Record of Chesapeake Quarterly Meeting

Chesapeake Quarterly Meeting for Worship for Business

11 June 2006 at Sheppard Pratt

I. Chesapeake Quarterly Meeting met on First Day, Sixth Month 11, 2006 at the Conference Center of the Sheppard and Enoch Pratt Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland, hosted by Little Falls Monthly Meeting.

We settled into worship at 9:00 a.m. The clerk, Ken Stockbridge (Patapsco), welcomed the assembled Friends on a beautiful sunny day.

II. Roll Call of meetings and representatives *

43 Friends were in attendance, representing the eight Meetings and one preparative meeting of the Quarter (attendance list attached, indicating designated representatives to the Quarter.

III Agenda: reviewed and accepted

IV Record of Third Month 2006 were read in silence.

After several corrections were recorded, the minutes were approved as amended.

V The Calendar was reviewed. For 2006, dates and meetings were confirmed. For 2007, it was noted that Gunpowder and Patapsco had exchanged months.

Representatives were requested to clear with their meetings that in 2008 Annapolis will host the spring meeting, Patuxent the summer, and Baltimore, Homewood the fall one.

VI Quaker Quest proposal, first reading.

Maria Bradley (Sandy Spring) shared the Friends General Conference Advancement and Outreach Committee’s desire to establish a pilot project adapting the British sessions on Quakerism for the general public[1]. (see attached notes and flyer.) Work will not begin on the project until 2007, but Chesapeake Quarter is a possible development site, as there are three members of the A&O committee in the area. Lamar Matthew, Ken Stockbridge, and Susan Rose indicated interest. Others were invited to take flyers back to their monthly meetings to see who might be interested in working with FGC.

VII Reports and Updates

Lamar Matthew (Stony Run) reported on the history and present condition of the West River Burial Ground near Galesville, Maryland. The first general meeting of Friends in Maryland was opened by George Fox in 1672 in the now vanished West River Meetinghouse. Only the ancient trees remain. Trustees, three of whom are Chesapeake Quarter representatives, continue their care of the site. They have raised old stones and enclosed the graveyard within a white picket fence. Lamar mentioned there were a number of physicians buried in the old Quaker section. On one headstone is inscribed, “In as much as ye have done it unto one of the least of these, my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” His wife’s stone reads, “She has done what she could.”

Plots are still for sale for anyone who would like to rest for eternity among Friends in this peaceful, rural corner of Southern Maryland[2]. (see attached report and list of trustees.)

It was pointed out that although West River Meetinghouse is gone, the meeting lives on in Sandy Spring Monthly Meeting, its linear descendent.

VIII Announcements

Elaine Yamada (Baltimore, Stony Run) announced the “Peacemaking at Home, School & Community” day on 11 Eleven Month, 2006[3]. (see the attached flyer.) The one day conference for educators, parents, and concerned citizens will feature numerous workshops, including ones on Conscientious Objection for youth. The 3 keynote speakers will be Colman McCarthy of the Center for Teaching Peace, David J. Smith of the United States Institute for Peace, and the General Secretary of Burundi Yearly Meeting, speaking about the African Great Lakes Initiative.

Representatives were asked to publicize the Peacemaking Day at their monthly meetings, and to come! The co-sponsors, Baltimore, Stony Run, Monthly Meeting and Friends School of Baltimore, seek to include all Maryland schools and educators within an hour’s drive of Baltimore.

IX Minutes of appreciation[4]

Maria Bradley, the recording clerk for the day, read the minute of appreciation for John McKusick (Baltimore, Homewood), who served as clerk of Chesapeake Quarter for the last three years. His protracted work with the meeting to develop a vision for the Quarterly Meeting was particularly mentioned. The Statement of Purpose declares: “Our Quarter provides the opportunity for Meetings and individuals who are supported by their Meeting to share a leading, to develop a clearer sense of a ministry, and to find ways to serve and take spirit-led action in the wider community.” He also helped us to appreciate the key value of simply sharing news of our meetings with one another, and ensured there was ample time to do so.

