Exploring Quakerism sessions happily occupied us at PFM from September through December. We gathered on 2nd and 4th Sundays to read and reflect on topics ranging from simplicity and integrity to Meeting for Worship and the spiritual work of a Business Meeting. Our sessions culminated with a lively “alphabet soup” simple lunch where Friends reviewed Quaker organizations and lingo.

Adult Religious Education continues on with Third Sunday Spiritual Enrichment Sessions. We have plans for a session on clearness committees and the re-scheduling of our “snowed out” session on the writings of John Woolman. Sunday January 17 the film Minds on the Edge will be shown by the recently created Mental Health Ministry.

Recently at PFM, a new group grew out of an attender’s leading to advocate in the mental health arena. The inital response to the group has been strong. It is known as the Mental Health Ministry, and it is under the care of the Peace and Social Concerns Committee. Their first goal is to educate us about the social issues of those who suffer with mental illness and potentially reach out to other Meetings interested in doing the same. The expository film Minds on the Edge depicts a panel of nationally recognized experts and others, who wrestle with very serious societal dilemmas without arriving at a consensus or resolution. Given the significant contribution Quakers have historically made in the mental health field, the Mental Health Ministry seeks to revive this time honored focus, at a time in our society when people with mental illness are still under- served and stigmatized. If Friends from other Meetings are interested in learning more about this ministry please feel free to contact Polly Scott directly at mpaulett.scott@gmail.com.

During the holiday season Friends at PFM reached out to a family in Baltimore City who lost their home and possessions in a house fire. A collection was taken up to restock their kitchen with basic items they requested including dishes, pots and toaster oven. Bags of groceries and hand knit blankets were delivered to the family’s new apartment, along with a box of Christmas treats. Meanwhile back at our Meetinghouse, Christmas Eve brought 30 Friends together for Silent worship followed by cookies and fellowship. A perfect way to usher in this joyous season of Light.

We look forward to the challenge of hosting the Interim Meeting in March. We hope it will provide us with the opportunity to work together and share our cooking and hospitality skills. Hope to see you there!

Spring came to Patapsco Friends Meeting by way of our annual retreat. The theme of the Spring retreat was “The role of community in testing and supporting leadings concerning Social justice.” The retreat was held in a Friend’s home and it was facilitated by Bette Hoover and David Etheridge. We gathered to consider leadings as a spiritual practice and how we represent our witness in the larger world. We addressed queries including:

• What is a leading?
• What does it look like?
• What do you do if you think you have a leading?
• How do you leave, walk or run away from a leading?

The day long retreat, under the gentle guidance of Bette and David was a perfect way to renew our energy as individuals and make deeper connections as a community. As a group we discovered a collective need to learn more about clearness committees. We hope to delve deeper into that topic at third Sunday Spiritual Enrichment sessions during the upcoming year.

As the weather warmed, one Friend proposed the idea of tending the earth together. Out of that suggestion grew "The Friendly Garden", a cooperative garden adventure! The garden plots are located at the Howard County Conservancy, where five friends gather to grow vegetables and share their love of gardening.

In June, the Cooking-for-Peace project held a workshop on "Baking your own pizza and focaccia". This project was held as a benefit for Right Sharing of the World’s Resources and the Grameen Foundation. We baked fourteen different delicious pizzas from scratch, while we explored the world of microfinance. Together we learned how just a small amount of money from us, could change the lives of many who live on less than $2 a day. In total we raised over a thousand dollars for RSWR and Grameen Foundation.

At the peak of Summer heat, PFM kids of all ages planned to meet in Sharpsburg, MD for a tubing trip. Thoughts of floating down a spring fed stream, under a canopy of trees, seemed like the perfect antidote for a hot summer day. Then, at the last moment that plan fell through and Spirit intervened. Way opened, and all gathered at a Friend’s pool instead. Proof that the path to joy is always found in the present moment, whether tubing or swimming. If we can let go of our plans and make room for the unexpected, Spirit will take care of the rest. In the end, it was an opportunity to truly "go with the flow!"

As we look forward to Fall, we step up our plans for Quaker 101 sessions which will take place from September through early December. With Exploring Quakerism by Marsha Holliday as our guide, we will meet together in a worship sharing format. A pot luck dinner at the last session will celebrate our journey.

Two new Friends were welcomed into membership at Patapsco Friends Meeting during the year. Both long-time attenders, their applications for membership were brief but sincerely reflected a decision that was arrived at with much clarity. Both were welcomed with large cookies, and a great deal of love.

