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Contents
Reclaim and Redirect Your Federal Telephone TaxesSubcommittee on Conscientious Objection to Military Taxation The federal excise tax on long-distance telephone calls has been discontinued as a result of legal action. This tax is linked to the payment of war debts, and it has been one focus of military tax resistance in recent decades. During the Vietnam War era, New York Yearly Meeting, along with thousands of individual citizens of conscience, refused to pay the telephone tax. As part of the court settlement, the government will reimburse telephone tax payments that have been made during the past three years. If you have been paying this tax along with your telephone bill, please consider claiming a refund and then redirecting that money to an alternative service. The National Campaign for a Peace Tax Fund, for example, continues to propose, support, and promote legislation that establishes the right of conscientious objectors to direct all of their federal income taxes to non-military purposes. Because of the recent shift in Congress, several current cosponsors of the Peace Tax Fund bill are now ranking members of pivotal committees, so there is a new opportunity to move this concept forward through the political process. It will take contributions from many supporters to maintain this effort. Line 71 on the year 2006 form 1040 can be used to obtain a $30 to $60 standard refund, based on household size. Or the actual taxes that you paid from February 28, 2003, to August 1, 2006, can be returned if you use form 8913. The phone tax is a refundable credit, which means all taxpayers with phones, who fill out the appropriate lines on the tax forms, will get this refund (or deduction from their taxes if they owe money). Please publicize this opportunity. You can reclaim money that has been used for continuous warmaking and then redirect it according to the dictates of your own conscience in concert with the Peace Testimony of Friends. National Campaign For A Peace Tax Fund contact information: www.peacetaxfund.org; 888-732-2382. Telephone Tax Rebate information: www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=161506,00.html Brother Outsider at Brooklyn MeetingBrooklyn Meeting is presenting Movies for Thought on the second Saturday of each month. Saturday, February 13, 2007 at 7:00 P.M. the film will be Brother Outsider: The Life of Bayard Rustin. Admission is free. This film focuses on Rustin's activism for peace, racial equality, economic justice, and human rights. He was the main organizer of the 1963 march on Washington at which Martin Luther King gave his "I have a dream" speech. Also Rustin was an openly gay man, which was relatively unusual in those days. The meetinghouse will be open starting at 6 P.M. for setup and for those who might like to bring a sandwich and eat together before the movie. After the movie there will be light refreshments and Q&A with Walter Naegle, who was Rustin's partner. AFSC Intern SoughtThe American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) seeks an intern to fulfill the following responsibilities. A stipend is available for interns able to work at least 168 hours over a three- or four-month period. Responsibilities
Required Qualifications
To apply, send a résumé with references and letter of interest to: Anne Wright, Assistant to the Regional Director, AFSC, 15 Rutherford Pl., New York NY 10003; awright [at] afsc [dot] org. Visit www.afsc.org/about/mission.htm for more about AFSC's mission and values. William Penn House Interns NeededHospitality Intern: All staff members perform some or all of the duties of running a hostel and seminar center. The full-time intern has a 40-hour work week, usually working approximately 6 hours a day, 6 days a week. For complete information, see http://williampennhouse.org/About-William-Penn-House/employment.php#hospitality. Workcamps and Program Intern: With the support and supervision of the Washington Quaker Workcamps (WAQ) coordinator and program coordinator, the Washington Quaker Workcamps and Program intern coordinates service-learning and seminar programs of the William Penn House. The Workcamps and Program intern is required to live on-site at William Penn House. As a residential member of the William Penn House staff, (s)he will also perform limited hospitality duties. For complete information, see http://williampennhouse.org/About-William-Penn-House/employment.php#workcamp. Start date: ASAP. Appointments vary in length and may be structured to meet an academic calendar. To apply for either, send résumé, cover letter, and three references to Byron Sandford, Wm. Penn House, 515 E. Capitol St. SE, Washington DC 20003; 202-543-5560; fax 202-543-3814; byron [at] williampennhouse [dot] org. Christopher Sammond's Travel Calendar
