Metamorphosis
August 2010
Meeting for Worship Sundays at 10 AM at Explorations Academy, 1701 Ellis Street, Bellingham
Phone 360-734-0244 Mailing Address P.O. Box 30144 Bellingham, 98228-2144 Website BellinghamFriends.org
Co-Clerks: Mimi Freshley, (933-4566) and Susan Richardson (733-5477), Ministry and Counsel Members: Mimi Freshley, Alice Robb (366-6005), Dorrie Jordan and Howard Harris (733-9071), Childrens Program Clerk, Jessica Bee (393-4249)
Metamorphosis Editor: Sharon Trent (714-6141) Sharon_trent@comcast.net
Query for August
Do we gather for worship with an awareness of God? Do we join others in expectant waiting that we may discover a deeper sense of God’s presence? Do we seek a gathered stillness in our meeting for worship so that all may feel the power of God’s love drawing us together and leading us?
Outreach
After Meeting for Worship on Sunday, August 15th, an Ad Hoc Outreach Committee was formed with Allen offering to convene meetings and report back to Ministry and Counsel.
Information about the work of the Ad Hoc Outreach Committee will also be shared with the Nominating Committee and the Communications Committee.
Of those present, several indicated an interest in serving on the committee, including Allen, Virginia, Don, and Joanne.
All who are interested in participating in discussions about outreach and its related components are encouraged to contact Allen so that he can include you on the distribution list to announce meetings. His contact information: PO Box 30046 Bellingham, WA 98228
435 658 3666 office 435 602 9948 mobile 866 760 3262 fax cleanairguy@gmail.com
Calendar
August 22: No 2nd hour
August 29: Seeds of Violence, Seeds of Hope
September 5: Potluck and Sharing about Yearly Meeting gatherings
Eco-Suggestion of the Month
Most laundry detergents are derived from petroleum and also contain other harmful chemicals. Look for plant-based, biodegradable products. Seventh Generation says if every U.S. household replaced one bottle of conventional detergent with one using plant-based ingredients, the total oil savings could heat and cool 8500 homes for a year!.
Speaking Truth to Power
Anglo-American, a foreign mining conglomerate, plans a 2000 foot-deep, two-mile-wide gold and copper mine above Bristol Bay, a pristine Alaskan wildlife Eden. The world’s largest sockeye salmon streams here support bears, whales, seals, eagles and Native Alaskan communities. The Anglo-American Pebble Mine would destroy more than 60 miles of salmon habitat by building five colossal earthen dams – in a known earthquake zone – to hold up to 10 billion tons of mining waste laced with toxic chemicals.
To send a letter and for more information go to: www.savebiogems.org/BristolBay.
The letter will go to BLM, the Bureau of Land Management, which has final say. If possible, send a copy to the EPA.
TUCKED AWAY
Tucked away on a tree filled street,
At its end lies a modest house.
Tucked away in the modest house
Are a group of severely disabled persons.
Tucked away in a room in the modest house,
Lies a man on hospice, smiling, frowning, chewing on a magazine.
Tucked away in my heart, the times
I’ve turned my face not wanting to see.
Tucked away, the sounds of voices
Soothe hours of nows, processing by ever so slowly.
Tucked away in each heart that meets
Is that sacred something that connects one to another.
Tucked away in the modest house in the tucked away room,
He rests in a tucked away bed.
Now found, known and loved,
For you know love can’t be tucked away.
By Nancy Kaye (printed with permission)
Draft Minutes for Meeting for Worship with Attention to Business – August 09, 2010
Clerk: Mimi Freshley
Recording Clerk: Betty McMahon
Present: Howard Harris, Lorina Hall, Tom Hall, Virginia Herrick, Doris Ferm, Sharon Trent, Alice Robb, Dave Hopkinson, John Hatten, Maddie Solenberger, & JoAnne Cowan
Our Meeting for Business began with opening silence at 11:40 a.m.
