65 Ninth Street
San Francisco, CA 94103
415-431-7440
September 2014 Newsletter
(Ninth Month)
(Ninth Month)
Meeting for Worship
& First Day School
Sundays at 11:00 a.m.
Midweek Meeting for Worship,
Wednesdays at 6:00 p.m.
Integrity and Personal Conduct
Advices:
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
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?
Meeting for Business began at 1:05 pm with a period of worship, with 16 people present. The meeting opened with a reading from Pacific Yearly Meeting’s Advices & Queries on Simplicity. Following the reading Friends met in pairs to respond to one of the queries.
8-1 Meeting approves Stephen Matchett as acting clerk for
today's meeting.
8-2 Meeting approves the minutes of June 8, 2014, as
presented.
Report on Pacific Yearly Meeting Annual Session
Rose Medellin, PYM Rep, gave a short report on the annual session,
held at Walker Creek Ranch from July 14-19. The minutes were not yet available and can be found at pacificyearlymeeting.org. Overall, she felt that
the format change was more inclusive and noted that other meetings were coming
up with new ways of increasing representation such as funding 100% for
first-time attenders and renting vans to assist with travel. Next year’s
session will be July 13-18, again at Walker Creek.
Nominating Committee
Anne Hitch Collins, Nominating Committee co-clerk, reported
that the committee is putting forward Chad Stephenson as Clerk and Stephen
Matchett as Assistant Clerk for a term ending April 30, 2015.
8-3 Meeting approves the appointment of Arthur Koch to
Property & Finance Committee for a term ending April 30, 2015, and his
release from Hospitality Committee.
Treasurer's 2nd-quarter report
In the treasurer’s absence, Philip Gerrie of Property &
Finance Committee delivered her report for the second quarter (copy attached to
archive copy of these minutes, with explanatory notes).
Ministry & Oversight Committee
Ministry and Oversight Committee member Bob Kovsky reported
that our Meeting for Business schedule will change again next year, skipping
July and resuming in August, based on the dates of PYM annual session.
The committee also considered the month-long experiment
with placing a table in the center of the worship space with objects from
nature, a Bible and Faith and Practice. They received feedback that some
felt it was a distraction or barrier to to the purpose of focusing on the
spirit. M&O recommends a small stand along the wall holding flowers or a
plant with no books. A Friend
commented on the appreciation for emptiness in the room. Appreciation for the effort of M&O
for the attention to our worship experience was also noted. After some
discussion the meeting accepted the recommendation.
Property & Finance Committee
Philip Gerrie, Property & Finance Committee clerk,
reported that rental income is down and we are still looking for a tenant to
use the basement for storage space. The AFSC lease is about to be renewed;
plans are to expand into room 3, currently occupied by the Center for Lao
Studies as their current lease expires in November. An audio system for the worship room is still being
investigated. And a recliner has been purchased to accommodate those who might
have a hard time sitting in chairs. A developer wants to build a 15-story
residential building in the vacant lot behind the meeting house and and wants
to start a conversation with the neighbors. The discussion is on-going and
updates will come as the building plans progress.
Reflections and follow-up on threshing sessions
Acting clerk Stephen Matchett expressed gratitude for the
threshing sessions held since our last meeting for business: one on the Rausch
Street Committee’s proposed plans for that property, held on June 22, and
one on July 20, on Meeting finances.
Notes on both had been made available, and he briefly summarized them.
As a way forward, Stephen proposed that we first see if
there is unity on the Property & Finance Committee proposal to put 75% of
the deBeers bequest toward renovation of the Rausch Street property and 25%
into the general fund, and then turn to consideration of the Rausch Street
Committee’s alternate plans for renovating the property. Friends declined this order of decision
however, preferring to review and consider the Rausch Street Committee plans
before deciding the question of the proposed deBeers allocation.
Rausch Street Committee co-clerks Philip Gerrie and Rolene
Walker summarized the features of the alternate plans that were presented and
considered at the June threshing session, known as Options A and B (rough costs
$120,000 and $205,000). Both plans
involve taking a loan to cover the renovation, to be repaid by renting out the
renovated unit as a residence.
