H.M.M. Newsletter, May 2000

7 Butty Place, Hamilton, Ontario. L8S 2R5

Clerk: Roberta McGregor

Sunday mornings 9.30 Discussion group 11.00 Meeting for Worship

Coming Events: May 7 10 a.m. Tree planting at the new waterfront trail. Meet at Bayfront Park.

May 14 Brown bag to discuss the Jubilee Pledge - see article this newsletter.

May 17 6.30 p.m. Potluck to welcome back the Prestons, inaugurate the new song books, and discuss the theme for this year's FWCC Triennial! (when will we have time to eat?)

May 20-22 At Camp Neekaunis, Committee and Opening weekend

June 2-4 Yonge St Half Yearly Meeting at Camp Neekaunis. Be sure to join us!

A big welcome home to Dick and Betty Preston. We have missed you and are glad to have you back amongst us.

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Book Review by Jean Putnam

John Woolman: Quintessential Quaker...by David Sox

Another biography of John Woolman? I thought, when this book was pointed out to me by a worthy friend. Surely there couldn't be much more to know than is in Woolman's Journal? But I found out there is much more. David Sox has used a variety of sources, published in both England and America, to reveal more about Woolman's life than many of us have previously known.

David Sox is an American living and writing in England. In his preface:

...perhaps this experience is fruitful in dealing with one who was born in America but died in England.Against an historical background of the momentous events of the 18th century -- America's war with the Indians, the final dissolution of William Penn's Holy Experiment in Pennsylvania, and the rapidly expanding reach of the slave trade -- we learn of Woolman's reactions to all this. Most enlightening and inspiring are Woolman's calm and well thought out statements to those who participated in and supported what he regarded as evil -- never accusatory or condemning, just a simple put explanation of why these things were wrong.

We read the details of his many trips: first to New England; then to several areas of the Carolinas; then a hazardous journey to the northern reaches of the Susquehana to visit the Indians and the Moravians.

Almost always he traveled on foot; only his early trips were on horseback.

In this book we also learn more about several other prominent figures of the time: Joshua Evans, Anthony Benezet, Benjamin Lay--none exactly household names but all important at the time, especially in the vegetarian and animal rights movements.

John Woolman's final trip, to England, where he landed in June 1772, is treated in meticulous detail, with quotations from London meeting records, letters from descendants of those he visited through and letters to his wife Sarah, which survive. He died in York in October of 1772, not yet 52 years old. This is a fascinating book which one wants to read over and over again. Only 147 pages long, it is too packed with information to be an easy read. The pure clarity and simplicity of Woolman's statements are almost breathtaking as he addresses persons quietly but definitely about issues which deeply concern him.

Today his directness strikes straight through to the heart of our materialistic society, so full of hypocrisy, greed and cruelty. As individuals we see anew the cumber --Woolman's unique expression for the superfluity of things (many unnecessary) which surrounds us.

Woolman has challenged Friends (and others) through several generations. He won't fail to challenge anyone who reads this book.

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Hamilton Monthly Meeting for Worship for Business held 1 May, 2000

Present: Robbie McGregor (clerk), Jean Johnson, John Milton, Andy Muller, Helen Paulin, Mona Callin, Rex Barger, Margaret Vallins, Susan Wortman, Don Woodside, Harriet Woodside

Regrets: Beverly Shepard

1. Meeting began with silent worship

2. There were no corrections to the minutes of 5 April, 2000. Ian Graham asked that we consider the CYM budget for 2000 as an agenda item; however, it has not arrived.

3. Matters arising

3.1 Clearness Committee for Membership: Robbie read a letter from Carol Leigh Wehking and Larry Pogue recommending that Helen Paulin be accepted as a member of the Religious Society of Friends. This was approved with much happiness.

3.2 Nominating Committee nomination: Kris Yang and Robbie asked Sian Baker to join Nominating Committee. Sian has accepted.

3.3 M4W4B "Simplicity Group": This group (Denise Barron, Andy Muller, Susan Wortman and Robbie McGregor) met and sent a list of suggestions for simplifying M4W4B to M and C. A report from M and C on this matter was read (see attached). It was the sense of the meeting that the Simplicity Group should meet one more time and again send their thoughts to M and C. M and C is invited to write a second report to plant seeds for a final discussion at M4W4B.

3.4 Canadian Ecumenical Jubilee Initiative: Rex reviewed information about the Jubilee Pledge HMM is being asked to sign; he was not sure how best to proceed. Jean will write a summary for the Newsletter. Information will be posted at the Meeting House. There will be a brown bag lunch on 14 May after M4W to discuss the Pledge and our comfort in signing it. This discussion may continue during the potluck on 17 May. Helen will mention the Pledge to the Sustainability Group and the group meeting regularly with Hannah Newcombe.

