May 2013 Newsletter
(Fifth Month)
(Fifth Month)
Meeting for Worship
& First Day School
Sundays at 11:00 a.m.
Midweek Meeting for Worship,
Wednesdays at 6:00 p.m.
Advices:
It would go a long way to
caution and direct people in their use of the
world, that they were
better studied and knowing in the Creation of it. For how could [they] find the
confidence to abuse it, while they should see the Great Creator stare them in
the face, in all and every part thereof?
William Penn, Some
Fruits of Solitude, 1693
God is revealed in all
Creation. We humans belong to the whole interdependent community of life on
earth. Rejoice in the beauty, complexity, and mystery of creation, with
gratitude to be part of its unfolding. Take time to learn how this community of
life is organized and how it interacts. Live according to principles of right
relationship and right action within this larger whole.
Be aware of the influence
humans have on the health and viability of life on earth. Call attention to
what fosters or harms earth’s exquisite beauty, balances and interdependencies.
Guided by Spirit, work to translate this understanding into ways of living that
reflect our responsibility to one another, to the greater community of life,
and to future generations.
Queries:
In what ways do I express
gratitude for the wondrous expressions of life on Earth?
Do I consider the damage I
might do to the Earth’s vulnerable systems in choices I make of what I do, what
I buy, and how I spend my time?
In our witness for the
global environment, are we careful to consider justice and the well-being of
the world’s poorest people?
Does our way of life
threaten the viability of life on Earth?
After
a period of worship, Meeting for Business began at 1:05 pm with 21 people
present. The clerk opened with a reading from a piece by La Jolla Friend and
Yearly Meeting Discipline Committee member Burton Housman expressing his views
on our Advices & Queries and their relation to one another. (Copy attached to archive copy of these
minutes.) Friends shared spoken
responses.
Approval of Previous Month’s
Minutes
4-01: Meeting approves the minutes of
March 10, 2013, with the following corrections: under the Nominating Committee report, the reference to
continuing members of Library Committee should have omitted cubbie storm; the
list of nominees to Peace & Social Concerns Committee should have included
Sandra Schwartz (ex oficio 2014) 2015, and Charles Martin (ex oficio 2014)
2015; and the reference under Welcoming Committee to cubbie storm possibly
seeking release from service should be omitted (he is not currently on Welcoming).
Marriage Clearness Committee
Ministry
& Oversight Committee having brought before us last month the
recommendation that we take the marriage of Alice Sowaal and Owain Elliott
under our care, the clerk observed that he had heard of no concerns or stops
expressed since that time. None
were raised in the meeting, and we joyfully approved the recommendation.
4-02: Meeting approves taking the marriage of Alice Sowaal
and Owain Elliott under our care.
We appoint the following Arrangements Committee: Amy Baker, convener;
Steve Leeds; and one member of the marriage clearness committee (to be
determined).
Transfers of membership
Clerk
Stephen Matchett read a letter from the clerk of St. Petersburg (FL) Monthly
Meeting reporting that meeting’s Feb. 10, 2013, acceptance of Peter Schmidt’s transfer.
He also read an e-mail from Demece and Sally Garepis-Holland requesting a
transfer to Scarsdale (NY) Monthly Meeting, which will now be considered by
Ministry & Oversight Committee.
State of the Meeting Report
The
clerk having circulated a draft State of the Meeting report the previous week
for Friends’ comments and suggestions, he distributed and read a revised draft
for Meeting’s consideration. (Copy
attached to the archive copy of these minutes.) One Friend involved with the Saturday food pantry brought a
concern about the state of that project that Friends agreed merited a reference
in the report.
4-03: Meeting approves the annual State of the Meeting
report as presented with an addition to be made referencing the struggles of
the Food Pantry. The clerk will forward the report to the Quarterly and Yearly
Meeting Ministry & Oversight Committees.
Treasurer’s Report on
Kitchen Renovation Finances
Amy
Baker, treasurer, presented a final report on expenses related to the kitchen
and AFSC office renovation projects. (Copy attached to archive copy of these
minutes.) A small balance of the funds set aside for those projects remains
unspent, and this will revert to the General Fund once it is certain there are
no outstanding charges. A Friend
asked about plans for furnishing the meeting area in the kitchen alcove, and
Property & Finance Committee clerk Philip Gerrie reported that the
committee is exploring design options and will try to keep the cost low while
creating a suitable multipurpose space.
The treasurer urged a distinction between the costs of the now completed
construction and any costs associated with this next phase, which will be
treated separately.
4-04: Meeting accepts the Treasurer’s report on the kitchen
renovation finances presented today.
Nominating Committee
Daniel
Nakamura, co-clerk, presented an updated roster of nominations, including those
brought last month, with some slight revisions, some new nominations, and some
requests for release..
