Spark, May 2025 - Lives of Remarkable Friends

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Share your meeting’s news, announcements, and upcoming events with the rest of the yearly meeting by sending them to [email protected]. News items will appear in Spark, our printed newsletter, and our weekly email newsletter. Want to get Spark in the mail? Email [email protected], or call 212-673-5750. Want to receive the weekly update emails? Sign up at [email protected].

Welcome to Spark Online

The online edition of New York Yearly Meeting's print newsletter

This is the Online Edition of the May 2025 issue of Spark, which you can also as a pdf file.

 

Lives of Remarkable Friends

At Quaker memorial meetings we celebrate the lives of amazing Friends through the stories and ministry shared by those present. This issue is an opportunity to share those stories beyond those who were present at a memorial meeting.

 

Contents

Articles On Theme: Lives of Remarkable Friends

Around Our Yearly Meeting

  • Editor's Note
  • News:
    • Sign up for the Weekly Update
    • Wear Orange for Gun Violence Awareness on June 8th
    • Bayard Rustin Exhibit at Civil Rights Museum
    • A Letter and Minute On the Treatment of Immigrants and Refugees
    • Epistle from the 2024-25 Cohort of Participating in God's Power
  • Notices
  • Upcoming Events
  • Opportunities

 

Editor's Note

Editor’s Note

Hello Friends. 

There's a new team planning Summer Sessions this year and they're bringing fresh energy and ideas. Look at the new "Week at a Glance" (WAAG) schedule on page 8; you'll notice a full-day Junior Yearly Meeting (youth) program and extended periods of community-building activities. The planners are considering nature-watching walks, games and craft projects, water play for kids, and trips to nearby sites. That's in addition to the Cafe Night talent show, the contra dance with live band, and the family-friendly opening and closing meetings for worship. You and your family are truly welcome and invited to attend.

Spark accepts article submissions of 400-600 words, artwork, poetry, shorter news items and announcements, and letters to the editor. Please share your gifts with the rest of NYYM. Email submissions to [email protected].

Upcoming Spark themes:

September 2025

Every year Friends experience a lot during the summer, whether it be Sessions, a protest, travel, camp, etc. And every year we receive many un-themed articles at this time of year. This summer, please share your writings on contemporary concerns, including your reports from Summer Sessions 2025, with the rest of New York Yearly Meeting. 

Submit your contributions to [email protected] by August 15. .

Send your meeting’s news to [email protected]. If you'd like to join NYYM's weekly email list, visit nyym.org/subscribe.

NYYM is on Facebook (NewYorkYearlyMeeting), and Instagram (newyorkyearlymeeting).

—
Sarah Way, NYYM
Communications Director
[email protected]

 

Notices

New Members

  • Peter Butterfield — Schenectady
  • Thomas (Bix) Crossman — Manasquan
  • Valerie (Val) Crossman — Manasquan
  • Sweet Miche Hunter Fitoden — Brooklyn
  • Monica Heavey — Buffalo
  • Richard Perry Mattocks — Poughkeepsie
  • Michelle Rodriguez — Brooklyn
  • Naledi Semela — Morningside
  • Carl Trost — Buffalo

Transfers

  • Leo Pickens, from Annapolis Meeting to Saranac Lake Meeting

Deaths

  • Marylou Charles, Poplar Ridge, on Aug. 28, 2024
  • Susan Perkins, Manasquan, on Jan. 26, 2025.
  • Nathaniel Hubbard, Bethpage Preparative, on Feb. 3, 2025.
  • Patrick Joseph Finn, Buffalo, on Feb. 17, 2025.
  • Elaine Chamberlain, Buffalo, on Mar. 9, 2025.

 

 

News

Sign up for the Weekly Update

An email newsletter is sent to NYYM Friends each Friday. Past editions are available at nyym.org/weekly-updates. To subscribe, fill out the brief form at nyym.org/subscribe. 

 

Wear Orange for Gun Violence Awareness on June 8th

Wear orange to raise awareness and to honor victims and survivors of gun violence! Simply wear something orange, take a picture at your meeting of those participating, and email it to Peter Murchison at [email protected].

