At the 2018 Annual Sessions this year, there will be a booth during free time and dinner time on Thursday and Friday where Resource Friends will be available to talk with you about their work and what they might be able to support for you and your meeting. They will also be offering workshops on Friday and Saturday. Resource Friends help our community thrive by providing support in specific areas of concern in our monthly and quarterly meetings. They offer a diversity of gifts and an extensive “how-to” knowledge-base. [Read more…] about Resource Friends at Annual Sessions!
Governance & Stewardship
Friends in Fellowship
Friends in Fellowship at Sessions
Our season of compelling Friends in Fellowship lecture events ended this May, but we will be offering seven Fellowship Workshop events this July at Annual Sessions, on July 26, 27 and 28 at the College of New Jersey.
You can attend any of the 30+ Thursday, Friday, or Saturday Workshops at Annual Sessions by signing up as a resident (overnight accommodations) or as a commuter (day trips). Programming is free. [Read more…] about Friends in Fellowship
Woodstown Friends Meeting’s Strawberry Supper Raises $5K for Fire-Stricken South Jersey Ambulance Assoc.
Chicken salad, rhubarb and, of course, strawberry shortcake and hand-dipped ice cream. For 126 years, the Quakers at Woodstown Friends Meeting have been serving up platefuls of this traditional fare at their annual Strawberry Supper. The proceeds always go to a charitable cause which could be scholarships for local students or funding for mine locators in war-torn regions throughout the world.
This February, when a fire ripped through the American Legion Ambulance Association of Woodstown destroying the building and life-saving ambulance vehicles, the Quakers knew they had to help.
“The suggestion to dedicate the supper to the ambulance squad was brought up and immediately endorsed by everybody,” said Kahlil Gunther, clerk of Woodstown Friends Meeting.
With overwhelming community support, 2018 turned out to be one of the most successful Strawberry Suppers in recent memory — a whopping 552 tickets sold.
“Not only did ticket sales increase but so many people and businesses contributed supplies and made contributions toward purchasing items for the menu,” said Gunther. “It was the same supper, but it took on a new and exciting atmosphere.”
The hard work of Woodstown Friends Meeting and the greater Woodstown community resulted in the delivery of $5,000 check to Joe Valentine, President of the Woodstown Ambulance Association, who has had to shoulder much of responsibility of rebuilding.
“It has been probably the most stress that I’d have to endure in my life but one of the good things has been watching how everyone has come together,” said Valentine.
Memorial Service and Obituary: Penny Colgan-Davis
Date for Memorial–Saturday, July 21 at 10:00
A memorial service for Penny will be held Saturday, July 21 at Germantown Monthly Meeting, 47 W. Coulter Street, Philadelphia, PA 19144.
The service will begin at 10 AM. Contributions in her name can be made to the Kelly School Library Fund; c/o Germantown Monthly Meeting; 47 W. Coulter Str. Phila. PA 19144.
Contributions may also be made to the Ridgeway Scheirer Fund for Peace and Justice at Philadelphia Yearly Meeting. Mail to 1515 Cherry St.; Phila. PA 19102 to the attention of the Development Office.
OBITUARY –
Educator, activist, traveler, Joan Penny Colgan-Davis, 72, passed away on Tuesday, June 19, 2018. Diagnosed with melanoma in November of 2017, she battled the illness for 6 months, before dying at her home in the Mt. Airy section of Philadelphia. Known as a leader in progressive education and active in the Philadelphia Religious Society of Friends, she brought innovative changes to a number of educational institutions and positively affected the lives of hundreds of students, parents and teachers throughout her long career. She is survived by her husband, John, her son, Evan, her brothers Tim and Tony, and her sister, Debby.