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| February | |
| 2–11 |
Attend FUM General Board Meetings, Strategic Planning Sessions, Project Site; Visits—Kisumu and Kaimosi, Kenya |
| 12–17 | Vacation |
| 24 | Transition Working Group, Poughkeepsie |
| March | |
| 2–4 | Coordinating Committee Weekend, Powell House |
| 9–11 | Consultation on Advancement and Spiritual Nurture, Powell House, cofacilitate |
| 16–18 | Gifts Series Workshop VI |
| 24 | Visit Otisville Prison Worship Group |
| 31 | Easton MM, facilitate day of retreat |
Tom Rothschild, clerk, Conflict Transformation Committee
Our general secretary, Christopher Sammond, has reminded us more than once that we have many conflicts in our meetings. Often, the very existence of these conflicts is denied. Often, we resist facing these conflicts even when acknowledged, and avoid asking for help when needed. Why do we so frequently respond to conflict in these unhelpful, even destructive ways? How can we transform these situations into opportunities for spiritual growth within our meetings? This year's five-day Conflict Transformation Intensive at Powell House will examine these questions in depth and help to provide some of the needed skills to address, resolve, and transform the conflicts in our meetings. Dates: Thursday dinner February 15 through lunch Monday, February 19, 2007. Scholarship available upon request. For more information or to register, visit www.powellhouse.org, write to Powell House, 524 Pitt Hall Rd., Old Chatham NY 12136, or call 518-794-8811.
Northeastern Regional Meeting Fun Day! will be Saturday, February 24, 2007, from 10:00 A.M. to 2:30 P.M., at Adirondack Friends Meeting, 27 Saratoga Ave., South Glens Falls
Please join us at a day of fun—for all ages!
| 10:00–10:30 A.M.: | Registration and refreshments |
| 10:30 A.M.–Noon: | Fun—choose from activities (craft, scavenger hunt, games) |
| Noon–1:30 P.M. | Potluck lunch and conversation |
| 1:30–2:30 P.M.: | Singing, worship, short business meeting |
All NERM middle school and high school youth are invited to an "overnight" at the meetinghouse beginning at 7:00 P.M. Friday, February 23. See below for registration and information.
For more information or directions regarding Fun day, call Regina Haag, 518-793-3755.
Come celebrate the conclusion of your winter break by gathering with other youth (middle and high school) from NYYM's Northeastern Region. Friday, February 23, 2007, at 7:00 P.M. to Saturday, February 24, at 2:30 P.M., at Adirondack Friends Meeting. We'll get to know one another through group activities and discussions on Friday evening. Then we'll join the adults for Fun Day, which begins Saturday morning at 10:00. Maybe we'll come up with a way to get together for some other events.
For registration form and more information call 518-793-3755. Participants will be asked to bring $15, to cover the cost of food and supplies, and a sleeping bag or bedroll.
Bob Dockhorn, senior editor, Friends Journal
Friends Journal is looking for submissions for an upcoming special issue on "Friends and Their Children," scheduled for July 2007. The central question is "What supports do—and should—Friends put in place to nurture our youth into functioning Quaker adults?"
We are looking for a variety of perspectives, including those of: children and youth; young adult Friends; parents—those who have raised children both within and outside the cultural mainstream; nonparent adults; institutions that deal with Quaker children and youth. We prefer articles written from an experiential, rather than an analytical perspective. We are seeking both feature articles (up to 2,500 words) and shorter articles and vignettes, as well as sidebars, poems, photos, and graphics.
The deadline for submissions is rapidly approaching. We would like to know who is working on an article by February 15 (or as soon thereafter as possible), and to receive final articles by March 15.
Our full submission guidelines are posted at www.friendsjournal.org. For further information, Bob Dockhorn, Friends Journal, 1216 Arch St. #2A, Philadelphia PA 19107-2835; 215-563-8629 ext. 3112; senioreditor [at] friendsjournal [dot] org.
