Baltimore
Yearly Meeting
Spring Interim Meeting 25
Third Month 2006
Baltimore, Stony Run,
Friends Meeting
I2006-08 Opening The Spring
Interim Meeting of Baltimore Yearly Meeting (BYM) met at Baltimore, Stony Run
Friends Meeting, Baltimore, Maryland, on the 25th Third Month,
2006. Approximately 100 people from 31
meetings joined us at some time during the day. We gathered in waiting worship after committee meetings and a
bountiful lunch. Lauri Perman, (State
College), Presiding Clerk of BYM, was invited by the Interim Meeting Clerk,
Michael Cronin (Friends Meeting of Washington – FMW) to join us at the table.
I2006-09 Remembering Tom Fox
After a period of silence, Lauri reminded us that this is the first time
we have gathered as a Yearly Meeting community since our dear Friend Tom Fox
was kidnapped and since we learned of his death. She read the following statement by the Reverend Carol Rose and
Doug Pritchard of Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT):
….our faith compels us to love our enemies even when they have
committed acts which caused great hardship to our friends and sorrow to their
families. In the spirit of the prophetic nonviolence that motivated Jim,
Norman, Harmeet and Tom to go to Iraq, we refuse to yield to a spirit of
vengeance. We give thanks for the compassionate God who granted our friends
courage and who sustained their spirits over the past months. We pray for strength and courage for
ourselves so that, together, we can continue the nonviolent struggle for
justice and peace.
Throughout these difficult months, we have been heartened by
messages of concern for our four colleagues from all over the world. We have been especially moved by the
gracious outpouring of support from Muslim brothers and sisters in the Middle
East, Europe, and North America. That support continues to come to us day after
day. We pray that Christians throughout
the world will, in the same spirit, call for justice and for respect for the
human rights of the thousands of Iraqis who are being detained illegally by the
U.S. and British forces occupying Iraq.
During these past months, we have tasted of the pain that has been
the daily bread of hundreds of thousands of Iraqis. Why have our loved ones
been taken? Where are they being held? Under what conditions? How are they?
Will they be released? When?
With Tom’s death, we felt the grief of losing a beloved friend.
Today, we rejoice in the release of our friends Harmeet, Jim and Norman. We
continue to pray for a swift and joyful homecoming for the many Iraqis and internationals
who long to be reunited with their families. We renew our commitment to work
for an end to the war and the occupation of Iraq as a way to continue the
witness of Tom Fox. We trust in God’s compassionate love to show us the way.
Living through the many emotions of this day, we remain committed
to the words of Jim Loney, who wrote:
"With God’s abiding kindness, we will love
even our enemies.
With the love of Christ, we will resist all
evil.
With God’s unending faithfulness, we will work
to build the beloved community."
Lauri reminded us that this was
not a memorial meeting, but an opportunity to share from our hearts. After several messages, Lauri continued with
her report, beginning with information about the plans for Tom Fox’s Memorial Meeting.
Tom still has a five-person support
team. Three members are members of
Langley Hill Friends Meeting: Ann Bauer, who has maintained contact between the
family and the support team; Doug Smith, clerk of Langley Hill Friends Meeting;
and Paul Slattery. Two other members of
the team are Mennonites: Hoyt Maulden
and Pearl Hoover, who is pastor of Northern Virginia Mennonite Church. Throughout the last four months I have
worked carefully with this support team.
This support team is making the
initial arrangements forTom’s
memorial meeting. The family and a few
CPT members had a private service at Dover, Delaware. The support team is working carefully with the family to plan
another memorial meeting, mindful of the intense interest of the press.
At the request of the support team,
when information about the memorial meeting becomes available, the Yearly
Meeting office will be sending a letter – not an e-mail – to monthly meeting
clerks. Friends should let their
monthly meeting clerk know that they would like to be informed about the
memorial meeting. We do not know yet
when that letter will be sent, but it will not arrive before the middle of the
next week at the earliest. Members of
the support team need to make plans on their own schedule.
Role of Yearly Meeting Lauri continued:
The first thing I want to share is
that this situation of the last four months has clarified for me the role of
the Yearly Meeting and particularly our relationship to monthly meetings. We
really are a grassroots, bottom-up organization. Although at times Friends look to the Yearly Meeting for
leadership, leadings to take action come to individuals, and clearness for
action takes place at the monthly meeting level and sometimes in the committees
of Yearly Meeting. I see the role of
the Yearly Meetingto support monthly
meetings. Consequently, my actions
throughout the past four months have been guided by the wishes of Tom’s support
team and Langley Hill Friends.
Recently Friends have begun to offer
suggestions as to how the Yearly Meeting might create a living memorial to Tom.
I am passing those suggestions to Doug Smith, Clerk of Langley Hill, and a
member of the support team. I do not
think it is appropriate for the Yearly Meeting to begin to think about
memorials until Langley Hall has had a chance to make its own decisions. We would not want to find ourselves in
competition with Langley Hill raising funds for two different memorials. The leadership will come from Langley Hill.
Prayers - The pressures on the meetings and the support team have
been intense, and I have only seen them secondhand. I urge you to keep everyone involved in your prayers. Tom’s family came to Friends at Alexandria
Meeting. Tom has recently been living
on the property of Hopewell Centre meeting so there are three meetings with
very intense personal concerns, Alexandria, Hopewell Centre, and Langley Hill
Friends where his membership was located. These Friends need your prayers. I would like toespecially
single out Anne Bacon, who is the immediate past clerk of Hopewell Centre, and
who has continued with this concern, and Doug Smith. These two, as monthly meeting
clerks, werefrequently were called
to meet the press, along with Marge Epstein of Langley Hill who has coordinated
their press efforts.
Opportunities - Anne and Doug will be offering a
Yearly Meeting workshop sharing what they have learned about working with the
press. The Yearly MeetingProgram
Committee has invited Tom’s support team to plan our Friday night plenary session. In our planning stages our hope was that Tom
would be here among us to share in that plenary.
Request for Assistance– I committed to write condolences letters to
Tom’s family and feel a needto acknowledge the
letters of condolence that the Yearly Meeting has received. I feel led to ask for a
volunteer to assist me. If that is
something you feel led to do, either to help me to write the condolence letters
or to acknowledge the condolence letters, please talk to me. We are posting the
condolence letters we receiveon the website. The vast majority are going directly to
Langley Hill and are posted on the Langley Hill website. I want to thankJim Rose, the Yearly
Meeting webmaster, for his terrific work keeping the website up-to-date. We have been keeping him much busier than
usual. I would liketo draw your attention
to somemoving condolence letters we have received,
that are on the Yearly Meeting website under condolences, especially the letter from New York
Yearly Meeting, which felt led to write to us out of their own experience of
the letters they received after 9/11.
