Campus Friends Meeting
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
CAMPUS FRIENDS MEETING
March 21, 2007
Monthly Meeting for Business
Ellis Room, Friendly Center
Unapproved Minutes
PRESENT: Patricia Thomas, Richard Coleman, Lenna Mae Gara, Roger Schroeder, Stephen Potthoff, Bob Powell
CALENDAR OF COMING EVENTS
Sunday, Mar 25
9:15 am Inner Search, Boyd Lobby
10:30 am Meeting for Worship,
Quaker Heritage Center Meetinghouse
Greeter/Breaker: Canby Jones
Sunday, Apr 1
9:15 am Fellowship Breakfast. Searching for Peace in the Middle East, a DVD by Landrum Bolling will be shown
10:30 am Meeting for Worship,
Quaker Heritage Center Meetinghouse
Greeter/Breaker: Richard Coleman
2:00 pm Quaker Lecture by Michael Birkel and Margaret Fell on discernment.
Quaker Heritage Meetinghouse.
A new exhibit on John Woolman will open in the Quaker Heritage Center immediately following
Sunday, Apr 8
9:15 am Inner Search, Boyd Lobby
10:30 am Meeting for Worship,
Quaker Heritage Center Meetinghouse
Greeter/Breaker: Roger Schroeder
Sunday, Apr 15
9:15 am Inner Search, Boyd Lobby
10:30 am Meeting for Worship,
Quaker Heritage Center Meetinghouse
Greeter/Breaker: Patricia Thomas. Hymn-singing at the
rise of meeting, the hymns to be chosen by Patricia
Tuesday, Apr 17
9:30 am Ministry and Counsel
Canby Jones, Apartment 417
Friendly Center
Wednesday, Apr 18
7:00 pm Meeting for Worship with Attention to Business
Ellis Room, Friendly Center
Fri-Sun, Apr 20-22
First Annual Campus Friends Meeting Retreat
Quaker Knoll Camp. Theme: “Is God Green?”
See attached schedule
10:30 am Meeting for Worship at Quaker Knoll
Sun, Apr 29 9:15 am
Fifth Sunday. Bob Powell and Richard Coleman will speak
10:30 am Meeting for Worship
Quaker Heritage Meetinghouse
Friends gathered with a time of centering and a query from WYM Queries.
Minutes of the February meeting were approved.
Treasurer’s Report – Patricia Thomas reporting orally for Dale Hayes – the full report is attached to these minutes
Dale reported a “level of concern, but not alarm” over the pace of revenues. Friends are urged to raise the level of giving.
The report was approved.
Ministry & Counsel – Roger Schroeder
Roger reported that the committee has agreed on a draft State of Society Report. The report will be presented to Meeting for Business tonight.
There have been no further replies to our letter to distant friends. Friends not replying by the July meeting of Ministry and Council will be dropped from the rolls, in accordance with the procedures laid down in the faith and practice documents of the two yearly meetings.
The matter of Carol Swisshelm’s membership is still not resolved. The clearness committee appointed to sit with her has not been able to fix a time with her for doing so. Friends felt a sense of joy at seeing her in Meeting for Worship on Sunday and hope that a response will be forthcoming.
The suggestion of a special activity on the “fifth Sundays” was discussed as a means of enhancing the meeting’s sense of community. This idea arose out of the last fellowship breakfast, at which the State of Society queries were considered. Specifically, it was proposed the some additional activity be held before Meeting for Worship on the fifth Sunday. There are three such Sundays remaining in the calendar year 2007, offering opportunities for trying out several approaches. Ministry and Counsel decided to bring some ideas to Meeting for Business to determine (1) whether there is interest in pursuing the idea, and (2) what sort of activities friends are interested in.
Health of members was reviewed.
The report was approved.
Old Business
There was no old business
New Business
New Brochure. Patricia distributed copies of the revised meeting brochures. The brochures will be placed in the literature racks outside the meetinghouse and in Kelly Center.
OVYM Nominating Committee. We have received a request from the OVYM Nominating Committee for names of friends who might be willing to serve as Recording Clerk and Treasurer. Point of contact is Byron Branson (bwbranson@fuse.net).