Neither plan requires any additional commitment of funds by the Meeting. In either case, however, receipt of the
proposed deBeers allocation would reduce the time needed to complete the
rental/repayment phase. Friends
had numerous questions and there was much discussion, some of it repeating
concerns and questions raised at the threshing session. Among other issues, it was unclear how
much of the increased estimated cost of Option B was attributable to the
proposed reconfiguration of the space and how much to the inclusion of needed
electrical, plumbing and other upgrades to the structure that could arise in
either case, though the Option A estimate omits them. Friends sought
clarification on this issue. They
expressed a desire to understand more about Plan A and what it covers, and to
have written information available to assist in making this decision. A Friend reminded us that there is no
one right thing to do; there are many ways to get to the right decision.
It was apparent no decision was to be made today, and the
acting clerk brought the discussion to a close. We will address this issue again next month. The Rausch Street Committee will circulate
the written information handed out at the June threshing session (or an update)
prior to that meeting.
Given the lateness of the hour, the remaining items on the
agenda were deferred. The meeting closed with worship at 3:20
pm with 10 people in attendance.
Respectfully
submitted,
Ann Marie Snell, Recording Clerk
Stephen
Matchett, Acting Clerk of Meeting
Quaker Parent/Kids
Playdates in September
I'd like to offer to host a series of playdates for parents
and their children each Sunday in September from 9am-10am at
Holly Park Playground
(http://sfrecpark.org/destination/holly-park/). The park has two playgrounds, one for ages 0-7, and one for ages 4-12. If you and your kids would like to join, just show up! I'll be there each week. No need to bring anything, except your desire to connect our community of Quaker families with children at a friendly local playground. We'll finish in time to make it home for naps or to head off to Meeting for Worship. Feel free to contact me with any questions.
(http://sfrecpark.org/destination/holly-park/). The park has two playgrounds, one for ages 0-7, and one for ages 4-12. If you and your kids would like to join, just show up! I'll be there each week. No need to bring anything, except your desire to connect our community of Quaker families with children at a friendly local playground. We'll finish in time to make it home for naps or to head off to Meeting for Worship. Feel free to contact me with any questions.
-Chad Stephenson
Christian Friends
Conference Western Region
Berkeley Friends Church
Saturday September 13, 2014
9:00 AM 3:00 PM
The quarterly meeting of the Christian Friends Conference
WR will take place on Saturday, September 13 from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM at
Berkeley Friends Church located
at 1600 Sacramento Street at the corner of Cedar, in
Berkeley. Lunch is brown bag (bring your own). Beverages and bagels will be
provided in the morning.
Tentative schedule:
9:009:30 Set up and introductions
9:3010:00 Bible reading in the manner of Conservative
Friends
10:0012:00 Silent waiting worship upon the Lord
12:001:00 Fellowship over brown bag lunch
1:001:30 Business and open discussion/announcements
1:302:30 Waiting worship upon the Lord
2:303:00 Clean up
"[George] Fox understood Jesushe who never fell like
Adamas both the advent and the fulfillment or embodiment of the new messianic
age, of the Kingdom that
was (and would always be) present in the now. This eternal
now, so to speak was the spiritual 'place' where Jesus continually passed on
his mantle to a new people, a holy 'nation' or Kingdom, a dimension with no new
outer religion or personality cult.
Consequently, the Friends would come to objectify themselves
as 'they who are called Quakers' or 'a people in scorn called Quakers',
internalizing the Hebrew idea that a kingdom was impossible until a 'nation'
was formed. That is to say, while the world knew them as 'Quakers', what
concerned Fox and the movement was their readiness as a chosen people or
'nation' to be at the command of God in ever walking the Way of peace until the
fullness of time. The Kingdom, then, could never be a shortterm event or experience
because God alone [is] its eternal and everimmanent inspiration." The
Early Quakers and the 'Kingdom of God,' Gerard Guiton, 2012, p. 177, available
from Charles Martin at <www.innerlightbooks.com>.
