New York Yearly Meeting
of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers)
Volume 32
Number 3 		SPARK
15 Rutherford Place
New York, NY 10003 		May 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
newyorkym@earthlink.net

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

Contents

FAITH IN THE NEW MILLENNIUM
Silver Bay, New York,  July 22-28, 2001

Setting the Table for Yearly Meeting 2001: Opening to New Life

In February, Liaison and Sessions Committees met to develop a schedule for Yearly Meeting sessions. Each committee had met in the fall, to review evaluations from Yearly Meeting 2000 and to begin to discern what the year following a year of Jubilee might look like.
     A number of themes emerged from the evaluations: appreciation of the time set aside for fellowship, rest, and re-creation, as well as the opportunity for in-depth spiritual study; affirmation of the effort to eliminate "busyness"; gratitude for the many opportunities for worship and worshipful attention to leadings coming forth within the Yearly Meeting.
     Liaison and Sessions Committees met in worship and fellowship so that we might develop a schedule responsive to the themes that emerged from the evaluations, through anecdotal conversations, and in prayer. Sessions Committee has sometimes been described as the committee that "sets the table" for Yearly Meeting sessions, and when we met that weekend we felt ourselves called to set a table that would allow for the more centered and contemplative rhythm so many had noted with appreciation.
     Keeping all this in mind, at Yearly Meeting sessions this year, spiritual study groups will once again be offered, along with the more informational "interest" groups offered in the past; "travel time" will be provided between sessions, committee meetings, and activities; a period of time for rest and re-creation will follow lunch; business sessions will be longer, to allow the time necessary for worship and deep listening.
     A number of messages and recommendations that had arisen out of worship and worship sharing in the fall were shared and reaffirmed. It was felt that these practices would serve to deepen our meetings for worship with attention to business. They were subsequently received and affirmed by Friends present at Coordinating Committee weekend in March:
  • To come to our committee and business meetings both inwardly and outwardly prepared - to have familiarized ourselves with the business under consideration and with Friends' manner of conducting business, and to have spent time in silent worship and prayer.
  • To conduct our committee meetings as meetings for worship with attention to the business of the particular committee.
  • To begin and conclude our committee meetings with worship, and to return to worship throughout, as led; to wait expectantly for divine guidance.
  • To understand that our committees are places where leadings are tested and concerns are seasoned, where we ask, "Is this a matter for the entire Yearly Meeting? Is God asking that we bring this forward? Is bringing it forward an act of obedience?"
  • For reports to include the spiritual basis of the committee's work, to be written in such a way as to tell the story of a leading and our faithful response. How has God been at work in the committee, over time?
  • For reports to be written and given in such a way that a first-time attender to Representative or Yearly Meeting sessions might understand.
  • For reports and draft minutes to be written and made available to the clerk and to the recording clerk in advance of business sessions - attending to the routine in advance, so as to allow more time and space for the Spirit to move among us.
  • For reports to be offered as messages out of the silence, and for Friends to be prepared to hear, receive and respond from that place of deep listening.

     At this time we feel led to look for patterns in the movement of the Spirit, with an eye toward the possibility of clustering related items of business, memorial minutes, epistles. We agreed also to continue use of the "consent agenda," when appropriate. (A consent agenda includes routine items of business that are proposed for action without discussion. Items included on the consent agenda, the proposed action, and sources of information are made available before the agenda is brought forward).
     We are clear we seek not to fill time slated for business; rather we are called to listen and to be faithful to the leadings of God.
     We feel this time in the life of our Yearly Meeting to be one of opportunity to prune away the dry and the lifeless, to open ourselves to the possibility and recognition of new growth, new call. Perhaps the question we might ask ourselves in private prayer, in our monthly meetings, in our committees, and in Yearly Meeting sessions is: Does what is coming forward have Life?

Linda B. Chidsey, clerk
New York Yearly Meeting

     

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If you have questions about Yearly Meeting Sessions at Silver Bay, these Friends can help you.
  • For general scheduling information ask Dawn DiGiovanni, clerk of Sessions.
  • Matters that relate directly to Silver Bay arrangements ask Maurice Coleman, Silver Bay liaison.
  • Junior Yearly Meeting questions should be directed to Eric Harris-Braun or Rose Lynn, Junior Yearly Meeting coordinators.
  • Financial assistance questions ask Jens Braun, clerk of the Advancement Committee.
  • Special needs -- Barbara Roe, clerk of Disability Concerns.
  • Questions about display arrangements ask Katherine Wood.
  • Agenda items for the business sessions, contact Ann Davidson for Ministry and Counsel; Margery Rubin for General Services; Margallen Fichter for Nurture; Anita Paul for Witness; or Linda Chidsey, NYYM Clerk.
All these Friends are listed in the Yearbook and are also on Joe Condon's NYYM e-mail list. You may also contact them via the Yearly Meeting office.

For registration questions contact Helen Garay Toppins, NYYM Administrative Secretary, at the NYYM office, 15 Rutherford Place, New York NY 10003; 212-673-5750, or newyorkym@earthlink.net .

Circle of Young Friends: Friends ages 18-35 will gather at Silver Bay for community building, worship sharing, and fun and games. High school seniors welcome. Details will be in the Silver Bay program. Come join us!

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START HERE if You are Going to Silver Bay

This issue of Spark covers explanations about various aspects of attending Yearly Meeting at Silver Bay, gives fee schedules , and provides registration forms for adults and JYMers . Note that financial aid is available!
      Who needs to register? Everyone, infants through adults. There is one registration form for adult registrants and one for Junior Yearly Meeting participants (click links above). A separate form must be filled out for each individual attending Yearly Meeting. Print the registration forms and mail them. Preregistration is expected of all who will be coming even for a single meeting, including off-campus attenders and daily commuters. Registration consists of:
  1. a completed Registration Form.
  2. a registration fee check made out to New York Yearly Meeting in the appropriate amount. Note: there is no registration fee for children under the age of 3, but they must preregister.

      How much does registration cost? See table below. Note that the costs increase the later registration is received by the New York Yearly Meeting Office.

     
    Until
July 10 		July
11-21 		After
July 22
Adults $25 $50 $60
JYM Youth
(ages 3-18) 		$10 $20 $25
Per day fee* $ 5 $10 $15
*Applies only to those attending less than half session.


     Family groups pay a maximum of $60 until July 10, after which this upper limit no longer applies. A family group is one or two adults and their dependent children.
      Where do I/we stay at Silver Bay? You decide among the following options:

  1. At Silver Bay. Silver Bay offers rooms at four different price ranges. Please refer to chart for details about the rooms and the cost of each option. For this option please note your preferences on the registration form.
  2. At nearby campgrounds or motels. There is no camping at Silver Bay, but there are campgrounds and numerous motels nearby. Those choosing this option must make their own arrangements. See the section on Camping and Motels, which contains addresses and phone numbers.
  3. Commuting or other off-campus options. Again, you make your own arrangements.

All off-campus and day registrants must pay a Day Use Fee to Silver Bay, which allows use of the facilities, including the swimming areas, gym, art center, and boathouse. Click here for the fee rates.
      What about meals? Meals are included in the room fees for those staying at Silver Bay. All others must purchase meal tickets. See Staying off Campus for meal prices. Please refer to the section on Food Service for more information.
      How do I register children or teens? First read the JYM section . Use one registration form for each child. Be sure to include on the form:

  1. parent or guardian's signature stating that both Junior Yearly Meeting attender and parent/guardian have read the JYM Rules and Agreements
  2. name of sponsor at Yearly Meeting if other than parent/guardian

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On Your Way to Silver Bay

Adirondack Friends Meeting extends an invitation to all Friends who wish to visit on Sunday, July 30, on their way to Silver Bay. Programmed Meeting for Worship will be held at 10:30 A.M.
     Adirondack is the meeting closest to Silver Bay, making this a convenient place to break your journey. If they plan to attend, Friends can write or call David Herendeen, pastor.

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Disability Concerns at Silver Bay

Something New - This year anyone who indicates special needs on their registration will receive a form to fill out and return to Barbara Roe. The form is also available on the Web at www.nyym.org/silverbay. Barbara will be the NYYM special-needs coordinator at Silver Bay. The form will request specific information on your disability, which will be kept confidential. This information will help the Disability Concerns Committee be better prepared to meet Friends' needs. At Silver Bay, Disability Concerns will have a table near the NYYM conference desk. It will be staffed one hour in the morning and one hour in the afternoon or evening.
     There will also be opportunities for Friends to be Disability Concerns volunteers - at mealtime, driving a Friend to a meeting, or staffing our table. A checkbox for volunteers is on the registration form.

