The Farmington Friend

Transcription

1 The Farmington Friend Margaret Webb, Pastor VOLUME 69 NUMBER 10 FARMINGTON, NY October 2014 Peace in Action Last month after Un-Programmed a Friend asked, If peace is a verb, what are we doing? Many of us in the Farmington Scipio Region received the following letter from a Friend, Nadine Hoover, a member of Alfred Meeting. I suggest that Nadine recounts the story of a young Friend, Nick Rozard, who does peace. Kathy Dudarchik Dear Friends, Alfred Friends Meeting has watched Nicholas Rozard grow in his conscience, maturity and stature as he has dedicated himself over the past five years to developing a simple, cheap water filter that offers independent, household control of drinking water for the poorest of the poor. Engineers at Alfred University have expressed notable regard for his work and progress. Over sixty people attended his latest talk at Alfred University's Environmental Studies Lecture. Nicholas Rozard actively engages as a member and clerk of Alfred Friends Meeting. Nick conscientiously objected to paying military taxes last year, which he paid to the FSRM-NYYM Escrow Account instead. Nick deliberately chose to pursue work that resonates with his conscience, in a way that allows him to begin building a company that operates ethically and conscientiously. When he briefly worked for a high-tech engineering company, Nick saw firsthand corrupt relationships between business and government, which he chose not to support. Instead, Nick chose to drive a school bus and work construction to subsidize basic research and development of an affordable water filter. When he began, the ceramic engineering field and humanitarian aid community discussed and funded ceramic water filters as if the technology existed. Nick and others in Friends Peace Teams were stunned to discover that for all the talk and funding, an affordable household filter that reliably passes microbiology testing is not readily available to the poor. The basic research needed to hone this technology has not been completed. Basic research funding typically require large, restrictive institutions. Investments or grants typically require ready-touse technology that guarantees results. Therefore, Nick continues to self-fund basic research, learning to skillfully leverage resources at Alfred University and the University of Buffalo among others. We estimate he'll need about $4,800 to build the prototypes once the results of the research stabilize and about $5,000 to pay for lab time. To date, he has raised over $2,000. Funds will be paid to Alfred University, which will match community donations. Continued on Page 2

2 Continued from Page 1 Alfred Friends Meeting members have contributed to the spiritual, technical and financial viability and vitality of Nick's work. FSRM Conscience and War committee redirected withheld military taxes to this life affirming effort. We encourage others to seriously consider supporting Nick at this time and to forwarding this letter to other F/friends who share a concern for improving the lot of so many people on the planet who do not have access to clean water for drinking, bathing, and cooking, who are deforesting the planet to boil water or who don't feel they have a choice but to further enriching the mega-rich by buying water. We hope Friends join together, as groups and individuals, to help meet this basic need for drinking water. We were taken by the insight that, as Friends, we invest much of our wealth in the stock market, which takes those funds out of our communities and away from making capital readily available to up-and-coming enterprises among our young adults. Nick affords us the opportunity to turn that tide. Together we may help Nick get over this next hump towards cracking the basic research problems. If successful, he will create a cheap way to produce a reliable filter prototype, at which point he would be ready to investors for the production stage. In faith, Nadine Hoover Send donations to: Alfred Friends Meeting, PO Box 773, Alfred, NY memo: water filters Society None Submitted. Upcoming Events Annual Harvest Supper Saturday, October 18th, 4:00 to 6:00 PM at the Farmington Friends Meetinghouse. Tickets for ages 13 and up are $10.00, and are $5.00 for Children ages Children under 5 are free. Take-Outs are $ USFW Meeting October 21st at 1:00 PM USFW is meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 21 at 1:00 at the Meeting House. The program for the meeting is "The History of the Women's Rights National Historical Park in Seneca Continued on Page 3 Happy Birthday! NOVEMBER 2 Jillian Baker 3 Max Dailey 4 Robert Baker 4 Andrew Sharp 5 Jean Parker 5 Taylor Holmes 5 Hayden Smith 6 Isabelle Ceddia 8 Kathleen Stone 10 Oscar Fenster 11 Kathleen Suhr 13 Anne Gilson 13 Joshua Parker 13 Amelia Santy 14 Ruth Smith 14 Richard Walton, Jr. 14 Richard Padgham, Sr. 17 Debbie Kimball 24 Abigail Ceddia 24 Ann Ledgerwood 24 Heather Trapiss 25 Donald Bay 25 Timothy Sharp 29 James Gardner 30 Adam Fenster FARMINGTON FRIEND STAFF Editor: Keith Egnor Co-editor Jeff Parker Front Page: Kathy Dudarchik Society Editors: Margaret Baker, Jeanette Bay Treasurer: Scott Parker Address Labels: Susan Sharp Mailing Staff: Gerry McClurg (co-clerk), Dick McClurg (co-clerk), Pat Ford (copying), Evelyn Sadler, Margaret Hartsough, Lloyd Hartsough, Margaret Baker, Linda Doyen Leave articles in Meetinghouse folders or mail to the editor by the 2nd Sunday of the month. Mail: 193 Howell Street, Canandaigua, NY egnork@yahoo.com Telephone: August Treasurer s Report Income: $4, Expenses $3, Cash Flow: $

