Clarification

Please consider the actual job description of the general secretary, which has been printed in Spark, was included on the Web site last year, and was reported again at Representative Meeting in April 2005. It includes the following provisions:

1. Visit monthly, quarterly, and regional meetings, seeking to connect our distant meetings with one another through sharing concerns and ministry.
2. Support and nurture emerging worship groups.
3. Work closely with the Clerk of the Yearly Meting and serve ex-officio as a member of the Liaison Committee for the purpose of nurturing the life of the Yearly Meeting community.
4. In conjunction with the Yearly Meeting Clerk, maintain a liaison with wider Friends' groups. When necessary and appropriate, interpret the Religious Society of Friends to the wider community in statements and actions, including speaking to the press, which articulate our historic peace testimony and are in keeping with Faith and Practice, other Friends' testimonies, and relevant Yearly Meeting minutes. Whenever possible, reference should be made to these sources.
5. Supervise and evaluate the work of the Administrative Secretary. The General Secretary will be ultimately responsible for the overall good functioning of the Yearly Meeting office.

Please note that this job description does not require a New York City residence. This "requirement" was strongly discouraged by Friends who wished the general secretary to be more centrally located. There is also no mention of the need for on-site supervision of the staff three days per week; this would be incompatible with the primary goal of more visitation, especially on weekends.

Another misconception concerns the funding of the Sharing Fund overhead from the Witness section of the Operating Budget. The assessment of administrative charges against Sharing Fund receipts was discontinued within the past few years because staff time and bookkeeping services were deemed to be the responsibility of the entire Yearly Meeting. The result was that all the income of the Sharing Fund would now be available for Witness program activities. As it stands, only postage, stationery, and printed materials are budgeted in the Witness section. The costs of staff time and bookkeeping services for the Sharing Fund are included in these expense lines for the entire Yearly Meeting, and are reflected as a small part of the totals shown in the General Services section of the budget.

Among the issues that are now being addressed by Yearly Meeting committees and staff are the search for other possible locations for Yearly Meeting sessions, a study of staff time allocations, and a more comprehensive visitation program. Many meetings have, in fact, increased their membership within the past few years. Meanwhile, NYYM is always looking for more Friends who have the time and energy to volunteer their skills in a variety of ways.

Advancement Committee funds are used for other activities besides scholarship aid to attend summer sessions. A full report may be found in the NYYM Yearbook; funds from the Trustees are reported on page 5 of every Treasurer's report; the year-end 2003 figures may be found on page 37 of the 2004 Yearbook and at www.nyym.org/committees/treasurer/.

Peace,

Paula R. McClure, clerk
General Services Coordinating Committee

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Grants from Witness CC

To apply, please send no more than a one-page description of the project to Susan Bingham, with a minute of endorsement from your meeting, by July 15, 2005.

You may email it to Susan at smbjoyous@earthlink.net or send it via postal mail to Susan Bingham, WCC financial clerk, c/o NYYM office, 15 Rutherford Pl., New York NY 10003.

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Young Adult Concerns Committee

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S i l v e r B a y

Full information is in May Spark and on the Web at www.nyym.org/silverbay.

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Get Your Silver Bay Registrations In!

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Items for the Agenda at Silver Bay

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Summer InfoShare

To have your news included, please make sure to e-mail it to Paul Busby, paul@nyym.org (preferred) or mail it to Paul c/o the Yearly Meeting office, 15 Rutherford Pl., New York NY 10003, before July 10.

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Downtown Manhattan Meeting Resumes Worship

Anyone interested in attending or convening the outdoor meetings may visit www.downtownmeeting.org, for directions, information, meeting dates, and the ability to sign up to convene on line. Friends may also contact Sally Campbell, 212-787-3903; scampfriend@earthlink.net.

Friends are asked to bring a light chair or cushion, and if possible an extra one for someone who does not have one.

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Director Needed for Ridgewood Friends Nursery School

Interested candidates please respond to Adrianna Coe, 201 930-0631; fax 201-930-1080.

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Summer 2005 Internship at AFSC

CRP develops projects to engage people in dialogue who are facing divisive conflicts in their communities. The aim is to support people in conflict by introducing more peaceful, constructive approaches to conflict, and to develop their skills for using such approaches.

We will provide substantive work, a committed mentor, and a comprehensive orientation to the work of AFSC. Based on the needs and interests of the CRP and the intern, the intern will be expected to work from 10–21 hours per week with a total of 84–168 hours during the summer. We can offer a stipend of $1,000 to $2,000 depending on the number of hours and work negotiated.