In the course of discussing differences among Quakers, we gathered in February to hear directly from Yearly Meeting Friends who have had experience with Friends United Meeting. The presentation was well attended and, while emotions were not hidden, a greater level of clarity and understanding was evident. In response to the concerns raised, Patapsco Friends later adopted a Minute recommending mediation between the two interests. It was felt that a process is needed to allow the various groups to have a meaningful conversation, which both respects each group´s viewpoints and supports each group in listening and in considering the others´ needs and interests. Using mediation does not guarantee a solution, but it does offer the opportunity to try to seek common ground and to resolve the issues in dispute.

The theme of Patapsco Friends´ spring retreat for 2008 was "The Role of the Meeting in Nurturing Spirituality." The leader of the retreat was Jean-Marie Prestwidge-Barch, a member of the Ministry and Pastoral Care Committee of the Baltimore Yearly Meeting. A major theme of our retreat was eldering each other. As a small, close group of Friends, we have tenderly wrestled with the best ways to respond to what some view as offensive behavior. We continue to work with finding ways to address these concerns and our own use of language to clarify and resolve interpersonal difficulties, when they arise. The daylong retreat combined learning, worship and fellowship in a way that was spiritually refreshing to all who participated.

In an effort to encourage Friends to deepen their spiritual search, the Ministry and Care Committee collected meditation and spiritual lessons on audio and videotape. Lessons and readings from Thich Nhat Hanh, David Freudberg, and others were selected to prompt Friends to continue their spiritual search. These tapes and CDs are now prominently displayed on the hall table, and Friends are encouraged to sign out the material for two-week periods.

The Ministry and Care Committee launched a series of "Spiritual Enrichment" sessions held on third Sundays. In October, Friends met for a worship sharing on the Quaker Quest pamphlet, "Twelve Quakers and Simplicity." The session was well attended not only by regular attenders but also by several new seekers.

On November 1, Patapsco Friends held "Sustainability Day," a full day of programs focusing on environmental concerns. The day began with a cooking workshop where we created lunch from locally grown, seasonal vegan foods. As we chopped veggies, we discussed the impact of our food choices on the planet. Following lunch, a Friend led us in Walking Meditation, a Buddhist practice which encourages each of us to make "peaceful steps upon the earth." Later in the afternoon, a session on composting, led by a Master Gardener, gave "hands-on", easy to follow tips for incorporating composting into our daily lives. Throughout the day we were called to consider our "carbon footprint" and initiate changes in our personal lives.

Our Peace and Social Concerns Committee encouraged us to provide food for the hungry by contributing to the Maryland Food Bank. Month-long food drives will now be held two times a year at Patapsco Friends Meeting. The Meeting also gathered holiday gifts for children of prison inmates through the Reindeer Project.

Patapsco Friends also completed a project that had been in the works for about ten years. Through the efforts of our Advancement and Outreach Committee, a permanent sign was purchased to direct people to our Meeting for Worship. The sign now stands on a busy thoroughfare, not far from our meeting place. When we pass by on our way to and from Meeting we are reminded of the grace that there is in waiting. In all things, each of us tries to walk in the path of the Spirit, putting one foot in front of the other with patience and awareness.

Eight Patapsco Friends and one Deer Creek Friend celebrated our fourth year of prison ministry at South Mountain Friends Fellowship, which meets at the Maryland Correctional Institute-Hagerstown. For the prisoners, it has been a year that included: long lock downs when gang wars broke out; random orders to move to a new cell with a new cellmate; and failures to have their sentences reduced, after months of preparing their pleas. Some do succeed. One is tutoring in the prison English as a Second Language program; one, a founding member of Prisoners Against Teen Tragedy, continues to tell his story to at-risk kids; and one was released to a residential drug treatment program. For us, meeting with them is a continuing revelation. No one teaches us better to wait patiently, to go to the Light within, to live life moment-to-moment in courage and hope. The following is an excerpt from a note written in a Christmas card we received from one of our attenders:

"Dear Friends: I believe I can speak for every man at South Mountain Friends Fellowship. We really, really do appreciate your generous time, attentive ears and loving hearts. We thank each of you this year and in the coming years. Please take care and may God continue to bless you abundantly!"

Using "Approaching the Gospels Together" as a guide, the Bible Study has been meeting two times a month for more than six years to study the records of the life of Jesus. As the seekers gather inspiration from the words of Christ, they have also formed a close bond of friendship. The group is now near the close of its study of Matthew, Mark and Luke.

In December Friends gathered for a workshop on journaling, using excerpts from the Pendle Hill pamphlet "Live the Questions: Write into the Answers" by Barbara Parsons. The meeting gifted those in attendance with journals, which we immediately used to write and share entries. In a lively discussion we considered the benefits of establishing journaling as a spiritual practice and explored what inspires us to write, and what holds us back. This workshop complements a regular monthly journaling gathering.

