Hamilton Monthly Meeting
of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers)
7 Butty Place, Hamilton, ON L8S 2R5
www.hwcn.org/link/hmm
quakers@hwcn.org
905-523-8383

NEWSLETTER
February 2002

Welcome to our newsletter! Happy reading.... There's several acronyms in this issue with which some of you may not be familiar. These include: Canadian Friends Service Committee (CFSC), Friends General Conference (FGC), Canadian Yearly Meeting(CYM), American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), Meeting for Worship for Business (either, M4W4B or MfWfB),Hamilton Monthly Meeting (HMM). I look forward to hearing from you for the next issue. Details about how to do that are at the end of the newsletter. Thanks to John and Rick for their technical help with this issue.

Dates to Remember
•    Friday evening and Saturday, February 22-23: HMM Spiritual Retreat (See below)
•    Monday, March 4: Potluck with CFSC's Marc Forget on "Jails and Justice"
•    Thursday, March 7: Meeting for Worship for Business
•    Thursday, March 21: Potluck Discussion on Faith and Practice Working Draft
•    June 29 - July 6: FGC, Gathering of Friends (More details in the next issue!)

Coffee list

    Feb 24        Tamara Fleming        Mar 17    Susan Wortman
    Mar 3        Kris Wilson-Yang        Mar 24    Mona Callin
    Mar 10         Helen Brink            Mar 31    Ray Cunnington

Seasons of the Spirit: A Retreat for Spiritual renewal

(Submitted by Bev Shepard)

To Be Held at the Meeting House
Friday evening, February 22nd, and
Saturday, February 23rd

Friday 7:30 p.m. - WINTER - a quiet time for reflection, a time to treasure what we have, to plan, and to come together in community. This session will be led by Rick McCutcheon.

Saturday 9:30 a.m. - SPRING - into life! with participant - suggested activities expressing exuberance and joy. Games, Songs, Dance, Poetry and more. This session will be led by Rex Barger.

Lunch provided

1:30 - SUMMER - time & the livin' is easy - A more intimate but relaxed sharing of our spiritual journeys or struggles, a time to get to know each other and what our spiritual lives mean to us and our community. Robbie McGregor will lead this session.

4:30 - FALL - harvest time, to reap what we can from what we've sown during the retreat; centering ourselves with chant as we prepare to re-enter the work-a-day world. Bev Shepard will lead this session.

A shared meal to end the day

There is time built into the day for informal sharing, unplanned activities, quiet, and refreshments.

There will be a quiet room for those who prefer to "sit out" any particular activity.

The retreat is open to adults and teenagers. Please register with Bev, Rick, or Rex, so that we are sure of our numbers for planning food and activities. There is no fee, but we do need to know who's coming.

Meeting will ensure that the meals are provided, and donations will be welcomed to defray the cost. If you wish to donate food, please let us know when you register. If you are not going to attend the retreat but you would like to help in setting up the meals or preparing food for the evening, please let Bev know.

Note from Clerk of Representative meeting

(Submitted by Dawn Lepard)

Many wishes for an enjoyable and satisfying New Year. I have just realized that I never thanked you for all the wonderful organizational work you did for us. Everyone was full of praise for the arrangements and the friendly, helpful atmosphere at the Meeting House. Many thanks to you and your committee and also, please convey our belated thanks to the Monthly Meeting for their hospitality.

In Friendship, Bill McMechan, Clerk

Excerpts from the Report on Nominations Process

(Submitted by Don Woodside)

These two excerpts are from the Minutes of June 4, 2001, item4.1, Report of the Working Group on the Nominations Process. Friends are encouraged to refer to the longer document. The full report will be reviewed in June of this year.

On Volunteering

We recognize that much of the work of some committees is done by people who are not members of the committees, who may request to be recognized in the membership of that committee. As well, committees are free to invite participants from within Hamilton MM, under guidance from the committee clerk. These volunteers or invitees are recorded as members for one year terms on the HMM Committee List.
    Prior to extending such an invitation to join, the committee clerk should discuss it with the Nominating Committee, as N.C. has a responsibility to fill other positions and maintain a balance in the Meeting. Such a step in the process may prove useful from time to time, and will keep N.C. apprized of the undertakings of individuals in the meeting.
    This suggestion does not give a veto to N.C. nor does it empower the committee clerk to just advise N.C. what s/he is planning. It is intended to stimulate a respectful discussion of the needs and concerns of both and a spirit-led solution.