Fifth Sunday activities. The meeting took up the idea of some sort of special activity on the fifth Sunday in those months that have five Sundays. The meeting expressed a longing for some means of increasing the sense of community in the meeting. Several ideas were put forward. Support coalesced behind the idea of learning more about one another through telling our stories. Bob Powell and Richard Coleman volunteered to try this out on the next fifth Sunday, Apr 29. The session will be held in place of Inner Search, from 9:15-10:15 in the meetinghouse. The trial will be assessed before the next fifth Sunday (in July). We may then decide to continue this approach or try something else. The meeting approved.
The Quaker Knoll Retreat. The Retreat Committee reported on their planning and presented an agenda for the retreat. In addition, volunteers were sought to provided various services during the retreat, particularly in preparing meals. The agenda and a summary of volunteer activities is attached to these minutes. It is stressed that the activities have been planned in such a way that friends can take part in all or any individual parts of the retreat as they are able.
Peace Candle. Patricia brought the story of a peace candle practice to the attention of the meeting. She was made aware of the tradition by Chris Burns-DiBiasio, who had it from Tom Snapp, pastor of St Peter Lutheran Church in Fort Myers, Florida. It goes back from one congregation to another to the Rev. Blair R. Monie of New York. While visiting the Soviet Union in 1985, when an old woman pressed a small sum of money on him, asking him to do something for world peace with it. After much thought, he purchased a small votive candle on the altar of his church and lit it. His congregation decided to make it a permanent practice and, further, to spread the practice by providing a supply of candles so that visitors so moved could take a candle back to their own congregations. No one knows just how many peace candles there are now, but it is that the practice has spread to at least eight countries.
Patricia suggested that Campus Friends might want to establish a similar practice in our meeting. The idea met with general approval. After a short discussion, friends decided to place a lit candle on a table in the meetinghouse during meeting for worship and to make available candles for visitors to take back to their own meetings. Patricia will make up a leaflet to go with the candles, make copies, and place them in the meetinghouse.
The meeting concluded with a period of silent worship.
NEXT MEETING FOR BUSINESS – April 18, 2007 -7:00PM - ELLIS ROOM
Patricia Thomas, Presiding Clerk
pcthomas42@earthlink.net
Bob Powell, Recording Clerk
rdp1710@gmail.com
Campus Friends Meeting Retreat
Quaker Knoll House
April 20-22, 2007
Topic: Is God Green?
Remember that everyone is invited to this retreat, attenders and non-attenders alike, including spouses! You may pick and choose from the activities you are able to participate in throughout the weekend and are welcome to stay for the entire weekend if you wish. You will need your own bedding and personal items if you spend the night. The kitchen is fully stocked with everything but food, so we will need to bring our own and clean up after ourselves. Friends chose a basic menu (below). Please contact Patricia or Stephen to indicate what you can bring to round out our meals!
FRIDAY:
6:30pm supper FOOD: hotdog roast (buns, marshmallows, etc)
8:00pm Activity – Storytelling (experiences with nature)
- Singing and worship
SATURDAY:
8:30am breakfast FOOD: on our own – coffee will be available
10:00am Activity – Is God Green? - a ‘Moyers on AMERICA’ DVD (we will watch the first half of it, followed by discussion)
Noon: Lunch FOOD: simple meal of soup (Patricia) bread (Ron), fruit
(Stephen)
1:00pm Activity – “Is God Green?” – finish the DVD followed by discussion
3-6pm FREE TIME: to include a nature walk with Jim Ramsey weather permitting
6:00pm supper FOOD: spaghetti (Bob)
7:00pm Activity: Sharing
– Everyone bring something about/of yourself to share
SUNDAY:
8:30am breakfast FOOD: on our own – coffee will be available
9:00am Activity – Spiritual Journeys sharing
– What does it mean to me to ‘walk gently on the earth’?
