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Fall Sessions Will Be in November!
The new schedule for Yearly Meeting Sessions is in effect. From now on, Fall Sessions (formerly called Representative Meeting) will be held in mid-November. (See the NYYM Web site's calendar for dates of Spring and Fall Sessions.)
Fall Sessions for 2007 will be held November 9–11 at the School of the Holy Child in Rye, Westchester County, N.Y.
Complete information on registration and details of the sessions will be in September Spark and October InfoShare and on the NYYM Web site.
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Summer Sessions Evaluation Form
The evaluation form for Summer Sessions at Silver Bay is now at www.nyym.org/silverbay07/eval on the NYYM Web site. If you attended Summer Sessions, please fill out the form, save it, and e-mail it to Kate Lawson, clerk of Sessions, at the address given on the Web site and on the form.
Alternatively, you may print the form and mail it to the NYYM office at 15 Rutherford Pl., New York NY 10003.
Paper copies will be mailed to Friends on request.
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Christopher Sammond’s Travel Calendar
August 1–September 30, 2007
August
12 New Brunswick MM, New Brunswick, N.J.
19 Sing Sing Prison Worship Group
September
1–9 vacation
16–18 NYYM Pastor’s Retreat, Camp Casowasco, Finger Lakes Region, N.Y.
22 Spiritual Nurture Subcommittee, Albany, N.Y. (tentative)
29 Budget Saturday, Bulls Head-Oswego MM, Clinton Corners, N.Y.
30 Shrewsbury MM, Shrewsbury, N.J.
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What About the Youth?
Mary Rothschild, convener, Task Group on Youth
WHAT ABOUT THE YOUTH? This question brought 70 Friends together for a brainstorming session at Summer Sessions hosted by the Task Group on Youth. There was no doubt that many Friends are carrying the concern about how to weave a community that would fully integrate our youth.
Some of the questions discussed at the brainstorming sessions and at conversations throughout the week were: What helped you most as a Quaker? What do you want for your spiritual/Quaker development? What would a meeting look like that would totally include you and your family? What forms would help you bring your Quaker beliefs into daily life.
In order to keep the conversation going and spreading, and to distribute information about resources, two vehicles have been developed by the Task Group:
- a resource page that will be on the NYYM Web site soon at www.nyym.org/youth
- an e-mail list that can be joined by:
Your insights are needed! Please join the conversation.
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Young Quakes 2007: Living a Revolutionary Faith
This conference will take place October 5–8, 2007, at Oakwood Friends School, Poughkeepsie, N.Y.
What is a Young Quakes conference? Young Quakes is interactive workshops, Quaker-friendly Bible study, invigorating discussions, presentations, games, worship and worship sharing, singing, hanging out, and building incredible community. It's terrific fun, and the content is awesome. It is an opportunity for Young Friends in the unprogrammed tradition to explore what it means to live faith boldly today. In addition to all the great stuff we will do together, each Young Friend will be in a "family group" that will meet each day for discussion and worship sharing. Look for registration materials on the web at http://fgcquaker.org/qy/living-revolutionary-faith. The cost is $115 (Limited financial assistance is available.)
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Service Opportunities for Youth
Is your meeting looking for a way to engage your teens in Quaker service? If so, consider attending a Youth Service Opportunities Project (YSOP) workcamp. YSOP offers overnight, weeklong, and one-day service workcamps for high school students, college students, adults, and intergenerational groups. YSOP programs incorporate hands-on service to hungry and homeless people, education, preparation for service, and reflective activities. YSOP volunteers serve in soup kitchens, food pantries, and clothing and furniture banks, participate in recreational activities for children in family shelters and provide companionship to homeless people from drop-in centers. Programs are offered year-round in New York City and Washington DC. and are available for individuals and groups (group size may vary). For more information call Lisa Gesson at 212-598-0973 or visit www.ysop.org.
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Walk with Us: A Fascinating True Story
At Silver Bay this summer, the NYYM Black Concerns Committee invited Elizabeth Gordon to read from her forthcoming book Walk with Us, an inspiring and edifying story of an amazing makeshift multiracial family. Those present at the reading were captivated by this true story. Information about Walk with Us can be found at www.walkwithus.info.
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QUNO Seeks Director and Representative
Quaker United Nations Office (QUNO) is the official Friends' presence at the UN. QUNO is administered by the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) on behalf of the Friends World Committee for Consultation. The director, who is a member of the Religious Society of Friends, oversees and directs all aspects of QUNO and Quaker House and communicates Quaker perspectives at the UN.
A complete job description is available on the AFSC Web site, www.afsc.org/jobs/.
