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Everyone Invited to Representative MeetingMarch 31-April 1, 2001 at Albany Academy for Girls, 140 Academy Road, Albany, NY 12208 Representative Meeting will be held Saturday, March 31, and Sunday, April 1, at the Albany Academy for Girls, 140 Academy Avenue, Albany NY 12208, hosted by Northeastern Regional Meeting. There will be no Friday night program. Childcare during meeting times will be led by Diana De Blois. The theme will be Sharing and Caring for Each Other and Ourselves. Children will make houses for birds and stained glass for the ones we love and much more! Registration: Fill out the form on page 8. Mail the registration to Anita Paul. Make checks payable to Northeastern Regional Meeting. Hospitality, Meals, and Childcare: Please indicate your needs for hospitality and childcare, and also the meals you request, on the registration form. Send it as early as you can, but no later than March 16. Home hospitality may not be available if you register later than that. A program of activities for children during meeting times on Saturday is being planned. It is important to have the number and ages of children who plan to attend. Friends may also stay at Powell House. Rates [breakfast included] for either one night or both nights are the same: $40.00 for first person in room; $30.00 for second person; $10.00 for each additional person in same room.Albany Academy for Girls is entirely accessible, as it is all on one level, with a ramp at the entrance. The schedule is as follows:
Committee Meetings & Display Space: Committees can meet either 10:15 to 12:00 or 3:45 to 5:15. Requests for committee rooms and display space should go to Dorothy Garner by March 16. Agenda (at press time): Report from Ad Hoc Committee on the Function of New York Yearly Meeting, Spiritual Nurturance, and the Treasurer's Report. Further business is in preparation and may come before Representative Meeting. Regional Meetings are asked to forward business for Representative Meeting to the Yearly Meeting Clerk through the Yearly Meeting office. If Meetings have items for the agenda, please send them to the appropriate coordinating committee clerk: Ministry and Counsel, Ann Davidson; General services, Margery Rubin; Nurture, Margallen Fichter; or Witness, Anita Paul. Regional Meetings may forward business for Representative Meeting to the Yearly Meeting clerk via the Yearly Meeting office. Transportation: If requested, Friends arriving by plane at Albany International Airport, by train at the Albany-Rensselaer train station, or by bus at the Albany bus station can be picked up and taken to and from the academy. Study Groups and Interest GroupsFor many years Friends attending NYYM Sessions at Silver Bay attended special interest groups hosted by the coordinating committees. At the 2000 NYYM Sessions F/friends were able to select from a number of in-depth and spirit-led study groups. In their evaluations F/friends expressed an overwhelming appreciation for the study groups and requested that this new program addition be continued. Friends who chose not to participate in the study groups reported that they missed the briefer interest group format. In response to the evaluations the Sessions Committee, working in concert with the coordinating committees and the officers of the Yearly Meeting, have set aside six hours during the week at Silver Bay to provide both study groups and interest groups.The time allotted for study groups is approximately one hour and forty-five minutes per day for three days. Interest groups will be held one time only for approximately one hour and forty-five minutes. Friends wishing to facilitate a spirit-led, in-depth study group or an interest group need to do the following:
Unfortunately all proposals cannot be accepted. The coordinating committees will be responsible for selecting those proposals which they wish to sponsor. Please feel free to contact Kate Lawson or Linda Houser if you have any questions. Both of our names and addresses are listed in the NYYM Yearbook. Quakers around Our Yearly MeetingSpirit and Action at Spring GatheringOver 150 Friends of all ages from the Farmington-Scipio Region (Fredonia to Syracuse) gather each spring at Camp Asbury for a family weekend, inviting Friends from around the Yearly Meeting to join if they can. The conference center on Silver Lake is near Letchworth Park and Perry (south of Leroy). It will be held May 18-20, 2001.This year Michael Wajda and Alison Levie from Philadelphia Yearly Meeting will lead the Saturday-morning session May 19, sharing stories about their passion for Spirit and Action, especially as it relates to their own spiritual journeys. They say, "Michael is passionate about calling forth the deep place in every person that can transform our lives. Alison is passionate about trying to live a life that actively exemplifies the basic Quaker testimonies: peace, integrity, harmony, and simplicity." Ruth Kinsey, Farmington Meeting pastor, will lead the Bible study on related topics. Indian Land Claims Issues (Jody Pike, facilitator) and War Tax Witness of Friends Groups (Karen Reixach, facilitator) will be the subjects of interest groups at 3 o'clock on Saturday afternoon, May 19. The NYYM Prisons Committee will be meeting at 5 o'clock after a special session with the region's high school youth looking at prisons issues. The schedule allows time for dancing and singing, a campfire, good conversation around meal tables, and walks along the lake. Sunday-morning hymn singing and unprogrammed worship precede the business meeting of the Region, with more business following lunch. Children and young people will gather for their own program, which includes time for study, a service project, crafts, and plenty of time for play. Central Finger Lakes and Perry City Monthly Meetings are coordinating this year's gathering. Orchard Park, Collins, and Fredonia Monthly Meetings are organizing the children's program. Registration forms will be sent to meetings in the region in April, and early registration rates last until April 30. Registrar is Lise Kunkel--or call John Cooley. Getting to Know One AnotherNew York Quarterly Meeting Friends will gather on Saturday, April 28, at 15th Street meetinghouse for a day of community building, workshops, worship, fun, and business. Activities will include poetry, music, joy, worship, and business. Many activities will be intergenerational.The cafeteria will be turned into a morning cafe. Friends will be able to drop in and drop out as they please. Crayons, markers, paper, and mural supplies will all be on hand. There will also be a group meal preparation followed by meeting for eating. At press time the afternoon sessions are still being planned but are expected to include a worship sharing on the Future of the Quarter--concepts, plans, dreams, and a session on History of Friends in New York City. Please make every effort to join us for a day dedicated to getting to know one another. For further information contact Tom Rothschild, Ad Hoc Committee on Mission of Quakers in NYC.
