead of diminishing evil, it multiplies it. Through violence you may murder the liar, but you
cannot murder the lie, nor establish the truth. Through violence you murder the hater, but you do not murder
hate. In fact, violence merely increases hate. . . . Returning violence for violence multiples violence,
adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: Only love can do that.
Martin Luther King Jr.
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Monthly Meeting News
An historic testimony of The Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) cautions against participation in lotteries, betting, and gambling. Quakers have long been sensitive to the tragedy of the practice of gambling, which can destroy not only the gambler, but also family, friends, and others as well. As the lure and opportunity for more venues for gambling become available, the burdens of family and societal damage directly attributable to gambling become increasingly obvious.
The recent proposal to establish outlets for casino gambling in Buffalo and Niagara Falls, New York, will
most certainly compound the tragedies associated with gambling that already plague our society, and it is highly questionable whether the economic promises associated with these new gambling ventures will ever materialize. Gambling enterprises perpetuate the myth of "something for nothing." Promises of a grand economic renaissance in western New York through the gambling palace are grossly overstated and do not stand up to careful scrutiny.
The shameful attempt to involve our Native American brothers and sisters of the Seneca nation in the proposed casinos in Buffalo and Niagara Falls risks compromise of their national sovereignty, and erosion of their historic moral values and spiritual beliefs.
Are our state and local political leaders so bereft of ideas for economic revitalization of the western New York area that their best effort towards a solution is to increase gambling opportunities? Buffalo Monthly Meeting (Quakers) desires to be counted with the other area religious fellowships in voicing opposition to the casino proposal.
Thadeus Dziekonski, clerk
Buffalo Monthly Meeting
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Since the winter of 2000, Rockland Friends Meeting has been actively engaged in the process of establishing a halfway house for chemically dependent women just released from prison. This project represents our wish to honor the memory of Leigh Schuerholz, our clerk who died prematurely in Sept. l999, and to continue her prison ministry. Leigh led parenting classes for women in the Rockland County Jail. She corresponded with these women once they were sent on to prisons such as Albion where they were very far away from friends and family. She mailed them packages, helped them when they were released, advocated for them, and even had two parolees live in her home. Since there are no programs in Rockland County for women upon their release from prison we felt a halfway house would be an appropriate way to continue her work.
Using money contributed to a memorial fund for Leigh, we hired a consultant to design a program, explore funding sources, and write a grant. We also decided that the halfway house should be administered by Open Arms, a sober housing facility in Haverstraw with experience in running similar programs. The meeting then went to the faith community to obtain letters of endorsement. On the whole, the project was received with much enthusiasm. In July, an excellent grant proposal was submitted to the Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services. We were very disappointed to learn in September that we had just missed getting the grant, but remained convinced that the way would open.
At the moment there are several possibilities. The Board of Directors of Open Arms has decided to expand the number of apartments they have for women. They are committed to reserving at least four beds for women just released from prison. The necessary paper work has been submitted to Rockland County and the expectation is that the apartments will open within the year. An offer has also been made on a church and adjoining house which would be appropriate for a residence and offices. If this materializes, the building will be purchased and program money obtained afterwards. Other grant opportunities are also being explored. In short, by the end of the year there will be at least four beds for women just
released from prison. There may be a residence available for a more ambitious halfway house and other possibilities may emerge. We feel greatly encouraged.
Anyone with suggestions or questions should contact Elinor Yahm, Clerk
of Peace and Community Action.
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A Basic AVP workshop will be held at Wilton Meetinghouse October 26-28,
2001. The meetinghouse is at 317 New Canaan Rd. (Rt. 106), Wilton, Conn.
The Alternatives to Violence Project (AVP) is dedicated to reducing the level of violence on our streets, in schools, in homes, in prisons, and in our society. It is designed to create successful resolution to disputes by the same nonviolent techniques used by Mohandas Gandhi and Martin Luther King.
AVP works toward the creation of a nonviolent society. Our goal is to reduce the level of violence by reducing the feeling or belief that one needs to resort to violence as a solution to conflict. Our process uses the life experience of participants as a resource, drawing on those experiences to deal constructively with the violence in themselves and in their lives.
The Basic AVP Workshop is an intensive, three-day experience that hones interpersonal conflict resolution skills. Exercises in small groups and one-to-one interactions build a sense of community and trust around the themes of Affirmation and Self-Esteem, Communications and Cooperation, and Creative Conflict Resolution
The Basic AVP workshop is a series of carefully structured exercises. Intellectual knowledge is generally not very helpful in the midst of conflict, whereas nonviolent behavior that has been previously practiced is quite helpful. Roleplays are a key focus of the workshop in helping participants discover new ways to deal with conflict nonviolently, and also in providing an opportunity to practice new behaviors.
The fee for the workshop is $50.00, to cover the cost of lunch and dinner on Saturday and dinner on Sunday. Scholarship aid is readily available. If you have any dietary requirements, please let us know.
For further information, call email Tom Martin.
The workshop is limited to 20 participants, so please register early.
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An advanced AVP workshop will take place at the Westbury meeting house on October 2-4, 2001.
Anyone interested in taking the advanced workshop should contact Stanley Zarowin.
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Most often I do not remember with great clarity the vocal ministry that I have been compelled to offer. However, the message that was given me Friday evening at Yearly Meeting sessions I trust I will never forget. It was this:
Most Sundays our two-year-old granddaughters and their mother and dad come to dinner. Sometimes, when we begin to bring the food to the table, they are already in their chairs, bidding us come, saying, "Prayers? Prayers?" And sometimes we adults are first to the table, and we call them from their play, saying, "Come girls, it's time for prayers."
We join hands, center down, and become very still. The children look round at our faces and we begin: "Thank you, God, for Ava and Margaux, and mommy and daddy; for grandma and grandpa; for the string bean and the chicken," and so on. After a while, when it seems we have given thanks for those things which are closest to our hearts, it is usually Ava who will say, "Amen!" And after a brief pause, Margaux will look up and say, "More? More?"
Several times during the week, the words of these two little girls came to me, for my sense of our time together was such that we had indeed joined hands, looked into one another's eyes, and prayed.
