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"Then were there brought unto him little children, that he should put his hands on them, and pray: and the disciples rebuked them. But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven. And he laid his hands on them, and departed thence." Matt. 19:13-15.

from Faith and Practice, p. 88, excerpt 10

If you would know God, and worship and serve God as you should do, you must come to the means He has ordained and given for that purpose. Some seek it in books, some in learned men, but what they look for is in themselves, yet they overlook it. The voice is too still, the Seed too small, and the

Light shineth in darkness.º The woman that lost her silver found it at home after she had lighted her candle and swept her house. Do you so too, and you shall find what Pilate wanted to know, viz., Truth. The Light of Christ within, who is the Light of the world, and so a light to you that tells you the truth of your condition, leads all that take heed unto it out of darkness into Godís marvelous light; for light grows upon the obedient. William Penn, 1694

Meeting picnic. See last issue for details.

Cemetery/Memorial Committee will have a meeting directly following Meeting for Worship. Please RSVP regrets only to Janet Pilvalis.

Jayne Stokes

Although First Day School has just ended for the year, the Religious Education Committee will soon start planning for next year. We want to plan programs that interest you. Let us know what you liked or didnít like about this yearís offerings and if you have any thoughts about what you would like to see in First Day School (for children or adults), please contact any member of the Religious Education Committee.

Within the past month or so, Overseers and Property Committee have installed a new telephone/ answering machine in the Meeting office. While the old dial phone is still on the wall, it no longer functions. Certain people have been designated to get the phone messages and handle them as needed. Members are welcome to use the new phone, however, we ask you do NOT "play back" messages or turn the answering machine off. We also ask you to discuss this with your children.

On September 23rd the Griffith Morgan House in Pennsauken will be open to the public. Griffith Morgan was a Welsh Quaker who fled to America in the 1670's to escape religious persecution. The September open house will focus on the Quaker heritage of the home's original inhabitants.

The Griffith Morgan House Committee welcomes input from members and attenders of Haddonfield Friends on Quaker history, faith and practice. Please contact Gary Smith.

Joanne Heizer

In the Meeting House auditorium, from 8:00 to 10:00, most Tuesday nights, you will find a small, friendly, welcoming group of people doing English Country Dance - a type of folk dance that evolved in England about 1550 and, over the next hundred years, became very popular there and in France and (later) in the American Colonies. It was danced into the early 1800s and is one of the ancestors of, and is similar to, American Square Dance. (But, without the bounce.)

The dancers weave around each other in a series of patterns, or "figures" in time with the music - jigs, reels, hornpipes, minuets, English and French country airs, theater and "pop" music of the times, and a few waltz tunes. You dance with a partner as part of a group of four or six, which may be part of a still larger group, depending on the particular dance in question. A good sense of timing and rhythm is helpful, but not essential. You do need to be able to follow directions, to be OK with continuous and, sometimes, quick changes of direction and, when called for, to "step lively". (For reference, see any Jane Austen movie.) It is very good, low-impact aerobic exercise for the body, intellectual exercise for the mind and a fun way to spend an evening with friends. Younger Friends are welcome, so long as they can "stay with the program"; there is no childcare.

If you come: Please call Joanne first to verify the date. Year ëround, there is NO dance on the last Tuesday of each month. Also note that between October and May, the school sometimes has need of the auditorium on Tuesday nights.

Wear comfortable clothes and shoes with non-slip soles.

No charge the first time; a $3 donation thereafter. After expenses are deducted, proceeds go to the Meeting.

Come alone or bring a F/friend; NO experience necessary.

Two Eskimos sitting in a kayak were chilly. When they lit a fire in the craft it sank, proving once and for all that you can't have your kayak and heat it too.

Did you hear about the Buddhist who refused his dentist's Novocain during root canal work? He wanted to transcend dental medication.

A group of chess enthusiasts checked into a hotel and were standing in the lobby discussing their recent tournament victories. After about an hour, the manager came out of the office and asked them to disperse. "But why?" they asked, as they moved off. "Because," he said, "I can't stand chess nuts boasting in an open foyer."

A man entered his local paper's pun contest. He sent in ten different puns, in the hope that at least one of the puns would win. Unfortunately, no pun in ten did.