Housing - There are five mobility-accessible sleeping rooms, with bathrooms, on the first sleeping floor of the Inn that are reserved for those using wheelchairs (and their roommates). One-tenth of the rooms in the Inn will be reserved for people who, for any reason, find it physically difficult to room elsewhere. These rooms will be held ONLY UNTIL JULY 1, and then will be released for general availability.
     Two shower/tub transfer benches have been donated to Silver Bay. This will make some less expensive rooms in the Inn available to those whose limitations fall in this category.
     If you have a disability or illness that makes it hard for you to climb hills or steps, please make sure that you sign up early, and request one of the reserved rooms. Financial assistance is available from the Advancement Committee to help with additional expenses.
     Friends who are unable to transfer themselves to and from wheelchair/bed, etc. and require special assistance with dressing, bathing, or other personal needs must arrange this personal assistance on their own and must have the person assisting stay in their room. The caregiver must be in attendance for the length of the stay of the person requiring this type of specialized help. Silver Bay will offer a special reduced rate for the person assisting.

Worship and Meetings - The people who set up the Worship Sharing groups need to know if you have hearing or physical problems so that note takers can be provided, or accessible locations allocated. Please indicate on your registration form if you will require such assistance.
     If a meeting or an event you would like to attend is being held in a location that is inaccessible to you, please notify the Yearly Meeting office immediately so the meeting can be scheduled for an accessible location, if possible.

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12-Step Meetings at Silver Bay


     For many years a 12-Step meeting has been included at 10 P.M. Monday-Friday in the schedule for Yearly Meeting sessions at Silver Bay. Nurture Coordinating Committee has oversight of this but needs to hear from people who would be willing to take responsibility for one or more of these meetings. To volunteer, please contact Margallen Fichter, 50 Parkwood Street, Albany New York 12208; 518-489-1416; margallen@juno.com .

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Building an Inclusive Community

We want Yearly Meeting to be a place of safety, trust, loving care, and renewal, all of which include children and teens as an integral part. To attain this goal fully requires the positive participation of everyone. Friends of all ages are asked to care for each other, to look out for each other's safety and well-being, to help each other when they can, and to respect each other's needs for quiet and privacy. If you see a problem developing, please try to help. Direct and loving intervention may be the most appropriate step.
     Friends in need of help may turn to the JYM Committee or to Ann Davidson, clerk of the Coordinating Committee for Ministry and Counsel.

Experience has shown that rules are necessary to ensure smooth functioning and avoid harm. Rules for Yearly Meeting and Junior Yearly Meeting have been established by the YM Sessions Committee, the JYM Committee, and the Silver Bay administration.

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Silver Bay Rules

Guests are required:

  1. To wear a badge on campus . You will be responsible for infractions by someone else wearing your badge.
  2. To observe safety precautions , such as:
    • Swimming only at stated times and places;
    • Smoking only outdoors where permitted;
    • Wearing shoes where food is being served;
    • Refraining from use of alcohol and illegal drugs on campus;
    • Using only those sleeping rooms reserved for your use. Any changes after check-in MUST be cleared with Silver Bay.
    • Observing quiet time after 11 P.M. ;
    • Not using sleeping bags or otherwise camping on the grounds or in the public facilities.
  3. To observe regulations against:
    • Using cars as sleeping accommodations;
    • Bringing pets onto the Silver Bay campus;
    • Removing linens or furnishings from the rooms;
    • Parking in undesignated areas;
    • Bringing alcohol or illegal drugs on campus.

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JYM and Sessions Committees Rules

Attenders are required:
  1. To observe safety precautions such as: maintaining contact between children and parent(s), guardians, or sponsors at regular, daily intervals;
  2. If under 18 years old:
    1. to register with Junior Yearly Meeting in the company of the parent, legal guardian, or sponsor;
    2. to cluster (sleep in a room near) the parent(s), guardian, or sponsor;
    3. to have a valid medical consent form signed by a parent or guardian (medical forms will be mailed to JYM registrants);
    4. to attend the activities of the JYM to which assigned.
  3. If parent(s), guardians, or sponsor for a child under 18 years old, to assume responsibility for the safety and well-being of that person.
  4. If responsible for a child or to an adult, to agree and commit to a specific bedtime and a daily check-in, and to specify these agreements on the signed agreement form to be submitted to the JYM registrar at the time of registration. Agreement forms will be mailed to JYM registrants.
  5. If 18 years or older, to register with Yearly Meeting.
  6. To be in own room by 1 A.M.

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Staying on Campus

Room Reservations
Send all registration forms and YM registration fees to the NYYM office. NYYM will send your reservation forms to Silver Bay, which will acknowledge your room reservation and request a nonrefundable room deposit of $50 per person, which will be applied to your final bill. Do not send room deposits to the NYYM office. The balance of the Silver Bay charges should be paid at the SBA Desk before you leave. Silver Bay cannot guarantee housing or food for those who don't preregister.
     Preference for rooms is given to those who stay for the entire week. Rooms are assigned in the order in which requests are received. It is advisable to register early.
     All rooms have double occupancy. Beds for children may be added to the larger rooms. If you require a single room we suggest you find accommodations off campus.
     If no rooms are available at your price, you may be assigned to a room at a higher price. You will receive prior notice if this is necessary.
     A few double beds are available in the highest-priced rooms in the Inn. If you would like one, please indicate that on your registration form. Room reservations will not be held after 6:00 P.M. unless the room is completely prepaid or you call Silver Bay to notify them of your late arrival. If you need to cancel, call Silver Bay (518-543-8833) directly, so your room can be assigned to someone else.
     Silver Bay room check-in begins at 3 P.M. on Sunday, July 22. Checkout time is 11:00 A.M. daily. Luggage can be left in designated areas after checking out. Those not out of their rooms by 11:00 A.M. will be charged for an extra day. No refunds are issued for early departures, unless arrangements are made prior to checkout.
     All rates are per person and include a modest gratuity. There is a box at the SBA desk for those who wish to show further appreciation to the employees.
     Suites in Bayview and the Inn have a surcharge of $25 per day, in addition to all other charges, if occupied by fewer than three persons. Inn suites are 116, 128, 130, 216, 228, and 230; Bayview suites are 1, 2, and 3.
     People age 13 and older pay the adult rates and can room with another of the same age or older.
     The Half-Conference rate is for those attending from Sunday 7/22 to Wednesday 7/25 or Wednesday 7/25 to Saturday 7/28. The Extra Day rates are for those who wish to arrive on Saturday 7/21. Silver Bay does not guarantee that you will be assigned to the same room on the extra day.
      Clustering (staying in rooms that are close together) is required of all parents/guardians/sponsors and the children they are supervising. Voluntary clustering is available for family groups or others who wish to be housed together. Send your registrations together in the same envelope.
      No one should go to Silver Bay without an advance registration with New York Yearly Meeting and assurance from Silver Bay that there is room for you.

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Staying off Campus

ALL OFF-CAMPUS AND DAY REGISTRANTS MUST PAY A DAY USE FEE
TO SILVER BAY UPON FIRST ARRIVAL

Off-Campus and Day Registrants
Friends camping, commuting, or taking rooms off campus are asked to give their addresses for the week on the registration form. Otherwise, please supply this information when picking up the badges. Badges are required for all attenders. Replacement charge for lost badges is $2.50.
     People staying on campus pay for the use of facilities through their lodging costs; those living off campus and daily commuters pay for the use of the facilities through an off-campus fee, paid when checking in at Silver Bay.
      The fees for the use of facilities are as follows:

   
Individual $12 for one day*
Individual $56 for the week*
Family $143 for the week*
*Please add $2 /person for name badge

   
Meal tickets for the Silver Bay dining room can be purchased at the Inn front desk in advance of desired meals. The cost per meal is:

   
Breakfast $   6.00
Lunch $   8.00
Dinner $12.00

A special rate may be obtained if meals are bought as a "package," though this can be done only on July 22, upon arrival. These package rates are:
Six breakfasts $30.00
Six lunches $45.00
Six dinners $66.00

If you intend to buy meal tickets when you arrive at Silver Bay, please indicate this on your registration form.
     A name badge must be worn and a meal ticket purchased by anyone staying off campus who wants to eat in the dining room.