As our sessions drew to a close, like Ava, I was experiencing a deep and grateful sense of "Amen," it is sufficient. At the same time, like Margaux, I felt the growing desire to ask, "More? More?"
And it came to me that as a Yearly Meeting we can take heart, be assured. There will indeed be more.
Linda B. Chidsey, Clerk, NYYM
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Minutes Approved -- NYYM
Silver Bay 7/27/2001
- That the Ad Hoc Committee on the Function of New York Yearly Meeting be laid down at the close of the sessions in July 2001.
- That the Yearly Meeting name an Ad Hoc Committee on Staffing and Structure with six to eight members,
serving under the care of the Liaison Committee of NYYM.
- The charge to the Ad Hoc Committee on Staffing and Structure is to test with Monthly and
Regional/Quarterly Meetings the recommendations and suggestions put forward in the report of the Ad Hoc
Committee on the Function of New York Yearly Meeting (NYYM) as presented at the annual gathering at
Silver Bay, July 2001. Through this testing and their own discernment process the Committee is further
charged to revise the recommendations with a view to achieving greater unity about the steps to be taken to
serve the renewal of the Yearly Meeting.
- That the Yearly Meeting name an Ad Hoc Committee on Committees that is under the care of the Ad Hoc
Committee on Staffing and Structure. It will have four to six members of which at least one member will
serve as well on the Ad Hoc Committee on Staffing and Structure.
The Ad Hoc Committee on Committees is charged with studying the NYYM committee structure and
analyzing the different functions that are played by the committees. The Committee is charged with bringing
forward recommendations on ways to simplify and strengthen the Yearly Meeting committee structure.
- That the Clerk of the Yearly Meeting send a copy of the report (including the two brochures) and an
addenda sheet prepared by the Committee to all constituent Meetings. The addenda sheet will be prepared
by the Ad Hoc Committee on the Function of NYYM and will include errata and clarifications whose need
became apparent in response to comments upon the report's presentation at Silver Bay. A cover letter
prepared by the Clerk will accompany the report and will describe the process for consideration of its
recommendations and suggestions.
- That the NYYM Advancement Committee in consultation with the Coordinating Committee on Ministry
and Counsel revise the brochures "What Is New York Yearly Meeting?" and "Using Quaker Practices."
Further that the Advancement Committee coordinate with the NYYM Publications Committee to publish
and distribute the brochures.
NOTE: The entire Ad Hoc Committee report and its recommendations will be posted on our Web site, www.nyym.org, as well as all of the minutes of the 306th Yearly Meeting sessions. Hard copy is available upon request.
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For me the highlight of this June 1-3 weekend on The Spirit and the Arts at SUNY-New Paltz was the
Saturday-morning talk by Eric Booth. Eric is an actor and arts educator; he teaches at Juilliard and at the
Kennedy Center. I liked his elucidation of words: the root of aesthetic means "to perceive." One can
understand it as the opposite of anesthetic--wake up to what is present. The root of art means "putting things
together" (that is, our own experience with something new). He talked about yearning, which is a skill of art,
a wish for more of what we personally value; it's what makes us bother to try to experience ballet rather than
just sit there and wait for it to be over. There is no art happening if we don't yearn our way into it. In the
spiritual world, we are in the yearning biz.
Eric commented that we may think of "art" as something that is fancy and professional, but if we can come
in under that radar, we can discover the artistic ability that is in all of us. He reminded us that "should"
interferes with artistic potential, and suggested that getting up in the morning is an improv! (Well, I'll try
to think of it that way. . .) He led us in some exercises, the most dramatic of which was listening to him recite
one of Shakespeare's sonnets--after he had asked us several questions about feelings, which we answered
silently, and which set the stage for appreciation.
Jeri Allyn of Morningside Meeting, who does art education, led us in making collages that depicted a
conflict we are currently facing. Some colorful and illuminating collages resulted
Saturday afternoon unexpectedly became sunny, and we went for a walk in the historic district of New Paltz
with its visual treat of stone houses and a wedding party on the lawn of the old church. In the evening there
was a folk concert by Sara and Kamila, Canadian sisters who took turns playing the guitar and sang with
vivacity and charm.
Judith Inskeep, Purchase Meeting
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Calling All Young Friends
A Young Quakes Conference will take place October 5-8, 2001, in the Burlington meetinghouse
conference center, on the theme One Body, Many Gifts. This is a YouthQuake-like experience in the unprogrammed Friends tradition. We will explore our Quaker biblical roots and the Christian and universalist expressions of our faith. This is the third Young Quakes conference, and it is sponsored by Friends General Conference (FGC) and Philadelphia Yearly Meeting. You can expect invigorating discussions, great workshops and plenaries, Bible study, games, worship and worship sharing, singing, hanging out, and working together. Everyone will be in a "family group" that meets each day for discussions and doing chores together. The community you create will be the gift that you carry home.
You can expect a dramatic monologue by Jonathan Snipes on James Naylor, a presentation on Loving the Body by Evalyn Parry, a therapeutic-touch workshop led by Kate Kerman, and exploration of some cool Bible stuff with Elizabeth Lyzenga.
For information contact Cookie Caldwell at 215-241-7222; 800-220-0796 ext 7222; cookiec@pym.org.
Questions about programming can be addressed to Michael Gibson, 215-561-1700;
michaelg@fgcquaker.org.
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Young Friends, 10th grade in high school through college sophomores, are invited to Reconciling Wealth
and Poverty with the Gospel, in New York City, November 18-21, 2001. This seminar includes sociodrama
with Rich Swingle, a tour of important New York sites including Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty, and
a visit to the UN and Quaker United Nations Office. Registration fee: $113 (includes Radio City Music Hall
and Broadway Play Les Mis). Lodging at the New York Marriott for three nights is $193. Scholarship aid
available. For information and brochures: North American Ministries, FUM, 765-965-7573.