3 Continued from Page 2 Falls. Ranger Patrick Stenshorn will be the speaker. All are welcome to attend this interesting program. Ministry & Counsel meets at 6:30 PM October 21st at Susan Sharp s. 2nd Annual Trunk or Treat This will be held at Farmington Friends on Saturday, Oct. 25th. Set up is at 4PM, arrival of ghouls at 5PM. Sign-up sheets are on the bulletin board for adults and kids. Pizza, salad and desserts and drinks will be furnished. Deadline to sign-up is Sunday, Oct. 19th. Everyone is welcome. Boy Scouts Collecting Blankets Boy Scouts of America Venture Crew 313 in Macedon will be doing a new and clean-gently used blanket drive in October for the Victor Farmington Food Cupboard. The blankets will be handed out at the food cupboard in December and January to families in need. If you would like to donate a blanket or two, please contact Joshua Parker at Thank you Farmington Quaker Meetinghouse Program Saturday Nov. 8th at 2:00 PM -- Haudenosaunee Influence on Women s Rights. See Page 8 for details. Committee Minutes & Notes Farmington Friends Monthly Meeting Minutes September 28, 2014 Farmington Friends met for Monthly Meeting at the rise of Meeting for on Sunday August 17, 2014 with 18 present. Clerk, Marion Cole, opened the meeting by reading a quotation from the NYYM Faith and Practice: When you come to your meetings... what do you do? Do you then gather together bodily only, and kindle a fire, compassing yourselves about with the sparks of your own kindling, and so please yourselves, and walk in the "Light of your own fire and the sparks which you have kindled"? Or rather, do you sit down in True Silence, resting from your own Will and Workings, and waiting upon the Lord, fixed with your minds in that Light wherewith Christ has enlightened you, until the Lord breathes life in 3 you, refresheth you, and prepares you... that you may offer unto him a pure and spiritual sacrifice? -- William Penn, "A Tender Visitation," 1677 This was followed by a time of silence and prayer. Health of the Meeting: Ruth Wolf passed away on September 22, Claire Eileen Webb was born on September 26, 2014 weighing in at 8lb. 5oz. Gerry McClurg is in the midst of a rehab stay at the Pines in Canandaigua after falling and breaking her hip in September. Please hold these Friends and their families in the light and in your prayers. Pastor s Report No Report for September 2014 Treasurer s Report: August 2014 Income $4, Expenses $3, Checking Account Balance as of 06/30/14 $11,583.60* Checking Account Balance as of 07/31/14 $12, *This is a corrected balance figure, $49 more than July 2014 report. There were two checks showing in the register for the same expense, stamps. Check # 1077 was cashed and check# 1076 was deleted. The Meeting approved NYYM's recommendation of a 3.75% increase in our "Covenant Donation" for The breakdown is as follows 2014 $7, % $ $7, Ministry and Counsel: September 16, 2014 Farmington Friends Ministry and Counsel met September 16, 2014 at Marion Cole's. Present: Willie Bontrager: Clerk, Ed Golem, Pat Ford, Ann Ledgerwood, Linda Doyen, Marion Cole, Carol Nicholson, Susan Sharp, Annaliese Parker. We opened the meeting with a time for quiet prayer, meditation and sharing. Health of the Meeting: Ruth Wolf is being treated for pneumonia, she remains at the Brightonian. We continue to hold Jim Dailey is our prayers as he is hospitalized with critical health problems. This is also a very difficult time for Gail Sheldon and their grandchildren and are also held in prayer. Prayers and

