Do you provide religious education, including study of the Bible and of Friends history and practices in your Meeting? Do you ensure that schools under the care of Friends exemplify Friends’ Principles? Do you support and strive to improve the public schools? (DO YOU VOLUNTEER TO TEACH FIRST DAY SCHOOL?)

… the M&O committee … received a letter of transfer of membership from Tallahassee Monthly Meeting for Kathryn Fowler and her children, Kristin, Bradley and Marshall. The Meeting united with the committee's approval of this transfer.

A colleague at school shared an article with the staff at the beginning of the year about someone who has adopted a practice of silent Sundays. The author simply does not speak on that day. He is not a Quaker, although his motivation and rationale for the day of silence would resonate with Quakers. For those he encounters during the day who are unaware of his practice he has prepared simple cards to hand out explaining what he's doing. After an initial reaction of "Are you serious?" he finds that people are remarkably accepting, even admiring.

Gretel Von Pischke reported on the new roster..."

(some things never change)

"Treasurer's Report

"Stu Brown went over the present budget... The percentage of the budget raised as of November 10^th was 48.66%." There is approximately $6000 left to raise."

Ting Yi Oei gathered 14 Friends for meeting for worship with attention to business at 12 Noon on 11/11/01. The meeting opened with a reading of the Beatitudes from the Sermon on the Mount according to Matthew.

Al Taylor presented the treasurer's report.

By 11/11/01 (86% of the way through the year) the meeting had received $22,094--73% of budgeted contributions. Thirty four families contributed funds for the support of the meeting.

The Kindermusic instructor has discontinued classes in the meetinghouse. The nearly $4000 contributions she made to the meeting will need to be made up from other sources next year. Our conditional use permit does not us allow us to actively solicit tenants to rent the meeting house, but informal use of the building by interested parties can be arranged through the house and grounds committee.

Al Taylor also presented the report of the finance committee on the budget for 2002.

The committee has added line items for Building Use Fund and Capital fund in the amount of $2000; this is the chief reason for the increase from 2001 to 2002. We received about $4000 in contributions from people who used the meeting house during the week, which was recorded in the previous budget.

Friends are encouraged to record and report inkind contributions to the treasurer, in order to keep a complete record of the expenses incurred in operating the meeting.

Gretel Von Pischke reported for the nominating committee which consisted of Gretel, Katherine Cole, Dennis Jones, and Meg Wallace.

Because of conflicts in travel schedule it was impossible to finalize the nominating committee report before the business meeting.

However, at a called meeting for business on 11/18/01, the meeting united with appointment of Cathy Tunis as clerk, which appointment is reflected on the report included in the newsletter.

The meeting also united with two recommendations of the nominating committee, to wit:

Bonnie Stockslager spoke about the importance of maintaining contact with Baltimore Yearly Meeting through the BYM Meeting representative. Yearly Meeting days occur on the 3^rd Saturday of March and June, with a 5 day long Yearly Meeting in August. The meeting hopes that way will open for a Friend to serve in this capacity.

The House and Grounds committee was the first to make use of the internet mailing list set up by Gwen Zanin to remind Friends of the Meeting House Clean up on 11/17/01 from 9:00 to close.

Herndon Friends with an email address can be assigned to a group (herndonfriends@yahoogroups.com). Mail sent to this addressed will be screened by the web clerk and then forwarded to all Friends in the group. Friends who wish to join the group should email gzanin@chronicle.com. It is hoped that Friends will be able to use this technology to communicate about upcoming events.

Debbie Kirkman reported for the religious education committee.

The big kids raised 82 dollars in their meeting bake sale for the Heifer Project. (Bake sale funds for the year have already fulfilled the obligations for support of the child in the Philippines.)

The RE committee sponsored a Back to School night to introduce parents and others in Herndon Friends Meeting to the activities and goals of the Religious education program. The evening included a chili supper, ice cream sundaes, and presentations from the coordinators of each class.

The RE committee identifies an urgent need for volunteers as teachers for all age groups of the program.

First Day School teachers can use assistance in preparing the meetinghouse for classes on Sunday morning.

In 2002 I will mark the twentieth anniversary of my coming to Quaker Meeting. Like other convinced Quakers, I carry many memories and practices of another religious tradition. One of those I remember best was the benediction given by the minister at the close of the service. In the case of the Rye Presbyterian Church, everyone sang the final hymn as the choir recessed. The minister was the last one down the aisle. At the hymn’s close, after a brief silence, his voice would resonate from the back of the church: "May the grace of God be with you now and forever more. Amen." The organ would burst forth and the service was over. As a child I was impressed and I felt safe.

I’ve always loved the word grace. Just simply the sound of it bears powerful meaning for me. It does so every time we sing Amazing Grace. If there were a word I would utter to describe Jesus, should we meet, I bet (Quaker practice notwithstanding) that grace would spring forth. Recently, the expression grace under pressure took on more significance as I watched firefighters and others laboring to save lives after the attacks on September 11^th.

However one might choose to define grace, it is a comforting and reassuring notion to have that sense that God is there with you, watching over your shoulder especially when things are looking bleak. As Quakers we recognize that there is that of God, the Light Within, in everyone. God’s grace, then, is both an external and internal presence. One part of finding God’s grace is to nurture that Light Within; another is to seek and recognize the Light in others.

We are entering another holiday season where recognizing God’s grace is as important as ever. Ramadan has just begun; Thanksgiving is around the corner; Hanukah and Christmas follow soon after. May the grace of God be with us all – now and forever more.

Reston Interfaith--originally Reston Interfaith Housing Corporation has as part of its primary mission promoting affordable housing in our areaa. Operating the Embry Rucker Homeless Shelter and buying townhomes to rent at subsidized rates are two of RI's programs. For the last 7 years RI has been working with Fairfax County to manage the 198 unit apartment complex at Cedar Ridge. Originally built as subsidized housing, the complex's initial certification was expiring, and the developer was planning to convert the units to market rates. Fairfax County, HUD, and RI have been working to keep the units affordable; as part of that program, Reston Interfaith has tendered an offer to buy the complex. When the deal is completed, it will provide an important intermediate step for families moving up the housing ladder.

Herndon Friends Meeting will be participating in Reston Interfaith's Holiday Assistance Programs. We have agreed to provide two holiday food baskets, and to provide gifts for one family in the Adopt a Family Program. Food for the baskets will be available for purchase at the December Potluck. The gift wish lists for the family will be available at the 25^th day 11^th month First Day Worship service. Friends will be asked to "adopt" one member of the family for holiday presents.

Despite the execution of Christopher Beck on 10/18/01 for the murders of Florence Marks, William Miller, and David Kaplan, there is progress against the death penalty in Virginia. There were only two executions in Virginia in 2001, compared to 8 in 2000 and 14 in 1999. The release of Jeffrey Cox on 11/14/01 after 11 years in jail for a murder of which he was cleared by additional evidence not only produced the first invalidation of the "21 day" rule, but it highlighted the danger of possibly executing an innocent person. Keep the faith.