They shared how much that had comforted them and they knew we would be
in need of comfort. I would like to
draw your attention to the letterfrom Jean Zaru, who we
are so happy to have with us and from whom we will hear in a few minutes.
I2006-10: Continuing the Presiding Clerk’s Report
Gratitudes – The rest of my report is all gratitudes. First I want to share with you my gratitude
for the very well –attended Called Meeting on February 25th when Friends
approved with changes a position summary for the new General Secretary. The position is currentlyposted on the BYM website.
The Ad Hoc Search Committee will begin reviewing applications on
April 7, 2006 and will continue until the position is filled. We have one
application in hand.
I would like to read the names of
the Ad Hoc Search Committee and to share gratitude for their willingness to be
of service to the Yearly Meeting in this important way and to ask you tohold them in your prayers and in the Light in the coming
months as they do this important work: They are in fact meeting right now in
another room:
Katherine
Smith, (Maury River), Clerk
Ramona
Buck (Patapsco)
Nancy
Clark (Baltimore, Homewood)
Janet Eaby
(Nottingham)
Andrei
Israel (FMW)
Katrina
Mason (Bethesda)
Eric
Uberseder (Dunnings Creek)
Francy
Williams (Frederick)
I want to share my gratitude with
all of you, and I hope you will share your gratitude with him, for Howard Fullerton (Sandy Spring). In the absence of a permanent General
Secretary, Howard has been doing an absolutely marvelous and committed job as
Interim General Secretary. Some of you
know that we asked Howard to work about 20 hours a week, saying you do not have
to visit monthly meetings; Ministry and Pastoral Care will take care of
that. It is true that Howard’s ordinary
schedule is Tuesday, half of Wednesday and all of Thursday. HoweverI would estimatethat Howard is giving
us 40 hours a week, week in and week out including nights and weekends. He
is working really hard and we are so happy and so blessed to have him in this
role.
Challenges - The changesunderway in the Yearly Meeting
have been challenging and difficult.
I will say I never thought I would have to clerk the Yearly Meeting
without Frank Massey’s help. It was not
what I signed up for, but the challenges provide an opportunity for
growth and transformation. Frank Massey
said it would not be good for us if he stayed any longer. He had seen what happened to yearly meetings
when superintendents stayed 25 years or longer. One of the opportunities for each one of us is to really
strengthen the role of our committees.
When we have a long term staff member, it is easy to let the staff
member help us out. It is time to
reread the description of our committees in the Manual of Procedure and to make
sure we are really doing what the committee is called to do. The Manual of Procedure says that committee
clerks for the coming year should be reportedwhile
Yearly Meeting is session. I am going
to let you know now, several months in advance, that there will be a roll call;
there might even be a meeting of new committee clerks at Annual Session. It is not too soon to start identifying your
clerk.
Like most changes, there has been pain and discomfort, but I am
confident that we have been given important opportunities for growth and
transformation, both individually and corporately. And I believe that at these times of difficulty and transition,
we are most called to live our faith, listen for the Spirit, and wait to be
guided.
I remain thankful for this
opportunity to be of service to the Yearly Meeting. I am blessed to be able to be in this role.
I2006-11 Appreciation Michael Cronin, Clerk, added his
appreciation to all of those in Baltimore, Stony Run Meeting, both in the
kitchen and around the meetinghouse, for great food and breakfast
beforehand. We appreciate their
hospitality.
I2006-12 Peace and Social Concerns Committee J.E. McNeil (FMW), co-clerk of the committee,
presented two minutes.
The proposed minute for the Religious Freedom Peace Tax Fund Bill:
Over thirty years ago on eighth day of Eighth Month 1972 at
Annual Sessions, upon the founding of the National Campaign for a Peace Tax
Fund, Baltimore Yearly Meeting endorsed its passage:
The historic testimony of the Religious Society of Friends
against participation in war has led many individual Friends over the years to
refuse the payment of taxes used in whole or in part for war-related purposes.
. . . Friends have continued to seek
guidance in the matter of payment or non-payment of individual and corporate
federal taxes.
Therefore, Baltimore Yearly Meeting of the Religious
Society of Friends will take the following actions:
1) provide, under the oversight of the Yearly Meeting Peace
Committee, resource materials and resource persons to aid Monthly Meetings and
individual Friends in reaching decisions in the matter of non-payment of
federal taxes; and
2) endorse legislation which would provide for the right of
conscientious objection to federal income taxes used for military-related
purposes.
We affirm our support of efforts through lawful means to
create a society that does not rely on war or the threat of war as an
instrument of national policy.
Today we are once again embroiled in war. The call to peace is stronger than
ever. Baltimore Yearly Meeting of the
Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) renews its commitment to support those
individuals who are called to refuse to pay their federal taxes and endorse
this Religious Freedom Peace Tax Fund Bill, and prays that it will not be
another 30 years before it becomes the law of the land.
The Minute for the Religious
Freedom Peace Tax Fund Bill was approved
by the meeting and will be sent to the National Campaign for a Peace Tax Fund,
appropriate United States Senators and Representatives, and all monthly
meetings of BYM.
I2006-13 We
then turned to a proposed minute patterned on that of Langley Hill, which is a
small beginning of carrying on Tom Fox’s legacy, following Langley Hill’s
lead. A delegation from that meeting
has started visiting with its U.S. congressional members. Langley Hill is
calling on Friends everywhere in this country to do likewise.
Proposed minute To Honor and Continue Tom Fox’s Work
on Iraqi Detainees
for Baltimore Yearly Meeting, 25 Third Month, 2006
“Blessed are the
PEACEMAKERS: for they shall be called the children of God.”
Tom Fox, truly a child of God, has left us to try to carry
on his work in this world. An important
part of his work for peace was trying to help families in Iraq know the
location and condition of their loved ones who were being held in detention by
U.S. forces. This simple basic human
right has been systematically denied to those in the care of our government.
Tens of thousands of Iraqi families suffer as a result.
When Tom was taken hostage last November, we all came to
know in a personal way what it was like to have a beloved friend or family
member detained, and not know where they were being held, or their fate. Tom’s death has not changed this.