The Spirit and the ArtsThe FWCC Spring Gathering for the Northeast Section of the Americas will be held June 1-3 in New Paltz, NY. The theme is The Spirit and the Arts: The Importance of the Process of Creativity in Our Daily Lives. (No prior experience in the arts is necessary; all are welcome!)The tentative program includes workshops on music, dance, art, stories, and other creative processes. Contact Robert Baldridge for more information. ArtQuakeThe fourth annual ArtQuake, the New York City Quaker Artist festival, will occur at Fifteenth Street Meeting on June 1 and 3. Tentative plans are to present a speaker or panel as well as a concert on Friday night, with several well-known Quaker artists being approached to appear, and our traditional schedule of exhibition, worship sharing, and performance on Sunday afternoon.Friends who would like to exhibit are invited to contact Louise Wolf. Those Friends who would like to perform, please contact Josh Ehrlich. For general information contact Stefan Killen. ArtQuakers are also planning our first annual Artbake! We plan to hold a combined bake and art sale, tentatively on April 22 at 12:15 P.M. Come support your local Quaker artists! Gary Sandman,
Bob Bacon Memorial FundYouth Service Opportunities Project (YSOP) has been given the 2000 grant from the Bob Bacon Memorial Fund of Old Chatham Monthly Meeting. YSOP facilitates teenagers' direct service to homeless populations through hands-on weekend workcamp programs, thus carrying on the witnessing to peace and justice that the Bob Bacon Fund supports.Inquiries and applications for the 2001 grant, which is modest, are now being accepted. Friends wishing to nominate a person or program for consideration are invited to address the Bob Bacon Memorial Fund, Old Chatham Monthly Meeting, 524 Pitt Hall Road, Old Chatham NY 12136. Postmark deadline is April 16. Lyle Jenks
www.nyym.orgFaith and Practice and the NYYM Handbook are available on our World Wide Web site. You may read them online or download them in PDF (portable document format). For PDF, you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your computer. You can download Acrobat Reader free simply by clicking on the link provided on the Web site. An advantage of using the PDF documents is that you can view and/or print them with large type.In addition, parts of the 2000 Yearbook are available for viewing on the Web. At this time, you'll find the Committee sections and the Regional and Monthly Meeting sections, as well as the minutes from Representative and Yearly Meeting sessions. The financial and statistical reports are also online. The NYYM Calendar is available on our Web site at www.nyym.org/calendar. We need your help in keeping this calendar accurate: We can't post events if we don't know about them! If your monthly or regional meeting or coordinating committee has an event (such as a retreat, a coordinating-committee weekend, a youth program, etc.), please let us know. You may write or call Paul Busby at the Yearly Meeting office or e-mail paul@nyym.org. Rochester Potluck/Movie NightsIn January, the Rochester Friends Meeting initiated a four-month series of Potluck/Movie Nights. Their purpose is to provide an opportunity for fellowship and discussion among Friends. Members and attenders were informally polled for movies they thought would be of interest; then the list of about 20 suggested movies was posted, and people checked the four they would most like to see. The four films selected are Inherit the Wind, Jesus of Montreal, The Last Temptation of Christ, and Dead Man Walking.Between 20 and 30 Friends have been attending. Evenings start with food and fellowship. The movies have been viewed in relative silence, but lively discussions have followed. While adults watch the movies, older children are provided with craft activities and games. Childcare is provided for younger children. For future movie series, Friends have suggested films that address issues of war and peace, life in third-world countries, and contemporary social problems such as drugs and crime or divorce. We are now compiling a series of films that would be interesting to both teenagers and adults and spark dialogue between us. Fred Halley,
NoticesThis column is prepared from information about membership received from the local meeting recorders.NEW MEMBERS
TRANSFERS
DEATHS
Quakers around the CountryFCNLThe Friends Committee on National Legislation seeks to bring spiritual values to bear on public-policy decisions. In a political atmosphere that has become increasingly partisan, we challenge ourselves to bring a witness of love to those we encounter in our political work. During the 107th Congress, we will promote dialogue and cooperation on the important issues facing our country. We hope that this dialogue will help create a greater sense of responsibility for good government. We will promote Quaker values of mutual respect, integrity, and a spirit of cooperation.FCNL has selected the following priorities on which to work during the 107th Congress:
