PYM Today - Fall 2011

Today

PYM

A Journal of Our Quaker Faith and Practice

FALL 2011

Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends

News of Annual Sessions

Thank You to Our Donors

Vital and Growing

PYM TODAY • FALL 2011

Decision Making at Yearly Meeting Sessions Arthur M. Larrabee General Secretary Quaker decision making is not easy.

Perhaps this was your experience at one or more of last July’s annual sessions. It was certainly my experience, especially during the Saturday morning session when we considered whether or not to undertake a long-range planning process. It wasn’t easy for at least two reasons.

First, I think we were still dealing with unresolved tensions and emotional content carried over from the months-long budget process leading up to annual sessions. Second, collectively, we did not participate in our Quaker decision making process as well as we could have. We seemed out of practice and insensitive to the requirements of a good corporate discernment process.

Some of what made our decision making difficult is to be expected and embraced. In my experience, no decision-making process involving more than one person will always be easy and pain free. From time to time we will deal with issues that are difficult, seemingly intractable, emotional and messy. These experiences are part of the

human condition and we Quakers are not exempt from them.

Some of what made our decision making difficult, however, should not be expected and has no place in our faith and practice. Our process has expectations, which we ignore at the peril of our community life. Expectations of our process include being willing to listen to each other for the truth that others may bring, being teachable, being willing to change our minds, staying in relationship, being patient and trusting in a spiritual presence that will help to guide us into right action.

Sometimes I think we romanticize Quaker decision making. We expect it to be perfect according to our own desires and expectations. And when it’s not the best it could be we talk about withdrawing and giving up on it.

I have a different energy and point of view. I think our decision-making process is the best there is for communities such as ours. We just need to get better at it. The problem is not with our process, but it is with our competency.

There are two things I particularly treasure about our process. The first is our vision. Our process has a vision of community--the creation, maintenance and enlargement of community. No other group decision-making process of which I’m aware has a similar vision. It

Contents 2 Vital and Growing • Decision Making at Sessions 3 Sessions News • My Experience of Workshops at Annual Sessions • Middle School, YF, YAF Mixer • The Work of Annual Sessions • An Answer to Our Budget Problems • Quakerism in the 21st Century • Glimpses Into Interest Groups 2

is a vision uniquely suited to our faith because in Quakerism it is in community that we find one of our most meaningful relationships with God. Our decision-making process is an opportunity to build community if we will use it that way.

The second thing I treasure about our process is that it requires us to do the work of community before a decision is made rather than after. In a majority rule process, if there is contention and discord, the work of community, of healing wounds and disappointments, of rejoining, is done after the decision is made. It is my view and experience that doing this work before the decision rather than after strengthens not only the decision but also the community.

So, dear Friends, some of our decision making at annual sessions was not easy but for me this is not a sign that we should look for another process. Rather it is a sign that we need to take seriously the work of getting better at it. Getting better at a process that suits us well will only enhance our vitality and growth.

Arthur is a member of Central Philadelphia Monthly Meeting.

FALL 2011

12 Grant Making • Restricted Grant Funds • Pemberton Fund Supports Travel • Meeting House Trusts: Grants for Repair and Construction of Meeting Houses 15 Annual Fund • An Attitude of Gratitude for our Volunteers and Contributors 24 Caring for Our Community • Students as Rising Leaders

26 Spiritual Growth and Renewal • Jesus of Nazareth 28 Witnessing Our Faith • Are You Called to Action?

29 Making Ourselves Known • Arch Street Meeting House A National Historic Landmark 30 Friendly Advertising 32 Upcoming Events

sessions news

PYM TODAY • FALL 2011

My Experience of Workshops at Annual Sessions

I heard singing down the hall at DeSales University. It was workshop time at PYM. But the group was not crooning Blowin’ in the Wind. They were holding out clear tones of “Be still and cool in thy own mind and spirit, from thy own thoughts and then thou wilt feel the principle of God.” This was the workshop, Quaker Wisdom through Song and Chant. As I let myself into the cool classroom Paulette Meier was leading chants she had composed from pearls of Quaker wisdom. This chant was from writings of George Fox. In antiphonal fashion the audience repeated the line, then tackled the next.

Another chant that participants learned was from the wisdom of James Naylor, “Light arises out of Darkness and leads

thee.” Paulette worked from a song-sheet of chants she had composed of quotes from Naylor, Fox, Penn, Fell, Pennington and others and explained that she had received inspiration from dreams that led her to devise chants from the wise, old writings of early Friends.

In Structuring and Leading—a Multi-Age First Day School Class, Greta Rech handed out an innovative supply list for teachers. In thinking of it as “This Friendly Space,” she suggested teachers ask, “What can I do with this space?

How many children will I have in it? How can I apply noise deadening

materials? How can I move the furniture for more room movement?” Greta suggested building a loft for storage and using dividers.

She also talked about putting up an old bed sheet to close off materials, shelves or other programs and taping art work to it to disguise it and make it attractive.

As I moved down the hall, in Fundraising Essentials led by Jennie Sheeks, participants were urged to appoint a fundraising committee so everything is not dumped upon the treasurer. “Not all Meetings have one,” she said with a knowing smile, “otherwise it falls on the treasurer to send out a letter to everyone once a year.” One participant suggested having fundraising dinners to celebrate the older members of the

meeting. A young person suggested that she could sit through six hours of a meeting for business if people would pledge a dollar an hour for her to do it!

“Tie the ‘fun’ into fundraiser!” was the theme.

Next, in Building an Army of None: Military Recruitment in Schools, Jo Ann Zimmerman, after giving her participants information to read concerning common myths about recruitment, led them in role playing about how to resist recruiters offering college scholarships. One of the brochures had a picture of a wheelchair-bound young man which read, “College Can be Expensive, But it Shouldn’t Cost an Arm and a Leg.” In another classroom, Matthew Grayville led his workshop in an exploration of Vocational Identities. Some participants were there because they had retired or were nearing retirement, thus, “exploring out of the rear-view mirror.” A younger person confessed she felt a difficulty in separating one’s self from one’s vocation.

As each workshop--each microcosm of searching, exploring and experimenting--showed itself to me without reservation, I felt blessed to share in the many offerings of PYM this year.

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sessions news

PYM TODAY • FALL 2011

Middle School, Young Friends, Young Adult Friends Mixer Jon Watts West Philadelphia Worship Group Saturday after dinner the Middle School Friends, Young Friends and Young Adult Friends gathered to participate in a mixing program designed around the concepts of heaven and hell and intended for fun and play. With all of the programs’ ages blended together we each sat across the table from a partner, with two cups of pudding and a long stick with a spoon attached to the end in front of us. Our task was to feed our partner sitting across the table.

The story is as follows: “In Hell, there is a large, appetizing pile of food a distance away from everyone. Everyone has a long spoon by which they may reach the food but once their spoon is full of food, they are not able to feed themselves and so they starve.”

“In Heaven, there is a large, appetizing pile of food a distance away from everyone. Everyone has a long spoon by which they may reach the food and they thrive by feeding their neighbor.”

The Work of Annual Sessions Tricia Coscia Annual Sessions Coordinator As we entered Annual Sessions on July 27, the challenge of discernment about the budget and the future of our yearly meeting weighed heavily on the hearts and minds of session planners, attendees and staff. Confronting the reality of our resources meant the yearly meeting faced the loss of staff, changes to programs and services and the challenge of acceptance and discerning a way forward. Friends were at times divided over our process and the specifics of the budget. We grieved for the individual staff members losing their jobs and our loss of their wisdom and good work. At the same time, as families do, we cried, laughed, worked, played, ate and learned together.

Much of the work in plenary sessions centered on understanding the recommendations of the Financial Stewardship Committee, seeking unity and 4

approving the budget. Intermingled with this discernment we welcomed visitors and heard from meetings, committees and keynote speakers about their leadership within the Society of Friends and the wider world.

Throughout Sessions, monthly meetings presented Meeting Leadership Stories, relating their work and meetings that have experienced a deepening and strengthening of the life of meeting. Children joined the adults toward the end of each plenary and we shared our experiences including our challenges and joys. We closed each session in worship as one community.

Following is a summary culled from the minutes of each plenary session. It is challenging to abbreviate the richness of the conversations, the spirit of worship and the weight of feeling in the room during these sessions.

For the complete minutes please visit www.pym.org/annualsessions.

Wednesday We began with intention to prepare our hearts and minds and build relationships, guided by spirit for the work ahead. Friends gathered Wednesday afternoon around lunch and conversation, responded to queries in a collage and participated in mindfulness centering meditation led by Amy Ward Brimmer. Wednesday evening, Michael Minnig, Director of Outdoor Education for Westtown School and Irene McHenry, Director of Friends Council on Education, led us in a multigenerational welcoming celebration. Michael led movement and music on “Leadership in Action: Realizing and Sharing Goals.” Irene employed passages from

sessions news

PYM TODAY • FALL 2011 the book Leading From Within (this year’s One Book/One Yearly Meeting selection) to focus on the idea that leadership is relational, like love.

Wednesday’s plenary concluded with games led by Program and Religious Life staff that challenged friends in small groups to discern who would come forward to lead, how we would support the leaders and how we transfer leadership to others.

Thursday Morning The Standing Committee reports reviewed the work and process of committees and working groups, addressed issues the committees have dealt with over the past year and changes they face with the current financial situation.

TylaAnn Burger (Green Street Monthly Meeting), Yearly Meeting Treasurer presented the Treasurer’s Report to support consideration of the FY 2011 budget, highlighting the income declines and increasing costs that make our current fiscal situation unsustainable.

Paula Cell (Germantown Monthly Meeting), Clerk of Nominating Committee presented the Nominating Committee Report. A new experimental position this year is the Rising Clerk, who will serve for a specified term along with the outgoing clerk. The Rising Clerk will be in the position for one year and then will assume the clerkship for one additional year, after which she can be asked to continue as clerk. During this experimental period the position will be reviewed and may be continued if yearly meeting approves. Nominating Committee appointments were presented and approved.

Thursday Evening Viv Hawkins, Central Philadelphia Monthly Meeting, and several other friends introduced Called to Action (formerly the Witness Formation Program), which will focus on transformational

Nominations, Annual Sessions Thursday, July 28, 2011

Clerk

Thomas Swain, Middletown Monthly Meeting, Concord Quarter

Rising Clerk

Jada Jackson, Trenton Monthly Meeting, Burlington Quarter

Alternate Clerks

Sallie Jones, Birmingham Monthly Meeting, Concord Quarter Dana Kester-McCabe, Wicomico River Monthly Meeting, Southern Quarter Steve Olshevski, Radnor Monthly Meeting, Haverford Quarter

Recording Clerks

David Rose, Lehigh Valley Monthly Meeting, Bucks Quarter Jane C. Keller, Pennsdale Monthly Meeting, Upper Susquehanna Quarter Jim Herr, Lancaster Monthly Meeting, Caln Quarter John G. Hope, Harrisburg Monthly Meeting, Caln Quarter

Worship and Care Standing Committee

Chuck Devers, Salem Monthly Meeting, Burlington Quarter Tom Rie, Gwynedd Monthly Meeting, Abington Quarter

Friends Committee on National Legislation

Linda Jeffreys, Woodstown Monthly Meeting, Salem Quarter Hollister Knowlton, Chestnut Hill Monthly Meeting, Philadelphia Quarter

group work and nonviolent direct change starting in January 2012. The group will meet monthly for six months working on particular direct actions – to get better at “loving the world non-violently.” The goals are to stay spirit-led, experiment and begin with love.

Diane Randall, Executive Director, Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL) presented “Exercising Our Citizenship.” Using examples from her work with FCNL she discussed three key leadership practices: 1) Listening, 2) Trusting and 3) Acting.

meetings and shared their summaries.

They found it easy to find common messages for our yearly meeting, including: We have a tradition that we will live with and that will help us through our challenges. We will never be abandoned by the Holy One. Jack Mahon, Woodstown Monthly Meeting, brought forward the work of the Financial Stewardship Committee on our budget. The committee has worked hard to stay open to the movement of the Spirit. The major changes compared to the initial proposed budget from April include:

Friday Morning

• maintaining the Burlington Conference Center with increased income from the Center.

• higher rent for Friends Center office space.

Allison Anderson, Central Philadelphia Monthly Meeting, and four others reviewed the epistles from other yearly

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sessions news • decreased fee income from Friends Education Fund.

• reduction of PYM Today from four issues to two issues per year.

• personnel changes including: reducing youth program staffing from 3.7 FTE to 3.0 FTE, and a total staffing level of 32.2 FTEs (full-time equivalents) Generous contributions plus income from newly released funds helped to balance this year’s budget but even this is not sustainable in the long term.

There was a lengthy period of clarification and discussion. Later this day and the next we would consider future work based on approval of this year’s budget.

The following minutes of action were approved: 1. We agreed in 2007 that we would release the income of “yearly meeting designated funds” to the Annual Fund over a period of five years. The schedule of the release of these funds was approved in 2008. In order to balance the budget for fiscal year ending 2012 we now agree to release the remaining funds at this time, ahead of this schedule. It should be noted that three funds removed from the classification of designated funds last year are not included in this release because they are structured funds. There are six funds that remain on the list of designated funds scheduled for release whose status as restricted or unrestricted is being reviewed by the Financial Oversight Working Group. When this review is finished, income from those funds found to be designated will be released to the General Fund in accordance with this minute. The six funds being reviewed are: the Michener Fund, the Dewes Funds, the Ridgeway Fund, the Charleston Fund, the Anna T. Jeanes Fund and the Thomas/Yarmark Fund.

2. We approved the Budget proposed by the Financial Stewardship Committee for fiscal year ending 2012.

Meeting expressed great appreciation to the committee and the yearly meeting 6

PYM TODAY • FALL 2011 staff who have labored beyond the call.

Anguish was expressed for the loss of extremely valuable and important staff as a result of this reduced funding.

In Children’s Sessions, our young people made lanterns, performed a freedom play, discussed the qualities of leadership, made reflection signs, had water play, got stickers and played with balloons--holding them carefully as one holds things in one’s heart. Middle School Friends played games, did chalk drawings, and talked about responsibility.

Friday Evening Ingrid Lakey, Central Philadelphia Monthly Meeting, announced that an Earth Quaker Action Team action was held during the afternoon at PNC Bank in Allentown. Twenty friends aged 2 to 92 years participated in a demonstration about PNC’s involvement with mountain top removal.