Penny was born in Wilmington, Delaware on October 21, 1945, and lived for many years in Arden, DE. Her parents were Tom and Joan Colgan. Born into a Quaker family, Penny grew up in a house and community that believed in social action. She was taken to Civil Rights Marches as a child, and that started her life-long concern with social justice. When she graduated from Guilford College in 1967, she became an elementary school teacher at Philadelphia’s Miller Elementary School and taught for there for 6 years. Following the protracted teacher’s strike of 1973, she left the school district, saying, “We struck for weeks, and when it was over I was still 1 teacher in a classroom with 33 students. That was not good for the students or for me.” She also had some different educational ideas she wanted to try out, so she joined a parent-run cooperative school in West Philadelphia-the University City New School.
At the New School she helped develop curriculum that featured research projects powered by student questions, plenty of outdoor play and study time, hands-on learning, student designed art projects, and consciously working on building and maintaining a supportive community. These ideas were important ones to her, and they became hallmarks of her later work at other schools. For Penny, education had to be active, involving students in questioning, making knowledge, discovery, and community building. Wherever she went she brought that vision into the lives of countless families.
Following the New School she was a lower school teacher at Friends Select School for3 years, eventually becoming the Director of Lower School for another 3 years. She also served as the principal of the Miquon School in Miquon, Pa for 11 years. From there she became the first head of the Russell Byers Charter School. Finally, she was Head of Frankford Friends School, from which she retired in 2015. At each place she worked she brought the vision and values she believed in and helped change each school in meaningful ways. Her influence was profound, and many of the programs and approaches she introduced can still be found in each of the institutions she led.
Retirement did not mean she was no longer involved with schools. At the time of her death Penny was organizer and leader of a group of volunteers who made the once closed library at the Kelly public elementary school in Philadelphia a vital part of the school. That project continues to grow and thrive. She was also an esteemed mentor in the University of Pennsylvania’s Aspiring Principals Program, helping to train future public and private school principals.
Penny was very active in Philadelphia’s Quaker Community. A member of Germantown Monthly Meeting, she took an active role in that meeting and eventually became clerk for the meeting. She later became clerk for Philadelphia Yearly Meeting, the organization representing Quaker meetings in the tri-state area. She took a role in the re-organization of the Yearly Meeting and was active in it until her illness made that impossible.
Penny was not just an educator and Quaker activist. She was an active person for whom the world offered opportunities to explore. She was a tent camper, a birdwatcher, a quilter, a lover of literature, and a gardener. She visited spots in Pennsylvania, in Canada, New Mexico and Arizona and more on birding trips with her husband. She and John camped regularly in upstate New York, Maryland, and yearly outside of Kingston, Ontario. Her garden is a wildlife friendly habitat and a stopover for hummingbirds, butterflies, finches, wrens and more. She grew herbs and vegetables that found their way to her kitchen and eventually to her table. She was a member of both a cookbook club and a literary book club. She was also a member of the Mt. Airy Quilters and loved to visit quilt shows and shops whenever she traveled. And she was an active participant in the movement to connect kids with gardening, starting an outdoor garden at Frankford Friends.
Penny Colgan-Davis led a full and joyous life that directly affected many people in many ways. Her giving spirit, sense of purpose, and love of life touched people of all ages. She will be well remembered and missed by many who were fortunate enough to know her. Her light shines brightly and casts a radiant glow.
A memorial service for Penny will be held Saturday, July 21 at Germantown Monthly Meeting, 47 W. Coulter Street, Philadelphia, PA 19144 from 10 AM until 1 PM. Contributions in her name can be made to the Kelly School Library Fund; c/o Germantown Monthly Meeting; 47 W. Coulter Str. Phila. PA 19144. Contributions can also be made to Ridgeway Scheirer Fund for Peace and Justice; Philadelphia Yearly Meeting; 1515 Cherry St.; Phila. PA 19102
Update July 7, 2108 — An additional obituary has been published in the Philadelphia Inquirer.