FCNL will continue Friends' long-standing witness for the rights of conscience, and our historic commitments to Native American advocacy and to ending institutional racism. FCNL will also respond to Friends' concerns about the environment, as way opens. FCNL staff will work on these issues based on legislative opportunity, specific expertise and leadings, and time available. FCNL staff and Policy Committee have the flexibility, within the Statement of Legislative Policy, to respond to crises and important legislative opportunities. The General Committee calls upon its members, other Friends, and like-minded people to work on these issues. In addition to the issues that FCNL has the resources to address, many other deeply held concerns will continue to receive attention from individual Friends, monthly meetings and churches, yearly meetings, and other Quaker organizations. As we work to find solutions to complex problems, Friends seek divine guidance and ask for renewed strength and hope. Living and Learning in CommunityLiving and Learning in Community, a conference presented by Friends Association for Higher Education and Friends Council on Education, will be held June 14 17, 2001, at Guilford College, Greensboro, N.C. For information call 215-241-7245 or e-mail quakered@aol.com.Quakers and Racial JusticeQuakers and Racial Justice will be the theme of a Pendle Hill weekend being coordinated by the New York Yearly Meeting Black Concerns Committee, October 12-14, 2001.The weekend will include reports from Friends who attended the UN World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia, and Related Intolerance. The conference will be held in Durban, South Africa, August 31-September 7. For information about the United Nations conference contact Bahiya Cabral at AFSC bcabral@afsc.org; 215-241-7179 or Nissa Puffer at the Quaker UN office npuffer@afsc.org; 212-682-2745. But this will be more than just a reporting weekend. We can all stay home and read reports. We are inviting representatives from yearly meeting, quarterly meeting, and monthly meeting committees that are doing anti-racist work. Individual Friends actively involved, or who wish to become involved, in racial concerns are also encouraged to attend. We hope that by building community among Friends doing anti-racist work we can come up with a plan of action. Of course, as with any Pendle Hill weekend there will be worship, worship sharing, and fellowship. Interested? For more information contact Jeff Hitchcock. You may also write to: NYYM Black Concerns Committee, 15 Rutherford Place, New York NY 10003. Helen Garay Toppins, Clerk
Quaker Peace RoundtableA Quaker Peace Roundtable (QPR) will be held April 6-8, 2001, in State College, Pa. Activities will include worship, plenary roundtables, discussions, and 16 workshops on topics such as Music and Activism, Great Lakes Africa Peace Project, Peace Studies, AVP, The Environment and Peace Witness, Activist Self-Care and Avoiding Burnout, The Biblical Basis for Peacemaking, and other themes.The QPR is a project of State College, Pa., Friends Meeting, endorsed by Upper Susquehanna Quarterly Meeting and Baltimore Yearly Meeting, with grant support from Philadelphia Yearly Meeting. For further information contact Quaker Peace Roundtable 2001, State College Friends Meeting, 611 E. Prospect Av., State College PA 16801; e-mail qpr@quaker.org or visit the Web site www.quaker.org/qpr. USFWI-QMI Triennial in Ohio in JulyUnited Society of Friends Women, International (USFWI), and Quaker Men, International (QMI), are holding their fortieth Triennial July 5-8, 2001, in Cincinnati. Wilmington (Ohio) Yearly Meeting USFW and QM are hosts for this event.The theme for women's gatherings will be This Sacred Moment; for the men's gatherings, Ministering to a Hurting World. The four-day event will include music, speakers, and other programs. The registration form can be found in the January February issue of the Advocate. For further information, including programs and costs, contact Wilmington Yearly Meeting, Pyle Center Box 1194, 251 Ludovic St., Wilmington OH 45177; 937-382-2491. Death Penalty Curriculum on WebTeachers, students, and students of life will be interested in the Death Penalty Curriculum available on the World Wide Web. The curriculum was designed by the Michigan State University Communications Technology Laboratory, in conjunction with the Death Penalty Information Center. Lesson plans include materials suitable for middle-school and older students, including those at college level.To access the site, go to deathpenaltyinfo.msu.edu and the teachers' site, teacher.deathpenaltyinfo.msu.edu. Other Web sites on capital punishment include www.smu.edu/~deathpen/ and the site of New Yorkers against the Death Penalty, www.nyadp.org/. This