A woman had identical twin sons, and gave them up for adoption. One of them went to a family in Egypt and was named Amahl. The other went to a family in Spain; they named him Juan. Years later, Juan sent a picture of himself to his mother. Upon receiving the picture, she told her husband that she wished she also had a picture of Amahl. Her husband responded, "But they are twins--if you've seen Juan, you've seen Amahl."

And the worst of the bunch:

Some friars were behind on their belfry payments, so they opened up a small florist shop to raise

the funds. Since everyone liked to buy flowers from the "men of God,"the rival florist across town thought the competition was unfair. He asked the good fathers to close down, but they would not. He went back and begged the friars to close. They ignored him. He asked his mother to ask the friars to get out of business. They ignored her, too. So the rival florist hired Hugh MacTaggart, the roughest and most vicious thug in town to "persuade" them to close. Hugh beat up the friars and trashed their store, saying he'd be back if they didn't close shop. Terrified, they did so, thereby proving . . . (Brace yourself.) . . . that Hugh, and only Hugh, can prevent florist friars.

Nancy Wogan

Library Committee announces its second book sale: it will be held Saturday, June 10, from 12:30-4:00 PM, and Sunday, June 11, from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM, in the auditorium. We need your donations as soon as possible. Bring them to the left wing of the auditorium stage. Old books exchanging hands for small prices will enable us to buy new books for our Meetingís library.

Some of Sam Duryeeís poetry and Thurber collection may be of special interest. Examine your own collections to see what you can spare. Any questions about this event? Call Nancy Wogan.

NEW MEETING TREASURER

Steve Berryhill is now the new Meeting Treasurer. All mail should be addressed to him at:

his home or at

Friends Meeting House

attn: Treasurer

Friends Avenue & Lake Street

Haddonfield, NJ 08033

And many thanks to Jean Landis for her years of service in this difficult task.

Therese Barringer

Thanks to everybodyís help we managed to keep 116 bicycles out of landfills. The bikes that were collected May 6th will be going to Senegal (West Africa) and Panama. It was very humid and hot that day, but the volunteers all showed great enthusiasm and a positive attitude. Taking the often rusty bikes apart was obviously a dirty and difficult job, but it was tremendously heartwarming to witness the spirit of cooperation between men and women, young and less young, School and Meeting members.

It was a wonderful group effort which, I feel, brought people together in an atmosphere of friendship and cooperation. I hope to continue to engage in projects that will allow our School community to get to know the Meeting community better. We have so much to share and so many common goals, lets work together at a "rapprochement". We sometimes spend too much precious time dwelling on our differences.

I received a very grateful letter from Pedals for Progress. They were ecstatic not only about the number of bicycles collected but also the generosity of the cash gifts made during the drive. We collected $890 on the 6th and two additional major gifts of $150 from Meeting and $150 from our service committee fund at school were mailed last week.

This organization was started 20 years ago by a young Peace Corps volunteer full of energy, enthusiasm and idealism. From this idea has developed Pedals for Progress which hopes to ship between 900 and 1000 bikes around the world this year. Without the help of volunteers Pedals for Progress could not fulfill these goals. Thanks again to everyone! Merci! Merci!

Janet Pilvalis

In 1999 PYM sent Quaker public school educators news that the Public Education Working Group was offering grants to teachers to support their work using Quaker values with their students. I applied for a grant and was approved (with the help and support of Sue Martin). The values I wanted the grant to support were Acceptance, Tolerance, and Learning to Solve Disagreements in a peaceful manner.

May 15th, I was invited to speak to the Public Education Working Group at 15th and Cherry Street to describe my work with my class. Some of those present were public school educators; all present had a genuine interest in public education.

PEWG asked how they as a group could continue to support me as a public school educator. They also asked how my Meeting supports my work. Although I couldn't answer these questions at the time, I certainly have thought about them a lot. It is my feeling we have many public school teachers in our Meeting. How can we acknowledge their work and offer our support? How can we acknowledge and offer support to all of our members' occupations?

(PEWG meets once a month at PYM. Tom Hoopes, at PYM can give more information and details to interested members.)

(These may be found in the NEW BOOK section on the table against the right wall as your enter the Library.)

Conscientious Objectors and the Draft (Pamphlet)

Describes how you can expect to deal with the government of the U.S. if you are a conscientious objector (CO).