Thomas Swain, Middletown Monthly Meeting, presented the report on Interim Meeting which met eight times since 2010 Annual Sessions to handle the regular business of yearly meeting, including budget and property concerns, activities of standing committees and minutes brought forward from monthly meetings and quarterly meetings. A special experience was Junior Interim Meeting, occurring at the same time as the adult sessions. A proposal will be brought forward in September to decrease the number of Interim Meeting sessions from eight to five per year.

Arthur Larrabee, General Secretary and a member of Central Philadelphia Monthly Meeting presented a talk on “Leadership in the Yearly Meeting.”

Acknowledging the theme of these sessions Powerful Beyond Measure - Trusting the Call to Leadership, a critical point made was that “a community that will be powerful beyond measure is a community that trusts its leadership.” Noting that conventional models usually promote a “power-over” strategy which

Quakers mistrust, Arthur presented an alternative Quaker model that contained six points which stress a relational connection between leader and community: 1. Our leaders need to think globally about the meeting community - What is God’s big idea for us?

2. Leaders must share their big picture and then release it to the meeting.

Speak and release and allow the Spirit to work that vision into a community vision.

3. Leaders need to take risks and be vulnerable in service to the meeting. Be fearless with ideas but if those ideas are not accepted, release them.

4. Be spiritually grounded and be open to spiritual guidance. It is critical that the community experience the leadership’s spiritual concern for its life.

5. Ideas and visions must be tested and seasoned with the community. The community’s impact has to be the most critical part of the relationship.

6. Satisfaction must be received from the success of the community. There is no room for self-congratulation. Be lifted up by what the community and leadership have achieved together.

Leadership that follows these guidelines will prove trustworthy to Friends, gaining their respect and acceptance. It is that relationship, ultimately, which can move a community to become powerful beyond measure.

Stephen Dotson, of Baltimore Yearly Meeting and Middle School Friends Coordinator, presented information on the Emerging Leaders Scholarship Program. Developed by the Young Adult Friends (YAF). The program provides grants to YAFs to assist their work as youth coordinators with Middle School and Children’s programs. Kamali Bush of Downingtown Monthly Meeting and Richard George of Frankford Monthly Meeting each received $500 grants this year to serve as middle school and children’s staff.

Ben Camp, of Norristown Monthly

sessions news

PYM TODAY • FALL 2011 Meeting and the Children’s Program Coordinator, helped present the report from Junior Interim Meeting, introducing many younger friends who had participated in this year’s Junior Interim Meeting. Two summers ago, a children’s program priority was created “to share games and food with homeless children,” resulting in work throughout the year with St. Barnabas Shelter in Philadelphia. While adult Interim Meeting met, the Junior Interim Meeting shared meals and played with children at the shelter. Over 250 items of sports equipment and $70 for the shelter were collected from members of Westtown and other meetings.

Saturday Morning Saturday morning focused on discussion of a discernment and planning process. Friends responded to this query: “Is the Yearly Meeting ready to undertake a discerning and planning process?” We labored with differing opinions about process and a way forward. For a full sense of this discussion, see the minutes at: www.pym.org/annualsessions.

A proposal for long range planning was ready to be offered but the meeting was not in unity, so it was held. We

continued to labor, worship and at times wrestle with the query, considering the relevance of past actions and discernment and a rightly ordered process. One friend pointed out that on Friday night the children showed us how to establish priorities and accomplish them and that perhaps we should follow their lead.

Toward the end, we learned that the children also were engaged in a lengthy discernment process and it was suggested that we sing together as we waited for them to finish. The children entered to the sound of the meeting singing “Dona Nobis Pacem.”

Younger Friends reported learning how to share, teaching about respect, and finding out where God is. The children had engaged that morning in a process to determine their priorities for the coming year. “God’s big idea for us resulted in the following priority: “Make the world a better place and share our Quaker faith by treating ALL as our brothers and sisters. We will do this by raising money and helping those who are hungry and homeless.”

The following minutes of action were approved: 1. The body approves meeting this

evening for continued consideration of the creation of a discerning and planning process.

2. We as a meeting want to move forward with a discerning and planning process and will return this evening to discuss what form it will take.

A Minute of Concern was also presented by the Children’s Program (kindergarten through fifth grade): 1. The larger the yearly meeting, the more friends we will have. We wonder how we can help them find new jobs.

The Children’s Program hopes we can think about these needs again next year.

Saturday Evening Jay Marshall, Dean of the Earlham School of Religion, spoke on vitality in Friends’ leadership. He sees a new willingness among Friends to envision and discuss leadership. He noted different contexts for Friends’ leadership and the challenges and opportunities before us: We are conditioned to listen deeply to one another, we have a non-anxious presence, we are given to plain speaking and we have a willingness to consult and discern before decision making. It is a dynamic faith because we believe in

“Friend Speaks My Mind” Release Party: Celebrating A Distinctly Quaker Radio Show On Saturday afternoon Madeline Schaefer hosted a release party for her radio show, “Friend Speaks My Mind.” The program focuses on issues that are vital to Quakerism today, such as technology, aging, class and history. Madeline spoke with us about her process of recording the programs and exploring her own faith in putting them together.

Madeline grew up in Radnor Meeting and she includes in her radio shows a documentary about returning to her home meeting as a Young Adult Friend, a process that can be uncomfortable and revealing. She has been releasing one program each week on www.quakerquaker.org and will be posting more in the coming weeks.

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sessions news the Inner Light. Good Quaker leadership reclaims that internal power; it is spirit-directed. We need to trust those we invite to lead. With “that of God” in every person we can trust that the other will hear us.

Michael Gagné, Central Philadelphia Monthly Meeting, led a listening session to help us move forward in continuation of the morning’s work. He reminded the body that the planning process is needed for clarity but we need to listen from a place of love for one another. He asked us to invite love, joy and playfulness into the room. He asked friends to consider: Which voices really need to be in the room? What are the voices we don’t hear? Our hope is that we can provide a new model for the Religious Society of Friends. Michael posed these questions and invited responses from the body present: 1. What do we want from the planning process? What outcomes do we want?

2. What do we want our planning process to produce for us?

3. What type of process will help us to live into what we have envisioned?

What will the process look like?

Many voices responded to these questions (please see the full minutes for details) with a renewed sense of energy and hope. Responses were recorded with care by Viv Hawkins, acting as scribe.

The body of yearly meeting has the authority to carry forward this concern.

Friends agreed that a planning process proposal will be brought to Interim Meeting in September or as soon as it is ready. The process proposal will be developed by a group to be named by the clerks in consultation with others and will build on previous work.

Sunday Morning Sunday morning began with a Memorial Meeting for Worship naming friends from throughout the yearly 8

PYM TODAY • FALL 2011 meeting who have recently died.

The Clerk recognized friends for their service as they leave volunteer positions with the yearly meeting: Patricia Finley, Susan White, Jack Mahon, Suzanne Day, Richard Morse, John Ellsworth, Paula Cell and the following staff who will no longer be employed: Ginny Connolly, Mary Anne Crowley, Sadie Forsythe, Wright Horne and Rita Varley (who has retired after 30 years of wonderful service as our librarian).

Gretchen Castle, Doylestown Monthly Meeting, clerk of the Faith and Practice Revision Committee, reported that they hope to complete the project “in less than 10 years.” The committee is revising the book by sections which will be sent to monthly meetings, posted on the web, brought to Interim Meeting and to Sessions for approval.

The email address for comments and suggestions is: fnp.pym@gmail.com.

Paula Cell, Germantown Monthly Meeting and clerk of Sessions Planning Group, spoke of the group’s charge in 2010 to plan sessions for two years as an experiment with this year at DeSales University and 2012 Sessions in Philadelphia. The committee asked for another year to clarify plans, with 2013 Sessions to be held in a campus setting.

A question about coming back to DeSales University met with concern about Catholic Church discrimination against GLBT people. It was suggested that we remain open and engage in dialogue with DeSales leadership about these concerns and that Sessions Planning Group hold this concern carefully in planning. A minute was approved with one Friend standing aside.

The Clerk’s Minute of Exercise focused on some of the new and unusual aspects of these Sessions. Some of the efforts involved during these Sessions were “difficult beyond measure.” However, he expressed his feeling of great joy and love in the work and the people here with the over-arching reality of our time together being “powerful beyond measure.”

There were 49 children in attendance

at Sessions this year--far more than ever before, thanks to the Education Standing Committee, which made it possible for all children up to middle school age attend for free. There were three times as many middle schoolers here this year as last.

The following minutes of action were approved: 1. We agree that the two-year experiment in location of Sessions be extended for one more year so that the yearly meeting, with experience of Sessions in Philadelphia in 2012, can begin the discernment necessary for a longer range plan. To provide the time necessary for this discernment, Sessions will be held in a campus setting in 2013.

2. Among the body, there arose the desire once again to take up the issue of GLBT, queer, and other equality concerns in some way. We ask the Sessions Planning Group to keep these concerns in mind as they decide on a venue for Sessions in 2013 and as we move forward in other ways that may address this issue.

3. We approved allowing the clerk to write a letter about the recent tragedy in Norway to friends and others in Norway Yearly Meeting on our behalf.

4. We approved the outgoing epistle.

We approved appending the Young Adult Friends, Young Friends, Middle School Friends, Fell Group, Fisher Group and Fox Group epistles to this outgoing epistle.

Following expressions of gratitude and worship together we finished sessions with the awareness that our work continues.

Tricia is a member of Yardley Monthly Meeting.

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PYM TODAY • FALL 2011

An Answer to Our Budget Problems Tom Armstrong Plymouth Monthly Meeting We left Annual Sessions with a good idea of the financial situation of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting. We have spent more than we have received more than once in the past ten years. We are not financially insolvent but we risk getting there quickly. We have few reserves remaining to cover any more deficits.

The Financial Stewardship Committee, which is responsible for yearly meeting budgets, presented a proposed budget to Interim Meeting in April including many ideas about items that could have been cut from the budget in order to avoid the past practices that got us into this difficulty. A revised budget proposal, which was a balanced budget, was presented to Interim Meeting in June; it was then presented to yearly meeting in session in July and was passed. However, even this budget is not sustainable in the longer term because it appears that based on future income projections, we may need to further reduce staffing levels.

There are dangers inherent in simplistic thinking about these budget issues. If we simply cut from the budget, we lose excellent programs that are important for our spiritual commitment as Friends. We risk losing good staff who consider this the kind of work that fulfills their religious commitment

of working for peace, justice, spiritual nurturance and the representation of our values in the world community.

Financially, we know that the two main budget items for religious non-profits are staff expenses and building expenses. We are no exception. We also know that prospects for more income are reduced by a lower expected return on investments. In addition, quarters and monthly meetings are also challenged in balancing their own budgets.

What can we do?

How many of us know that by virtue of our membership in monthly meetings we are also members of yearly meeting? Monthly meetings can help significantly in this regard by educating new members about yearly, quarterly and monthly meeting unity. In the past friends recognized this connection and contributed to all bodies both through covenants and through individual donations. The numbers of those Friends are diminishing and as they pass, there does not appear to be the same level of understanding of the need to support all of our structure. This can be important work for our seasoned Friends who know their faith and their organization well enough to support this connection in our monthly meetings.

The method we provide for friends to contribute individually to yearly meeting is our Annual Fund. The Annual Fund is the one way we can ex-

pand revenue significantly. Annual Fund contributions are voluntary and unrestricted. These are the best donations because they embody trust by the donor toward the organization and they do not limit the organization from spending the money on the current priorities of our yearly meeting. Restricted donations are the reason why PYM has fifty million dollars in the bank but can only spend less than a million of it each year on priorities that speak to our present condition.

Unrestricted dollars are the only means we have to spend relevantly on contemporary issues we want to address. To give an example, Peace and Concerns Standing Committee, a yearly meeting committee that supports and evaluates working groups within the scope of activities that promote peace, has saved money from other programs to budget for a staff member to lead the Eco-Justice Working Group, a group on the cutting-edge of environmental concerns. The same committee a few years ago supported financially the start of a community house of Young Adult Friends in West Philadelphia, a group that is brimming with faith, and ideas for providing opportunities for transformation within our faith, for graduates of Haverford, Earlham and other Friends schools.

Why is this work difficult financially? As a body, we are not adequately contributing to it. Change this practice, Friends! Enlighten yourself about Yearly Meeting. Join a standing committee or a working group. Contribute to the Annual Fund. Try donating five or ten dollars each month if you find that a single large gift is a challenge--and guess what, it will turn out to be a large gift anyway! For those who can contribute more, consider doing it weekly or monthly. By doing this, we will not have to borrow money to meet payroll.

Care about what we do as Friends in our total scope. It is worth it.

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PYM TODAY • FALL 2011

Quakerism in the 21st Century: Growing into Paradox Jon Watts West Philadelphia Worship Group “Faith is the breakthrough into that deep realm of the soul which accepts paradox with humility.

—Henri Nouwen On Friday afternoon at Annual Sessions 2011, Tom Gates gave a workshop called Quakerism in the 21st Century: Growing into Paradox, in which he provided a framework that helps to explain the shortcomings of all branches of modern Quakerism. The beauty of this framework, however, is that it simultaneously provides us with an understanding of the tools through which to confront those shortcomings.

At the core of the framework is a pair of paradoxical ideas or priorities which Ranterism

Post- modernism

Rootlessness

could be (and have been) framed as either/or, contradictory, competing.

Tom argues that when we approach these concepts as competing, one or the other eventually wins the debate and we find ourselves drifting towards an extremism that is lacking in perspective, balance, health, vitality, power, Truth and so many other qualities that Quakerism is highly capable of.

The framework, borrowed from Bill and Frances Taber, is: A

B

C

Individual Tolerance Continuing Revelation

Agnosticism

Tom’s point is that ideally we can hold these paradoxes in balance. We have seen the consequences of not holding them in balance, such as Ranterism or the period of rampant authoritarianism in the quietist period. We have also seen the splits that occur 10

D

Authoritarianism

Transformation

Fundamentalism

Tradition, Scripture

Rigidity

Prayer

God as Transcendent

except that our group was too busy plugging in other paradoxes to B and C and finding the A’s and D’s. Try your

Seeking

in which B and C are paradoxical ideas seemingly in tension, while A and D are the extremes toward which we slide if we as a religious community allow either B or C to win out.

Here are some examples:

Community

Social action

divorced from God Witness

God as

Non-theism

Immanent

After presenting this framework and exploring examples we sat down in small groups to discuss queries . . .