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REMINDER: All Off-Campus Registrants Must Report to the Yearly
Meeting Desk AND the Silver Bay Registration Desk upon Arrival.

   

Nearby Motels

Silver Bay vicinity (address: Hague, NY 12836):


    Northern Lake George Resort (518-543-6577)
    Trout House Resort (518-543-6088)
    Hague Motel (518-543-6631)
    Ruah Bed & Breakfast (518-543-8816)
    The Locust Inn (518-543-6035)

Ticonderoga vicinity (14 miles north) (address: Ticonderoga, NY 12883):

    Lord Howe Valley Motel (518-585-7454)
    Green Acres Motel (518-585-2274)
    Latchstring Motel (518-585-2875)
    Circle Court Motel (518-585-7660)
    Belfred Court Motel (518-585-7000)
    Super 8 Motel (518-585-2617)
    American International (518-585-7353)
    Stone Wells Farm B&B (518-585-6324)

Campsites

There is no camping space available on-site at Silver Bay. Campsites Friends have used in the past are listed here:

    Wintergreen Lake Campsite , Hague, NY 12836; 518-543-6571 or 518-543-7773. Four miles west of Hague, off Route 8, about 8 miles from Silver Bay campus.
    Green Acres Campsite , Hague, NY 12836; 518-543-6645. 1/2 mile west of Hague on Route 8, about 4 1/2 miles from Silver Bay.
    Rogers Rock Forest Preserve State Campground , Ticonderoga, NY (for reservations, call 800-456-2267). Eight miles north of Silver Bay on Route 9N.
Early reservations are advised. You may wish to notify the manager that you are attending the YM at Silver Bay so that you can be near other Friends.

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Financial Assistance Available for Silver Bay

The Advancement Committee encourages Friends to attend Yearly Meeting. Part of this program includes providing modest financial support to as large a number of people as possible. Funds are available from the Operating Budget and the Leach Fund. Friends are encouraged to seek financial assistance from their Monthly Meeting first.
     Friends are asked to apply for amounts based upon the least expensive accommodations. Friends who need to stay in more expensive rooms because of physical disabilities have also received aid. Grants are usually limited to 1/3 of your expenses. Priority will be given to first-time attenders, those people with regular contact with monthly meetings, and those with special circumstances.
     The total amount of funds is quite limited: all funds will be distributed by July 6 and are not transferable.
     To apply for aid, fill out the financial aid section on the Yearly Meeting Registration Form. There must be a separate Yearly Meeting Registration Form for each person (including children) who requests aid. A confirmation slip will be mailed to you by July 13 indicating the level of aid you will receive. This confirmation slip must be presented to the Silver Bay desk as part payment of your bill.

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NYYM Registration Fees

New York Yearly Meeting registration fees (not to be confused with the room deposit for Silver Bay) must be included with the completed registration form for everyone (age three and older) attending any portion of the Yearly Meeting sessions. This includes guests, visitors, people commuting from home, and those who plan to be there only a short time. Children age two and under must be listed on their own registration form but are exempt from registration fees. Make checks payable to New York Yearly Meeting.
      Early registration is critical to assist in JYM, NYYM, and Silver Bay planning.
     The Yearly Meeting office will forward your form to Silver Bay in the order in which they are received until July 16. After that date, room reservations must be arranged directly with Silver Bay Association (518-543-8833) and it may not be possible to get i room at Silver Bay. All room assignments are made by Silver Bay.
      Registration fees. Family groups pay a maximum of $60 until July 10. After July 10, registration fees increase and the family unit upper limit no longer applies. A "family group" is one or two adults and the dependents for whom they are responsible. All members of a family group must send their registrations in at the same time and must cluster together at Silver Bay.
    Until
July 10 		July
11-21 		After
July 22
Adults $25 $50 $60
JYM Youth
(ages 3-18) 		$10 $20 $25
Per day fee* $ 5 $10 $15
*Applies only to those attending less than half session.

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About Silver Bay
87 Silver Bay Road, Silver Bay, NY 12874
518-543-8833
www.silverbay.org

The Silver Bay Association is a YMCA Christian conference center serving individuals, families, and groups. Through its programs and activities, the association seeks to strengthen the application of Christian principles, develop human potential, foster a concern for others and for the world in which we live, encourage a commitment for service, and offer opportunities for self-renewal, and for spiritual, mental, and physical growth.

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Driving Directions

Silver Bay is on the west side of Lake George about 90 miles north of Albany. Leave the Northway (Highway I-87) at exit 22, 23 or 24.
      At exit 22: Take a left off exit onto Rt. 9. Go thru village of Lake George. At the north end of Lake George village take a right onto Rt. 9N. Go through Bolton Landing. From Bolton Landing go approximately 14 miles. At the Silver Bay Association Road, go 1/2 mile to the Inn.
      At exit 23: Take a right off exit onto Bolton Road all the way to the end of road. Turn left onto Rt. 9N, through Bolton Landing and 13 miles to Hague. At Silver Bay Association Road, go 1/2 mile to the Inn.
      At exit 24: Take a right off exit. Go 4 miles east to Rt. 9N, then left (north) on 9N for 13 miles. At the Silver Bay Association Road, go 1/2 mile to the Inn.
     If pulling a trailer take exit 25 and go toward Hague through Brant Lake. Then turn south on 9N in Hague Village. There are steep hills when using exits 22, 23 and 24 and going north on 9N.
     Driving time is estimated at 1 1/2 to 2 hours from Albany; 4-5 hours from New York City; 6-7 hours from Buffalo. Those needing more explicit or alternate directions may contact the Silver Bay Association.

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Public Transportation

Bus service: Adirondack Trailways (800-225-6815) from New York to Silver Bay is expected to be available once a day. The bus stops in front of the Inn. Check schedules for specific information. Be sure to specify the Silver Bay stop. Bus service is available also to Lake George Village. The Silver Bay van will pick up passengers who are unable to make the route connection to Silver Bay. Arrangements must be made with the Silver Bay Association 48 hours in advance. A donation of $15 per van load is encouraged to cover the costs of being met.
      By train: Take Amtrak's Adirondack to Ticonderoga (800-523-8720 or 800-USA RAIL; in NYC: 212-582-6875). Make arrangements for pickup by the Silver Bay van at least 48 hours in advance. A donation of $15 per van load is encouraged to cover the costs of being met.
      By air: The Silver Bay van will meet passengers who have made arrangements at least 48 hours in advance at either the Albany, NY, or Burlington, VT, airports. A donation of $50 per van load is encouraged to cover the costs of being met.
     To make arrangements for being met by the Silver Bay van, write directly to the Silver Bay Association, giving means of travel, time of arrival, flight number, and number of persons.

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Food Service at Silver Bay

Meals for the conference period begin with dinner on Sunday evening and conclude with lunch on Saturday. If you plan to arrive at Silver Bay early enough to have lunch Sunday, you must make arrangements in advance to purchase this meal, which is not part of the conference package. Silver Bay has often run out of food because many people arrive who have not made arrangements in advance.
     Silver Bay will provide standard and vegetarian menu choices for each meal. Vegetarian meals will include eggs, milk, and cheese but no red meat or fish. Silver Bay cannot accommodate "specialty" diets. A full salad bar will be provided at both lunch and dinner. If you are a vegetarian, please indicate this on your registration form, so that Silver Bay can be prepared.
     For those who have other special dietary needs, it is recommended that you bring your own food. Silver Bay will provide refrigeration. A refrigerator will be made available for baby food, etc. Cooking facilities for those with special dietary needs (though not for campers) will be available in Paine Hall - 1st floor off rotunda.
     The Silver Bay cooks will not add salt to either the regular food or the vegetarian food. Salt will be available on the tables.
     Silver Bay's food service provider is Prestige Services of Ballston, New York. Feedback has been positive for their service, food quality, and new menu options.