The Sunday before Christmas, children from the First Day School acted out an original skit at the rise of Meeting for Worship, delighting all in attendance. The joy and celebration of the season continued when Friends gathered on Christmas Eve, for worship followed by cookies and fellowship.

It is with deep sadness that we share the loss of one of our founding members and first clerk, Susan Rose. Susan passed away on Wednesday April 1st at Gilchrist Hospice Center. After an abbreviated Business Meeting on Sunday April 5th, PFM Friends gathered for an emotional worship sharing to remember and celebrate her life. In an email to the Meeting, Susan’s husband Jim wrote, “Her passing has left a hole in the world.” For Patapsco Friends, her passing has left a hole in our hearts as well.

A memorial service will be held on Sunday May 10th at the Patapsco Friends Meeting, Mt. Hebron House, at 1:00 pm.

A favorite poem of Susan’s is by Emily Dickenson:

Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune–without the words,
And never stops at all,
 
And sweetest in the gale is heard;
And score must be the storm
That could abash the little bird
That kept so many warm.
 
I’ve heard it in the chilliest land,
And on the strangest sea;
Yet, never, in extremity,
It asked a crumb of me.

On November 1, Patapsco Friends held “Sustainability Day,” a full day of programs focusing on environmental concerns. The day began with a cooking workshop where we created lunch from locally grown, seasonal vegan foods. As we chopped veggies, we discussed the impact of our food choices on the planet. Following lunch, a Friend led us in Walking Meditation, a Buddhist practice which encourages each of us to make “peaceful steps upon the earth.” Later in the afternoon, a session on composting, led by a Master Gardener, gave “hands-on”, easy to follow tips for incorporating composting into our daily lives. Throughout the day we were called to consider our “carbon footprint” and initiate changes in our personal lives.

The Ministry and Care Committee launched a series of “Spiritual Enrichment” sessions held on third Sundays. In October Friends met for a worship sharing on the Quaker Quest pamphlet, “Twelve Quakers and Simplicity.” In December Friends gathered for a workshop on journaling, using excerpts from the Pendle Hill pamphlet “Live the Questions: Write into the Answers” by Barbara Parsons. The meeting gifted those in attendance with journals which we immediately used to write and share entries. In a lively discussion we considered the benefits of establishing journaling as a spiritual practice and explored what inspires us to write, and what holds us back.

The Sunday before Christmas, children from the First Day School acted out an original skit at the rise of Meeting for Worship, delighting all in attendance. The joy and celebration of the season continued when Friends gathered on Christmas Eve, for worship followed by cookies and fellowship.

We look forward to upcoming events including a monthly singing/chanting group, worship sharing session on Meeting for Worship and an upcoming gathering on “A Complaint Free World” which promises to challenge us to reframe our habitual reactions and transform our lives. A worthy endeavor for beginning the New Year!

On March 10, Patapsco Friends Meeting received the Spiritual State of the Meeting report from the South Mountain Friends Fellowship, which meets at Maryland Correctional Institute-Hagerstown under the care of our meeting. The report indicated that the Fellowship was celebrating its second anniversary, with nine MCI attenders who are joined each Saturday by some of the nine members from PFM who support the Fellowship. The report included the query:

“How does a man in the dark prison environment follow his leadings, adhere to the foundations of his faith and live in the Light? . . . The men at South Mountain Friends Fellowship are grateful for the path that has remained lit for us, and for others to follow.”

The first wedding under the care of Patapsco Friends was held in good order on March 17 at Sandy Spring Friends Meeting House. Jamie Moloney and Carolyn Boylan were wed before a gathering of more than 100 friends and family. This was a profound opportunity for us to learn the ways of Quaker practice, and it was an emotional and spiritual introduction to Quakerism for the many guests and attenders at that meeting.

In April, PFM held its spring retreat at Sandy Spring Community House featuring a “Leadings Workshop” presented by Pat Schenck from Annapolis Meeting to help explore paths that our lives may take. We had opportunity at that gathering to get to know each other better in worship sharing, in playing games, and in attempting yogic postures.

Interest in writing, be it poetry or prose, grew out of this workshop. A Friend was led to begin a "Writing as Worship" group in the hopes we would be led spiritually deeper in our writing, as well as to explore the intersection of writing and spirituality.

Led by the spiritual rewards many garnered from meditative walking, two Friends completed a 50’ diameter model of the Santa Rosa Labyrinth, constructed of clothesline and nails, on the lawn adjacent to our Meeting at Mt. Hebron House. Not only was this a gift to Patapsco Friends, but served to make a connection between the Presbyterians and ourselves on a common project.

