...to Baltimore Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends. This site includes information about Quakerism and the latest news of our faith community, which includes Central Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and Washington D.C. We would like to invite you to come worship with us. All are welcome! Please visit these links to find out more about our faith, witness and fellowship:

• Find out how to contribute to BYM programs on-line!
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• Find out about our Annual Meeting
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• Find out about Quaker Peace activities.
• Find out about BYM Quaker Summer Camps.
• Find out where the Quaker Schools are.
• Find out about Quaker History in our area.

Friends, one of the blessings I will have as the new presiding clerk of Baltimore Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends is the opportunity to view the gathered Yearly Meeting from the Clerks’ Table. (more...)

Members of State College Meeting have urged me to introduce myself to you in this column. I am a convinced Friend, having grown up a Minnesota Lutheran.(more...)

Baltimore Yearly Meeting is deeply troubled by Minute 88-GB-52 of Friends United Meeting (FUM) General Board as applied in the Staff’s 1991 personnel manual. (more...)

To Friends everywhere: Baltimore Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends gathered at James Madison University, Harrisonburg, Virginia from 26 Seventh month to 1 Eighth Month, 2004, for our 333 rd Annual Session.(more...)

From First Time Attenders

Dear Friends,
I attended Annual Session for the first time this past week, and would like Friends to know of my experience there. I will say first that in my lifelong emotional self-containment, I have always avoided and been averse to the mawkish or cheaply sentimental. (more...)

Is your spirit in need of nourishment and refreshment? Come to the Baltimore Yearly Meeting Silent Retreat at Dayspring.  We will keep the silence from Friday evening until after worship on Monday, enjoying the beauty of God’s creation, (more...)

This was one of the smoothest years ever for the camping programs. All four programs were blessed with good (enough) weather, competent experienced directors and staff, and enthusiastic campers, all of whom were brimming with energy, curiosity and Light. (more...)

The Criminal and Restorative Justice Committee thinks it is valuable for the Yearly Meeting to know what work is being done in our Monthly Meetings to improve criminal justice, visit prisoners, worship with prisoners, help released prisoners or abolish the death penalty.(more...)

How Are Meetings Becoming More Welcoming to Diverse People? Many Monthly Meetings are discovering ways of becoming more welcoming to people of color. The BYM Working Group on Racism plans to report periodically on some of these attempts. (more...)

Ministry & Pastoral Care Committee had an especially busy time at Annual Session this year. We wrote the Spiritual State of Baltimore Yearly Meeting, shepherded three proposals about the nature of our relationship with Friends United Meeting through three Business sessions, (more...)

The second networking day of 2004 for clerks and other members of Peace and Social Concerns Committees will be held Saturday 9/25 from 9–1 at the Sandy Spring Meeting's Community House. (more...)

The Committee has been active in finding concrete ways to fulfill our mission of supporting religious education at the monthly meeting level.  Our newsletter, the Quaking Post, is sent to all monthly meetings two-three times a year.  (more...)

Well Friends, we should take a minute to pat ourselves on the backs. Thanks to the efforts of dozens of volunteers and the contributions of over 40 Friends, parents and Meetings there are now two beautiful camper cabins where there were none before. (more...)

Lynne Heritage of State College Meeting and Barbara Williamson of Richmond Meeting attended the spring meeting of QEW in Chicago, IL this past May. QEW adopted plans to place greater emphasis on visitation and quality presentations to Yearly and Monthly Meetings. (more...)
 

Friends in Baltimore Yearly Meeting rightfully take great pride in our camping program. But very few Friends know that BYM also provides a substantial ministry to our elderly. (more...)

The next World Gathering of Young Friends [WGYF], planned for August 16–24, 2005 will be held at University of Lancaster in the United Kingdom. Baltimore Yearly Meeting can send two representatives, and possibly other Young Adult Friends who apply for an “open place.” (more...)

The American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) recently published When the Rain Returns: Toward Justice and Reconciliation in Palestine and Israel, a book based on a trip to the region by fourteen concerned men and women – some highly knowledgeable, experienced and well-read on the history of Israel and Palestine and others bringing fresh eyes to the subject.   (more...)