site will link you to a variety of anti-death penalty resources. First Day SchoolsPendle Hill invites you to a religious education weekend, Preparing the Way: Writing, Developing, and Using Quaker Curricula, April 6-8, 2001, at Pendle Hill.Are you looking for ways to engage children, youth, and adults in First Day School? Preparation requires a thoughtful, prayerful, playful approach to curriculum and activities. Together we will reflect upon the philosophy and theology behind Quaker curricula through presentations, small and large group activities, games, journaling, worship, and sharing. Marsha Holliday will share with us how to evaluate, write, administer, and use curricula while Robin Wells tells us how to create games that support FDS curriculum. Marsha Holliday, a member of Langley Hill Monthly Meeting, recently published a high school/adult curriculum, Silent Worship and Quaker Values: An Introduction. Robin Wells is currently the First Day School Coordinator for Asheville Monthly Meeting (NC). For more information contact Michael Gibson, FGC, 1216 Arch Street, 2B, Philadelphia PA 19107; 215-561-1700; michaelg@fgcquaker.org. Can Anything Good Come Out of Prison?Prison Communities International is presenting a program with this theme on Saturday, March 24, 2001. The sponsors include Buddhist, Methodist, Presbyterian, Quaker, and other organizations. The Osborne Association is hosting the conference.Speakers and workshops will include:
This program will take place at the Landmark Center, 777 Old Saw Mill River Rd., Eastview NY (Elmsford area). The cost is $35; $20 for students; $10 for former inmates and prisoners' families. For further information contact Prison Communities International, 914-232-7566; fax 914-232-7701; pci19@juno.com. Celebrating Spiritual Care
Message from J. A. VlaskampThe Coordinating Committee for Ministry and Counsel (CCMC) has had two meetings since Yearly Meeting sessions in July--the fall retreat in October and at Representative Meeting in December.CCMC continues its concern for travel among Friends on several levels. These have been friendly visits during which a member of the committee worships with Friends in meetings other than their own with no specific agenda. We have been available to go to meetings with programs/workshops on areas of concern or interest. Leadership from within or outside the Yearly Meeting has been secured when that seemed appropriate. The Transition Fund has been used for some of the outside leadership. The committee is in the process of working with the Committee on Sufferings on its concern about whether there needs to be a change in its charge. The Spiritual Nurturance Program, which is an opportunity for friends and Meetings to deepen their spiritual life, has been revived through the willingness of several people to continue the work. The committee consists of Kathleen Lawson, convener, Julia Giordano, Scott Miller, John Perry, and Laura Higgins. We look forward to more information as the committee gets under the weight of its work. At the retreat the coordinating committee developed the questions to be used as the basis for the meetings to use for their State of the Society reports. A letter was sent to the clerks of meetings about the report and with the questions. The questions are:
The Coordinating Committee for Ministry and Counsel is open to hearing from meetings with questions and concerns about the life of the Spirit and will try to be of help in ways that seem appropriate. Joe Vlaskamp was clerk of the Coordinating Committee for Ministry and Counsel as of this writing. He died January 19th. Ann Davidson is the interim clerk of NYYM CCMC. Committee on SufferingsFor several years I have been serving as clerk of the Committee on Sufferings, and I think it is time to do a bit of advertising for our committee. The committee has not received many requests for assistance. Most of the few requests were for aid outside of the parameters of our charge by NYYM. Perhaps it is because no one knows who we are or what we are empowered by NYYM to do.What is the purpose of the Committee on Sufferings? The committee was set up in 1975 based on a leading of Ed Rogers of Shrewsbury Monthly Meeting. He proposed that there should be a way of providing financial aid and assistance to those who are suffering because of fidelity to Friends' testimonies. Who are these Friends? Any Friend who resides in the NYYM or a NYYM Friend who resides elsewhere. The committee is sensitive to the problem of deciding just who is a Friend, and may define a Friend as someone who has participated in worship or action as sufficient criterion. What kind of assistance is available? Financial assistance. How is an application made to the committee?
A letter from a Friend who is requesting aid should be sent to the clerk of the committee
explaining what is needed and what other sources of aid have been requested.