 

Bayard Rustin Exhibit at Civil Rights Museum

"Speaking Truth to Power: The Life of Bayard Rustin" is on display until December 31, 2025 at the National Civil Rights Museum, Memphis, TN. The first exhibit to examine the breadth of Rustin's activism features documents, artwork, music, and video clips that chronicle his growth from a radical Quaker pacifist to a global human rights advocate. Items include rare papers from the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom and flyers from his early work with the American Friends Service Committee and the Fellowship of Reconciliation. For more information, visit the museum's website: civilrightsmuseum.org/exhibition/speaking-truth-to-power/

— Walter Naegle

 

A Letter and Minute On the Treatment of Immigrants and Refugees

Conscience Bay Meeting has sent a letter concerning the treatment of immigrants and refugees to the Suffolk County Executive, the members of the Suffolk County Legislature, the Supervisor and members of the Town Council of the Town of Brookhaven, and the Supervisor and members of the Town Council of the Town of Smithtown. The text of the letter follows:

Conscience Bay Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) was established in St. James in 1961. Most of us live in western Suffolk County and have deep ties to the area. On 3/9/25, we met in a meeting for worship with attention to business and considered the circumstances currently faced by immigrants and refugees in our country. After prayerful consideration, we approved the following minute:

Conscience Bay Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends is united in the centuries-old Quaker convictions that every person has that of God/Spirit within them, that all are equal in dignity and worth, that all are deserving of compassion and fair treatment. With this understanding of how we can live together in peace, we have a deep concern for the well-being and rights of all. Therefore, we issue this public call for support and protection, without regard to their immigration status, of all immigrants and refugees in our extended community of Suffolk County, New York. We call upon our County officials to advocate and create policies that protect all individuals from unwarranted arrest, detention, or deportation. 

We ask that our County police remain in compliance with their central mandate to “Serve and Protect.” In fulfilling that vital and honorable role, there is no justification for our County or local police departments to act as surrogates for Federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or associated agencies. We commend the ongoing efforts by individuals, organizations, and local governments to provide essential services, advocacy, and safety for immigrants and refugees.

It is our hope that you will do all that you can to protect the rights of everyone within your jurisdiction and that you will fulfill the duty of every elected official to live up to the letter and spirit of the Constitution of the United States.

 

Epistle from the 2024-25 Cohort of Participating in God's Power

To all Friends everywhere,

The 2024-2025 cohort of School of the Spirit’s “Participating in God’s Power”program sends you its loving greetings. We are led to share with other Quakers some of the insights from our work together:

Relationships in community matter. Living connection to Spirit matters. Loving action in the world matters.

Over five long-weekend gatherings and four day-long Zoom calls, we have developed an intentional community of mutual support and accountability. This support in our seeking has led us to a deeper connection to the Divine Spark, beyond that which we have experienced before.

We know this connection to the divine to be primary, the first condition necessary for work in the world. Without it, our work is subject to the wounds of our ego. With it, we can see the way to be active in the healing work the world needs. Our experience together is that outward action is sustained by divine connection—and divine connection is strengthened by outward action.

We need Meetings that are committed to learning how to do both of these together. We have learned that our cups can runneth over if we work to keep the cup full and let God help. We need each other, and we need God through one another. We are committed to learning how to keep asking for what we need.

We know finding unity of spirit together can feed the power of our action in the world. We know we cannot force change on another. True change-making connection can only happen when we listen with care, respond with compassion, and keep love and care in our hearts regardless of outcome.

We have found that we equip ourselves best for clear action by committing to a daily discipline—
a practice for connecting with the Divine. We seek to listen for Spirit in each moment, each interaction, each action. We know the sacred in the world shows up uniquely; that is, we each can make change in the context, at the scale, among the people, and doing the thing that matches our innermost gift.

We know we may not yet fully know what our gifts are, and we know they can change. It’s often hard to discern our own gifts. We need others to help us name them and to reflect them back to us.

To do the work we are called to, we have to be responsive to and follow the leadings given to us. We are convinced that now is the time to live fully into our calling. Living in this society, we cannot avoid being complicit.

Non-action poisons our souls.

We know we have what we need to be able to act.

We know we can only do what has been given us to do.

We know that only actions grounded in love can create the transformation the world needs.

