The Wrightstown Reporter
June 2007
Wrightstown Friends Monthly Meeting, 535 Durham Road, Wrightstown PA 18940
Meeting for Worship: Sundays at 10 a.m.
Child Care available at the Social Hall
Clerk: John King (215) 598-0918 Treasurer: Linc Merwin (215) 598-7712
PO Box 130, Penns Park, PA 18943 PO Box 404, Penns Park, PA 18943
Caretakers: Eric & Michelle Adamusko (215) 968-3994 Reporter Clerk: Anne Porter (215) 968-8911
Please clear all dates with them E-mail
The kiss of the sun for pardon, the song of the birds for mirth,
One is nearer God’s heart in a garden, than anywhere else on Earth.
Dorothy Gurney
M E E T I N G C A L E N D A R
June 14 7-9 pm Religious Education Committee Potluck
June 24 8:30am Spiritual Exploration Discussion Group - CANCELLED
July 8 11:15 am Business Meeting
Aug. 12 11:15 am Business Meeting
Aug. 15-19 Middletown Grange Fair – Visit the Quaker Tent!
Sept. 9 10 am First Day School Begins
FACING BENCH SCHEDULE
Date Families Worship Ministry Overseers Greeters
6/17 Boadas Kathleen O'Neal Lisa Follman Sue Sandberg
6/24 McPhersonsons Charly Wilson Gwen Kerber Joyce Vollmer
7/1 Sams Molly Arrison Mary Barbera Eugenia Howes
7/8 Bartholomays Tom Biggs Pauline Biggs Marty Keyser
7/15 Egans Nelson Camp Richard Friar John Fullam
B I R T H D A Y S
Megan Dubois 6/11 Sam Penfold 6/11 Megan Dubois (Alden) 6/11
Maria Myers 6/13 Cynthia Sharp 6/12 Katie Whitman 6/15
Erika Schmalbruch 6/20 Richard Conyne 6/21 Valerie Pfaff 6/21
Jacob Fitzpatrick 6/22 John King 6/24 Alexander Brodbeck 6/24
David Platt 6/27 Bill Rowe 6/27 Mark Boada 6/29
Colin Sandberg 6/30 Karen Pearson 7/2 Anne Porter 7/2
Esther Smith 7/2 Ralph Caldwell 7/3 Zoe Mellor 7/5
Seth Brady 7/9 Lina Pearson 7/9 George Mueller 7/10
Maura Searle 7/13 Alice Fullam 7/15 Gavin Macrine 7/15
Joyce Vollmer 7/18 Tyler Barbera 7/18 Emily Falk 7/19
Meeting List Updates
Mark, Evelyn & Andrew Boada 31 Ardsley Court, Newtown PA 18940 215 860-5967
Lauren Boada 6241 Ironwood Way, Columbia, MD 21045-4466 267 266-9370
Sarah and Lee Momtahan 8 Campbell Road, OX43NU, Oxford, UK
Colleen Fries 460 New Road, Churchville, PA 18966-1040
Jean Dinneen l0 Jason Way, Richboro, PA 18954 215 322-1026
Janie Scurti 18 Glenolden Road, Yardley, PA 19067
Marcia Durgin 251 Belmont Ave., Doylestown, PA 18901 215 345-6125
PERSONALS
The Finance Committee urges all members and attenders tocontribute generously to the General Fund at this time. The average gift from members last year was justover $500 per person and we will need to do better than that to meet our budget this year. We need your help now!
June 14th 6-9pm Religious Education Committee Meeting to honor Lois Wilson for all her hard work and dedication to the First Day School program for so many years. We also face the challenge of finding the futureclerk of the committee andto get preliminarily organized for next year. Anne Porter has graciously offered her home for the meeting. Eating at 6 pm, meeting at7 pm. All interested in First Day School are invited to join us. Children are welcome & there is a shallow above-ground pool for their pleasure.
Spiritual Exploration Discussion Group. The next meeting will discuss: The God of My Understanding. Bob Leipholtz will lead the discussion. There is no specific suggested reading, though anything that one wants to bring andshare is fine.We'll follow usual schedule: 8:30 breakfast, 8:45 discussion, 10:00 conclude for Meeting. All are very welcome to join in the discussion. There is no need to have participated in past groups or to read specific materials ahead of time. For info or to arrange for child care during discussion group, contact Tim Nanneman at 609-397-3882 or .
July Worship Services at Chandler Hall are organized by Wrightstown. Please contact Worship and Minstry if you are available to assist in this responsibility.