Carol Coulthurst, Clerk
Visitation CommitteeVisitation among Friends is a historic commitment of our Society and a special concern of the Coordinating Committee for Ministry and Counsel. In the past year we have found it to be a strengthening experience even as we have missed Leanna Goerlich's presence keenly and wondered how to be responsive to the changes in NYYM staffing. Recently, we committed to a second year of Friendly visits of worship and fellowship by Committee members to monthly and regional meetings. We seek to strengthen the connections among all of us. In the first year, 26 Meetings were visited in eight of the nine Quarters of NYYM.These visits do not require prior agenda setting and in that way are different from CCMC's role of providing support to Meetings requesting assistance with specific concerns. The latter form of visitation results in planned day- or half-day-long sessions and follows on an invitation from the Meeting. Four such visitations were made last year. In addition to our own members' leading to such service, we remind Friends that funds are available to cover the expenses of special visitors. The Visiting Ministry Program of FGC also provides a rich resource. Janet Carter, Clerk, Visitation Couple Enrichment: Growing in LoveWhen we signed up for our first Couple Enrichment workshop, little did we know how that experience would transform us and our 16-year marriage. That first workshop, held at Powell House on a Valentine's Day weekend, gave new life to our relatively strong but somewhat stale relationship. We felt newly in love. We were reminded of the many wondrous pieces that make us who we are, that brought us together in love those many years ago. We grappled with some tenacious issues and made progress where we had been stuck. And we saw the same transformation take place in seven other couples.That experience led us to begin the process of becoming Couple Enrichment leaders so we could share with others what had been given to us. Since that day, we have participated in or led several retreats. We also lead a monthly Couple Enrichment Group in our meeting. We have been blessed to be witness to miracles in relationships in our own relationship as well as others. Miracles that reveal the love, joy, nurturing, and peace that come when a couple is open to each other as conduits of God's love. How does that happen? The process seems so simple; yet the gifts are so profound. For example, one of the core pieces of a retreat is to affirm each other and the relationship; to tell each other what you like, what you are grateful for, what is special. So simple, yet so easily forgotten, or taken for granted, the longer a couple stays together. Another core piece of the retreat is communication skills, helping couples learn more effective and caring ways to talk with each other. Too often, couple communication can be territorial, protective, without respect, without really listening, without understanding and caring. In a workshop we are reminded of ways to communicate that promote deep understanding, deep connections with the person we love most in the world. In our first Couple Enrichment retreat, one person compared it to meeting for worship with a concern for business. At its best, our communication is worshipfully listening to, worshipfully attending to our partner, even in times of difficulty. Especially then. In a Couple Enrichment workshop we begin to see value in conflict, that conflict can be used creatively in our relationship. What a concept: the creative use of conflict so often used by Friends when talking of others. Conflict is inevitable. If we see it as an opportunity for growth, both individually and as a couple, it makes sense for us to come together to address our differences rather than let them separate and hurt us and our relationship. One of the most powerful pieces of a workshop is also perhaps one of the most intimidating. Much of a couple's discussion is done with other couples providing a loving support and acting as a container that creates a safe space for difficult work. In this space of worship, the dialoguing couple is held in the light, supported by the love and care of others who know intimately the deep pain and vital joy that infuse a long-lived relationship of love. This was a surprise to us in our first retreat, and the depth and power of this experience continue to surprise us. What a gift! What blessings! Now that we have been trained as Couple Enrichment leaders by Friends General Conference, we are available to lead a couples retreat for your monthly or quarterly meeting. Couple Enrichment for Friends is open to all couples in a loving, committed relationship, including gay and lesbian couples. For more information and/or to schedule a workshop, please contact us: Mary Kay Glazer and Mark Moss. Process of DiscernmentThe Epistle Committee is part of the Yearly Meeting's Ministry and Counsel Section. The committee is composed of about six members and has two basic tasks. One task is to prepare the New York Yearly Meeting Epistle, which is signed by the Clerk of the Yearly Meeting at the conclusion of summer sessions. The other task is to select several epistles from other Friends' bodies from around the world, to be read at meetings for business during summer sessions and representative meetings.Most members of the Epistle Committee consider that the work of the committee is done during summer sessions at Silver Bay. During this week-long gathering, the members of the committee gather several times to discuss the condition of New York Yearly Meeting and to identify those key aspects of summer sessions that should be included in the epistle. This ongoing discernment process results in the preparation of a draft epistle, which is given a first reading at a meeting for business late in the week of summer sessions. This reading usually prompts several Friends to make suggestions for improvement. The members of the Epistle Committee then gather, consider the suggestions, and incorporate as many of them as possible into a second draft. The second draft is read at a later business meeting, perhaps additional changes are made at that time, and then the epistle is approved. The final step in the process is to prepare a final thoroughly edited version of the epistle that the Clerk may sign. The epistle is then sent "to Friends Everywhere." The other work of the committee is to read epistles New York Yearly Meeting receives from other yearly meetings and Friends organizations around the world. Nearly every year, there are a few standout epistles that the committee members can agree on. Committee members take turns in reading these epistles as requested by the Clerk, during summer sessions and at representative meetings. In this way, Friends are