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Friends World Committee for Consultation Section of the Americas is seeking two adult facilitators and
fourteen young Friends, ages 16 to 18, for the Quaker Youth Pilgrimage, July 12-August 10, 2002. The
pilgrimage, both physical and spiritual, will trace some of George Fox's journey through Virginia and North
Carolina.
For information, including cost and application materials contact: FWCC, 1506 Race St., Philadelphia PA
19102; 215-241-7250; Fax 215-241-7285; americas@fwcc.quaker.org. Deadlines: Adult Facilitator -
December 15, 2001; Pilgrims - January 15, 2002.
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Quakers and Racial Justice will be the theme of a conference at Pendle Hill October 12-14, 2001,
coordinated by NYYM's Black Concerns Committee. The leaders are Ernestine Buscemi, Vanessa Julye,
and Jerry Leaphart.
The weekend will include reports from the recently concluded UN World Conference against Racism,
which was attended by all three of this workshop's leaders. The main focus, though, will be on current and
future directions for Quaker anti-racism work.
Who should come? Friends from yearly, regional, and monthly meeting committees that do anti-racist
work, staff of Quaker organizations involved with racial concerns and any Friend who is involved with anti-racist concerns or would like to become involved. Friends who are new to this work are encouraged to
come to this weekend and get involved!
Ernestine Buscemi is a member of Morningside Monthly Meeting. She serves on the Pendle Hill Racial and
Ethnic Concerns Committee and several other groups concerned with racism, as well as clerking the Quaker
UN Office Committee.
Vanessa Julye, a member of Central Philadelphia Monthly Meeting (CPMM), clerks the Fellowship of
Friends of African Descent. She has a traveling minute from CPMM supporting her ministry of making the
Religious Society of Friends a more welcoming place for people of color.
Jerry Leaphart is a member and former clerk of Wilton (Conn.) Monthly Meeting. He is active in NYYM's
Black Concerns Committee. His work in racial reconciliation is informed by having lived in Angola and his
research into Quaker involvement in the abolition of slavery.
For further information, or to register, contact Pendle Hill, 338 Plush Mill Rd., Wallingford PA 19086-6099; 800-742-3150; bobbi@pendlehill.org (information); registrar@pendlehill.org (registration);
www.pendlehill.org.
Helen Garay Toppins, clerk
Black Concerns Committee
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Impressions of Yearly Meeting
Hundreds of Friends, from a few weeks old to centenarians, came together with a focus on loving, and laboring together in love, to improve our Religious Society and our society at large. The very idea, though not new, is perpetually fascinating and inspiring. But does it work?
What would one hope that Yearly Meeting would be? Deep? Renewing? Peaceful? Joyful? Constructive?
Playful? Remarkably, all of that and more was Yearly Meeting 2001 at Silver Bay. It may seem unlikely that
such a glowing series of adjectives could describe an entire week of close to 700 opinionated Friends in close
proximity, but those of us fortunate to be there know now what Yearly Meeting can be.
Looking back on the week, one aspect of our humanity stands out: We are simply a group of humans, each
with our imperfections, and together, as a result of those imperfections, there were - as always - failures
(usually small); however, thanks to our universal motivation to live in the Spirit of love, and thanks to the
wisdom inherent in our path, we accomplished wonderful things, and as a body, we became aware once again
of the true greatness of Spirit in our midst.
We experienced the end of the installation of a brilliant new copper roof on the historic Silver Bay Inn,
which shone magnificently in the sun for miles, far up into the distant hiking hills surrounding the lake. Like
a beacon-symbol, the new copper gathered the sun and re-radiated the good news of renewal to all who
opened their eyes and saw. The gleaming roof appeared to remind us to rejoice in the Light. Despite the
inconvenience of gaping construction trenches, ugly dumpsters, broken pavement, and noise, this Friend
never heard a grumble or note of distress all week. Joy rang through.
In reports of the State of the Society and from the Ad Hoc Committee on the Function of the Yearly
Meeting, we heard the joyful news that, contrary to the fears of some Friends, the Yearly Meeting is thriving
and vital in many ways. Gathered statistics show that our numbers in worship have remained constant for
many years, despite the reduction in actual membership, and numbers at Yearly Meeting have generally
grown, in particular the numbers of children. Visiting Friends from wider bodies told us that they were the
"privileged ones" chosen this year to come to NYYM, where "everyone wants to go." All monthly meetings
who reported on the state of their meetings told of experiences of the Spirit in their gatherings. We were told
about numerous new worship groups whose existence and growth is cause for celebration, and that the
numerous prison ministries are among the many places of growth and transformation in the Yearly Meeting.
Attunement to the gathered body of Friends left one humbled by the many committed, inspired, and
sometimes truly powerful Friends in our Yearly Meeting who continue to work miracles in the world daily.
The campus bubbled over with young Friends of all ages who are vibrant and beautiful and who, like the
delicious morning breezes off the lake, whispered to us by their happy presence about a wonderful Quaker
promise for the years ahead. Little ones of not so many years ago were carrying little ones of their own.
Friends of all ages played together freely in the sun, every day, not just at the annual Fun(d) Fair. At the Fair,
the youth took on the roles of adults, selling their crafts and services, while many adult Friends played like
children. Friends of all ages sang together on the Inn porch in the setting sun, swam together at the beach,
worshiped together, and made a lot of joyful noise together in the cafeteria three times a day. What a
beautiful crop of children have been entrusted to us, Friends! What a fortunate lot we are.
One of the greatest imperfections, in this Friend's eyes, was the difficult process of agreeing on business
matters and business meeting minutes, as Friends picked and pulled, sometimes sermonizing, often teasing
out insignificant minutiae that brought to mind the thought that the letter killeth and the Spirit giveth life.
Even more distressing was the related fact that many of the usual Friends who share messages with us in
worship left no room - as so often happens - to hear what others might have to say. Among Yearly Meeting
Friends are many gifted speakers, but we must all listen to what others have to say as well, especially if we
want to encourage youth and new Friends to join in the expression of the Spirit. It would be a humble gift
to all of us to do so.
New York Yearly Meeting is blessed in many ways, and the annual gathering reflects much of the best of
what we are, as we gather together "to see how Truth prospers with each other," as George Fox explained.
