San Francisco Friends Meeting Monthly Newsletter

Saturday, September 5, 2015

September (Ninth Month) 2015 SF Monthly Meeting Newsletter

San Francisco Friends Meeting
Ninth Month 2015
(September)
Monthly Newsletter

The monthly newsletter of the
San Francisco Friends Meeting
(Quakers)

Advices and Queries

Ninth Month - Integrity and Personal Conduct

Integrity has always been a goal of Friends. It is essential to trust, to all communication between people and between people and God. Integrity grounds our beliefs, thoughts, and actions in our spiritual center and makes us whole.

Friends believe that we are called to speak the truth. A single standard of truth requires us to conduct ourselves in ways that are honest, direct, and plain, and to make our choices, both large and small, in accord with the urgings of the Spirit. It follows that we object to taking an oath, which presupposes a variable standard of truth. Be true to your word.

… let your yea be yea, and your nay, nay.
James 5:12
King James Version

From early days Friends have opposed gambling and practices based on chance. These activities profit from the inevitable loss of others, promote greed, and conflict with good stewardship. Public lotteries have not furthered their purported benefit to the public good. All addictions are of concern. As the use of alcohol and tobacco all too often entail serious risks to self and others, Friends who serve alcohol at home should be diligent in offering alternatives. Alcohol should not be served at Meeting gatherings.

Find recreation that brings you joy and energy. Be aware of how your choices affect yourself and others.

Queries:
How do I strive to maintain the integrity of my inner and outer lives?

Do I act on my principles even when this entails difficult consequences?

Am I honest and truthful in all that I say and do, even when a compromise might be easier or more popular?

Am I reflective about the ways I gain my wealth and income and sensitive to their impacts on others?

Is my life so filled with the Spirit that I am free from the misuse of alcohol and other drugs, and of excesses of any kind?

Do we, in our Meeting, hold ourselves accountable to one another as do members of a healthy family?

August (Eighth Month) Meeting for Business

August 9, 2015

Meeting for Business began at approximately 1:00 pm with a period of silent worship with 12 people in attendance.

8-01: Meeting approves Charles Martin as acting clerk of this Meeting for Business.

8-02: Meeting approves minutes from June 14, 2015.

Nominating: The committee recommends the release of Jan Hartsough and David Erickson from Hospitality Committee.

8-03: Meeting approves the following nominations as presented in June: Art Koch to Property and Finance through 2017; Ruth Sheldon to Welcoming through 2017; Tim Schwartz as Treasurer through 2016.

Property and Finance: Philip Gerrie reported on short-term solutions to the encampment in front of the building. The Building Manager has set up some meetings with the local police precinct and the CBD. There is a block meeting set up for later this week to get input from our neighbors.

Rausch Street: Philip Gerrie reported the loan that was approved at the last Meeting for Business is in the application process and that we currently have happy tenants in the new unit.

Peace and Social Concerns: Ann Marie Snell read the report as submitted by P&SC co-clerk Owain Elliott-Sowaal. P&SC is exploring the possibility of two extra programs for September. Noel Schwerin was approached about having a viewing of her movie, In a Perfect World, followed by a question and answer with her. A visit from author Eileen Flanagan (Renewable: One Woman's Search for Simplicity, Faithfulness, and Hope) may occur in September. The committee is also working with the Clerk of Meeting about a worship sharing session with a topic to be announced. There are many wonderful groups starting up from Pacific Yearly Meeting with glowing praise, in particular, People of Color & People of European Descent groups. Our meeting’s food programs (Food Pantry, Food sharing and Food/Rev) are growing and serving more people throughout the Bay Area. Philip Gerrie and David Breitzmann are trying to meet with organizations doing similar work. Peace and Social Concerns meetings are changing to the last Wednesday of the month to clear up time conflicts for our members that are also on Ministry and Oversight.

Announcements: Paula Joyce (Hospitality Committee) reported she is implementing online sign-ups for set-up and clean-up shifts in the hopes of making volunteering easier and to distribute the workload a little better and that this system could be useful for other committees in the meeting. She is happy to share her experience.