able to hear how the truth is with Friends around the world. It is not uncommon for a Friend to ask a member of the Epistle Committee to provide a copy of a particularly moving epistle. In this way, the work of the Epistle Committee is part of the ministry of the Yearly Meeting. John Bishop, Clerk New Covenant Chain of PrayerThe theme for Friends United Meeting's 2001 Chain of Prayer focuses on the New Covenant. ". . . our sufficiency is from God, who qualified us to be ministers of a new covenant, not in a written code but in the Spirit; for the written code kills, but the Spirit gives life. . . . Since we have such a hope, we are very bold." (2 Cor 3:5-6;12)This chain of prayer runs from January 1 through June 3 this year. Through the Chain of Prayer, individuals and meetings have the opportunity to pray corporately for FUM's ministries, Meetings, and individual concerns. The Chain of Prayer also allows meetings to select a date when its Friends can hold each member, or specific meeting concerns, in the Light. Several Meetings within NYYM participate in this program. If your Meeting is interested in this, check out www.fum.org or contact me. Meetings sign up in the fall of each year for a 12-hour or 24-hour period. FUM has Chain of Prayer packets available at $10. Each packet contains poster, a sign-up sheet, a bulletin cover, lessons on prayer for children and youth, a suggested guide for praying, and specific prayer concerns for Friends United Meeting's ministries. I have participated in the Chain of Prayer over the past several years and have found it to be spiritually nurturing as well as affirming my connection to my Meeting and to Friends Meetings around the world. Ann Davidson, Interim Clerk
Parents as Resident TheologiansWanted: Parents and Religious Educators in Farmington-Scipio Region!Come join Renee-Noelle Felice, clerk of NYYM's Religious Education Committee, in an exploration of ways to communicate with our own children and the children in our meetings about the divine. Ths workshop will be held in Rochester, April 20-21, 2001. A program for children will take place simultaneously. Overnight hospitality may be available; please ask. Place: Rochester Meetinghouse; cost: $40/person including materials & meals. For registration contact Mary Kay Glazer. Voices from the FutureThe Ministry and Counsel Coordinating Committee decided to include messages from Friends under the age of thirty who have grown up in NYYM, telling us about their experiences. Included in this issue are responses from two Friends and an Epistle from Farmington-Scipio Regional Meeting Youth. We hope that you will find these articles informative and inspirational.Growing up in New York Yearly Meeting was very comfortable for me. I loved going to
Powell House, where I was inspired and deeply influenced by Patsy and Ed, and to Silver
Bay, where I enjoyed seeing old friends and making new ones. I liked babysitting at
Rochester Monthly Meeting and felt a strong connection to that meeting. I can't say,
however, that I felt very spiritually linked to the Yearly Meeting or to Quakerism in general.
Yearly Meeting, Powell House, and even my monthly meeting were social arenas important
ones--but not places where I thought much about God.
Patricia Reixach, Rochester Meeting Growing up in a Quaker Meeting
Perry Gorgen, Poughkeepsie Meeting Seven young Friends and three adults from Alfred, Central Finger Lakes, Perry City, Poplar
Ridge, and Syracuse Meetings gathered on December 8, 2000, at Graham and Edwin O's
house in Ithaca to drive to New York City. We received warm hospitality Friday night at
Purchase Meeting and were grateful to the Schlitts and Oltmans for a nourishing breakfast
Saturday morning. We were also grateful to Helen Garay Toppins for organizing Saturday in
New York City: the Brooklyn Museum of Art, Brooklyn Friends School, National Museum of
the American Indian, Staten Island Ferry ride, and dinner in Chinatown. Several of us
enjoyed Lyn Vlaskamp, who joined us midday.
In Faith, Farmington-Scipio Regional Meeting Teens Marrying and Recording GiftsTwo Yearly Meeting pamphlets, Marrying under the Care of Friends and Recording Gifts in Ministry, have been posted on the NYYM Web site. At this time there are links to these publications from the home page. In addition, you may find them by going to www.nyym.org/pubs/Marry/ and www.nyym.org/pubs/recording.From the NYYM Advices: 11. In the contemplation of marriage, Friends should seek divine guidance. Marriage is a life-long union of spiritual as well as temporal concerns and presents considerations of vital importance. When two persons are united in their religious faith, they are likely to find not only a firmer bond of union but also greater strength in fulfilling all of life's undertakings. Therefore, Friends contemplating marriage should early acquaint their families and meetings with their intentions, seeking their approval, that they may avoid the far-reaching consequences of hasty and ill-considered action. It is tenderly recommended that Friends keep to the simple and solemn form for our marriage ceremony. (Faith and Practice)
Earthquake ReliefEarlier this year in El Salvador, two earthquakes, exactly a month apart, left hundreds dead, thousands injured, and many more thousands homeless. During the same period, earthquakes in India left at least 20,000 dead, hundreds of thousands injured, and uncountable people without homes or a means of livelihood.Friends may contribute to relief efforts through AFSC, UNICEF, Oxfam America, and Doctors without Borders. These organizations are providing such items as drugs and medical supplies, safe water, and teaching and learning materials for schools. To donate through AFSC, make out a check to AFSC marked "El Salvador Earthquake Assistance" or "India Earthquake Assistance" and mail it to AFSC Development, 1501 Cherry St., Philadelphia PA 19102. You can also contribute on-line using AFSC's secure donation page, at www.afsc.org, or call 888-588-2372, ext. 1, to donate via Visa or MasterCard. Donations to UNICEF may be made online at www.supportunicef.org/forms/whichcountryz.htm or by mail to UNICEF, 3 United Nations Plaza, New York NY 10017. Online donations to Doctors without Borders may be made at www.dwb.org. You may make donations by phone at 888-392- 0392 or mail a check to Doctors without Borders, 6 East 39th St., New York NY 10016. To donate to Oxfam America, go to www.oxfamamerica.org/help/donate.html, call 800-OXFAM-US, or mail a check to Oxfam America, Box 1745, Boston MA 02105-1745. Quakers around the WorldMontclair Friend in Johannesburg and Burundi
The six-hour trip to Kigali by the Titanic Bus was comfortable and allowed views of the
countryside of the northern provinces of Burundi and southern provinces of Rwanda.