4-05: Meeting approves the following appointments (for terms commencing 5/1/13 and ending on 4/30 of the
year shown, unless otherwise indicated); (* indicates repeat appointment);
(continuing appointments (requiring no action) shown in plain type): CLERK:
Stephen Matchett* 2014; ASSISTANT CLERK: Krista Barnard* 2014; RECORDING CLERK:
Blake Arnall* 2014; RECORDER: Bruce Folsom* 2014; FCLCA REPRESENTATIVE/FCNL
CONTACT: Paula Stinson*/Sandra Schwartz 2014; AFSC LIAISON: Charles Martin
2014; HISTORIAN-ARCHIVIST: Bruce Folsom* 2014; TREASURER: Amy Baker* 2014; CPQM
REPRESENTATIVE: Alice Sowaal* 2014; PYM REPRESENTATIVE: Rose Medellin*
10/1/13-9/30/14; COMMITTEES: CHILDREN’S RELIGIOUS EDUCATION: Kate Frankel*
2014, Co-Clerk; Leesa Greenlee (continuing to 2014) Co-Clerk; Anne Collins
2015; Ian Singleton 2015; Chad Stephenson 2015 (Neil Fullagar, Scott MacLeod
continuing to 2014); HOSPITALITY & COMMUNITY: Peter Rothaug (continuing to 2014) Clerk; Anne Brodzky* 2015; Art Koch* 2015; Bob
Kovsky* 2015; Tony Williams* 2015; Dawn Moore* 2015; John O’Connor 2015; Ian
Harris 2015; Ryan Murphy 2015 (Dalton Tedford continuing to 2014); LIBRARY:
Bruce Folsom (ex oficio as Hist.-Arch.)* Clerk* 2014; Krista Barnard 2015;
(David Gregory, Dan Nakamura, Nancy Lewis continuing to 2014); MINISTRY &
OVERSIGHT (incl. Mtg. Clerk ex oficio): David Matchett (continuing to 2014)
Co-Clerk*; Markley Morris (continuing to 2015) Co-Clerk 2014; Steve Leeds* 2016; Anne Brodzky* 2016; (Robert Kovsky
continuing to 2014; Rolene Walker, Marian Chatfield-Taylor continuing to 2015);
NEWS: Kate McCarley (editor) (continuing to 2014) Clerk*; Eli Bishop (web
servant)* 2014; (Noel Schwerin continuing to 2014); PEACE & SOCIAL CONCERNS
(incl. AFSC Liaison; FCLCA Rep/FCNL Contact ex oficio) Dirk Von Der Horst
(continuing to 2014) Clerk*; Larry Pettit* 2014; David Hartsough* 2014; Jan
Hartsough* 2014; Sandra Schwartz [ex oficio 2014] 2015; Charles Martin [ex
oficio 2014] 2015); John O’Connor 2015; (Jay Cash, Ellen Flanders continuing to
2014); PROPERTY & FINANCE (incl. Treasurer ex oficio): Philip Gerrie* 2014,
Clerk*; (Carol Cruickshank, Larry Pettit, Tim Schwartz continuing to 2014);
WELCOMING: Ann Marie Snell (continuing to 2014) Clerk*; Leesa Greenlee* 2014;
Ruth Sheldon 2015; Cheryl Hendrickson 2015; David Hendrickson 2015 (Carol Cruickshank,
Bob Maynard continuing to 2014).
The
committee brought the following additional nominations: for SFFS Quaker Life Committee: Krista
Barnard 8-31-2015; for Children’s Religious Education Committee: Michelina
Matarrese 2015; for Hospitality & Community: Lorin Gillin 2015; for News
Committee: Catherine Fox 2015; and For Welcoming Committee: Philip Gerrie 2015.
Meeting will season these for one month.
4-06: Meeting approves releasing the following Friends from
their current terms of service on the following committees: Michelina Matarrese, Hospitality; Chad
Stephenson, Ministry & Oversight; Nan Kaiser, Peace & Social Concerns;
Catherine Fox, Welcoming.
It
was noted that two vacancies remain on Ministry and Oversight Committee, for a
2014 and 2016 term respectively; and that Property and Finance Committee could
also use additional appointments, particularly as its current members are all
slated to finish their terms in one year.
Ministry & Oversight
Committee
Bob
Kovsky, M&O Retreats Subcommittee convener, reported that Ben Lomond Quaker
Center, the site of our Memorial Day Weekend retreat, has increased its fees
and changed its fee structure so that children and campers are no longer
discounted. Discussion at M&O
favored offering a discount even so, in order not to discourage attendance by
families: namely a half price discount for children and a cap on the costs for
attendees who camp. This could increase the retreat deficit by approximately
$1,000 above that already anticipated in the budget. Friends who can afford to are of course encouraged to donate
in addition to their registration amount to help defray the cost of those who
need assistance.
4-07: Meeting approves discounting the fees for children
and campers at the 2013 Memorial Day Retreat even though Quaker Center fees
have increased. Property & Finance will consider how to cover any resulting
deficit above that already budgeted.
After
a period of announcements and sharing of joys and concerns, Meeting closed with
worship at 3:19 pm with 21 people in attendance.