On Ad Hoc Appointments

When a request comes to M4B for an appointment, it should be turned over to NC if it is not an urgent matter. Those who would be glad to perform the service needed are encouraged to voice their interest to NC with the understanding that NC will take many things into consideration and that volunteers may not be chosen.
    If the need is urgent , then M4W4B should enter into silence to consider the need. Some names may occur to Friends in the silence. If the silence persists for some time without suggested nominations, then anyone present who would be willing to serve should be permitted to volunteer. Those who are nominated or who volunteer themselves should be asked to absent themselves from M4W4B while discussion about membership of the committee occurs.
    If the request is for a committee of care, then Ministry and Counsel may be asked to name a committee of care in consultation with the person requesting it.

Thoughts on Mutual Mentoring &Volunteering

(Submitted by Rex Barger)

By becoming members of the Hamilton Meeting, it seems to me that we are openly acknowledging making a commitment, not only to each other but also to our unasked-for but universally-shared responsibility for the well-being of all life. It's a responsibility we are all born with, whether we acknowledge it openly or only privately --- or even if we try to ignore it. Whenever we have to act (which is most of the time), this responsibility necessitates our making a judgment about what to do. We decide (from among all the possibilities that occur to us) which action is most likely to contribute to our well-being & which should be avoided as being potentially damaging to it. And after we act, we need to pay close attention to the actual consequences of our acts-because uncertainty is our only certainty! Do the consequences confirm our expectations or surprise us?
    Because of our interconnectedness, it is important to make flexible judgments about the value of what others are doing or planning to do. This is what I refer to a 'mutual mentoring'. Whenever we think a particular act might detract, we have a responsibility to speak up & share our concerns (as we all probably do from time to time). But because we are all capable of error (& assuming that none of us wants to damage our common well-being), we must listen to all who disagree with our judgments about what is best & we also do well to submit our disagreements to group discernment (the larger the group, the better --- within reason) so we may profit from all the diverse viewpoints available to us. Group discernment can be successful only if all participants are flexible in their expectations of others & open to listening deeply to each other. [Fixed expectations court conflict --- which may be we have difficulty coming up with universal principles of healthy behavior.] We all need mutual mentoring to help us become better Self-directed, Effective, Empowering, Keen, Earnest, Responsible (SEEKER) citizens of the world.
    If we recognize our human limitations & also accept that we are all committed to our mutual well-being, we should all feel free to speak our honest hopes & concerns. If we think someone is biting off more than he or she can chew (when volunteering) or may lack the experience we feel is needed for a particular task, we should be able to freely share our concerns with that person, openly. We all need to be able to judge for ourselves the validity of others' concerns. (To send persons from the room so others can talk about them, seems to me to be a very unfriendly thing for friends to do!) We need to be so committed to each other that we can welcome mutual critiquing & seek mutual mentoring!
    When a volunteer (or several volunteers) are needed, that need should be made as widely known as possible (within the time frame set by the task).If more-than-one volunteer for a task that requires only one person (or if the task is to represent the Meeting), it might be necessary for the gathered members to discuss the perceived needs of the task & to make a determination about who might be best qualified, but this should be done openly---among friends---to the satisfaction of all present!
    'Seasoned Friends' should be particularly careful not to confuse the ways they are 'used to' with ways that are best. It's too easy for us to accept the ways things have been done in the past, but it's much better for us to question them again & again at every opportunity. The fresh viewpoints of newcomers (including our children) give us a excellent chance to do that. [It might also be good for us to ask ourselves: who decides just when a Friend has become sufficiently seasoned to be called a 'seasoned Friend'?] [Please note: I use 'Friend' when referring specifically & exclusively to a member of the Religious Society of Friends, but I use 'friends' to refer to all friends whether members or not. I prefer not to use F/friends orf/Friends!]