Willard and Doris Ferguson, Friends missionaries (Kansas YM) in Burundi for many years,
and in Rwanda since 1986, welcomed us to their home. In their 14 years in Rwanda, the
Fergusons have seen the Eglise Evangelique des Amis du Rwanda grow to some 6,000
members.
Carolyn Keys
USFWI in KenyaWhenever I visit United Society of Friends Women International (USFWI) women around the world, I come away renewed, encouraged, and ready to keep working among Friends. Such was my experience this past December, when four of us from the USFWI Executive Committee visited 12 annual USFWI meetings in Kenya. Margaret Stoltzfus, Iowa YM; Peggie Baxter, North Carolina YM; Winnie Enyart, Indiana YM; and I were blessed to be among many Quaker women I would guess between 4,000 and 5,000 of them! Kenya USFWs hold their annual meetings in December, when they can meet in schools that are out of session. The USFWs varied in size from 180 to more than 2,000 in attendance. Rich and Sandy Davis, FUM's field staff at Friends Theological College in Kaimosi, opened FTC's guest house to us, transported and escorted us over smooth, rough, and nonexistent roads from Vihiga YM to Nandi YM USFWIs. Sandy was a part of the USFWI meetings, but Rich enjoyed just being the "driver."The warm welcome and hospitality that the Apostle Peter talked about (1 Peter 4:8) was in ample evidence wherever we traveled. In Naivasha while we were attending Nairobi USFWI, we stayed in a teacher's home and slept in her family's beds. Wherever we went, we were always offered water to wash our hands before tea or a meal a tradition that I find I look forward to experiencing. I received lots of smiles when my eyes would light up at the sight of ugali, the Kenyan staple made from ground maize. (The other three travelers did not share my delight!) We were given every comfort available. Our sisters in Christ went out of their way to make sure that we understood what was being said if it wasn't in English. I reveled in the singing, sometimes in English but most often in other languages. We heard songs that the early missionaries had taught in English, tunes we recognized with words in another language, and songs that are indigenous to East African Christians. I came away wondering how we in the U.S. can stand so still when expressing our love and joy in the Spirit. Christmas carols were sometimes sung, first in English and then in Kiswahili, or both at the same time. It was a mutual sharing in the Spirit and an openness to experiencing all that God had for each one of us, Kenyan USFWI or travelers from the States. The Spirit was in the midst of their gatherings, and we heard several gifted women pastors share a message that had been laid on their hearts. We were members, one of another, and I felt that connection of Love and Light long after we left Nairobi on December 15. Ann Davidson, Presiding Clerk, USFWI
Employment OpportuntiesDirector Needed at FUMFriends United Meeting is looking for a director of North American Yearly Meeting relations. Applicants must be committed to FUM's vision statement: "Friends United Meeting commits itself to energize and equip Friends through the power of the Holy Spirit to gather people into fellowship where Jesus Christ is known, loved and obeyed as Teacher and as Lord."Responsibilities include communicating FUM's message across the FUM constituency and to the public; facilitating communication among FUM yearly meetings; helping keep FUM aligned with its purpose statement; and inspiring the general board and triennial sessions with vision and challenge. An applicant should be a dedicated and growing Christian in active membership in a Friends meeting/church; have a college degree (advanced degree preferred) with emphasis on theology; have excellent writing, public speaking, and listening skills; have the ability to work with committees and to help translate vision into effective programs; and be free to travel. Pastoral experience is desirable. Contact Retha McCutchen, FUM, 101 Quaker Hill Dr., Richmond IN 47374-1980; 765-962-7473; fax 765-966-1293.
FWCC Associate SecretaryAnnis Bleeke, Associate Secretary in the FWCC World Office in London, was reappointed by the 20th Triennial for a term ending at a date to be determined in 2002. A search group appointed by the Interim Committee to locate her successor is preparing application materials and determining a suitable process. They expect that applications will close on 31 October 2001, and that shortlisted applicants will be interviewed in February/March 2002, with a view to begin service on or after 1 June 2002.This is 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 this becomes vacant in 2004. Further detailed announcements will be circulated shortly. Meanwhile, please encourage suitable experienced Friends who might be called to this service to register their interest with the World Office. They will be sent the application materials when ready. Contact Elizabeth Duke, FWCC, 4 Byng Place, London WC1E 7LE, UK; telephone: +44 020 7388 0497; fax: +44 020 7383 4644; e-mail: elizabethd@fwcc.quaker.org.