AFSC/NYMRO also has internships available in:

• Response to military recruitment
• Criminal justice work
• History project
• Administrative project

For application packet, contact NYMRORecruit@afsc.org or write AFSC Internships, 15 Rutherford Pl., New York, NY 10003; 212-598-0950. —Anne E. Wright

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Summer Picnics at McCutchen

Friends are invited to attend. Wear something appropriate for the theme. If you plan to attend, please call 908-755-8600, so they'll know to expect you.

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Summer Graduate Courses at ESR

The courses are: Intro to Spiritual Formation, Writing as Ministry, Pauline Psychagogy: Spiritual Formation & Pastoral Care in Early Christian Communities, Perspectives in Christian Education, Quaker Spirituality, and Constructive Theology. Course summary information is online at http://esr.earlham.edu/esr_access/oncampus.html. To register or for more information call 800-432-1377 or apply at esr.earlham.edu.

Contact person is Sue Axtell, director of recruitment and admissions, ESR, 228 College Ave., Richmond IN 47374-4095.

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Quaker Street Youth in China Summer Workcamp

Rebecca White, member of Quaker Street Meeting, expects to participate in this summer's China Workcamp, a program established by the American Friends Service Committee in 2001. Participants will:

• experience life in rural China first-hand by living and working together with local college students on this project
• help tutor local children in English and raise environmental awareness
• learn about current social, political, environmental, and economic issues in China while sharing their own special skills and experience

The primary mission of the workcamp is to expand understanding among all members. Not only will participants learn a great deal about each other's society, culture, values, and beliefs, but they will also likely learn even more about themselves. In addition, the dedication and hard work of workcamp participants will indirectly focus local attention on this school and its mission of improving women's education in rural China. While these efforts will form the main focus of our workcamp, the opportunity for Chinese, American, and other participants from around East Asia to live and work together will provide the real meaning of this project.

We are looking forward to an in-depth report from Rebecca when she returns. Anyone who wants more information about Rebecca's involvement can contact her care of Quaker Street meeting, Box 102, Quaker St. NY 12141.

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Rotary World Peace Scholarships

Successful candidates will pursue a master's level degree in international studies, peace studies, and conflict resolution at one of the eight Rotary partner universities in California and North Carolina in the U.S. and in Argentina, Australia, England, France, and Japan.

Applicants must be committed to peace and have proven experience in their field. For information, scholarship program, and application information: www.rotary.org/foundation/educational/amb_scho/centers/scholars/.

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Housatonic Will Archive CO Statements

Young people considering conscientious objection, regardless of their draft registration status, are urged to write a claim now and, if possible, gather some supporting letters. (Claims can always be updated or revised before an actual submittal is necessary.) Doing this now will save time and, most importantly, create a record that supports the long-standing nature of the applicant's beliefs, an important point when defending the sincerity of a CO claim.

Written claims and letters of support should be copied, and either the originals or photocopies mailed to: Housatonic Monthly Meeting, Box 43, New Milford CT 06776, Att: CO Archiving

The date of receipt will be noted on the documents, an acknowledgment will be mailed to the sender, and the documents will be stored in a locked, fireproof cabinet. Documents will be returned to the sender upon written request.

Please note this is an archiving service only; review, editing, and counseling are not in the scope of this service. For information on how to prepare a statement of conscientious objection or for draft counseling, contact your local Friends meeting or:

• Central Committee for Conscientious Objectors, 800-394-9544, 215-563-8787; www.objector.org; info@objector.org.
• Center on Conscience and War, 202-483-2220, 800-379-2679; www.nisbco.org; nisbco@nisbco.org.

—Jim Picton

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Peace Tax Fund Bill back in Congress: H.R. 2631

A congressional bill has be to reintroduced every two years. In this Congress, the Religious Freedom Peace Tax Fund's bill number is H.R. 2631. Please take this opportunity to draw your representative's attention to this new piece of legislation.

If your representative is one of the 35 who've already cosponsored, please send her or him a thank you note. If your representative is one of the 400+ who haven't yet cosponsored, please ask him or her to do so. The list of cosponsors can be found at www.peacetaxfund.org/. You can also send an e-mail to your representative from this site.

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New on the Web Site

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What Do Our Meetings Mean to Us?

We come for two reasons: Worship, in which we feel the everlasting arms supporting and strengthening us through our daily activities; and Witness by which we reach out into the world with at least a smile and a helping hand.