Art Teacher and Drama Teacher needed for PYM Residential Meeting, Rowan University. Two teachers are needed for the three mornings of Summer Sessions. If interested, contact Elizabeth Walmsley at 215-241-7171 or
June 14th 2:30-6:30 pm Green Roof Open House, Friends Center, Phila. Friends Center is installing the first extensive green roof in Center City Philadelphia and is holding an open house for everyone to see the roof and learn how this technology can work in other buildings. Vegetated roofs protect the watershed, cool the city, lower operating cost for our buildings, and witness to Friends' care for the earth. Green roofs designer Roofscapes, Inc. will discuss the benefits of green roofs and present technical information about installation at 2:30, 4:30 and 5:30. Participants will be able to see the materials that go into green roof construction and see Friends Center's installation in progress. The reception and tours will be offered from 2:30 to 6:30 p.m. RSVP to: Heather Shayne Blakeslee, or 215-241-7098.
June 15-17th Exhibit Marks 325th Anniversary of Penn's Treaty, 315 East Allen St. Phila. A special exhibition commerates the 325th anniversary of William Penn's treaty with the Native Americans in 1682. An online museum has been established at PennTreatyMuseum.org Anyone with items of interest, information, documents or objects regarding Penn's treaty, Shackamaxon and related history may contact John Connors at: or .
July 9-20 Newtown Meeting’s Peace Camp. Each day from 9am-3pm, campers in grades 1-6 are invited to learn ways to connect with each other and to use conflict resolution skills. For info and to register, contact: 215-757-7220 or www.thepeacecenter.org.
July 26-30 Residential Yearly Meeting, Rowan University, Glasboro NJ. Information was mailed to all PYM households. Details and online registration at: www.pym.org/annualsessions or 215-241-7075.
July 27-29 Inquirers' Weekend: An Introduction to Basic Quakerism, Pendle Hill. Ready to take a closer look at Quakerism? Join fellow seekers for a deeper grounding in the basics of Quaker faith and practice and how they connect to your spiritual journey. Cost is $265/shared room; $315/private room; $190/commuter. For registration and info: www.pendlehill.org or 1-800-742-3150, ext. 3.
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Query #6 - Equality. How does our meeting help to create and maintain a society whose institutions recognize and do away with the inequities rooted in patterns of prejudice and economic convenience? Is our meeting open to all regardless of race, ability, sexual orientation or class? What steps are we taking as a meeting to assure that our meeting and the committees and institutions under our care reflect our respect for all and are free from practices rooted in prejudice?
Do I examine myself for aspects of prejudice that may be buried, including beliefs that seem to justify biases based on race, gender, sexual orientation, disability, class and feelings of inferiority or superiority? What am I doing to help overcome the contemporary effects of past and present oppression? Am I teaching my children, and do I show through my way of living, that love of God includes affirming the equality of people, treating others with dignity and respect, and seeking to recognize and address that of God within every person?
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Wrightstown Monthly Meeting for Worship for Business – June 10, 2007
With 15 members present, Business Meeting began with a few moments of silent worship. The April 15th Minutes were read and approved.
Communications and Correspondence: Membership Changes: As a result of correspondence generated by the Coming to Know Ourselves program the following membership changes were referred to Overseers: 1) to research if David Cohen is a member of a New York Meeting; 2) to follow up with Joanne Creager who requested to be removed after her move to North Carolina. Overseers believes she should remain a member until she transfer to a North Carolina Meeting; and, 3) to follow up with Marcie Nisley who moved and requested removal. Thank-you letters were received from: the Red Cross, Bucks County Homeless Shelter, Friends General Conference, Friends World Committee for Consultation, the Heritage Conservancy, Lingohocken Fire Company, Mercer Street Friends Center, the Quaker School at Horsham, and Scattergood Foundation of Friends Hospital. United Friends School sent a letter announcing its new Head of School.
PYM sent recommendations from the Budget Process Group. One primary recommendation is to charge the various funds under the care of PYM a fee for fund administration. This fee would represent up to 22% of the income generated from those funds. Some members expressed concern that fewer dollars would be available for distribution to needed programs. A PYM budget session is scheduled for June 23rd.
Committee Reports:
Treasurer and Finance: Betsy Bayardi and Linc Merwin presented the draft 2007-2008 budget. This budget will be challenging because of a convergence of funds needed for worthy programs and the difficulty the Meeting had this year in meeting its fund raising goals. The highlights of the new budget include:
§ An assumption that contributions to the General Fund will increase by 5%.
§ Endowment income, interest and dividends will increase slightly due to higher interest rates and improved investment performance.
