Haddonfield Monthly Meeting

Link = back to Haddonfield Monthly Meeting Home Page

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength = of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to = stand against the wiles of the devil. For we are not contending against = flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, = against the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spiritual = hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take the whole = armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and = having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your loins = with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and = having shod your feet with the equipment of the gospel of peace; besides = all these, taking the shield of faith, with which you can quench all the = flaming darts of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the = sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Pray at all times in the = Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with = all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for = me, that utterance may be given me in opening my mouth boldly to = proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in = chains; that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak." Eph. = 6:10

As Friends we believe that love is the unifying = force in human relations. Let us understand what love is and is not. = Love is not self-seeking; it is self-giving. Love does not try to make = up a deficiency in that of God in another from an overabundance of = divinity in ourselves; it opens us to the divine Light and rejoices in = it. Love does not mean agreeing on all questions of belief, values, or = rules of conduct; it means accepting with humility and forbearance such = differences as cannot be resolved by open and patient give-and- take. = Love does not recreate our sisters and brothers in our image; it = recreates us both in relation to each other, united like limbs of one = body yet each a distinct self. Philadelphia Yearly Meeting, 1969

Query III, for individual reflection:

Thursday, November 2, 2000 from 9:30-11:30 = am, at the School:

Fall Open House. Brief article below.

Tuesday, November 7, 2000 at 9:00 am, at the = School:

Colloquium. See article below.

Jayne Stokes

Children=92s FDS:

Due to popular demand, there will no longer be = children=92s singing before first day school. Classes for both adults = and children will begin at 11:15 and end at 12:15.

Adult FDS is open to high school students as = well as adults.

November 5: Deepening and Strengthening Our = Meetings as Faith Communities. Judy Owens will repeat her workshop from = last month=92s Tri-Quarter Gathering. What does it mean to be a faith = community and how do we move toward that goal?

November 12: Program to be announced

Faith & Practice will meet in the library.

November 19: Messages from Eastern Faiths. A = panel of members of several eastern religions will discuss their faiths. = Children will have Thanksgiving-related activities.

November 26: The Historic Jesus. Part one of = a two-part talk. See article below.

FIRST DAY SCHOOL AGAIN

Co-Clerks Jayne Stokes and Flora McKinney

First Day School offers classes for all age groups. = Each class has two teachers or a teacher and an assistant. Two High = School Friends assist the pre-school kindergarten class when the high = school group is not meeting.

Pre school-kindergarten have lessons on Bible = concepts that are written for their age level. Two or three have been = attending of a possible 5 or 6. First, second and third grades have = lessons from the life of Jesus, average attendance of five or six out of = eight to ten possible. Fourth, fifth, and sixth grades have lessons in = Bible discoveries. Six to eight attend of a possible twelve to fourteen. = So far only two Seventh & Eighth graders have come. Hopefully = activities can be found that will be of interest to them.

High School Friends at their party on September 10 = decided to meet on the second and fourth First days. They plan to start = with a study of other churches and religions and compare them with = Quakerism. Nine young Friends came to the party and others have = indicated they are interested. This group could average ten to fifteen = attenders.

It has been decided to discontinue the hymn singing = during coffee time. The time is too short and only a few children have = participated.

It is time to begin planning for the next sessions, = January through March. Friends Testimonies of Peace and Equality has = been chosen as the subject for first through sixth grades.

The Religious Education Committee wants feedback = from all teachers, students and other interested Friends: what went = well, changes that would be helpful, and other pertinent comments.

Kenneth Blackwell will speak about the Historic = Jesus and lead the discussion for the Adult Forums (adult First Day = School classes) on November 26^th and December 3^{rd =} . Kenneth is an active member of Yardley Meeting where he has = served on the Meeting=92s Adult Education, Overseers, and Worship and = Ministry Committees. He also leads the Quakerism 101 course.

Religious Education Committee

"Messages from Eastern Spiritual Paths" is the = adult first day school program planned for November 19th. A panel of 4 = guests who have chosen eastern spiritual paths will discuss their paths = and spiritual practices. They will answer the following three questions = in an open dialogue with session participants:

• What specific ideas or events lead you to this = particular path?
• What two or three beliefs, attitudes or ideas = would you like to talk to us, as Quakers, about?
• What message or spiritual practice would you = like to suggest to us?

