RELIGIEUS GENOOTSCHAP DER VRIENDEN (QUAKERS) Nederlandse Jaarvergadering Secretariaat: Postbus 989,4600 AZ Bergen op Zoom, 0164-262605, secretariaat@quaker.dds.n1

Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends in the Netherlands, held at the Mennonite Conference Centre Mennorode in Elspeet, 3-5 May 2002.

Dear Friends Everywhere,

After the international disaster of the foot and mouth disease, which meant cancellation of our yearly meeting in 200 I, we were happy to be together once again. Our clerk opened the gathering with the beautiful words taken from The Sermon on the Mount in Mathew 5. 14-1 h .

“You are salt to the world.

You are light for all the world.

And you, like the lamp, must shed light among your fellows So that they see the good you do.”

Due to the natural drop in membership numbers and relatively few newcomers it is becoming increasingly difficult to fill vacancies in our standing committees. We have discussed the situation and how best to tackle this problem. The problem has also arisen which concerns we should continue to honour in the future.

This year's theme was 'Source and Radiance, the culture of non-violence in relationship to the radiance of the Society of Friends in the 2lst century'. Two speakers gave their personal views:

Tjeerd Dibbits told of his radical pacifism and how it emerged from Quaker sources. The peace testimony became his own testimony of faith. He said that pacifism also means refraining from revenge. Fear will always be with us, but we must not allow it to sway us.

In her account Hamsa Eichler told us of the importance of holding time free for reflection and that we should be aware of our own radiation on society in both material and in spiritual spheres. It would benefit society if more attention were directed to the similarity between religions and less attention given to the mutual differences. In the exercise 'Circles in movement' the theme was examined still further and in a creative manner it was transferred onto sheets of paper.

This weekend coincided with the National Remembrance Day for the fallen in the Second World War and with Liberation Day. In silence we too remembered in our own way.

During the Sunday-morning Meeting for Worship the children present were given a parcel to unwrap. The many pieces of wrapping paper revealed phases of Meeting for Worship and the children received a special explanation about this. The grown-ups shared in this experience. When at last the children opened the package they found that it contained pieces of coloured clay with which they decided to model candles. We hope their lights may long be seen throughout the world.

signed on behalf of Netherlands Yearly Meeting,

Marianne IJspeert clerk