Our History – Howard Harris
William Sewell’s history of early Quakerism was shared. Howard is proud of this book as it is first autographed by the author to Howard’s grandfather, and then autographed from grandfather to grandson. The book traces the background of the history of The Religious Society of Friends from the early 1400’s through 1708.
Our Future –
Joy, as expressed at the end of Meeting for Worship, was observed. A sense of sacred space was experienced during worship today. Let’s hold this as essential. Next steps: sisterhood and brotherhood.
Approval of Minutes – The minutes were approved after the following corrections were made: The correct spelling for Mr. Barclay; he was a Scotsman, Joan Ofteness’ phone number is 671-0699; Jessica Bee is clerk of Children’s Committee; the correct spelling of Tom Ewell; and Sharon Trent is no longer on Children’s Committee.
Agenda – With the addition of an announcement, the agenda was approved.
Committee Reports
Ministry & Counsel (Alice Robb)
Query: Do we gather for worship with an awareness of God? Do we join others in expectant waiting that we may discover a deeper sense of God’s presence? Do we seek a gathered stillness in our meeting for worship so that all may feel the power of God’s love drawing us together and leading us?
Co-sponsorship of International Day of Peace with Whatcom Peace and Justice Center – Minute on this was approved at the July 25 Meeting for Worship Called Meeting for Business. The text of the minute follows:
Bellingham Friends Meeting July 25, 2010
Concern circulated by email July 24, 2010
Called Meeting for Business, during announcement time
Requested by the Peace and Social Concerns committee
The concern before us is that Marie Marchand, from Whatcom Peace and Justice Center, has contacted our meeting asking if we would like to again co-sponsor the annual celebration of International Day of Peace on September 21, 2010. WPJC needs approval promptly as promotion of this event is now underway. BFM has been a sponsor of this event for many years now. Our only sponsorship “obligation,” as in the past, is to provide a few volunteers to help with various tasks such as set up, take down, etc. It is not a financial sponsorship. The committee is asking the meeting to approve this on Sunday the 25th after announcements.
This minute was approved by all present Sunday, July 25, 2010.
Schedules
August 08: Meeting for Worship for Business
August 15: 2nd hour on Outreach- Joanne Cowan will clerk.
August 22: No 2nd hour
August 29: Seeds of Violence, Seeds of Hope
September 5: Potluck and Sharing about Yearly Meeting gatherings
Second Hours for future: Quite a few Bellingham Friends attended NPYM Annual Session this year. Tess Solenberger also attended Pacific Meeting YM in California. We have invited Tess, and others, to share with Bellingham Friends about their experiences at our September potluck. Also, Holly Folk and others attended FGC. We would like to invite Holly, and others, to speak about FGC at a 2nd hour.
SPICES Program – We need to contact John Helding about his schedule, but tentatively we are thinking that September 19, 2010 would be a good date to start this six month series (with a month off in December for holidays). Questions about the logistics of these sessions, especially in coordination with the Children’s Program, remain to be worked out.
NPYM Coordinating Committee – Alice will not be able to attend the October meeting. Don Goldstein will go in her place and he would like to be designated as the official temporary representative to Coordinating Committee from Bellingham Friends Meeting. Alice will be continuing in that role until Oct 2011.
Memberships – Several Friends met with Tom Zylstra a couple times to serve as a Clearness Committee for Membership. We are pleased to recommend that BFM accept Tom’s request for membership for approval, to be seasoned until September 2010. In anticipation of Tom’s becoming a member, because of his travel back to China, we celebrated Tom’s membership at the picnic at Annelise’s home on August 1, 2010. Bellingham Friends Meeting approves Allan Stockbridge’s transfer of membership from Salt Lake Monthly Meeting to Bellingham Friends Meeting. Plans for celebration are pending. Bellingham Friends Meeting approves Judy Meyer’s transfer of membership. We will schedule a celebration of Judy’s membership in the next few months, depending on when she is able to make it to Bellingham. (Both Judy and Allen’s transfers were accepted for seasoning in July until August 2010.)
