How can we make the meeting a community in which each person is accepted and nurtured, and strangers are welcome? Seek to know one another in the things which are eternal, bear the burden of each other's failings and pray for one another. As we enter each other's lives, ready to give help and to receive it, our meeting can be a channel for God's love and forgiveness. No. 18 Advices and Queries, Britain Yearly Meeting
Half-Yearly Meeting is coming up! This is a wonderful, joyful event for the whole family, whether that's one of you or several or many. The spring gathering of Yonge Street Half-Yearly Meeting (YSHYM) takes place at Camp NeeKauNis, June 4-6, so not only is it a great opportunity to meet and be with Friends from the other three Meetings - Toronto, Simcoe-Muskoka, and Yonge Street - but it's a good time to get a little taste of the beautiful and restorative atmosphere of Camp. Each spring, each of the four Meetings in YSHYM takes on a different task to make the gathering happen, and this year HMM's is organizing and leading the adult programme. This is a service for ALL of us in HMM to perform, so we encourage as many Friends in Hamilton as possible to attend HYM to participate. Planning ahead of time is being led by Beverly Shepard, on the theme: "What I believe, and how it affects the way I live my life."
Registration materials should be arriving at Meeting shortly, but planning can proceed right away. Please contact Beverly if you can help.
The sessions went from 7pm -10pm on Friday, April 30th and 9am - 11pm on Saturday, May 1st, 2004, and even with all those hours, four agenda items were not discussed. So, the following brief is only touching on a few of the more urgent items covered. The minutes of Rep Meeting will be available in the fairly near future, so anyone interested can consult those.
CYM REGISTRATION DEADLINE: it is real this year! The deadline date is
July 30th, 2004, and anyone who misses this deadline will not be
registered. This means that, for the first time in remembered history,
the organizers will know how many rooms and meals must be planned for.
Without exception, late people will not have a room or meals, and must
find housing and meals elsewhere. Of course, late people can still attend
sessions, workshops and the like. Some items to keep in mind:
- There will be a silent retreat prior to the annual sessions guided by
an experienced person from Pendle Hill.
- Does HMM have anything to propose for the CYM agenda?
- Are there any actual or potential Food Co-op Committee members at HMM?
The question of CYM restructuring has been rather dormant for a few years, and is now being revitalized . Gail Wills is clerk, and Rick and Bev are some of the members of the present committee. A 1998 document refers to problems including an aging CYM demographic, a big ecological footprint, travel costs, and spiritual weakening. Some committees have taken initiatives in the past 4 or 5 years. The Restructuring Committee plans to present a recommendation to CYM in August.
Several people spoke to the value of NOT binding ourselves overmuch with rules, procedures and the like. Allow for "sloppyness" - the range of possibilities, expected and unexpected, whether impeding or spirit-leading, that will always accompany Friends' activities. This was illustrated by the ad hoc committee on clerking, that has come up with a procedure for the better transition of CYM clerks, allowing for mentoring of the incoming clerk, and of the current clerk, by the past clerk, mutually assisting each other in adding flexibility and experience that can be drawn on if a clerk should be absent or unable to continue.
YM membership registry continues to present problems centering on 1) accuracy, and 2) privacy, and 3) MM information. Victoria MM is working on a template that may solve some of these problems. There may be a discussion of this at the CYM delegates meeting.
The new Fundraising Committee is working out strategies for increasing CYM income.
Hamilton MM (and all MM's) are asked to consider and discuss:
1) How important is our relationship to wider Quaker bodies?
2) How well-informed and ready are we to receive AWOL American soldiers?
Pelham Executive Meeting was put in the position of learning after the
fact of the arrival of Brandon Hughey. They request donations to "Brandon
Hughey in Trust" to help with expenses, including anticipated legal
costs. CFSC has prepared an information brief. It is pinned on the
bulletin board in the foyer.
3) Do we have any young Friends that we wish to recommend for the World
Gathering of Young Friends?
Some of the other agenda items were:
1) proposal from Canadian Friends Foreign Missionary Board clerk.
2) Minute from Halifax MM re: Finance Committee report
3) Minute from FWCC Triennial re: Indigenous peoples
4) Message from CYM trustees regarding funds and rules for their use
5) Report regarding the anonymous gift for outreach
6) Material regarding the application for membership of a lay chaplain
7) Material regarding a request for a loan guarantee, from Foxfell
For more details speak to Dick Preston.
"They have no soul to save and they have nobody to incarcerate." Baron Thurlow
THE CORPORATION analyzes the very nature of the corporate institution, its impacts on our planet, and what people are doing in response. Based on Bakan's book The Corporation: The Pathological Pursuit of Profit and Power, which is now playing at the Westdale Theatre, 8pm show time.
It's 150 minutes of wake-up call for accountability of the corporate 'person'. It is the 2003 documentary which Common Ground sponsored at the Vancouver International Film Festival. Said the film reviewer for Common Ground, "Using a mixture of humor, hard-hitting interviews and reportage Mark Achbar and Jennifer Abbott, working from a script by lawyer and professor Joel Bakan, dissect with laser beam precision the basis for corporate power".