§ Peace and Concerns budget was increased by $1,000 to allow Meeting to make a corporate gift to PYM supporting the Friends Center renovations. Finance Committee is requesting that P&C consider reducing other giving to allow for a $2,000 corporate gift.
§ Depreciation expense is budgeted at $8,400, the same as last year. We will enter the new fiscal year with approximately $13,000 in the depreciation Fund. After the new floor treatment is installed we anticipate the Fund will be depleted.
§ The Heating budget has been increased to reflect the volatile and increasing cost of oil.
§ $1,500 increase in House and Grounds budget to $13,500 for anticipated 2007-08 project costs ($2,500 for tree work).
§ The BQM/PYM annual covenant was increased 4% to $30,914. Quarterly Meeting had requested a much higher increase.
§ The Religious Education budget will take over responsibility for any stipends paid to teachers.
§ All other line items either remained the same or were adjusted for inflation.
Finance and Trustees are discussing the funds needed for cemetery projects. Finance believes the needed funds are available and will meet with Trustees to finalize the cemetery budget. Meeting approved the budget draft, which will be presented in July for final approval.
Nominating: A final Committee List needs to be presented for approval at the July Business Meeting. John King will contact Brian Berry.
Coming Together Process: Drew Augenblick reported that the Committee had met. By next weekend, each Committee will receive the survey results and feedback that is relevant to their Committee. The Committees will be charged with acting on the issues raised.
House and Grounds and Flooring Subcommittee: After active research, H&G found a way to recycle the old carpet! The Subcommittee is engaging several experts – restoration architects, antique flooring specialists, structural engineers to advise on potential solutions. Several members present requested them to reach out as widely as possible in soliciting opinions on which path to take. The Committee was also asked to get two types of proposals, one for bare floors and one for carpeting.
Religious Education: The Youth Craft Fair at Meet and Eat was very successful and will generate at least $700 in revenue for Meeting. Several youth donated crafts such as knitted goods, magnets, decorative pads, wood crafts such as honey sticks and pictures. Andrew Erdos also donated a large amount of hand blown glass.
Overseers: Overseeers received thank you notes from Bill Hunter for the flowers sent and from Cheri Mellor and Edna Valdepenas for the books sent to welcome Xavier’s adoption. Georgeann Bassett is now at Pickering Manor Nursing Home. A Clearness Committee met with the Schmucker family and recommended that Adam and Jessica Schmucker along with their children Clare and Emmett be approved for membership. Meeting gave a preliminary approval to be finalized in July. Discussion ensued regarding how new members are counseled regarding their financial obligation to Meeting. Overseers informs new members of the need to participate financially in the Meeting but does not give an amount. Finance would like Overseers to use the May fund raising letter which gives the average gift given in the prior year. This number should be used as a starting point for discussion. Jeanine Vannais& David Graham are still awaiting a transfer letter from Newtown Meeting. John King will call Newtown Meeting. At the June Meet and Eat, Phyllis Purcell, Bill Hunter, Carol Wenger and Katie Dockhorn were welcomed as new members. Overseers discussed several findings from the Getting to Know Ourselves session which involved outreach to members and strengthening Meeting relationships. Overseers is holding Sara Adamusko, Bill Hunter and Georgeann Bassett in the Light. Overseers also sent a note of congratulations to Joyce Vollmer who will be attending Moore School of Art this fall.
Trustees: See budget discussion above. Rich Segel reported that more tree work needs to be done in the cemetery. Trustees are working on a recommendation for a new fee structure for cemetery services. Peter Pearson noted that a section of the cemetery was laid out in smaller plots for the interment of ashes, but no follow up determination of an appropriate fee structure was made. Trustees will also look into this.
Peace and Social Concerns: Starting in June, P&C will put a monthly article into the Reporter to inform Meeting at large of its activities.
Nursery School: The transition of leadership from Marty Severn to Jean Dineen is now complete. The school is fully enrolled for next year.
Interim Meeting: Several Meetings are putting on “green” additions. Delaware Quarter’s bill board states “An eye for an eye will make the whole world blind.” PYM is reaching out to Meetings in England & Ireland. The new leaders are moving ahead with optimism and prayers.
Worship and Ministry: No report. Facilities Planning: No report.
Other Business: George School is embarking on a $12.6 million library project that will achieve a high standard of sustainability. A Minute of Gratitude was requested to recognize Lois Wilson’s dedicated service on the Religious Education Committee.
There being no other business, Meeting concluded with a moment of silent worship. Respectfully submitted, Elizabeth Bayardi
Notes from Peace & Social Concerns