Respectfully
submitted,
Blake
Arnall, Recording Clerk Stephen
Matchett, Clerk of Meeting
State of the Meeting Report
San
Francisco Monthly Meeting
STATE OF THE MEETING REPORT
14 April 2013
In
the foreground, at this writing: The death of a Meeting member last May
brought us, in June, a notice that the Friend had bequeathed us a residential
duplex mere blocks from our meetinghouse, “to be used for [Meeting’s]
charitable purposes.” The gift carried a condition, namely that the Meeting
must retain title to the building as long as the current tenants in the one
occupied unit, who have been there for 30 years, remain living there; in
addition, the structure itself is in need of substantial repair and renovation,
with no funds accompanying the bequest to cover such work. Either of these
circumstances presented a serious potential obstacle to our accepting the
offered property. A threshing session in September helped us to air and
clarify our concerns, and in October we minuted our determination that we were
prepared to take ownership of the building only if a group of able and
committed Friends in the Meeting came forward to take responsibility for
managing the property and planning for its future, including, in the immediate
term, securing financing for and overseeing the needed repairs. In
response, a number of Friends committed to Meeting’s accepting the gift formed
a working group and brought a proposal in January, which, at our March meeting
for business, after two months’ seasoning and revision, and nine months after
the first notice of the bequest, the Meeting approved. Serious
reservations remained concerning cost and other matters, even among some of
those most supportive of this action, and at least two Friends stood aside from
the final decision. So it is not without trepidation that we
venture forth on this journey. At the same time, the sense of the Meeting
as we reached this decision was that we are being called into a faith in right
outcomes, and there is joy in envisioning an eventual use for the building for
housing youth interns, for hospitality, or other uses that will enhance and
strengthen Quaker witness in our city for future generations.
Our
Sunday meetings for worship continue strong and well attended. Our faithful
Children’s Religious Education Committee provides a consistent program despite
staffing challenges. Broadening other Meeting members’ participation
in this area remains an unmet need. Meeting’s midweek and other regular
activities (Bible study, monthly potlucks, midweek worship, peace vigil, Quaker
study group, and weekly food pantry) continue largely as before. A
Retreats Subcommittee of Ministry and Oversight Committee has taken on
responsibility for planning our beloved annual Meeting Retreat in May and the
now-regular Women’s Retreat in the fall. Property issues continue to
occupy a significant portion of our business, which can lead to occasional
hand-wringing. However, this year in the midst of everything else we did
manage to complete a long-contemplated renovation of the meetinghouse kitchen.
The
Saturday Quaker Food Pantry keeps growing, both in the number of clients served
and in the many volunteers’ learning to work together. Yet the group
of Friends shouldering responsibility for this extensive Meeting-sponsored
effort remains small, a source of stress and frustration for those
involved. We must periodically re-examine our corporate commitment to
this vital project.
In
the area of public witness, besides those already mentioned, the Meeting
sponsors occasional special events which this year included a film screening on
the subject of U.S.-sponsored torture, and two solo performances by Quaker
actor and Bible scholar Peterson Toscano in partnership with the San Francisco
Lesbian-Gay-Bisexual-Transgender Community Center. As always, there is a
constant stream of opportunities to express public support for policies that
align with our experience of God’s will in the world—or, as is often the case,
to protest actions that promote the contrary—and, as with any Meeting, Friends
avail themselves of these to greater and lesser degrees. Our Peace and
Social Concerns Committee asks us to consider ways we might corporately support
individuals in our Meeting whose acts of conscience have placed them at risk of
losing their liberty.
Last
year’s report expressed concern about uncomfortable levels of conflict and
mistrust among some Friends in Meeting on a variety of matters, and a plea
that we practice more patience and charity in order “to bear one another up and
to forbear one another’s failings and fallings short.” There are hopeful signs
of progress in this direction. Our Ministry and Oversight Committee
sponsored a one-day workshop in NonViolent Communication, graciously offered by
a College Park Quarterly Meeting Friend, that was well attended and has led to
a number of follow-up “practice sessions” by participants, and even a scheduled
repeat of the workshop itself, to involve, it is hoped, an even larger number
of people in the Meeting in this process of listening and plain speaking
grounded in love.
We
share one another’s joys, celebrate our milestones, help one another in times
of crisis and diminishment and mourn our losses. A member whose father
died this year invited Friends to her home over the course of three days to
join her for worship and worship-sharing, in a practice consciously drawing on
the Jewish tradition of sitting shiva. The Friend and those who responded
found the experience to be a profound blessing, and cause for reflection on our
own society’s practices (or lack of them) around grief and mourning.
Another Friend has since offered us a similar, rich opportunity to accompany
her in her home following the death of her own father, and there is a sense the
Spirit may be guiding us to a new (or old) way of being with one another on the
occasion of such life transitions. We are grateful for this opening, and
the ways God continues to make us available to one another in all life’s
circumstances.
Respectfully
submitted,
Stephen
Matchett, Clerk
San Francisco Monthly Meeting
.
Dear
Friends,
I've
been saddened to hear the news from Boston.
Life
here is going well. The new president of Kenya - the son of the first president
- was sworn in last Tuesday after the Supreme Court ruled against the case
brought by the recent Prime Minister that there were serious irregularities in
the counting of ballots. So as one Quaker friend said to me, Kenya has
maintained peace although it may have compromised truth and justice in order to
do so. But it IS something to celebrate that the elections and the weeks
following it were peaceful and we are very grateful that Kenyans chose peace.
My
practice is flourishing and I am really enjoying working from home. My wellbeing
and calm are substantially improving. My practice is also growing thanks to
Peace Corps using me to help their Kenyan volunteers who need counseling.
Yesterday
we found out that Anand regained his Kenyan citizenship, which he lost as a
teenager when he became a British citizen. This is wonderful news both
personally but also professionally as it means he can now legally work.
The Kenyan AVP program is looking to focus more on schools as I briefly
mentioned last month in partnership with the Roots & Shoots program of the
Jane Goodall Institute. We also are investigating doing more work in prisons.