3.5 Garden Plan (Jean Johnson): A request to the Sam Roger1s Trust for funding was circulated from the Gardening and Maintenance Committees (see attached). These committees were thanked for all their work. We approve the recommendation to apply for the grant. We do not believe that Meeting's contribution should come from reducing the year1s contribution to the long term sinking fund but should come from other parts of the budget and/or from special contributions.

3.6 Changing time of M4W (Andy): Andy reported that there was a small, mixed response to the idea of starting M4W at an earlier hour. We decided not to proceed with a change in time beginning in September. We tentatively agree to start M4W at 10:00 during July and August. We will make this decision in June. We will contact friends using the phone tree to find out if any are seriously inconvenienced by this proposal prior to the June meeting. Andy will receive responses.

3.7 Documentary: Although the Shepards were interested in participating in a documentary about Quakers, the filmmaker1s plans have changed. She may want to talk with HMM1s members and attenders. If she does come to talk with us, we will ask her to ensure that she provides a method for written consent.

3.8 Young Friend1s money: Ian Graham is asked to hold in trust for Young Friends a cheque for $88.41. This is surplus from the Young Friend1s Retreat last fall. We ask Ian to clarify whether HMM is holding other funds in trust for Young Friends. We will report back to Kris Yang as she sent this cheque on behalf of Young Friends.

4. Reports

4.1 Archives: Deferred

4.2 The State of Society Report was approved in a called meeting.

4.3 Maintenance Committee (John): The damage from the burglary will be repaired when Dick Preston returns and a "working" meeting of the committee is called.

5. New business

5.1 Ian Graham and Mona will be our delegates at CYM.

5.2 Robbie will ask Shirley Schellenberg if she will be a delegate to HYM. Mona or Helen Paulin will be a backup.

5.3 We approve striking a temporary finance committee to review our spending priorities over several years.

5.4 We will ask Ian to ask individuals how many calling cards they use and then reprint cards based on this figure.

5.5 Next fall, we will set aside one Sunday each month for letter writing.

5.6 We ask Ian to thank Pat Kelly for her interest in speaking about breast cancer at HMM and to ask her to let us know when she is speaking on this topic in the future.

5.7 Beth Shepard requested assistance in funding her participation in the Youth Pilgrimage. In the past we have been able to support such requests at the level of about $500. We ask Ian what opportunities there are for supporting this request from the current budget and how much money would then be left for the landscaping project. We ask Ian to provide a financial statement at the next meeting.

5.8 Stonesoup Storytellers (Carol Leigh Wehking): We approve the use of the Meeting House by the Storytellers on 21 June from 6 to 11pm.

6. Correspondence

6.1 A request from the Elizabeth Fry Society for a Board member will go in the Newsletter.

6.2 PBI sent a note of thanks

6.3 A petition from the Veteran1s Association will be put in the Newsletter for consideration.

6.4 Correspondence from Malloy was deferred.

6.5 We received a request for donations for travel expenses of delegates to the 20th Triennial of Friends World Committee of Consultation from Bill Eastman. The letter will be posted to inform individuals wishing to make donations.

7. Meeting closed with silent worship.

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The Sustainability Group have been discussing the situation in the Sudan. There is an article about slave-trading in the Sudan in April 10 issue of Macleans, in which Canadian owned oil companies are implicated in the situation there. For more information talk to the members of the Sustainability Group. There is a newspaper clipping and a photocopy of the Maclean's article on the Bulletin Board.

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Hard of Hearing? The Ministry of Human Resources, under Jane Stewart gave grants of $400,000 to Canadian Hard of Hearing Association to help fund the professional production, by dozens of members of the C.H.H.A. of a vivid video cassette titled Speech Reading, selling at $30.00 The Ontario and Hamilton Chapters are very active and state vigorously that people of normal hearing can never understand or imagine the isolation of those who are not deaf but are hard of hearing. In 1812, at the age of 42, the great musician and composer Ludwig Von Beethoven made the observation quoted in that video:

"FOR THERE CAN BE NO RELAXATION IN HUMAN SOCIETY, NO REFINED CONVERSATIONS, NO MUTUAL CONFIDENCES ........ I MUST LIVE QUITE ALONE AND MAY CREEP INTO SOCIETY AS OFTEN AS SHEER NECESSITY DEMANDS; I MUST LIVE LIKE AN OUTCAST."