A Yearly Meeting stroll

Supernatural theism

own. My favorite that we came up with was:

Knowing

when we become attached to and entrenched on one (“our”) side of a paradox, as well as the slides towards extremism when we lose sight of the other end.

To be clear, the argument is not for centralism but for a sense of holding

Spirituality divorced from the world

Fundamentalism

gently and courageously the paradoxes that we have been given in our faith tradition. And it is a valuable practice indeed.

sessions news

PYM TODAY • FALL 2011

Glimpses Into Interest Groups

Brenda

Walker Beadenkopf Concord Friends Meeting On the beautiful campus of DeSales University north of Philadelphia the afternoon of July 29, many Friends met for Interest Groups in the cool classrooms of Dooling Hall, clustering around their knowledgeable leaders to learn more about subjects of interest.

Here is a sampling of the many interest groups that were held during Annual Sessions.

Nancy Gibbs told of the new distinction of Arch Street Meeting House as a National Historic Landmark, granted just this spring. “Arch Street is the center of our historic outreach,” she declared. “When we took the application to the 12 experts sitting at the table, they looked up, puzzled, and said, ‘We thought you already had this!’” The answer as to why it had not been done before was that many friends resisted having anything to do with the federal government.

But many friends had also been wondering why Arch Street Meeting House was not on Philadelphia city maps. If it were registered as a National Historic Landmark, tourism of the historic site could increase immensely.

“In order to make the case that this is a landmark of national importance we made the connection that William Penn gave the land for the meetinghouse in 1701. Many of the ideals upon which this country was founded were set down by William Penn 100 years before the Revolution. His Holy Experiment is still the American Experiment,” Nancy emphasized.

“Hey-ya! hey-ya! hey-ya!” Another glimpse into Interest Groups was a video of Native Peoples—Leading the Way to Earth Harmony with drums, chanting and pow-wow dancing presented by Kate de Reil. Then the setting became more modern as a young

Native American sat in a radio studio talking knowledgeably about a new Native concern—PCBs poisoning the water in New Mexico. After fish drink the water and humans eat the fish, these poisons get to us.

In another classroom, Gretchen Castle, Doylestown Monthly Meeting, and Joan Broadfield, Chester Friends Meeting described ongoing revisions to Faith and Practice, a process stretching

Meeting, Resources for Aging Interest Group, he asked people to actively envision the future. Previously, most Quakers made retirement decisions in their 50s and 60s, but today more people are making those decisions in their 70s and 80s. Also, more people are aging in their homes, because it is too expensive to retire. He urged the use of the web site Quaker Aging Resources at www.quakeragingresources.org.

out for one-and-one-half years at this point. One such revision is on the subject of “When Does Meeting Start?”

Gretchen explained, “Theoretically it is when the first person sits down, but sometimes the signal is a closing of doors. Distractions happen when people keep arriving and greeting one another near the outside door.”

In George Schaefer’s, Radnor Friends

George also offered an Elizabeth Gray Vining quote, “The secret of finding joy after sorrow lies . . . in the way we meet sorrow itself . . . accept sorrow as a friend, if possible. If not, as a companion.”

Another group discussed restorative justice for sex offenders. “Sex offenders are people, too,” one person espoused.

He believes that many current laws are 11

sessions news ineffective, grossly unfair and not applied in a manner that makes sense. Some sex offenders become homeless because they cannot get jobs.

They cannot take part in their children’s education because they cannot go near a school and the tightened laws drive the behavior underground.

He referred Interest Group attenders to a group called Community Renewal for Sex Offenders.

The interest group Grants Witness, led by Carol Walz, Mount Holly Monthly Meeting, explored the history, culture and scope of PYM’s grant making. This year, for the first time, our yearly meeting’s 14 granting groups will be making grants entirely from restricted funds. We have 47 of them! “It’s a real challenge,” she smiled ruefully, “to make grants in today’s world when they are restricted to only those purposes stated by individual donors over the past 200 years.”

Finally, an Interest Group on being proactive about growing vital meetings suggested, “Do first what you can to get people into the building!” Increase exposure by how your meeting looks and do more activities in the community. Let community groups use your meetinghouse for their events and meetings. Make your outdoor signs bigger. One person in the group suggested merely having the letters ‘PYM’ on a sign out on the road is only useful for those in the “In Group.” He thought we should put signs on the main roads that boldly advertise “what’s going on here!”

12

grant making

PYM TODAY • FALL 2011

Restricted Grant Funds: Blessings and Challenges Carol Walz Director of Grant Making This year, 44 restricted funds and three structured funds will provide $1,445,374 to be distributed as PYM grants. Our yearly meeting’s grants witness strengthens Quaker institutions, furthers friends testimonies and helps friends in need. We are blessed by the generosity and philanthropic vision of earlier generations.

One of our earliest donors was John Pemberton, who left about three acres of land to our yearly meeting in 1795 for the accommodation of friends’ horses while they attended yearly and quarterly meeting sessions or undertook other religious service. It may have occurred to him that horses might someday be replaced by other forms of transportation, and Pemberton trusted friends to make the most appropriate use of his gift in future times. And of course, friends did! The next article in this section focus on the Pemberton Fund, which now funds transportation costs of Friends traveling under a spiritual concern anywhere in the world.

The Pemberton Fund exemplifies some of the challenges in granting money that was restricted long ago, and the creative solutions that can be found to

Restricted Funds

reinterpret restrictions in today’s world while remaining true to the original intent.

The graph on this page shows what our donors require of us. Nearly twothirds of the income is restricted to assist friends’ retirement facilities and aging members in need. 20% is restricted to education including tuition aid; 10% to building projects (meetings, retirement facilities, and schools). The rest is restricted to Quaker travel and other very specific donor concerns.

Friends today very likely would create different priorities for our grants witness. What would we choose to support? Friends who leave restricted bequests to PYM are able to support their witness and concerns beyond their lifetimes in a tangible way. Our donors’ legacy challenges us to match the vision and generosity of earlier generations, knowing that today’s causes will someday prevail, yet friends worship and testimonies will endure, and new needs will arise in future centuries. I encourage Friends to consider the legacy they may leave for the future, funding today’s causes but also accepting that Quaker testimonies will undergo continuing revelation and new needs will arise in the future.

Carol is a member of Mount Holly Monthly Meeting.

Percentages indicate portion of principal that is restricted for each purpose.

Aging 62% Education 20.4% Building Projects 10% Travel 2.4% Specific Friends Concerns 5.2%

grant making

PYM TODAY • FALL 2011

Pemberton Fund Supports Travel to AVP Nicholas Gutowski Grants Associate Three years ago more than 150 people from nearly two dozen countries met in Kakemaga, Kenya to participate in the 2008 Alternatives to Violence Project (AVP) International Gathering.

John Shuford and Deborah Bromiley, members of Centre Meeting and supported by grants from their meeting and the John Pemberton Fund, flew to Kenya to attend the event.

The gathering gave everyone involved a chance to share stories, advice and knowledge so that local programs could be improved. According to a report from the couple, “the conference included sessions on topics such as: AVP in Prisons, AVP with Youth, Xeno-

workshops--they were also leading. John Shuford ran a three-day AVP workshop with local Kenyan police. Deborah described the experience.

“Our Kenyan friend and fellow AVP trainer Shamala Joseph arranged for John to lead a workshop with the Kenyan police.

Shamala had long been wishing to break into this community and work with them to prevent further violence as was witnessed during the postelection time frame. The Kenyan police

necessary for AVP to be effective. This was a first step into the police environment and we hope it will be continued by the Kenyans.”

The couples’ work continues locally.

For some years they have coordinated the AVP program in the Delaware state prison system. They are engaged with the organization’s international efforts as well, serving respectively as assistant clerk of the 2010 International Coordinating Committee and co-clerk of the Information Committee in 2008. The couple plans to attend the next AVP International Gathering to be held in Guatemala this fall.

What is AVP?

phobia in South Africa, AVP for Healing, AVP with Ex-combatants, Forgiveness, Re-entry to Prisoners , AVP in post-conflict areas and AVP and Nonviolent Social Change. These workshops were both informational and experiential. It was very meaningful to share ways in which AVP is utilized throughout the world.”

But they were not just attending

were responsible for much of the violence and killings. John and his team worked with about 15 male and female officers for three days, going through a workshop based on the AVP Basic Workshop exercises and teachings. The police officers were a quiet group as a whole but when broken up into small groups they really did get into sharing the feelings and experiences that is

The Alternatives to Violence Project is an international group which organizes workshops to teach nonviolent conflict resolution skills with the aim of empowering people to lead nonviolent lives. The project began in 1975 with support from the Religious Society of Friends but the program itself is non-denominational. You can learn more about AVP at: www.avpinternational.org.

13

grant making

PYM TODAY • FALL 2011

Meeting House Trusts: Grants for Repair and Construction of Meeting Houses Nicholas Gutowski Grants Associate A good roof is one of the key foundations of a well-kept building--second only to an actual foundation--and one of the most vulnerable: trees can fall, water can leak, beams can rot. Repairs and replacements can be expensive and even cautious budgeting does not always suffice in the face of an unexpected emergency. It should be no surprise that many grants from the Samuel T. Jeanes Fund are for roof-related projects. In 2009, 36% of grants from the

Old Haverford Monthly Meeting

fund were roof-related; in 2010, 66% were. Two of the three grants made so far in 2011 were as well--to Greenwich Meeting and Old Caln Meetinghouse.

Old Caln received a grant to help fix structural issues with the timber beams underlying their roof. The beams have been in place nearly three hundred years (the meetinghouse was built 1726) and could no longer be guaranteed to support the combined weight of the roof, chimneys and any accumulated snowfall. Although the meeting 14

was officially laid down over a century ago, a small group of Friends still hold weekly meetings for worship there.

Greenwich Meeting received a grant to help replace the roof of their lower meetinghouse. The building has been in active use since 1771, when it was built to accommodate Quakers from Fairton, who crossed the Cohansey River to meet with other Friends every week. Stephen Old Caln Monthly Meeting Barndt, of Greenwich Meeting, says the building “hearkens back house to host a small gathering in our to an unbroken lineage of QuakFirst Day School. Having completed er settlement and this project, the Trustees plan to hold worship in the an open house and a forum for the Delaware Valley, facilitated by river community to explain the undertaking and the resulting improvements in transportation efficiency and environmental impact, and the desire to thereby modeling friends’ testimony of truly meet with environmental stewardship for our neighbors and local community. It is hoped that this friends after time example and ensuing discussion of apart during the sustainable directions will help people working week.” consider similar actions in their own Heating is homes and businesses.” another issue of frequent concern.

Wilmington Meeting and Southampton Meeting What is the Samuel T. both received Jeanes Fund? grants in 2009 for The Samuel T. Jeanes Fund the emergency is a trust that provides income replacement of their respective heating for the Meeting House Trust systems. Old Haverford Meeting reFunds granting group to aid ceived a grant in 2008 to replace their monthly meetings with condecades-old gas furnace with two smallstruction of meetinghouses or er energy-efficient furnaces to save facing unexpected or unusual money, conserve resources and reduce expenses for repairs. You can carbon dioxide emissions. One furnace learn more about the Meeting serves the worship room and the other House Trust Funds and downserves the library and First Day School load the application form from area. The meeting writes that the new the website at: furnaces “have already resulted in savwww.pym.org/grants. ings on our gas bill because we no longer have to heat the whole meeting-

Annual Fund

PYM TODAY • FALL 2011

An Attitude of Gratitude for our Volunteers and Contributors Philadelphia Yearly Meeting is a community of 103 monthly meetings, 13 quarterly meetings and many thousands of members, attenders, sojourners and other people. We support and strengthen each other in Quaker faith, practice and witness. Our work together is made possible by the countless hours of time given by Friends, financial support from monthly and quarterly meeting covenant contributions and support of the Annual Fund by individuals, meetings, working groups and others.

Thank you for your contributions!

Over 2,600 individuals supported PYM by contributing to the 2011 Annual Fund for the ongoing work of our yearly meeting. Everyone who contributed is included in the list below.

We are deeply grateful for each and every gift. Thank you!

Marguerite Williams John Ziegler

Plymouth

Four Anonymous Gifts William Alberts and Ann Brown Tom Armstrong and Dora Martinez Armstrong Agnes Blackstone Nancy Corson Elizabeth Foley Ralph and Louise Henninger Charles Hough David and Bonnie Miller Loretta Miller and Larry Hastings Vincent O’Grady Karen and John Ort Craig and Deborra Pancoe

Thank You

Abington Quarter Abington

Seven Anonymous Gifts Christopher and Alicia Agoglia Richard Arras Eugene and Phyllis Ballinger Bruce and Carol Beaton William Berlinghof John Brady and Linda Haughton Mary Buckman Emily Conlon Elsie Cordus Nancy Cunningham Thomas and Kathryn Dwyer Jay and Margaret Ely Doris Fanelli Harvey and Patricia Fingeroff Loretta and Scott Fox Daniel and Edythe Garrett Mark and Heather Garrison Teresa Glatthorn Marsha Golden Martin Heckman Susan Knight and Glenn Lamb Todd and Susan Makler Janet McBride Elizabeth and Keith Mosley Janet Pearce Ruth and Charles Peterson Alice Ridgway Craig Sanpietro Peter and Bonnie S Schorsch Edith Silvers Walter and Kathleen Singer Carolyn and Thomas Spencer Bruce Stewart and Andra Jurist Meemie M. Sullivan and Allen F. Steere

Ruth R. Sutton Daphne Taylor Robert Taylor Daniel Turner Diane Vernon David and Patricia Wermeling Bob Wirtshafter and Angela Sorrentino

Byberry

Helen File Gina and Michael Gilbert Harry and Lillian Leeser David and Suzanna Nepley

Gwynedd

Two Anonymous Gifts Carl Baron Henry Beck and Sandy Snyder Jeanetta Bicking Beth Binford Leonard and Grace Blumberg William Carr, Jr. Skip Corson, Jr. Chris and R. Kimber David Virginia Dawe Mickey Edgerton John and Karlene Ellsworth J. Morris Evans Cynthia Evans Douglas and Deborah Faulkner Mary Beth and Daniel Garrett June and Walter Hallowell Rolland and Janet Henderson Kenneth and Eleanor Hiebert Ronald and Judith Inskeep Dee Kruschwitz Jean Kuebler