4 support also for Linda Doyen and Penn Sheldon as they care for their father Floyd Sheldon. Marion Milne is feeling better. Hannah Sharp continues to recover from recent surgery and is receiving physical therapy. Old Business: A copy of Margaret's evaluation was read. Concerns was expressed of her being careful of the numbers of hours she is devoting to the meeting, being mindful of a good quality of family life, rest and relaxation. There is a need to establish an "Anchor Committee" (Pastor Support Group). The original support group of 2 meeting members and 2 non-members has been dissolved. This will be established with Margaret's input hopefully in the near future. We spent some time going over the "visiting speaker" schedule while Margaret is on maternity leave. Several members/ attenders have been asked and agreed to be worship leaders during this time. Others were mentioned as possible speakers. New Business: Carol Nicholson brought to the meeting information on holding a clerking workshop at Farmington, open to our members and members from area meetings who have expressed an interest. She has spoken with Art Larrabee who would be willing to lead the workshop perhaps in March His fee is negotiable. Carol also brought an outline of Ministry and Counsel Committee description work completed by M&C during two meetings over the summer (July 12 and August 9, 2014). The committee discussed and prioritized a number of Good Practices and Responsibilities as worship, supporting our pastor and membership, welcoming visitors, it will continue to be a work in progress. An M&C retreat in January with new members will be a way to establish trust and emphasize outlined practices. Ministry and Counsel will recommend to the meeting that a committee be established to keep the new web site current with more people involved. The committee will also make a recommendation to the finance committee for the up-coming year. Nominating Committee asked that M&C provide suggestions for new members of the committee, several names will be given for their consideration. The next meeting of M&C will be October 21, 2014 at 6:30PM at the home of Susan Sharp, Linda 4 Doyen will bring the opening. Willie Bontrager, Clerk Peace and Social Concerns:! Seven people met at the home of Gard and Sally Soule on Sept. 18, Our meeting started in the living room with Polly Nicholson, Annie and Willie Bontrager, Judy Bovet-Egnor, Rita Cronise along with Gard and Sally Soule present.! Rita engaged us with explanation and participation in parts of the mini AVP workshop to be presented on Sunday, Oct 5, 2014 at Friends Meeting. Pamela provided a poster for us to advertise this event. The local clergy council and the local Friends Meetings were notified of this important event. We all agreed to allow this workshop to be open to the public. Shirley Way, AVP, New York State will be notified of this decision.! The workshop schedule begins with a continental breakfast starting at 8:00 pm. coffee, water and cider will be provided along with bagels, cream cheese and coffee cake. Annie, Judy and Polly will provide for this breakfast. The 9:00 to 10:45 am workshop will begin in the Commons Room. Sally will notify Carol N., Ann G. and Helen K. of this workshop and invite their classes to attend. Sally will also ask Helen to announce this event to the mid-week worship group. Willie will talk with Jeff Parker to further instill interest in attendance from others in our Meeting. Those attending Quiet on October 5 will also be encouraged to attend.! It was hoped that the 11:00 am worship service would reflect a nonviolent theme. Pamela, Rita and Willie will discuss this possibility. Rita requested to look at our hymnal books.! After worship there will be time to eat your carry in lunch. Our committee will provide soup (Annie), quiche (Sally) cookies (Gardie) water and cider (Judy) for those who did not bring a carry in lunch.! The second session of the AVP workshop will take place from 1:00 to 2:30 pm.! Important supplementary information: Pamela will report to Sally, giving her the number of accepting responses. Sally will notify P&SC, so that food and supplies will be covered. Rita will talk with Carol N. regarding workshop supplies. Gard will