Responding to the "War on Terrorism"

(Submitted by Ruth Kitai)

During the Nov. 25 meeting for business it was decided to hold a called meeting on Dec. 6 to discuss sending a letter to the Spectator expressing our concerns about the military action by the U.S.A. in Afghanistan, as well as Canada's involvement in this intervention. This letter was written and approved by the Meeting. It was published in the Spectator on Wed. Feb. 6. A copy may be found on the notice board.
    At the called meeting an additional suggestion was made that four representatives from the Meeting travel to Ottawa to express these concerns to Government members--possibly Jean Chretien, John Manley and Bill Graham--as well as voicing some suggestions for alternatives to military engagement. Arrangements for this are continuing to be discussed and further meetings about them will be announced.

A Great Service Opportunity

(Submitted by Harriet Woodside)

For the last four years, I have represented HMM on the West Hamilton Interfaith Committee on Child Poverty. The time has come to look for a replacement.
    I've enjoyed meeting other people in our community who, like us, are interested in social action. Usually there are 6-7 people from different faith communities at a meeting. The group meets monthly in a local church or synagogue. Our vision is to raise awareness of child poverty issues and to take on small, manageable projects that will help Hamilton children. There is much literature that says that when a child has an enriched early childhood, that girl or boy has a better chance of a healthy and satisfying adulthood.
    I hope you'll ask me questions about the Child Poverty Committee if you might be interested in becoming a member. It's a lively, active group and it would be wonderful to continue HMM's support.

And More Opportunities.... with CYM

(Submitted by Bev Shepard)

Have you been wondering how to get more involved in Quaker activities? Have you thought it would be great to get to know Quakers from other parts of Canada? Have you heard Ian or Bev or Mona or others talk about their work with Yearly Meeting bodies and thought it sounded interesting? Maybe you're ready for a Canadian Yearly Meeting nomination.
    Early in each new year, the CYM Nominating Committee lets Monthly Meeting Nominating Committees know what positions in Yearly Meeting need to be filled and asks MMs to recommend people to fill them. From the suggestions, YMNC makes its selections and prepares a slate of Friends nominated for all the positions, which is approved at YM sessions in August.
    The list of these positions is posted on the main bulletin board in the Meeting House. Please take a look and see whether you might be interested in having your name go forward to YM Nominating Committee for one of them. They range from clerk of Yearly Meeting through members of various YM committees (everything from Canadian Friends Service Committee or Home Missions and Advancement to NeeKauNis or Records!) to delegates to wider Quaker bodies and outside groups. There are details on number of meetings required and other necessary parts of each job. Travel costs are covered by YM where necessary.
    Feel free to talk with Friends who have served Yearly Meeting to find out how rewarding and exciting this service can be. These Friends include Bev, Ian, Carol Leigh, Mona, Dick, Betty, Don, Kris, John, Emily, and others.
    If you feel called to serve Quakers in any of the ways described, please contact Bev Shepard, clerk of HMM's nominating committee. Your name will be brought to Nominating Committee for consideration.

Thoughts on MfWfB by Brinton

(Submitted by Rick McCutcheon)

Although I am not sure that I follow all of the language in this excerpt, still, I have found these paragraphs from Howard Brinton's Guide to Quaker Practice (Revised, Pendle Hill, 1993) helpful as a starting point as I have re-engaged with Meeting for Worship for Business on a regular basis. I thought I would share them with Friends at Hamilton Monthly Meeting for consideration; and with the hope that ever more Friends and Attenders will join us for MfWfB. The experience can be quite unique in a time when Robert's Rules of Order seem to dominate processes of many groups with whom we work.