We of the Baltimore Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society
of Friends (Quakers) are deeply saddened by the loss of our Friend and are
resolved to try to change U.S. policy and practice by asking Friends Meetings
in the Yearly Meeting and across the country to send delegations to visit U.S.
Senators and Representatives to:
a) ask them to work to have coalition forces in Iraq make the
names and locations of those it has detained available on a timely basis;
b) ask them to insure that the International Committee of the
Red Cross is able to visit all detainees in accordance with international
treaties.
We ask meetings who take on this witness to report back to
Baltimore Yearly Meeting by the time of Annual Session in Eighth Month,
2006.
We approved
this minute as amended and added several names to the list of recipients: all Monthly Meetings in Baltimore Yearly
Meeting, all Yearly Meetings in the United States, Christian Peacemaker Teams,
all Quaker journals in the United States, American Friends Service Committee,
Friends Committee on National Legislation, Friends General Conference, Friends
United Meeting, Friends World Committee on Consultation - Section of the
Americas, Friends World Committee – all world offices, Wider Quaker Fellowship,
and Evangelical Friends International.
A Langley Hill Friend added that the Langley Hill minute
had been sent to 800 monthly meetings by regular mail recently.
I2006-14 Jean Zaru John Salzberg (Bethesda) thanked those who
saw the video Investment in Hope, the
story of the Friends International Centre in Ramallah, the ministry developed
in partnership with the Ramallah Monthly Meeting. He announced that copies of the video are available for monthly
meetings, if people will contact him.
(See the BYM Yearbook directory.)
He then introduced Jean Zaru, Clerk of the Ramallah Monthly Meeting, who
inspired Philadelphia and Baltimore Yearly Meetings to help rebuild the
meetinghouse and to establish the Friends International Centre of Ramallah
which offers hospitality to Palestinians, Israelis, and others seeking peace
with justice. There is a plaque in the
meetinghouse thanking us for the support and for being with them in these
difficult times. “We are building
community”, she said. “We are
networking with likeminded people.” She
added her condolences on the death of Tom Fox, but exhorted us that his death
was more about life; that he unites people to work on peace and justice. No matter our size and number, together we
can make a difference. She also
admonished us that trying to be balanced, we sometimes miss opportunities to
act. We are not working against anyone;
we are working against structures of repression and destruction. She reminded us there are three members of
BYM on the steering committee of the Center:
Lamar Matthew, (Baltimore, Stony Run), John Salzberg (Bethesda), and
China Jessup (Bethesda).
I2006-15 Nominating Dorothea Malsbary, (Sandy Spring) clerk,
mentioned that the Nominating Committee is working hard to strengthen our
Yearly Meeting committees. She
introduced the members present (Barbara Thomas, Annapolis; Bronna Zlochiver,
Sandy Spring; Jason Eaby, Nottingham; and Ramona Buck, Patapsco, who was at the
time of Dorothea’s report attending the Ad Hoc Search Committee meeting. Other members are Cynthia Power,
Charlottesville, and Catherine Tunis, Herndon). They have been in contact, by letter and individually, with monthly
meeting and nominating committee clerks, seeking names of individuals for whom
Yearly Meeting service would be an opportunity, a challenge and a gift. New BYM committee clerks have also been
contacted; if eager and interested people, not yet appointed to the committee,
attend meetings, Nominating would be glad to consider them for
appointment. The Committee is
interested in individuals active at the local meeting level, for whom getting
involved in the Yearly Meeting would be a new opportunity to broaden their
exposure to Quaker service.
I2006-16 350th
Anniversary Evamaria (Ria) Hawkins
(Bethesda) reminded us of the 350th anniversary of the arrival of
Quakers in North America. 1652 is
generally said to be the beginning of Quakerism in England. In 1654 it was carried to Ireland. In 1656, according to Kenneth Carroll,
Elizabeth Harris landed in the Chesapeake Bay area, starting Quaker communities
in Severn, West River, South River, Broad Neck, and Kent Island. This anniversary is cause for celebration
by all American and Canadian Friends, but especially for by us in Baltimore
Yearly Meeting. It is also a great
opportunity for outreach, for letting people know that we are still alive and
well, and where their local meeting is.
Annapolis Monthly Meeting has taken a lead in celebrating and is
working on the following ideas:
- A banner to be put up outside the Meetinghouse
announcing the anniversary
- Bumper stickers
- Brochures for distribution at the visitor
center and historic sites
- A float in the July 4th parade
- A lecture in a local college, probably a part
of a series on Religious Freedom or the history of religion in Maryland
- Joining a local historical society’s summer
program of places of historical interest
- Having a visiting Friend portray George Fox
(even though he was not part of this very early history here)
- A group of meeting needlewomen/quilters will
make a quilt or wall hanging to commemorate this event
- 2 applications for grants to help with
expenses have been submitted, one to a local historically oriented fund and one
to a Quaker fund.
The objective is to become aware of our early history, to
have fun, to involve as many people in the meeting as possible in one or other
aspects of this celebration and to make the community around us much more aware
of our presence.
What can Your Meeting do?
I2006-17 The minutes were
approved as corrected.
I2006-18 Search
Committee Report Howard Fullerton
(Sandy Spring), Interim General Secretary, presented the report for the Search
Committee in the absence of David Hines (Richmond), clerk. The other members are Katrina Mason
(Bethesda), Margaret Stambaugh (Gettysburg) and Helena Cobban
(Charlottesville). The Search Committee
requested approval to replace Elaine Bell (Sandy Spring) on the Supervisory
Committee with Margaret Stambaugh, effective immediately. They also requested Joan Clippinger
(Warrington) be added to Nominating Committee, again effective
immediately. Search Committee reminded
Interim Meeting that at Spring Yearly Meeting Day a Naming Committee is often
formed to find people for Search Committee, which currently needs three new
members. Howard presented the names of
Susie Fetter (Roanoke) and Miriam Green (Baltimore, Homewood).
The two appointments and the Naming Committee were approved.
I2006-19 Ministry and
Pastoral Care Committee Don Gann,
(Baltimore, Stony Run), Clerk, introduced Linda Heacock (Richmond) who has been
traveling as an Embraced Friend. Linda
had a leading to work with Friends Peace Teams African Great Lakes Initiative
(AGLI) in Kenya. She followed the
guidelines for Embraced Friends and received a travel minute from her Monthly
Meeting, endorsed by the Ministry & Pastoral Care Committee and by the
Yearly Meeting.