5 open the Meeting basement at 7:00 pm on Oct. 4 so organizers can set up for the workshop.! Other business. Sally wishes to pass on her clerk responsibilities to another member of P&SC. This will happen in January Our next meeting will be October 15, 2014 at the home of Judy Bovet-Egnor.! Sally Soule, Clerk Missions Committee: The following are updates on collections for Mission Projects:! May collection for CROP Walk totaled $ There was no local CROP Walk this year so this was designated to supplement what was collected for the Rochester North-West area CROP Walk.! For June, Including the 50 a dip dinner, $ was collected for the Education for Esther Project. It takes $400 to keep a child in school for a year for this project so we met this goal.! For July and August, the collection of & was split between the six area hospice homes: Advent House, House of John, Pines of Peace, Serenity House, Hospeace Hose and Ontario Yates Hospice.! Sukie Rice left for Kenya in August, and as she retired from teaching this year, will be staying a longer time in Kenya. Our support of Brenda and Kevin allowed them to attend a summer camp; and our letters along with a bath towel and a t-shirt for each, was delivered with Sukie s visit. We will hear about the trip from Sukie once she is back in Maine. House and Grounds: Norm Cole is working on the sign in front of the Meetinghouse to include the time of Sunday Morning s Un-programmed. There was a suggestion that we have a hand rail of some kind along the sidewalk at the back of the Meetinghouse. Religious Education: Present: Anne Gilson, Ellie Ellingham, Annie Bontrager. Helpers: Sue Ford, Dianne Aldrich It was felt that Rally Day on September 11 was wonderful and a great turn out. There were 19 children and teachers. We appreciated seeing all the ages. 5 On September 21 an outing by RE is being planned for Long Acre Farms for Sunday School children and anyone interested. There is a corn maze and many opportunities for fun and games. Lloyd and Margaret Hartsough have offered to help with the entrance fees. We will meet after Meeting with our bag lunches. Sue will provide grapes, Anne drink boxes, and Ellie - apples. We are encouraged to take pictures for our Web site. We are continuing to plan a Trunk or Treat on Saturday October 25 that will be all indoors. Sue will work on a flyer for the event and all are welcome. Set up will begin at 4:00 with Ghouls arriving at 5:00. We are collecting donations for UNICEF. Anne brought the Bibles to our meeting that will be given to our third graders and anyone we have missed. We all like the Bibles very much. They have a lot of extra information included to make them very handy and useful to have. Norm Cole will be asked to inscribe the Bibles with the names of the children receiving them. Marion Cole, as Clerk of our Meeting, has agreed to present them. The children are Sam, Eliza and Mary Moore, Grace Ellingham and Abigail Cedia. The first Sunday the Bibles are ready, they will be presented. RE would still like to have the teens involved with the rest of the Sunday School children in some way. Our teens can be great role models for our children. Anne will talk with Carol Nicholson about some ideas to make this possible. Possibly the teen class could lead the other Sunday School children with a special program once a month or every other month for minutes. There is a goat farm that we could visit in Interlaken for 5$ each. Still in the thinking stage. Our next meeting is October 1 at 6:15 at the Meetinghouse. Dianne Aldrich Library Committee: No report Music Committee: Thanks to all those who participated in the special music during the summer months. Old Business: Website: The Meeting approved the recommendation that a website committee