With the assistance of our Religious Education Committee, our young Friends have requested individual clearness committees focusing on the beginning of their life's journey as Quakers. Each committee consists of a combination of young and older PFM participants, and the young Friends are given a copy of our Faith and Practice as a suggested guide.

Following on the theme of supporting the youth in meetings, we hosted Chesapeake Quarterly Meeting in September. Adult and youth members from several meetings in CQM participated in the afternoon session entitled “Nurturing Young Quaker Lights—Beyond Religious Education.” Participants were encouraged to address four queries: How do children and youth fit into Friends Meetings? What activities do our Meetings provide for our youth outside First Day School? How do we integrate them into the full life of the Meeting? How do we prepare young people to move out into the world as Friends and become part of the larger Quaker community?

In September PFM held a day of silent meditation, prayer and fasting for peace and social justice at Mt. Hebron House. This is a time of spiritual significance and renewal for many traditions, marked by Yom Kippur, Ramadan and the United Nations International Day of Peace. While attendance was limited, Friends who were able to come had occasion for deep centering.

Under the care of the meeting, a Friend's leading called "Cooking for Peace” combined the essential ingredients of vegetarian/vegan cooking instruction and fund raising for causes centered on global peace. These workshops have provided a focus for work that feels both meaningful and valuable to others. Cooking for Peace has been a way to acknowledge that none of us can do it alone, but by working together we can make a difference.

The Quaker Crafts Group grew out of a successful prayer shawl ministry class. Those few who participate find it to be a warm, friendly environment to work on projects and visit with Friends.

Encouraged by our Peace and Social Justice Committee we considered major world issues. The topic of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict revealed divisions and cleavages within the meeting which require deep spiritual searching for resolution and healing. That process continues.

Patapsco Friends Meeting's Bible Study, initiated in 2003 with Friends in Christ, meets twice a month at a member's home. The group studies a parallel text version of the three synoptic gospels, and using Approaching the Gospels Together by Mary Morrison as a guide, Biblical commentary and additional translations bring Light to Jesus' life and words. Numbering about six members, the group has become cohesive and caring, with discussions that range far and go deep.

On the second and fourth Sundays after Simple Meal several Friends gathered to read and ponder John Woolman’s Journal. This is truly a spiritual journey into the mind of a Quaker saint who challenges us to live in the Light.

In October and November Patapsco Friends met once a week for a discussion of the six Quaker Quest pamphlets on God, Worship, Pacifism, Evil, Simplicity, and Jesus. Each pamphlet collected the thoughts of twelve ordinary British Quakers. We spent an hour discussing the ideas presented in the pamphlets and a second hour in rich worship sharing reflecting on how our lives were touched by the messages in the pamphlets. Those in attendance at these sessions felt we began to 'know each other in that which is eternal'.

The Nominating Committee spoke to all members and attenders in the autumn to discern both how they felt they could serve the meeting best, and how the meeting is serving their spiritual needs. While there was heartfelt affirmation of the care of the meeting, some Friends wished for more. We anticipate that our Spring Retreat in 2008 will focus further on how the meeting can function as a spiritual community.

PFM teens have recently been visiting local churches to experience the diversity of worship. Following a visit to a mosque last year, current focus is on Christianity, with recent visits to a Mennonite church, an Anglican monastery, a Presbyterian church, and the Cedar Ridge Church Community. The teens will be visiting Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, pentecostal, and African-American churches in the next few months.

In October and November Patapsco Friends met weekly for a discussion on six Quaker Quest pamphlets on God, worship, pacifism, evil, simplicity, and Jesus. Each pamphlet collected the thoughts of twelve British Quakers. Those in attendance at these sessions felt we began to “know each other in that which is eternal."

Our Meeting hosted worship and fellowship gatherings on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve that were attended by current members and some returning Friends now attending other Meetings. The Christmas Eve gathering continued a standing tradition, while the New Year’s Eve event was held for the first time.

PFM is planning to hold a spring retreat in April on the theme of the meeting’s role in nurturance of the spirit, with possible attention to the role of eldering in the meeting. We are working with Friends General Conference’s coordinator of traveling ministers to find a facilitator to help us explore this important aspect of Quaker worship.

On February 2nd, thirteen PFM members and Friends at Maryland Correctional Institution-Hagerstown joined together at the prison in silence, song, games and stories to celebrate the third anniversary of South Mountain Friends Fellowship.

Patapsco Friends Meeting has recently developed and implemented a clearness committee process for our youth at about thirteen years of age. Each committee consists of a combination of young and older PFM participants. Five of our young Friends have met with their clearness committees during the May-August period.