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JYM Seeking Volunteers for Preschoolers


     In response to concerns expressed by parents of preschool children, JYM has established a morning program at Silver Bay. To supplement the Silver Bay staff and program offered at the Woozle House, a JYM staff person will organize and oversee volunteers from the NYYM community. Volunteers will be given resources and support and will work to provide a Friendly presence and activities for the youngest of our children. The only qualifications are love for young children, a friendly lap, and helping hands. The rewards will come in the form of small hugs, laughter, and song. The program will run Monday through Friday mornings from 9:00 A.M. to 12:15 P.M.
     Friends are asked to consider giving half a morning, during worship sharing or NYYM meeting for business, on as many days as they wish. A full morning of service would also be appreciated.
     Anyone who would like to give time or to have more information is asked to contact the NYYM office at 212-673-5750.

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JUNIOR YEARLY MEETING INFORMATION

Attention Parents, Guardians, and Sponsors

One of the ways we've learned to care for one another in our week with approximately 700 Quakers of all ages is to "cluster" in room assignments. Clustering allows parents and children, sponsors or guardians, and youth to room in proximity and be better able to check in and communicate responsibly without trekking all over campus.
     It is vital that all registrations in one cluster be sent in the same envelope. Silver Bay staff is not able, with our large numbers, to reshuffle for clustering accommodations, adding folks here and there.
     Youth registrations (under 18 years) must be sent in by the parent or sponsor - together with the adult's registration and as early as possible. Any youth registrations sent independent of their responsible adults will be returned. Please read additional information on clustering below. If you have any further questions call Helen Garay Toppins at 212-673-5750.
     We look forward to seeing you at Silver Bay.

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Sponsors Must Cluster

A child under 18 years of age who wishes to attend Yearly Meeting Sessions, but will have no parent or legal guardian present, is required to have a sponsor. The Yearly Meeting sponsor is a responsible adult who agrees to act in the role of parent during the child's stay at Yearly Meeting. The sponsor should be designated by the parent or legal guardian, must be at least 10 years older than the child, and must remain at Yearly Meeting during the time the child is there.
     The sponsor and the child should know each other reasonably well, and must request clustering near each other at the time of registration. The sponsor must name on her/his registration form the child for whom he/she is responsible. Parents, guardians, and sponsors are responsible for their junior and senior high schoolers, as well as younger children.

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Thoughts from a JYM Clerk

How do we become a "great people gathered"? Oh, how the young Friends' sharing on Friday evening at Representative Meeting on their journey to Quakerism spoke to my condition! Who speaks to the John Woolmans among us - what are they saying to us?
     As we prepare for our sessions at Silver Bay think, What can I do/bring that encourages the spirit of love to percolate in myself and others of all ages? What particular needs of parents/sponsors could I help with? Would a picnic or worship sharing for all from my meeting planning to attend be helpful? Can I plan early for time with wee ones in A.M. or P.M. childcare? "More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of." (Tennyson)

Deb Dickinson

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Junior Yearly Meeting: Frequently Asked Questions

Welcome young Friends and your parents/guardians to Junior Yearly Meeting. Here are some basic things for everyone to remember:
      When you arrive at Silver Bay you must register first with the Yearly Meeting, check in at Silver Bay, then register with JYM in the JYM office in the basement of Morse Hall.
      What do I do at JYM registration? For each of the children you are bringing to Yearly Meeting, you need to have your medical information ready, including your child's relevant medical history and a record of any allergies. You will receive a copy of the schedule for the week for each group and will have to sign permission forms for each trip out of your child's JYM space and for official group activities. The young person will have to sign a rules agreement with a bedtime agreed to by both the parent and the young Friend.
      Where does my child go? JYM goes by grade, not by age. Each of our groups is based on the grade the young Friend will be attending in the fall. The groups are: grades K-1 (pre-school), grades 2-3, grades 4-5, grades 6-7, grades 8-9, and Senior High. Each of the groups meets in the same location throughout the week. For the 0-4-years set, Silver Bay offers wonderful childcare supplemented by the JYM staff and Friendly volunteers. All JYM staff will be wearing bright-colored badges so they are easily recognized.
      When does JYM meet? The JYM program meets Monday through Friday from 8:45 A.M. to 12:15 P.M. , with occasional trips throughout the week. There will be an opportunity for JYMers to participate in intergenerational group activities during late morning. Signup will be at the JYM registration desk. The Fun(d) Fair is considered a part of JYM and young Friends should count on attending.
      Are there other JYM-sponsored activities besides the group meetings in the morning? Sometimes official JYM group activities will take place after our morning hours. The parent or guardian will have to sign a permission slip for each event that takes place outside of the regular group meeting time and location. In the afternoon, there is cooperative childcare with JYM parents and JYM staff from 2:00 to 5:30 P.M. and from 7:00 to 10:00 P.M. There are also informal activities such as swimming, movies, and shuffleboard.
      How do I know where my child is during the day? During official JYM sessions they should be with their JYM group. Parents/guardians are responsible for JYMers during non-JYM hours. We suggest that you have a regular check-in time and location for the young Friend and the parent or guardian.
      What about bedtimes? The young Friend and the parent or guardian should work out a reasonable bedtime so that the JYM participant can actively take part in JYM activities in the morning. The young Friend will be asked to sign a sheet of rules of conduct for JYM and NYYM, with a bedtime on that sheet. It is up to the parent or guardian to make sure that the young Friend is in bed at the agreed upon time.
      Who do I talk to if I want to volunteer or have questions? The Coordinators, Eric Harris-Braun and Rose Lynn, are available during the morning in the JYM office. You can also go to the clerk of the Junior Yearly Meeting Committee, Deborah Dickinson, or the NYYM conference office in the Inn. If you cannot find us and want to leave us a note, there is the message board in the Inn for that purpose. We love volunteer parents!

Eric Harris-Braun, Rose Lynn

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Medical Forms

Each child who registers will receive in the mail, along with a welcoming letter from their group, a medical and agreement form. Please fill it out completely and bring it (or send it with your child if [s]he is to be sponsored by someone else) to JYM registration at Silver Bay. Do not mail.

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How to Register for JYM

Parent or guardian must accompany JYMer to JYM registration.
  1. Carefully fill out the registration form . Be sure to
    1.  provide the name of your parent(s), guardian, or sponsor
    2. ask to be assigned to a room close to your parent(s), guardian, or sponsor (this is called clustering)
    3. mail your registration and that of your parent(s), guardian, or sponsor together in the same envelope
  2. When you arrive at Silver Bay, register with JYM. At that time, you will have the opportunity to meet staff who will be working with your age group.
The NYYM office sends copies of JYM registrations (for all youth from infants through high school) to the JYM registrar as well as to the Silver Bay registrar. For JYM and Silver Bay to have activities ready and staffed, early registration is critical!

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What Do You Need?

If you register early, staff members working with your group will send you a letter explaining what you will be doing in your group and listing certain things they think you may want to bring with you. We suggest that everybody bring along:
  • a beach towel or blanket
  • a favorite book or two for quiet time
  • something warm to wear in the evening
  • a flashlight; rain gear; fan; alarm clock
  • a sense of humor
Also, Silver Bay has a little store where you can buy drinks and snacks. You might want to set aside some money to spend there.
     In an effort to keep within our budget, we are asking each family to bring a can/jar of juice or a healthy snack. As a community-outreach project, we also ask that each family bring a nonperishable food item for a local food pantry.

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Highlights of Representative Meeting

Representative Meeting was held at the Albany Academy for Girls in Albany, N.Y., March 31-April 1, 2001. Northeastern Regional Meeting hosted the meeting, and their arrangements were inviting and accessible. 120 Friends, including 5 children, were present.
     Sessions Committee reported on ongoing plans for Yearly Meeting. There will be a slight increase in costs for Silver Bay, but there will also be added attention to special needs. There will be more times for committee meetings and business meetings, but transition times between events and times for rest and relaxation will be scheduled again this year. There will be both study groups (meeting three days) and interest groups (single meetings) for Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday mornings.
     Local meetings are asked to provide "family support" for those attending Yearly Meeting, and Friends are asked to be sensitive to other Friends' needs, especially of Friends from their own meetings or other Friends they know well.
     Rebecca and Amy White reported on the YouthQuake Meeting in Seattle, where Rebecca was the only NYYM young Friend in attendance. She reported that she found many questions rather than answers, and that she was troubled by the tensions between programmed and nonprogrammed Friends who are more or less Christ-centered, tensions that she felt need to be addressed. Amy reported that the adults accompanying the youth helped to provide some structure and guidance but that both adults and youth need to be reminded that Friends are not "us and them" but all of us. Both felt the gathering provided a rich experience.
     The Trustees reported on a civil suit against NYYM and other Friends' bodies, which NYYM has asked to have dismissed. Friends who feel the need to discuss this suit should consult the clerk of NYYM or the clerk of the General Services Coordinating Committee.
     The Task Group on Conflict Transformation has begun offering training and information sessions about mediation, and is also addressing the ways in which clearness committees and threshing sessions are conducted. The group's vision is to have every meeting become a Quaker Peace Center where community citizens can bring their disputes. They have also suggested that the theme for the 2002 NYYM session be Protocol for Conflict Transformation.
     Other concerns raised from the floor included the U.S. threat in Colombia and the need to pray for Peace Teams witnessing around the world. Friends were asked to carry these concerns to their local meetings.
     Friends expressed thankfulness for the new work emerging for us and for the spiritual nurture our worship brings to us.