Please either apply online through www.afsc.org/jobs/, or send a letter of interest and résumé to Willa Streater at jobs [at] afsc [dot] org by August 31, 2007.
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William Penn House Job Opening
William Penn House seeks a program and grants coordinator. Responsibilities include: new program development; grant writing; planning and supervision of ongoing programs; and marketing and outreach.
The successful applicant will have at least a BA in Education (M.Ed. preferred) with 3 to 5 years’ experience designing and developing educational programs and planning, managing, and marketing programs. Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, Word, and Publisher preferred. Experience with databases preferred. Must be familiar with Quaker witness, education and service. Must be able to multi-task and work in a busy, energetic environment and have leadership skills and experience, excellent written and verbal communication skills, and ability to work effectively on a team.
This position is nonresidential. For more information or to apply:
Byron Sandford, executive director, Byron [at] WilliamPennHouse [dot] org. William Penn House is at 515 E. Capitol St. SE, Washington, DC 20003; 202-543-5560; www.WilliamPennHouse.org.
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Quaker T-Shirts Available
Alfred Monthly Meeting is offering Quaker T-shirts as an advancement tool for your meeting. These are perfect for public events such as vigils, parades, or festivals. They visually unite your group, identify the wearers as Quaker, and offer the Quakerfinder Web address so members of the public can seek more information.
For further information contact Suzanne Blackburn, 518-468-5274; odonata [at] hughes [dot] net.
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Eyes Wide Open Exhibit at Westbury
On Saturday, September 8, Westbury Meeting will host the AFSC exhibit Eyes Wide Open, a display of combat boots representing more than 130 soldiers from New York who have died fighting in Iraq. There will also be a public discussion Friday evening, September 7.
Other houses of worship are joining Westbury Friends in sponsoring this display, which is free and open to the public, at 550 Post Ave. Further information about the exhibit can be found at www.afsc.org/eyes. For more information about the Westbury display, or to become a cosponsor, contact Gretchen Haynes at jmhaynes [at] earthlink [dot] net or 631-757-4548.
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Quaker Methods of Building Peace with Justice
The Upper New York State Area office of American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) will host an Area Gathering on Saturday, September 29, 2007, in Syracuse. Panelists will present on Quaker Methods of Building Peace with Justice, followed by discussion groups. Lunch will be provided. Information will be mailed to Friends’ meetings in August. Reservations greatly appreciated. For more information contact Chrissie Rizzo, AFSC, 315-475-4822; crizzo [at] afsc [dot] org.
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Events in New Jersey
Sandy Clark, clerk, Shrewsbury Monthly Meeting
Friends are invited to these events in N.J.
- Saturday & Sunday, Aug. 18–19: Monmouth County Friends of Clearwater Festival at Sunset Park, Asbury Park, N.J.
- Saturday, Sept. 22: Shrewsbury-Plainfield Half Yearly Meeting, at Manasquan Monthly Meeting
- Saturday, October 6: Extended Meeting for Worship at Shrewsbury Monthly Meeting for members and guests of Shrewsbury-Plainfield HYM and All Friends Regional Meeting. 9:00 A.M., light breakfast; around 9:30, meeting for worship; around 12:00, lunch (brown-bag-it, please); 1:30, continue worship or have worship sharing on a theme that arises vocally or internally in the morning worship; around 3:00, traveling mercies as Friends head for home.
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AVP Basic Workshop at Montclair
Susan Stillman
A basic AVP (Alternatives to Violence Project) community workshop will be held at Montclair Meetinghouse Friday, October 19 to Sunday, October 21, 2007, led by Carolyn Keys and Sue Nowalski and hosted by the Peace and Service Committee of Montclair Monthly Meeting. The experiential program will run from Friday evening through Sunday afternoon, and will include shared meals. Local overnight hospitality can be arranged if needed. The cost will be $70. Scholarship assistance is available. Contact Susan Stillman, sustill [at] hotmail [dot] com; 973-783-0118) for information or to register.
We are also interested in hearing from any recent graduate of AVP training for trainers who might want to assist in facilitating this workshop.
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Bayard Rustin Pamphlet Available
Newton Garver
At Silver Bay in 2005 there was a stimulating memorial of recollections of Bayard Rustin, who was once active in 15th Street Monthly Meeting. It was pointed out at the time that Bayard’s Quaker roots were often neglected, not even being mentioned in the newest biography, and that his 1948 William Penn Lecture, where his Quakerism shines forth, was unavailable. The title is In Apprehension How Like a God. This wonderful pamphlet, out of print for decades, is available again, thanks to the publishing work of Jim Rose. The URL for a downloadable and printable version is http://pamphlets.quaker.org/wpl1948a.html. I hope you enjoy it. I still have in my mind an image of Bayard delivering this lecture in the spring of 1948. I find it among the very best sources for appreciating the Quaker roots of his life and work.