A new nine-part TV series produced, written and hosted by Frank Levering and Wanda Urbanska, airs beginning October 2 in the greater Washington area on WETA, at 8:00 p.m. (more...)

Baltimore Yearly Meeting(s) apparently were not interested in membership numbers until well after 1825. The number for 1825 comes from Larry Ingle’s history of the 1827 split. In 1813, Baltimore Yearly Meeting set off Ohio Yearly Meeting. By 1825, Ohio Yearly Meeting had 9,000 members. It clearly grew rapidly between 1813 and 1825, but our membership in 1812 could have been greater than 4,600.

Membership for both Baltimore Yearly Meetings peaked around 1880; it apparently resumed growing around the time of the consolidation in 1968.

After an especially moving and covered Meeting for Worship, Adelphi undertook a Ministry of Reconciliation in the wake of the prison abuses in Iraq. After a number of meetings, a letter of apology (or minute) was written to the people of Iraq. (more...)

Homewood has welcomed several new members so far during 2004: Karen Cook, Claire and Doug Storey in May, transferring their membership from Swannanoa Valley Meeting in North Carolina, Anita Polloway, Caleb Hawley and Reginald Flowers. (more...)

Births: Elijah Hutcheson Fetter to Allen & Danielle Fetter; Henry Jacob Butler to Andrea Freudenberger Butler; Deaths: Otis Mace on May 12, 2004; Marriages/Ceremonies of Commitment: Amy Rakusin & Phil Fratesi, September 4, 2004(more...)

Our spring fling last May — a yard sale and picnic of Middle Eastern foods — raised a record amount for scholarships to Ramallah Friends School. In another record for the Meeting, seven members are participating in the Spiritual Formation Program.(more...)

Friends are rejoicing in the new membership of two Friends: Kenyon McCoy and Ralph Slotten We are sorrowful about the death of four members in the past year: Stephen Davidson on November 15, 2003; Edith Brown on February 17, 2004; Ed Siegel on February 20, 2004; Myrtis McMillen on June 29, 2004. (more...)

Our First Day School (FDS) program began September 12th with the discussion of silence and sitting still.  We celebrated the return to FDS with a potluck picnic at the energy efficient straw-bale home of Francy and Randy Williams. (more...)

Births: Heath Alan & William Foltz to Jennifer & David Bray
Deaths: Thomas C Kosbob on September 7, 2004
Marriages/Ceremonies of Commitment: Jennifer Goldman & Tom Luthy on July 18, 2004; Allen Cochran & Janet Garbe on July 31, 2004; Sara Holmes Brown & Scott Maison on August 28, 2004

Gunpowder hosted Chesapeake Quarterly Meeting Sunday, Sept 12, 2004 with Margaret Fraser, Executive Secretary of the FWCC providing the program “What Unites Us as Friends Today?" (more...)

Friends Meeting held its ninth annual Pedals For Progress bicycle collection on July 25, collecting 145 bicycles, two sewing machines, assorted spare parts and $1106. The money will be used to defray shipping costs to Nicaragua, where the bikes will be introduced into the local economy. (more...)

Little Falls Monthly Meeting decided to erect a banner at the front of the property that reads “Sow the Seeds of Peace.” Unfortunately, the 10’x3’ banner was cut down by vandals within the first week. A Letter to the Editor of the local newspaper is planned. (more...)

Ona Friedrichs and  Jeff Armstrong celebrated their marriage on May 22, 2004. They are living and working in Asheville NC.

Perhaps Patapsco’s major event was to host Chesapeake Quarterly Meeting in June. In addition to discussing the Statement of Purpose, we had good attendance at the program led by Tony Prete on the Psalms. (more...)

PAs fall begins, Richmond Friends is wrapping up three spiritual development groups that were formed to encourage spiritual discipline and the sharing of personal journeys in a small group setting. (more...)

Deaths: Doris Jean Lee, June 15, 2004; Alphons John Hackl, June 8, 2004 (more...)

Friends Meeting sends greetings to all.  We are happy for the opportunity to share some of our thoughts with you.  (more...)

Spring and summer have been a time of physical improvement for our Meeting House. A hard working “Garden Committee” planted native shrubs and flowers and restored the raspberry bushes. (more...)