Women’s Gathering – Alice Robb would like to host a dinner and fire circle during October’s (2010) full moon weekend. Full moon is Saturday, October 23. We would gather mid-afternoon and continue until after moonrise. Sleeping overnight is an option. The theme/query would be, “Where are we in the circle of life?” Feedback on this date and suggestions about how to facilitate or assist with childcare so that the younger women can attend are encouraged. Separate gathering(s) of Bellingham Friends Meeting men and children have been suggested/envisioned!
Member concerns: M&C continues to offer assistance to Friends with personal concerns and needs. We invite Friends to consult with members of the committee at any time about issues concerning the Meeting or concerns about the well being of anyone in our community.
Children’s Program – (Dave Hopkinson)
1. We have hired Kendra Herrick as a paid childcare person, which means we now have reached the goal number of paid childcare givers as well as continuing a Meeting tradition.
2. Adrienne has created a video to commemorate the work done on the Peace Dove. The next committee meeting is Wednesday, August 18, 2010, at Adrienne Solenberger’s. (Meetings are always on the third Wednesday of each month at Adrienne’s. All are welcome, and please call, 676-7345, for the specific time.)
Nominating Committee – (Virginia Herrick)
- Reminder: If you are fulfilling a term for a committee or other responsibility for the Meeting, please review your job description, and let Virginia know of any minor changes. Any substantive changes should come to M4W4B for approval. If you would like a copy of your job description and do not have one, please contact Virginia.
- Action: Nominating Committee asks Friends to give final approval to the nomination of Christina Crosetti to Children’s Program Committee. She will complete Sherri Kneeskern’s term, ending in spring 2011.
- Action: Nominating Committee asks Friends to accept for seasoning the nomination of Kristen McLewin to Children’s Program Committee through spring 2012 and the nomination of CP Committee member Dave Hopkinson to the role of “co-clerk” of Children’s Program committee, replacing Jessica in that role. *
- Action: Nominating Committee asks Friends to give final approval to the job description for Communications Committee, which was brought forward at the July M4W4B.
*Information: The role of “co-clerk” is optional. In this case, Jessica, as the new clerk of Children’s Program, asked Nominating Committee to nominate a co-clerk to help support her in this work.
Meeting approved all items 2, 3, & 4.
Discussion regarding item #4: A Friend requested, again, to know the specific tasks done by specific members on the Communications Committee, especially for the purpose of when Nominating Committee needs to replace some of these positions in the future. Suggestion: Allow this to stand as is. The existence of this current Communications Committee, as is, is quite an accomplishment compared to previous years. It was decided to let this committee stand as is for the next few months, in its less than perfect form.
There is no meeting scheduled for August; the next committee meeting is September 22, 2010.
Friends Earthcare
1.Clerk Doris Ferm encourages all Friends to read the July/August 2010 issue of FCNL’s Washington Newsletter, which is devoted entirely to global warming, fossil fuel dependence and ramifications, and an excellent lead article by Joe Volk. Copies will be available at meeting. She also recommends highly the lead article in the July/August 2010 issue of BeFriending Creation, which is an in-depth review of Bill McKibben’s new book, Eaarth: Making a Life on a Tough New Planet.
2. The ECO-SUGGESTION OF THE MONTH is in regard to laundry detergents. Most are derived from petroleum and also contain other harmful chemicals. Look for plant-based, biodegradable products. Seventh Generation says if every U.S. household replaced one bottle of conventional detergent with one using plant-based ingredients, the total oil savings could heat and cool 8500 homes for a year!
3.SPEAK TRUTH TO POWER
Anglo-American, a foreign mining conglomerate, plans a 2000 foot-deep, two-mile-wide gold and copper mine above Bristol Bay, a pristine Alaskan wildlife Eden. The world’s largest sockeye salmon streams here support bears, whales, seals, eagles and Native Alaskan communities. The Anglo-American Pebble Mine would destroy more than 60 miles of salmon habitat by building five colossal earthen dams – in a known earthquake zone – to hold up to 10 billion tons of mining waste laced with toxic chemicals.