In May ten of our middle and high school students, accompanied by three adult members, participated in a campout at Shiloh.

PFM prison visitors were unable to hold meetings for worship with South Mountain Fellowship at Maryland Correctional Institute-Hagerstown for five weeks during June and July because of a prison-wide lock-down.

On August 17 PFM members Susan and Jim Rose completed a 50’ diameter model of the Santa Rosa Labyrinth, constructed of clothesline and nails, on the lawn adjacent to our Meeting at Mt. Hebron House. All are invited to walk the labyrinth with us.

Although PFM is a relatively small and recent (five year) Monthly Meeting, ten of our members are now serving on BYM committees and appointments. Nine PFM members attended the BYM Annual Session in Frostburg during July 31-August 5.

On September 9 PFM hosted Chesapeake Quarterly Meeting. Adult and youth members from several Monthly Meetings in CQM participated in the afternoon session entitled “Nurturing Young Quaker Lights—Beyond Religious Education.” Participants were encouraged to address four queries: How do children and youth fit into Friends Meetings? What activities do our Meetings provide for our youth outside First Day School? How do we integrate them into the full life of the Meeting? How do we prepare young people to move out into the world as Friends and become part of the larger Quaker community?

On Saturday, September 22, 7am-7pm, PFM held a day of silent meditation, prayer and fasting for peace and social justice at Mt. Hebron House. This is a time of spiritual significance and renewal for many traditions, marked by Yom Kippur, Ramadan and the United Nations International Day of Peace. We invited all to join us—come when you can and stay as long as you need— or participate wherever you may be to what extent and manner you wish.

On March 10, Patapsco Friends Meeting received the Spiritual State of the Meeting report from the South Mountain Friends Fellowship, which meets at Maryland Correctional Institute-Hagerstown under the care of our meeting. The report indicated that the Fellowship was celebrating its second anniversary, with nine attenders who are joined each Saturday by some of the nine members from PFM who support the Fellowship’s development. The report included the query:

How does a man in the dark prison environment follow his leadings, adhere to the foundations of his faith and live in the Light? . . . The men at South Mountain Friends Fellowship are grateful for the path that has remained lit for us, and for others to follow.

The first wedding under the care of Patapsco Friends was held in good order on March 17 at Sandy Spring Friends Meeting House. Jamie Moloney and Carolyn Boylan were wed before a gathering of more than 100 friends and family.

On March 26 PFM hosted a presentation by Kathy Bergen, program coordinator, Friends International Center Ramallah, as part of an on-going conversation within our Meeting on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Much information was exchanged, and awareness and sensitivity about the conflict were heightened.

On Saturday, April 14, PFM held a spring retreat at Sandy Spring Community House featuring a “Leadings Workshop” presented by Pat Schenck from Annapolis Meeting to help explore paths that our lives may take.

We are ten years old!

In November of this year we celebrated our tenth anniversary, remembering our path from a Worship Group, to a Preparative Meeting, and finally to an approved Monthly Meeting for Worship in the year 2002. Friends joyfully gathered to reminisce about our beginnings, telling stories and sharing memories about the early days. While we’re not sure that our Joyful Noise with drums and rattles had great spiritual beginnings, it sure was a lot of fun!

Over the ten years we have seen the meeting grow, both in numbers and in spiritual witness. Many of our activities have arisen as a result of our spiritual leadings, many of our gatherings exhibit the spirit of sharing and tender community that we started out with as a small Worship Group.

Our anniversary issue of The Quaker Heron, our occasional journal, collected key articles and stories from previous issues. This edition has become a wonderful recollection of the depth of our individual journeys and a reflection of the meaning of a Quaker Meeting for many of us.

Throughout the year we have welcomed new faces to our Meeting, inquirers and seekers from other religions as well as Friends moving to the region from elsewhere. We arranged a five-week Quakerism 101 on the origins and practice of Quakerism which was well attended. Friends appreciated more fully the spiritual depth of worship sharing.

Consonant with our concerns with building a safe community we held a threshing session on Child Safety in the spring. This threshing session was an opportunity for us to listen deeply to each other and understand each other’s concerns and perspectives.

A Spiritual Knitting group was initiated in the spring and interest has been strong in gathering to develop a closer community. Over the months the knitting group has evolved and now meets as a Quaker Craft Group at Vantage House, a retirement community in Columbia.

Following a leading, one Friend led us in a silent spiritual retreat at Bon Secours Spiritual Center, fasting and praying for peace. Beginning at dawn and continuing until dusk, Friends joined when they could, and kept the spirit of the meeting. We are hoping to make this an annual event, inviting Friends throughout the region to join us.