We have the AVP Kenya Trust annual meeting on Friday where we'll be deciding on
where to expend our energies and resources. Please pray for our discernment as
we steward this valuable program in this new stage of Kenyan history.
May
you feel God's protection and love enveloping you each day;
Heidi
The Marriage of Alice and Owain
Dear Friends,
We request the honor of your presence at the Wedding of Alice Jamie Overbaugh
Sowaaland Owain Lynn Elliott on Saturday,
June 15, 2013 at Sierra Friends Center (http://woolman.org), 13075 Woolman Lane, Nevada City, CA 95959.
10:00 – 11:30
Meeting for Worship (Meetinghouse) All are welcome.
11:30 –
1:00 Wedding Ceremony
(Lawn)
1:00 –
3:30 Potluck
Lunch, Games, Informal Musical Jam, and Cake (Dining Hall and Lawn)
We would be thrilled if, in
addition to attending our wedding, you and your family could join us for Friday
night. Accommodations at the bucolic Sierra Friends Center are extremely affordable,
and we will be hosting a dinner Friday night and breakfast Saturday morning.
Accommodations: We will have camping space available (at the rate of $10 an
adult, $5 a child) for those who would like to stay over Friday night. We will
also have a limited number of indoor beds in shared rooms or cabins (for $50 a
night per bed); we will fill these indoor spaces first with those who have special
needs themselves (e.g., needs regarding mobility) and for those who have small
children (children in a bed with a parent or on the floor of a parents’ room
will be able to stay over free of charge).
How to let us know about your plans:
1. Please RSVP to us by replying to
aliceandowain at gmail dot com by May 7. When you reply, please let us know:
(a) the number of adults and
children in your party; (b) whether you would like to contribute to
the potluck (if you would
like to contribute, we will send you a specific recipe in a few weeks; we will
be able to refrigerate foods overnight).
2. If you would like to stay
on site Friday night, please let us know and we will send you a registration
form. Ideally, registrations will be sent to us by May 7.
This will be an alcohol-free
wedding; Sierra Friends Center is also an alcohol-free campus. Please do
not bring alcohol for personal or communal consumption.
Sierra Friends Center has limited parking. Please help us support the
Center in this regard by carpooling. If you need a ride or if you have room in
your vehicle to transport others, let us know.
Our marriage will be held under the care of San Francisco
Monthly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers).
Ongoing Nonviolent Communication Practice Group
Dorothy
Henderson led the second Nonviolent Communication Workshop on April 20th at the
Meetinghouse. It was, like the previous one in February, a rich
experience. To continue reading and practicing what we are learning about
Nonviolent Communication, Friends will meet on the 4th Sunday of each
month for a reading and practice session. All are welcome.
The
plan is to read aloud a chapter of "Nonviolent Communication: A Language
of Life" by Marshall Rosenberg at each practice session and then have time
for one exercise and worship sharing on a query. One Friend will be prepared to
lead each session. Ideally, you would
have access to the book by Rosenberg and the "Companion Workbook" by
Lucy Leu but you could come and share a book too. We'll gather in
the kitchen of the Meetinghouse between 9:15AM - 9:30AM to
settle in, make tea and greet each other, with the aim of starting
at 9:30AM.
The fourth Sunday in May is during the Meeting Retreat.
We will definitely have a practice session at the Retreat and possibly
one at the San Francisco Meetinghouse also, as we sort out who is going to be
where. For more information contact Carol Cruickshank, 415-846-4083, <carol.cruickshank@gmail.com>.
Food Pantry
News
Hello
Friends --
We
would love to have you work with us at the Quaker Food Pantry.
Here
are two special One-Hour
Jobs that
we need help with on Saturdays. **If you can help, please email me (not the
"sfquaker" email list) and let me know. Paula Joyce: paulajoyce.mail@gmail.com **
These
are the jobs... we do sign-ups by email, or via our Google calendar (or even
telephone). Let me know if you can help.
JOB
1 -- CLEANUP TEAM -- Time: Saturdays, 1:00 PM (the job takes about
one hour, maybe a bit longer)
This
is a team job -- for individuals or families. We're trying for a minimum of 2
people to sign up for each Saturday. So you might sign up once or twice
every 4 to 8 weeks or so, as it fits your schedule.
Cleanup
Team Tasks (you'll have support
and we will show you how)
Mop
Main Room floor & hallway
Set
up tables & chairs
Vacuum
the hall floor mats, entry hall
Empty
trash, recycling, compost
Go
through a checklist to make sure all is ready
JOB 2 -- BREAD RUNNERS -- Time:
Saturdays, 10:00 AM (this job takes about an hour)
To be a Bread Runner, you need two things:
1) a car -- I have a
Honda Civic, and can fit the bread into my small trunk and back seat (if I take
out all my junk).
2) about an hour on a Saturday morning -- once or twice every
4 to 8 weeks -- drive to location in Diamond Heights, pick up bread, deliver
bread to Meetinghouse (our on-site volunteers will do the unloading).
10:00 am -- pick up bread from our special volunteer bread
supplier at Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church
(395 Addison St, cross-street Diamond Hts. Blvd.)
Many thanks for considering this... love, peace, and vegetables
for all!