6 consisting of 3 or 4 members be given over to Nominating Committee to begin in Spring Gathering Planning Committee: Darleen Farley read a statement which was recently presented to Farmington-Scipio Regional Meeting at Fall Gathering in Ithaca NY. It is still early in the planning stages and those involved at this time will have more defined recommendations to present at Winter Gathering January 2015 in Rochester NY. As planning progresses we will be looking for help with this responsibility which Farmington Friends has for Spring Gathering scheduled for May 15 th 17 th The statement read during this Monthly Meeting is included after the minutes. Maternity Leave: Monthly Meeting approved the Trustees to amend the Maternity Leave contract to include a possible 6 full weeks of paid leave in case they are needed by Margaret. Sunday September 21 st was not included as a Sunday of Maternity Leave but a sick day was used for that day. Un-Programmed : 8:00 is going well with an average of 6 attenders each Sunday. A request to have more permanent seating will be presented to House and Grounds. Harvest Supper: Plans are coming together for our annual Harvest Supper scheduled for October 18, Luna Wedding: A request to use the Meetinghouse on November 8 th for a wedding rehearsal was approved as long as it does not interfere with the 1816 Meetinghouse presentation previously scheduled for 2:00 on that date. New Business: Historical registry and sacred sites program: A document listing our Meetinghouse as a part of the Farmington Quaker Crossroads Historic District was presented by the clerk. Correspondence: A thank you was received and read from Helen Kirker on behalf of the 1816 Meeting House for the use of our Meetinghouse in September. The Pines of Peace also sent a thank you for our recent monetary donation, The next Monthly Meeting will be October at the rise of Meeting for Attendees: Bea Kimball, Carol Nicholson, Polly Nicholson, Lloyd Hartsough, Margaret Hartsough, 6 Jean Parker, Barbara Popenhusen, Cynthia Marvin, Darleen Farley, Susan Sharp, Gardie Soule, Edward Golem, Anne Gilson, Linda Doyen, Annie Bontrager, Willie Bontrager, Marion Cole, Dianne Aldrich and Kathy Dudarchik. Marion Cole, Clerk Kathy Dudarchik, Recording Clerk Thoughts Leading to Spring Gathering As we, Quakers, look at ourselves within our meetings, we see that we are, indeed, graying. What has been rising up for us is asking not only who will follow us within our meetings but also why they would do so. Many of us believe that our world hungers for the gifts we Quakers and Quakerism bring: our testimonies, our process, our witness that the world can be ordered differently. We realize that the world will know of these things only through our capacity to live faithfully our testimonies. It seems clear that people of all ages are most attracted to authenticity of belief and action rather than dogma, doctrine, or laws that exclude. The founders of Quakerism and the early Quakers were beacons of light challenging the status quo, challenging what was culturally acceptable, and challenging what everybody was doing. Our culture, our society do not embrace the values to which we are called. The queries that we feel led to explore at Spring Gathering 2015 are: -- how do we faithfully live our testimonies in the places we find ourselves each day -- our homes, our workplaces, our meetings, our volunteer settings, our communities, our political arenas? -- how do we support, encourage, and enable ourselves and each other to live ever more faithfully? We have made preliminary inquiries with Jon Watts, and he is available. He is also willing to work with us to develop his presentation. Workshops might be developed around specific testimonies and witnesses. For example, how do we live more simply and model simplicity in a consumeristic society? How do we foster and nurture peace in a culture enamored of and entertained by violence? How do we let our Yes be yes and our No be no where half-truths and clever evasions appear to be the norm? How do we build community and rebuild fractured communities? How do we promote gender equality, racial equality, economic equality, and justice? How can our practices best be used by us within our own meetings and in our broader dealings? We invite your feedback. Farmington Friends Spring Gathering Coordination Committee Dianne Aldrich daldrich51@gmail.com; Kathy Dudarchik kdudarchik@rochester.rr.com; Darleen Farley cyndar@fltg.net; Helen Kirker; and Cyndi Marvin atquaker@gmail.com.

7 Farmington Friend November All Age Groups 3 6:30 Spiritual Writing Group 4 Noon AA 5 6:15 RE Meeting 7:00 Senior Choir : Farmington Quaker Meetinghouse Program - Haudenosaunee Influence on Women s Rights 9 9:00 Handbell Practice Youth Group Friend Notes Due 10 6:30 Spiritual Writing Group 11 Noon AA 12 7:00 Senior Choir All Age Groups 17 6:30 Spiritual Writing Group 18 Noon AA 19 7:00 Senior Choir 20 6:00 Peace & Social Concerns :00 Handbell Practice Youth Group Monthly Meeting on Rise from 24 6:30 Spiritual Writing Group 25 Noon AA 26 7:00 Senior Choir All Age Groups

8 1816 Farmington Quaker Meetinghouse Programs, 2014 Haudenosaunee Influence on Women s Rights November 8th, 2:00 PM, Farmington Friends Meetinghouse, 187 County Road 8, Farmington. Sally Roesch Wagnoer from the Matilda Joslyn Gage Center talks about how Haudenosaunee women influenced the dominant culture s 19th century women s rights movement. Co-sponsor: Ganondagan State Historic Site. Presented with support from the New York Humanities Council and other cooperating groups. Front Page Peace in Action Page 2-3 Upcoming/Birthdays/Treasurer s Report Page 3-6 Committee Minutes & Notes Page 6 Thoughts Leading to Spring Gathering Page 7 Calendar FARMINGTON FRIENDS CHURCH 140 Church Ave. Farmington, NY Lunar Eclipse October