To send a letter and for more information go to: www.savebiogems.org/BristolBay.
The letter will go to BLM, the Bureau of Land Management, which has final say. If possible, send a copy to the EPA.
4. On August 15, after the second hour, there will be an opportunity for a quick visit to the second largest colony of Caspian Terns on the west coast -right here in Bellingham!
John Horner will lead us to see these tens of thousands of nesting birds, raising their young on the former Georgia Pacific property!
5. Our next meeting will be at Doris’, 7:00 pm on September 2, 2010.
Peace and Social Concerns – Jeannine Hart-Horner
The committee reviewed a minute written by IMYM on immigration reform. It was agreed that we bring this minute to business meeting asking Bellingham Friends to endorse it. This item was approved. The Peace and Social Concerns Committee will write letters to the legislature and governor regarding this minute on immigration reform.
The committee also continued to discussed the idea of a series of soup suppers where information and discussion on the effects of multinational corporations on our world economy, of human rights, use and control of resources, etc. We want these suppers to begin in early fall.
Finally, members of the committee proposed a series of second hours to read and discuss materials from Seeds of Hope: Envisioning a Moral Economy. Should Friends be interested in participating, the committee will seek possible second hour availability. {There will be one-second hour to see if there is interest in continuing, and this will be done with individual gatherings, such as soup suppers.}
IMYM Minute on Recent Immigration Legislation and Comprehensive Immigration Reform
As a faith community committed to welcoming the stranger, we are dismayed and saddened by the failure to find a way forward to craft an immigration system that respects the fundamental rights and dignity of all. We recognize that inaction at the national level has created a vacuum into which states have stepped to create their own immigration laws. As Friends, we believe that there is that of God in everyone, regardless of citizenship or legal status. Our testimony of community challenges us to live with all of our neighbors in a way that encourages trust, love, and security. Our testimony of equality leads us to value each person as an individual and to respect the human rights and dignity of all persons. Our testimony of peace guides us to take nonviolent action to resolve conflicts in a way that brings us together and promotes justice. Arizona Senate Bill 1070 and similar proposed legislation in other states divides our communities and criminalizes immigrants. These kinds of unjust laws create a climate of fear for those whose area of residence, line of work, complexion, spoken language or accent is deemed suspicious, even if they are citizens or legal foreign residents or visitors. When state legislation is passed that compels people to hide their identity from authorities, they must live in fear that they will be separated from their families, that they will become victims of crime, that they and their children will not receive an education, and that they will lose their livelihoods and their homes. We bear witness to our friends and neighbors in our community who suffer division of their families, exploitation in the workplace, and the daily fear of deportation. We bear witness to the thousands of deaths on the border and the destruction of border communities and the environment. The estimated twelve million persons living and working in the United States without papers are essential parts of our communities and economy, yet the system for regularizing their status is woefully insufficient. Criminalizing immigrants and those who care for them, as in Arizona Senate Bill 1070, does not address the real challenges our country faces with immigration reform and resolution of the humanitarian crisis that results from the broken system. We, as people of faith, are called not only to resist unjust laws and to work to change them, but to take the initiative to act in accordance with higher laws. We call upon Friends everywhere to urge our elected representatives to immediate action on humane immigration reform. We call upon ourselves to act with integrity in response to these challenges and we rededicate ourselves to loving our neighbors, to doing justice, and to walking humbly in the spirit of love.