September 2014 News from AFSC
Lobby with Quakers in Washington, DC
Lobby with Quakers in Washington, DC
On Nov. 20-21, Friends Committee on National
Legislation will be hosting a two-day Quaker Public Policy Institute. Join
Friends from around the country and participate in policy briefings, lobby
training and advocacy to support diplomatic negotiations with Iran. Go to fcnl.org/qppi or
talk to Olivia Henry for more information.
September 2014 News
from Ben Lomond Quaker Center
In collaboration with Western
Friend, Quaker Center is now accepting applications for a new part-time,
Administrative Assistant position to serve both organizations. Find out more
and how to apply at http://www.quakercenter.org/about-us/employment-opportunities/
Prepare for creative ways to make a difference by joining us for Telling Stories for Social Justice with Lucy Duncan and Roxanne Seagraves from September 5 – 7th. Uncover the narratives that reinforce the status quo and tell stories that provide pathways to a transformed future. Draw from our spiritual roots to examine what gets us stuck, and learn tools to help us move forward in the conviction that we are One. Learn more about the program and register online at http://www.quakercenter.org/telling-stores-for-social-justice/.
Join Laura Magnani and her
American Friends Service Committee colleague, Jerry Elster from October 3rd
– 5th, for The Violence of Mass
Incarceration: Our Prison System as the New Jim Crow. We’ll explore the dynamics of
mass incarceration spiritually and socially, focusing on the advocacy work
being done, and yet to be done, by Friends. Laura and Jerry will facilitate
conversations and exercises examining the system as it is, our attitudes about
it, and directions that are opening up for significant change. Get more
information and register online at http://www.quakercenter.org/the-violence-of-incarceration/.
Come and explore the relevance of
the personal transformation of early Friends with Diego Navarro as we look at Leadings and Holy Obedience from
November 14th – 16th. We will also consider the link between the inner growth of
the Spirit and the external witnessing of Friends, and comprehending what is
meant by turning one’s life over to the Spirit: from “my will” to “thy will”,
and leading what Thomas Kelly calls a “God-intoxicated” life. Find out more at http://www.quakercenter.org/leadings-and-holy-obedience/
and register early.
College Park Quarterly Meeting
The upcoming College Park Quarterly Meeting
will be October 17 - 19 (Fri-Sun)
at Sierra Friends Center in Nevada City
Pacific Yearly Meeting
The upcoming Pacific Yearly Meeting session
will be July 15-19 at Whitworth
University in Spokane, Washington.
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 toclerk@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 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: http://groups.google.com/support
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 Catherine Fox
(production
(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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31
9a Extended Meeting for Worship
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1
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2
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3
8:30a SFFS Meeting for Worship
6 Meeting for Worship |
4
12p Peace Vigil‡
7p Potluck & Quaker Study
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5
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6
10:30a-1p Food Pantry
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7
9:30a Bible Study
11a Meeting for Worship, Community Potluck following
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8
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9
7p Property & Finance Mtg |
10
6 Meeting for Worship
7p Ministry & Oversight Mtg
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11
12p Peace Vigil‡
7p Potluck & Quaker Study
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12
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13
10:30a-1p Food Pantry
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14
11a Meeting for Worship
1p Meeting for Business
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15
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16
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17
6p Meeting for Worship |
18
12p Peace Vigil‡
7p Potluck & Quaker Study |
19
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20
10:30a-1p Food Pantry
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21
9:30a Bible Study
11a Meeting for Worship
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22
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23
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24
6p Meeting for Worship
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25
12p Peace Vigil‡
7p Potluck & Quaker Study |
26
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27
10:30a-1p Food Pantry
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28
9:15 Non-Violent Comm. Practice Group
11a Meeting for Worship
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29
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30
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1
6p Meeting for Worship
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2
12p Peace Vigil‡
7p Potluck & Quaker Study
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3
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4
10:30a-1p Food Pantry
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‡Federal Building, Golden Gate Ave. and Larkin St. †San Francisco
Friends School, 250 Valencia St.
