Standing
Committee on Education Children's
Religious Education Programs
Dear Expediters,
Thank you for sending us the most current information about Middle School Friends and Young Friends in your Meeting. Mary Anne Crowley, RE Assistant, is most appreciative of your promptness in getting that information to us.
Please let parents and RE Committee people know about the November 10 called Session at Friends Center, especially the afternoon portion (1:00-5:00 p.m.) on PYM’s response to the September 11 tragedy. During the morning and afternoon sessions Religious Education has prepared interesting and enjoyable programming for Kg.-5th and 6th -8th grade, with very young children (up through 4 years) in child-care. Parents should phone or e-mail the RE office by Wednesday, November 7 if they want their child in the child-care and/or a youth program
I hope your First-day Program is off to an excellent start!Marty Smith, editor
martys@pym.org
Banners from Residential Yearly Meeting
The RYM banners made quite a sight, fluttering in the breeze to make a colorful, joyful fringe around the “big top” of the tent at De Sales University. But, alas, a few banners got left behind when their creators went home. Did your Meeting get theirs? Banners from Plymouth, Wrightstown, Middletown (Bucks Quarter), and Germantown Meetings are still waiting to be claimed. Give us a call and we will see that you get your banner.Timely Theme for March 2002 Children’s Program
In their October meeting, members of the CYPYM Group became quite clear about the theme of “Losses and Findings” to help children process, build upon, and learn from their personal losses, before and during the upcoming March sessions. The CYPYM Group will begin this month to create a YM Packet on this theme, with the hope of sending it to meetings early in January, 2002. They will develop activities, games, crafts, and special entertainment for the children and young people who come to the March 21-24, 2002 sessions at Arch Street Meeting House in Philadelphia.
Religious Education staff are ready and eager to visit your Meeting.
Melanie Douty is eager to talk with meetings about strengthening Religious Education programs, and has lots of ideas for Middle School (215) 241-7171 (melanied@pym.org) Cookie Caldwell has many refreshing ideas about how to start and run a successful high school Youth Program in a Meeting or Quarter (215) 241-7222 (cookiec@pym.org) Gene Hillman has spoken often in the past year on a variety of adult RE topics, and has a very interesting experiential background for the peace testimony (215) 241-7182 (geneh@pym.org) Marty Smith knows a fair amount about teaching elementary and middle First-day school,
with lots of the resources and techniques which really work (215) 241-7008 (martys@pym.org)All you need to do is call or e-mail us.
Useful Supplement on Quaker/American HistoryThe clerk of your meeting has a copy of the supplement for the Philadelphia Inquirer and Philadelphia Daily News, which was produced by Quaker Information Center, to celebrate the 300th Anniversary of the 1701 Charter of Privileges. The 1701 Charter set forth religious freedom and citizen participation in government. The supplement, appropriate for middle and high school students, contains many ideas and activities for teaching Quakerism, early American History, and the influence of Penn on the history of Pennsylvania. Contact your meeting clerk or Peggy Morscheck, the author, for copies by e- mail, on the Web, or by phone (info@quakerinfo.org or www.afsc.org/qic.htm or (215) 241-7024.
Children (Kg.-5th Grade)
November 10 9:00 a.m.-12:00 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.-5:00 p.m.: William Penn and His Relationship with the Indians, led by Donna Sweeny (Falls Meeting). Activities include: games, crafts, meeting other Quakers. Held in the Rufus Jones Room. To register, call Mary Anne Crowley by Nov. 7 or e-mail. (215) 241-7221 or maryc@pym.orgMiddle School: 6th – 8th grades
November 10, 9:00-12:00 and 1:30-5:00: Handling Difficult Situations in Your School or Neighborhood with Kaki Sjogren of Southampton Meeting (attender at Unity Meeting). Kaki will give us ways to get out of tough situations, using our heads instead of our fists. To register, contact Mary Anne Crowley by Nov. 7 at (215) 241-7221 or maryc@pym.orgNovember 16-18: Handmade Life at Exeter Meeting, Douglassville, Pa. Middle School Friends will visit the farm and homestead of two Quaker families. Choose among quilting, knitting, and working with farmer, Ted Stokes. Pre-register and pay $40.00 by Nov. 8, with scholarships available. Contact Melanie Douty at (215) 241-7171 or melanied@pym.org
Nov. 30-Dec. 1: Circle of Girls at Radnor Meeting, Radnor, PA. A revival of a popular program for middle and high school girls and their parents. Parents and girls attend the Friday night program together with fellowship and worship, sharing all that entails growing up female and parenting young women! The girls will stay overnight and have a half-day program and lunch on Saturday, and head home by 1:30 p.m. Contact Melanie Douty at (215) 241-7171 or melanied@pym.org.Young Friends: 9th- 12th grade (or 14 by September)
November 16-18, 2001: Reading Meeting, Reading Pa. Plans for the Gathering include a service project at a homeless shelter and rock-climbing at the nearby Cliffhangers Indoor Climbing Facility. A coffeehouse in the evening with Reading Meeting members and Middle School Friends, who will be gathering at Exeter Meeting. Limited to 35 Young Friends, registration of $40.00 is due as soon as you can get it in; scholarships are available. Call or e-mail Cookie Caldwell for details at (215) 241-7222 or cookiec@pym.org.December 27-30: Christmas Silence Gathering at Burlington Conference Center, Burlington, NJ. Look for flyer in the mail with details or call Cookie Caldwell (215) 241-722
November 2001
Going Deep During Meeting
Most children don’t automatically know what to do when they get in to meeting for worship; they need some guidance. Right at the beginning of meeting for worship (for 5-10 minutes) or just before your First-day class goes into worship, a teacher can use a short centering exercise which might center or focus upper elementary through high school ages.
Ask the young people to close their eyes and get a picture of themselves sitting beside a pond or steam.
Then read the following:
"As we look into a pond or stream, the first thing we might see is the surface – its color and roughness or smoothness. If we wait a little longer and patiently focus, we may see our own reflection. With a little more concentration and patience, looking even deeper, we might see plants, fish, rocks – even the bottom of the pond."
Ask the students if they got a picture in their mind of what you just said. Then say:
"Peacefully looking at the water is much like sitting in meeting. When we first close our eyes and try to settle, we see darkness--sometimes some outlines of images in front of us. After some waiting, our personal problems or joys start to come back to us. Family or friends problems push to the front of our thoughts---much like a reflection from the pond. If we wait a little more, we may come in touch with the spark deep down in our souls, which Quakers call ‘that of God’. "
First-day School Teachers in Quaker Meetings often need new ideas and ways of teaching. Something that has worked for you might be just what other teachers are looking for. Please send your ideas to Marty Smith, by e-mail to: martys@pym.org or mail to 1515 Cherry St., Philadelphia, PA 19102. Thank you!
Published by Religious Education Concerns Group, Philadelphia Yearly Meeting
Office: 1515 Cherry Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102
Marty Smith: (215) 241-7008 (E-mail: martys@pym.org);
Cookie Caldwell: (215) 241-7222 (e-mail: cookiec@pym.org);
Melanie Douty: (215) 241-7171 (e-mail: melanied@pym.org);
Mary Anne Crowley: (215) 241-7221 (e-mail: maryc@pym.org);
Gene Hillman: (215) 241-7182 (e-mail: geneh@pym.org)
or: 1-800-220-0796, with the appropriate extension number.
Last modified: Tuesday, June 07, 2005 at 04:22 PM