The Eye called it a "witty and slickly packaged Canadian documentary on the dominant institution of our age and its deleterious impact on global society, The Corporation was a major audience favourite at the Toronto and Vancouver film festivals in 2003. The filmmaking team of Jennifer Abbott, Joel Bakan and Manufacturing Consent co-director Mark Achbar has created a crowd-pleaser for the No-WTO set, a cinematic adjunct to the media-savvy muckraking of Harper's or Adbusters."
Philadelphia's CityPaper's verdict: "Drawing force from accumulation rather than revelation, Mark Achbar and Jennifer Abbott's documentary is a lengthy rap sheet of corporate malfeasance which concludes that if, as the Supreme Court has ruled, corporations are individuals, they're psychopaths. Giving equal time to Milton Friedman and Noam Chomsky, it's an evenhanded but damning and often terrifying map of a corporate-controlled future."
See it at Hamilton Westdale 905 522 1773, 8 pm showtime. Tell your Friends in Toronto to see it at the Regent (416) 480-9884 or the Carlton (416) 598-2309.
If there is any hope it comes in the form of Ray Anderson, the articulate CEO of Interface, the largest commercial carpet manufacturer in the world. A self-confessed "plunderer," he had an epiphany in the mid-eighties and has been championing sustainable business development ever since. The message: if we want more corporate accountability, it's up to us to act.
Louise Trepanier and Ian Graham went to a workshop organized by the Church Library Assoc of Ontario in early May. We attended sessions on using the computer in church libraries, cataloguing with the Dewey System and creating subject headings. There were about 150 people in attendance, all very keen on making print and media materials accessible for their congregations. It was well worth the time to travel to Oshawa's Trinity Pentacostal Church. I'm looking forward to the next one in the fall!
Carl Rogers on Personal Power / Carl R. Rogers, c1977. 299 p.
What releases a person's capacity for self-understanding and the ability
to cope constructively with life? it has to do with genuineness,
realness, ability to be yourself... and the ability to indwell in the
reality of the other...
Behold Me : Baha'i Writings on Unity / Allen, George. ; Baha'u'llah.
1995.134 p.
A comprehensive selection of Baha'i writings on the subject of unity,
shows how unity can illuminate relationships between individuals, races,
and nations; clarifies complementarity of world's moral, ethical and
religious systems, resists social evils and is the basis for development.
The Atman Project: a transpersonal view of human development / Ken.
Wilber. 1996. 240 p.
Succeeds at mapping the territory of consciousness, widely hailed as the
first psychology that succeeds in uniting east and west, conventional and
contemplative, orthodox and mystical, into a single coherent framework.
Systems of survival : a dialogue on the moral foundations of commerce and
politics / Jane Jacobs, c1992. 236 p.
... argues that human behaviour is govened by two distinct ethical
systems: guardian syndrome (arises from behaviour we share with other
animals), and commerce syndrome (arises from trade and production of
goods, an endeavour unique to humans)
Shelter of Each Other, The : Rebuilding our families / Mary Bray Pipher.
c1996. 282 p.
...diagnosing the problems of families in late 20th century realities,
offering ideas for simple actions we can all take to help rebuild our
families and strengthen our communities. ... will help change the way we
reconnect with the source of our greatest energy and strength, our
families.
Secret Life of the Unborn Child / Thomas R. Verny. c1981. 253 p.
...challenges everything we know about the intellectual and emotional
life of the unborn and newly born child.
Prescriptions for living : inspirational lessons for a joyful, loving
life / Bernie S. Siegel. c1998. 210 p.
...for those facing ordinary challenges, offers a compass for navigating
a course of happiness and fulfillment...
Overcoming Addictions : the spiritual solution / Deepak Chopra. c1997.
136 p.
... sees the addictive person as having potential, as being a seeker,
albeit a misguided one... sets out a regimen that enables the reader to
become more attuned to the needs and benefits of the spirit, allowing the
mind and body to shed destructive behaviours.
Mennonites, The : a pictorial history of their lives in Canada / Andreas
Schroeder, c1990. 181 p.
... chronicles the history of this enduring community in photographs
drawn from archives and contemporary sources, with text, describes social
and religious traditions that make the community unique, the impact of
many forced migrations and Mennonite life today.
Love & Survival : the scientific basis for the healing power of intimacy
/ Dean Ornish.1998. 284 p.
... based on simple powerful idea: our survival depends on healing power
of love, intimacy and relationships, as individuals, community, country,
culture. Addresses 'spiritual heart disease' the profound loneliness,
isolation, alienation and depression of modern societies.
The Healing Power of Dreams, Techniques for interpreting and using your
dreams / Patricia L. Garfield. c1991. 382 p.
...explores phenomena of dreams affecting body and emotions, warnings,
helps in diagnosis, healing and health.
Further Along the Road Less Traveled : the unending journey toward
spiritual growth / M. Scott Peck, c1993. 255 p.
The road' is not the final or definitive word but the beginning of a
difficult and unending journey toward spiritual growth that true pilgrims
must take. This volume of Peck's edited lectures addresses urgent
questions of personal and spriritual growth: blame and forgiveness, death
and meaning, sexuality, self-esteem.