Member Concerns –
Pacific Northwest Quarterly Meeting – Lorina Hall
The session will be held on September 24-26, 2010 at Lazy F Camp and Retreat Center. This session’s theme is “Lightening Our Spirits: Finding Joy Through Effective Action, Courage, and Grace.” The Friday evening song circle will again be around the campfire, weather permitting, and led by Tom Rawson and Peg Bernstein. Saturday evening’s family activity will be a contra dance called by Karen Dina from Sandpoint, ID. The packet, which contains nine pages this time, will also be available for downloading from our website: pnqm.org
The deadline for early registration, with a $10 discount per form, is Wednesday, August 25, 2010. The main registration deadline, after which a late registration fee of $25 per form will be charged, is Wednesday, September 8, 2010.
Friends Committee on Washington Public Policy (FCWPP) – Tom Hall
The FCWPP Legislative and Executive Committees have approved positions on several initiatives and a referendum that will be on the statewide ballot in November. FCWPP recommends a yes vote for the following:
Initiative 1098: Tax Reform initiative (This initiative was endorsed earlier by FCWPP, for details see the Alert of 5/21/2010 on our website www.fcwpp.org). I-1098 reforms our unfair and imbalanced tax system and generates dedicated funding for education and health care.)
Referendum 52: This referendum would allow the state to sell bonds to fund energy savings retrofit to schools across the state.
FCWPP recommends a no vote for the following:
Initiative 1053: This Tim Eyman initiative would require 67% super-majority approval vote of the legislature to raise taxes and create new taxes. (FCWPP supported legislative efforts to set aside this requirement in the 2010 session. This “super-majority” rule empowers a minority of 33 percent to block efforts to increase taxes a 66 percent majority may feel are needed to fund vital state services.)
Initiative 1107: This ends tax increases on candy, soda, and bottled water. (FCWPP supported this tax in the 2010 legislative session to fund Basic Health Care and Education. By repealing the two cents per bottle tax on bottled water and soda, Initiative 1107 would result in hundreds of millions in lost revenue over the next two years, revenue currently budgeted for important state services including Basic Health and K-12 education programs.)
Initiative 1100/1105: These two initiatives end our state’s liquor control system by privatizing the sale of hard liquor. (The passage of both these initiatives will result in increased liquor sales and increased problems for individuals and society associated with alcohol abuse. Also, if Initiative 1100 were in effect in 2009, Washington State taxpayers would have lost more than $230 million in revenue, which was used to fund schools throughout the state as well as health care and other core services.)
Our business meeting adjourned with a group song at 1:30 pm.
Submitted by Recording Clerk, Betty McMahon
TREASURER’S REPORT FOR BELLINGHAM FRIENDS MEETING, 8/8/10
The job description of the Finance Committee includes the following:
“Finance Committee’s. informal policy is to maintain a 3 month reserve in the operating budget (approx. 25% of the annual budget). In an effort to better match income to expenditures, we decided to make the policy more flexible by maintaining 15% to 25% of the yearly budget as a reserve; discretionary items will be held over.”
The approved BFM budget for 2010 includes operating expenses in the total amount of $16,840. The range of 15% to 25% of that amount is $2,526 to $4,210. As of the end of July 2010, the amount of money available for paying general meeting expenses was $2,017.13, which is less than the 15% minimum guideline for funds to be held in reserve. Therefore, in accordance with our policy, payment for discretionary items not already paid will be held up pending achievement of a healthier reserve balance.
Discretionary items in our budget are primarily donations out to other organizations. The budgeted donations that have not yet been made for this year include the following:
Friends World Committee for Constultation 100.00
Quaker Earthcare Witness 100.00
Right Sharing of World Resources 100.00
Whatcom Peace & Justice Center (second 1/2) 600.00
Free Trade Alliance 20.00
Si a la Vida 50.00
Western Washington Fellowship of Reconciliation 75.00
Wa. State Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty 50.00
Whatcom Human Rights Task Force 75.00
Whatcom Land Trust 30.00
———
TOTAL AMOUNT 1200.00
The Finance Committee last met on July 27th, at which time the end-of-month figures were not yet available. Therefore, this report comes from the Treasurer and not from the Finance Committee as a whole.
–Don Goldstein, BFM Treasurer