Gary and Nobuko Lapreziosa Carleton Miller Reba Ann Mohan Albert and Marcia Paschkis D. Michael and Debra Peasley Vicki and James Poorman David Pye Carol and William Pye Daniel and Carol Ritting Robert and Marie Russell Hannah P. Snyder Lea Stabinski Sandra Sudofsky Bunny and Thomas Swartz Marilyn and Craig Trueblood Arnold and Caroline Trueblood Richard and Evelyn Willis

Horsham

One Anonymous Gift Evelyn Carpenter Kenneth and Judith Foulke Drusilla and Herbert Gullberg Penrose and Marian Hallowell Frank Jarrett L. Schemm Dorothea and Charles Sines Richard and Alice Wetherill

Norristown

Two Anonymous Gifts Susan Beebe Louise and Edmund Crossen Clifford Gillam, Jr. Kelly and Mary Green William and Annette Procyson Emily Procyson James Verno

Richland

Two Anonymous Gifts Susan and Jim Abbott Scott Hufnagle John Knisley and Holly Thomas Susan Powell John Ries Kathryn Spare

Unami

Four Anonymous Gifts James and Sandy D’Amato Philip and Nancy Donnelly Elizabeth Goff Mary and Frederic Hanisch Irving and Jennifer Hollingshead Robert and Kathryn Leber Joyce Moore Randy and Marietta Quinby Robert and Janice Reiff

Upper Dublin

Ginny Cameron Barbara Delaney Anne and John Spears

Bucks Quarter

Bristol Preparative

Walter and Margaret Farley

Buckingham

Three Anonymous Gifts Robert Fenton

15

annual fund Joan MacLatchie Bethann Morgan Grace and Jonathan Scott

Doylestown

PYM TODAY • FALL 2011 Lehigh Valley

Nine Anonymous Gifts Sally and Joe Alley Karen Beatty Nicholas Butterfield and Rachel Osborn John and Anne Cheezum Martha and William Christine Frances Dreisbach Amy and Jonathon Frey Howard Gallup Robert and Cathy Gumlock Donna Hartmann and Rick Dow Mary Hatcher and Ted Morgan Stephanie Heller Joyce Hinnefeld Barbara Kozero Mimi Lang Jan and Paul Larson Daniel and Rose Laxar J. Gordon and Linda Maule Karen Maurer Tom Maxfield Michele McLaughlin Christine Murray Bonnie O’Donnell James and Debra Orben Bob and Carmen Riggs Cori Rolon Robert Root and Anna Marzullo David and Kimberly Rose Rick Schall Nan Sell-Parry and John Parry Faith and Woodrow Shireman Grant Stevenson Clifford and Lois Sunflower Carol Voorhees Celie and Conrad Walton Paul Williams Barry and Louise Young

Middletown

One Anonymous Gift Jerry Belew Bruce and Deborah DiMicco Jan French Emerson and Jean Green Claudia and James Haviland James and Robin Hipple Kate and Adam Hirsch James and Deborah Newbold William and Elizabeth Newbold Tom and Holly Olson Henry Parry, II John and Kathie Parry George and Nancy Pickering Jenna Seuffert Thomas Styer, III Richard Townsend Russ Waters Roger Wood

Laura Kinnel Robert and Odie LeFever Amy McLellan Ginger Monarch Martin and Lisa Ogletree Chip Poston, Jr. Mark and Angela Ratliff Ann and Norval Reece Carol Richardson Ronald Runyan Elizabeth and Jason Rylander Almira Sharp Ray and Kati Sowiak Nancy and Jack Starmer Norman and Betty Tjossem James Whitmoyer and Susan Thompson Caroline Wilson Anthony and Jennifer Wolf

Thank You

One Anonymous Gift Andy Bauer and Diana Morris-Bauer Cookie Biggs Stuart Bush and Mel Scott Ann Ehrich David Eldridge and Lisa Carney Elizabeth Eschallier Wally and Jane Evans Elizabeth and Charles Fritsch Phillip Henderson Richard and Josephine Howe Ken and Susan Johnson Richard and Paula Laughlin Walter and Beverly Lomax Julie McKay Ken Miller Peter Schiano and Lisa Wildman Jill and Dennis Tafoya Jerry Taylor Jr Carmen and John Wilmerding

Fallsington

Six Anonymous Gifts Charles and Ruth Bancroft Will and Jackie Bowers Amy and J. David Brimmer Violet Devlin Dorothy Eaton Euen Gunn Maryly and Sohrab Hossain Felicia Humer Frank Marks Robert and Stephanie McBride Sam and Marion Snipes Susan Snipes-Wells and Thomas Wells Evelyn Throne

Makefield

Vincent Shaudys

Plumstead Monthly

Newtown

Two Anonymous Gifts Carol Ashton-Hergenhan Janet Braker and David McCullough Kenneth and Marjorie Burton Diana Collinelli Betsy and Daniel Crofts Mary Dart Joseph and Carolyn Evans Daryl Fair and Barbara Kibler George Fisk Kate Fullerton and Eric Armour David and Mary Lou Gould Donald and Margaret Grubbs Wanda and Alan Guokas Mark and Chiyo Haber Bill and Linda Heinemann Elizabeth Hendricks Scott and Susan Hoskins Marya Hunsicker Wendy and Steven Kane

Thank you for your time!

Over 800 friends support PYM by giving their energy, talent and countless hours of effort as volunteers. Volunteers support yearly meeting youth programs, interpret Quakerism to tourists visiting Arch Street Meeting House, care for our library and serve on our many committees, working groups and granting groups.

Volunteers are the heart of what is Philadelphia Yearly Meeting. During Fiscal Year 2011, volunteers contributed over 30,000 hours to the work of our yearly meeting.

Thank you!

If you are interested in volunteering to help with programs please contact Jill Tafoya, Assistant to the General Secretary at jtafoya@pym.org or call (215) 2417211. If you are interested in serving on a committee or working group please contact Paula Cell, Clerk of Nominating Committee at hpcell@gmail.com or call (215) 208-1709.

16

Elyse Fox Christopher and Betsy French Carol and Alan Gray Carol Hey Beth Taylor and Robert Happ Lane Taylor Marie Tollini

Quakertown

Two Anonymous Gifts Norma Bowers Ramona and Gerry Kirwan Doug and Robin Meaker Concetta Stewart Patricia Stover Dennis Wolf

Solebury

Lisa and Boris Becker Malcolm and Elaine Crooks Marjorie Crooks Donald Griffin Robert Holt Christopher and Catherine Kerr Marilyn and Paul Lanctot Phoebe Lohmar John Mathieu and Karen Love-Mathieu Kevin Mullen Daryl and Rhoda Renschler George and Frances Rhoads Susan Tinsman

Southampton William Dockhorn and Carol Wengert Laura Lynch and Hans Peters Anne Merrill Samuel Nicholson Maria Peters Mimsey Potts Harry Rothwell Dorothy Schroeder

annual fund

PYM TODAY • FALL 2011 Wrightstown

Frank Arrison Betsy Bayardi Tom and Pauline Biggs Nelson Camp and Alice Maxfield Paul Haviland, Jr. Alan and Gail Keim Jean LaRue Lincoln and Julie Merwin David Miller Susan Sandberg Richard and Bette Segel Jack Seitner Susan and Bruce Stevenson

Yardley

Two Anonymous Gifts Jeffrey and Ann Bishop Sid and Carolyn Cadwallader Patricia Carson Laura and Charles Clappison Patricia and Joseph Coscia Jeffrey Dalgliesh and Biz Cherney Holly and Joel Gardner Susan and Samuel Madeira George Phelps Cornelia and Marshall Schmidt Andrew Sites Joseph Sites Betty Steckman Howard Thurman Cleora Wheatley

Volunteer Profile: Liana Hershey Liana has been volunteering with the Children’s Programs since she was in 6th grade. For the past 6 years she has played with and cared for our youngest members during March Sessions, Summer Sessions and at the monthly Junior Interim Meeting. She has always loved working with younger children. Liana recalls that “when I was in 6th grade my family was going to March Sessions and my mother thought that I should be a part of the Middle School Friends program but I wanted to help out at the Children’s Program. My mother and the program leader agreed and I have been volunteering with the Children’s Program ever since.” Liana and her mother Ventina are members of Mount Holly Monthly Meeting.

Georgene Callahan Libbie Counselman Ruth Gage Janet Gardner Morton and Sarah Grossman Lilian Grosz Judith Johnson Mary and Desmond Leith Kenneth and Heloise Mailloux Arthur and Julia Manuel George and Marae McGhee Dick Nurse and Ninfa Mueller Sally Oppenheimer Michael and Mary Robertson Janice and Thomas Roddenbery Daniel and Irene Rodgers John and Carol Spears Robert Stockton Marie Louise Stokes Joseph and Marietta Taylor Charles and Letitia Ufford John Vincent and Delia Pitts Judith Weiss Susan and Allan White Ann and Mitsuru Yasuhara

Caln Quarter Bradford

Carol Hanson

Jim and Cynthia Herr Debra Hewes Amanda and Doug Kemp Charles Lane June Lang Patricia Lea Robert and Cynthia Lowing George Nofer Carl and Rachel Perry Debby Spence Raymond Trayer Chris and Marilyn Weinstock-Collins

Thank You

Burlington Quarter Barnegat

Patricia and Allen Sherwin

Crosswicks

Five Anonymous Gifts Stephanie Brown Monty and Jack Caldwell David Czehut Donald and Lauren Czehut Maria and Michael John Jean Scattergood Mary Sohler Kristiana and Brian Stevenson Maurie and Anne Stevenson Harry and Jan Williams Judy Wright

Mount Holly

One Anonymous Gift Zehdreh Allen-Lafayette Albert and Dorothy Bacon Chris Darlington Ed Dreby and Margaret Mansfield Toby Riley, III John Steitz John and Carol Walz

Princeton

Diane Barlow John and Gloria Borden Cheyanne Boyd and Robert Lasser

Rancocas

Susanne Bingham Betsy Gravatt Dorothea and William Heisler Frank and Judith Smith Eugenia Steelman

Trenton

One Anonymous Gift Gordon Brooks Jane Brooks Jada Jackson Sandra Johnson Fred and Sandy Millner Joan Ordille Maia and Jules Simon Joseph Taylor, Jr. Barbara and John Vadnais

Chambersburg

Six Anonymous Gifts Rhoda Carnes Robert and Marilyn Christie Sarah and Nicholas Trbovic

Exeter

Kenneth and Jane Cook Winfield and Margaret Keck Jed and Shirley Smith

Harrisburg

One Anonymous Gift Nancy Alleman Connie Cardillo Rick and Anne Fonda Mark and Marie Gewiss Jessica and John Hayden Rheta Holleran John Hope Sabina Howell and Franz Niedermeyer Richard Morse Richard and Patricia Naeye Carter Nash Donald Owen and Eileen Green Bill and Kay Pickering Glenn Pickering Kenneth and Wicky Woerthwein

Lancaster

Four Anonymous Gifts Nancy and Larry Bieber Maria Cattell Esther Cope Joseph DiGarbo, Jr. Jean and William Eaton Robert Gast

Reading

One Anonymous Gift Christine Field Judy Geiser Kathy and Rick Githens Jim and Wendy Hall Betty Hanf Darlington and Frances Hoopes Jane Hutton Curtis and Charmoine Jones Taylor and Betty Lamborn Roger Lawn and Bonnie Kirchner Jim and Nan Morrissey Jean Pedersen Deborah Pickett and James Russo Marie Ryan Senovio Shish

Sadsbury

Tim and Claudia Kirk Judith Mullen Barbara and Charles Spackman Mary Walton

Schuylkill

Frank and Jean Marie Barch Brian Dudonis Debbie Flad and Brian Weber Christopher and Leslie Jones

17

annual fund Mary Moulton Rigmor Rice

Uwchlan

PYM TODAY • FALL 2011 Amy Snipes-McKamey Robert and Nancy Thompson Robert and Denise Venturi Robert and Janet Kay White Toni and Kenneth Yagoda

Paul and Margaret Linvill William and Lynn Oberfield Anthony and Isabel Olmstead Ken Park Eleanore Potter Mayland and Sean Reilly Parker Snowe J. Tucker Taylor Priscilla Taylor-Williams David Thomas and Debra Will Jennifer Van Denbergh and Dan Curry David Williams William and Ann Windsor

Thomas Preston Pierre Ravacon Kit Raven and Steve Golub Kenneth and Anne Rawson Mary Raymond Phyllis Raymond Michael and Genevieve Ritzman James and Berenice Saxon Willa and Jim Schell Gertrude Seybold Johanna Sibbett Daniel Snyder and Joan Neely Will Starr and Lisa Reno Mark Taylor and Brenda Perkins Paul Williams and Virginia Joyce Elizabeth Wray

Thank You

Five Anonymous Gifts Keaven and Judith Anderson Charlene and Earle Bare Jane and Ronald Beard Dorothy and Richard Bewley Jonathan Brezon and Christine Beard Francis Brown Harry and Martha Bryans John and Denise Ann Bryer Jeff and Pam Bryer Christine Foster Howard Frysinger Erika Gross Kim Haas and John Diliberto Jean Duff and John Hall Averyl Hall Sally Harrison Keitha and Douglas Herron Anne Herzog and Hollis Graham Emilie McIlvain Jamie and Cheryl McVickar Sherry McVickar Graham and Deborah Miles Irene Oleksiw and Alex Miller Peggy Pillard Helen Read Linda Robertson Matthew and Dina Schmidt Cathy Toner and James Tobin Timothy and Nancy Warner

Chester Quarter Chester

Anne Ensor Beth Lawn Jeanette Page Willard Richan Niyonu Spann

Darby

Margaret Petty Ronald Shrigley

Lansdowne

John and Catharine Cary Paula and Richard Cullinan Anne Darlington Joan Feldman John and Mary Furth Patricia and Orlando Haddad Helen Hardin Jacqui and Harry Harper Richard Hoffman and Susan Kellog Margaret Johnston Donald Kidder Merlin and Jill Muhrer Vivian Rankin Eleanor Scott Jerry and Linda Sena Paul Sheldon

18

Media

Two Anonymous Gifts David and Margaret Camp Michael Campbell and Susan Garrison Lila Cornell and Richard Baker Nancy DeMis Christopher Dietze and Lynne Jones-Dietze Dorothy Flanagan Anne Flick Garrett and Susan Forsythe James Forsythe Yvonne Fraley Lola Georg Dorothy Haviland Kanon Hewitt Alfred and Eleanor Hurd Herbert Nichols Wayne Peischl Benjamin Preddy and Marjorie Sickles Preddy Charles Randall and Judith Watkins Dorothy Reichardt Cecilia Sibinga Sara Timmons Paul and Rhoda Weisz Ella White