The Dynamics of an Unprogrammed Meeting for Worship by Mary R. Hopkins (289.6/Hop)

Have you ever wondered how to prepare for meeting for worship, what other people experience during worship, and what responsibilities some monthly meeting committees have for meeting for worship? These are the issues addressed in this insightful pamphlet.

Listening to the Light: How to Bring Quaker Simplicity and Integrity into Our Lives by Jim Pym (240/Pym)

A contemporary introduction to Quakerism written by a noted British Friend. Pym summarizes Quaker thought and spiritual practice without over-simplifying it. This book is a useful guide both for inquirers and seasoned Friends who long for an accessible, clear and contemplative presentation of the core elements of our Faith today. Includes advices and queries, and a fine bibliography.

Listening Spirituality Vol. I: Personal Spiritual Practices among Friends by Patricia Loring (240/Lor)

Spiritual formation has always been an essential part of the Quaker faith. This book fills a huge gap in contemporary Friends' writings for those seriously seeking to undertake or expand their spiritual practices of prayer, devotion, meditation and listening to God.

The Mind of St. Paul by William Barclay (227.06/Bar)

Following a biographical sketch of St. Paul, this popular interpreter of biblical thought traces the origins, development and lasting influence of Paul's great themes, including gnosticism, justification by faith, and reconciliation.

Old and Historic Churches of New Jersey, Vol. II by Ellis L. Derry (289.6/Der)

Recounts the stories of how our forefathers established their religious communities and houses of worship in our area, including the Friends Meetings in Randolph Township, Princeton, Rancocas, Mullica Hill, Cropwell in Marlton, and Newton in Camden. (Haddonfield Monthly Meeting will be included in the revised edition of Volume I.)

Rhythms of the Inner Life: Yearning for Closeness with God by Howard R. Macy (223.2/Mac)

The author turns to the Psalms to examine our progression in our spiritual lives. He suggests specific practices that can nurture our responses to God and increase our understanding of His presence and purpose.

Sabbath Sense: a Spiritual Antidote for the Overworked by Donna Schaper (248.8/Sch)

An invitation to pack your spiritual baggage and move to the neighborhood called Enough---enough time, enough rest, enough play.

Tall Poppies: Supporting Gifts of Ministry and Eldering in the Monthly Meeting by Martha Paxson Grundy (Pendle Hill Pamphlet #347)

This focuses on the gifts traditionally understood as ministry and eldering, suggesting to monthly meetings how to support and nurture ministry and the individual Friends through whom it comes.

Without Apology: the Heroes, the Heritage and the Hope of Liberal Quakerism by Chuck Fager (289.6/Fag)

Author brings his wit to the serious task of laying out a distinctive, optimistic examination of the essence and prospects of today's liberal Quakerism.

The Ad Hoc Committee on Reassessment of HFS Operations, Policies and Mission and the Meetingís Commitment has met once and developed the following list of questions to review:

1. Does the School (and/or School Committee) have written policies? Where are they? How are they (are they) communicated to School Committee/Meeting?
2. How are School employees hired, evaluated and terminated? How many are Quakers? How are new teachers introduced to Quaker philosophy?
3. How are students evaluated and why?
4. How does the PTO operate? How are new parents introduced to Quaker philosophy? How do Quaker parents participate in the life of the school?
5. Fundraising
6. What is the financial aid process?
7. How does the school apply Quaker philosophy and values in its curriculum? What are the schoolís policies with respect to religious education? Is there an organized curriculum to teach Quaker values?
8. How does the school apply Quaker philosophy and values with respect to the emotional development of children?
9. How does the school apply Quaker philosophy and values with respect to diversity among students, employees and curriculum?
10. How are students disciplined? Is discipline reviewed from the childís viewpoint?
11. How does the school evaluate its "Quakerliness"?
12. How is School Committee organized and operated? How much influence does School Committee have over operations of the school? How much influence does School Committee have over the policies of the school? How much should it have in each case?
13. What is and what should be the Meetingís role in the operations of the school? What is the role of Overseers? Business Meeting? What should they be? How does the Meeting know about the operations of the school?

Monthly Meeting for business was held May 12, 2000. Annual reports were received from the Education Fund Committee and Overseers. The Education Fund committee reported receipts of $1271 from the yard sale, and $3607 from the dinner-auction. Further details of the report are below.

Overseers have been reviewing the membershipsí non-participating members. Letters and follow-up letters have been sent to non-participating members.

The Preliminary budget for 2000-2001 was presented and approved as is.