Linda Heacock spoke of her ministry and the activities over
the past year in Western Kenya and Nairobi facilitating Alternatives to
Violence Project (AVP) workshops. Forty
Friends Church members, community officials, police, teachers and youth were
trained. (See the full report below and
the article in the Spring Interchange,
available on the BYM-RSF website.)
Linda hopes to continue this work in Kenya and within BYM, where she is
available for presentations and local training. She added that the experience of this ministry has changed her
life. She is indebted to the Yearly
Meeting and would appreciate our continuing support. If funds can be raised, she hopes to return to Kenya in September
2006.
Betsy Wollaston (Deer Creek) informed us that Parker
Bennett was also working with AGLI last summer, helping build a school,
teaching English, and learning about Burundi. David Zarembka (Bethesda) coordinates AGLI.
Linda Heacock’s report was accepted.
I2006-20 Staff Reports
- Youth Secretary Hope Braveheart reminded us 1) that Tom Fox
had a deep connection with the Young Friends community, having spent seven
years as a Friendly Adult Presence (FAP), and served as Interim Youth Secretary
before she came. Our Young Friends are
grieving. Their entire next newsletter
will be devoted with love to Tom and to his legacy. It will be sent to all Young Friends, every monthly meeting, and
all monthly meeting Religious Education committees. We need each other at this time.
2) She also reported on the Young Friends in Ramallah Program this
summer from July 10-24. Five BYM Young
Friends will visit and do a workcamp with 5 Palestinian youth. There are concerns about the safety of the
trip, but we were reassured that the first week of the trip overlaps with Max
Carter’s group of Guilford College students.
If they feel it necessary to cancel, we will as well. Jean Zaru is also confident about the safety
of the trip. The five BYM participants
are Bennett Murray (Goose Creek), John Stitzer (State College), Katie Bellile
(Richmond), Mica (Rosie) Whitney (Richmond) and Tory Smith (Langley Hill). The advisory group for this trip consists of
experienced Friends who have visited Israel and Palestine: Lamar Matthew
(Baltimore, Stony Run), coordinator and also member of the steering committee
of the Friends International Centre in Ramallah, Max Carter (Guilford College,
North Carolina Yearly Meeting (FUM)), Maia Carter Hallward (FMW), Andrei Israel
(FMW), Phoebe Stern (Sandy Spring), and SalemZaru, Jean Zaru’s son who lives here in Mt. Airy,
Maryland. Also Joyce Ajlouny, Director
of Ramallah Friends School and John Hishmeh, Guidance Counselor of Ramallah
Friends School, are our (Lamar and I) contacts – their goal and ours is for the
Young Friends in Ramallah Program to continue either annually or
bi-annually. They will let us know if
it is or is not safe. If our trip is
postponed we will continue with planning for when we will be able to go..
3) Hope’s third
point was the Friendly Adult Presences.
A first orientation, held in January, trained a larger group, but more
are needed. The next orientation will
be at Annual Session, during 2 workshop periods. It will prepare people to work with Junior Young Friends and
Young Friends. If you are interested,
please contact her at the Yearly Meeting office.
I2006-21 Staff Reports – Interim General Secretary Howard Fullerton
too has traveled to Palestine and Israel, as a former member of the Friends
United Meeting (FUM) board. A group spent
17 days there in December, almost before he had settled into his new work as
Interim General Secretary.
Howard addressed the safety issues, assuring us that his
group were informed about points such as what to wear, where not to go, and how
not to travel (on city buses), before they went and also by World Vision after
their arrival. He felt safe even
walking alone at night between the two Friends School locations in
Ramallah.
Now he is settling in, working mostly on finances, with the
Program Committee, and with staff. Part
of the work with finances has been the result of Frank Massey’s tax
resistance. The Internal Revenue
Service (IRS) sent a bill for two years of taxes, interest and penalties. J.E. McNeill, as BYM attorney, replied with
a letter and checks for several quarters for taxes and interest, but not
penalties. We are awaiting the IRS
response.
The Clerk of Trustees requested that they receive copies of
all correspondence relating to the IRS. [Underscoring
shows material Howard Fullerton added to this written report.] Howard also
announced we are looking for a new bookkeeper, as Linda Ricci was limited both
in her time available and in accounting training. Information is available through all monthly meeting clerks and
newsletters.
He hopes to place a banner on the BYM website announcing
the 350th Anniversary and encouraging area-wide celebrations.
Our BYM membership continues to grow: we have a net gain of 58 members, with at
least 6 more to come; the median size of a monthly meeting is 64. There are other meetings that have not
filed membership reports, information on Clerks and committee clerks, or
financial information needed to support an equitable apportionment
process. The office would like all that
information; it helps us serve you better.
Information about non-compliant meetings is available from Sandra
Michaels in the office.
I2006-22 Manual of Procedure
: Ann Marie Moriarty (Adelphi), Clerk
of the Committee presented requested changes.
The first change reflects the actual practice of Trustees,
not the Stewardship and Finance Committee, receiving audits. It was pointed out that an audit is required
at least every three years or whenever the Treasurer or the General
Secretary changes.
The second was a new description of the Unity with Nature
Committee, initiated at their request.
The third clarifies the categories of Working and Special
Groups. (See the report below.) In answer to a question, Ann Marie explained
that the groups may request annual budget monies, but can not raise or accept
other funds without prior approval of the Interim Meeting and in coordination
with the Stewardship and Finance Committee.
The sponsoring committee need not be the original founding committee.
With the one improvement, these changes were APPROVED.
I2006-23 Ethel
Reynolds Fund A new proposal for the distribution of the Ethel Reynolds Fund
was also presented. (See I2005-9 and I2005-47.) The goal of not
frittering the funds away has been met with wild success; the original bequest
of $62,000 (1976) was $83,000 at the end of 2003. The Ethel Reynolds Fund Co-clerks, Doug Eaby and James Matsen
(Nottingham), have allotted $8500 for dispersal this year. Unlike Ethel Reynolds’ bequests to
Nottingham Monthly Meeting, the Yearly Meeting was not required to hold
the bequest intact. The Manual of
Procedure Committee recommends that the Yearly Meeting lay down the Ethel
Reynolds Fund Committee, and that the remainder of the funds be allocated this
year among the Camping Program, Camp Property Management, Youth Programs,
Religious Education and Advancement & Outreach Committees, asking them to
develop a plan in coordination with Stewardship and Finance to spend the funds
wisely over a period of time. Monthly
meetings can apply directly to the appropriate committee for monies. The use of the funds should be included in
annual reports to the Yearly Meeting from the five groups. (See the full report
below for details.)