39th Annual Nanticoke Lenape Powwow
The 39th Annual Nanticoke Lenape Powwow held on the Salem County Fairgrounds June 9th and 10th may now enter into history. Pow-Wow, from the Wampanoag Indian word “pauwau,” refers to a gathering, conducted by a holy man/ medicine man, to heal the souls and bodies for his people. In western states and Canada, it is a time for hunting, feasting, ceremonies, trading, friendly competitions. Today, these two ideas in combination are representative of the Powwow as well as an opportunity for Native Americans to reach out to share their culture with non-natives.
Chief Mark Quiet Hawk Gould commented in part, to “All My Relations and Supporters… Since 2012 we have been under attack by the NJ state government trying to break our spirit. Not because we did something wrong but because they wrongly think we might want something (casinos) that we have proven we believe is against our spiritual values. We must continue to help one another, like our families before us; support our youth and help them to advance; teach our history, teach survival, teach respect and spirituality…Whatever happens in the courts, whatever the verdict we hope will come soon…we have won!”
By invitation, the Salem Quarter Indian Affairs Committee was present with a table display. Ensuing conversations highlighted the booklet by Pastor JR Norwood (Nanticoke-Lenape), “We Are Still Here”; the work of the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition; Toward Right Relations with Indigenous Peoples, workshops by invitation; and Mickleton MM’s last of their Series Toward Radical Justice and Fearless Faithfulness (set for Sept. 16 at rise of fellowship ~11:30.) An additional handout featured all 7 of our SQ meetings’ addresses and times for worship; the reverse side showed our SQ Minute of Support for the Nanticoke-Lenape Tribal Nation toward Reaffirmation by the state of NJ.
The 6-hour fundraising effort raised over $60 for the Nanticoke-Lenape Tribal Nation and priceless stories. In conversation, we were one step away from friends of F(f)riends, perhaps you know a few of them too: Lisa Garrison, Judy Suplee, Peggy (Colson) Warner, Mary Waddington, Thompson family, Mary Crauderueff, Arla Patch, Christie Duncan-Tessmer, Mary Ellen McNish, Donna Boyle (Choctaw-Cherokee descendant), Mary Ann Robins (Onondaga/Seneca), Sandra Cianciulli (Oglala Lakota), Jeremy Newman, Cara Blume. Add to the personal connections, the Opening Ceremonies; Tribal Prayer Circle Ministry; Royalty; dances (Fancy/ Shawl, Grass, Traditional, Jingle, round, Sneak-Up, Snake, Rabbit/Two-Step, Ribbon, Hoop); birds of prey and a car show; it takes two days to just begin to experience the beauty.
So, find your calendar now…mark the second weekend in June for the Annual Nanticoke-Lenape Powwow! See you for the 40th, June 2019!
Change of Status for the PYM Clerk Role
Dear Friends,
After March Continuing Sessions Presiding Clerk Penny Colgan-Davis communicated with Melissa Rycroft, Clerk of Nominating Council that, due to health concerns, she was stepping down immediately as Clerk of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting. Penny simultaneously shared this news with the Clerks of Administrative and Quaker Life Councils, the PYM Treasurer, and our General Secretary, and then with our three Alternate Clerks. We are tremendously grateful to Penny for her faithful, grounded, and heartfelt service to the yearly meeting in this role and hold her in the Light as she moves forward in this next chapter of her life.
Nominating Council intends to bring forward a nomination for Presiding Clerk as the first order of business at our Annual Sessions in late July. Until then, we need to chart our way forward without a presiding clerk until the start of Annual Sessions. The PYM Governance Handbook does not make provision for this, so the Council Clerks, the Treasurer, and the three Alternate Clerks have come together to craft a plan, which they revised and refined following consultation and input from members of the three councils on a joint Zoom web/phone conference. It will allow us to move forward and be prepared for Annual Sessions this summer. It takes into consideration the published job descriptions for Presiding Clerk, Rising Clerk (which we do not have right now) and Alternate Clerks, as well as each individual’s available time and familiarity with matters before PYM which require attention to get us to Annual Sessions in good order. Throughout this process we have worked outward, continuously including a broader range of input to arrive at this plan.