10:30am worship
Noon – closing meal together FOOD: vegetarian soup (Lenna Mae) plus carry-ins ¶ 12:26 PM 0 comments
March 21, 2007
Monthly Meeting for Business
Ellis Room, Friendly Center
Unapproved Minutes
PRESENT: Patricia Thomas, Richard Coleman, Lenna Mae Gara, Roger Schroeder, Stephen Potthoff, Bob Powell
CALENDAR OF COMING EVENTS
Sunday, Mar 25
9:15 am Inner Search, Boyd Lobby
10:30 am Meeting for Worship,
Quaker Heritage Center Meetinghouse
Greeter/Breaker: Canby Jones
Sunday, Apr 1
9:15 am Fellowship Breakfast. Searching for Peace in the Middle East, a DVD by Landrum Bolling will be shown
10:30 am Meeting for Worship,
Quaker Heritage Center Meetinghouse
Greeter/Breaker: Richard Coleman
2:00 pm Quaker Lecture by Michael Birkel and Margaret Fell on discernment.
Quaker Heritage Meetinghouse.
A new exhibit on John Woolman will open in the Quaker Heritage Center immediately following
Sunday, Apr 8
9:15 am Inner Search, Boyd Lobby
10:30 am Meeting for Worship,
Quaker Heritage Center Meetinghouse
Greeter/Breaker: Roger Schroeder
Sunday, Apr 15
9:15 am Inner Search, Boyd Lobby
10:30 am Meeting for Worship,
Quaker Heritage Center Meetinghouse
Greeter/Breaker: Patricia Thomas. Hymn-singing at the
rise of meeting, the hymns to be chosen by Patricia
Tuesday, Apr 17
9:30 am Ministry and Counsel
Canby Jones, Apartment 417
Friendly Center
Wednesday, Apr 18
7:00 pm Meeting for Worship with Attention to Business
Ellis Room, Friendly Center
Fri-Sun, Apr 20-22
First Annual Campus Friends Meeting Retreat
Quaker Knoll Camp. Theme: “Is God Green?”
See attached schedule
10:30 am Meeting for Worship at Quaker Knoll
Sun, Apr 29 9:15 am
Fifth Sunday. Bob Powell and Richard Coleman will speak
10:30 am Meeting for Worship
Quaker Heritage Meetinghouse
Friends gathered with a time of centering and a query from WYM Queries.
Minutes of the February meeting were approved.
Treasurer’s Report – Patricia Thomas reporting orally for Dale Hayes – the full report is attached to these minutes
Dale reported a “level of concern, but not alarm” over the pace of revenues. Friends are urged to raise the level of giving.
The report was approved.
Ministry & Counsel – Roger Schroeder
Roger reported that the committee has agreed on a draft State of Society Report. The report will be presented to Meeting for Business tonight.
There have been no further replies to our letter to distant friends. Friends not replying by the July meeting of Ministry and Council will be dropped from the rolls, in accordance with the procedures laid down in the faith and practice documents of the two yearly meetings.
The matter of Carol Swisshelm’s membership is still not resolved. The clearness committee appointed to sit with her has not been able to fix a time with her for doing so. Friends felt a sense of joy at seeing her in Meeting for Worship on Sunday and hope that a response will be forthcoming.
The suggestion of a special activity on the “fifth Sundays” was discussed as a means of enhancing the meeting’s sense of community. This idea arose out of the last fellowship breakfast, at which the State of Society queries were considered. Specifically, it was proposed the some additional activity be held before Meeting for Worship on the fifth Sunday. There are three such Sundays remaining in the calendar year 2007, offering opportunities for trying out several approaches. Ministry and Counsel decided to bring some ideas to Meeting for Business to determine (1) whether there is interest in pursuing the idea, and (2) what sort of activities friends are interested in.
Health of members was reviewed.
The report was approved.
Old Business
There was no old business
New Business
New Brochure. Patricia distributed copies of the revised meeting brochures. The brochures will be placed in the literature racks outside the meetinghouse and in Kelly Center.
OVYM Nominating Committee. We have received a request from the OVYM Nominating Committee for names of friends who might be willing to serve as Recording Clerk and Treasurer. Point of contact is Byron Branson (bwbranson@fuse.net).