Paula Joyce
Quaker Food Pantry Volunteer Coordinator
paulajoyce.mail@gmail.com (best
way to contact)
Annual Retreat
News
Good news for
parents and family campers! Facilities charges for children (3-11)
will be half the price as for adults. Maximum facility charge for a
camping party will be $300. Please see the revised Registration Form for
details. The changes are based both on instructions from Meeting
for Business and also clarification from Quaker Center that their charges are
reduced for children. (It’s not exactly half-price but instructions from
Meeting for Business set the terms.)
Note that the closing date for registration continues to be May 19, 2013.
We will be sending our meal order to the chef on that date and changes
become difficult thereafter. If you alert us ahead of time of uncertainties
or problems, we can deal with individual cases and keep track of the situation.
We want you to come to the Retreat.
Also note that we will have a Second Hour dealing with the Retreat at the
Meeting House on May 19, from 1 pm. until 3 pm. (probably). We can deal
with problems or uncertainties at that time. Folks interested in
events for the Retreat can gather and plan. We may start to organize
service committees. Please note that May 19 is also the day of the
Bay-to-Breakers race. Some streets in the vicinity of the Meeting House
(like Ninth Street) will be closed until approximately noon.
Now is the time for an Assistant Registrar to volunteer and get involved!
Ann Marie Snell is serving as Registrar for a second year and we want to
get a successor prepared and to assist Ann Marie this time around. The
burdens are not onerous, mostly getting information organized. Bob
Kovsky is eager to hear from you by phone or by email through rlkovsky
(at) comcast.net.
(to clarify any ambiguity, the initials stand for “real lazy kid.”)
May 2013 News from Ben Lomond Quaker Center
"When we come into unity, in discerning decisions, there is a
moment of recognition, we feel like crying, we realize that this is part of
something much larger, God’s unity;
God created it and left it here for us to find…lucky us, to get to go on
this scavenger hunt, set u
p
by God…" Join Eric
Moon for Unity, the First Testimony from May 31st - June 2nd. More
information and online registration can be found at http://www.quakercenter.org/unity-the-first-testimony/.
Quaker Center Summer Youth Camps will once again be directed by Stephen Myers, with help from Jim
Summers and Mary Klein for Peace Action Camp. We are experimenting with holding
Quaker Camp and Service Camp simultaneously in our Redwood and Orchard Lodges
to maximize resources. For more
information visit http://www.quakercenter.org/summer-youth-camps/ or call Bob or Kathy Runyan at Quaker Center at
831-336-8333 with questions.
§ June 29th - July 7th: Quaker
Camp: for rising
4th, 5th, or 6th graders to explore Quaker testimonies experientially.
Activities include: community building games, swimming, hiking around Quaker
Center, campfires, music, community service, and a field trip to the beach.
§ June 29th - July 7th: Service
Camp: for teens
entering 7th, 8th, or 9th grade to serve others while having a
good time. We will be of service in the local community and go on hikes in the
Santa Cruz area. We'll also take field trips to a local Friend's pool and to
the beach.
§ July 21st - 27th: Peace
Action Camp: at
La Jolla Friends Meeting for rising 10th - 12th grade teens to explore border
issues as they relate to Friends' testimonies around peace, justice and environmental
stewardship with inward and outward nonviolence, including nonviolent direct
action, community service, and outdoor adventure.
Do you feel like you're missing out
on all the fun of summer camp? All
ages are welcome to our annual Family Work Camp from August 4th-9th. Join us for a week of putting our hands and hearts to
work on improvements to Quaker Center facilities while building community among
us. Please register early for all Quaker Center programs online, http://www.quakercenter.org/programs/register.
May 2013 News
from the Woolman Center
Hope and
Inspiration at the Woolman Semester and Camps
There are five great opportunities this May to connect with the Woolman
Semester students and learn about their academic and experiential learning and
growth in the Woolman community this spring. The creativity and unique gifts of
the Woolman students will shine as they participate in the following:
Informing
and inspiring others at the Change-maker’s
Symposium and screening of Ripper’s Occupy Love film on May 10, 6:30pm, UU Church, Grass Valley
Screening
of their Peace Documentary films, which
explore topics of peace and violence on May 17, 7pm, UU Church
Showing
and explaining their Sustainability
Projects on May 18, 9am on the Woolman campus
Sharing
a favorite piece of work at their Baccalaureate
on May 24, 7 pm in the Woolman Meeting House
Speaking
from the heart about their Woolman experiences at Graduation on May 25, 9am in the Woolman Meeting House
To learn
more details about these Woolman Semester events go to the woolman.org website.
The summer
is fast approaching and this is a great time to learn about and register for Camp Woolman! There is a new mini-camp
option this year for ages 6-9 in late June, followed by multiple one-week and
two-week sessions for ages 9-14, and Teen Leadership Camp for ages 15 and 16. Quaker values and practices are embedded
into the camp culture, which honors the unique gifts of campers, and facilitates
and inspires their growth and development. Activities include swimming, hiking,
music, games, art, crafts, sports, special skill building, campfires, garden
and nature activities, and camping. Learn more about camp at camp.woolman.org
and let your friends and family know about Camp Woolman.
AFSC News
Prison Population
In 2011 US Supreme Court ruled that California needed to reduce
its prison population about 33,000 in order to provide constitutional levels of
health and mental health care. This decision followed 20 years of failure on
the part of the prison system to abide by lower court decisions. The state
began that process in 2012 and has reduced the population by around 23,000. But
then, Governor Brown said that was enough and he wasn’t going to go any
farther.
