2nd Month 11, 2007 A Newsletter of Herndon Friends Meeting - Quakers - Reston & Herndon Virginia      No.153
Calender of Events
2/24/07 Ice Skating at Reston Town Center for Junior Senior Class Details to follow
2/25/07Peace and Social Concerns Committee Meeting at rise of meeting for worship
3/4/07Potluck at rise of Meeting for Worship
3/11/07Quaker Parenting and Family Life: Adult First Day School Discussion 9:00 AM at the Meeting House
3/11/07Meeting for Business at rise of Meeting for Worship
3/24/07Spring Interim Yearly Meeting Day-Gunpowder Meeting

2nd Query: Meetings for Business

Are Meetings for Business held in a spirit of worship, understanding and forbearance? When direction seems lacking, is this seen as a challenge to a more prayerful search for truth? Do we humbly set aside our own preconceived notions as to proper action, seeking instead Divine Guidance as to the right course? Is the Meeting aware that it speaks not only through its actions but also through its failure to act? Do you participate regularly in Meetings for business, discharge faithfully your committee responsibilities, and assume your share of the financial support of the meeting?

Meeting For Business 2-11-07

Ione Taylor gathered 15 Friends to Meeting for Worship with Attention to Business with a reading from Psalms 100: 1-5. Erin Doland was welcomed to her first Meeting For Business.

Friends United with a Minute of Appreciation drafted by the clerk:

HFM expresses gratitude to members of the Elementary First Day Class for their generous act of baking, decorating and sharing sugar cookies with our Meeting on January 21st, 2007. Everyone in the Meeting for Worship was lifted onto the wonderful aroma of those baking cookies as it crept from the kitchen, under the door and into the Meeting Room. Then to be greeted at Rise by a Young Friend’s smile and a plate of tasty treats was just delightful. In addition we appreciate your working to earn money to donate to the meeting on 2/11/2007. Thank you for you kind acts of sharing.

Catherine Wilkins reported that RE and Ministry and oversight are considering ways to relieve the First Day School space problems. While the search for additional space to rent or build goes on, the RE committee suggested that we may be able to use our space more efficiently by having more than one session of Meeting for Worship and First Day school each First Day. One possibility would be to have a Meeting for Worship and First Day school session from 9:30 to 10:30 for Infants, Little Friends, and Elementary classes, then a ½ mingling period for announcements and singing, and then a second Meeting for Worship and First Day school for the Junior Senior Classes from 11:00 to 12:00. In this schedule, the first First Day of each month would follow schedule, with the seniors staying in meeting for worship and potluck following. Another possibility discussed was to have a meeting for Worship form 9:15 to 10:15, then have First Day School for all from 10:30 to 11:15, using the meeting room for first day school classes for the juniors and seniors, and another meeting for worship from 11:30 to 12:30. During the discussion, it was also suggested that it might be possible to have First Day School for some classes on an alternating basis—teaching Juniors and Seniors twice a month and Elementary, Little Friends and Infants twice a month. It was recognized that none of these proposals is ideal, but that they may have advantages over the current situation, or the logistical and financial hurdles created by other solutions. Friends united with the recommendation from Cat that RE and M&O will distribute a survey to the whole meeting to propose some ideas on how this might happen followed by a discussion session either at 9:00 am before Meeting for Worship or a Worship Sharing session during Meeting for Worship, to be determined.

Al Taylor reported for the Ad Hoc Building Options Committee. The meeting united with the recommendation that Cat Wilkins be a member of the Ad Hoc Building Options Committee. The committee has been looking for properties for sale, but reports no likely opportunities yet.
Don Chamlee reported from his continuing work on an addition to the meetinghouse that the set back requirements for our lot make it very unlikely that we will be able to add a room to the side of the meeting house. Any addition would more likely have to go on the back, shrinking the parking lot slightly. Many complications are arising including storm water management, new sidewalks and gutter, handicapped bathroom, and use of a land use lawyer for a special exception process. No funds have been expended yet in our consideration of expansion, and Don is looking forward to presenting a concrete proposal for consideration later this spring.
The meeting agreed with a proposal from Meg Wallace presented by Katherine Cole to provide mailing labels for Meg for a mailing to Herndon Friends soliciting support for Northern Virginia Friends School. In keeping with our privacy policy, we will not distribute the mailing list to NVFS. Herndon Friends have been supportive of the Friends School in the past. Meg Wallace and Herndon Friend Dennis Jones are both on the board of the school.

Ten Years Ago—In The Light
(In the “some things never change” department…)


“The Hospitality Committee is asking for each member or attender to bring a family photo for a picture board. Photos will be returned. If no picture is available, Bonnie Stockslager can arrange to take one at meeting.” (There are now 111 Friendly Photos on display with names.)