Fifth Sunday activities. The meeting took up the idea of some sort of special activity on the fifth Sunday in those months that have five Sundays. The meeting expressed a longing for some means of increasing the sense of community in the meeting. Several ideas were put forward. Support coalesced behind the idea of learning more about one another through telling our stories. Bob Powell and Richard Coleman volunteered to try this out on the next fifth Sunday, Apr 29. The session will be held in place of Inner Search, from 9:15-10:15 in the meetinghouse. The trial will be assessed before the next fifth Sunday (in July). We may then decide to continue this approach or try something else. The meeting approved.
The Quaker Knoll Retreat. The Retreat Committee reported on their planning and presented an agenda for the retreat. In addition, volunteers were sought to provided various services during the retreat, particularly in preparing meals. The agenda and a summary of volunteer activities is attached to these minutes. It is stressed that the activities have been planned in such a way that friends can take part in all or any individual parts of the retreat as they are able.
Peace Candle. Patricia brought the story of a peace candle practice to the attention of the meeting. She was made aware of the tradition by Chris Burns-DiBiasio, who had it from Tom Snapp, pastor of St Peter Lutheran Church in Fort Myers, Florida. It goes back from one congregation to another to the Rev. Blair R. Monie of New York. While visiting the Soviet Union in 1985, when an old woman pressed a small sum of money on him, asking him to do something for world peace with it. After much thought, he purchased a small votive candle on the altar of his church and lit it. His congregation decided to make it a permanent practice and, further, to spread the practice by providing a supply of candles so that visitors so moved could take a candle back to their own congregations. No one knows just how many peace candles there are now, but it is that the practice has spread to at least eight countries.
Patricia suggested that Campus Friends might want to establish a similar practice in our meeting. The idea met with general approval. After a short discussion, friends decided to place a lit candle on a table in the meetinghouse during meeting for worship and to make available candles for visitors to take back to their own meetings. Patricia will make up a leaflet to go with the candles, make copies, and place them in the meetinghouse.
The meeting concluded with a period of silent worship.
NEXT MEETING FOR BUSINESS – April 18, 2007 -7:00PM - ELLIS ROOM
Patricia Thomas, Presiding Clerk
pcthomas42@earthlink.net
Bob Powell, Recording Clerk
rdp1710@gmail.com
Campus Friends Meeting Retreat
Quaker Knoll House
April 20-22, 2007
Topic: Is God Green?
Remember that everyone is invited to this retreat, attenders and non-attenders alike, including spouses! You may pick and choose from the activities you are able to participate in throughout the weekend and are welcome to stay for the entire weekend if you wish. You will need your own bedding and personal items if you spend the night. The kitchen is fully stocked with everything but food, so we will need to bring our own and clean up after ourselves. Friends chose a basic menu (below). Please contact Patricia or Stephen to indicate what you can bring to round out our meals!
FRIDAY:
6:30pm supper FOOD: hotdog roast (buns, marshmallows, etc)
8:00pm Activity – Storytelling (experiences with nature)
- Singing and worship
SATURDAY:
8:30am breakfast FOOD: on our own – coffee will be available
10:00am Activity – Is God Green? - a ‘Moyers on AMERICA’ DVD (we will watch the first half of it, followed by discussion)
Noon: Lunch FOOD: simple meal of soup (Patricia) bread (Ron), fruit
(Stephen)
1:00pm Activity – “Is God Green?” – finish the DVD followed by discussion
3-6pm FREE TIME: to include a nature walk with Jim Ramsey weather permitting
6:00pm supper FOOD: spaghetti (Bob)
7:00pm Activity: Sharing
– Everyone bring something about/of yourself to share
SUNDAY:
8:30am breakfast FOOD: on our own – coffee will be available
9:00am Activity – Spiritual Journeys sharing
– What does it mean to me to ‘walk gently on the earth’?
10:30am worship
Noon – closing meal together FOOD: vegetarian soup (Lenna Mae) plus carry-ins ¶ 12:26 PM 0 comments