Meeting closed after silent worship at 1:33 with 12 people in attendance.

Respectfully submitted,

Ann Marie Snell, Recording Clerk
Charles Martin, Acting Clerk

News from Friends

2015 September News from Ben Lomond Quaker Center

Join us for Growing into Paradox: Discovering the Dynamic Center of Quakerism from October 2nd – 4th with Tom Gates. Explore the spectrum of Quaker belief and practice ranging from the practical to the theological to the controversial. Register early at:

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Wondering how can you live more fully into your spiritual gifts and next steps in service or ministry? Come to Roots of Contemplation-Roots of Action to explore how Quakers witness to the dynamic integration of prayer and leading with Christine Betz-Hall from October. 30 – November 1, 2015. Learn more and register at:

http://www.quakercenter.org/roots-of-contemplation/

We are once again co-hosting our Music and Dance Retreat with the participant leaders. This is low-cost program with a sliding scale of only $60-$100 per person for a weekend filled with a variety of singing and playing punctuated by a few dancing opportunities. Bring your kids and grandkids or just yourselves and join us from Dec. 4-6th for a few days of fun making food, music, and song together with a professionally called community dance on Saturday night. Find out more and register online at :

http://www.quakercenter.org/music-and-dance-retreat/

Contact Us

Our redesigned website (http://www.sfquakers.org) has gone up and it is made for the 21st century, with a focus on newcomers to Meeting, including an interactive Google Map to our Meetinghouse, a section for first-time attenders, a guide to regular Meeting events, and a link to our newsletter. New features include videos from the QuakerSpeak video series about our faith practice, a 150-year history of Quakers in San Francisco (thanks to historian/archivist/member Bruce Folsom), and a link to our new Twitter feed (@sfquakers) and Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/sfquakers). We hope this outreach will better serve the Meeting's communications for better in-reach and outreach for our Quaker community. We look forward to improvements to the site in the future--please feel free to contact us with suggestions at news@sfquakers.org.

Submissions to the newsletter are due by the next-to-last First Day (Sunday) of each month in the News Committee mailbox at the meetinghouse, or by e-mail to news@sfquakers.org. This newsletter is also available for reading or downloading on our website at http://www.sfquakers.org/news.html.

Members of the News Committee are Kate McCarley (clerk, editor), Chad Stephenson (web servant), and Catherine Fox (production)

Google Groups for SF Quakers

The group named "San Francisco Monthly Meeting" is for sharing announcements or other news with the meeting community. If you wish to be added to the group, please send a request to clerk@sfquakers.org . You will also need to create a free Google user ID and password, if you don’t already have one, you can create one at https://accounts.google.com/signup?service=mail . The address of the group is sfquakers@googlegroups.com

A Google group for Bay Area Quakers is available at http://groups.google.com/group/bayareaquakers. The group is for Bay Area Quaker meetings, churches, and organizations, as well as individual Friends, to share news of events and activities that would be of interest to Quakers and the general public. Events do not need to be strictly Quaker. For more information, contact Tom Yamaguchi, tomyamaguchi@mac.com

Help on using Google Groups is also available at: http://groups.google.com/support

Calendar of Events for
Ninth Month (September) 2015

(all events at 65 9th St., unless noted; *see details elsewhere in newsletter)

*Sunday*	*Monday*	*Tuesday*	*Wednesday*	*Thursday*	*Friday*	*Saturday*
30 9a Extended Meeting for Worship	31	1	2 *6p Meeting for Worship*	3 *12p Peace Vigil‡* *7p Potluck & Quaker Study*	4	5 *10:30a-1p Food Pantry*
6 *9:30a Bible Study* *11a Meeting for Worship, Community Potluck following*	7	8 *7p Property & Finance Mtg*	9 *1:10p SFFS Meeting for Worship†* *6p Meeting for Worship* *7p Ministry & Oversight Mtg*	10 *12p Peace Vigil‡* *7p Potluck & Quaker Study*	11	12 *10:30a-1p Food Pantry*
13 *11a Meeting for Worship* *1p Meeting for Business*	14	15	16 *6p Meeting for Worship*	17 *12p Peace Vigil‡* *7p Potluck & Quaker Study*	18	19 *10:30a-1p Food Pantry*
20 *9:30a Bible Study* *11a Meeting for* *Worship*	21	22	23 *6p Meeting for Worship*	24 *12p Peace Vigil‡* *7p Potluck & Quaker Study*	25	26 *10:30a-1p Food Pantry*
27 *9:15a Non-Violent Comm. Practice Group* *11a Meeting for Worship*	28	29	30	1 12p Peace Vigil‡ 7p Potluck & Quaker Study	2	3 10:30a-1p Food Pantry