FGC's Advancement and Outreach Committee (A&O) understands its work with meetings and Friends in the broad context of providing spiritual hospitality to seekers and attenders. It is concerned with deepening and strengthening the spiritual core and community of the meeting ("inreach") as well as outreach to those who might be interested in our Religious Society.
A full job description for this position is available at www.fgcquaker.org; click on "Job Openings" in the first paragraph under "FGC Mission, Structure, Committees." This is an 80% time position (four days/week). The application deadline is March 9, 2007.
To apply, send a résumé and letter to: General Secretary, FGC, 1216 Arch St. #2B, Philadelphia, PA 19107, or to Bruce Birchard, bruceb [at] fgcquaker [dot] org. If you e-mail your application, please leave a phone message for Bruce at 215-561-1700.
This series of three workshops with Darya Funches, Ed.D., is designed to help People of Color achieve spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical freedom. We recognize and break through ancient chains of internalized oppression present in everyday living and create visions, skills, and practices for wholeness, health, freedom, and liberation.
March 9–11: In the first workshop, we explore the meaning of an active consciousness of personal liberation and freedom beyond privilege and oppression, examine and heal patterns of limitation that block expression of our truest selves, and design active experiments for reclaiming our original inheritance.
June 10–14: In the second workshop, we learn from the experiments we conducted since the first workshop, explore the meaning of a collective consciousness of liberation and freedom for people of color, develop visionary views for society and roles and strategies for activating these visions, and heal remnants of ancestral wounds.
August 16–19: In the third and final workshop, we develop skills and practices for living from the consciousness of "all people being free and chosen" – working beyond the patterns of privilege and oppression. Participants put their visions to work on concrete issues with others. Although the workshop itself is for People of Color, it includes dialogue and interactions between People of Color and Caucasians.
For information contact Pendle Hill, 338 Plush Mill Rd., Wallingford PA 19086-6023; 610-566-4507; info [at] pendlehill [dot] org; www.pendlehill.org.
The Drawing Out Gifts series continues at Powell House March 16–18, 2007, with Coming Down from the Mountaintop: Sustaining, Supporting, Maturing the Call to Ministry.
Participants will explore the long-term relationships of minister, elder, and the meeting community. Possible topics for exploration include:
The facilitator, Bob Schmitt, is a member of Twin Cities Friends Meeting in Northern Yearly Meeting. He has traveled among Friends under concerns for faith and practice, same-gender marriage, reclaiming the roles of minister and elder, and the disciplines required to nurture a monthly-meeting community. He seeks a rekindling of the fire that distinguished early Friends, for meetings that are known more for their light than for their silence.
Elaine Emily (Strawberry Creek Meeting, Berkeley, Cal.) will be serving as Bob's elder for the weekend.
from Sojourners
Sojourners invites you to join thousands in a Christian Peace Witness for Iraq. As followers of Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, our faith compels us to make our voice heard—to renew our commitment to peacemaking. We ask you to join us in praying for peace, studying the scriptures, learning nonviolence, lighting candles of hope, and gathering together for an ecumenical public witness on March 16, 2007, the fourth anniversary of the war in Iraq. We stand in solidarity with sisters and brothers in other faith traditions and ask their prayers and support for our witness.
Join thousands of Christian lay people and clergy to voice your support for creating real security and peace in Iraq. Worship together, vigil together. Let's express our commitment to life!
In Washington, D.C., we plan: worship at the National Cathedral; candlelight procession to the White House; prayer vigil and witness including nonviolent civil disobedience; prewitness workshops and training; postwitness organizing and strategizing.
Why an Intentionally Christian Witness? All of us who have planned this event highly value interfaith collaboration. Our purpose is to share a vision of how all of God's people—of all faiths—can live in peace. We are keenly aware of the way that Jesus consistently surprised his friends and his enemies by responding in love to those who attacked him. Further, the gospel makes clear that there is a direct connection between the work of doing justice and being peacemakers. Therefore:
We look forward to the day when all people know that the word "Christian" means a movement that yearns and aches for the Kingdom of God to come here on Earth with people of all faiths.