A one-day workshop on journaling was held at Mt. Hebron House based on the pamphlet "Live The Questions: Write Into The Answers" by Barbara Parsons. New and old Friends were given blank journals and invited to begin or continue their spiritual journeys, recording their thoughts and emotions they found on their spiritual path.

Now in its fourth year, our regular Bible Study group has become an important source of spiritual nurture and mutual support for its members. We note both the commitment of steady attenders as well as the growth in attendance at that meeting. Friends are actively engaged in studying the Gospels in parallel, worshipfully examining the texts of each.

In the Spring Patapsco Friends Meeting reinstituted a silent vigil for peace and social justice in Columbia, gathering Friends and friends for an hour at the ‘Quaker Corner’ near the Mall in central Columbia. This vigil was once again laid down in the Autumn.

Our interest in peace and social justice extended to our participation in PATH (People Acting Together in Howard County). The work of that organization bore fruit this year with the official creation of PATH and setting an agenda addressing needs relating to affordable housing, transportation, and youth. PATH has provided our Meeting with a valuable opportunity to build relationships with a wide spectrum of the religious communities in our County.

Our Spring retreat this year focused on “Creating Peace in our Personal and Public Lives” included qi gong to music, a "peace assessment" exercise, making of peace/prayer beads, a workshop on the personal journeys of peace activists Tom Fox and Max Obuszewski, attending a peace vigil in Columbia and an evening documentary on war tax resisters.

Planning and implementing a program for First Day School is done 'in the Spirit', and our teachers are in many ways our Spiritual leaders. Most importantly for growing our maturing Meeting, our High School young people are continuing to help teach the younger children in First Day School. Children and families joined together this year for the Annual Easter Egg hunt, for our annual First Day School picnic, and several young Friends joined the overnight camping trip at Catoctin Camps. Patapsco Meeting continues to support young Friends to attend Quaker camps in the summer. Our support is part of our wider effort to provide opportunities for all to expand their own understanding of Quakerism and engage with their spiritual leadings.

Dedicated prison visitors continued our meeting's second year of support for South Mountain Friends Fellowship at Maryland Correctional Institute at Hagerstown (MCI-H). Each Saturday morning, two visitors join with inmates for an hour and a half of silent worship and worship sharing. Some of our visitors have participated at MCI-H in an annual four-hour Walk-a-thon sponsored by the inmates' Junior Chamber of Commerce and as guests of an annual awards dinner for the men who participate in the Prisoners Against Teen Tragedy program (PATT). Our presence is deeply appreciated by these men and being present with them enriches our lives.

We are called to be tender to those in our meeting who are struggling with the diminishments of aging, who are being tested by the needs of children, aging parents and friends, who themselves suffer with physical or mental illness or care for afflicted loved ones. As we support Friends in these difficult times we ask, “How can we better prepare ourselves to meet these challenges in our own lives and to support others who face these challenges?”

What promised to be a small and quiet gathering on Christmas Eve, turned out to be a welcoming event with over 45 Friends and friends attending our short meeting for worship. As we enter our second decade we are excited about welcoming new faces and enjoy a fulsome sharing of adventures with our familiar Friends. We remain convinced that the light of worshipful sharing and spiritually grounded action will serve us as well in the future as it has in the past.

On September 23, Patapsco held a “Day of Silent Fasting, Prayer and Meditation for Peace and Social Justice” at Bon Secours Retreat Center, Marriottsville, Maryland. Fourteen Friends and others from central Maryland joined in the day’s retreat; and Patapsco is currently planning to conduct a similar event this Fall.

On November 12, Patapsco Meeting celebrated its tenth anniversary with song, drums, rattles, stories, and food. Friends joyfully reminisced about their transition from a worship group and preparative meeting until our approval as a Monthly Meeting for Worship in 2002. We have seen the meeting grow in numbers and spiritual witness to a sharing and tender community. The anniversary issue of Quaker Heron, our occasional journal, collected numerous articles and stories from previous issues, reflecting the depth of individual journeys and the meaning of the Meeting to many of our members.

Patapsco held a one-day workshop on journaling on November 26 at Mt. Hebron House based on the pamphlet, “Live the Questions: Write into the Answers,” by Barbara Parsons. New and Old Friends were given blank journals and invited to begin or continue their spiritual journeys, recording their thoughts and emotions encountered on their spiritual path.

Many Patapsco Friends rallied together in November and December in aid of a member who underwent surgery, providing transportation, soups, and meetingwide concern.

On January 14 a group of Friends began gathering on the second and fourth First Days after simple meal for two hours to read and worship share John Woolman’s Journal, exploring together the spiritual depths of his inspiring life.

