Abington Quarterly Meeting Annual Report 2/4/2024
This past year the Quarter has received minutes and letters of concern from LancasterMM, Gwynedd
MM and Plymouth Mm regarding what is termed as “ White Christian nationalism”, the rhetoric and and
concern, is steeped in racism that magnifies the deep division in our country. In worship we united with
the minutes and sent Lancaster MM our endorsement of their Minute.
At our February Meeting for Business we heard from Paige Menton (Plymouth). She started a non
profit group called “ Journey Works”. The mission of the group is to mobilize volunteers to replace
grass mowing culture in our landscaped areas ,by planting native pollinators. Native plants create better
habitat for flora & fauna life in our natural world. Once established. these areas require less energy to
maintain. Plus using no chemicals and pollution from gas mowers.
We have received concern from Plymouth MM, through our AQM Worship & Ministry committee, the
concern of terroristic violence shown to local Synagogues in their local ministerium. There is a
heightened level emergency preparedness of our schools. As racist in our wider community feel
emboldened to demonstrate hate crimes. There is a need to be prepared for the threat of violence in our
meetings. We brought this concern forward on the agenda at our August business meeting. In
preparation for this discussion. Gwynedd MM started with an ad hoc committee to vision, what do do if
an active shooter was present. This being important, they decided they were uncomfortable with this
extreme focus and broadened the scope to be prepared of Violence or any other emergency. We as a
community need a plan for an emergency if it arises. Abington MM shared their journey regarding this
and recommended resource from CISA( a federal agency, Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security
Agency) This resource can be found on the internet. searching for “Protecting Houses of Worship’.
Our witness to Peace, and Social Justice is regularly part of our prayers to God.
Our concern regarding the war in Ukraine and Russia. Israel and Palestine have given us all time to
reflect and pray for conflict resolution that isn’t killing our fellow man.
The great migration in the world, where people who are struggling in their homelands. Find it necessary
to migrate to new countries, even when the journey often puts their personal safety at risk.
There have been several of our monthly meetings raising concern’s of land acknowledgement statements, regarding the the Native Americans who lived here before the great colonization that took place in the migration of europeans to this land. Many meeting’s want to share their concern for the native Americans people, and look for a path forward to find some
reconciliation.
We received a minute from Gwynedd MM, questioning the process that our Yearly meeting used to
develop our Advocacy Policy. They questioned the weight of the policy on friends, who want to be able
to have civil discourse about issues that are in conflict with their faith & practice. We approved the
minute and we forwarded it to PYM.
The quarterly meeting has found it necessary to hire a Communications Coordinator.
With the focus of helping our monthly meetings, reverse the direction of our attendance that has been
dwindling over the past number of years. This is a strategic plan to lift up the monthly meetings to
communicate with our quarterly meetings and reach out to our local areas. With the focus of attendance
at activities driven by each of our Monthly meetings.
The quarter’s committee structure has grown this past year. We have added the AQM Finance Committee, to help facilitate creating at budget, audit of the treasurer and generally assisting the treasurer, where needed. The committee has three members at large Marguerite Hayes (Norristown) and Jim Hejl (Gwynedd) and Robert Reiff (Unami)Tom Armstrong
(Plymouth) AQM Treasurer and Linda White (Plymouth) Assistant Treasurer and Kelly Green(Norristown)
AQM Clerk.
The AQM Coordinator Support Committee is another new committee set up to insure that we are
giving our new coordinator, support to succeed in the scope of work we have described in our Job
description for the coordinator. The committee consists of the Clerk of the quarter, Kelly Green, AQM
Treasurer, Tom Armstrong, Worship & Ministry Representative Amelia Diamond(Abington) and
Communications committee Bob Reiff. The communications representative will have the main focus of
inter action with the new coordinator. We will meet together to look at the work and the challenges of the
coordinator. Our focus will be to make this a successful relationship.