For further information and registration see www.christianpeacewitness.org.
Annual Meeting in Providence, R.I., March 15–18, 2006
Online and mail-in registration is now open for the Annual Meeting that will be held at the Moses Brown School and the Radisson Providence Harbor Hotel. All Friends who represent their yearly meetings should plan to attend this meeting. Those attending the Triennial in Ireland this summer are particularly encouraged to participate. All those interested in bringing Friends together for work, worship, and study are welcome.
Registration questions should be directed to confmgrs@aol.com; contact the office for other questions. Register and view information at www.fwccamericas.org/events/annual_meeting.shtml.
Get ready for FWCC's 70th anniversary!
On September 15–16, 2007, FWCC will mark 70 years of work connecting Friends. FWCC was founded at a world conference in 1937 hosted by Swarthmore and Haverford Colleges in Pennsylvania. The celebration begins on Friday evening with a reception at Haverford College. Thomas Hamm, author of The Quakers in America and The Transformation of American Quakerism, will be the introductory speaker at Saturday's celebration at Swarthmore Friends meeting. Details, including lodging information, will be posted at www.fwccamericas.org/.
Submit your changes for the Friends Directory The FWCC 2007 Directory is planned for publication soon. It is a resource guide that also includes Friends' schools, camps, bookstores, organizations, retirement communities, and more in the Section of the Americas. Please let us know of any changes within the past year by e-mailing David Miles at directory [at] fwccamericas [dot] org or by calling the FWCC office at 215-241-7250.
Are you aged 20–26? Do you have an active interest in international affairs? Would you like to study the UN at first hand? Do you want to meet people from all over the world?
Application packets available from www.quaker.org.uk or from Helen Bradford (QUNSS), Friends House, Euston Rd, London, NW1 2BJ, UK; helenb [at] quaker [dot] org [dot] uk.
Deadline for applications, March 16, 2007.
During the spring and summer of 2007, the NYYM Nurture Coordinating Committee will sponsor a series of conferences at Powell House, with the intent of deepening and strengthening our connections to Quakerism and our monthly meetings and worship groups. We hope you will join us for one or all of these special events.
March 23–25, 2007, Nurture I
Core Beliefs of Quakerism
Steven Davidson, Regina Haag, Kenn Harper, and Joanna Hoyt, facilitators
When people ask us, what do Quakers believe, what can we say? What are the core beliefs of NYYM Friends? The Nurture Coordinating Committee invites you to join us in trying to answer these questions during this first weekend in the Nurture series.
We will start with our own personal beliefs and with the religious experiences that give substance to those beliefs. We will explore what beliefs we hold in common and ways to express these beliefs that could work for us all. We will explore the role that beliefs should play in our corporate religious life, given that we do not have a creed. Finally, we will discuss what the things we've shared might mean for the Yearly Meeting as a whole.
May 11–13, 2007, Nurture II
The Gifts We Bring to Swing
Intergenerational weekend led by Melanie-Claire Mallison
What do swing dancing and Quaker testimonies have in common? Aside from being lots of fun, swing dancing also touches on many wonderful Quaker values—like equality, simplicity, connection, community, the courage to lead, and the courage to follow. Melanie-Claire is a birthright Quaker and has been swing dancing since she was 12! She'll lead us in in-depth discussions on our Quaker Testimonies and then teach us East Coast Swing (a.k.a. Jitterbug), so we can live out the gifts we bring to swing!
June 23–25, 2007, Nurture III
Nurturing Our monthly meeting or worship group
Jane Berger, Carol Holmes, and Denise Sherman, facilitators
Through the Nurture Series, we have discussed the core beliefs of NYYM Friends and the foundations of our Quaker testimonies. This weekend we will "bring it home" to our monthly meetings and worship groups, which are the spiritual basis of Quakerism in the world. We will cover:
For further information contact Powell House, 524 Pitt Hall Rd., Old Chatham NY 12136; 518-794-8811; www.powellhouse.org; info [at] powellhouse [dot] org.