Lenore Ridgway, Bulls Head-Oswego Meeting

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NEWS FROM FRIENDS

Central Finger Lakes Pre-teen Snow Adventure

On Friday, February 16, six pre-teens, ages 10-12, and three adults from Central Finger Lakes Meeting traveled to the Adirondacks for a snow adventure. Our region, Farmington-Scipio, has had a great teen program in place all year, so we felt inspired to start a little something for the slightly younger kids. We invited some others from the region, but in the end, there were kids just from our meeting. We stayed in a small cabin on ten acres of woods. The cabin has no electricity or running water but does have a heated outhouse! Most of the young people chose to stay two nights in a small, unheated bunkhouse with lots of blankets and warm sleeping bags. The biggest excitement was building a snowboard trail, and some also tried sleds, snowshoes, and skis. Singing, especially "The Lion Sleeps Tonight," was heard throughout the woods. Inside, board games, cards, books, magazines, and modeling clay kept folks occupied. We celebrated a 12th birthday with s'mores made inside using the woodstove since the fire ring was under many feet of snow. Meeting for worship was held Sunday morning in the loft of the cabin. Everyone participated in cleanup before leaving. Most of the kids wanted to stay an extra day, since it was the beginning of February break, and maybe next year we'll do just that.

Jill McLellan, Central Finger Lakes

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Deepening and Improving Quaker Business Process

Deepening and Improving Quaker Business Process will be the focus of a weekend workshop at Summit Monthly Meeting, Saturday and Sunday, June 2 and 3, 2001.
     Tons of work - too few bodies. Meetings that drag on - and on. A sneaking suspicion you could be so much more efficient, but you're not sure efficiency is "Friendly." Human "fireworks" and personal agendas obscuring the search for the sense of the Meeting. Sound familiar? Perfection eludes Friends - and always will - but not the desire to do things better, in a manner consistent with good Quaker process and, at its core, in the service of the Spirit. If you share any of these concerns - and aspirations - please join us for this workshop. Come share your experience and your expertise. Come learn with us in the caring Light of seasoned Friend and experienced facilitator Kenneth Sutton.
     Themes include spiritual foundations, process and practicalities, and your role in making it work!
     Facilitator Kenneth Sutton is a member of Central Philadelphia Monthly Meeting (CPMM) of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting (PYM). He is former clerk of Interim Meeting of PYM, which meets eight times annually to do the business of PYM, and a former recording clerk of PYM, Interim Meeting (CPMM) and several Friends organizations. He has led several FGC Gathering workshops and taught Quakerism courses including the Winter 2001 Quakerism course at Pendle Hill, where he will be leading the Inquirers' Weekend in July 2001. He recently traveled with Friend Jan Hoffman of New England Yearly Meeting among Quakers on the West Coast ministering on the topic of the minister/elder relationship in Friends tradition. He comes to Summit Friends under the auspices of the Friends General Conference Traveling Ministries Program. Kenneth is Senior Editor of Friends Journal.
     The Summit meetinghouse is at 158 Southern Blvd., Chatham, NJ 07928; 908-635-2161.
     Hospitality is available. For further information contact Robin Whitely or Arlene Johnson. The flyer and registration form for this event can be found on NYYM's Web site at www.nyym.org/events/smm-diqbp.html .

Robin Whitely
Summit Monthly Meeting

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Racial Justice and Quakers

Quakers 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
Black Concerns Committee

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Living and Learning in Community

Living 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 .

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Environmental Justice Conference

A National Council of Churches Environmental Justice Conference will be held in Washington, D.C., from 4 P.M. May 20 to 12 noon May 23 at Catholic University. The cost is $140. Friends willing to work on eco-justice concerns in their Yearly Meeting are welcome to attend. Some financial assistance may be available. For more information, see www.webofcreation.org .

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FWCC 2001 Spring Gathering


     The Friends World Committee for Consultation (FWCC) Northeast Region, consisting of Canadian, New England, Philadelphia, and New York Yearly Meetings, will have its Spring Gathering June 1-3 at SUNY's New Paltz campus. The theme for the gathering is The Spirit and the Arts. The planning committee has scheduled a full weekend of events, with activities for the entire family. We will worship together, and we will explore our creativity by rediscovering the place where the arts and spirituality meet, through story-telling, nature walks, music, writing, dance, visual arts - and just plain fun. No experience is required!
     FWCC strives to:
  1. facilitate loving understanding of diversities among Friends while we discover together, with God's help, our common spiritual ground
  2. facilitate full expression of our Friends' testimonies in the world
     All members of affiliated Yearly Meetings and groups are members of FWCC - a committee of 280,000 Quakers!
     For a registration form contact the Yearly Meeting office. Registration forms are due May 21. A late fee of $15 will apply after that date.
     See you there!

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Pendle Hill Summer Jobs

There are seven full-time summer positions and one part-time, unpaid internship available at Pendle Hill in the following areas: Summer Grounds Assistants, Summer Housekeepers, Summer Hospitality Staff, Organic Garden Intern. We offer flexible start and end dates - begin as early as April and/or work as late as September - with a minimum commitment of twelve weeks. Schedules vary; some jobs require weekend and/or evening work. Salary, room, and board are provided.
     Applications are welcome from all who share Pendle Hill's principles, regardless of religious affiliation, race, age, gender, national origin, or sexual orientation. For application or more information please call Laura Beaty at 610-566-4507, ext. 131; fax 610-566-3679.

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Pendle Hill Youth Program Opportunities

Pendle Hill would like to invite young people and those from your community who are involved in social witness, to participate in one of our summer or year-round programs. Each of these initiatives links community service with spiritually-centered community life.

High School Camp
A high school camp for ages 15-18 will be held from July 8-15, 2001. Application deadline is May 31, but the program fills quickly.

Social Action and Social Witness Internships
This internship program has been created to support those who are, or wish to be, actively engaged in social justice work and to encourage that kind of commitment among young people.   Seven internships are available for qualified individuals volunteering in social justice 21 hours a week, living at Pendle Hill, and participating in the resident program. The internships provide room, board, health insurance, and local transportation costs.
     For more information and an application, please contact Julian O'Reilly at 800-742-3150 or 610-566-4507, ext. 129; youthprogram@pendlehill.org ; 338 Plush Mill Road, Wallingford PA 19086-6099. Initial candidate selection will begin April 23, 2001.

Summer Staff Youth Programs is looking for three qualified and energetic people to work as a team or to apply individually as co-leaders for the high school program. The position runs from just before the start of youth camp to the day after, plus a planning weekend in May.

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USFWI-QMI Triennial in Ohio in July

United 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.

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Interim Pastor Sought (Iowa)

West Branch Friends Meeting (near Iowa City), Iowa Yearly Meeting, seeks a trained/experienced intentional interim minister to help us transition from having an effective long-term pastor to a new fruitful partnership in ministry. The position begins summer 2001. Send resume/letter of interest and references to Lisa Baum-Waters, Clerk Ministry & Counsel.

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Ad Hoc Committee on the Function of Yearly Meeting

Minutes of meeting of Dec. 10, 2000
Friends Meetinghouse, Albany, N.Y.

79. A number of members of the Committee arrived in time to worship with Albany Friends, and we then shared sandwiches which Margallen had prepared. All members of the Committee were present, and we settled into our meeting at about 1 P.M.

80. We reviewed the progress made on the documents pertaining to Religious Education, Communications, Witness, Service, Gatherings, and Staffing. None is ready to share at this time. There was consensus that we will probably need to put these documents in the context of our previous work on the functions of yearly meeting. In that context we hope to aim at narrative documents that could elaborate the points that need consideration and discussion, and also a brochure format that would provide a handy overview.