Last week, the court rejected his position and demanded a plan by
early May for further reductions of 9,000 by the end of 2013. AFSC with its
partners in the prison movement are hard at work developing proposals for how
to reach that goal.
Sahar Francis coming to San Francisco
Sahar Francis, Executive Director of the Palestinian prisoner
rights organization Addameer (link below) will tour the US in May to raise
awareness about a new campaign Addameer has launched on administrative
detention. Since 2006, Sahar has served as the General Director of
Ramallah-based Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association, a
Palestinian NGO providing legal and advocacy support to Palestinian political
prisoners in Israeli and Palestinian prisons. An attorney by training, she
joined the association in 1998, first as a human rights lawyer, then as head of
the Legal Unit. With over sixteen years of human rights experience, including
human rights counseling and representation, Ms. Francis also sits on the Board
of Defence for Children International – Palestine Section.
AFSC helped set up a talk for her in Philadelphia. Sahar will also
be in San Francisco on the 8th and 9th of May. Our peace and healing justice
programs have worked together to bring her message to a broader public. Contact
Stephen McNeil at smcneil@afsc.org for more
details.
Grand Finale for the Tamejavi Series
The Tamejavi Festival of cultural events in the California Central
Valley concludes on May 18th at the Tower Theatre, 815 E. Olive Ave., Fresno,
CA 93728. The Grand Finale will be a performance featuring guest artists Maria
Bauman (dance), Adam Browser (poetry), and Maureen Gosling (film). The show
weaves together multicultural performances from the stories of Valley
immigrants, including Hmong, Khmer, Iranian, indigenous Mexican, and Punjabi.
You are invited.
Link here: http://www.tamejavi.org/articles.php?i=2&a=17
Pacific Yearly Meeting
The upcoming Pacific Yearly Meeting session
will be July 29 - Aug 3, 2013, at
Mount Madonna Center, in Watsonville CA
College Park
Quarterly Meeting
COLLEGE
PARK QUARTERLY MEETING
Spring Quarterly
Meeting, May 17-19, 2013, at Ben Lomond Quaker Center
Still Learning
– After All These Years – to Live as Friends
May CPQM is our family reunion for which we open and read our
“mail,” the State of Meeting reports from all our constituent
Meetings. That opportunity, to re-connect freshly with lives of
geographically-spread Friends, will be echoed in a theme we raised in January:
how as Quakers can we rise to the personal and spiritual challenges, in all
those times of our lives -- of adolescence, young adulthood, parenting, aging,
and end of life ? How can we be allies to other Friends in stages
different from our own?
REGISTER EARLY: Your registration needs to reach
registrar Sandy Kewman by Tuesday,
May 7.
If you don’t get registered by May 7, you’re still welcome, but we
may have to ask you sleep and eat off-site, and pay a $20 late fee per
family.) No matter how late you decide to attend, please notify registrar
before arriving; on that weekend, call (831)
336-9666. Please let us know of any special needs, including financial
assistance, before May 7.
COSTS: See the registration form. If
the fees are a problem, if you want to come and can’t afford it, first check
with your own Meeting for financial assistance; if that doesn’t work, contact
the Registrar before May 7. Teens and young Friends are especially
encouraged to make use of this opportunity. Consider making a donation to
CPQM to help others attend.
WAYS TO REGISTER:
1. MAIL the registration form by Tuesday, May 7, with check to
"College Park Quarterly Meeting" or "CPQM," to: CPQM
Registrar c/o Sandy Kewman, 12960 Woolman Lane, Nevada City, CA 95959.
2. E-MAIL: Send the information on registration form to srosekewman@gmail.com by Tuesday, May 7, and bring a check
to quarterly meeting. Please include “CPQM” in the subject line.
3. TELEPHONE: Call Sandy Kewman at 530-272-3736 by Tuesday, May 7, with the
information from the registration form, and bring a check to quarterly meeting.
Once on site,
registrar’s hours during the weekend will be posted.
WHAT TO BRING: Essentials: flashlight, towel, soap, and
bedding (a pillow case with either sleeping bag or sheets and blankets), and if
you’re camping, a tent in case it rains. Suggestions: A sweater or jacket
for chilly mornings and evenings. Your own cloth napkin and coffee mug to
reduce use of paper products. Walking shoes for hiking. A small
travel alarm to help you be on time for morning activities. Work gloves
for service projects.
WHAT NOT TO BRING: Please do not use scented products of
any kind, as we often have attenders who are sensitive to these. Do not
bring or consume alcohol or other mind-altering substances.
ALL ATTENDERS are expected to participate, as they
are able, in meal preparation and clean-up, and in final cleaning of their
rooms and common spaces. Sign up at the registration desk.
CHILDREN'S PROGRAM: Parents are expected to sign their children into the Children's
Program or have them in their own care. Children in their parents’ care
need to be directly supervised by a parent or to have a specific agreement
whereby parents and children know exactly where to find each other at any
time. The Children’s Program is offered during worship, plenary sessions,
worship-sharing, and interest-groups. For details, contact Delcy
Steffy delcysteffy@gmail.com 916-529-7455.
TEEN PROGRAM (ages 13-18 years) usually includes fun activities, interest
groups, community service, and worship-sharing, as well as supervised,
gender-specific group sleeping arrangements. Teens share meals and most
activities with the whole Quarterly Meeting and have other activities on their own.