Our quest panel represents the Buddhist, Hindu, = Muslim and B'hai faiths. Please join us in welcoming them to our meeting = and enjoy their company during covered dish.

NEEDED

A CD player: Does anyone have a CD player he or she = would donate for First-Day School use? Let Susan Tucker, FDS = Coordinator, know.

HFS will hold its Fall Open House on Thursday, = November 2, 2000 from 9:30-11:30 am with a presentation at 9:45 and = tours at 10:00 in the lower building. Please invite friends, relatives = or neighbors to join us that morning.

Levenhouse is in dire need of kitchen linens. A = carton will be in the foyer for your gifts. Thank Thee.

Flora McKinney

Mildred Norma Rydor became the Peace Pilgrim on = January 1, 1953 when she walked along side the Rose Bowl parade in = Pasadena, Calif. She kept walking until she arrived at the United = Nations headquarters in New York City. She carried only what would fit = into the pockets of her blue tunic and a petition for peace signed by = thousands of people she met along the way.

This was the first of numerous continental = crossings. She was never supported by any organization and accepted no = money. She slept when someone offered her a bed and ate when she was = offered food. Her goal was simple: to spread the word of peace and show = the way of peace. She walked more than 25,000 miles for peace in her 28 = year Pilgrimage.

Friends in Costa Rico are sharing in a year long = historic peace initiative called "Costa Rico 2000: a Millennium for = Peace". They plan on November 18, 2000 to place a statue of the Peace = Pilgrim near the statue of Mahatma Gandhi on the grounds of the United = Nations University for Peace which is just outside of San Jose, Costa = Rico.

A documentary film of her life is being made. = Interested Friends can contribute through "Friends of Peace Pilgrim", = 43489 Cedar Ave., Hemet, CA 92544. Norma Rydor's books are Steps to = Inner Peace, and Peace Pilgrim: In Her Own Words. Also the = Newsletter of Friends of Peace Pilgrim may be ordered at the = above address.

Flora McKinney

A Friend was talking with a friend and explained = the Quaker belief in the Inner Light. As they concluded their visit the = friend said to the Quaker "I'll keep the light turned on for you". I ask = that we all hold the Meeting and especially the First Day school in the = light at 12 Noon each day.

Harold Heritage

"The Quantum Theory reveals a basic oneness of the = universe, a universe that cannot be decomposed into independent existing = smaller units. As we penetrate into matter, nature does not show us = isolated =91basic building blocks=92, but rather a complicated = relationship between various parts of the whole". Fritjof Capra

"As long as we are surrounded by the input of life, = there is no stopping the rush of events that make us what we are. On the = other hand, our natures may be deeper than the things we see and hear. = There may be a zero point in us like the point of zero vibration, which = gives rise to the entire spectrum of light . If we step outside of our = thoughts, sense, and emotions, we will be left with the equivalent of = empty space. But like this empty space of Quantum Physics, our inner = space is a rich field of silent intelligence and it exerts a powerful = influence on us." Depak Chopra

Through the silence we have the power to hold = ourselves in the light, and in that light we become aware of our higher = purpose. To enter into this silence enables us to tap the Universal = Energy. Let us do it together.

Gary Smith

Last spring I attended the Alternatives to Violence = program held at the Burlington Meetinghouse. I arrived early Friday = evening and spent some time on the porch getting to know some of the = other people, some of who came from as far as Maryland to attend.

I watched the other attendees arrive and noticed = much diversity in their age and background. There were seniors and = teens, inner city and suburban, business people and students. Members of = every race were there. It was interesting to see many of the attendees, = especially the younger ones, look around at all the different people and = immediately go to those they had the most in common with; white with = white, black with black, Latino with Latino.

After the introductions, we separated into = beginners, and advanced groups. I went with the beginners. Our first = task was for each of us to select a name for ourselves. The name had to = reflect a positive aspect of ourselves, or a quality to which we = aspired. For the rest of the weekend I was known as Gracious Gary.