81. We reconsidered co-opting another person to the Committee (see minute #72) and decided that it would not be convenient to try to bring a new person up to speed at this time.

82. One member had to leave at 5 to catch a train, and the rest continued until 6:30. Thanks to Albany Meeting for the use of their meetinghouse. We agreed to meet again on February 18, 2001, at 12:15 at Powell House, where lunch and supper will be provided.

Minutes of meeting of February 18, 2001, Powell House

83. All members of the Committee were present as we settled in the ball room at Powell House, following lunch shared with members of a departing committee.

84. The main agenda for the day was what to present to Yearly Meeting, how to present it, and when to present it.

85. Though we hope to be able to make recommendations to Yearly Meeting at Silver Bay, it was thought that our first product should be a discussion document.

86. The background for what we present is what we worked out last year as functions of Yearly Meeting: Worship and Ministry, Care and Discernment, Witness and Service, and Support and Communications. It became clear that we would be wise to put all this in the wider framework of the distinction, also worked on last year, between Yearly Meeting as gatherings of Friends (YM[g]) and Yearly Meeting as a structured organization (YM[o]). We interpret our charge, to propose an organization integrated with function, as applying primarily to YM[o], but we found that the functions of both YM[g] and YM[o] need to be articulated.

87. Who are we called to be? Though we sensed that our thoughts still need refinement, we take the functions of Yearly Meeting gatherings to be:

  • Discernment of YM priorities
  • Testing leadings
  • Corporate business
  • Committee time
  • Fellowship and worship
  • Sharing how Truth prospers among Friends

88. How do we do it? We take the functions of the Yearly Meeting organization to be:

  • Logistical support for gatherings and committees
  • Special support for YM priorities
  • Leadership on some YM priorities
  • Finance and budget
  • Communications

89.  What are we called to do? Most of what we presented as YM functions at Chautauqua we now see as priorities that have been discerned and tested by Yearly Meeting gatherings, but that are subject to changing emphasis on the basis of the discernment of future gatherings. Here our thoughts are more tentative than with respect to the larger and less changing functions, and we would expect this list to be adjusted nearly every year. There is no single priority or single focus - the organization needs to allow for change. Current priorities seem to be:

  • Worship and ministry
  • Care for one another, attention to needs and joys
  • Discernment of individual and corporate leadings
  • Outreach, both to other Friends and to non-Friends
  • Nurture of youth, including young adults
  • Witness to the Truth
  • Service to those oppressed by institutions or traumas
  • Religious education, for both adults and children
  • Promoting Quaker practice
  • Strengthening regional meetings
  • Restructuring committees

90. It is at gatherings that leadings are tested and priorities discerned. It is to be expected that priorities will be adjusted from year to year. YM[o] needs to be strong enough to provide support for the priorities discerned and flexible enough to provide leadership in shifting areas. Structure and staff may change as priorities change, though the staff changes may be in assignments rather than in personnel, in order to preserve continuity.

91.  Staffing . We spent considerable time both in Albany and here discussing staffing. A narrative on staffing is one document we intend to present, initially as a basis for further discussion. In our Committee discussion there was consensus on the following points:

  • Though we will recommend additional staff, we do not intend to recommend any modifications in the responsibilities or terms of employment for the current staff.
  • There is a growing consensus that NYYM needs additional staff who have a dynamic vision of what Quakerism means today and who can explain the spiritual roots of NYYM priorities and relate them to the growth and development of members and of meetings.
  • One need is for an executive secretary, or general secretary, who can provide both moral leadership and oversight of staff and of organizational operations. This should be thought of as a long-term position.
  • There is also need for focused leadership on the priorities discerned by Yearly Meeting. Since the specific priorities change, and with them the tasks to be done and the skills required, we are less clear about how to meet this need. At different times and in differing circumstances this second need might be met by different numbers of persons, by either regular staff or released Friends, by varying terms of appointment, and by different geographical locations. We discussed some of these options but came to no clarity on such details.
  • There was a sense of the meeting, powerfully expressed by at least three members of the Committee, that we need to act to fill both the above needs. Otherwise it is the priorities that will be neglected and we will end up back-pedaling rather than going forward. It seems likely, therefore, that our recommendation to Yearly Meeting at Silver Bay will be to proceed with hiring at least two additional persons to fill the two sorts of leadership gaps we discern in the Yearly Meeting.

92. Cost . We reviewed the cost of this probable recommendation in broad outline, not in careful detail. Adding the two or more staff persons will increase the budget significantly, but we believe the increase is both manageable and necessary. FY2000 expenditures were $345,000 and FY2000 income was $392,000, and figures for the current year can be expected to be comparable. So the increase can be phased in, cushioned by the $100,000 surplus accumulated over the current and past year from the decrease in staff.

93. Jim's thoughts on staffing and Jeffrey's discussion of Quaker practice seem about ready to go forward as discussion documents, perhaps by being posted on the web. Newton will poll the Committee about that.

94. Spee gave us an update on visits to constituent meetings. We noted that we have had no visits with any meetings in Purchase Quarter, so Newton was asked to explore arranging a visit with Chappaqua.
     Next meetings: April 29, at the rise of Purchase meeting, in Hartsdale. June 1-2, in Highland Park.

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NURTURING ONE ANOTHER

The Nurture Section of Yearly Meeting includes seven committees, three separately incorporated Yearly Meeting institutions, and representatives to four Wider Quaker groups and two state interdenominational groups. Each of these components contributes in some way to the advancement of Friends' work, to education, and to providing nurturing services within the Yearly Meeting.

FGC Announces Nurturing Quakerism Campaign

The first ever Friends General Conference capital campaign was announced at the 2000 Gathering of Friends in Rochester last July. Through this major fundraising effort, known as Nurturing Quakerism: The Campaign for Friends General Conference, FGC seeks to raise $2 million. This will be used to expand existing services and support new ones that help meetings and Friends respond to the important challenges and opportunities clearly present within unprogrammed Quakerism today. Educational programs and solicitations will take place over the next two years as FGC seeks the broad support of meetings and Friends.
     "New York Yearly Meeting heard quite a bit about FGC last year, because the Gathering was held in our area," said Karen Snare, coclerk of the NYYM representatives to FGC. "But FGC is much more than the Gathering. I have learned a lot and grown a lot from serving as a representative. I feel stronger as a person and as a Quaker, and connected to other Quakers throughout North America."
     About one half of the $2 million has been raised to date through the "quiet phase" of the campaign. "We have had a very solid start to the campaign," said campaign clerk Cathy Garra of Illinois Yearly Meeting. "Many Friends have recognized the breadth and depth of FGC services to Friends and the importance of FGC's contributions to the future vitality of the Society of Friends."
     The campaign grew out of a multi-year discernment and planning process that led the FGC Central Committee to initiate several important new programs and services for meetings and Friends:
  • The new FGC Traveling Ministries Program connects meetings with seasoned Friends who can provide support, lead workshops and retreats, and offer other ministries as requested.
  • A new program of smaller and less expensive regional conferences provides opportunities for Friends from many parts of the country to come together for worship, fellowship, and learning in addition to the large annual Gathering.
  • New Young Quakes Conferences provide opportunities for high school age Young Friends to learn more about their Christian and universalist roots. The expanded FGC Religious Education Program is also offering more workshops, retreats, and travel by both staff and committee members to help with meetings' religious education needs.
  • An expanded Publications Program is producing our newsletter, FGConnections , and providing a strong FGC presence on the Internet. Our two web sites, www.fgcquaker.org and www.quakerbooks.org, offer free materials such as the collection of resources for Fostering Vital Friends Meetings, extensive information on FGC programs and services, plus online ordering from the FGC Bookstore. Contributions to both the Nurturing Quakerism Campaign and the FGC Annual Fund are needed to sustain this new work. $500,000 of the campaign funds are being used to cover the "start-up" costs of the new and expanded work. $700,000 will be used as limited term endowments; the interest income will help sustain FGC's expanded services and help cover the extensive travel costs of volunteers and staff. The income from the new endowments alone, however, will not sustain the higher costs of the new services. Meetings and Friends served are asked to consider increasing their Annual Fund support. FGC seeks to raise $800,000 in Annual Fund gifts during its 2000 and 2001 fiscal years.
     Like all FGC work, the Nurturing Quakerism Campaign is being accomplished mainly through the effort of volunteers. For more information on assisting or about the campaign, please contact Michael Wajda, FGC's Development Manager, at 215-561-1700 or email michaelw@fgcquaker.org . When the campaign comes your way, please offer generous support to this work of renewal and recommitment to the future of Quakerism.