†San Francisco Friends School, 250 Valencia St. ‡Federal Building, Golden Gate Ave. and Larkin St.

Tuesday, July 21, 2015

July and August 2015 (Seventh and Eighth Month) SF Monthly Meeting Newsletter

San Francisco Friends Meeting
Seventh and Eighth Month 2015
(July/August)
Monthly Newsletter

The monthly newsletter of the
San Francisco Friends Meeting
(Quakers)

Advices and Queries

Seventh Month - Reaching Out
Advices:
Friends fellowship begins and is nurtured within the home and Meeting. It reaches greater fulfillment as we carry our beliefs into the wider community.

Share your Quaker faith. Take time to learn about other people’s experiences of the Light and, as you learn, give freely from what you have gained. Respect the experiences and opinions of others, but do not be afraid to say what you value. Welcome the diversity of culture, language, and expressions of faith in your Monthly Meeting, the Yearly Meeting, and the world community of Friends. Encourage discourse with Friends of pastoral and programmed traditions, and with members of other faiths.

Friends have a long history of involvement in public and private education, sharing our values with the world and nurturing future generations. Be mindful of the needs of children in your community and of avenues for deepening understanding between peoples.

Queries:
How does my life reflect Friends beliefs and thus encourage others to be interested in the Religious Society of Friends?

Do I respond openly to inquiries about Quaker experience and belief?

What does our Meeting do to make others aware of Friends principles and practices?

What are we doing to help people of various races, cultures, and backgrounds feel at home among us and we among them?

How do we encourage newcomers to return and participate in activities of the Meeting?

In what ways do we participate in the life of the interfaith community and in the wider fellowship of Friends?

Eighth Month - Simplicity
Advices:
"Life is meant to be lived from a Center, a divine Center… a life of unhurried peace and power. It is simple. It is serene. It takes no time, but it occupies all our time."
thomas r. kelly, testament of devotion, 1941

A life centered in God will be directed toward keeping communication with God open and unencumbered. Simplicity is best achieved through a right ordering of priorities, maintaining humility of spirit, avoiding self-indulgence, resisting the accumulation of unnecessary possessions, and avoiding over-busy lives.

Elise Boulding writes in My Part in the Quaker Adventure,
“Simplicity, beauty, and happiness go together if they are a byproduct of a concern for something more important than ourselves.”

Queries:
Do I center my life in an awareness of God’s presence so that all things take their rightful place?

Do I live simply, and promote the right sharing of the world’s bounty?

Do I keep my life uncluttered with things and activities, avoiding commitments beyond my strength and light?

How do I maintain simplicity, moderation, and honesty in my speech, my manner of living, and my daily work?

Do I recognize when I have enough?

Is the life of our Meeting so ordered that it helps us to simplify our lives?

June (Sixth Month) Meeting for Business

June 14, 2015

Meeting for Business began at approximately 1:04 pm with a period of silent worship with 17 people in attendance.

6-01: Meeting approved minutes for 2015-05.

Clerk's Message and Updates: Chad Stephenson shared his experiences from the Clerking Workshop that he attended, along with Steve Leeds, Carol Cruickshank, and Sandra Schwartz at the Ben Lomond Quaker Center conducted by Arthur Larabee. He has shared some of the things he learned with the clerks and encourages clerks in the meeting to learn more.