January 1 was the second birthday of South Mountain Friends Fellowship at Maryland Correctional Institute- Hagerstown. Attenders from the prison and Patapsco Meeting celebrated this happy event on February 4 with worship, food, song, and “Light and Livelies.”

Patapsco held its annual spring retreat in May. The theme was “Creating Peace in our Personal and Public Lives.” The one-day event featured: qi gong to music; a “peace assessment” exercise; making of peace/prayer beads; a workshop on the personal journeys of peace activists Tom Fox and Max Obuszewski; and, an evening documentary on pacifist war tax resisters. A very lively discussion on the tactics of the pacifists and their supporters followed the documentary. Since the retreat coincided with Patapsco’s ongoing monthly peace vigil, many retreat attenders also participated in the vigil.

In September, the Religious Education Committee will conduct an overnight camping trip for first day school students in fifth grade and above. The campers will have a great time eating pancakes, tubing and swimming, and playing Capture the Flag in the dark.

One of our members, Bob Rhudy, plans a day of prayer and fasting for world peace on 23rd September at the nearby Bon Secours Retreat Center. Patapsco Meeting is supporting Bob in his leading to do this and several Friends will be joining him for part of the day.

In November 1996, a group of Friends with a vision came together to form a Meeting in Howard County. Over the years that small group thrived and blossomed into what is now Patapsco Friends Meeting. On 12 November 2006, we will mark this special 10th anniversary milestone of Patapsco with a grand celebration.

The Ministry and Care Committee offered “Quakerism 101” this spring from 12 to 2 PM on successive Sundays. There were five sessions, covering a brief history of Quakerism, Quaker testimonies, Meeting for worship, Meeting for Business and the wider Quaker community. Each session was lead by a different Friend and the sessions were well attended, with around 20 interested participants.

In April, after a hiatus of about a year, the Meeting started its peace vigil in Columbia again, under the oversight of the Peace and Social Justice Committee. Previously, the peace vigil had been held on a weekly basis. This time, it is being held the third Saturday of each month, from 4 to 5 PM, at the corner of Broken Land Parkway and Little Patuxent Parkway, a heavily traveled area near the Columbia Mall. Participants stand silently, holding signs which say things like: “No More Killing” or “War is not the Answer.” Vigil participants notice that although there are still some negative verbal and non-verbal responses from people in the cars that pass, there seem to be more positive responses than in the past.

Patapsco has several ongoing groups and activities. One is the twice monthly Bible study group which meets at member’s homes on specified Friday evenings. There is also the handwork group which meets the second Sunday evening of each month. People do knitting, crocheting, quilting, mending, or other handwork. On the last Sunday of each month, before Meeting on Sunday morning, there is a worship sharing on the current queries and advices prior to the briefer review of these at the subsequent Meeting for Business. And, we continue to provide the Sunday evening meal for twelve men the third Sunday evening of each month at the local Grassroots Shelter.

The inmates at MCI in Hagerstown who have a worship group with some Patapsco Friends at the prison each Saturday morning, have now chosen a name: South Mountain Friends Fellowship. They have written a “state of the Meeting report” for their worship group and it is in the final stages of editing. The men want to select a clerk and to hold some regular business meetings. On June 10th, there will be a charity walkathon at the Prison. Several Patapsco Friends will be in attendance, walking with some of the Worship Group inmates. The Patapsco Friends who are part of the prison ministry group all feel that they receive as much or more than they give when they meet with the men at Hagerstown.

Now in its tenth year of existence, in its fourth year as a monthly meeting, the spirit of Patapsco Friends Meeting is gaining in breadth. Growth in our number of members and regular attenders has enabled us to stretch into new areas, yet maintain and deepen the spiritual activities we have had since our inception. The spirit of Patapsco Friends Meeting is reflected in our events and actions.

One theme we followed through the year was “follow your leadings.” Early in the year, a group of 7-10 people continued a 2004 exploration of spiritual leadings through readings, discussion and mutual support. Several individuals clarified steps on a personal or professional level they would like to take in their lives.

One leading to emerge from the group was a member’s decision to start a Friend’s meeting for inmates in MCI-Hagerstown. Visits began in January and have continued on a weekly basis through the year. Eight people rotated for Saturday morning visitations. The meetings included conversation, worship, and discussion of a written passage. The visits continue into 2006.

Several Patapsco Friends followed a leading and found significance in volunteering in the “Eyes Wide Open” exhibit in September. Several others of us attended as well.

Patapsco Friends supported Ken Stockbridge in his leading to visit and build connections and community among the wider circler of Friends, partly through Baltimore Yearly Meeting’s inter-visitation program to FUM meetings. At Ken’s request, we gathered a Clearness Committee and approved a traveling minute for his visits. Ken’s leading continues into the new year.