The three Alternate Clerks, Amy Kietzman, Tom Hoopes and Chris Lucca, and the clerks of Quaker Life and Administrative Council, Amy Taylor Brooks, and Bruce Haines, will function as a collaborative group to perform the duties of the clerk that are necessary to get us to Annual Sessions in July. The two council clerks will convene this group.
We have learned a lot in the course of making this plan. One is that the job description for Alternate Clerks is very much to assist and serve as a support, as requested by the clerk. As a result, each alternate clerk has unique and defined experiences and knowledge. It also is clear that the Alternate Clerk role was not designed to be a full substitute for a presiding clerk and they have not inhabited it that way. A big part of our goal right now is to support the Alternate Clerks in preparing to take a greater clerking role coming into sessions and have greater participation in sessions planning than before. It is much harder to clerk what you have not helped prepare! This aligns with two of the more urgent and time-consuming roles in the clerk’s job description for attention before Annual Sessions which are to “work closely with the process for planning annual-sessions” and to “consult regularly with the General Secretary of the yearly meeting, and receive minutes and relevant correspondence for attention.” Quaker Life Council already oversees the Sessions Planning Committee and Administrative Council has oversight responsibility in regard to support these roles in addition to their background knowledge of the activities and business of PYM between sessions.
The Alternate Clerks have been invited to attend council meetings going forward, as the clerk would, and to become as engaged with Sessions Planning Committee as they can. Amy and Bruce will jointly receive communications to the clerk@pym.org email address and share responses with the team. The five of us are committed to making sure that the role of clerk is well covered for the next four months.
We know some of you may have questions to more fully understand this process. We are therefore scheduling two Zoom meetings to take your questions. These will be at 7:30 PM on Wednesday and Thursday, April 11 and 12. We invite you to join us. Instructions to participate are below.
Faithfully,
Amy Taylor Brooks, Clerk, Quaker Life Council
Bruce Haines, Clerk, Administrative Council
Amy Kietzman, Alternate Clerk
Tom Hoopes, Alternate Clerk
Chris Lucca, Alternate Clerk
Conference Calls
Date: Wednesday, April 11th, 2018
Start Time: 7:30 pm
Duration: 1 hours
Internal Phone Number: x 7110
External Phone Number: (215) 241-7110
Access Code: 89209543
Date: Thursday, April 12th, 2018
Start Time: 7:30 pm
Duration: 1 hours
Internal Phone Number: x 7110
External Phone Number: (215) 241-7110
Access Code: 22786837
To access these conference calls dial either the internal or external phone number and enter the access code when prompted. To mute or unmute your line press *1 .
50 years after Dr. King’s death, local Quakers are on the move and in the news.
“Human progress never rolls in on wheels of inevitability; it comes through the tireless efforts of men willing to be co-workers with God, and without this hard work, time itself becomes an ally of the forces of social stagnation.” — Dr. Martin Luther King, Letter from Birmingham
Washington, DC – Live stream Quaker Volunteer Service’s Director of Equity and Inclusion, Oscar Castro, and PYM’s General Secretary, Christie Duncan-Tessmer as they make their remarks on the mall at 10:30 today. They are being featured at the National Council of Church’s (NCC)—Act to End Racism—a day-long event. The gospel singer/actress Yolanda Adams, the Dakota tribal leader, Louie Blue Coat, and actor Danny Glover will be speaking, along with faith leaders, the health professional, Dr. Mary I. O’Connor and the civil rights activist, DeRay McKesson. This event is a kick-off for a longer-term, national, undertaking that will tap into NCC’s network of 100,000 churches to work to bring about an end to racism.
Philadelphia, PA – A Quaker from Newtown Meeting, Norval Reece, who worked and marched with Dr. Martin Luther King, will be featured on CBS between 5:00 and 6:00 PM. A video of that feature has been posted below. He will be talking about his activism with Dr. King, and about the jobs creation/economic justice planning they did several months before King was killed.