Providence

Donna and Robert Allen Allen Bonnell Mayland Crosson John and Merril Dutton Joseph and Lynne Elliott Mac Given Ward Goodenough Gray Goodman and Felicia Mather Robin Harper

Springfield Betty Fallon

Concord Quarter

Swarthmore

Birmingham

Four Anonymous Gifts Rudolf and Elizabeth Amann Edward and Esther Bogardus Elise and Henry Brigham Betsy Christopher Christine and William DeGrado Susan Edwards Margaret Fraser David and Barbara Grove Terence Hauger Daniel Hoffman Mary Hoffman Adalyn and Edmund Jones Alexandra Kendrick Andrea Knox Doris Landers Florence Lewis Michael and Anne Malone Paul and Mary Mangelsdorf Lark March Barbara and James Marshall John and Nancy McKinstry Clark and Andy Palmer Mary Lou and Curtis Parker Jean Perkins Jo Pfaff

Two Anonymous Gifts Nancy Arnosti Tod and Margaret Baseden Martha Boston and Christopher McKenney Richard Brigham Ted Brinton Amy and Michael Brooks A. Hays Butler and Judith Childs-Butler Dorothy Carroll Luis and Wendy Castillo Marcia and Charles Cole-Quigley Barbara Des Jardins James and Connie Eash Dale and Susan Frens Maryetta Glancey Richard and Janet Heckler Rae and Harry Johnson David and Sallie Jones Cynthia Kipp Barbara Knickerbocker Celia and Christopher Lang Ted and Irene Moon Emily Myers Gwynne Ormsby

Volunteer Profile: Gregory Barnes Greg gives his time to the work of our yearly meeting in many ways. He serves as Recording Clerk of Library Services Working Group, National Historic Landmark Working Group and Interpretation Outreach Working Group, and is a member of the Peace and Concerns Standing Committee. For the past six years, Greg has been an interpreter at the Arch Street Meeting House, which inspired his current project to write a “Biography of the Arch Street Meeting House.” As a volunteer at the library, Greg wraps books in an effort to protect and preserve the collection. Greg loves to be surrounded by books and says “carrying on a ministry of books is very important to me.” Greg and his wife Yoko are members of Central Philadelphia Monthly Meeting.

annual fund

PYM TODAY • FALL 2011

A total of 1,456 households contribIncluding these members of Western uted directly to the 2011 Annual Fund.

Quarter, a total of 2,624 individuals 1 Those households represent 2,174 contriuted to the 2011 Annual Fund.

Friend individuals. Additionally, Approximately 72% of adult gave 450 members of Western members did not give financially, $57,000 Quarter made Annual though many gave of their 6 Friends gave Fund contributions

time and talent. $10,000–$15,000 through the Thank you!

Quarter.

26 Friends gave $2,500–$6,500

85 Friends gave $1,000–$2,499 372 Friends gave $250–$999 2,134 Friends gave $1–$249 6,892 Friends did not give financially

Ann Larson Mare McLoughlin Ellen Millick Clarence and Helen Parker Virginia Pusey Anne Satterthwaite Robert and Jean Schaefer Will and Rebecca Scull Betsy Swan and Jon Kimmel Kenneth and Liz Tankel Richard Thompson Anna Wright

Wilmington

Four Anonymous Gifts Curtis and Carol Clapham Chenda Davison Stephan and Paulette de la Veaux Jean Dew Zac Dutton Cheryl Glasgow Richard and Hermetta Harper Patricia Haughton David Hollingsworth Mark and Jean Kaufman Howard and Ethel Parker Charles Paschall, Jr. Leonora Petty and William Williams Jay and Claudia Pownall David and Susan Scott Bayard Snyder Howard Starkweather, Jr. Mary Starkweather-White

Thank You

Barbara Parsons Linda and Jim Phreaner Sonia Ralston Greg and Julie Senko Charles and Terry Spadoni Serita Spadoni George and Anna Steele Bill Waddington, III Douglas and Betsy Wenny Harriet Wentz Berdelle Wishart Lark Worth Ruth Young

Concord

One Anonymous Gift Brenda Beadenkopf Carol and Francis Bradley Gay Elliott Gillespie William Palmer Annette and Hiram Parent Jessica Raymond Elizabeth Richards

Goshen

Two Anonymous Gifts Paul Eisenhauer and Marian Post Audrey Langhorne Alison Levie and Michael Wajda Laurie Lewis and Charles McElwee David and Barbara Linton Jean McMinimee Jacqueline and Edward Moll Sallie Welte and Jack Embick

Middletown

Four Anonymous Gifts

Rich Ailes and Shirley Dodson David and Julie Bates Elinor Briggs Betty and John Corry Charles and Jane Mack Jane Mack Thomas Swain Jane Torrance

West Chester

Peg Anderson Matthew H. Bradley & Melinda Wenner Bradley Jonathan Burton Patrick and Kathleen Davis Anna Marie Fischer Stephen and Delia Fitzgerald Art and Jan Hatchard Caroline S. Helmuth Shirley Hood Anne Leuiken Deb and Randy Lyons William and Ursula Plummer Marianne Potts Malika Richards and Daniel Indro Rod and Ann Waters Ruth Weeks Larry Wheeler Margaret and Barclay White Lydia Willits Martha Yerkes Erica Young

Westtown

Denis and Judith Asselin John and Aminda Baird Sarah and Robert Bernhardt

Margaret Brown Marc and Marion Dear Jonathan Evans Earl Fowler Kevin and Karen Gallagher Isabella Harrison Bruce Harrison and Lisa Cromley Thomas and Margaret Haviland Nancy Hoffman Paula Kline and Alan Wright Peter and Juliet Lane Margaret Locke Jan and Alice Long Rebecca Mays Anne Randall Norman and Cathy Robinson Janny and Timothy Sterrett Frank Tarzanin, Jr. Virginia Vaughan Susan and Brian Waterhouse Shelagh Wilson and David Dobbins Gretka and Ralph Wolfe Anne Wood Deb Wood William Young

Willistown

Two Anonymous Gifts Carolyn Anderson Elisa and John Barbis Tim Barnard Brennan and Alisa Barnard Lynmar and Claudie Brock Pamela Costanzi Nancy Donaldson Willis and Annie Hidell Irene and Clay Johnson

Haddonfield Quarter Atlantic City Area

Robert and Meed Barnett Jamie Cromartie and Alice Gitchell Eileen and Richard O’Brien

Cropwell

One Anonymous Gift David and Nancy Barclay Jan and Bob Durbin Constance Evans and Dean Richert Deborah Saunders

Haddonfield

Six Anonymous Gifts Pamela Anderson Judith Barnes Therese and Charles Barringer Susan Borkowski and Mary Anne Gaffney Lisa Boyell and David Brady Robert and Connie Brookes Scott Buchheit and Pam Perry Nancy Engle Kathleen Fastiggi Stuart Harris Justin Loughry and Leah Morris Wayne Partenheimer William and Judith Patterson Priscilla Pharo Ruth and Michael Podolin

19

annual fund Leonard Rico Lucy Savarese John Sheffield Maria Shivers Craig Stock and Cathy Wise Anna Sutterley Patricia and Harley Williams

PYM TODAY • FALL 2011 Robert and Karen Barton Edwin and Monique Begg Adele and John Bourne John Caughey Jane and Bob Cleaver John and Susan Coleman Maurice and Martha Collins Newbold Cooper, Jr. Thomas Cooper Walter and Larue Evans Jim and Mary Frintner Gladys Gray Molly Haines Elizabeth Haines Neil and Marian Hartman Sandy and Susan Heath Les and Patti Hopton Catharine Karsten Louisa Khanlian Cheryl Kozloff Greg and Kandy Lippincott Louis and Betsy Matlack Anne Matlack and Eric Berndt John Mills Betty Mutch Ruth Quackenbush Thomas Reagan and Mary Brown Emma Richter and Konrad Richter Suellen and Matt Riffkin Coles Roberts Victoria Robertson Warren and Florence Sawyer Bill and Marty Smith Asa Stackhouse Janet Thomas Carol Todd Laurence and Margaret Van Meter

Miriam Ward Tracey Whitesell Debra and Dennis Williams Hannah Wilson Tom and Jackie Zemaitis

Robert Bishop Benjamin Blair, Jr. Gertrude Brett Sylvia Bronner Benita and Edward Campbell Grace and Terry Cooke Yolanda and Manuel Covarrubias Elizabeth Emlen Edith Gleason Sandra Green Michael Inskeep and Lynne Piersol Peter and Michelle Jenney Douglas Keith Alan and Anita Kintisch Benjamin Lloyd and Susan McKey Richard and Margaret Lytton Bill Mumma and Brenda Rose Simkin Robert and Elizabeth Post John Price Robert Roche Priscilla Roche Judith and Louis Santiago Anne VanArkel Howard and Anne Wood

Thank You

Medford

Three Anonymous Gifts Mary Bacon and Stephen Edgerton David Brick Jacqueline Cleaver Harry and Lois Forrest Walter and Joyce Haase Richard and Susan Haines Laird Holby and Alice Andrews Janet Jackson-Gould Irving and Irene Jones Florence Lippincott Gertrude Marshall Barbara Merle-Smith Katherine Reilly Lois Rickett Margery and George Rubin Justine and Robert Schmidt Margaret and David Spallone Roland Stratton and Jean Robbins-Stratton Cathy and Scott Wilson

Moorestown

Seven Anonymous Gifts Jack Allen Brian and Susan Alnutt Nancy Asher

Newton

Francine Cheeks Judith Kruger Beth Mutch

Westfield

One Anonymous Gift Joan and C. Miller Biddle Mary and John Bossen Lynn Conant John and Linda Cope Marjorie Cope Indira Cope Robert Cope Charles and Elaine Coward Carol Crawford Robert Heal Linda and William Kimball Richard Lippincott Beck Ney Karen Nulton William Probsting Mark and Deborah Roderick Polly Stevens Eleanor Stevenson Barbara Watson Barbara Zimmerman

Haverford Quarter Haverford

Four Anonymous Gifts

Volunteer Profile: Richard George Richard gives the gift of time to our yearly meeting as a Friendly Adult Presence at Middle School Friends gatherings.

He has served as a member of the Middle School Friends Working Group and was a 2011 participant in Emerging Leadership Scholarship Program. In a reflection after a Middle School Friends gathering, Richard wrote, “my favorite part, and the most touching part of the whole gathering, was a brief second . . . Matt Sanderson asked the question, ‘What can you tell Quakers who don’t come to Middle School Friends Gatherings?’ The response was one that made me as proud as ever to be a working part of such an important community: ‘Seriously?’ one Middle School Friend replied in disbelief, you haven’t lived until you come to a Middle School Friends Gathering!’

We all should be proud of where these kids are taking this program. With their effort and energy, I have a blast and get spiritually uplifted when I need it as well.” Richard is a member of Frankford Monthly Meeting.

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Merion

Rocco and Linda Bianchi Robert and Susan Campbell Beverly and Donald Fitts Evan and Janet Frazer Alice Hoffman Ross Mitchell Frank Prestileo Lenette Richardson William and Sarah Roth Katy Ruckdeschel Francis Strawbridge, III Yssabella Watt

Newtown Square Hilary Conroy Doug Humes

Old Haverford

Walter and Louise Cope Patricia Finley Franklyn and Nancy Judson Bruce and Sharon Livingston Bonnie McMeans Patricia Rettig Ken Snyder and Suzy Rettig Carol Strawson and Stephen Loughin

Radnor

Nine Anonymous Gifts Elizabeth and Thomas Balderston Ruth Blattenberger Letty Lee Dahme Jeffrey and Anne Dalke Patsy Dent Mary Kaye Edwards and Rob Knowlton Gene and Jolinda Grace

annual fund

PYM TODAY • FALL 2011

Germantown

Volunteer Profile: Melinda Werner Bradley Melinda is a volunteer who nurtures the spiritual lives of our children. She is a member of the Committee on Friends Education and serves as clerk for both the Children’s Spiritual Life Committee and the Faith & Play Working Group. For the past four years she has been one of the volunteer leaders at the Children’s Program during Annual Sessions. “The work I do is fulfilling because it connects me to the larger yearly meeting community. I have met extraordinary people and learned a tremendous amount about Quaker process and leadership,” Melinda explained. “Above all it is truly spirit-led work.” Melinda is a member of West Chester Monthly Meeting where her family attends, including her husband Matthew and their children Ellie, James and William.