Abington Quarterly Meeting Annual Report 2/4/2024
In the work over the last year and a half, We formed an Ad-Hoc committee to vision what a
coordinator’s work would entail. How we could develop a strategy that would be successful in bringing
our Faith & Practice to more people in our respective communities. We want thank all those people who
labored through the many zoom meetings. We laid the ad hoc committee down this last February.
We are blessed with the continued support of active individuals who meet regularly with in the
quarter’s committee structure. Committee work helps us all, share the experience and life of our quaker
faith & practice.
The AQM Worship & Ministry committee has been active in supporting the ministry of our Monthly
meetings. The committee has representatives from all the Monthly meetings. They meet monthly to share
the ministry and life of each monthly meeting. The clerk is Anne Hill (Gwynedd).
JUNIOR & MIDDLE SCHOOL FRIENDS CONFERENCES
In 2022-2023 we celebrated the 45th ANNIVERSARY of these youth conferences!
The Abington Quarter Junior Friends Conference (JFC) and Middle School Friends Conference (MSFC)
provide a supportive and spiritual environment for young people 2nd through 8th grades who are
members or attenders of one of the Abington Quarter Monthly Meetings. Young people in the
Quarter high school age and older participate as counselors. This past year Karen Shanoski’s (Norristown) support continues to help in the planning of JFC & MFC, she also taught the religious aspect of the conference this year. Joe Schatz (Plymouth) and Stephanie Rushie (Horsham) Co-directors of the Conference. We all are lifted up by this Mission and activity!
The Communications Committee of Abington Quarter is working towards a collaborative
approach to websites, social media, in-reach (communications within our Monthly Meetings and Quarter)
and outreach (improving our visibility to the non-Quaker world of seekers).The committee has
representation of all the monthly meetings. They hold regular meetings to help with tech support of the
shared HUBB Web platform we all use. Bob Reiff is the convener of the committee.
The AQM Home & Care committee is responsible for making decisions with respect to assistance for members of Abington Quarter. The designated funds that the committee for this purpose are General Fund for Aging, elderly members
wherever residing; F. Palin Spruance, members entering or residing at Foulkeways; Enabling Fund, assistance to members and their dependents of all ages.
Every Monthly Meeting has representation on the Home and Care Committee. These representatives
are responsible for maintaining good communication with the Care & Council committees of Monthly
Meetings, in regards to those who may be in need of financial support. Clerk of the committee is Bonnie
Miller (Plymouth) Rebecca Cratin(Plymouth) is the Home & Care administrator.
The AQM Fund continues to provide assistance to Monthly Meetings requests.
The mission of the Abington Quarterly Meeting Fund:
To strengthen Abington Quarterly Meeting and its constituent Monthly Meetings by funding
projects and activities within Quaker principles and beliefs. clerk of the committee is Dave
Miller(Plymouth)
The AQM newsletter has been published and distributed 4 times this past year! We want to thank
Christopher Mrozinski(Plymouth), the editor of the, Abington Quarterly Meeting’s Newsletter .
The AQM Trustees are responsible for the oversight of our invested funds for quarter. The AQM
Trustees were established as a corporation in 1927 and originally formed to take title to and manage the
endowment fund of the Abington Friends Home and to hold title to other property of the Quarter. The
Abington Friends home closed in 1970. Each Monthly meeting has a representative on the Trustees. The
two larger meetings, Abington & Gwynedd have two trustees. Russell Bishop (Gwynedd),is the past
President.
I would like to thank the Recording clerks who have recorded the sense of our meetings for AQM,
Paige Menton & Dan Turner(Abington) with their minutes. This archive of our Abington QuarterlyMeeting
can be found on the AQM website and the Friends Historical library at Swarthmore College. The website
and the library are a great resources. I can report the community of Abington Quarter is spiritually led in
the manner of the Religious Society of Friends. We are blessed with the Leading’s & Ministry of the
people attending our 9 monthly meetings who we serve.
Kelly Green ,Clerk of Abington Quarterly Meeting