PYM Youth March for Our Lives
On Saturday, March 24, at Spring Continuing Sessions, Youth from across PYM participated in the March for Our Lives at the Capitol in Harrisburg, PA.
The morning program was spent in preparation: wondering about how we let our lives speak as Friends, talking about what it is like to attend a march/rally, and processing different perspectives on the issue of gun control. Youth returned to the space where meeting for business was being held and gave a report of their concerns, including where they align with the March for Our Lives platform, and what they hope will change. One of the YM recording clerks later claimed the big piece of paper they had written on, explaining, “For the minutes!” They are now part of the history of PYM.
Also before lunch, the PYM body attending Sessions was asked if they had words to share with the youth, sustenance to send them off to the march in the afternoon. We acknowledged that for some Youth, this was their first time attending a march or rally like this. There was a lot of experience bearing witness among Friends in that room! Out of the silence, Friends called out,
“Be strong!”
“You are loved!”
“Stand in your truth!”
“God is with you!”
“Speak truth for justice!”
And many other messages.
We arrived at the Capitol and joined in the March around a city block and then assembled with the group on the Capitol steps. We carried the PYM banner and homemade signs. We chanted with other marchers. We created chants! One was “We want silence, not gun violence!” We stayed together, and took care of one another in our group, which was joined by about a dozen other Friends.
Back at Harrisburg Meeting during the debrief of the experience, the young Friends shared feelings of hope and calls to action. One MSF participant said, “Before, talking about this, I felt like we were in a bubble. But we’re part of something bigger.” They reminded us that there’s more to do, and suggested ways PYM and their local meetings can support them to network, stay in touch, and share information with each other.
They were student activists on Saturday. Not our future, but our now.
Youth Programs, Give Feedback on Vision & Mission
Dear Friends,
The Youth Programs Sprint group has nearly completed its work to propose a vision, mission and governance structure for our yearly meeting’s youth programs. The Sprint group, through several iterations, looked at the history of our youth programs and considered their future. The Sprint group intentionally sought out voices that we don’t always hear from, including those of LGBTQ families, Friends of Color, and Friends involved in religious education at monthly and quarterly meetings. Voices of young people themselves were also included in the discernment process, and several members of the Young Friends community serve on the Sprint group.
Friends from across the yearly meeting are invited to read the proposal and to submit feedback to the Clerk of the Youth Programs Sprint, Kri Burkander, at kri@burkander.com.
Based on feedback, the proposal will be revised, and a final version will be brought to the April meeting of the Quaker Life Council. The proposal will also be included in advance documents for Continuing Sessions on Saturday March 24, where Friends will have an opportunity to give feedback during the Quaker Life Council report.
Friends can read the report in full below or view it on the PYM website.
Sincerely,
Kri Burkander, Clerk
Youth Programs Sprint
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The Proposal
Vision Statement
Philadelphia Yearly Meeting children, youth and their families will feel connected to and engaged with the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) via programs and practices that provide for connection, engagement, and the invitation into deeper relationship with God.
Mission Statement
PYM demonstrates our commitment to community, accessibility, and the foundation of our Quaker faith by working together to provide youth of all ages with opportunities for meaningful participation in our Quaker community and support for their spiritual journeys.
This mission is anchored in four pillars: Community, Accessibility, Quaker Faith and Values, and Meaningful Participation.
The first pillar is Community. We aim to provide youth, children, families, and seekers in our yearly meeting with opportunities to gather and be known to one another through shared experiences. We note that these opportunities may take place at either monthly, quarterly, or yearly meeting levels, and we are committed to supporting integration between and across these offerings. Additionally, our youth programs have the intention to nurture a sense of belonging and building supportive relationships within and among our youth, children, families, volunteers, and staff. To support this intention and these relationships, youth programs are structured to support the provision of pastoral care as appropriate by staff. Lastly, we recognize and celebrate the different youth communities within PYM and wish to nurture connections among them.