The Casa de Los Amigos is a center for peace and international understanding in Mexico City. The Casa was founded by Quakers in 1956 and has a rich history of peace and service projects. Through its hospitality program and guest house, the Casa offers lodging and a community space for individuals and groups involved in service projects and peace and justice movements. The Casa is currently developing new program work in the area of nonviolence and conflict transformation, and exploring projects in migration and economic justice.
Casa Volunteers
The Casa depends on the service of volunteers to carry out its programs and build a community of service and friendship. Do you enjoy nurturing community and welcoming the stranger? Are you driven by a desire for justice and a commitment to peace? The Casa is seeking volunteers to work in our hospitality, peace, and service programs. Responsibilities include working in the reception of our guest house, organizing events and activities, developing the Casa's Peace and Service Resource Center, research and writing, supporting and working with partner organizations in Mexico, participating in service days, and assisting in fundraising and outreach. Candidates should be committed to nurturing an environment of friendship and community, working in a team, and living in community. Volunteers serve for 3–12 months. Ability to communicate in Spanish is required. Positions open in 2007 with flexible start dates. The ability to communicate in Spanish is required. Candidates from Mexico and Latin America are particularly encouraged to apply.
The Casa is also seeking an information technology volunteer. We are seeking a volunteer to help revamp our Web site and improve our information systems. Candidates should have experience in Web design and/or Web site construction and information technology. The information technology volunteer can live in the Casa or work from outside of Mexico. This position is open immediately.
Other volunteer opportunities with the Casa may be available. Let us know what skills you have that you would like to contribute to this community. Quakers interested in serving as Friends in Residence in the Casa for 3–12 months under the joint care of the Mexico City Monthly Meeting are also encouraged to inquire. For more information on any of these positions and to receive an application form please contact amigos [at] casadelosamigos [dot] org or visit www.casadelosamigos.org. ¡Gracias!
A group of Friends from Costa Rica, Mexico, and elsewhere were hosted by Monteverde, Costa Rica, Friends this past November for a gathering of representatives of unprogrammed meetings within Latin America. Paul Busby of Fifteenth Street Meeting, who is NYYM's Latin American Concerns resource person, was a participant. Among other topics, Friends talked about being isolated Quakers in Latin America; finding ways to communicate and work with each other and with Friends of other traditions within Latin America; the importance of making bilingual literature available; and making the Quaker presence better known throughout the region. Mexico City Monthly Meeting was proposed as the site for a second gathering, planned for November 2007.
To keep informed on future developments, contact Paul Busby, c/o the Yearly Meeting office, or e-mail paul [at] nyym [dot] org.
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Dates of Representative Meetings 2007–2010 |
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| Date | Alternate |
| Apr 13–15, 2007 | Apr 21–22 |
| Nov 9–11, 2007 | Nov 17–18 |
| Apr 4–6, 2008 | Apr 12–13 |
| Nov 7–9, 2008 | Nov 15–16 |
| Apr 3–5, 2009 | Apr 18–19 |
| Nov 13–15, 2009 | Nov 21–22 |
| Apr 9–11, 2010 | Apr 17–18 |
| Nov 12–14, 2010 | Nov 20–21 |
Recognizing that global trade is here to stay, AFSC's Trade Matters program seeks to ensure that U.S. trade agreements include regulations that will protect human rights and social integrity for all the communities affected by an agreement. Given that Congress gave away its right to amend free trade agreements through "fast track" authority to the executive branch (only allowing Congress to vote up or down on the entire trade pact), the Trade Matters program launches campaigns to stop trade agreements that violate these principles.