Bring a camping pad, sleeping bag, pillow, and clothes and walking shoes you
can get dirty during the service project.. Teens are expected to either
participate in the teen program whenever it is in session or to be under
supervision of parent, guardian, or adult sponsor.
Contact Kathy Runyan, kathyrunyan@hotmail.com
530-635-0962 for more information.
All minors must have Parental Consent and Medical History
forms. These can be found at collegepark.quaker.org or can be filled out
by the parent or guardian at registration.
PRELIMINARY SCHEDULE OUTLINE
Friday Evening
4 pm on Sign-in and room
assignments
6 pm Simple supper, followed by worship,
singing, fellowship.
Saturday
Morning Breakfast; Family
worship; Welcome, Plenary I, Plenary II
Afternoon Lunch;
Worship-sharing groups; Interest groups; Plenary III
Evening Dinner;
inter-generational family night; singing, skits, dancing, etc.
Sunday
Morning Breakfast; Plenary
IV; Worship
Noon Lunch; cleanup;
good-byes
QUESTIONS ? SPECIAL NEEDS ?
Teen’s & Children's
Programs: see contact data
for Kathy Runyan and for Delcy Steffy above.
DIRECTIONS TO BEN LOMOND QUAKER CENTER
We encourage Friends to bike, carpool, or
take public transportation. Upon request, shuttle will be available from Ben Lomond. (831) 336-8333
Take Highway 17 from San
Jose or Santa Cruz to Mt. Hermon Road and go west through Scotts Valley toward
Felton. Where Mt. Hermon Rd. ends
at the traffic light at Graham Hill Rd, turn right. At the next light, Highway 9, turn right toward Ben
Lomond. Pass through the town of
Ben Lomond and then turn left at Hubbard Gulch Road, about 150 yards past the
Quality Inn (on the left) and just before Alba Road. There are signs for Quaker Center as you enter Hubbard Gulch
Road. Follow the road for a little
more than a mile up the steep hill through the redwoods to Quaker Center.
For
GoogleMap, physical address:
1000
Hubbard Gulch Road, Ben Lomond, CA 95005
Google Groups for SF Quakers
This is the group to send your late breaking announcements or
share other news with the meeting community. You can sign up via the web: http://groups.google.com/group/sfquakers. You will need to create a free Google user ID and
password, if you don’t already have one.
Visit http://groups.google.com/group/sfquakers/about to join or learn more.
A group for young adult Friends in San Francisco is at http://groups.google.com/group/youngsfmeeting
A group for parents in the San Francisco Meeting is at http://groups.google.com/group/sf-crec-parents
A Google Group for Bay Area Quakers is now 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:
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),
Eli Bishop (web servant), and Noel Schwerin (distribution)
SAN
FRANCISCO FRIENDS MEETING -- ANNUAL RETREAT
Memorial Day Weekend
May 24-27, 2013
Quaker Center, Ben Lomond, California
○
REGISTRATION
and PAYMENT FORM
Hello and welcome to the Annual Retreat Registration
Form. We want you to come to the
Retreat. For some of us, it is a
favorite expression of our Loving Community.
Names of persons in your party and ages of
any children
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Mail address:
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email address:
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telephone(s):
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Charges
We pass through charges for use of Quaker Center facilities at
a per person per night rate and for organic vegetarian cooking by chef Tod at a
per meal rate. Day-only attendance
is $16/day.
You plan to stay at Quaker Center on the following nights
(circle and add notes if needed):
Friday
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Saturday
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Sunday
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Facilities Cost: ($40 per night for adults, $20 for children 3-11,
maximum
of $300 for a camping party)
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$ __________
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Campers – please check this space to indicate
that you will be bringing a tent:
____
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Each meal is charged at $11 for an adult, $5 for a child 5-11
and no charge for children under 5.
Circle
meals and
add
notes if needed:
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Sat.
Breakfast
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Sun.
Breakfast
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Mon.
Breakfast
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Sat. Lunch
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Sun.
Lunch
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Mon.
Lunch
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Sat.
Dinner
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Sun.
Dinner
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Cost
of Meals: (Example: full weekend
at $88 per adult, $40 per child 5-11)
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$ __________
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Please
add Facilities Cost and Cost of Meals:
Total
Charges
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$ __________
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PAYMENT AND REGISTRATION DEADLINE IS MAY 19, 2013
The chef purchases food ahead of the event. It may be difficult to accommodate late
registrants. Dietary needs can be accommodated if discussed before May 19. Financial assistance is
available. We want you to attend
the Retreat. For inquiries,
cancellations, etc., please call or write to our Registrar, Ann Marie Snell at (415)
810-5670 or hovie1700@mac.com.
Payment
Please mail this form and a check written to “San
Francisco Friends Meeting” to:
Ann Marie Snell
303 Ortega St.
San Francisco, CA
94122
an added donation will help others
to attend.
Service Requirements
The Retreat Community provides kitchen assistance to the
chef, table and clean-up services at meals, final Quaker Center clean-up and
our own program of worship and entertainment. Retreat attenders are expected to sign up for meal and final
clean-up services on arrival. In
addition, we ask for additional participation by “senior Retreat attenders,” namely,
Friends who are familiar with Quaker ways and who attended previous
Retreats. If you are a “senior
Retreat attender,” please join either the Meals committee, Liaison committee or
Final clean-up committee. Everyone
is welcome to join the Worship committee or the Program committee. Committees will be organized and email
exchanges will be started around the registration deadline.