Another theme was concern for the environment. The Advancement and Outreach committee sponsored a meeting-wide weekend retreat at Catoctin Camp last May. Twenty Friends of all ages deepened their fellowship in hands-on workshops to encourage environmentally sustainable living, and by informal walks, meetings for worship, singing and conversing on the wooded grounds.

The theme of environmentally-responsible living continued with a community yard sale of Friends’ donated goods. Other activities of the A & O committee included the production of an email newsletter, “Visitor Highlights,” for visitors who are new to Quakers; outreach to local colleges in the form of advertisements in student newspapers; and outreach to the community via a booth in a Columbia neighborhood fair.

Three Friends have been representing PFM at organizational meetings of the interfaith community organizing group, Industrial Areas Foundation (IAF). They valued getting to know people of other faiths and overcoming a sense of isolation from other religious communities. Howard County’s IAF fosters common ground by building relationships and empowering participants to explore local issues and find a common voice. In the fall of 2005, Patapsco Friends joined the Howard County IAF for the next two years.

Religious education manifested our growing spirit, as we watched our children--many toddlers ten years ago--become young women and men. The First Day School meets weekly with approximately 10 children in attendance. Our general plan is to teach Quaker history and life in the fall and Bibical themes, using FGC’s curriculum “Jesus: Who is He?” in the spring. On December 18, the entire school presented a Christmas play, “Three Wise Dudes,” to the delight of the Meeting.

Friends in middle and high school continued holding a Junior Monthly Meeting and continued to act as assistant First Day School instructors. Fellowship activities included a trip to a local rock climbing facility.

Adult education was particularly active this year. Informal education after simple lunch included two workshops on the Quaker organizations FWCC and FCNL and a workshop on Pendle Hill. Additional education on Quakerism took place at six worship sharing evenings on Roger Griswold's pamphlet, "Creeds and Quakerism" and a monthly worship sharing on the queries and advices.

Adult education reached into other areas of the spirit-led life. The Peace and Social Justice committee held an evening discussion of the pamphlet, "The Origin of the Palestine-Israel Conflict." Howard Zuses of Sandy Spring Meeting spoke on socially responsible investing. A series of four workshops on death and dying began with a worship sharing on end-of- life issues, prompted by Terri Schiavo’s death in 2004 and the deaths of parents of several members. Workshop topics included legal issues, preparation for one’s own death, and grieving. A group of 6-8 women explored knitting as a spiritual practice during a six-week program. Several of the women knitted a prayer shawl as a result.

In an attempt to meet the needs of Friends who are unable to attend meeting on First Day, a Mid-Week Meeting for Worship was started. After a six months’ trial, it was laid down and mid-week meeting at Sandy Spring was suggested as an alternative.

While growing and maturing, Patapsco Friends also maintained treasured traditions with publication of its occasional journal, Quaker Heron; member participation in Howard County peace vigils; a parallel-text Bible study meeting twice a month; potlucks at the end of each month; and Friendly Bunches. Our Meeting for Worship continues to be at the heart of our maturation, driving it and being driven by it. We will see the deepening of the commitments begun in 2005 as Patapsco Friends continue to nurture the spirit of our Meeting.

Submitted to Patapsco Friends Meeting by Jean Pfefferkorn, Clerk of Ministry and Care Approved by the Patapsco Monthly Meeting of Friends, March 5, 2006 Ramona Buck, Clerk

Patapsco Friends Meeting held a retreat at Catoctin Quaker Camp May 20 – 22.  In spite of the unseasonably cold weather, Friends worshipped, hiked, played games, made stationery out of magazine pages, and cooked a wonderful vegan feast under the direction of Bethanne Kashkett.

Some Friends feel the need to discuss the queries and advices in more depth than is possible at business meetings, so the Meeting has been continuing to hold discussions, facilitated by Jim Rose for an hour before Meeting on the fourth Sunday of each month.

Friends from Patapsco Friends Meeting hold a vigil for peace on Sunday evenings in Columbia in conjunction with a local peace group.

Patapsco is experimenting with a mid-week Meeting for Worship that meets in people’s homes on alternate Wednesday evenings.  A Bible study group also meets twice a month.

Patapsco continues its support of the Howard County Grassroots Shelter by preparing a meal once a month.  Each Saturday morning, two Friends from Patapsco (not the same ones each Saturday) travel to Hagerstown to hold a worship sharing group with six inmates at the Hagerstown prison.

Patapsco is heartened that we have welcomed a number of new people in attendance at recent Meetings for Worship.  We are still struggling to learn how to increase the number of people who attend our monthly Meetings for Business.