The beginners participated in exercises to identify = what violence was in its physical, emotional and verbal forms. We spoke = about its causes. We then discussed what we could do about these causes = in both ourselves, and in others. We discussed how to handle violent = situations in a peaceful way.

Many people spoke from personal experience of how = violence had affected them. Some told of abusive spouses and parents. = One woman spoke of seeing a loved one murdered, a casualty to the = violence that accompanies the drug trade. The group gave support and = comfort to those who hurt.

In our spare time some of us walked through the = historic section of Burlington City and the riverfront park. One member = of our group was knowledgeable in the city's history and discussed its = Quaker origins. A few of us had lunch at the Gallery Restaurant on High = Street.

By the time the program was over it seemed as if = all the barriers between us; age, background, race, were all gone. The = kids from the suburbs were tight with the kids from the inner city. Old = and young spoke the same language. Perhaps we began to see in each other = the Inner Light to which we aspire.

If anyone who is interested in learning more about = the Help Increase the Peace/Alternatives to Violence Program please call = either myself or Kitty Taylor Mizuno for more information.

A. Paul Shallers, Headmaster

Next month, November 6, 7, and 8, Haddonfield = Friends School will host a visiting team of four academics who are = coming as one step in our re-accreditation process. It has been eleven = years since the school last worked through a Middle States accreditation = protocol. Back then in 1989, we spent a year, preparing a gargantuan = self-study (which ran to nearly 300 pages, as I recall). Submission of = this self-study prompted a team visit and ultimately their report, = filled with myriad commendations and recommendations.

This time around, HFS is following a different = accreditation model. Middle States developed this new, optional protocol = only recently, and it is available only to schools that proved = themselves well-organized, strong institutions of learning in their = former accreditation report. In this protocol, the school proposes a = project - some kind of study or course of action through which the = institution can address an important issue or work toward some = recognized goal. The school maintains a journal, tracking the course of = the project, and on completion, the school offers a colloquium for other = interested schools, for a visiting accreditation team, and for the = general school community.

HFS entitled their project "Futuring the School" ; = its goal was to make long-range plans arising out of a common vision of = the school's potential future, long-range plans that would elicit the = community's support, financially and otherwise. The major first step of = this project was the school Retreat which took place in March of '99. = Out of that retreat came a number of goals, all of which the school has = studied and/or met in the last year and a half.

The colloquium, to be held in the Meeting House on = November 7, will be essentially a narrative of the project, presented by = seven panel members, all of whom were closely involved in the work of = this project. You are cordially invited to attend. Refreshments will be = available in the auditorium, starting at 9:00 am, and the colloquium = itself which will begin at 10:00 and end around 11:30, will be followed = by a luncheon in the auditorium. If you can come, please stay and share = lunch with the other attendees, including the visiting team, guest = schools, and parents.

Paul Shallers

Next month, the all-school Meeting for Worship will = move from November 1 (the first Wednesday) to November 8. We are making = the change to accommodate the visiting accreditation team that would = like to share in our Meeting. We felt it was appropriate for the whole = school to be in attendance at this particular Meeting. Come join us on = the 8th or any Wednesday at 9:15 am. It is always good to have Meeting = members at the mid-week Meeting.

Congratulations go to the following students = for completing a two day training program in conflict resolution. Third = graders include: Julius Bzozowski, Monica Chelius, Madison Grasty, = Alexander Iarossi, Quinn Fitzpatrick, Daniel Kurtz, Siona Stone-Hyman = and Kathryn Mulholland. Fourth graders are: Sara Direnzo, Gabrielle = Kozlowski, Ben Yudin, Alexander Starr, and Natalia Hoz De Vila. Fifth = and Sixth graders who will also be mediators are: Christopher Ferguson, = Matthew Raudenbush, Ezekiel Sanders, Tristan Thielemann and William = Lipinski. These students, along with previously trained mediators, will, = under adult supervision, mediate disputes between fellow students. The = students selected should be fair, reliable and good communicators.