As a Quaker organization, AFSC is committed to the belief in the worth of every person and faith in the power of love to overcome violence and injustice. The Trade Matters program was created in 2005. When work began on the U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement (FTA) last year, the program coordinator, Jessica Walker Beaumont, began a partnership with Natalia Cardona in AFSC's Latin America and Caribbean program in the Peacebuilding Unit to explore the linkages between trade and war. A new joint campaign on Trade and War is being developed. A recent article in PeaceWork, "The Human Costs of War in Colombia," by Jessica and Natalia, highlights some of this new analysis. To read the article online go to www.peaceworkmagazine.org/node/448.
Further information on Trade Matters is available at www.afsc.org/trade-matters/, or you may call Jessica at 973-643-1913.
The McCutchen Board of Trustees announced on January 25, 2007, the decision to close their historic senior care facility in North Plainfield, N.J. Opened in 1951 through a bequest from Margaret McCutchen, the home has provided care to hundreds of older adults over the last half century.
Rising costs, declining admissions, expensive repairs and maintenance, and the New Jersey Provider Assessment Tax have caused financial hardships.
James Whitely, Board chair, explained, "This was a difficult decision . . . but we felt it was necessary as stewards of the McCutchen. The home has incurred annual operating deficits of over $500,000 in each of the last three years and the future outlook is even less optimistic."
Lori Reading, executive director, spoke of the care that will be taken to ensure that current residents find satisfactory new housing. She said, "Our focus will be to assist residents in finding quality alternative living options and in assisting our staff in securing new employment. . . . I think I speak for everyone at the McCutchen when I say that we regard ourselves as family and we will proceed with this transition as we would if we were caring for our own family members."
The closing of the McCutchen's three facilities is scheduled for early summer of 2007. The future of the McCutchen property is uncertain at this time.
For more information, please call Lori Reading at 908-755-8600.
Judith Inskeep, Purchase Meeting
Purchase Meeting held a pizza-and-games night on Saturday, January 6. About 20 people, ranging from young children to grandparents, had a great time. The evening began with pizza and the desserts we had brought, and those who finished eating sooner got into small-group matches of Sorry and similar games. We then moved on to play a boisterous game of The Big Wind Blows and several rambunctious rounds of Elephant, Palm Tree, Skunk, followed by gorging on a chocolate fish while playing the Chocolate Game. One family followed through with the original sleepover plans—they took a full-moon walk in the cemetery! (No ghosts were reported.)
We had so much fun that we decided to do this again in three months.
Naomi Paz Greenberg, Flushing Meeting
A few weeks ago I was asked to participate in a year-long celebration of religious and cultural diversity in Flushing, Queens, one of the most diverse neighborhoods in all of the United States. The celebration will culminate on December 27, 2007, with a celebration of the 350th anniversary of the Flushing Remonstrance, which many believe was the foundational document that led to religious toleration in the U.S.
As diverse as Flushing seems from the outside, insiders know that each of the communities, the Chinese, Korean, Pakistani, Indian, Afghani, African American, Jewish, Muslim, to mention only a few, is really an insular community, so outreach has been difficult. Over the years, we have tried many things with little response and no lasting connections. So when I got invited to an event endorsed by the Queens borough president, one middle school and one high school, a secular Buddhist organization plus a few others I was glad to accept.
The first event took place on December 27, 2006, with keynote speakers in one of the school auditoriums, and ten a candle-light walk to a number of local landmarks closely connected to the Remonstrance including Bowne House, George Fox's Rock, the weeping beech trees, and of course, Flushing meetinghouse.
150 people, in three separate seatings, came into our meetinghouse and sat on our benches to hear a little about Quakers and how we worship. It seemed like a dream to me—people of every imaginable background and every color sat together in our meetinghouse, and did not seem inclined to leave. It was the highlight of the evening for me: a glimpse of what we could look like. But it was no dream—it was real.
This all started with a phone call ten days earlier, and involves all of the above mentioned organizations plus a community college program that is funded by a grant from the Ford Foundation, developing a "Difficult Dialogues" program for intercultural dialogue.This initiative celebrates an event that is part of the heritage of New York Yearly Meeting, which had its first gathering at Flushing meetinghouse. As other events are announced they will be posted in InfoShare or Spark. All Friends are welcome to participate.