Those among us who are able to gather annually with our Friends from around our wonderful Yearly
Meeting are fortunate, indeed! The week refilled the soul for this Friend and for many others as well.
Jeffrey Aaron, New Brunswick Meeting
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Sessions at Silver Bay were different this year. Our new clerk served us well in leading us, as best we were
able, to discern God's will in our deliberations. At each session Friends from Ministry & Counsel sat on a
facing bench, "holding up" those leading us in the business of the Yearly Meeting. Since we had no historical
or scriptural guidelines for how to proceed in this period following a Jubilee year, we faced many challenges:
Could we retain the best elements of the Sabbath rest we enjoyed so much last year and still accomplish our
crucial committee work?
We continued and expanded the study groups started last year, and by all reports they were again
outstanding. I chose the mediation study group. My expectations were not high after all, what could be
accomplished -- in just 4 1/2 hours over 3 days? -- but I was wonderfully surprised. It was a joy to be
guided by two seasoned Friends who were well prepared and ready to share the basics of the mediation
process. We participated in mediation roleplays that enabled us to experience this peacemaking process. Like
AVP (Alternatives to Violence Project), mediation was an opportunity for me to put my Quaker beliefs and
practices into action. The community building with the study group was special, and I left knowing that I
must take one of the weeklong mediation workshops that will be offered by Yearly Meeting. It's #1 on my
Gotta Do List.
As always, worship sharing was spiritually uplifting for me and, along with the early-morning swim or
worship on the porch of the boathouse, set a rich tone for each day. I managed to squeeze in just one workout
at that well-equipped gym, and I did get to the beach one afternoon for an hour. Discussions on the Inn's
porch were grand opportunities, as always, to be present with Friends and to listen. Let's preserve that
postlunch rest time each day with families and friends in a social setting -- just for fun and relaxation.
Ministry seemed abundant everywhere at Silver Bay, even at the ice cream shop of all places, where a Friend
challenged me to careful consideration of paying federal income taxes that go to war efforts.
There were 35 of us from Wilton, a number that seems to get bigger each year although the names of those
present change as different Friends and attenders come. Experiencing Yearly Meeting sessions at Silver Bay
is important to our meeting, giving us the opportunity to see NYYM as a community of fellow seekers --
not just one of those organizations that we must "fund" from our annual budget. Meeting the people and
experiencing the diversity and depth of our witness as Friends transforms our understanding from "them"
to "us." Visitors from other yearly meetings and the wider circle of Quaker organizations remind us how
widely we reach out to the world even though our numbers are small. Experiencing the worshipful practices
of Friends in our business sessions is another reminder of who we are, how we respect and love one another,
and how important it is for us to listen carefully to how and where God leads us.
This year I appreciated a new practice for our Yearly Meeting business sessions; although it was a small
change from prior years, it spoke to me. In the past, Friends who arrived late for the business meeting waited
outside the building or stood at the back of the auditorium so as not to interrupt Friends who were centering
down for the start of the session. Although our advices and queries do remind us to be punctual for worship,
this new practice welcomes latecomers to enter quietly and join those in worship. As a result, I experienced
deeper silence as more Friends joined the worship. The message was clear: All are welcome - even those
late to the table.
See you next year.
Tom Martin, Wilton Meeting
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Both during our Yearly Meeting sessions and since then, I have been fascinated with a phrase that we heard
more than once during our time together, "again for the first time." It's not an altogether new phrase, though
it does appear to have a spiritual vintage. And it seems to enjoy some currency in wider religious circles
outside our yearly meeting as well.
Though its current use may have been inspired by the titles of Marcus Borg's books, Meeting Jesus Again
for the First Time (Harper, 1996) and Reading the Bible Again for the First Time (Harper, 2001), it seems
just the same to have an ineffable, eternal quality about it. Something like an assigned object of meditation,
or an old Hebrew riddle. Maybe reading these two works by Borg will help me improve my grasp of it. Or
perhaps instead they will simply help the idea become just that much more fascinating.
"Again, for the first time" might have had a special valence for me for an odd combination of reasons. Not
a unique combination, but probably not one given to everyone. I've been coming to yearly meeting regularly
for about twenty years, and last year's sessions were the first I'd missed. The fact that those sessions were
themselves in so many ways unique may have made me especially conscious that I'd missed them, and
perhaps also of the ways in which this year's gathering was both like and unlike the one two years ago. This
year may also have been the first year in a dozen or so during which I haven't had some intimate relationship
with the meeting's business, either via service at the clerks' table or through the preparation of one or more
items of business being brought to the floor. This may have provided me at least some change in perspective.
So in this sense, this year was both a "first time" for me, and an "again." It was both a maiden voyage
redux, and a first real review of times past. It was a "first time again" as well as a "first time, again."
Apart from that, I also noticed the absence of many people I've grown accustomed to seeing there, as well
as presence and involvement of others who were new to me. I missed the folks I missed, but was equally glad
for the evidence of renewal. The rhythms seemed in many ways familiar, but also different in the relative
absence of sticking points. Preparation, presentation, and listening all seemed both just a bit more disciplined
and a bit more relaxed than they have on some other occasions. Without meaning to sound over-congratulatory, I think we did well in these respects.
The Bible story was one I knew well, but it was told again so well as though for the first time. Again, not
meaning to suggest immodesty, it was good to take note of how "world class" some of our own talented
teachers can be.
I found worship sharing and other small-group "opportunities" especially rewarding, since I suspect I may
have been more open to these in depth than I have been in some more typical years. Whether the change lies
in me or in my world at Yearly Meeting, or rather what portion of the change resides in each, is something
that I can't say with any certainty, but it certainly has been a welcome experience.
While I played only a small part in the events that followed, a clear part of my memory of this year's yearly
meeting will be Lewis Hoskins' illness and the care extended to him and to Betsey by so many old Friends.
They were probably more years away from a literal "first time" at Yearly Meeting than all but a handful of
Friends, and yet they've always looked forward to it as something new. I shared driving them to Silver Bay
this year with another member of our monthly meeting, and I would not have forgotten Lewis's robust
criticism of my driving on the hills near Lake George even if the next day had not seen him taken to the
hospital.