After the meeting was over we realized that most of us are trying to focus on the ocean of Light while many of our neighbors and the world are focusing on the ocean of darkness. —Dorothy Garner

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Coming up at Powell House

Forgiveness As a Spiritual Practice
Sue Regen June 24–June 26

Youth-to-Youth Advocacy, with a Little Help from Adults: Selective Service Procedures, Draft Registration, and Conscientious Objection
Joan Janiszewski & Paul Frazier August 12–14

Friends and Money: Confronting Our Discomfort
Howard Zuses August 19–21

Lettuce Chi Together
Ty Griese & Powell House staff August 26–28

Are We Raising Peacemakers?
Mary Rothschild September 10

Youth Events
Good Times, Good Games 4th–6th grades June10–12

Unwinding Sr. High July 14–17

Heartsong II 7th–12th grades August 5–7

Camping in the Maze 4th–6th grades w/ Adult Sponsor August 26–28

For further information: Powell House, 524 Pitt Hall Rd., Old Chatham NY 12136; 518-794-8811; info@powellhouse.org; www.powellhouse.org.

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FWCC Annual Meeting

There was report on the Quaker Youth pilgrimage by one of the attendees.

Margaret Fraser, executive secretary of the SOA, gave a full report on the changes to the Quaker UN Program. After a meeting in England this past winter (including AFSC, the Quaker UN Offices in New York and Geneva, FWCC representatives) it was decided that a new Executive Board would be established in QUNO-NY. It would be made up of four representatives from AFSC and four from FWCC, along with a staff member from each organization. The existing Board is to be laid down but some of their expertise may be used in subcommittees.

The Peace Issues Working Group asked that its status be changed from an ad-hoc group to a standing committee of the section. This was taken under advisement by the Executive committee of the section. The ad-hoc Peace issues working group was asked, in the interim, to continue its work. The group had final copies of the proceedings of the 2003 Peace Conference for sale at this meeting.

There was an update by Henry Freeman on the Capital Campaign that is now underway.

The keynote speech was given by Loida F. Fernández, executive secretary of the Committee of Latin American Friends (COAL). It was a moving testimony to the work that Friends are doing in Latin and South America, There was great enthusiasm when it was announced that the 2006 Annual Meeting will be held in Guatemala—the first time outside the continental U.S.

There were workshops on our Quaker Peace Witness, a healthy approach to the Bible, and Friends' work in Latin America, There were also interest groups led by John Calvi, on his concern on torture, and Son Ha Din from the QUNO in NY.

It was a full, rich, rewarding four days, reminding us that SOA and the Society of Friends have many tasks ahead of us. —George Rubin, Representative to FWCC

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Spiritual Gifts in NYYM

It is very hard for most of us to know our own gifts; we are often too close to them to see them clearly. It is harder yet to see gifts that are just emerging, and have not yet taken on a definite form. For these emerging gifts to find expression, the support, counsel, and witnessing of others is extremely important.

Our gifts in the Spirit are not ours, but are given in trust to us for the benefit of the whole community. Ministry and Counsel Coordinating Committee is sponsoring a series of workshops at Powell House designed to help Friends bring their gifts forward so that they may share them with our community. Whether you are feeling only the faintest tug of something ill-defined, or have a pretty good sense of the service you are being drawn into, these workshops should be helpful in supporting you in moving more fully into your gifts.

The first workshop will be devoted to empowering Friends and helping them in their discernment of how the Divine is working in them, and whether that is pulling them toward some form of service. Future workshops in the series will be devoted to more specific gifts.

Here is a planned schedule of six workshops, to begin in January 2006 and continue through March 2007.

Drawing out Gifts

1. Becoming the Gift God Made You to Be—Christopher Sammond, facilitator, January 27–29, 2006
2. Serving As Elder: Grounding the Life of the Meeting—Elaine Emily, facilitator, March 24–26, 2006
3. How Can I Keep from Speaking? Discernment in Spirit-Led Vocal Ministry—facilitator to be announced, May 12–14, 2006
4. Practicing the Ministry of Presence—facilitator to be announced, September 15–17, 2006
5. Traveling in the Ministry—facilitator to be announced, January 26–28, 2007
6. Supporting Our Gifts—facilitator to be announced, March 16–18, 2007

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Powell House Seeks Childcare Providers

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Powell House Youth Program Reunion 2006

Bring yourselves and bring your families (back) to Powell House to see Bill Staines in concert; the sculpture dedication ceremony; your favorite past and present Youth Program staff; hundreds & hundreds of PoHo alums; the biggest ultimate game ever; cabaret on a whole new level; all our favorite traditions, games, music, massages, and other events & activities to be announced.

All proceeds go to the Powell House Youth Program. Keep the Youth Program strong for future generations!

Registration encouraged for both full and partial attendance. For further information, or to be placed on the e-mail list, contact pohoreunion@yahoo.com or Powell House, 524 Pitt Hall Rd., Old Chatham NY 12136; 518-794-8811. —Elfriede Eliza-Maria Brennan & Megan Elizabeth Myers-Hayes

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