David Marshallís membership was approved.

John Morad, who will participate in a Mexican workcamp in July, was given $500 from the newly approved Alberta Greco Request Fund. The Fund was approved earlier in the meeting. It is for young active members, grades 7-12, to take part in Quaker activities such as this.

Kitty Mizuno received a minute of approval for her application to the John Pemberton Fund as well as some financial assistance. Kitty has been invited to participate in a conference on "Spirituality in Action: Quakers in Education in the New Millenium" to be held at Earlham College.

Yard Sale: The annual yard sale, which has become somewhat of a tradition, is an extremely labor intensive activity. The inability to collect items year-round and the inability to collect and sell items of furniture add to the low quality of merchandise. We have competition from other yard sales, which are both better attended and have better quality goods. The committee is actively reevaluating the timing of the yard sale, the benefit of the yard sale and is discussing alternatives.

Dinner & Silent Auction: The dinner is extremely labored intensive, and generated proceeds to the committee of only $300.00. The auction was poorly attended and although $3,300.00 was raised, many items were auctioned at well below the value that we could reasonably have expected from a better-attended event. The Committee is actively reevaluating the timing of the auction and dinner, as well as investigating alternatives to a dinner.

The Committeeís final conclusions were as follows:

The Committee was in unity on the following matters: a) The fund raising efforts need to be re-thought and new ideas and energy need to be infused to overcome an apparent level of disinterest on the part of many meeting members; b) Members of the Committee should be appointed by the nominating committee in the ordinary course; c) those "stakeholder" Meeting members whose children attend HFS are the primary pool of nominees from which the Nominating committee should draw; d) approaches, consistent with the spirit of the entire program, must be identified and implemented in order to obtain the active involvement of these stakeholders in committee activities; e) The committee intends to evaluate use of the Meeting Website (under development by Bill Patterson & Harley Williams) for advertising and solicitation.

Harley Williams

(with thanks to Kierkegaard, Buber, Alter, and many others)

Isaac was the second and most colorless of the patriarchs. Despite his name, given him by God and meaning "he laughs", he is a somber, dreary, pathetic figure. He seems to live only to pass on the promise from his austere but courageous and visionary father, to his rapscallion son Jacob. The question, given his history, is why did God so name him? He was the son of promise, a son of Abraham and Sarah's old age, a child born into wealth, the second generation of an immigrant family of an alien faith. Surely he was beloved and pampered, even by his august father. What happened?

Mount Moriah happened. A trip with his father into the wilderness to offer a sacrifice, accompanied only by two serving men. What could be more wonderful! Talk about a bonding experience! But it wasn't. His father was quiet, and somber, on the way. And where was the sacrificial lamb? He found out all too soon. Imagine the father who loves you, dotes on you, who waited 100 years for you to be born, to suddenly seizes you, ties you up, throws you on a pile of wood, and puts a knife to your throat, utterly ignoring your cries, harkening only to an unseen, unheard, and possibly imaginary angel. Whom would you ever trust again? Your father? Wife? Child? In Isaac's case, such concerns would be all too real. And what if Abraham wasn't hearing voices? What if God did order Isaac to undergo this terrible ordeal? Did Isaac consider himself the subject of history's or the Bible's worst practical joke? Was he expected to laugh?

Some seventy years later, Jacob, abetted by Rebecca, comes to him wearing animal skins, bearing the "delicacy" his father had sought from Esau the firstborn. But Isaac was suspicious. "Fool me once . . . ." "Come on, son, let's go on a camping trip . . ." And yet Isaac was fooled again, and passed on his blessing to Jacob, his second son, the trickster. This frail old man, expecting death momentarily, nearly blind, was tricked out of his legal and traditional right to pass on his blessing, including effectively most of his estate, to his eldest son.

So where did the name come from? Was it for Isaac's bitter laughter, years later, telling the story of his mad father and his mad god that terrible afternoon?

Cecilia McFadden

2/2/2000

I heard Your song in the wind--

The wind that became my first breath;

In the zephyr that trembles newly-born blossoms

And dances dry leaves newly fallen.

I heard your voice

In blizzard bluster and summer squall;

In March's gusts

And gales of autumn.

I heard Your voice in the wind--

The wind that became my last breath,

Singing Your thousand-verse,

One-word refrain:

"Love

Love

Love . . ."