Every meeting should hold a business session at least once a month. This should be preceded by a time of worship in order that the spirit of worship may pervade the transaction of business. In both the meeting for worship and the meeting for business, guidance is sought from the Spirit of Truth and Life by whose operation the group is brought into love and unity.
    It might appear at first sight that the principles of Quakerism are inconsistent with any form of church government. This would be true if each individual were expected to follow his or her own insight regardless of the insight of others. Such individualism could readily result in religious anarchism. This view had considerable following when Quakerism began. It was called "Ranterism."Many Ranters who had become Friends left the Society when its system of church government was set up. Quakerism is not anarchistic. The principle of corporate guidance, according to which the Spirit can inspire the group as a whole, is central. Since there is but one Truth, its Spirit, if followed, will produce unity. To achieve this unity is always possible and the Society of Friends has practiced the method of achieving it with considerable success for three centuries.
    In the transaction of business the meeting assumes that it will be able to act as a unit. No vote is ever taken. If a high degree of unity cannot be reached, the meeting does not act. The only necessary official is a clerk whose business is to apprehend and record the sense of the meeting. Deliberations of this type are notably different from procedure by parliamentary rules. (Pp. 37-38)

Report on AFSC Iraq Conference

(Submitted by Betty & Dick Preston, and Tamara Fleming)

Report to Hamilton Monthly Meeting on the AFSC“Translating Faith into Deeds: A Quaker Summit on Iraq”, 1505 Cherry Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, January 18-20, 2002.

This very worthwhile conference was sponsored by American Friends Service Committee, who invited about 80 Monthly Meetings participating in the Campaign of Conscience for the Iraqi People, a nonviolent initiative of the AFSC, Fellowship of Reconciliation, and Pax Christi USA. The “Campaign” is an effort to bring together Monthly Meetings, individuals and groups who support peace with Iraq. Those who endorse the Campaign sign a peace pledge, or in the case of Monthly Meetings, write a minute in support of the Campaign. As a part of the Campaign many contribute money toward a pure water project in Iraq, in violation of the economic sanctions laws currently in place in the US. About half of the Meetings who have endorsed the Campaign, and have minuted their concern for Iraq, sent representatives to this conference. We were very impressed by their forthright criticism of US war-making and foreign policy, and their courageous defiance of the sanctions. We learned a lot about what has gone on in Iraq in the years since 1991, and the toll the sanctions have made on the people of the country.
    The very full agenda was divided into films, lectures, working groups, panel discussions, and on-site meals with discussions. Saturday morning’s speaker was Rick McCutcheon, who spoke from a gathered, programmed silence about the spiritual basis of Friends’ Iraq testimony. After the rise of the meeting, there were worship-sharing groups, and, after lunch, a talk by Phyllis Bennes, a US policy analyst. Brainstorming panels and dinner followed, and then we heard two evening speakers. Denis Halliday is a former UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Iraq, and Kathy Kelly has led over 15 delegations to Iraq. Working groups on Sunday morning asked what we could do as individual meetings, and how AFSC could help, followed by Meeting for Worship. Afternoon speakers were Rabbi Douglas Croons, who was in Iraq two years ago with an interfaith group, and Edmund Gareeb, an historian and media specialist.
    Comments on the connections between the Iraq War and the War on Terrorism were part of presentations and discussions, as the level of violence in Afghanistan winds down and new US military initiatives in Iraq and elsewhere are being anticipated. Wherever on the earth the US decides a threat is substantial enough to attack, their capability and will for violent resolution of conflict is terribly evident. Iraq is widely regarded as a likely target, and as consequence, delegations to the US from countries adjacent to Iraq have stated that they do not regard Iraq as a threat. The US position is not known outside of their decision-making people.
    The results for us and for the others at the Conference were a more full awareness of the many efforts made by Friends and their affiliated peace groups, renewed energy and directions that may be pursued by individual meetings, and an appreciation of the work and resources of AFSC. As so often happens at Friends’ gatherings, we drove home both exhausted by the full days, and exhilarated with the prospect of including our new insights in our Meeting’s peace ministry.
    As a part of that ministry, we would like to recommend that the meeting compose a minute expressing a concern for the children, women and men of Iraq. We are mindful that two of our members have lived there and have given testimony to our Meeting about conditions in Iraq. Our experience in Philadelphia only reinforced the need to act upon this concern. We have been convinced of the importance of the Campaign of Conscience, and suggest that Hamilton Monthly Meeting take the lead in encouraging CFSC to find a way to link to the Campaign. This would allow Canadian Monthly Meetings and Worship Groups to express their concern for Iraq through an organized Quaker initiative. For this reason, we believe that the minute should also express support for the Campaign of Conscience, and that this minute should be forwarded to CFSC, asking them to explore how to work with AFSC on this Campaign. We have attached our ideas about how this could happen. Perhaps it could be attached to any letter sent to CFSC to help them see how it might be possible.
    Also arising from this was an initiative from the AFSC Peacebuilding Unit to include Rick in a new AFSC “thinktank” group that will meet over the coming few years. AFSC would require a minute from within CYM that would assign him to this ministry. Since the first meeting of the group is scheduled before the next CYM Annual Gathering, a minute from Hamilton Monthly Meeting would appear to be appropriate.