He provided gentle guidance and clarity in reaching unity on several concerns brought forward. We have indeed been blessed that John McKusick was led to clerk our meetings, to hold our community in the light, and to serve as our spirit-led leader for the last three years. (See complete minute.)

The Minute of Appreciation for Our Friends of Baltimore, Stony Run for its hospitality on 12^th day of 3^rd month, 2006 was read. (See the full minute below.) The one correction was to note food is healthful. (line 7)

Both minutes were approved with thanks.

X Ken Stockbridge acknowledged that time was short and he was unable to duplicate John McKisack’s gift of ample time for sharing news. The meeting proceeded to close in worship, sharing the following out of the silence:

9^th - 23^rd Seventh Month a group of five Baltimore Yearly Meeting Young Friends, with Hope Braveheart, BYM Youth Secretary, and Lamar Matthew will be in Palestine and Israel living and working with Palestinian and Israeli youth. Please hold them all in the Light.

Sandy Spring will host Chesapeake Quarterly Meeting in 9^th Month. Betsy Myer will speak on the Transforming Power of the Psalms. Flyers and copies of her pamphlet are available.

John McKusick thanked the meeting for the opportunity to serve, marking the value of the Quarter to individuals and to meetings for communicating, visiting, and strengthening our faith.

Gunpowder offered to others a ‘hold harmless waiver’ for outsiders’ used of the meeting grounds.

Little Falls thanked everyone for attending and Sheppard Pratt for the use of its grounds and for the program to follow Meeting for Worship and lunch.

The Meeting closed, to meet again at Sandy Spring Friends Meeting on 10^th Ninth Month, 2006.

[1] VIQuaker Quest:

FGC’s A&O committee has found a successful program of outreach to the general public. Quaker Quest, developed in London, several times a year presents 6 2-hr sessions on consecutive weeks on topics alternating between spiritual themes and testimonies.

The FGC A&O committee would like to adapt the program for this country. There are 3 A&O members in Chesapeake Quarter: Ken Stockbridge, Kevin-Douglas Olive, and Maria Bradley.

We are asking if others in the area interested in a pilot project under the auspices of FGC.

Since A&O members need training first, any work would not start until sometime in 2007. There is a flyer with a fuller explanation of the program available, and feel free to ask me or Kevin any questions you have now.

Maria Bradley

mgwbrad@verizon.net

[2] VII West River Burial Ground

In April, 1672, George Fox opened the first general meeting of Friends in Maryland, marking the beginning of West River Yearly Meetings and its successors: Maryland Yearly Meeting and Baltimore Yearly Meeting. This meeting was held on the site of present day West River Burial Ground.

Ancient cedars, hollies and boxwood keep green all year-round. In Spring, dogwoods and azaleas give color to the understory above graying markers. These in turn are shaded in summer by mammoth hardwoods, oak, poplar and hickory trees, no doubt witnesses to the 3 centuries of burials among their roots.

The Trustees have enclosed the grounds with a substantial and handsome white picket fence in hopes of protection against the senseless vandalism that has in recent times been afflicted upon too many of our resting places.

The Trustees have been diligent with care and upkeep of the grounds within. Old stones, long sunk beneath the sod, have been raised to stand as they did when first set.

Familiar old Baltimore Quaker names: Hollingsworth, Thomas, Hall and others, can be found among the more recently erected monuments, over their descendants, most now non-Quaker, and others from the surrounding community who chose this final place of rest. Granite and marble obelisks, crosses, tablets, and other traditionally unQuaker memorials mark their graves.

There seems an inordinate number of physicians buried in the old Quaker section. On one of their headstones is inscribed, “In as much as ye have done it unto one of the least of these, my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” His wife’s stone reads, “She has done what she could.”

There are still plots available for sale for anyone who would like to rest for eternity among Friends in this peaceful, rural corner of Southern Maryland.