Young Friends Movie Night

Ione and Al Taylor hosted a movie night for young friends on 2/10/7, with Liz Hoy providing FAP (Friendly Adult Presence) backup. Lindley Taylor, Lauren Hoy, Anna McCormally, Luke and Matt Cresson met to watch “Can We All Be Friends” a documentary produced in Greensboro about the different varieties of Quaker practice in North Carolina Yearly Meeting. The experiences of Conservative, Evangelical, FUM, and FGC Friends were outlined. Young Friends recommended that the video be shown to the entire meeting, and thought it would be especially valuable for new attenders.

Focus on First Day School

Herndon Friends has a very active First Day School Program. Under the direction of Co-Clerks Liz Hoy and Cat Wilkins the Religious Education committee organizes a continuing program of spiritual enrichment for our Quaker Youth. Each class has a coordinator who does the bulk of the teaching and supervises the curriculum when other Friends are led to teach.

Cat serves as the coordinator for the Infants to age three group, which meets in the nursery. The meeting has six children in this age group, and when the editor visited the class was anticipating their Valentines Day party. Joseph Long enjoyed exploring the toy basket, while Finn Wilkins and Kevin Williams were mainly focused on keeping their mothers in view. Cat explained that the curriculum focuses on helping the children learn to share, to use their “inside voices” (more than their inner light), to trust adults other than their parents, and to learn about cleaning up. Because the children’s parents often stay with them in class, it is also an opportunity for parents to share techniques and processes for successful parenting. A door that closes is a big advantage in maintaining the structure of the class, but the space is tiny, particularly since it also used for storage of items not wanted in the main rooms—like the TV, the toy chest, or the whiteboard.

Meg Wallace is the usual teacher for the Little Friends Class for the children from 3 to school age. Class structure is simple: story, craft, snack, but it meets the needs for the 5 to 6 children who attend. Meg opens each class with a candle lighting to help the children think about the inner light, and then practices “a moment of silence” for centering. On this day, the children stayed focused for a whole minute! Meg has also designed an attendance sculpture, where the children can add a bead every time they come to class. Haley Long is the class champ with 19 beads! Braden Huebsch took pleasure in being able to read part of the story book out loud by himself.

Kim Glazer leads the Elementary Class, which is working on a curriculum of stories about Jesus and his parables. Next week they are learning the story of the Good Samaritan, with plans to write a script and film this story. With Kim’s help, the children baked sugar cookies to share with meeting on January 21st. Kim asked Treasurer Al Taylor to describe to the class the finances of Herndon Friends and used that as a springboard to have the class talk about how to raise money. The children decided they wanted to contribute to the meeting finances, and so volunteered to ask their parents if they could do chores at home to earn money. The fruits of their labors were presented to business meeting on 2/11/2006 when the class was able to put $35 in the collection box.

Jon Burton and Fred Cresson are in the middle of their third year of leading the Junior class—10 boys if they all show up. They’ve designed a three year rotating curriculum covering Quaker history, Old Testament stories and New Testament stories and this year are working on the implications of the Sermon on the Mount. Because of our space crunch, the Junior Class is often combined with the Seniors. Fred is impressed with the way in which the gentle repetition of Quaker practices comes out in the way the Juniors and Seniors internalize the principles and bring them out in their conversations with each other.

Liz Hoy is the coordinator for the senior class, and has been actively leading a curriculum that focuses on promotion of peace through service activities. Liz has facilitated the William Penn House service projects as well as the sandwich making. The seniors have been very involved in making Junior Senior Business meeting a real force in the meeting, with their independent work supporting the Cape Verde School in western Africa. Lauren Hoy and Anna McCormally have both been to the monthly business meeting to report on the work of the Junior-Senior class.

Although all the teachers are acutely aware of the constraints of our space, the most often repeated request was for parents to bring their children to First Day School regularly. Regular reliable attendance is useful in building a curriculum that can build on itself as the year goes by, and in allowing the students to build deeper relationships to sustain them as they develop more and more interests.

Beautiful Voices

Tristan Kirkman, Aubrey Stanton and Sean Stanton were selected to participate in the All District Honor Choir of Virginia for District #9 on Saturday February 10th at Hylton High School. Aubrey and Tristan were selected as delegates to the All State Honor Choir to perform at the end of April in Blacksburg, Virginia.

The Meaning of Membership In Quaker Meeting

“Members and Attenders” is how we refer to the people who worship at Herndon Friends Meeting. What does it mean to be a “member?” Some Friends grew up in Quaker homes attending meeting as children. They are sometimes called “birthright” Friends. Others come to Quakerism later in life, often after experiencing other religious traditions. They may attend initially out of curiosity, or a sense that their spiritual journey has stalled. If the spiritual discipline of Friends speaks to them, they may finally begin to think of themselves as “Quaker”. These “convinced” Friends may consider asking for formal membership in meeting. The advices of Baltimore Yearly Meeting offer this: “Just as Friends have “affirmed the priesthood of all believers” so we also affirm that each Friend, not just the clerk, has a direct responsibility for the meeting. As we are all ministers of the Word, so we all are ministers to each other and to the community as a whole. As members of a community we look not to our rights, liberties and privileges, but to our obligations, responsibilities, and our duties.