In God’s love,

— The 2024-2025 cohort of Participating in God’s Power

 

 

Upcoming Events

Transforming Quaker Culture: Building Authentic Spiritual Community

June 13-15, 2025 at Powell House

Time after time, early Friends returned to meeting for worship because of their direct experiences of transformation and the loving support of their community. We will build on our skills of supporting one another, addressing harm, and spiritually navigating conflict to hear our collective truth and leadings. www.powellhouse.org/event-list/

 

Summer Sessions: July 25-30, 2025, Online and at Oakwood

Summer Sessions 2025 will be at Oakwood Friends School and online from dinnertime on Friday, July 25, to lunchtime on Wednesday, July 30. See nyym.org/summer-sessions-2025 for more.

 

Friends General Conference Young Adult & Youth Gathering (YAY)

July 2-6, 2025 in Clarkston, MI

YAY is an intergenerational Quaker event for children, youth, and young adults (0-35). We come together for play, connection, laughter, spiritual practice, learning and rest with family members and event volunteers of all ages.

YAY puts young people at the center while celebrating the gifts that each generation brings to our community.

www.fgcquaker.org/yay/

 

Faith-Based Reparative Justice: A Tool for Racial Healing

July 10 - 13 at Pendle Hill, PA

Join faith leaders and congregants in an in-depth conference to learn about the multiple dimensions of reparations and reparative justice. Discover how you can invite your congregation deeply into this work in a multi-faith movement for reparations, with a vision for deep truth-telling, repair, and wealth redistribution with the faith community moving toward this work as a spiritual calling and moral imperative. pendlehill.org/events/

 

For Young Adults

Children, Youth and Young Adult Community Director Beth Kelly maintains a list of upcoming YAF events at nyym.org/yaf-events

Continuing Revolution 2025: Queer Liberation and Spirit-Rooted Justice

June 12-14, 2025, Friends Place on Capitol Hill (DC), and online

An annual gathering of young adults (ages 18-35) seeking to connect their spiritual, political, and interpersonal lives. This year's retreat, coinciding with the World Pride celebration in Washington, DC, focuses on queer liberation. Participants will explore where their spiritual practice intersects with the collective pursuit for queer liberation.

Origin Stories & Super Powers
Young Adults (18+)

In-Person at Powell House, August 15-17, 2025.

The mythical heroes of the world —from Hercules to T'Challa to Katniss Everdeen—have stories that explain how they came to have the powers and concerns they possess. What does it mean to consider our own origins? What superpowers—or Kryptonite—do our own pasts give us? Let's spend a weekend exploring the mythologies of our own lives and build community based on our strengths! www.powellhouse.org/event-list/

 

For Children & Teens

Powell House Youth Conferences

Visit powellhouse.org/event-list/ to register or call 518-794-8811.

Nature & Me — 4th-5th Grade

June 13-15, 2025

A lot of people think of themselves as separate from nature. The truth is that we are as much a part of nature as any living being. At this conference we will explore what connects us to nature and how it feels to be in nature. You can expect games and plenty of time in the woods around Powell House.

Make This Summer Unforgettable at Young Peacemakers Week! August 18-24, Albany, NY

From August 18-22, kids in grades 2-8 will embark on a one-of-a-kind summer adventure. Rooted in the values of peace and community, YPW is a joyful experience full of art, music, drama, nature, and connection.

Through hands-on activities, thoughtful discussions, and playful role-playing, kids explore what it means to resolve conflict peacefully, build bridges across differences, and grow into compassionate leaders.

Hosted at the welcoming Albany Friends Meetinghouse, this long-standing summer tradition helps kids explore their creativity, express their voices, and build lasting relationships. 

Cost is what feels right for your family. No one is ever turned away due to inability to pay.

Register and find out more at:
www.youngpeacemakersweek.weebly.com

Questions about registration? Contact Nancy Mattice at [email protected]

All other inquiries: Anita Stanley, 518-441-7722 or [email protected]

 

Opportunities

Quaker Job Openings

Friends General Conference: www.fgcquaker.org/work-at-fgc/

American Friends Service Committee: afsc.org/careers

Friends Committee on National Legislation: www.fcnl.org/about/work-fcnl

In Need? Apply Now to the Stevens and Nathaniel Smith Funds

These two small funds are held by NYYM Trustees to assist members of New York Yearly Meeting who, through age or disability, may be in need. These Friends may be pastors, ministers, or other members of New York Yearly Meeting who have been of service to our yearly meeting.

Decisions will be made by the Ministry and Pastoral Care Committee by the end of June and are based on need. A link to the application is at nyym.org/content/nyym-financial-resources-individuals-and-meetings