The sad parts, too, make an occasion memorable for us. And although none us can tell for sure what
Lewis's last memories may have been, worship sharing among Friends at Silver Bay could not have been
a bad place to be.
Steve Ross, Shrewsbury Meeting
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Why do I attend the annual meetings of New York Yearly Meeting at Silver Bay each year? For a number
of "Re"s: Reflection, Renewal, and Relationships.
Yearly Meeting serves as an extended period of time to seek, to find, and to focus on God's will for
ourselves individually and within the Religious Society of Friends. This seeking of God's will is grounded
in the worship experienced within the gathered community of Friends.
I could not image that week at Yearly Meeting without the intimate worship sharing that begins each day
(after my 6:30 cold swim in Lake George and followed by breakfast). The worship sharing experience
emerges from those present, guided by a sensitively selected leader. It is an opportunity to share one's
intimate, personal reflection of his/her relationship with God - a reflection that weaves in and out throughout
the week, renewing the Spirit within.
During the week there are opportunities to open oneself to an experience that enhances the spiritual search.
This time of reflection and resulting renewal becomes a very special instrument to one's own spiritual
growth. This year I found this within the healing sessions that I attended, which were held on three
consecutive days.
The focus of Bible study, held most every evening prior to the evening's activity, is always set by the caring
and knowledgeable leader who helps us to recognize the relationships of this old and valued text to our lives
today.
Renewal of Relationships weaves in and out of the entire week of experiences. I cherish the Renewal of
Relationships that have been set aside for a time, by distance, and for the circumstances that provide for new
friendships to be formed.
Yearly Meeting brings us closer together within our Quaker community and closer to our sense of God and
God's will for us. We cannot help but come away Refreshed, Renewed, Refueled, and with a greater capacity
for Reflection upon the Truths we Quakers profess to be essential to our spiritual growth.
Lyn Vlaskamp, Brooklyn Meeting
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"As for the first time" and "practicing the scales" were two interrelated invitations by the clerk of New
York Yearly Meeting that set a tone of humility, discipline, and discovery for this year's business sessions.
"As if for the first time" challenged Friends to see everything, and everyone, afresh, to put aside what we
think we know of others and of ourselves, and to encounter one another in the love of God. This simple call
was disarming in its simplicity and in its profundity, and fostered a peaceable Yearly Meeting in which we
were focused less on getting things done and more on waiting on the Spirit and giving thanks for the lives
of those recently departed, for the workings of the Spirit in our local meetings, for the good work of our
sister organizations such as AFSC, FWCC, and Oakwood School, and for the discernment of the Ad Hoc
Committee on the Function of NYYM. Care was taken to explain clearly at many points what was going on,
in what context, and for what purpose. Understanding was aided by the availability of the Advance Reports
online before Yearly Meeting. Meetings for business became a school of the Spirit.
"Practicing the scales" challenged Friends to renew Quaker practices that foster loving and truthful
behavior as a corporate body. A new clerk made a strength of inexperience that accompanies every turnover
in leadership. The report of the Ad Hoc Committee on the Function of NYYM identified Quaker practice
as one of the four priority areas for Yearly Meeting attention, even drafting a brochure on this topic for
comment and eventual wide distribution. Raising up Quaker practice is an important contribution of the
committee, one that links it closely to the renewal report of the last decade and that grounds the subsequent
work in fundamentals.
One regret I had this year was that the Yearly Meeting did not choose to spend a generous period of
worship on the Peace Testimony. The specifics of criminal-justice reform and the other matters that we did
engage are important and of concern to many Friends. But in a time when our nation has committed again
to defining security in military terms, when over half our tax dollars go to pay for wars past and for
preparation for war, when other poorer nations arm instead of providing basic healthcare and education to
their citizens, and when Friends who are deeply engaged in witness for peace need our love and our
discernment, it seems critical to go back to the basics of the Peace Testimony and live for a time together
in that Life and Power that takes away the occasion for war. Fortunately, the theme for next year's Yearly
Meeting is conflict transformation. I look forward to returning again to Silver Bay, to the opportunities for
worship in small and large groups, for study, for doing business, and for those informal conversations over
meals and at other times that powerfully affect our lives.
Karen A. Reixach, Rochester Meeting
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On the last day of Yearly Meeting sessions a young woman said to me, "Everywhere I've gone this week
I've seen you praying. It felt to me like you were blessing the whole campus. It made me feel good to see
you praying."
Upon entering a room where there was to be worship or a business session or other meeting, I entered into
worship. As the Bible study leader at Yearly Meeting, I went to the room at least 30 minutes early "to
prepare the room spiritually." I would get my notes organized and my light set up. Then I sat and prayed,
asking God to guide me, to give me the right words to say, and the wisdom to be quiet when appropriate. I
was totally unaware that this woman had seen me praying. But it certainly felt good to hear that she felt
blessed by what she saw me doing.
I do something similar in my office each Sunday morning before worship. It is a way of centering myself
and preparing for God's leadership. It is a way of opening myself up to God as well as praying for those who
are coming to worship, and those who are not.
Our prayers make a difference. Sometimes we are aware of the difference. Most times we are not.
I encourage each of you to pray for our meeting, for our members and attendees. Pray for the worship, for
the Sunday school, for the Bible study, for the AA that meets weekly, for the senior citizens who meet at
Farmington, for the choirs, for the children, for the committees and officers. Pray that people who will be
nourished by our meeting find their way to Farmington Friends.
Prayer makes a difference. You may never know who has felt blessed by your prayers. You will know that you are blessed by offering prayers!
Ruth Kinsey, Farmington Friends
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The last time I was at Silver Bay for Yearly Meeting was in August of 1984, 17 years ago. Our son Jesse,
now 16, who attended with us this year, was present then in utero with Betsy. Some things have changed -
the new roof on the main building; and some have not - such as concern about what young people are doing
at night. It was wonderful to see old friends again like Anita Paul and Ellen Flanders as well as old friends
Ann and George Saxton from my youth in Downers Grove Monthly Meeting in Illinois.