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PoHo 40th Anniversary Celebration

August 18th, 2001
     This summer marks the 40th anniversary of the first Powell House Conference. The Powell House Committee will be hosting a day of celebration at Powell House on Saturday, August 18th from 10 A.M. to 6 P.M. The day will include worship, song, dance, good food, the sharing of memories, and many other activities. Details of the celebration will be forthcoming, but please mark this day on your calendars. Powell House has played an important role in our Yearly Meeting, as well as in the spiritual development of many Friends. We hope you will plan to share this special day with us.
     In preparation for the celebration, we are seeking the submission of writings, poems, or photos regarding memories of Powell House. We hope to compile a commemorative journal that would be available to participants at the celebration.
     If you have memories of special moments at Powell house, please forward them to Mary Ellen Alexander.

Mary Ellen Alexander
Adult/Family Program Subcommittee, Powell House Committee

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Circle of Young Friends: Navigating Transitions

The weekend of April 6-8 was a busy one for the Circle of Young Friends. There was a rally in Union Square, New York City, to support the Palestinian struggle for justice, peace, and a state. There was a conference in Poughkeepsie on Feminism, and Mother Nature finally mustered the strength to blast us with one day of glorious spring. For these young Friends, this weekend was a time of healing, sharing, and reflection as we gathered at Powell House to focus on transitions. Life tends to throw many changes at people between the ages of 18 and 35, changes that cause pain, confusion, joy, excitement, fear, and many other emotions--but in the end, cause growth.
     Those of us who attended were in a vast variety of transitions. Some of us were changing jobs or moving to new places with old jobs, some ending or beginning relationships, some dealing with death, some preparing for new life, some getting married, some moving, some deciding to stay put for a while. Despite the diversity of our specific transitions, there seemed to be some common wisdom shared throughout the weekend. It's almost as if the universe has a buffet of circumstances that deliver the same lessons.
     Many of us shared a sense that the most important part of navigating a transition is to be present in that transition, to accept where you are and wait for a clear next step. The more we struggle against the change, the harder the transition becomes. Many young Friends shared wisdom and stories about the shift in perspective once you manage to surrender to the process. Something that was a challenge suddenly becomes an opportunity, a loss becomes a gain, something that seemed frightening suddenly looks welcoming.
     Another sentiment echoed many times was the importance of a community of support during times of transition. For many, Quakers have provided that community. For some, the monthly meeting who was able to offer support and faith when we couldn't believe in ourselves. For others it had been the Powell House Youth Program, and for many, Quaker values such as respect for self and others and patience pulled them through.
     We discussed our transition from youth to being active members of Quakerism and the Yearly Meeting in response to requests from various committees seeking young members. We talked about what we need to do to be more accessible and brainstormed ideas about things that could be done to make us feel more welcome, both in Yearly Meeting and at Monthly Meeting.
     Saturday, we got our hands a little dirty helping to repair winter's wear on the Powell House grounds. The transitions from winter to spring are everywhere. The flowers are popping through the muddy earth, and the grounds are saturated with the spring thaw.
     It was a wonderful weekend spiced with many new attenders and nurtured by Bill's (the PoHo cook) fantastic homemade bread.
     Any young Quaker interested in getting involved in Circle of Young Friends, please ask the clerk of your monthly meeting. Or contact Gillian Foley. We would love to see you at our meetings at Silver Bay, or at our next conference.

Gillian Foley, clerk
Young Adult Concerns

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Religious Education Newsletter

The next issue of the NYYM Religious Education Committee's newsletter, The Net , will be ready for NYYM at Silver Bay in July.
     We would really appreciate hearing from more of our First Day schools. Would your FDS teachers keep a log of their classes and send it along to Melanie-Claire by July 1? (Addresses below.) We'd like to hear about who teaches your First Day school and how many children attend. Let us know what curriculum you follow or, if no curriculum is used, what forms the foundation of your teachings. We are finding it so helpful to all our First Day schools, hearing what other Meetings are doing to answer their children's needs.
     We would also appreciate hearing from non-FDS folk with notes or articles of any length on your religious-education concerns, copies of articles you wrote or found useful, open letters to other monthly meetings, appropriate book/curriculum reviews, artwork, poems, inspirational quotes, URLs for Web sites, etc.
     This newsletter is meant to help the NYYM in its search for religious-educational opportunities, and to provide spiritual growth through sharing our past and present. Some previous versions of The Net are online at www.nyym.org/pubs.
     Thank you for the resource you are!
     (PS: If you have never heard of The Net , please ask to be put on our mailing list!)
     Send materials to Melanie-Claire Mallison, M102 Knight Lab, CNF Cornell University, Ithaca NY 14853; mallison@cnf.cornell.edu .

Melanie-Claire Mallison
Ithaca Meeting

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Spiritual Nurturance Program

The Ministry and Counsel Coordinating Committee has a task group functioning to see how way might open for a Spiritual Nurturance program to be implemented in New York Yearly Meeting. The program was formally instituted in New York Yearly Meeting at a retreat in Albany in January 1999 and ran for a six-month period.
     What was essentially a pilot program was well received - indeed some even felt it was a life changing experience - and in the 1999-2000 period retreats were held at several monthly and regional meetings to explore the program and to establish ongoing spiritual nurturance groups.
     The Spiritual Nurturance Program calls for a commitment to supporting one another on our spiritual journeys. This occurs within a structured nine-month (October - June) program with meetings twice a month.
     The program offers the potential for developing deep relationships growing out of a group's responses to three activities:
  • the daily practice of a spiritual "discipline"
  • the readings that the group does together
  • the workings of the Spirit in our lives
     The program has some flexibility to it. Core groups are usually six to eight members of a monthly meeting sharing especially their responses to a discipline and to God's working in their lives. A regional grouping may also meet monthly to discuss the reading(s). Although this serves to broaden the group's exposure to Friends beyond their own meeting, logistics have tended to keep the discussions of the readings at the local level. It is recommended that all groups meet in an opening, mid-winter and closing retreat to facilitate the process.
     There will be a study group at Yearly Meeting that will focus on practicing and responding to various spiritual disciplines, with one session devoted in part to the structure of the Spiritual Formation programs of Baltimore and Philadelphia Yearly Meetings. Brochures will be available. It is expected that the full program will be offered to monthly meetings beginning with a retreat in the fall.

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The Anti "We Are Hard to Find!" Quaker Challenge

We Quakers tend to shy away from going out and sharing what we are about. How often do we talk to non-Friends about how we worship and how this worship informs our lives?
     The Advancement Committee has a challenge for your monthly meeting: Set a goal for this year to reach out to seekers in three different ways. Choose any three strategies, but give it a try!
     Since it is easy for us to say "Do something!" we thought we would add four suggestions for possible action.
  1. The Advancement Committee will provide your meeting with a free copy of the video Who Are the Quakers? if you will show it at least three times this year to different groups. Some possible ways it could be used are:
    1. at a special gathering of members and attenders of the meeting with time for reaction and discussion following the viewing
    2. at a "come learn about who we are" occasion where friends of Friends, neighbors, and readers of leaflets are invited to view the video for basic information and free cookies
    3. at a gathering for youth and adults followed by a period of worship sharing or question and answer time (whichever would provide the best opening for everyone)
    4. at religious education classes: adult, youth or both
    5. during a pot-luck as a form of "entertainment" followed by spontaneous discussion
    6. as a resource for families to view at home
    7. as part of the presentation you could give when outsiders (like school classes) ask for someone in the meeting to talk about Quakers
  2. Invite the religion editor or other appropriate person from the local paper to attend a gathering or special event of your meeting. Or just invite them to meeting for worship and provide him or her with information about what you are doing and why. (By the way, have you seen the new brochure put out by Purchase Quarter's Advancement Committee? It is called "The Plain and Simple Press Release." If you would like to see a copy, ask us at the address below).
  3. Make copies of the pamphlet "Invitation to Meeting" or some other introductory brochure for newcomers and place it in the hands of the three newest comers to meeting over the next three Sundays.
  4. Make "business cards" with the name of your meeting, address and phone, and time of worship. Maybe put a map on the back. Pass three or four out to all Friends in the meeting to keep in their wallets and share as needed, and let all know where more can be had.
     We would love to hear about your experiences. Please write and let us know what happens!
     The Advancement Committee feels strongly that there are many people in our society who would love to hear of us. We don't feel there is a need to proselytize and we are not out to convert anyone. But, we do believe that if we are enthusiastic about our faith, Quakerism will become visible from a distance. We will make it accessible to the curious and the spiritually hungry. We will be helpful to newcomers as they learn our ways. And, we will take care to be hospitable to new people throughout the process!
     If your meeting would like a copy of the video for outreach use, or you would like "The Plain and Simple Press Release," write to Advancement Committee, c/o Jens Braun. Please include with your request your meeting's name and address. If you would like to purchase the video for your library, it is available for $20 from: Quaker Video, PO Box 292, Maplewood NJ 07040. For information on the video prior to ordering, go to www.quakervideo.com.