It was announced that the next Meeting for Business will be August 9, due to Pacific Yearly Meeting’s Annual Gathering in July which will occur from July 13-18 at Walker Creek Ranch. Many events have been held recently which Friends may not be aware of, such as: our meeting participated in Bike to Worship Week in May; each month our Peace & Social Concerns committee has presented a second hour on a topic; our member, Noel Schwerin directed a documentary called In an Ideal World about prisons, which was screened at the Black Film Festival in S.F. this weekend.

Meeting of the Corporation: Clerk Chad Stephenson convened the annual meeting of the San Francisco Friends Meeting, Incorporated. The meeting was held in the manner of Friends, four officers and five directors were approved for the board of the corporation. (See the separate SFFM corporation minutes attached.)

Recorder’s report (Bruce Folsom): Bruce Folsom reported that as of May 31, 2014, the meeting had a total of 86 members. Since then we have had two members transfer in, two members deceased, one member transfer out and two released from membership. As of May 31, 2015 we have a total of 83 members.

Nominating: Chad Stephenson reported for Nominating Clerk, Beth Bird, that we are bringing forward the following names to be seasoned for the August 2015, Meeting for Business: Art Koch to Property and Finance through 2017; Ruth Sheldon to Welcoming through 2017; Tim Schwartz for Treasurer through 2016.

6-02- Meeting approves the release of Paula Joyce as co-clerk from Hospitality.

Property and Finance: Philip Gerrie reported for the committee about encampments in front of the building. These encampments have impacted our ability to find renters and has become a daily task for the Building Manager. Outreach has been made to local government agencies and neighborhood allies to assist in the care of the front of the building. Meanwhile, an architect has been approached to complete a feasibility study about a redesign of the front of the building so that it is less attractive to such encampments. The cost of the study would be between $3000-$4000 which would come from the General Fund, for which Property and Finance is asking for approval.

Friends shared issues and thoughts that this topic brings up; time will be set aside to have further discussion on these issues. We were not able to come to a decision on funding for the study and will season it until a future meeting.

The Building Manager spoke of his ongoing distress and requests help from the community on the daily responsibility. And others felt more discussion would be needed to be able to approve the funding for the feasibility study. If there are any members who would like to help convene a called meeting on the issue before our next Meeting for Business in August, please contact our Clerk.

Rausch Street.: Amy Baker, treasurer, reported on the request from last month that we approve refinancing the construction loan that we took out in 2014. The upper flat is now rented, and that income and the modest rent on the lower unit can be anticipated to cover the monthly loan payment as well as regular building expenses, with some left over for gradual repayment of the additional amounts provided from the deBeers bequest.

6-03 - The San Francisco Friends Meeting and its Officers approve the Rausch Street Committee refinancing the loan taken for the purposes of renovating the property at 46-48 Rausch St. in San Francisco through a loan of $300,000 to cover the following: $215,000 loan pay off; $10,000 for closing costs; $23,000 remaining construction costs; $22,000 for future construction costs; and $30,000 reserves required by lender. The Officers of the corporation, also meeting on June 14, 2015, specifically authorize Amy Baker, Treasurer, to sign on behalf of San Francisco Friends Meeting, Inc. in this matter.

Ministry and Oversight: The rotating clerk, Steve Leeds, reported for the committee that we have three membership committees currently meeting for David Cowen, Cheryl Hendrickson and David Breitzmann. The annual Memorial Day Weekend retreat was very well attended, counting all who participated, more than 60 Friends came to Quaker Center during the Annual Memorial Day Retreat of 2015: two babes-in-arms were in attendance and several of the participants were in the “retirement age bracket” and a total of 14 children enlivened the scene. The Retreat Sub-Committee seeks an on-site coordinator/convener; while there are some Friends who have expressed interest, anyone else who might be interested should contact Robert Kovsky or Ministry and Oversight. Revision of the Meeting pamphlet that is provided to newcomers in the lobby is almost complete. The updated meeting directory is scheduled to be available in September. Update requests are still being accepted, contact Ministry and Oversight with any requests for updates. Lloyd Lee Wilson, author of “Encounter with the Taproot” published in Quaker Arts Online, Issue #1 Summer 1998, among many other books, will present for a second hour on July 19, 2015 at 1:00 pm. He is also scheduled to attend and address PYM annual session.