The most powerful memories for me from this Yearly Meeting are of Lewis Hoskins's stroke, which
occurred during the first meeting of our worship group. Concern for Lewis's health was ongoing for us
through the week.
Other vivid memories for me surrounds the visit by our five Native American guests. After seeing the
beauty of Silver Bay, one of these guests, Darren Bonaparte, returned home and brought back his daughter,
Jade Thompson, who is about seven years old, to share the experience. Our guests were able to share their
sense of reverence for the land with us. Many of us were moved to express how a reverence for land had
become part of our experience. The video In the Light of Reverence, which documents the tensions
surrounding three Native tribal groups' relations to their spiritually significant land in the U.S. when there
are competing claims from non-Native groups, was shown to more than 30 people. It became a backdrop for
subsequent sharing. All of this provided a context for discussion of Native land claims in New York State.
It became apparent that this issue weighs heavily within the Yearly Meeting as well as in New York State
at large. Hope was expressed that we may continue to work for healing.
Our son Jesse thrilled at the independence of having his own experience of NYYM Young Friends. Curfew
issues were sorted out, he honored curfews, but he did not like attending meetings to address these issues.
He loved breakfasts, but too often breakfast was the only meal of the day that appealed to him. Our
continuing challenge is to discover how he can expand his taste interests. His older brother and sister, Josh
and Kate, have been preoccupied with New England Yearly Meeting, Josh helping with the Young Adult
Friends and Kate working as an adult presence with High School Young Friends. These attachments were
formed during the years we attended Burlington Monthly Meeting in Vermont.
This has been a broad and deeply moving experience. We are glad to be back.
George Baker, Saranac Lake Meeting
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I haven't been to Yearly Meeting's week at Silver Bay for three years, although my first visit there was in
1971. Things haven't changed significantly at Yearly Meeting - we've had our business-heavy years, our
more spirit-centered years, years where there was controversy about Christo-centric and Universalist-centric
and just plain eccentric perspectives on our Society. But life in our small meeting on the East End of Long
Island seems to have changed quite a bit during the same three decades. We have always had a strong sense
of spiritual seeking in our local worship, and that hasn't changed. But the participants, the activities, and
certain sentiments have taken a marked shift.
When I was new to what was then Eastern Long Island Meeting (in Southampton), there were four
participants beyond Ken and myself. When Mara joined us at birth in 1977 that made seven. We were
unaffiliated with the Yearly Meeting - a sense that the bureaucratic expectations of the larger body would
stifle our spiritual search. So we were under the care of FWCC - along with incipient meetings in Africa and
other continents.
Ken and I are the surviving active members of that original meeting - three have died, one is in retirement
in Ithaca and Mara attends at Brooklyn Meeting near where she lives. I felt strongly that our meeting should
join the Yearly Meeting, but there was protest. The resistance was so strong that Ken, Mara, and I joined
another meeting - Shelter Island - and worshiped there for several years. FWCC soon indicated that they
were no longer able to care for the Southampton Meeting, and at the same time, there was movement for all
the East End meetings to join into one. Southold, Sag Harbor, and Southampton Friends joined together and
remain united as part of the Yearly Meeting, renamed Peconic Bay Meeting.
So you might say - so what? Why should I be interested in this history? For the same reason we all need
to read the Ad Hoc Committee on the Structure of Yearly Meeting's report. Because sometimes the Yearly
Meeting is exactly what the original Southampton Meeting thought it to be - demanding of business in a way
that might limit the spirit. We've had members who became overwhelmed with what they felt the Yearly
Meeting required of them. Maybe, although hardly as involved as many, I was feeling overwhelmed as well
three years ago - between service for the monthly, quarterly, and yearly meetings.
Small meetings with fewer participants make for more burden per member than larger meetings. We have
to find a way for service to be energizing, not enervating. I wonder if it would help for there to be a monthly
meeting clearness process if you want to serve on several Yearly Meeting committees at a time. Some of us
are not clear about our leadings and could benefit from the meeting's spirit for guidance in these matters.
I also found that there were those who served on committees who really did very little work - perhaps being
burdened by committing to too much.
Maybe there was no way for the original unaffiliated Friends from Southampton to say a partial yes or a
partial no to the service they felt led to do, or felt expected of them, so they withdrew entirely. I don't want
to overwork myself nor be disengaged. The Yearly Meeting is my family and I'm working to be moderate,
as I am led to be by God.
There were as many Peconic Bay Meeting participants here this year as all the early participants in the
unaffiliated Southampton Meeting. I know in memoriam that they would be grateful that we have this larger
loving family, struggling to put business in right order.
Joanna Komoska, Peconic Bay Meeting
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Junior Yearly Meeting Epistles and Minutes
(silence)
We are looking to explore our relationship with Friends and in doing so we see the changes in ourselves
and in others. While exploration continues through our activities, we are not only looking around our world,
but also looking forward. We've learned much from our new friendships which we appreciated that they
included Friends of all ages.
Both young and old members of Yearly Meeting have given us responsibilities. With the children we
challenge ourselves to be leaders, and with the older members we are challenged to lead.
The youngest Friends allow us to remember that we are still young, while our elders present us with the
opportunity to grow old. We have enjoyed volunteering for the PM childcare and discovered their acceptance
and affections for us as we are, as well as our love for them.
The older Friends are very open to sharing their life experiences and wisdom with us and we found we are
able to listen - not only by obligation, but because we enjoyed it.
We are very fortunate to have Jerry, Ciaran, Kira, Ty, and Richard, our directors and friends, to support us.
We understand that they stand up for us in the face of pressure. We understand that they are young at heart
and find working with us a source of enjoyment, renewal, and fulfillment. We feel needed because of it.
Thank you.
Our worship sharing groups allow us to consider our lives. Being with others as we think about our
concerns gives us a sense of family.
We are grateful to our guest speakers Jessi Haynes, Chris and Mike Clark, Sharon Hoover, Bill Galvin, and
Darien Bonaparte for inspiration and for giving us stories we sympathize with.