Membership in the Religious Society of Friends is a spiritual commitment. To become a member, an applicant should have come experientially into general agreement with the Society’s principles of belief and testimonies. Membership carries with it spiritual obligations. Each member is called to participate in the Meeting’s spiritual life and to attend worship regularly…

The basic spiritual commitment creates practical obligations. The vitality of each Monthly Meeting depends on its members’ investments of time, energy and financial support. Friends put practical meaning into their spiritual commitment through regular participation in meetings for business, service on committees or as officers, regular financial giving, taking part in service projects under the care of the Meeting, assisting in maintenance of Meeting property, and representing the Meeting in community and wider Friends’ organizations.”

When is it right to apply for membership? Usually attenders have worshipped with the meeting for six months or so before they inquire about application for membership. Friends who wish to explore membership write a letter to the clerk of the Ministry and Oversight Committee (currently Priscilla Chamlee) expressing interest and asking for the appointment of a clearness committee to meet with them. The request comes to meeting for business for approval, and if no barrier is found a committee is appointed. There is no creedal test, and the clearness committee is appointed to assist the applicant in determining if membership is the next step on the Friend’s spiritual path.

There are few practical implications to formal membership: you can’t be clerk of the meeting, or be a member of the Ministry and Oversight committee unless you’re a member. (Some people think this is an advantage to not being a member.) It might be that a draft board would be more sympathetic to a Conscientious Objector claim to a person who was a formal member. But the real value is to solidify the Friend’s commitment to an ongoing spiritual process.

Unspoken Messages

Why I think we need a Friends' School
I have recently been asked to join the Board at the Northern Virginia Friends' School. In thinking this over, I had to look at why it would be worth my time and resources, aside from my fondness for the people there. It has been a useful process. I decided to accept the invitation and this is why. Early on, Quakers decided not to withdraw from the world but to be engaged. We tell the truth, celebrate and practice God's love and generosity, and find and practice alternatives to violence. We have organizations that do lobbying and service in our name, and we are involved personally in expressing these values in our families and our communities. I believe we have an obligation to share and teach these things in the world. A Friends' school is a powerful way we are present in the world. In our homes and in our Meeting, we seek to overcome fear with faith and courage, violence with love and kindness, greed with simplicity and right -sharing, environmental destruction with self-regulation, and clamor with quiet. These are not easy lessons. Where is the rest of the world going to learn them? Who is going to do our work when we are gone? At Earlham College, there are words carved into the mantle in the big dining room. It says, “And they gathered sticks and kindled a fire and left it burning.” This is what I believe we are all called to do: build fires. Mind the light. The Friends' school is another fire. The school in the past has not done all it can to be well connected to the Herndon Meeting. I hope to help correct this.
Meg Wallace
You are Herndon Friends Meeting
Brief Notes

Service

The Junior Senior Class produced more than 70 lunches for the Embry Rucker Homeless Shelter during their class on 2/11/07. Katherine Cole delivered the sandwiches to the shelter, only to find the refrigerator stuffed with 270 lunches brought by other organizations that day. Their pantry truly runneth over. A couple of phone calls revealed that the Bailey’s Crossroads shelter was not so fortunate, so the sandwiches were transported there instead. While Terence and Katherine were delivering sandwiches, Nia Fonow and Matt Ravenstahl took a load of donated Sweatshirts downtown to the District to hand out to the homeless. The temperature is projected to be 40 degrees on 2/12—followed by a winter storm.

Membership in Quaker Meeting

Membership is costly … It is not just about belonging, feeling accepted, feeling at home. It has also to do with being stretched, being challenged, being discomforted … We can never be entirely sure of where the venture will lead us … [but] the one thing we can be sure of is that the process, taken seriously, will call us to change. Helen Rowlands, 1952 Worthiness has nothing to do with membership. God has already accepted us in our imperfection and is loving us forward toward a more perfect image of God’s self. The real issue in membership is commitment on the part of both the meeting and the applicant to remain faithful to the development and requirements of the process within Quaker tradition. Patricia Loring, 1997 Entry into membership of the Religious Society of Friends is a public acknowledgement of a growing unity with a community of people whose worship and service reflect, however imperfectly, their perception of discipleship and their recognition of the work of the Holy Spirit in the world. This unity is grounded in the experience of being ‘gathered’ in the love of God in the silent expectancy of our meetings for worship and in a willingness to surrender ourselves to a corporate seeking for the will of God in such measure as we can comprehend it. Britain Yearly Meeting 11.04

Peace Rally January 27,2007

In the largest rally yet, thousands of people including Herndon Friends met in Washington DC on January 27th to send a message that the war in Iraq must stop. Paul Murphy spoke in meeting of his experience at the march.. Point your browser to (American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) site to learn ways you can help end the war in Iraq.