The Meeting APPROVED the proposal
as presented, and MINUTED :
For three decades the Yearly
Meeting has benefited from Ethel Reynolds’s generous bequest in many ways and
the above proposal will let it continue to do so. As she intended, the Yearly Meeting has benefited and will continue
to benefit from her bequest. As we reflect
on all that her gift has accomplished, Baltimore Yearly Meeting minutes its
gratitude to Ethel Reynolds for her bequest.
Lauri Perman has learned from
those at Nottingham who knew Ethel Reynolds that she cared deeply about the
future of the Religious Society of Friends.
It was her belief that the future of the Society depended on youth,
religious education and outreach.
I2006-24 Program Committee Liz Hofmeister (Bethesda), Clerk, reported that Annapolis Monthly Meeting will
host an interest group on the 350th Anniversary and what meetings
can do to celebrate the presence of Quakers today in the Mid-Atlantic
region. We are encouraged not to wait
until August to celebrate the 350th Anniversary!
She also reported on the outcome of the recent visit by
some members of the Program Committee to the James Madison University
conference coordinator recently. There
will be no changes in 2006. In 2007,
the University requires that we change our dates to July 23-29th. There may be some changes in the meeting
spaces used by the Yearly Meeting as well.
We will be in the same dormitories and eat in the same cafeteria,
sharing it with another group.
She asked permission of the Interim Meeting to begin to
look for other possible sites in case we find we have to move. Permission was GRANTED.
Liz shared the theme for Annual Session this year, “Living
in Harmony: Called to Live in Harmony
with One Another and All Creation”.
Tuesday night’s plenary speaker will be our Young Adult Friend Rachel
Stacy (Gunpowder), who was involved with both the English and the Kenyan World
Gatherings of Young Friends last year.
She is very experienced working with Friends of all persuasions. Saturday the Carey Memorial Lecturer will be
Marshall Massey (Iowa Yearly Meeting-Conservative), a co-founder of Quaker
Earthcare Witness. He will be
encouraging all Friends to walk gently on the Earth. A Friend alerted us to Marshall Massey’s leading to walk to
Harrisburg, Virginia, from his home in Omaha, Nebraska. On Friday we have asked Tom Fox’s Support
Committee and Langley Hill to be responsible for the program, in some way
carrying forth Tom’s work. Watch for
the May Interchange for details.
Three vouchers per meeting will be available again for two
free nights for first time attenders.
Worship Sharing - Don
Gann requested volunteers to lead worship sharing. Riley Robinson (FMW) described his group: they get down on the floor and color. (There will be two family worship sharing
groups this year.) Worship sharing is
an opportunity to start the day with a small group with whom you will touch
base all week, a quiet time full of worshipfulness but with the expectation
that all may share on written queries developed around the Annual Session
theme. It was suggested it would be a
good idea to have a worship sharing leader training session at Annual Session
for those interested.
I2006-25 Unity with Nature Committee Sarah Brabson
(Little Britain, Eastland), co-clerk, presented a request for affiliation of
the Friends Wilderness Center (FWC) with Baltimore Yearly Meeting. Sarah Brabson is a member of the FWC board
and their Recording Clerk, Julie Guroff, has joined the Unity with Nature
Committee. FWC is not requesting
financial assistance from BYM as an organization, but seeks to become better
known and better used by the Yearly Meeting.
An Open House will be held at Friends Wilderness Center on May 20. More information is available on their website: www.friendswilderness.org or from
Friends Wilderness Center, 305 Friends Way, Harpers Ferry, WV 25425; Phone:
304-728-4820’ Email: center@friendswilderness.org.
The Center, which has been under the care of Friends Meeting of Washington, was
donated by Henry and Mary Cushing Niles, who were members of Baltimore, Stony
Run.
The intent today is to give Friends a chance to familiarize
themselves with the proposal, which needs to be approved at Annual
Session. (See the full report below.)
I2006-26 Minutes The minutes to this point were read and
approved with corrections.
I2006-27 Friends World Committee for Consultation, Section of the
Americas Flossie Fullerton (Sandy Spring) reported on the meeting in
Guatemala recently, pointing out that all six BYM representatives (Flossie
Fullerton, Sheila Bach (Langley Hill),
Robert (Bob) Fetter (Roanoke), Graham Johnson (Sandy Spring), Dona
Manoukian (Langley Hill), and Sage Taylor (Sandy Spring)) were present. The meeting was hosted by two Guatemala
Friends Church groups. For the first
time all 17 worship groups were bilingual, with interpreters. Another Friend mentioned that five or six
Central American Young (Adult) Friends were present, among the 15 attendees at
least from the World Gathering of Young Friends (WGYF).
Flossie raised the question about BYM interests to share
with the Triennial to be held in Dublin, Ireland, in 2007. The topics the representatives considered
included peace, opposition to the use of torture, and environmental concerns
such as water and pollution. It was
pointed out that because of an earlier deadline, some answers were sent by the
Presiding Clerk in December. Lauri Perman
will forward a copy of the answer to our representatives.
Bob Fetter then reported on upcoming opportunities. The Southeast Region, to which we belong,
hosts regional meetings, the next being in North Carolina September 22-24, 2006. In January 2008 there will possibly be a
regional meeting in Jamaica YM (FUM).
BYM may host the regional meeting after that. These meetings are open and all who are interested are welcome to
attend.
He also mentioned the Quaker Conference on Torture,
June 2-4, 2006 at Guilford College, Greensboro, North Carolina. Co-sponsored by FWCC, Section of the
Americas and by BYM among others, it is organized by The Quaker Initiative to
End Torture (QUIT). The website is www.quit-torture-now.org The Conference requests representatives from
each yearly meeting, as well as welcoming all individuals who share the
concern.
This summer there is also a Quaker Youth Pilgrimage,
a group of international youth age 16-18, who will together visit Friends
through the Midwestern United States, July 14-August 10. This is a wonderful opportunity. Four places are still available for United
States Friends. Dona Manoukian (Langley
Hill) encouraged those present to return to our meetings and talk to any Young
Friends who might be interested. The
application is available at http://www.fwccamericas.org/whatwedo/youth.html
.