While we are extremely appreciative of everyone here, we also feel disappointed by the lack of trust
between the generations here at Yearly Meeting. Communication has faded. We feel that you are teaching
us, but we also have an obligation to teach each other. We need others to be open to the things we have to
say. We are enclosing in a minute our concerns and suggested solutions for this issue, and we would
encourage everyone to read it once it is published in order to fully build our community.
Thank you.
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We, the senior high youth, feel disappointed to be having a conversation about the lack of trust between
the generations attending Yearly Meeting. Communication has faded. We feel that you are teaching us, but
we also have an obligation to teach each other. We need others to be open to the things we have to say.
First, we feel that the rumors about drugs and alcohol at Silver Bay are blown way out of proportion. They
were isolated instances and deserve to be treated as such.
Secondly, we realize that arbitrary rules - such as the universal curfew - are intended to function as a safety
net so that you feel that your children can be safe at Silver bay. This security cannot truly exist in rules, but
exists already within us. The youth have ways of looking out for each other. When difficult situations arise,
there is always someone that makes sure that people stay safe, stopping problems as necessity presents itself.
Additionally, we do have real fun: we sing, we build campfires and friendships, and when no one can
remember any more songs, we sing the same ones over again because we can. Late nights are an important
backbone in the relationships of young people; some of our best conversations have taken place way after
1:00 A.M. We all know our bodies and none of us want to be tired. We go to sleep when we need to. There
is no blanket curfew that will work for everyone. We have built an amazing community in which we watch
out for and trust each other. We want you to be a part of this community.
Third, we notice that in order to attend Junior Yearly Meeting, we are required to sign an agreement to
which we neither have an alternative to nor have a say in. We also notice that such agreements are prepared
in an indirect way - at Powell House, with few representing the youth. Issues concerning Silver Bay are
better addressed at Silver Bay where all the youth will be able to be present.
It is clear to us that feelings concerning these issues are not in consensus with the entire Yearly Meeting.
Over the past few years, we have felt neglected due to lack of communication. Silver Bay is a beautiful
place; love is natural here. We need to show each other this love so that others may see it and speak in one
voice.
We can suggest, for the beginning, that we become better informed of meetings that affect JYM, and that
we are made to feel welcome at them. We would like to go to those meetings, become involved in decisions,
and show that we care about what happens to us. We feel that we are not known fully. We invite you to our
meetings and worship sharing in order to help build our trust and community.
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This year as before in the years gone by,
We gathered to laugh, to share and to cry,
To write down our thoughts by the beautiful shore,
To learn how the light is the answer to war.
Here on the bay we've done all sorts of stuff,
And no matter how much it's still not enough
Some of our sessions were boring at best,
But those could be chances to catch up on rest.
We played and we learned and we gobbled ice cream
And the week passed us quickly as if in a dream
In fishbowl we learned how both genders think,
With embarrassing questions, a flush and a wink
Elizabeth Fry dropped in from the past,
And taught us of prisons and the truth that will last.
We played Primate Bellows, a hilarious game,
That made all of us funny and humble and lame.
We swam at the beach and played in the sun,
We'll have precious memories of love and of fun.
Now that we end our very last day,
We must sadly depart from the silvery bay.
We hope that the spirit that brought us together this year and united us over the week will stay with
us and bring us together again next year.
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We started our week with some silent worship and discussed our plans for the week. We had small group
time where we got to play games, make crafts, and prepare ideas for the Fun(d) Fair and Cafe Night. We
spent time getting to know each other by having a People Scavenger Hunt where we asked questions about
each other and found out information about each of us.
On Tuesday we practiced cooperation within our group. We played a big game of Quaker monopoly, where
we were the pieces and we had to answer questions on Quakerism. Later, we went on Silver Bay's
Cooperation Course. We learned a lot about how to work together as a group and had a lot of fun on the
course, too!
On Wednesday the group gathered together again in worship, reading parts of "God is in the Mountain" and
drawing our ideas of how God works in our world. We also had some special visitors join our group and
speak to us about Native Americans. They answered lots of our questions and taught us a lot about traditional
people.
On Thursday we began with a circle and some worship - holding hands and speaking in turn about our
thoughts on God. We had several visitors to our group. Reb and Renee-Noelle spoke about Biblical figures
and told stories about children who made a difference in the world. We told stories about children and people
that we knew who made a difference and got Bibles from Reb to bring home. Mike and Chris talked about
the youth program at Powell House and taught us some fun games as well. Our final visitor of the day was
Judy Inskeep, who dressed up like Mary Samm, who we learned was a 12- year-old Quaker who helped her
grandfather while he was in prison.
On Friday we started worship by reading "Another Way to Listen." We worked on our epistle and played
a lot of fun games with our parachute. At the end of the week we gathered together with the rest of JYM to
sing and worship as a group.
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Let us take this time to share with you what we did this week. We gathered together all week in worship
to carry out the business of New York Yearly Meeting. As our clerk, Linda Chidsey, said to us "It was an
invitation in fellowship to come to the table. In doing so, we practice the presence of opening ourselves to
encounter the Living God." And encounter we did. The Ad Hoc Committee on the Function of Yearly
Meeting presented to us their final report and recommendations. It speaks about our future as a yearly
meeting.
We heard about every aspect of Yearly Meeting. This included the American Friends Service Committee
as Mary Ellen McNish of the AFSC spoke about the programs here and overseas. Carl Williams of Friends
World Committee for Consultation made us aware once again of the large Quaker family around the world
that we are part of.
We took action on the concerns from our Witness Coordinating Committee regarding New York State drug
laws and the support of those in prison.
Many of us attended spiritual study groups that met for three days and one day interest groups. All of these
deepened our knowledge and our spiritual life.
We were well aware of your presence and glad to be part of the Fun(d) Fair and Cafe Night and other
intergenerational activities.
So we leave you with our vision of the blessed community for you to take with you.
A vision of a growing, vital yearly meeting.
A yearly meeting that you will continue to be part of and help build for our future.
Sessions Committee of New York Yearly Meeting
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This column is prepared from information about membership received from the local meeting recorders.