Peggy and Brooks Harris Bart and Renata Harrison Denise and Christopher Hay Alice Kelley Judith Keogh Robert and Elizabeth Krick Fay Lawton Craig Long and Linda Hock-Long Margaret and Thomas Mayer Steve and Jennifer Olshevski Lindalee Oswald Martha Payne George Schaefer Winnie Shaw-Hope Paul Smith June Smith Isobel Thompson Geraldine Tisdall

Barbara Benton Betsy Berger Bruce Birchard and Demie Kurz Becky Birtha Walter and Jennifer Borders Mona Cardell and Berta Britz Gerald Carlson Bonnie Clark Cathryn Coate and Robert Capanna Rob Cope and Lela Betts Chuck Esser and Pamela Haines Peter Forrest Grace Gonglewski and Eric Schoefer Justine Gudenas Steve Gulick and Glenavie Norton Nicole Hackel Alan and Judith Harker Ian and Tess Hemphill Patricia Prudence Hill Mary Anne Hunter Julia Judson-Rea Anthony and Lee Junker Carrie and Kathleen Karhnak-Glasby Arlene Kelly and Helene Pollock Amy Kurkjian Ingrid Lakey George Lakey Arthur Larrabee and Nancy van Arkel Elisabeth Leonard Alison Lewis John Lohac and Elizabeth Diesroth Phillip Mullen Esther Murer David Nicklin and Amy Kietzman Ron Ozer and Dorinda Dove Sara Palmer Marcia Paullin Zandra and Alfred Price Jess Purvis Sandy Rea and Stephanie Judson Dana Reinhold and Robert Henderson Johanna Riordan

Robin and Elizabeth Robinson Robert Rosenthal and Cindy Palmer Bill Sanderson and Carolyn McCoy Jennie Sheeks and Jason Bethune Bradley Sheeks and Patricia McBee Nan Thompson Thomas and Louise Tritton Rita Varley Dorothy Wilson Rocky and Pamela Wilson Karen Winner

Three Anonymous Gifts David and Holly Ambler Samuel and Jeanne Angell Walton Burwell Mary Butler and Peter Baumann Deborah and Charles Cary Howard and Paula Cell Jack and Virginia Childs Lovida Coleman, Jr. Deborah Cooper Theodore Coxe, Jr. Caroline Davidson David and Betty Jean Elder Marjory Evans, Jr. Elizabeth Evans Christopher Evans Thomas Evans Abbe Fessenden Thomas Fisher Joanne and Kenneth Ford Deborah Frazer David George and Patricia Gerrity Barry Halkin and Cindy Hodgson Marion Heacock Klaus-Peter and Gertrude Hoehne Patsy Hunt and Jack Hagele Gay Johnson Rebecca Johnson-Weisberg Daniel Jones Harold Juram Richard Juram Adam Kendon Margaret Kendon Richard Kimber Patricia Macpherson Suzanne Marinell Ed Marshall and Joanna Bassert Anne Maxfield Joan McIlvaine Michael Mini and Florence Battis Mini Ed Nakawatase and Jean Hunt Chris and Helen Nicholson Donald Palmer and Virginia Tobler Christopher and Kathleen Paulmier Jeffrey Purdy Robert and Patricia Reifsnyder Donald and Marianne Rhoads Ted Rhoads Jonathan and Julia Rhoads Samuel Rhoads Thomas Roby and Rachel Burch Anne Sampson Marlena Santoyo Ruth and Robert Seeley Christopher Segal Toni Sharp Andrew Sharpless Robert Smith Francis and Sheila Stokes Ramsey Thorp Homer Wilcox, III Donna Wilhelm Rachel Wilson Gail Woodbury

Thank You

Valley

Two Anonymous Gifts Georgeann and Mark Blaha Paul Felton, Jr. Tom Hoopes and Beth Castiglione Kert and Jean Kadyk Anne Moore James Schellenger, III Ann and James Schellenger Richard and Alice Walkling John and Debra Waters

Philadelphia Quarter Central Philadelphia

Four Anonymous Gifts Marjory Abbott Alison Anderson Mary Flounders Arnett Charles Ault Phyllis Babcock Greg Barnes and Yoko Koike Barnes Raymond Bentman and Louis Del Sodo

Chestnut Hill

One Anonymous Gift Mickey Abraham Philip Anthony and Meg Mitchell Jude Brandt and Grace Moses Ginny Christensen Karen Cromley Zach and Christie Duncan-Tessmer Eileen Flanagan and Tom Volkert George and Dona Garrettson John and Mary Hagner Philip and Ann Jones Hollister Knowlton Jon Landau and Signe Wilkinson Irene McHenry Stanley and Margaret Myers Charles and Shirley Philips Corey and Jonne Smith Dylan Steinberg and Amey Hutchins Peter and Jean Warrington Carla and Bruce White Sarah Whitman and Abraham Witonsky Warren and Pat Witte

Frankford

Kathleen Braker-Woloszczuk and Michael Woloszczuk Mary and David Reed Paul Riley

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annual fund Charles Woodson and Deirdre MacLeod

Green Street

PYM TODAY • FALL 2011 Tim and Myriam Siftar Courtney Smith, III Craig Smith, Jr. Carol Spawn David Spawn Tom and Jane Unkefer David Wilder and Mary Ann Layden

Kathleen Crewes David and Suzanne Culver Chuck and Anita Devers Edward and Nancy Fogg Benjamin and Kitty Ford Mitchell and Dana Gayner Donald Hindle and Sally Birdsall Curt and Linda Lefferts Anna Rohrer Alice Waddington Mary Waddington

David and Dorothy Way

Southern Quarter Camden

Thank You

Dick and Shirley Bansen Richard Betts Doris Clinkscale Robert and Roma Dockhorn Suzanne Kalbach David La Fontaine and Patrick Egan Hewitt and Merna Malone Sharon Mullally Alyson Scott JoAnn Seaver Charles Walter Stewart Ethel Trefsger Allan and Peggy Walters

Monthly Meeting of Friends of Philadelphia

Three Anonymous Gifts Mignon Adams and David Geliebter Mark and Kathryn Amarotico Andrew Anderson and Nancy Colon Emily Brown Michael Gilbert Audrey Greenhall Christine and John Hoenstine John and Penny Hunt Michael E. Kachur Anne Brockman Kerr Jeff Kippax Ruth Kirk Dabney and Mark Moncher Pamela Moore Emma Paladino Lisa Santer and Anjan Chatterjee

Salem Quarter Greenwich

Steve and Kathy Barndt Julia Davies Burton and Jeanne Doremus Lisa Garrison John and Catherine Parrish Carol Powers James Wasson

Mickleton

Two Anonymous Gifts Nancy and David Beauchemin Emily Blanck and Bill Carrigan Elizabeth Crispin Robert and Gloria Horvay Walter and Kathleen Pierson Arlene and Robert Storer Minerva Ward

Mullica Hill

Charles Johnson Vinton Prince Charles and Judith Suplee John and Margaret Warner

Salem

Two Anonymous Gifts Betty and Frank Crane

Seaville

Jean Chadwick Letty and Thomas Chadwick William P. Harris and Lois S. Harris Frederick and Margaret Long Diane Metz Blair Seitz Bob and Shirley Williams

Woodstown

Four Anonymous Gifts Mike Ayars, Jr. Patti Burns Sally Crane Jeffrey and Donna Gibson Elizabeth Hasbrouck George and Dana Houghton Linda Jeffrey and John Frisone Dorothy Kramme David and Priscilla Lamont Shirley Lock Chris and Jack Mahon George and Beatrice Shenton Loren Thomas Charles and Toy Tyson

Volunteer Profile: Jada Jackson Jada is a volunteer who helps to guide the processes and leadership of our yearly meeting. She is the Rising Clerk and serves on the Advisory Committee, Agenda Committee, Development Services Working Group, General Secretary Oversight and Evaluation Committee; and is an ex-officio member of the Sessions Planning Group. Jada recalls that her PYM volunteerism “started with a nominating committee call to be the Interim Meeting Alternate Clerk. Being unfamiliar with the friends and customs of Interim Meeting, saying yes to this service was both an act of trust and faith. Trust that during the nominating committee’s discernment the committee saw a gift in me I had yet to see in myself--faith that I would be supported by spirit and friends in this new service. We all hold a responsibility to look within ourselves and each other for our gifts, to name and support the use of gifts amongst us and to trust the call to service.” Jada is a member of Trenton Monthly Meeting and the Burlington Meetinghouse Worship Group.

22

One Anonymous Gift Roger Allen Mary Beatman Paul and Ginny Bender Lance Billingsley Eric and Susan Boving Joanne Freed Carol Giesecke Ralph and Ruth Johnson Polly Jose Eileen and Allan Redden Michael and Allison Richards Linda Simpson

Chester River

Albert and Anne Briggs Jack and Pat Matthews Kenneth Roberts

Third Haven

Gwen Beegle Kenneth Carroll Lorraine Claggett Sally Claggett Esther Cooperman Thomas Corl and Mary Cotton Deborah Cox Catherine Cripps Stephen and Jane Escher Doreen Getsinger John and Marsie Hawkinson Allan Mielke Sumner and Frances Parker Dee Rein and Ronald Finn James and Anne Rouse Adrienne Rudge John Schreiner and Heidi Wetzel Jean Wheeler Frank and Joyce Zeigler

Wicomico River

One Anonymous Gift Jean Johnson Toby Smith

Upper Susquehanna Quarter Huntingdon

Larry and Virginia Mutti

Lewisburg

Gerald Cooke

Millville

Two Anonymous Gifts James and Carolyn Dalton Mel and Carol Endy Anne Foulke Robert and Constance Miller

annual fund

PYM TODAY • FALL 2011 Robert Mosteller Bruce and Susan Rockwood

Members of Western Quarter meetings who made additional gifts:

Thomas and Brenda Macaluso Harold and Patricia Miller Sara and William Moore Mark and Anna Myers Greta Rech and Brooke Knierien Martin and Sandra Reber Scott and Susan Rhodewalt Gordon Roehrs Robert and Joyce Shaffer Alice Taylor Elinor Thomforde Shirley Wood James and Barbara Yeatman

Haverford Monthly Meeting London Grove Monthly Meeting Monthly Meeting of Friends of Philadelphia New Garden Monthly Meeting Plumstead Monthly Meeting Reading Monthly Meeting Jonathan E. Rhoads Trust Solebury Monthly Meeting Upper Susquehanna Quarter Westtown Monthly Meeting Willistown Monthly Meeting Woodstown Monthly Meeting Western Quarter Young Adult Friends Working Group

Thank You

North Branch

Two Anonymous Gifts David and Carolyn Elliott Barbara Lewis Herbert and Gwen Quick Caroline Romano and Skip Mendler Michele Sands

Pennsdale

Two Anonymous Gifts Mary and Victor Engel Jane and William Keller Patricia and Tom Martin Edwin and Carole Moses

State College

One Anonymous Gift Raymond and Christine Ayoub Robert and Renee Crauder Polly and James Dunn Lu Evans Daniel Frysinger Laurie and David Jeffreys Mark and Mardy Shaw Richard Swails and Louise Sandmeyer Mary Thom Russell and Carol Tuttle Steve and Pam Wagner

Wellsboro

Robby England Bryn Hammarstrom and Lynne Graham Greg Smith and Molly Williams

Western Quarter Special Note: Nine monthly meetings within Western Quarter contribute to the Annual Fund through the Quarter.

Members of Kendal Monthly Meeting and London Grove Monthly Meeting contribute directly to the Annual Fund.

Members of the following meetings contributed through Western Quarter.

Centre Fallowfield Hockessin Kennett Marlborough Mill Creek New Garden Newark West Grove

Elaine and George Amoss Richard and Carol Bernard Peter and Suzanne Franck Karen Halstead Barclay and Diana Hoopes Wright and Sandra Horne Dick and Mary Logan Beverly McCausland Anna Marie Medeiros and Stan Glowiak Donald and Bertha Pratt June and Carroll Pratt Nancy and Richard Pratt Sally Rickerman Charles and Joann Shoemaker Jim Reamer and Michele Sullivan

Kendal

Martin Beer Marian Bronner Bill and Shirley Dorsey Peter Frorer Marian Fuson David Hewitt Mary Hopkins Edwin Jordan Erika Muhlenberg William Ravdin

London Grove

Kenneth and Marilyn Benson Claire Birney James and Karen-Lee Brofee Mary Jo and Englebert Ciganek Leo and Helen Daiuta Rick and Barbara Draper Philip and Alice Gilbert Pamela Leland and Renna van Oot

Other 2011 Annual Fund Gifts Individuals

Jennifer Bradley Len & Mary Ann Cadwallader Ginny and Robert Connolly Mary Anne Crowley Ashley Gosnell Mary Hammond Terence Hauger Kaye Henley Thomas Lucas Cliessa Nagle Tammy Nguyen Bob Paige Celeste Richardson Beth Schulkind Scott Schumacker William Taylor Ronald Taylor Kevin and Kerry York

Organizations Barnegat Monthly Meeting Colyton Foundation D’Olier Foundation

Friends who requested their names not be published are listed as Anonymous. Please help us keep our records up to date. If you see an error or omission in this list, or if you prefer to be listed as Anonymous in the future, please contact Jennie Sheeks, Director of Development at jsheeks@pym.org or call (215) 241-7115.

Contributions for Fiscal Year 2011 Total Contributions $463,516 Average gift $246 Median gift $100

Volunteer Profile: Neil Hartman Neil Hartman has been giving his time to PYM as a volunteer for over twenty years. Neil serves as Treasurer of the International Outreach Granting Group. He is also an essential member of the volunteer interpreters at Arch Street Meeting House, where he visits with tourists from around the world and shares his extensive knowledge of Quaker history. Of his experience as an interpreter Neil says, “I like speaking with the people who are interested in Quakerism and ask good questions. Recently, a couple from San Diego were quite interested and wrote down the address of a meeting near where they live.

This feels like an accomplishment.” Our local community and the wider world are truly enriched by the dedicated service of Neil Hartman. Neil and his wife Marian are members of Moorestown Monthly Meeting.

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caring for our community

PYM TODAY • FALL 2011

Students as Rising Leaders ents, parents, and interested Friends. An older Friend sat to the side, drinking in the positive energy of the youth, savoring their energy, advice and insight.

Just how do students become leadIt was a perfect Annual Sessions day. ers? When parents send their kindergarThere were plenty of inducements for ten children to school in September, students to be outside in the sun instead of participating in the Committee with quick hugs at the bus stop and on Friends Education (CoFE) workshop admonishments to “be good,” they must trust that teachers, in their role as on student leadership, but the room was full, and the circle grew as latecom- classroom mentors, will support each child’s social and intellectual development. Small heartaches, great joys, little disappointments and new friendships accumulated during the first days of school certainly set the stage for bigger lessons that come later. But it is by being allowed to step forward and take initiative that a child becomes a leadPrinceton Friends School working at Hamilton Day Care er. Simple phrases, like: “I have an idea!

I know what we should do! I know a ers pressed in. Three educators, Laura person I want to help! I have project to Kinnel, Penny Colgan-Davis, and Memake our world better, safer, cleaner!” linda Wenner Bradley—all CoFE memcontain the building blocks of leaderbers--welcomed the group and helped everyone settle in. Many were teens but ship.

Workshop organizer Melinda a few were younger students, grandparGrace Sharples Cooke Friends in Education Coordinator

Service Projects at Friends Schools

• A Stratford Friends School student, Thomas Hircock, led his school to fundraise, purchase and deliver 40 bicycles to villages in India so that children there can attend school.

• Westtown School’s middle school leadership group (student clerks) organized “Haiti Support Week” to support earthquake relief work and this year raised more than $1,000 for Japan.

• The Quaker School at Horsham’s students serve as pen pals, run clothing 24

and school supply drives and raise money for significant needs (like a school van) at the Hope School, a South American AIDS orphanage.

• In addition to running voluntary community service projects seven days a week, the William Penn Charter School’s 7th and 10th grade Quakerism courses have an integrated service component. For example, the entire tenth grade will be working in a Philadelphia public school this year.

Wenner Bradley observes that friends “have wonderful tools in our ‘leadership toolbox’ as a faith community.”