Trustees:

Bing Vallendingham (clerk)

*Joe Miller (recording secretary)

Jim Krist (treasurer)

*Jody Hopkins

Jack Smith

Ray Weems

*Lamar Matthew

*Fran Palmeri (Trustee Emerita)

*Members of the board who are Friends

[3] VIII Announcements

Please save this date: Saturday, November 11, 2006

Peacemaking at Home, School & Community

A one-day conference for educators, parents, and concerned citizens

Co-sponsored by Friends School of Baltimore and Stony Run Friends Meeting

Participants will explore the possibility of peace in our homes, schools, and the world, choosing from 30 workshops and presentations. Sessions will be offered for teachers, administrators, guidance counselors, day care and youth workers, as well as the general public.

Topics for educators will include

· Conflict management and resolution in the classroom

· Developing a peace curriculum

· Integrating peace topics into any discipline

· An examination of war prevention in real world situations through case studies

Topics for the general public will include

· Peaceful parenting

· Creative responses to bullying

· Reflections on spirituality and peace

· Community mediation

· Environmental issues affecting world peace

Keynote Speakers

Colman McCarthy,director of the Center for Teaching Peace

McCarthy has taught at Georgetown University, University of Maryland College Park, American University and Catholic University, and in area high schools. A former Washington Post columnist and reporter, he is the author of six books, including I’d Rather Teach Peace.

David J. Smith, Senior Program Officer of the United States Institute for Peace

Smith, a Fulbright Scholar, has taught and developed curriculum in a variety of educational settings. Early in his career, he practiced law, emphasizing family relations.

When and Where

Saturday, November 11, 2006

8:15 a.m. until 5 p.m.

Friends School of Baltimore

5114 N. Charles Street

Baltimore, MD 21210

Registration

$50 per person/$60 after November 1

$15 per student

Scholarships available

Registration materials will be available this fall, but please mark your calendar now for this event!

For details and updated information, please visit:

www.StonyRunFriends.org/peacemakingconference

[4] IX Minutes of Appreciation

Minute of Appreciation for John McKusick

Chesapeake Quarterly Meeting minutes its appreciation for the work, guidance and concern shown by John McKusick, who has served ably as our clerk for the past three years.

Since September of 2003, John has been a diligent leader of our Chesapeake Quarter. Over that period, he has led both attenders and our constituent monthly meetings to consider our vision for Quarterly Meeting. That statement, first presented at Quarterly meeting early in 2003, was considered, wrestled with, left to season, amended, reworded and finally approved (with modifications) on a hot summer’s day in June 2005. John has also helped us to appreciate that a key part of our purpose is simply sharing news of our meetings with each other; he ensured that our meetings always had ample time for such sharing.

This same period saw us wrestle with the minute on ‘Withdrawal of Support from FUM’, and our meetings in the Quarter and in the Yearly Meeting continue to raise this concern. A lively consideration of a ‘Minute on Torture of Prisoners’ was the topic at several of our meetings as was the ‘Universal Living Wage Minute’. It was John’s gentle guidance and words of clarity that helped us to reach unity on several concerns brought before the Quarter.

As our Statement of Purpose declares, “Our Quarter provides the opportunity for Meetings and individuals who are supported by their Meeting to share a leading, to develop a clearer sense of a ministry, and to find ways to serve and take spirit-led action in the wider community.” We have been blessed that John McKusick was led to clerk our meetings, to hold our community in the light, and to serve as our spirit-led leader for the past three years.

Minute of Appreciation for Our Friends of Baltimore, Stony Run

Chesapeake Quarterly Meeting minutes its gratitude to Baltimore, Stony Run Meeting for hosting our gathering on the 12^th day of 3^rd month, 2006. Your hospitality was gracious and efficient, as always, making us feel welcome and at home. The discussion on civil rights and torture led by FCNL’s Jeanne Herrick-Stare helped not only to inform us but also inspire our continued vigilance and witness. The deep and grounded meeting for worship helped us all as we struggled to deal with the passing of Tom Fox in Iraq just a few days earlier. The lovingly prepared lunch was healthful and delicious and offered a welcome opportunity for fellowship. We also appreciate your indulgence and patience as our meeting for business lingered on to complete our full agenda. We look forward to returning in 2009.