Sincerely, Larry Pogue

Responsibility

The crime's not mine, But I must plead guilty. I saw my neighbour do it And looked the other way.

Leslie A. Nieves Friends Journal, Feb 2000 (submitted by Mona Callin)

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Friends World Committee for Consultation (including Section of the Americas)

Why is FWCC needed?

In serving Friends around the world today, the Committee endeavours to:

* encourage and strengthen the spiritual life within the Religious Society of Friends, and its outreach in the world, through such measures as the promotion of intervisitation, study, conferences, and a wide sharing of experiences on the deepest level.

* help Friends get a better understanding of the world-wide character of the Religious Society of Friends and its vocation in the world.

* promote consultation among Friends of all cultures, countries and languages; bring the different groups of Friends into intimate touch with one another, seeking their common Quaker heritage, sharing experiences, and coming to some measure of agreement in regard to their attitude towards world issues.

* to promote understanding between Friends everywhere and member of other branches of the Christian Church and also of other religious faiths, and to interpret the specific Quaker message to those who seek further religious experience.

* to keep under review the Quaker contribution in world affairs and facilitate the examination and presentation of Quaker thinking and concern in this field.

Goals : Adopted by the 1979 Triennial.

To facilitate loving understanding of diversities among Friends while we discover together, with God's help, our common spiritual ground. To facilitate full consideration of our Quaker witness in response to our peace testimony and today's issues of social justice.

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Elizabeth Fry Society - Hamilton is looking for a Board Member . The Society is also searching for an Executive Director to take charge during a time of change and challenges. For more information, call Interim Executive Director Katharine Francis at 527-3097

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Here are some suggestions for the plaque on the Quaker bench along the new Waterfront Trail:

God's Spirit leads Quakers joyfully to answer "that of God in EVERYONE"

Quakers in silent meeting rejoice when someone has related new praise to God.

Quakers in silent meeting REVERE all creation for God created us.

Can Quakers' silent meeting relate to the SPIRIT'S leadings?

Welcome to Quaker silent meeting seeking SPIRIT'S message.

Quakers agree the Earth and all who live on it belong to the Lord.

How do Quakers in silent meeting find peace, communion, strength to speak TRUTH?

Given by Hamilton Quakers - Live simply that others may simply live.

Let Larry Pogue or Don Woodside have your reactions.

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HABITAT FACTS

Percentage of Canada's species at risk that are endangered primarily because of habitat destruction - over 80%

Percentage of Canada's species at risk whose habitat is effectively protected under existing laws - under 10%

Number of acres of wildlife habitat that is lost every hour in Canada (estimated) - 240

Percentage of Canadians who believe that habitat protection is important in endangered species legislation - 98%

Write to the Federal Minister of Natural Resources and tell them how you feel about habitat protection. (submitted by Larry Pogue)

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THE JUBILEE PLEDGE

WILL QUAKERS PLEDGE TO BE A JUBILEE PEOPLE? A brown bag lunch will be held after meeting on May 14 to discuss the Jubilee Pledge. This is an ecumenical initiative involving a commitment to the redistribution of wealth in the spirit of Jubilee. The concept of Jubilee springs from the biblical tradition of freeing slaves and cancelling debts, redistributing wealth and allowing the land to rest every fifty years. An example of putting this into action was a call for the World Banks to forgive the debt of Third World nations as a Jubilee event for the new millennium. Religious and other communities are being asked to declare themselves "a Jubilee community" by taking the Jubilee pledge :

Responding in faith to God's call to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with our God (Micah 6:8), we declare that we,(name of group) ___________________ are a Jubilee Community. We commit ourselves to learning about, supporting, and practicing Jubilee in our lives, our communities, our country, and our world.

Having pledged, the group then commits to actions on a community, national and global scale which will further the goals of Jubilee.

The pledged community then sends to the Government a copy of its pledge and the initiatives it plans to take

Part of the Jubilee Declaration:

"We believe in the abundance of God's creation and our responsibility to nurture and share it. We are convinced that the gross inequalities which we see in our country and our world are neither necessary or inevitable. Growing and persistent inequalities destroy human community and lead to suffering, conflict, and ecological harm.

We believe that God calls us to restore community by mending the harm caused when many are deprived of their just share.

We choose to live out the biblical vision of Jubilee, echoed in Jesus' preaching and teaching, that calls for a regular redistribution of wealth. As we heed this challenge, our eyes are opened to the great social debt owed to those people whose land, labour and resources have been stolen, exploited, and undervalued. Reminded of the call to nurture the integrity of creation, we also recognize our debt to the earth itself." The original document is on the bulletin board.