The second pillar is Accessibility. We aim to provide programs that are welcoming (with respect to race, physical ability, class, gender, familiarity with Quaker process, geographic location, or any other condition brought forward) with adequate support and accommodations that encourage participation by all. Our commitment to accessibility means that we recognize that the diversity within our community, as well as the broader community, strengthens us.
The third pillar is Quaker Faith and Values. Our programs are intended to invite all children, youth, and their families into deeper relationship with Spirit and nurture an understanding of our Quaker faith, traditions, and practice. Our programs provide youth with opportunities to grow spiritually, cultivate their leadership ability, learn and own Quaker process, and care for each other in loving community. We aim to nurture the capacity of youth to build Quaker faith communities and equip our youth to bear Quaker witness in the world.
The fourth pillar is Meaningful Participation. We are driven to provide children, youth, and their families with experiences that speak to their needs for exploration, knowledge, spiritual growth, and leadership development. We believe that these experiences provide children and youth with important skills as well as engendering a commitment to remain engaged with the Religious Society of Friends and this Yearly Meeting through the years.
Governance Structure
Youth Programs Advisory Committee (“Y-PAC”)
A committee of Quaker Life Council.
Membership: 9 members
-Youth Engagement Coordinator (Melinda)
-Associate Secretary for Program and Religious Life (Zachary) – ex officio
-MSF youth representative
-YF youth representation
-at least one member of Youth Sprint III
-parent representative
3-at-large members suggested by Nominating Committee (approved by QLC)
Membership Notes:
In considering membership for this committee, attention should be paid to all aspects of diversity named above, including race, class, geographic location, and experience with Quakerism.
Youth members – at least one MSF and one YF who don’t necessarily serve as clerks (inviting new role as liaison to YPAC). Youth members may be active at any level of youth programming – monthly, quarterly, and/or yearly.
At large members are intended to provide outside voices that are not necessarily familiar to those on the YPAC or QLC, to ensure that youth programs are meeting the needs of all stakeholders. Guidance to Nominating should be to seek members from diverse parts of the YM, and those who bring the perspective of monthly and quarterly meetings, specifically those without Quarterly Meeting coordinators.
YPAC Responsibilities
- This group should meet no less than 4 times per year, and be available for consultation as needed with the Youth Engagement Coordinator
- Support the staff and volunteers in carrying out the mission and vision of the PYM youth programs
- Serve as a sounding board for Youth Engagement Coordinator
- Ongoing evaluation of the MSF and YF guidelines to ensure that they still meet the needs of the group and serve to support the vision and mission of youth programs
- Support the organization and coordination of Youth Resource Friends
- Consult with Administrative Council on any matters related to Youth Program staff
- Provide policy guidance for staff and volunteers throughout the yearly meeting, including those related to child safety
- Assisting with communication between youth programming and various communities within the YM
- Regularly evaluate that the YM youth programs are supporting the Strategic Directions of the YM and that programs are serving the needs of youth (recommend surveying youth who are involved and those not involved to identify areas of improvement)
PYM Staff Join National Walk Out Day
Quakers in our region have a long history of concern about gun violence. Individual monthly meetings and the yearly meeting have approved minutes and spoken with lawmakers about it. A campaign that grew out of PYM peace work successfully closed a Philadelphia gun shop with a tremendous reputation and record for straw purchases. At this time when the youth of our nation are taking leadership on addressing gun violence we have opportunities for joining them and for learning and action.
Today, the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting staff who were moved to do so joined youth across the country in a national walk out. At 10 AM, PYM staff stood with students from Friends Select School and others in front of City Hall. The students read aloud the names of those who were killed at the Parkland, FL high school shooting and called on our leaders to take action. More information about the walk out is on the web here.
You can follow live updates on walk outs happening all over the country on the New York Times website.