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World Gathering of Young Friends

Young Friends presented a minute at the 20th FWCC Triennial proposing a vision of another World Gathering of Young Friends. The minute also noted a "particular desire for improving the networks of young Friends in North America." Yearly Meetings are encouraged to appoint younger representatives to FWCC and to other Quaker organizations so that informal gatherings of young Friends can take place at future events and to facilitate the full participation of young adults within the Religious Society of Friends as a whole.
     Committees are being formed to prepare the way for the proposed World gathering. Meetings are asked to suggest names of young Friends, 18-35, who may be interested in participating in this project. Contact WGYF at wgyf2003@yahoo.com.

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2001 FGC Gathering of Friends

Friends General Conference will hold the 2001 Gathering of Friends at Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, June 30-July 7, 2001. The theme is Stillness: Surrounding, Sustaining, Strengthening.
     The experience of the divine stillness is central to the core of all activities this year and especially so in all of the opportunities for worship at the gathering. Opportunities will include opening and closing all-Gathering meetings for worship, daily outdoor worship, Bible study, a memorial meeting for all Friends who have died since last Gathering, and an all-Gathering meeting for healing. The Silent Center will be open to those wishing to immerse themselves in the surrounding, sustaining, and strengthening of stillness. Workshops will be grounded in worship, with topics to include spirituality, Quaker faith and practice, issues of peace and justice, and personal growth.
     Steve Curwood, Quaker host of NPR's Living on Earth, will begin the week's evening programs on Sunday night. On Monday, Friend Ann Riggs will share insights into the importance of the spiritual practice of stillness in the midst of a busy and often stressful life.
     Later in the week, Stan Becker, Baltimore Yearly Meeting, will describe his personal and corporate discernment process in traveling among Friends with a concern for rapid population growth. The executive secretary of Friends Committee on National Legislation, Joe Volk, will issue a call for Friends to become more active in witnessing in Washington. Interest groups, offering attenders a variety of options, will be offered on Thursday evening.
     Virginia folksingers Robin and Linda Williams will perform in an all-Gathering concert on Tuesday, July 3.
     Scholarships and workgrants are available to help make Gathering affordable. First-time attenders' scholarships match grants from monthly and yearly meetings. General scholarships assist families and individuals with the expense of room/board and registration.
     Detailed information about the Gathering is available in the Advance Program, which was mailed to all Friends on yearly meeting lists in March. You may also request one by contacting Friends General Conference at 1216 Arch Street, 2B, Philadelphia PA 19107; telephone 215-561-1700; gathering@fgcquaker.org; or visit our Web site at www.fgcquaker.org/gathering/.

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Notices

This column is prepared from information about membership received from the local meeting recorders.

NEW MEMBERS
Maria Arias - Brooklyn
Jake Barton - 15th Street
Nicolas Bohorques - Conscience Bay
Sheree Craigue - Albany
Elizabeth B. Gilmore - Brooklyn
Howard Jones - New Paltz
Susan O'Doherty - Brooklyn
James Segrue - Poughkeepsie
Deborah Elizabeth Wood - Poughkeepsie

DEATHS
Julia Van Zandt Deuell , member of Poughkeepsie, on April 14, 2001.
Philip C. Gifford , member of Manhasset, on January 14, 2001.
Thelma Fincher Simkin , member of Poplar Ridge, on March 4, 2001.
James A. Williams , member of Poughkeepsie, on March 30, 2001.

TRANSFERS
Nancy Graeff to Poplar Ridge from Ann Arbor
Emily C. Griese to La Jolla (Cal.) from Westbury
Rebekah S. Percy to La Jolla (Cal.) from Westbury
Ruth Olmsted to Schenectady from Albany
Katherine Sorel to Brooklyn from Bulls Head-Oswego

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Letter to the Editor

N OTE : Letters to the editor are presented when space is available. Letters raise and explore topics of concern to NYYM Friends. As in any Quaker forum, views here are uncensored, should be expressed briefly and gently, and may discomfort some Friends. Letters longer than 250 words may be delayed for editing or returned. The Publications Committee welcomes unsolicited manuscripts of opinion or reporting and will publish material that seems provocative and timely.

Dear Friends,
     This is an urgent call to witness as we watch history repeating itself.
     A Vietnam-like commitment is unfolding in Colombia, but this one is dressed for the 21st century. There will be no draft of young North American men - operations are already being carried out by "private contractors."
     Our country, thanks to Bill Clinton's last-minute push at the end of his term, has just committed $1.3 billion of aid to Colombia, mainly to fund high-tech weapons and to train and equip new battalions for the so-called drug war. Most of the aid is straight-out military aid, and a certain percentage is slated for coca eradication. Only a very small and inadequate amount is allocated for helping farmers make the shift from coca production to something else. To pass this appropriation, human rights stipulations were pushed aside.
     All this is happening in a country already enmeshed in a 40-year-old internal conflict. Over the 40 years of violence, 200,000 people, overwhelmingly civilians, have been killed. Two million are internally displaced, and estimates are that, with this new effort, another 250,000 will be added to the displaced. Around a dozen Colombians are killed each day in the violence, often in brutal massacres using such weapons of torture as acid, chainsaws, machetes.

How can we justify this?
     All the three sets of "armed actors" in Colombia are involved in the drug trade in one way or another. The army has an appalling human rights record (the worst in the Americas), and their connection to the paramilitaries, who have a history of viciousness, is well-documented. The guerrillas are also involved in the drug trade, kidnaping, and forced recruitment into their ranks. There is virtually no safe place in Colombia.
     On top of all this, the availability of drugs in the U.S. is not decreasing. Since 1980, when the U.S. efforts began, coca production has increased almost 100%, and addiction in the U.S. is up 25%. Meanwhile we are pushing poor farmers off their lands deeper into the jungle, and coca production is spreading to nearby lands, deeper into the Amazon rainforest. Legitimate food crops are being destroyed along with the coca, leaving some poor farmers with little alternative to starvation, unless they wish to move to a new area and begin coca production again, or flee to a city slum.
     Our investment in Colombia this year is three times what it was in all of Central America at the height of the contra war. This year Colombian security forces will receive almost $3 million a day from U.S. tax payers. Colombia is third largest recipient of US military aid.

How can we justify this?
     Millions of Colombians have demonstrated for peace, long for peace. And now that the U.S. is stepping up the conflict, they are watching their hopes evaporate.
     We cannot sit silently as this staggering saga of suffering unfolds. Witness for Peace has met with many of the displaced, families of the disappeared, subsistence farmers, and human-rights activists, and has reported "All have told us that U.S. funding has escalated this war, increased their suffering and is threatening their hopes and dreams for the ongoing peace efforts. All have also asked us to help."

Witness!
     Join a coalition to get New York State legislators to withdraw support for the military aid; network with people you know in other states to do the same. Do education work in your own community. Support groups that are providing a U.S. presence in Colombia - Witness for Peace, www.witnessforpeace.org ; Peace Brigades International, www.igc.apc.org/pbi/; and Christian Peacemaker Teams, www.prairienet.org/cpt/. Write letters to the editor. Encourage other denominations in your community to be involved. Join a delegation to Colombia.
     If you would like to be in touch with other Quakers interested in pursuing this witness, please contact the Latin America Concerns Committee: Mary Way, Paddy Lane.

Paddy Lane, Butternuts Monthly Meeting

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