Finally, Flossie offered us the opportunity to help her
with a quilt square, similar to those on our BYM modesty skirt, for the New
England Section’s project. How does
Quakerism express itself within BYM?
The completed square is due by the end of May. It was suggested that since we are so involved with our youth
that the camp logo “Fire at the Center” might be appropriate. The group agreed enthusiastically.
I2006-28 Intervisitation Committee Ken Stockbridge presented the
Intervisitation Committee report for Marcy Seitel, Clerk, who sent her
regrets. (The complete report is
inserted below.) A web page is being
developed to make our materials available to our monthly meetings and to other
yearly meetings. BYM’s program is
primarily organized to send and receive visits to YM Annual Sessions. Monthly Meetings are encouraged to take
individual initiative and invite other FUM monthly meetings to visit, for
example Charlottesville’s invitation to New Garden Quarter in North Carolina YM
(FUM).
A Friend asked how those who are already traveling among
Friends can help BYM’s intervisitation goal.
The Committee does have training sessions which are open not only to
those with minutes to travel, but also to those traveling for other purposes. Two
sessions were held in July and October, 2005.
Materials used will be on the website as well. The BYM intervisitation program is focused on building
relationships between FUM Yearly Meetings, as well as encouraging visiting in
general.
Ted Heck, (Richmond), co-clerk of the Youth Programs
Committee (YPC), mentioned that since there will be no YouthQuake this year,
the YPC decided to use the money budgeted to cooperate with the Intervisition
Committee’s work. Ken happily accepted
that movement on behalf of the Committee.
Involving Young Friends and youth in intervisitation is one of the
Committee’s aims. A FAP, a YF and a
YF’s friend are attending the NCYM (FUM) mid-winter youth gathering this
weekend. Most of the YMs have youth
programs.
Ken was thanked for the report.
I2006-29 Ad hoc Committee on Gender and Sexual Diversity Concerns : Aron Teel
(Charlottesville), Clerk, pointed out that the Committee has received no
response from Monthly Meetings regarding the Friends General Conference Central
Committee’s 2005 minute on the gifts and leadership of gay, lesbian, bisexual,
transgendered and queer Friends within FGC.
This minute was brought before Interim Meeting this time last year. The Committee is asking that committee
members attend Quarterly and Monthly Meeting’s meetings for business to present
the FGC CC minute and to listen to their experiences. The Clerk of Interim Meeting was approved to send a cover letter to let Monthly Meetings know
that the committee members will be knocking on their doors. (The FGC Central Committee Minute is
appended below.)
I2006-30 Ministry & Pastoral Care Committee : Ed Norton (York)
announced that Ministry and Pastoral Care also is charged with visiting within
the Yearly Meeting. He requested that
interested individuals contact him if they would like to visit other Monthly
Meetings within BYM in love and friendship.
An article will be found in the next Interchange. It was also pointed out that Monthly
Meetings can invite members of M&PC to visit them.
I2006-31 Closing : The final minutes were read, corrected, and
approved.
The meeting closed in a moment of silent worship at 6:20
p.m., to meet again at Hopewell CentreMeetinghouse on 17 Sixth Month, 2006, or as called.
Respectfully submitted,
Maria Bradley,
Interim Meeting Recording Clerk
BYM Embraced Ministry with Friends Peace
Teams
Report of Ministry Activities/Plans
March 25, 2006
Activities/Accomplishments
- April 2, 2005, Interim Meeting
: Friends approved embracing Linda Heacock’s Ministry, using protocol set
forth by BYM “Guidelines on
Embracing the Ministry of Friends”
- April-May, 2005 : Formation of
Working Support Committee
- June-Sept, 2005: Raised $4500 for 6-week Kenya trip
(travel, living expenses + $2000 for cost of workshops)
- 8/14/05 : “Friendly Forum”
presentation at rise of Meeting (Richmond Friends)
- 9/19/05 – 10/31/05: Trip to
Kenya with Friends Peace Teams’
African Great Lakes Initiative.
Delivered five, 22-hour Alternatives
to Violence Project (AVP) workshops with team of Kenyan AVP facilitators,
Western Kenya and Nairobi.
– Number of participants: 40 (Friends Church
members, community officials, police, teachers and youth)
– Number completing AVP facilitator
certification: 20
- 12/20/05: “Friendly Forum”
presentation at rise of Richmond Meeting
- BYM Women’s Retreat, 1/20-22/06
–Workshop, “Following a Spiritual
Leading through Quaker Ministry”.
Participants: 10
- Kenya journal excerpt published
in winter edition of Peaceways,
AGLI quarterly publication.
- Wrote article for BYM Interchange, submitted for March
issue
- 2/12/06: Submitted proposal to deliver workshop
at 2006 BYM Annual Session
- 2/25/06: Submitted proposed article to Quaker Life magazine.
- Wrote article for March issue
of Richmond Friends Meeting Among
Friends newsletter: History of
Friends and Friends’ Peacemaking in Kenya.
- February-March: Sent out letter
to (10) Monthly Meetings of BYM with proposals for presentations on work
of ministry
- 3/1/06: Met with Adria Scharf,
director, Richmond Peace Education
Center (RPEC). Discuss plans
for re-implementing and coordinating AVP program at the Virginia
Correctional Center for Women.
- Sent letters to past AVP
facilitators with RPEC informing of intent to re-introduce AVP and plans
for organizational meeting.
Future
Plans/Activities:
- Plan for return to Kenya in
Sept/Oct 2006.
Correspondence with Kenyan contacts:
1.
(7) facilitators certified at our AVP
training, Lugari, Western Kenya (Oct, 2005) have apprenticed as co-facilitators
for (2) AVP basics, with AVP Advanced training to follow. (Internal funding resources)
2.
(2) Basic workshops held in other locations
stretching remainder of funds I had raised, plus internal funding through
Friends’ churches.
3.
Tentative plans for return trip: T4T for
Nairobi youth, AVP workshop series (3 levels) and Trauma Healing workshop in
areas of past violence/ethnic cleansing (Western Kenya)
Funds raised to date:
$2000
· March: Formation of
Ministry Oversight Committee (3 confirmed members)
· May 26-29: AVP
National Conference, Boston – scheduled to present either workshop, or as part
of panel on AVP program and Friends Peace Teams’ African Great Lakes Initiative.