NEW MEMBERS
Jerri Allyn - Morningside
Michael Baldwin - Montclair
Carol Barclay - Albany
Joseph Best - Manhattan
Carleton S. Beach - Syracuse
James T. Nichols - Syracuse
Carolyn M. Byerly - Ithaca
Laurence, Jasper, & Thea Clarkberg - Ithaca
Orelle Feher - New Paltz
Alexei Furs - Flushing
Andrey, Elijah, Lisa, Robert & Thomas Haven - Poughkeepsie
Mark Hewitt - Summit
Olivia L. Hewitt - Scarsdale
Karina R. Jolles - Ithaca
Scott Miller - Alfred
Andrew, James, & Sandra Nichols - Syracuse
Graham Luellen O - Ithaca
Larry Philbrick - Alfred
Jonathan A. Parker - Farmington
Harlan S. Sexton - Scarsdale
Richard Squailia - Schenectady
Barbara Steinkraus - Syracuse
Susan Robinson - Bulls Head-Oswego
Gloria P. Thompson - Manhattan
Louise K. Tiano - Rochester
Gary Trosclair - Scarsdale
Gloria B. Valls - Buffalo
Joy Vandling - Rochester
Robert Yates - Albany
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MARRIAGES
Elizabeth Cole, member of Farmington, and Thomas Ellingham, on July 6, 2001, under the care of
Farmington.
Margaret L. Kimber, member of Orchard Park, and David W. Hatrick, on June 29, 2001.
Morgan E. M. Lloyd, member of Burlington, and Nathaniel Wallace Suter, member of Bulls Head-Oswego, on August 4, 2001, under the care of Burlington.
BIRTHS/ADOPTIONS
Jonathan A. Parker, on June 29, 2001, to Annaliese & Scott Parker, members of Farmington.
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TRANSFERS
Judith Austin - to Whittlier First Friends (CA) from Rochester
Jacqueline Burns - to Summit from Brooklyn
Bain & Marjorie Davis - to Cornwall from Catskill
Margaret & Robert Dobbs - to Montclair from Stamford-Greenwich
Nancy Hopkin - to Westbury from 15th street
Kathy Hilger - to Summit from Plainfield
Margaret & Robert Kogan - to Croton Valley from Brooklyn
Eve & George Menger-Hammond - to Portland (OR) from Elmira
Margaret G. Mickey - to Bulls Head-Oswego from New Paltz
Marnie S. Miller-Gutsell - to Smithfield (NEYM) from Butternuts
Emanuel, Godfrey, Henry, Margaret, & Rose Mulindi - to Manhattan from 15th Street
Marion F. Richards - to Crossville (TN), from Butternuts
John Vadnais - to Summit from Stamford-Greenwich
Kathryn Wood - to Louisville (KY), from Morningside
Mike & Ruth Yarrow - to University (WA), from Ithaca
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DEATHS
Ellen Chamberlayne, member of Rochester, on July 3, 2001
Robert Crowell, member of Stamford-Greewich, on June 29, 2001
Jules Haberman, member of Purchase, on June 12, 2001
Virginia Herendeen, member of Farmington, on April 21, 2001
Lewis Hoskins, member of Shrewsbury, on August 5, 2001
Howard Hunt, member of Scarsdale, on June 26, 2001
Kendall G. Kimberland, member of Montclair on April 17, 2001
Sadie Scudder, member of Matinecock on April 24, 2001
Moh-Lien Tsai, member of Flushing on March 18, 2001
Asa Watkins, member of Summit on June 24, 2001
Frederick S. Webster, member of Syracuse on August 24, 2001
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Please forward dates for ALL Yearly Meeting Committee Meetings and Regional Meetings as soon as they
are available.
December Representative Meeting will be held on December 8-9, 2001, at Raritan Valley Community College, Somerville, N.J.
FWCC Seeks Associate Secretary
The FWCC World Office in London is seeking an associate secretary to fill a senior position with broad
responsibilities within the work of FWCC. The Friend appointed will be free to apply for the position of
general secretary when it becomes vacant in 2004. Contact Elizabeth Duke, FWCC, 4 Byng Pl., London
WC1E 7LE, U.K.; tel. +44 020 7388 0497; fax +44 020 7383 4644; elizabethd@fwcc.quaker.org.
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Meeting Actively Seeks Pastor
Cuba Friends Meeting of Cuba, Ohio, is actively seeking a pastor to provide spiritual leadership in a rural
church and community. Duties would include Sunday services, Sunday school, visitation, counseling, VBS,
and various special committees and events.
Cuba Meeting is a programmed, God-centered meeting where Christ continues to manifest Himself in
countless ways. We are growing, searching, and seeking truths to do God's will. The successful candidate
can be a part of all this and more. The successful candidate will also be a recorded Quaker pastor or in the
process of being recorded. Salary and housing are negotiable. Please contact Debbie Pierson, Pastor Search
Committee Clerk.
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Senior Editor Needed at Friends Journal
In collaboration with the executive editor, the senior editor selects manuscripts for publication and provides
oversight of the technical production of the magazine, including creation of the annual production schedule.
Reads and responds to approximately 400 submissions annually, including correspondence related to all
submissions. Supervision of editorial volunteers and student interns. Close collaboration with the other
editors and the art department on all matters related to the content of the magazine.
Extensive experience with and knowledge of the Religious Society of Friends is essential. Excellent
organizational, editorial, writing, and computer skills are required. Familiarity with The Chicago Manual
of Style and a networked Macintosh computer environment is desirable.
Send resume and three references by October 1 to Susan Corson-Finnerty, Publisher and Executive Editor,
Friends Journal, 1216 Arch Street, Suite 2A, Philadelphia PA 19107; 215-568-1377.
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For further information on conferences, contact Powell House, 524 Pitt Hall Road, Old Chatham NY 12136;
518-794-8811; powellhse@aol.com.
For further information, contact Pendle Hill, 338 Plush Mill Road, Wallingford PA 19086-6099; phone 800-742-3150, fax 610-566-3679; www.pendlehill.org.
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