_________
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Meals
committee.
Three or more members will rotate oversight of meals, seeing that chef
assistance and table services are provided by scheduled participants, ringing
the bell, announcing the meal, counting diners, etc.
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_________
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Liaison
committee.
Three or more members will schedule a contact person to be available to
deal with problems involving Quaker Center or participants.
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_________
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Final
clean-up committee.
Three or more members will provide oversight to ensure that Quaker
Center facilities are left in a satisfactory condition.
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_________
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Program
committee.
Interested members will plan and put on the Talent Show, walks, trips,
talks, events, arts, crafts, etc.
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_________
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Worship
committee.
Silent waiting worship can be supplemented with Bible studies and
other forms of enlightenment that members suggest.
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Additional Information
Please check the web page for additional information on what
to bring and what to expect:
http://www.sfquakers.org/retreat2013.html
College Park Quarterly Meeting
Spring 2013 Registration Form
Name(s)
Sex Age (for children/teens) First time at
Quarterly? Y N
Meeting Affiliation
Email address
Phone number
Street address City
State
Zip
Option A: Includes bed for Fri and Sat nights, in
Orchard/Redwood Lodges, 6 meals (Fri dinner through Sun lunch), and program
fee. Priority for Orchard Lodge given to
those with limited mobility.
$128 each for age 25 and older How many? ______
$52 each for under age 25 How many? ______
Option A
total $ __________
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Option B: Includes camping or
floor sleeping on Fri and Sat nights, 6 meals (Fri dinner through Sun lunch),
and program fee.
$105 each for age 25 and older How many? ______
$37 each for under age 25 How many? ______ Option
B total $ __________
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Option C: Weekend Day Use:
Includes 3 meals (Sat lunch, Sat dinner, Sun lunch) and program fee, (NO
housing included)
$55 each for age 25 and older How many? ______
$15 each for under age 25 How many?
______
Option C total $
__________
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Option D: Program fee only for EITHER Sat OR Sun,
NO housing or meals included,
$25 each for age 25 and older How many? _______ Which Day? __________
$0 under age 25 (mark anyway--we need to
keep track of numbers attending) How
many? _____ Which Day? _________
CIRCLE meals you would like to
add to Option D:
$10 each meal for 25 and older Fri Dinner Sat Breakfast
Sat Lunch Sat
Dinner Sun Breakfast Sun Lunch
$5 each meal for under 25 Fri Dinner Sat Breakfast
Sat Lunch Sat
Dinner Sun Breakfast Sun Lunch
Option D MEALS $ __________
Option D TOTAL $ __________
Donation to Ben Lomond Quaker Center $
___________________
Donation to CPQM to help others attend
Quarterly Meeting
$
___________________
NOTE: LISTED PRICES ARE FOR REGISTRATIONS EMAILED OR
POSTMARKED BY MAY 7th, 2013.
Add a $20 LATE FEE if registering after these dates.
$20 Late Fee, if
applicable $ ____________
Total for this registration $ _________________
Use the back of this
form for special needs (late arrival, diet, housing, transportation,
accessibility, financial aid, etc., or contact the registrar. For medical and
sponsorship forms for children and teens see http://collegepark.quaker.org.
Send checks payable to
College Park Quarterly Meeting (or CPQM) to: CPQM Registrar c/o Sandy Kewman,
12960 Woolman Lane, Nevada City, CA 95959
530-272-3736 home 530-559-9850 cell
(all events at 65 9th St., unless noted;
*see details elsewhere in newsletter)
Sunday
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Monday
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Tuesday
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Wednesday
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Thursday
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Friday
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Saturday
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28
11a Meeting for Worship
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29
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30
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1
8:30a SFFS Community Mtg for Worship†
6p Meeting for Worship
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2
12p Peace Vigil‡
7p Potluck & Quaker Study
|
3
|
4
10:30a-1p Food Pantry
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5
9:30a Bible Study
11a Meeting for Worship, Community potluck following
|
6
.
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7
7p Property & Finance Mtg
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8
6p Meeting for Worship
7p Ministry & Oversight Mtg
|
9
12p Peace Vigil‡
7p Potluck & Quaker Study
|
10
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11
10:30a-1p Food Pantry
|
1211a Meeting for Worship
1p Meeting for Business
|
13
|
14
|
15
6p Meeting for Worship
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16
12p Peace Vigil‡
7p Potluck & Quaker Study
|
17
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18
10:30a-1p Food Pantry
|
19
9:30a Bible Study
11a Meeting for Worship
1-3pm Second Hour: Annual Meeting Retreat
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20
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21
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22
6p Meeting for Worship
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23
12p Peace Vigil‡
7p Potluck & Quaker Study
|
24
|
25
10:30a-1p Food Pantry
|
26
9:15 Non-Violent Comm. Practice Group
11a Meeting for Worship |
27
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28
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29
6p Meeting for Worship
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30
12p Peace Vigil‡
7p Potluck & Quaker Study
|
31
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1
10:30a-1p Food Pantry
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‡Federal Building, Golden Gate Ave. and Larkin St. †San Francisco
Friends School, 250 Valencia St.