As a teacher at Westtown School and an active member at West Chester Monthly Meeting, she is in a good position to notice how Quaker convictions and practices support emerging leaders in both meeting communities and friends schools. Melinda describes these tools as: practicing deep listening; individual and corporate discernment; and recognition of the diverse gifts in a group of people. “They are powerful resources for leaders of any age,” she says, “ones that Quakerism can help to grow . . . when we make space for young people to see themselves in different kinds of leadership roles.”

Students agreed that there were many qualities that support leaders.

Three panelists spoke about their own leadership and service experiences and lead discussion groups: Tenaja Henson, a Middle School Friend and eighth grade student; Dan Hoskins, a Young Friend and high school senior; and Kamali Busch, a Young Adult Friend (YAF) and alumna of the Emerging Leadership Scholars Program. Small group discussions among participants generated a list of qualities necessary for leadership within school communities. These included: creativity, keeping everyone safe, a fair amount of flexibil-

• United Friends School “adopted” a local creek and received a grant to purchase stream monitoring equipment. Middle school students ran the water quality monitoring project, proving how extensively the creek was being polluted by yard run-off. They then protected the creek by getting the borough to pass new regulations governing yard waste.

• Friends Central School students do many service projects and community work days but, most creatively, the

caring for our community

PYM TODAY • FALL 2011

United Friends School conducting a stream study

ity and patience, a willingness to “do”-to take responsibility--but also a need to respect differences.

Selflessness, the students said, mattered. So did taking action, listening, managing hurt and individual/group reactions. They also listed key supports for leadership that made a big difference: mentoring, organization, taking a stand and reflecting back to where the group is. Key to all of this was maintaining a sense of humor, knowing what you can manage and considering the long view. Friends’ meeting communities, according to students, also students themselves developed a program to redistribute their unused cafeteria food to area food kitchens.

• Princeton Friends Schools students lend a hand at area non-profits like HomeFront; Mobile Meals of Trenton and Ewing; Mary’s Little Lambs Nursery School; Hamilton Day Care; The Crisis Ministry; the YWCA; Princeton’s SAVE Shelter for Animals; Enable, Inc.; Snipes Farm, and the George School Children’s Center.

needed to function as places where love, collaboration and plain speaking about truths may happen. Effective youth leadership definitely involves remaining open to multiple perspectives, articulating the sense of the meeting, asking for help and support, discerning how to move forward and finding out where your own energy is best placed.

Penny Colgan-Davis, principal at Frankford Friends School, says she first suggested a CoFE workshop on student leadership because she knew “that schools and meetings have a significant role to play in nurturing the skills young people need to be of service to others as well as nurturing their disposition to serve.” Her hope was to “hear from students what they actually thought about service and service learning.” Having seen the afternoon workshop unfold, she was struck that “young people most appreciated adults who trusted them to serve and provide leadership.” Penny said that hearing this “was an amazing concept for me.

As an educator who tries to create service learning opportunities for students, I now know I should step back and make room for young people’s

ideas to emerge and help them help others!”

A PowerPoint presentation about friends schools and their student service projects showed that creativity and student ownership of projects mattered.

But the most powerful message to come out of the workshop was that each student could make a big difference simply by choosing to engage. That engagement might be as a mentor to younger children, as a service project leader or even as a project follower— for as students pointed out—one can demonstrate leadership by supporting the good work that’s being organized by others.

Workshop participant Griffin Lloyd (a seventh grader and member at Haverford Friends Meeting) had another take on leadership that Friends could learn from. He observed that sometimes the best leadership was not about “being right.” In fact, he said that even though you might feel you were right about something, you did not always have to tell everyone that you were right and they were wrong. By hanging back and keeping your thoughts to yourself you might just open up to another person’s truth in a way that really supported them. That too was leadership. Griffin’s insight sat exceptionally well with the group as they concluded the workshop with a period of worship sharing.

Reflecting back about the students’ contributions that day, Penny ColganDavis concludes: “We sell young people short and need to have more trust . . . [so we] enable them to realize their dreams of being of service. Their first efforts may be messy but they will be authentic.” Authenticity, whether felt through our personal leadership experiences or our collective community service projects, really does open a window to the inner light.

Grace Sharples Cooke is a member of Haverford Friends Meeting.

25

Spiritual Growth and renewal

PYM TODAY • FALL 2011

Jesus of Nazareth Tod Baseden Birmingham Friends Meeting If we were to hold a memorial meeting to celebrate the life of Jesus Christ, Easter would be a good day on which to have it. And if we were to have it today, this might be my spoken ministry.

In my readings, I learned that the word “Christ” is derived from the Greek translation of the Hebrew word “messiah,” meaning an anointed king or leader destined to lead the Jewish people into a time of peace and plenty. The word does not imply a deity, although to many Christians it has come to mean that.

Historians have concluded that Jesus was born in Palestine probably around 4 BC. When I read that, I decided to find out what life might have been like for Jesus back then. These days Palestine is rather arid, with a warm, dry climate. But in Jesus’ day, it was probably milder and wetter and supported an estimated population of 800,000 to 1,000,000 Jews. About 90 % of the population was peasants, mostly poor farmers. The infant mortality rate was about 30 % and life expectancy was about 30 years. The literacy rate has been estimated at three to five percent.

Palestine was first occupied by the Jews during the late Bronze Age, about 1,000 B.C., after their exodus from Egypt. Since that time it has been repeatedly occupied by foreign invaders.

In Jesus’ time the country was under the cruel heel of the Romans who had invaded in 63 B.C. What sort of a society was he born into? A Jewish society that first and foremost was governed by the laws of its faith, essentially the Ten Commandments. The center for their religion was the temple in Jerusalem, administered by the Sadducees, a priestly aristocratic sect. The Sadducees included most, if not all of the richer and more influential Jewish families. Another religious 26

sect, the Pharisees, worked with peasants in matters relating to their faith.

The Sadducees and Pharisees comprised the main governing body in Jerusalem, known as the Sanhedrin. The Romans saw to it that the cost of supporting the temple and the Sanhedrin came out of the taxes levied on the peasants. As a result the Sanhedrin was very supportive of the Romans. Over this compliant governing body sat the power of Rome, as dictated by the resident Roman Proconsul. Rome’s control was direct and firm for the province of Judea and its capital Jerusalem, but was less rigidly enforced in the outer provinces such as Galilee, where Rome’s wishes were passed down through the local king. The Jewish taxpayers also had to pay for the cost of the unwelcome Roman occupation. The tax burden on the peasants was oppressive.

The Jewish faith was based on the covenant between Moses and God in which the Israelites promised to obey the Ten Commandments and God, in turn, agreed to look after the Israelites as his chosen people. This “looking after” was later defined as God sending them a messiah who would lead them into an age of peace and plenty. Following this act, God would descend and establish his rule on Earth and the dead would rise from their graves and walk again. The implication was that Jews as a whole would have to comply with the Ten Commandments before God would send them their messiah.

For the peasants, the greater Rome’s oppression, the greater was their longing for the arrival of their messiah to liberate them from their suffering. And the greater was their attention to the many prophets who wandered through the land explaining why they had not yet fulfilled their side of their covenant with God or describing to them the marvels they would experience upon the arrival of God’s rule on earth.

An important principle practiced by Rome to maintain control of its colony

was to seek the support of the ruling class while suppressing popular movements that might arise among the peasants, a movement that might occur through the influence of a prophet. Thus, the greater the influence and following of these prophets, the harder was the Roman oppression, which led the Jews to an even greater pursuit of prophetic teachings about a liberating messiah. This was the only thing that these people could turn to and it was, for them, a hopeless “Catch-22” situation! How desperate must have been the condition of these people! This was the society that Jesus was born into.

Jesus grew up in Nazareth, a town in the northern province of Galilee. There is little account of his early years but the gospels state that he attended the ministry of John the Baptist and was baptized by him. Historical research indicates that Jesus began his own ministry in the last two or three years of his life. His ministry departed significantly from Jewish orthodoxy and gave hope to his followers where none existed before.

The problem historians face in describing his ministry is the lack of contemporary written accounts, but this lack of direct written evidence is understandable; few if any of his supporters would have been able to write and those who had writing skills were in the professional classes, including the Pharisees and Sadducees. No Christianrelated documents have been found that can be dated to the time of Jesus, but many documents have been found that originated within about 100 years of his death. Unfortunately most of these documents have survived not as

PYM TODAY • FALL 2011 historical records but as texts that have been altered to conform to current dogmas and to earlier biblical prophecies, perhaps to help make the new Christian churches more appealing to interested Jewish inquirers.

Modern historical research skills give us a better picture of Jesus. Most knowledge of Jesus’ ministry comes from the gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke.

Historians estimate that the earliest gospel, Mark, was written about 75 A.D., 45 years after Jesus’ death. Matthew and Luke were written about 90 A.D. and 100 A.D. respectively and are apparently largely based on Mark because so many quotations are almost the same. Careful analysis indicates that Matthew and Luke were also based on a fourth gospel called “Q”, now lost.

Q has been dated to about 60 A.D. and may have initially existed as an oral tradition that originated near the time of Jesus’ crucifixion, about 30 A.D. Q has been reconstructed and the most famous quotation in it is “The Lord’s Prayer.” John Mark, the reputed author of the gospel Mark, was apparently literate and founded a Christian church in Alexandria. It was reported that John Mark served as a secretary to the apostle Peter, from whom he recorded much of the information about Jesus. Mark also joined Paul of Tarsus for part of his travels. Paul was the author of the epistles in the New Testament and he also claimed to have stayed with the apostle Peter for about 15 days in Jerusalem.

These claims suggest that some of the apostle Peter’s memories of Jesus were recorded in the gospels.

Starting about 25 years ago, a series of meetings called “The Jesus Seminar” was held at the Westar Institute in California to try to determine the reality of Jesus. Initially about 30 academic historians attended. News soon got out and in the last session some 200 historians and theologians were in attendance.

The major work of the seminar was to examine the gospels and other contemporary documents to determine which of the reported acts and statements attributed to Jesus were likely true.

spiritual growth and renewal At the start, the Jesus Seminar affirmed that Jesus was a real historical figure, “as real as Alexander the Great.”

The Jesus Seminar then decided that many of the parables were likely to be authentic, including the sayings in the Sermon on the Mount. The Seminar also concluded that Jesus mingled with social outcasts and rode in triumph into Jerusalem, following which he was arrested, tried and crucified on the instructions of the Roman Proconsul Pontius Pilate.

Jesus was about 34 years old when he died. He was clearly a spectacular speaker and his ministry seems to have truly addressed the needs of his audiences. In a short two to three years wandering through Galilee he had already become well known in Jerusalem, about 70 miles to the south. Why did he enter Jerusalem? He must have known that the large crowds he attracted would be a challenge the Romans could not ignore. His crucifixion would be inevitable. But maybe he believed that God would protect him or perhaps that this was God’s plan for him. And so he was born and died a Jew. In the end he faced death with great courage, refusing to abandon his ministry and in his steadfastness leaving his fellow Jews a shining ray of hope, as summarized

by Paul in his epistle to the Romans: individuals can enter the Kingdom of God if they have faith in God and live their lives righteously.

Jesus’ teachings of what constitutes righteousness have come down to us in ways that are apparently reliable. In addition to portions of the gospels, an interesting document known as the Didache, dating from the late first century A.D. and believed to be genuine, was discovered in Turkey about 130 years ago. This document details the beliefs and practices of early Christian churches and was widely used for about two hundred years. It referred to Jesus as the “Servant of God,” a title fitting for a prophet or a messiah and it very well described what Jesus taught as constituting righteousness.

The epistles of Paul are important

early Christian documents and seven of the 13 presented in the New Testament are accepted as genuine. It is believed that they were written over a 10-year period from 50 to 60 A.D. The early epistles, such as First Thessalonians, are compatible with the Didache. But the later epistles, such as the epistle to the Romans, depart significantly from the Didache. They raise the status of Jesus to a deity and the Son of God, and state that he died for our sins--today’s core concept for many Christian churches.

Paul’s epistles taught that abiding by the Ten Commandments was not sufficient to enter the Kingdom of God, and that one had to lead a righteous life as described by Jesus’ teachings and that this was available to Jews and Gentiles alike, a philosophy rejected by the Sanhedrin.

I imagine that Jesus’ death must have been a disaster for the early Christian churches. But documents such as the Didache and Paul’s Epistles must have helped unify and strengthen these churches. And so the small Christian sect with its scattered churches started to flourish despite Rome’s attempt to suppress it. Eventually, by 313 AD, Rome capitulated and under Emperor Constantine, Christianity became officially tolerated throughout the Roman Empire.

Many Quakers are uncertain about whether our faith is truly Christian. I believe that there should be no uncertainty about this, whether you believe Jesus to have been human, as the early Christian churches apparently did; or as avowed by later Christian churches that he was and is a deity and the Son of God. If you are guided by the teachings of Jesus Christ then you are a Christian. The echo of Jesus’ voice that has come down to us from 2000 years ago speaks to us still and confirms that he would have found common cause with our testimonies.

So let us today, with our faith in God, celebrate the life of Jesus and the consequences of his teachings which have brought hope and love to millions of people throughout the world.

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witnessing our faith

PYM TODAY • FALL 2011

Are You Called to Action?

Emily Higgs Lancaster Friends Meeting If you long to “be the change you want to see in the world,” join a powerful group of people who are applying to participate in Called to Action, a new initiative to build power for social action in Philadelphia Yearly Meeting and beyond. You may have heard Called to Action referred to as the Witness Formation Program in recent months. Here’s how it came to be, what it involves, and how you can be part of the action.

The Need: The 21st century may be a watershed moment in human history as this era is witness to profound ecological, economic and social injustices that require our attention. As Friends acknowledge the urgent need for action in the world, we can reaffirm the unity of our faith and practice by engaging the connections between spirit, our individual integrity, collective responsibility, and the possibilities for living in right relationship with one another and with all creation. There is a sense that we are being called to build spirit-led power for transformative social change—and that we are ready to respond to that call.

Called to Action has been developed in light of this need for a “Great Turning” and a Religious Society of Friends that is actively engaged in the shift toward a peaceful, just and sustainable society.

The Context: At 2009 Annual Sessions, Peter Brown asked us, “Is this necessity, that we re-imagine the world, perhaps a moment of grace?” We who are creating this practical training say “Yes!!!!!”

Keith Helmuth explained that we are well into, not a crisis, but a “climacteric”—a change so huge that a fundamental new reality takes place.