Encountering God:: A spiritual journey from Bozeman to Banaras / Diana L.
Eck, c1993, 259 p.
... considers the spiritual questions that perplex all of us, Hindu or
Christian, devout or not: Who is God? How are we to pray? What are we to
believe in the face of inexplicable suffering? ... relations with people
of other faiths helped the author deepen her own faith.
Archives in the Church or Synagogue Library / Evelyn R. Ling. 1996 20 p.
Chapters on why have archives, getting started, selecting materials,
processing, preserving and storing, recipes for the archivist, using your
archives, guidelines. Appendices.
Does someone have the November 2003 edition of Friends Journal from the Meeting library? I've been asking for the September edition, but I've now found it, and the piece I'm looking for, about FGC Gathering in July of 2003, isn't in there! I've been reliably informed (by a far-away Friend) that it is in the November issue. Please, if you've borrowed that issue, return it to the library - it's been away a long time, and I'd like to see it.
I was pleased to be able to be the contact person for the young friends organizing the weekend retreat on Apr 16/17, 2004. The organizers were Luc Peters, Melissa Curtis and Rebecca Ivanoff. About 20 to 25 participants were present, based on a head count I did at Saturday suppertime. Friendly adult presences included myself, Laura Vasquez, Jaya Karsemeyer, Jesse Husk. There were at least two of us in the building at all times. A program was sent out in advance by Luc and Melissa and included a brief business meeting held on Saturday morning.
The program included a presentation on NeeKauNis FYDE camp, cards, wink, ultimate frisbee, four-square, a movie and lots of talking and visiting. We had registration forms and parental permissions from most attenders. A serious first aid incident could have been difficult, as would have been a missing person. The gardening work was accomplished in very enthusiastically and in timely fashion and the library cataloguing was advanced somewhat. There was no damage done to the premises and everything was cleaned up well.
We need several large pots and pans in the kitchen for events like this. I would have liked to see a bit more intentionality in the timetable, more widespread participation in the 'enablement' tasks like meal prep and cleanup. Those present seemed to be having a whale of a great time, though I agree with one FAP's comment that a topic or speaker would have deepened the quality of interaction. I enjoyed many personal conversations and interactions during the weekend and am quite hopeful that I will be able to facilitate future YF events at HMM.
Here are comments from Jaya Karsemeyer on Monday May 3, 2004, another 'FAP'...
i had a great time and it was a real flashback to see wink and all the other staples of quaker youth experience being replayed in all their newness.i was incredibly impressed at the age range of YFs at the hamilton retreat; i don't remember there being students of post-highschool age that attended events when i was a teenager. it's great that they have stayed in touch/stuck around. in general, i felt the older YFs were a good example to the young ones.
personally, i think a semi-formal discussion or "guest speaker" might be in order. there are so many interesting subjects with which an inordinate number of friends are familiar/experienced, from social activism and radical protest to literary interests and fine art. ravi's powerpoint-style presentation was well-received and i'm convinced Yfs would be similarly receptive to presentations on other topics. learning about the garden did function in this way. certainly a little "seminar" could be hands on/interactive. all in all, it was a blessing to have been a part of such a dynamic, inspired and well-organized group of people, and i hope i will have the chance to do so again.
1. There is a plastic shopping bag in the Meeting House labelled "Betty" and containing a number of apparently unrelated items, seemingly new, including a windbreaker jacket and a paperback book. There's also a credit care receipt which does not bear the name of Betty. It's been there several months, and both the Bettys regularly at HMM know nothing about it. If the person responsible wishes to retrieve it, we'll be grateful. It's presently on the shelf in the cloak room. If it's still there in a few more weeks, we will give it away.
2. Locking Up the Meeting House -- Twice in late April I arrived at the Meeting House to find the back door left unlocked. This door can be set "on the latch", so it can be opened without a key, by holding in the bar on the inside of the door and inserting the attached wrench in the nearby hole, turning it so that one feels a click and the bar does not spring out again. NO MATTER WHO DOES THIS, someone leaving the building last MUST see that it is UN-done. To re-lock the door, the wrench must be inserted in the hole and turned so that a strong click is both felt and heard and the bar pops out. Then the door should lock automatically on closing. THIS CAN BE TESTED - no one should leave the building empty and unlocked.
Daniel Currie
imdsc (at) hotmail(point) com
Corine van Hoeve (Tom Chow)
corine (at) vanhoeve (point) com
A number of people asked me about the cake I made for the recent Young Friends retreat and suggested they'd like the recipe. It's not hard at all and it's pretty good! So here it is. Maybe we should have a regular feature of people sharing recipes for dishes that have been admired and complimented at potlucks or coffee time.
Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form; set aside. Beat egg yolks, add milk and oil and beat. Mix flour, soda, salt, cocoa, and cinnamon and add a little at a time, alternating with the sugar, to the liquid mixture while stirring. Fold in beaten egg whites. Spread in a greased 9"x13" baking pan; bake at 350 F. for 35-40 minutes or just until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Cream together the margarine and sugar; add cocoa and coffee and mix well