Conflicts between students are a part of daily life = in schools. Conflicts that are most common include name-calling, rumors, = threats, and friendships gone amiss. Mediation is a conflict resolution = approach where disputants have the chance to sit face to face and talk, = uninterrupted, so each side of the dispute is heard. After the problem = is defined, solutions are created and then evaluated. When an agreement = is reached, it is written and signed. The trained mediator is the = outside third person who leads this process. The mediator does not take = sides and keeps all information confidential. Mediation is a skill that = involves good communication, problem solving, and critical thinking.

Tr. Paul and Tr. Carol

Sixth graders and their parents are looking forward = to a New York trip planned for Friday, November 10. This parent/child, = school-sponsored outing is a tradition of long standing at Haddonfield = Friends, having begun somewhere back in the 1960's and continued every = year since. The trip has always served as the culminating activity of = the class's unit on the United Nations, and, originally, the trip's sole = destination was the UN headquarters where the group toured the = facilities and enjoyed lunch in the Delegate's Dining Room. But over the = years, this field trip has been adapted and stretched to include a = cathedral (St. John the Divine), the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the = observation deck of the World Trade Center.

The observation deck is a purely fun part of the = trip which we added in a few years back, mainly to delay our departure = from the city until after the evening rush hour. And on a clear day, it = is pure delight to walk around the deck, 102 stories above the city, = watching the lights come on at dusk.

The other three stops are related to the fifth and = sixth grade social studies curriculum. The UN, of course, is an actual = sixth grade unit. The cathedral relates to our study of the Middle Ages, = and its architectural monuments. (It's also a fine thing to learn how = those in charge of St. John the Divine have found ways to make the = cathedral an important, positive force in Harlem where the church is = located.)

The Metropolitan Museum of Art offers a wealth of = exhibits of interest to our students who studied Egypt and Mesopotamia = in 5th grade and will study the Greeks, the Romans, and the Middle Ages = in 6th.

It's a long, one-day trip, starting at about 6:00 = in the morning and ending around 9:00 that evening. But while we all = come home tired, we always agree it was an exciting and memorable = adventure!

Elaine Clever, a long time member of our = meeting, passed away September 22. A memorial service was held October = 10.

A minute from the Ad Hoc Committee on Property for = 7th and 8th grade was read. For details, see separate article below. =

Stephen Berryhill resigned as treasurer. The = meeting approved Karin Sannwald as treasurer.

Gary Smith requested membership. This was referred = to Overseers.

Approval of Young People=92s Peace Groups was = given. This will include grades 1-6 and begin in November. See October = newsletter for details.

More members are needed on Worship and Ministry, = Religious Education Committee, and the Memorial Service and Graveyard = Committee. Nominating Committee was charged to fill their committees. =

Finance Committee is looking into obtaining a = laptop computer to follow from treasurer to treasurer. Software is = available. If you can offer assistance, please, call Finance Committee. =

The following minute was adopted by the Ad Hoc = Committee on Property for the Seventh and Eighth Grades and presented to = Monthly Meeting:

The minutes of the Monthly Meeting reflect the = following discussion and response to the minute:

The next meeting of the Ad Hoc Committee on = Property is Sunday, November 12, 2000 at 7:30 p.m. at the Meeting = House.

D. H. Lawrence (although not by a Meeting = member, this poem was requested by Ceil McFadden)

All that matters is to be at one with the living = God

to be a creature in the house of the God of = Life.

like a cat asleep on a chair

at peace, in peace

and at one with the master of the house, with the = mistress,

at home, at home in the house of the living,

sleeping on the hearth, and yawning before the = fire.

Sleeping on the hearth of the living world

yawning at home before the fire of life

feeling the presence of the living God

like a great reassurance

a deep calm in the heart

a presence

as of the master sitting at the board

in his own and greater being,

in the house of life.

Gerard Manley Hopkins

I wake and feel the fell of dark, not day,

What hours, O what black hours we have spent

This night! what sights you, heart, saw; ways you = went!

And more must, in yet longer light's delay.

With witness I speak this. But where I say

Hours I mean years, mean life. And my lament

To dearest him that lives alas! away.

I am gall, I am heartburn. God's most deep = decree

Bitter would have me taste: my taste was me;

Bones built in me, flesh filled, blood brimmed the = curse.

Selfyeast of spirit a dull dough sours. I see

The lost are like this, and their scourge to be

As I am mine, their sweating selves; but worse.