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George Lakey called us to nonviolent direct action for climate justice. Hollister Knowlton urged friends to act out of love for God’s creation. Joe Volk reminded us that we live in a world that is “Now and Not Yet.” Carl Sigmond called out, “Show me the way!”

May 15, 2010, at Burlington Meeting House, 80 Friends gathered at the invitation of the Peace and Concerns Standing Committee. We looked at our yearly meeting’s condition and considered ways toward right relationship.

At 2010 Annual Sessions, the Ecojustice Working Group brought forth a vision: “Led by Spirit, Philadelphia Yearly Meeting is a powerful force in co-creating an equitable and sustainable world where human culture holds sacred, actively respects, and supports the full beauty, diversity and resilience of the entire commonwealth of life.”

At 2011 Annual Sessions, the Called to Action team testified that a moment of grace combined with spirit-led people power is a divine wish. That mixture of grace and people power is what Called to Action seeks to catalyze.

We invite you to discern if you are led to be—meaningfully and powerfully —a part of this great work.

The Vision: Our vision is of a renewed and revitalized yearly meeting, one consisting of Friends and meetings living in right relationship with each other, with neighbors both locally and globally, and with all beings. We envision Friends supported in being faithful, disciplined, deeply grounded and powerful through a program of adult religious education that includes experiential training in active nonviolence. We envision empowered members of our faith communities designing, participating in and carrying out effective, spirit-led campaigns embedded in the global movement some call “The Great Turning.” We envision us all living into the beloved community, into shalom,

into the Peaceable Kin-dom: an earth commonwealth community where all beings live in mutually beneficial relationship, on an Earth renewed.

The Program Goals Curriculum: Called to Action follows a holistic and experiential curriculum that bridges spiritual formation, “macro-analysis,” discernment, and social change skills.

The six-month program is informed by and geared toward courageous experiments with witness, truth, “satyagraha” (soul force) and “the work that reconnects” (Joanna Macy’s expression for reintegrating with the web of life).

Called to Action seeks to support all participants in living in that life and power that can make peace and justice possible. In doing so, we envision four primary “take-aways” for our participants: 1. To gain experience with transformational inner and group work, and nonviolent direct action.

2. To step outside their emotional comfort zones and challenge themselves to live with increased reverence, courage, mutual accountability, support, joy and power.

3. To deepen their understandings of how to faithfully, effectively and strategically work for structural social change. Participants will hone new skills and learn new tools. As they do so, they may find themselves led in new directions.

4. To build a learning community,

PYM TODAY • FALL 2011

deepening their relationships with other program participants, mentors and others (Quakers and non-Quakers) working for structural change.

Called to Action is structured around six one-day sessions in which participants meet as a community.

These full-day gatherings will be held at Friends Center in Philadelphia on January 21, February 18, March 17, April 21, May 19 and June 16 (9am – 7pm each day). Lunch and dinner will be provided at each session.

Overnight hospitality and childcare will be arranged on an as-needed basis. An online component will assist learning, team formation and taking action. While there is a participant fee associated with Called to Action, accessibility is our priority and scholarship funds are available.

Participants will also be divided into smaller groups based on geography. These small groups will be expected to meet between the full-day Called to Action sessions. Each small group will engage the take-home course work and work together on a direct action campaign for the practicum component of the curriculum.

Get Involved: Applications are now being accepted for the upcoming offering of Called to Action. While individuals are welcome to apply on their own, we encourage all applicants to apply with another person from their meeting or community to ensure that each participant has at least one other person geographically accessible for the action group practicum component. For more information, please visit www.pym.org/calledaction. Additional questions may be directed to Michael Gagné at mgagne@pym.org or 215-241-7216.

making ourselves known

Arch Street Meeting House A National Historic Landmark Jane M. Unkefer Monthly Meeting of Friends of Philadelphia On Thursday November 4, 2010, several Philadelphia Friends sloshed through heavy rain to arrive at the offices of the National Trust for Historic Preservation in Washington, D.C., where the nomination of the Arch Street Friends Meeting House for na-

Towne” was over 100 years old. At the heart of the colony, Philadelphia Quakers had played a key role in bringing their beliefs of simplicity, equality, religious freedom and social justice to America. Philadelphia had become the country’s most important city and

tional landmark status was to be considered by the National Park System Advisory Board Landmarks Committee.

Included in the group were Arthur Larrabee, General Secretary; Nancy Gibbs, Director of the Arch Street Meeting House and National Historic Landmark Working Group members Tom Unkefer, Greg Barnes, Carol Spawn, Jane Unkefer and Jay Worrall. The rain could not dampen the spirits of this hardy group assembled to witness what they hoped was to be the culmination of years of hard work.

When influential master-builder Owen Biddle built the Arch Street Meeting House at the turn of the 19th century, William Penn’s “Greene Countrie

Quaker men and women were running many charitable and civic organizations. Friends needed a place that could accommodate the full meeting in a single structure where both men’s and women’s business meetings could be held at the same time and where there was office space and meeting places for its social outreach committees. Biddle’s simple but elegant building design provided what was needed and reflected the spiritual and ethical history of Quakers then as it does today. The meetinghouse has been in continuous use since 1805, serving as home for the Monthly Meeting of Friends of Philadelphia (MMFP) and meeting place for Annual Sessions, committees and many 29

Making Ourselves Known outside service groups.

In the early 2000s Friends from MMFP and PYM became seriously interested in outreach. Recognizing that Quakers have a message worth sharing, they sought ways to increase meetinghouse visitation. New exhibits were designed and mounted, docents were

Experience has shown that foundations, corporations and individuals give more generously to National Historic Landmarks.

On June 30, 2011 we received the happy news that the Secretary of the Interior had officially designated the Arch Street Meeting

PYM TODAY • FALL 2011

Friendly Advertising Quaker organizations and individuals pay to advertise in this section. See policy on next page.

Barclay Friends Continuing Care Community with ShortStay Rehabilitation—A Kendal Affiliate® Gardens surround Barclay Friends bringing nature closer to those who live here or come for rehabilitation. Horticultural Therapy enables residents to get their hands in the soil and add purpose to life by arranging flowers for the community.

Our program for those with dementia is designed to be respectful of their dignity and individuality; segregation is unnecessary.

Couples with differing needs can share an apartment in Woolman-Residential Living and Personal Care.

Barclay Friends, where we Cultivate the Arts and Gardens, has been respected for its mission to the West Chester community since 1893.

Please visit www.barclayfriends.org or call (610) 696-5211.

Cadbury at Cherry Hill trained and the Arch Street Property and Use Working Group recommended seeking landmark status as a means of increasing its visibility. As a national landmark the meetinghouse would be on Park Service maps and listed in brochures so that individuals and groups would be more likely to stop by. The meetinghouse would be in the company of other National Historic Landmarks in Philadelphia’s historic district, including Independence Hall, Carpenters’ Hall and Christ Church, which is where it deserves to be. In addition, landmark status would help Friends find the necessary funds to maintain, operate and improve the building.

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House as a National Historic Landmark, cited for its significant contribution to American history and its architectural merit.

A celebration of the meetinghouse’s new status and an unveiling of the bronze citation plaque will probably will be held in the late fall as soon as the plaque is made and installed prominently on the meetinghouse.

Cadbury is a beautiful lakeside community in scenic Cherry Hill, NJ. Licensed as a Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC), Cadbury offers Independent Living, Assisted Living, Skilled Nursing and Sub-acute Rehabilitation. Amenities include waterfront dining, indoor pool, fitness center, library, auditorium, art studio and computer lab. With over 30 years of experience, based in Quaker tradition, Cadbury respects the dignity of each individual while nurturing independence and encouraging the highest possible quality of life.

Direct entry is available to all levels of care. Various contract options are available including lifecare. For more information call 1 (800) 422-3287 or www.Cadbury.org.

Chandler Hall Located in Historic Newtown, Bucks County, offers a Wide Array of Services. The Friends Nursing Home opened its doors in 1973. The well known Hospice Program

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PYM TODAY • FALL 2011 began in 1982 and includes ‘Hospice at Home’ Programs and the residential Pavilion. Other offerings include: Residential Apartments, Personal Care Residences and Nursing Home Accommodations.

Community Programs include: Home Health, Adult Day Programs, Child Development and the Wellness Center. For Program Information, please call (215) 497-0905. www.chandlerhall.org

Foulkeways Located on 110 beautiful, suburban acres in Montgomery County, Foulkeways at Gwynedd was one of the first Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC) and the first Quaker CCRC in the country when the campus opened in 1967. Over the years, “Setting Standards of Excellence in Retirement Living” has become synonymous with the Foulkeways name as it continues to lead the industry with innovative health care, environmental greening initiates and volunteerism efforts.

In November of 2010, Foulkeways was recognized as the recipient of the ‘Pathways To Greatness 2010 Award for Exemplary Aging Services,’ co-sponsored by the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging (AAHSA) and LarsonAllen LLP, CPA’s, consultants and advisors serving aging service providers. This prestigious award was designed to recognize and identify the traits of high-performing senior living providers across the country and the selection criteria included Customer Excellence, Best Practices and Innovation, Distinctive Impact and Leadership.

For more information call (215) 283-7010 or visit our website at www.foulkeways.org.

Foxdale Village Retirement Community Come visit our Quaker-directed, continuing care retirement community in State College, nestled in the heart of Happy Valley, amid central Pennsylvania’s beautiful mountains and valleys. Foxdale encourages and supports older adults as they seek to live full and graceful lives in harmony with Quaker principles of equality, simplicity, and compassion. Residents have access to Penn State’s many educational, cultural, and sporting events.

State College Meeting is vibrant and welcoming. Reasonable fees include lifetime

medical care and pharmacy. Explore how retirement to Foxdale can be your opportunity for personal growth.

For more information call 1 (800) 2534951. www.foxdalevillage.org.

Friends Home in Kennett (610) 444-2577 Services Offered: Independent Apartments, Assisted Living, Skilled Nursing Care, Shortterm Respite stays and Hospice Care Philosophy: Since 1898 Friends Home has provided older adults quality care. The Home has a strong tradition of encouraging independence and respect for the individuality and dignity of each person. Life among friends offers residents a full array of services and amenities including: * Individualized 24-hour Assisted Living Care * Newly renovated apartments * Full Activities Programs * Fully Licensed 20-bed nursing home * Moderately priced Because it’s not just where you live… but how you live.

Friends Home and Village-Newtown Independent and Personal Care Living Small by design and remarkably priced, our two separate retirement communities are guided by Quaker principles of simplicity, inclusion, equality and respect. The unique settings offer several types of living accommodations including one- and twobedroom cottages in and around Newtown Borough, Bucks County. Pets are welcome!

“Entrance fees waived for November and December 2011 move-ins!”

For more information visit our website at www.friendshomeandvillage.org or call us at (215) 968-3346.

Friends Village at Woodstown is a Continuing Care Retirement Community for those age 62+ in beautiful southern New Jersey. Choose a cozy cottage or an apartment. No need to worry about maintenance, housekeeping or cooking. Enjoy more time to engage in favorite activities with the peace of mind that future continuing care services are available on campus. Friends Village at Woodstown is close to major highways and bridges, providing easy access to Philadelphia, New York and the Jersey Shore.

For more information, call toll free at (888) 455-2438 or visit our website at www.friendsvillage.org.

Kendal~Crosslands Communities Located in beautiful southern Chester County, Kendal at Longwood and Crosslands are continuing care retirement communities offering a lifecare contract. Coniston and Cartmel are residential communities providing maintenance and housekeeping services.

Residents of all four communities have access to libraries, cultural and academic programs, craft areas, gardens, and wellness and recreation facilities. In keeping with Kendal’s commitment to inclusiveness, smaller cottages and apartments are offered at more affordable rates. For more information call 1 (800) 2161920, or www.kcc.kendal.org.

Medford Leas—A Quaker-related community for those age 55+.

Visit us and learn all about our: • Two beautiful campuses in Medford and Lumberton, NJ • Over 200+ acres of arboretum settings • Wide choice of garden-style home & apartment designs • Dynamic, resident-driven community life • Ideal locations for culture & recreation • Superior health & wellness services For details on our community and our many programs open to the public — call us at (800) 331-4302 or visit our website, www.medfordleas.org Home of the Barton Arboretum & Nature Preserve. Member: American Public Gardens Association, Greater Philadelphia Gardens, and Garden State Gardens.

Policy for Friendly Advertising These notices are the responsibility of the person placing them. PYM makes no claim about their accuracy.

Notices by Friends institutions, members and attenders should be mailed with a check for $2 per word (minimum $40, maximum 100 words) to “PYM Today,” 1515 Cherry St, Philadelphia PA 19102. Questions? Contact us at (215) 241-7211. Suitability of content is determined by PYM staff.

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Today

PYM

This publication was made possible by the financial support of friends, meetings, individuals and organizations.

Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends 1515 Cherry Street Philadelphia PA 19102-1479

Preview of Upcoming Events (Please see www.pym.org for complete details of events.)

December 2-4, 2011: Middle School Friends Gathering: Hibernation and HolyDays. Birmingham Monthly Meeting, PA. December 27-30, 2011: Young Friends Christmas Gathering.

Burlington Conference Center, NJ.

PYM Today is published twice yearly

by Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends 1515 Cherry Street Philadelphia, PA 19102 Phone (215) 241-7211 Fax (215) 241-7045 Website www.pym.org Thomas Swain, Clerk PYM Today is Arthur M. Larrabee, distributed free General Secretary to members.

January 6-8, 2012:

Young Adult Friends Winter Retreat. (Check the PYM website for details).

January 14, 2012:

Interim Meeting & Junior Interim Meeting. Arch Street Meeting House.

January 20-22, 2012: Middle School Friends Gathering: The Longest Night, The Inner Light.

Burlington Conference Center, NJ. February 5, 2012:

Youth Worker Training Day. (Check the PYM website for details).

February 11, 2012:

Interim Meeting & Junior Interim Meeting. Arch Street Meeting House.

February 25, 2012:

We Can Do It Day. Friends Center, 1515 Cherry St., Philadelphia, PA.

March 3, 2012:

Quaker College Fair. Arch Street Meeting House.

March 16-18, 2012:

Middle School Friends Gathering. (Check the PYM website for details).

March 30-April 1, 2012:

Young Friends Urban Life Skills Adventure Gathering. Arch Street Meeting House.

March 31, 2012:

William Penn Lecture. Arch Street Meeting House.