Thanks to training by Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL), several hundred more Quakers are now well-prepared for lobbying congress. Yesterday and today, FCNL held its Public Policy Institute in advance of the annual FCNL meeting, providing visiting Friends all the tools they need to effectively meet with congressional representatives …
As Quakers from across the United States descended on the capital today, the density of the Quaker population increased significantly in Washington, DC. Friends came to the Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL) to talk about faith and witness, sharing their Quaker beliefs and work in support of civic society. …
General Secretary Report on Staff Activity to Councils Mid-October Through Mid-November 2018 Business and Finance: As shared in the written GenSec report to Continuing Sessions, PYM operations ended FY18 in a solid, positive position. Lower covenant and annual fund contributions year-over-year were mitigated by higher investment income and by expense …
Inspired by Krista Tippet’s On Being podcasts and the Civil Conversations Project, Interfaith Philadelphia has launched A Year of Civil Conversations throughout the Greater Philadelphia region. Engaging over 50 organizations and 1,000 people, Interfaith Philadelphia will offer multiple opportunities to learn how to “speak together differently in order to live …
Hello my name is Joshua Ponter. I am a member of Haddonfield Monthly Meeting in South Jersey’s Philadelphia area. I have embarked on a year-long mission to travel around the country collecting stories about the founding of different meetings and looking at the way we practice Quakerism today. I will be blogging about …
A reflection on Beyond Complicity: Awakening Anti-Racist Intentions, a series Toward Racial Justice and Fearless Faithfulness. A called gathering took place on Nov. 18, when Mickleton Friends Meeting intentionally listened to Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong, chapter 3, The Truth About the First …
Friends have been in relationship with the Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape Tribal Nation; we celebrate with them upon hearing Chief Gould’s message of gratitude (PYM News “Public Statement of Gratitude” posted 11.15.2018.) In addition to the multitude of media releases, direct word is shared by NJ State Attorney General Grewal, who “Announces …
The Quaker Life Council on behalf of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting approved on 11.17.18 the following minute of appreciation for Friends Committee on National Legislation. Minute of Appreciation to Recognize the 75thAnniversary of The Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL) Gwynedd Monthly Meeting would like to express its heartfelt appreciation for …
Things are getting quilty… One Quilt, One Yearly Meeting brings us together across local meetings, collaboratives, youth programs, Young Adult Friends, councils, Friends schools, and other groups in PYM. Each entity will design and contribute a ten-inch quilt square, which will be gathered into a “quilt skirt” to wrap around …
During last week’s election, many Friends were doing what they always do, engaging deeply in the political process to further beliefs they hold dear. This took many forms. Grady Lights, an attender at Haverford Meeting, and long-time proponent of equality, stood at 30th Street Station with a poster that read “Keep …
Many people affiliated with PhYM have been aware of the Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape Tribal Nation’s lawsuit, against the state of NJ, toward “reaffirmation.” This Friend, ascribed by the Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape Tribe as “extended family,” member of PhYM First Contact Reconciliation Collaborative and Salem Quarter Indian Affairs Committee, joyfully shares the following …
Following an extensive search process and interviews with several finalist candidates, PYM Youth Programs are delighted to welcome Aeryn Luminkith as the new Assistant in the Young Friends program. She will begin her work with Young Friends at their Christmas Gathering, December 27-30. We’re really pleased to welcome her to the staff …
On Saturday, November 10, 2018, over 50 people gathered at the intersection of Route 52 South (Kennett Pike) and Hillendale Road in Chadds Ford, Chester County, Pennsylvania, to dedicate the newest Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission marker to Isaac and Dinah Mendenhall, Quaker abolitionists. Many of the attendees were Mendenhall …
Introduction Friends of the Quaker Life Council have collected these kernels of wisdom from Quarters, Monthly Meetings, and Worship Groups throughout the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting. We hope that others will delight in these practices as we have. We hold this information up to you not as a burden but as …
Peace and Progress! We, the Multicultural Audit Steering Committee (MASC), are looking forward to learning more about how our community builds and sustains relationships. In under a year, we have articulated a Request for Proposal (RFP) for a Multicultural Community Assessment in Diversity and Inclusion. Essentially, this self-assessment will gather …
On Nov 5th, WHYY PBS / Independent Lens aired DAWNLAND, directed by Adam Mazo – a documentary of the “untold story of Indigenous child removal in the US through the nation’s first-ever government-endorsed truth and reconciliation commission,” the investigation of the devastating impact of Maine’s child welfare practices on the …
On Friday, November 2, 2018, members of the First Contact Reconciliation Collaborative (FCRC) attended the screening/ panel discussion of Promised Land, hosted by the National Museum of the American Indians, D.C., and sponsored by the National Congress of American Indians and Alliance of Colonial Era Tribes. Promised Land “is a …
The Multicultural Audit Steering Committee (MASC), as known as “The People’s Committee, had the daunting task of creating an RFP, from no template, creed, Vision Statement, study, and/or strategic plan. In under one year, under the director of a Spirit-led Clerk, we, the MASC, created an RFP that aims to …
Some 100+ Friends gathered for Continuing Sessions on Saturday November 3rd, filling the Arch Street Meeting House with children, families, and Friends coming together for business and Quaker conversations. All of the reports and meeting materials can be found on the continuing sessions webpage and are hyperlinked in the ‘Minutes and Supporting …
In both my roles as a parent and educator, I’ve been part of many conversations since the 2016 election about “how do I parent/work with children/model activism/take care of myself” in response to events and news stories. In times of challenge, there is always more wisdom in the circle of …