Aboriginal AffairsCanadian Yearly Meeting has accepted the task the FWCC Triennial offered it in minute 31, to establish a network of Friends around the world concerned for issues that involve indigenous peoples. The work is being undertaken by the Quaker Aboriginal Affairs Committee of Canadian Friends Service Committee. If you know of Friends who should be part of this network, please invite them to contact Jennifer Preston Howe at 60 Lowther Av., Toronto, ON M5R 1C7, Canada; qaac@web.ca.
Friend in Residence in CambridgeFriends Meeting at Cambridge, MA, is seeking applicants for the position of Friend in Residence. This appointment involves being active in the life of the meeting and in the larger community of Friends, and being a Friendly presence at the Friends Center. The position offers a stipend, benefits, and apartment at the Friends Center. The Meeting also employs a full-time administrative secretary, a part-time facilities manager, and a part-time First Day school coordinator.Friends Meeting at Cambridge is a large unprogrammed meeting in an urban setting. They have meetings for worship on Sunday mornings and evenings, a First Day school, and a midweek meeting for worship. The Meeting has an active peace and social justice witness. Large numbers of visitors come to the Meeting on Sundays and on weekdays as well. Many young adults come to the Meeting seeking a spiritual home. There are many active, long-time Friends in the Meeting, as well as elderly members who are ill or homebound. It is an ongoing challenge for the whole Meeting to develop and sustain a sense of community among such a heterogeneous population spread over a large geographical area. They are looking for an experienced and gifted Friend. Interested Friends should write to the Friend in Residence Search Committee, 5 Longfellow Park, Cambridge MA 02138 or e-mail FMCsearch@aol.com to request a job description. Letters of interest and resumes will be accepted until the position is filled.
AFSC Development AssistantAFSC New York Metropolitan Regional Office is seeking a temporary part-time development assistant to provide support for two Development Officers in New York City. Candidate must have computer skills and be able to relate comfortably with people from every background and all walks of life. The assistant will write basic letters; maintain files for grants officer; maintain database records and generate receipts, letters, and reports from Raiser's Edge; answer phones; help organize meetings and special events; and take minutes. S/he will maintain relationships with mid-level donors by mail and phone. Temporary position is for 21 hours per week. Salary commensurate with experience. The successful temporary assistant may be considered for permanent position with benefits. Please contact:Anne E. Wright, Assistant to the Regional Director, AFSC NYMRO,15 Rutherford Pl., New York NY 10003; 212-598-0951; awright@afsc.org. Opportunities for Younger FriendsThe Quaker UN Office in New York appoints two interns each year, and the Quaker UN Office in Geneva appoints a program assistant (who must be eligible for employment in the European Union). The Quaker Council for European Affairs (QCEA) appoints two assistants to its office in Brussels. All these positions are for young people at graduate or equivalent level. Each of the Quaker UN Offices runs a summer school, and the QCEA Office offers study tours. Please encourage suitable younger Friends to consider these opportunities. Details can be obtained from the QUNO offices as listed in the calendar and from QCEA at 50 Square Ambiorix, B-1000 Brussels, Belgium; qcea@ngonet.be.Each year the Quaker office to the United Nations runs a summer school in Geneva, Switzerland. The school offers students 20 to 26 years old an opportunity to study first-hand Quaker international peace work and the work of the UN. There are no formal qualifications for students; however, they should have an active interest in international affairs and the desire to share understanding with others. This year's session is July 1-13. To see whether applications are still being accepted, send a large SASE (or from outside the United Kingdom, an international reply coupon) to Quaker Peace and Social Witness (QUNSS), Friends House, 173-177 Euston Rd., London NW1 2BJ, UK; julianh@quaker.org.uk. You can find out more at www.quno.org. Back to contents
The World Council of Churches (WCC) is launching a peace initiative based in local
worshiping communities. Titled Decade to Overcome Violence, the leading for it arose at
the 1998 WCC Assembly in Harare with the active support of Friends and other peace
churches. A brochure describing the initiative is available. We encourage you to make it
known in your meetings and churches. FWCC welcomes reports of Friends' participation in
Decade to Overcome Violence and will share those with Friends worldwide through our
publications. Multiple copies of the brochure in many languages and further information
about it are available from the WCC at P.O. Box 2100, 1211 Geneva 2, Switzerland;
telephone 41.22 791 60 42; fax: (41.22) 791 64.09; e-mail: dov@wcc-coe.org;
www.wcc-coe.org.
A report of the 8th International Conference on War Tax Resistance and Peace Tax
Campaigns is available. Friends who are concerned for these aspects of peacemaking are
invited to contact Peace Tax Foundation, 2121 Decatur Pl., Washington DC 20008; 888-PEACETAX;
info@peacetax.com; www.peacetax.com.
Motels in the Area of Representative MeetingThis is a listing of some local motels convenient to Albany Academy: Howard Johnson, (518) 462-6555
Motel 6, (518) 438-7447
Quality Inn, (518) 465-8811
Stone Ends Motel, (518) 449-5181
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