· Request from Richmond
Peace Education Center to write 2-part article for June and July issue of
newsletter under Profiles in Peacemaking
Series. (1. History of AVP and how
it comes out of the Quaker perspective; 2.
How AVP is working in Kenya and my connection to that work.)
· 4/10/06: Friends
House/Sandy Spring – evening presentation
· 4/23/06:
Williamsburg Friends Meeting – presentation at rise of Meeting
· Implement fund-raising strategies: Send out letters to Monthly Meetings,
Richmond Friends, friends/family, updating on ministry
activities/progress/plans, and appeal for support. Include updated brochure.
· Phone call/email follow-up to letters sent to MMs re:
visitations.
Linda
Heacock, Richmond Monthly Meeting
Address:
12465 Ashland Vineyard Land, Ashland, VA 23005
Phone:
804/752-6752; Email: hanamiklin@aol.com
Manual of Procedure Committee Report
For years, the
Trustees, not the Stewardship and Finance Committee have received the
audit. The change in wording reflects
actual practice. Add a sentence to the
Trustees description on page 6: (add underlined material; delete
material struck through)
The Trustees meet at least annually. They are responsible for title to all real
property in the care of the yearly Meeting, such as burying grounds, and for
all matters concerned with the invested funds of the Yearly Meeting. At least every three years and whenever
the Treasurer or the General Secretary changes, it should arrange for a
certified public accountant to audit the Treasurer’s books and records, and
those of any other group or individual having charge of the expenditure of
funds. All trust funds will, of
course, be administered in accordance with the intentions of the original
donors following the policy outlined in Faith
and Practice, Appendix I,3. The
Trustees should report annually to the Yearly Meeting.
Remove the same
sentence from the Stewardship and Finance Committee’s description on pages
27-28:
The Committee each year prepares for Yearly Meeting
consideration a budget and a plan of apportionment of the budget to the Monthly
Meetings. At least every three years
and whenever the Treasurer changes, it should arrange for a certified public
accountant to audit the Treasurer’s books and records, and those of any other
group or individual having charge of the expenditure of funds. It has oversight of the accounting methods
used and the adequacy of the financial reports given by the Treasurer, and it
should make adequate provision for preservation of all assets of the Yearly
Meeting not specifically managed by the Trustees.
Page 29: Change the description of the Unity with
Nature Committee, a request initiated by that Committee.
From:
The Committee searches and urges all Friends to search with
them for the Light that enables us to discern and answer that of God in all
creation.
It encourages Friends and others to educate themselves and
to engage in actions concerning the care and restoration of the natural
environment locally, regionally, nationally, and globally.
To:
Recognizing that the entire world is an interconnected
manifestation of God, the Unity with Nature Committee seeks to work into the
beliefs and practices of the Yearly Meeting the twin principles that God’s
Creation is to be respected, protected, and held in reverence, and that human
aspirations for peace and justice depend upon restoring the Earth’s ecological
integrity. The Committee promotes these
principles by example, by communication, and by providing spiritual and
material support to those engaged in transforming our relationship with the
Earth.
It serves as a resource for Unity with Nature concerns and
activities of individuals and of Monthly Meetings.
Working Groups. See pages 13 to 15
in the Manual of Procedure. Change
the last paragraph on page 15 to read:
Any other groups recognized by the Yearly Meeting which are
not standing Committees or ad hoc committees are considered either
special groups or working groupsand are described in that section. The former report to the Yearly Meeting
as provided on page 37. The latter
report to a sponsoring committee of the Yearly Meeting as provided on page xx .
The description to
be placed on page xx (after the description of Special Groups) follows:
Any standing committee, with the concurrence of Interim
Meeting, may establish a Working Group. The Working Group need not have members of
the sponsoring committee among its members, but reports to and through that
Committee. Unless otherwise provided,
each Working Group selects its own clerk.
Each Working Group is expected to report in writing annually to the
Yearly Meeting. Any report, action or
statement of a Working Group should be approved in the manner of Friends at a
meeting of the Group of which all members of the Group were given reasonable
notice. Working Groups are empowered to
raise or accept monies only with the prior approval of the Interim Meeting and
in coordination with the Stewardship and Finance Committee. The minute establishing the Working Group
specifies whether a member of the Working Group or the clerk of the sponsoring
committee will authorize disbursements.
When the Working Group’s activities are complete or it is no longer
active, the sponsoring committee or Interim Meeting lays it down.
On page 33, delete
the first paragraph, following the section of Special Groups:
Any other groups recognized by the Yearly Meeting which are
not standing committees or ad hoc committees are considered special
groups. Only those groups which have
continued or expect to continue for some time are included in the Manual.
Concerned individuals desiring to establish a new Special
Group bring their idea to Interim Meeting, either themselves directly, or
through their a Monthly Meeting(s), or through an a
appropriate standing committee of the Yearly Meeting if
one already exists. If after due
consideration there is general support and approval, Interim Meeting recommends
to the Yearly Meeting that such a Special Group be established. If the Yearly Meeting approves, the group is
established.
Proposal about the Ethel Reynolds
Fund
The Ethel Reynolds Fund evolved through decisions made by
Representative (now Interim) Meeting to make grants from the bequest of Ethel
Reynolds, a member of Nottingham Meeting who died in 1976. The bequest to Baltimore Yearly Meeting was
for religious education and advancement work.
The money was placed in a fund (restricted by the Yearly Meeting) and a
committee was established that included members of Nottingham Monthly Meeting.
The goal of not frittering the funds away has been met with
wild success; the original bequest of $62,000 was $83,000 at the end of
2003. Ethel Reynolds asked that we
exhaust the bequest and the Yearly Meeting policy (Faith and Practice, Appendix I ) requires that we spend it fully.
The Manual of Procedure Committee recommends that the
Yearly Meeting lay down the Ethel Reynolds Fund Committee and that the funds be
allocated this year among four committees and our youth program as
follows: 15 percent each for the
Camping Program and Camp Property Management Committees, 30 percent for the
Youth Programs Committee, and 20 percent each for the Religious Education and
Advancement and Outreach Committees.
We recommend that Interim Meeting ask that these committees
and program develop a plan in coordination with the Stewardship and Finance
Committee to spend these funds wisely; in the case of the Religious Education
and Advancement Committees, a five-year time horizon is recommended. The Camp Property Management Committee
already has a capital-spending plan and the Youth Programs Committee is looking
forward to taking a group to Israel and Palestine this year. Annual reports to the Yearly Meeting from
these five groups should indicate how these funds are spent.