--------------------------------
Attachment to the Report

Here are some thoughts on how we could envision CFSC working with AFSC on this initiative. We thought it might be helpful for CFSC to have some ideas to start their thinking on this concern. Here's the process we have thought of:

1. Ask CFSC to be in contact with Peter Lems, coordinator of the Iraq Program at AFSC, to ask him if AFSC would be willing to put a link on their Iraq web page to a list of Canadian Meetings that support the Campaign of Conscience , which would be kept on the CFSC web page. (Note :AFSC has a web page which lists all the US Monthly Meetings who have minuted their support of the Campaign of Conscience. In that list, if AFSC was willing, would be a link which says "Canadian Friends' Meetings which support the Campaign of Conscience."Then, in turn, the CFSC list would have a link to the AFSC page. To see the current list of meetings on the AFSC page, Friends can go to: .)

2. Ask CFSC to set up a file to receive paper copies of minutes received from Canadian Meetings and Worship Groups who minute their support of the Campaign of Conscience.

3. Ask CFSC to make a list on their web page of Canadian Meetings who have written minutes in support of the aims of the Campaign of Conscience. (Note: this is the list to which the AFSC link would direct people.)

4. Publish a short article in Quaker Concern and the Canadian Friend articulating a concern for Iraq and letting Friends in Canada know how they can lend their support (possibly written by us as representatives of the conference).

5. Ask CFSC if they would be willing to receive any donations toward the Campaign of Conscience, to transfer them to AFSC. (CFSC may wish to retain some of the donation to cover any costs related to this project.) Ask CFSC to stock literature about the Campaign, provided by AFSC, and to distribute it to Canadian Meetings upon request with a cover letter from CFSC so that there is no confusion about the relationship between CFSC and AFSC on this project.

From the Library Committee....

(Submitted by Ruth Kitai)

The library committee welcomes suggestions for new books for the library --accompanied by a short description of why the book is being recommended. If a book is donated to the library, please include your name and phone number so that we can discuss its inclusion in the collection.
    >From Ian Graham we received a copy of the recommended Core Holding of Philadelphia Meeting library. We compared our holdings with the provided list and marked, with an X, those books that we don't have in our library. This marked list can be found next to the "Return books" box on the library table and may be of interest to members of the Meeting. Of course we have many books not included on the Philadelphia list. Any suggestions will be welcome by the library committee.
    Procedures for borrowing and returning books are as follows:
a) When borrowing a book remove the card from the pocket in the book, fill out the required information and put it in the box marked "Book Cards".
b) When returning a book simply place it in the large box labeled "Return books".

Spring Garden OpenHouse(Submitted by Jean Johnson)

Date: Early May-maybe Mothers Day weekend. Plant sale, yard sale, crafts, baked goods, white elephant material needed. Please plan to attend-and think about what you can contribute. This is a major outreach attempt to the neighborhood. We hope to reach more people by having items to sell. Entertainment will be needed, and refreshments.
    We will also be having a few garden cleanup days in April, and early May.
    Anyone who would like to be part of our garden care group will be warmly welcomed!

ContactInformation

Just a reminder that submissions for next month's newsletter can be emailed to me at: aq991@hwcn.org. (Please don't send attachments.) You can also place items in the folder at the Meeting House located on the bulletin board by the coat rack.

The deadline for next month's newslettersubmissions is March 14th,
one week after the Meeting for Worship for Business.

peace and blessings,
Tamara