6-04 Meeting approves the transfer of Blake Arnall to Orange Grove Meeting

Peace and Social Concerns: David Breitzmann, co-clerk, reported that the committee has been discussing how we relate to food; Martha Larsen attended the Interfaith Council’s program on “Responding to Homelessness on Our Doorsteps” and Devin McCutcheon is looking into more ways we can work with municipal actors regarding social needs of our local community.

The News Committee will need to correct the times for the food pantry hours to 9:30am-1pm for setup and distributions, and 1pm - 3pm for cleanup. Friday Food Sharing has found itself in the position of having so many donations that they are in a position of looking at ways of using the money in their budget through shared programs.

Meeting closed with worship at approximately 3:50 with approximately 17 people in attendance.

News from Our Meeting

Cheryl Hendrickson will be facilitating discussions after nightly showings of Anna Deavere Smith's "Notes from the Field: Doing Time in Education." Devere Smith will recount stories taken from interviews she has conducted in order to reveal the complexities of the school to prison pipeline.

The show runs from July 11th - August 2nd at the Berkeley Rep. More information about the show can be located at http://www.berkeleyrep.org/season/1415/9293.asp

News from Friends

2015 July News from Ben Lomond Quaker Center

Quaker Camp for rising 4th to 6th grade kids, and Service Camp for rising 7th - 9th grade teens, are right around the corner for youth, Quaker or otherwise, from Aug. 1 - 8 with Camps Director, Anna Lisa Chacon. For more information visit http://www.quakercenter.org/summer-youth-camps/ or call Bob or Kathy Runyan, CoDirectors at Quaker Center at 831-336-8333 with questions.

Discover the best family vacation around! Family Work Camp is only $60 - $140 for the full week, which includes meals and lodging. All ages are welcome! We’ll work on improvements to Quaker Center facilities while building community among us. This week of July 27th – August 1st will include working, cooking, eating and playing together. Please register online athttp://www.quakercenter.org/family-work-camp/.

Rise Again: A Weekend of Joyous Song with the authors of Rise Up Singing, Annie Patterson and Peter Blood from Sept. 4-6th has reached capacity. Send an email to mail “at” quakercenter.org to get on the waiting list.

Come explore the spectrum of Quaker belief and practice ranging from the practical to the theological to the controversial with Tom Gates facilitating, Growing into Paradox: Discovering the Dynamic Center of Quakerism from October 2nd – 4th. Find out more and register early at http://www.quakercenter.org/dynamic-center-of-quakerism/.

Members of the News Committee are Kate McCarley (clerk, editor), Chad Stephenson (web servant), and Catherine Fox (production)

Calendar of Events for
Seventh Month (July) 2015

(all events at 65 9th St., unless noted;
*see details elsewhere in newsletter)

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
28 9:15a Non-Violent Comm. Practice Group 9:30a Bible Study 11a Meeting for Worship	29	30	1 6p Meeting for Worship	2 12p Peace Vigil‡ 7p Potluck & Quaker Study	3	4 10:30a-1p Food Pantry
5 9:30a Bible Study 11a Meeting for Worship, Community Potluck following	6	7	8	9 12p Peace Vigil‡ 7p Potluck & Quaker Study	10	11 10:30a-1p Food Pantry
12 11a Meeting for Worship	13	14	15 6p Meeting for Worship	16 12p Peace Vigil‡ 7p Potluck & Quaker Study	17	18 10:30a-1p Food Pantry
19 9:30a Bible Study 11a Meeting for Worship	20	21	22 6p Meeting for Worship	23 12p Peace Vigil‡ 7p Potluck & Quaker Study	24	25 10:30a-1p Food Pantry
26 9:15a Non-Violent Comm. Practice Group 11a Meeting for Worship	27	38	29	30 12p Peace Vigil‡ 7p Potluck & Quaker Study	31	1 10:30a-1p Food Pantry

†San Francisco Friends School, 250 Valencia St. ‡Federal Building, Golden Gate Ave. and Larkin St.

Calendar of Events for
Eighth Month (August) 2015