For three decades the Yearly Meeting has benefited from
Ethel Reynolds’s generous bequest in so many ways and the above proposal will
let it continue to do so. As she
intended, the Yearly Meeting has benefited and will continue to benefit from
her bequest. As we reflect on all that
her gift has accomplished, Baltimore Yearly Meeting minutes its gratitude to
Ethel Reynolds for her bequest.
Unity with Nature Request for Friends
Wilderness Center’s (FWC)
Formal Affiliation with Baltimore Yearly
Meeting (BYM)
As a committee
affiliated with FWC since 2003, BYM’s Unity with Nature Committee is advocating
for the formal affiliation of FWC with BYM:
A formal affiliation would be
mutually beneficial to FWC and BYM. FWC
wants to be a resource for BYM and
its Monthly Meetings, one that deepens and enriches the spiritual lives of
individuals and furthers the spiritual purposes of Meetings. FWC is not asking for any financial support
from BYM as an organization, but will of course continue to welcome
contributions from Monthly Meetings and individuals who are moved to provide
such support.
· Current status of
FWC:
FWC is now, and has long been, a regional
Quaker organization, rather than a project of a committee in a single Monthly
Meeting. Its board (Oversight
Committee) has recently drawn from at least eight Monthly Meetings – in
Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and the District of Columbia (Adelphi,
Alexandria, Frederick, Friends Meeting of Washington, Goose Creek, Langley
Hill, Little Britain and Sandy Spring) – and visitors come from Meetings
distributed throughout those four jurisdictions, plus West Virginia.
· At this time, only one of FWC’s ten board members is from
Friends Meeting of Washington(FMW),
where until recently FWC was under the care of Ministry and Worship
Committee. FWC recently received a
letter from FMW acknowledging that the Center no longer needs to be under its
care and formalizing the change in status.
· Current informal
relationships with/within BYM: For six years, the BYM Faith and Practice revision committee has been meeting monthly in
the Niles Cabin, and this will continue for many years. FWC is providing space to BYM, because it is
an inspiring setting and because it is the most central location to all the
committee members. Ministry and Worship
Committee of Langley Hill Friends Meeting has used the Niles Cabin for retreats. Opequon Quaker Camp has frequently used FWC
for wilderness outings for the past 3-4 years.
Numerous members of BYM Meetings have used the FWC for personal and
family retreats.
· Goal of Extended
Reach & Cross Fertilization: FWC wants to reach more people, more often,
and on an ever-deeper level. As an
integral part of BYM, FWC would collaborate with other BYM entities in addition
to the Unity with Nature Committee, such as the Camping Program Committee, the
Youth Programs Committee (e.g. volunteer and retreat opportunities), and the
Religious Education Committee (a place for adult retreats; currently no such
retreat center exists within the BYM community). FWC would complement BYM’s youth camping programs by enabling
adults, young adults, and families to commune with nature. FWC facilitates the seeking of God’s will in
the natural world, hearing God’s voice in other living things, and
strengthening bonds of community with others in a wilderness setting. Members and visitors are enabled,
figuratively, to stand in the hand of God, illuminated by God’s light. All of this combined provides a unique and
crucial experience in modern life and in spiritual journeying, within a
wilderness treasure that belongs to us all.
Ad Hoc Committee on Intervisitation
Report to Interim Meeting March 2006
In the
last few months, more plans for intervisitation have taken place, and we have
begun to plan how to let other yearly meetings know about our program
better. We have had no official
visiting, although there is the hope that today young friends will travel to
North Carolina to meet with a midyear gathering of young friends there.
In
April, Winston-Salem Meeting plans to visit Charlottesville Meeting, the first
visit of another meeting to one in our yearly meeting. This is a return visit that resulted from
the visit that Friends from BYM made to Winston-Salem Meeting in October.
In the
next week or so, a letter of invitation will go out to the yearly meetings
within Friends United Meeting (FUM), inviting Friends to visit the Annual
Sessions of our Yearly Meeting in August.
We have funds to support some travel to our yearly meeting, and hope to
have at least a modest response. We ask
that Friends who attend Annual Sessions be aware of visitors, make them feel
welcome, and especially get to know them and learn about their life as Friends.
We also
encourage members of our yearly meeting to visit other yearly meetings within
FUM. Our original vision was that
Friends would agree to visit a yearly meeting over the course of three years
and build relationships within the yearly meeting. If there are Friends
interested in doing this, please contact the Intervisitation Committee. We encourage Friends to travel in pairs or
small groups. Funds are available to
support the expenses of travel and attending.
There is
a growing number of Friends in our yearly meeting who would like to serve as
visitors. Other than visiting yearly
meetings, there are not other opportunities for visiting at this time. We hope there will be in the future. In the meantime, Friends are invited to come
forward with plans for visiting or inviting visitors to their meetings.
The
other project underway for us is the development of a web page that more fully
describes the aspects of this program, both for people in our yearly meeting
and those in other yearly meetings. We want
to encourage other yearly meetings to take up this work.
We
continue to enjoy lively committee meetings and look forward to seeing where
this work will take us next.
Ad Hoc Committee on Gender and Sexual
Diversity Concerns
Interim Meeting, on 4th Month 2, 2005, charged
the ad hoc committee on Gender and Sexual Diversity Concerns (GSDC) to respond
to the Epistle from Friends General Conference (FGC) Central Committee in
consultation with Monthly Meetings.
The committee proposed that Interim Meeting forward this
Minute to all the Monthly and Quarterly Meetings for consideration and
response. Members of the ad hoc
committee will carry the Minute to as many Meetings as possible, inviting
Friends to labor with us.
The FGC Central
Committee Minute reads:
Our experience has
been that spiritual gifts are not distributed with regard to sexual orientation
or gender identity. Our experience has
been that our Gatherings and Central Committee work have been immeasurably enriched
over the years by the full participation and Spirit-guided leadership of gay,
lesbian, bisexual, transgender and queer Friends. We will never go back to silencing those voices or suppressing
those gifts. Our experience confirms
that we are all equal before God, as God made us, and we feel blessed to be
engaged in the work of FGC together.
We invite Friends to consider and share back with us their
own experiences. We invite Friends to
dwell deep, to “know one another in that which is eternal,” to consider the
words of this Minute, and to be open to the presence and guidance of the
Spirit.