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Events at Purchase Quarterly Meeting
Saturday, September 15
Our Relationship with FUM: the Richmond Declaration & Purchase Quarter Friends Today, a Purchase Quarterly Meeting (PQM) potluck dinner & discussion, organized by PQM Ministry & Counsel. Friends from the meetings in Purchase Quarter will get together for a potluck dinner at the Purchase Meetinghouse, from 5:30 to 9:00 P.M. Quaker Historian Hugh Barbour will briefly present the historical roots of the Richmond Declaration. Information from sessions at Silver Bay regarding NYYM and FUM will be shared, and we will consider the queries put forward by our Yearly Meeting representatives to FUM . For background & the queries, see the report from the FUM reps.) For more information, contact Janet Hough, 914-769-6885; janet [dot] hough [at] verizon [dot] net.
Sunday, October 21
Sharing Our Experiences of the Spirit: a one-day retreat led by Ernestine Buscemi, clerk of NYYM, from 9:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. at the Amawalk meetinghouse, 2467 Quaker Church Rd., Yorktown Heights, N.Y., organized by PQ M&C. This retreat is open to members, attenders and interested seekers from all the meetings in our area. To register, or for more information, contact Janet Hough (914-769-6885 or janet [dot] hough [at] verizon [dot] net).
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Cara a Cara en Bolivia (Face to Face in Bolivia)
Newton Garver, president, BQEF
Three BQEF (Bolivian Quaker Education Fund) programs are bringing Friends from the North face to face with Friends from Bolivia during the cold Bolivian winter months of June, July, and August:
- Alternatives to Violence Project (AVP—“PAV” in Spanish) This June, Val Liveoak (El Paso) and Jorge Arauz (Philadelphia) traveled to Bolivia to conduct a Basic and an Advanced workshop in La Paz, with the help of Bolivian apprentices. Then Val scooted down to Santa Cruz to help Magaly Quispe inaugurate PAV there. Bernabé went to Cochabamba, which also appears a fertile place for AVP to take root and grow.
- Friends Council on Education (FCE) conducts workshops on what is special about a Quaker classroom or a Quaker school. Catalina Rios (Abington Friends School) and Galen McNemar (Germantown) will be in Bolivia in August to offer workshops to Bolivian educators in Spanish. A similar workshop in 2005 enrolled about 70 participants and was very popular.
- Volunteers. There are four from Earlham College alone, two staying for six weeks and two for ten weeks. Volunteers are especially helpful with teaching English, but they often also contribute through other skills. Volunteers generally stay with Quaker families, which enriches the connections built through this program.
For more information about these and other BQEF programs, visit our Web site at www.bqef.org.
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Pendle Hill Events
September 7–9, 2007, Faithful, Effective Work for Peace and Justice
Annual Pendle Hill Weekend for Quaker Peace and Justice Committee Clerks and Members
Presenters include Mary Lord, of the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC); Jim Cason, of Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL); Scilla Wahrhaftig, AFSC and Quaker Initiative to End Torture; and others
October 22–26, 2007, Faith to Follow: Responding to Call: A Pendle Hill short course with Viv Hawkins
In a Spirit-led context, those present will encourage and empower each other to respond faithfully to spiritual calls.
November 2–4, 2007, Inquirers Weekend: An Introduction to Basic Quakerism: A Pendle Hill weekend with Jean-Marie Barch and Michael Cronin
January 11–13, 2008, Recording: Spiritual Discipline and Communal Gift: A Pendle Hill weekend with Mario Cavallini
Register online at www.pendlehill.org or via phone at 800-742-3150, ext. 3 (U.S. only) or 610-566-4507, ext. 3 (worldwide), or write to Pendle Hill, 338 Plush Mill Rd., Wallingford PA 19086-6099.
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Anna Curtis Center Renovation—First Step
The renovation of the Anna Curtis Center at Powell House will begin with the Bugg House demolition, May 30–June 8, 2008. We need to get the Bugg House down in one weekend! Come move furniture, take out the showers, take off the roof, or take out the walls.
We want to salvage as much material as possible to reuse, so we need movers and organizers as well as careful demolishers.
Save the date to come help with this first step in the renovation of Powell House’s Anna Curtis Center.
For more information contact Liseli Hianes, 518-794-8811 or liseli [at] powellhouse [dot] org.
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