Friday, April 22, 2011

Opportunity knocks

Hello Friends!
It is Spring, finally. I always think of Spring as a time of new beginnings. Things popping up that I had forgotten about, or surprises that remind me to expect the unexpected. I also feel like it have woken up and am coming to after a long a nap. In the case of this winter, a reeeeeeeeally long nap.

There are a number of super opportunities that are coming up that I would like to alert you to. I will be posting these from time to time, as they appear.

One that I would like to highlight is the opportunity to be a Young Friend in Resident intern (YFIR). There are 4 interns that live together at the Beloved Community House in NY, near Perry City MM and Ithaca MM. They plan youth retreats for youth in that part of the state, which is farther to Powell House. They also plan adult programming for the members and attenders of Perry City and Ithaca. They receive a small stipend, but free room, a CSA share, and a garden! They must be 21 or older to be an intern. The term is for 1-2 years. It is a tremendous opportunity to live in community, be a part of another meeting, and develop wonderful leadership qualities. I know that the current interns would love to talk to you about it. I can point you to them if you want to know more. Also, you can look on the NYYM website. The deadline is May 15, so act fast!

The weekend of the 29 of April to May 1 there is a wonderful program at Powell House, the NYYM retreat and conference center. It is being led by Callid and Christina Keefe-Perry. Living in the Power. It is part of the Feeding the Fire series. It seems powerful and relevant.
No money to go to Powell house conferences? No problem! There are funds available through PoHo, your meetings, and for this series there are special funds for YAF to go for FREE. Yes, FREE. Let me know if you are interested. If you have not yet been to a non-youth program at PoHo, I highly recommend that you go, if not to this one, to another one. I will keep you updated on what is coming up. You can look at www.powellhouse.org for more information.


Another opportunity is to consider working on a Yearly Meeting committee. Of course there is the Young Adults Concerns Committee, which is really looking for new members right now. They organize Circle of Young Friends (CYF) and plan a few retreats a year. There are many other committees that are doing amazing work. I can help point you to nominating if you want to serve on a committee. If you are unsure about what that means, or where you might serve, and how, I would LOVE to talk to you. You can serve at the YM level, but also at the MM and Quarterly Meeting level as well. This can sound really daunting, and boring sometimes, but I have found committee work to be very satisfying, spiritually and interpersonally. It helps me to feel a part of a community and know others better. They, in turn, will know me better as well. Not a member of a meeting? No problem! There are many ways to get involved that do not require being a member. I look forward to many conversations with Friends about how they are being led in their lives.

BTW, please do not fear me, cowering away in fear that I will rope you into committee work. I will not chase you to be on a committee. Serving your faith community is a personal decision. I encourage you to think about it, but understand that there are many reasons why now is not the time.

Are you inclined to do work for the greater good? Have a project that helps people world wide, or locally? Talk to me about getting money to support your work from Witness Coordinating Committee. They contacted me and said they have money to give, and would be eager to know what you are working on.

Whew! That is plenty for now.

I would love to hear from you, with feedback, or as an introduction to you. You can email me at NYYM.yafs@gmail.com. And please let others know about me, and my blog!

Peace to you in this season of renewal and natural wonder.

Gabi

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

On the road again!

Hey! I travel! Want to meet me??

I will be at Vassar, near Poughkeepsie, on April 27. There is a gathering in the evening, and I can be there as early as Friends want, if you want to meet for coffee, or a walk.

I will be at Morningside Meeting, NYC, on May 7 and 8. May 7 in the afternoon, and then for worship on May 8. I will be hungry after. Would you like to have lunch with me?

I will be at the Farmington Scipio Spring Gathering May 20-22, central finger lakes region of NY. I cannot wait to hang out there!

I will be at Summer Sessions on Lake George July 17-23. SO MUCH FUN!

Want me to visit your meeting or area? Let me know!

Peace,

Gabi

Getting to know you...

Hello Dear Friends!
Welcome to my new blog. Never having blogged before, I am feeling quite pleased with myself for figuring this out and getting started. But that begs the question, who will read this blog? I am hoping that this will be a way to communicate, meet and get to know Young Adult Friends (YAF) from around the NY Yearly Meeting (NYYM). SO to that end, I am collecting emails and facebook friends of YAFs. It is my goal to get to know as many of you as possible. How to do this?
Here is a letter I am sending to Monthly Meetings and Regional meetings, please circulate.

Dear Friends,

My name is Gabi Savory Bailey, of Chatham-Summit MM. I have just begun serving as the new Young Adult Field Secretary for New York Yearly Meeting. In this role I will be working with attenders and members of the Monthly Meetings ages 18-35. This very well may involve young families. I hope to increase communication, and a sense of community. I am available for information and pastoral care and support. As this is a new position, I want to start by getting to know who the Young Adults are in our Yearly Meeting. I am very excited to get to know the YAF of NYYM! Please help me spread the word that I am looking for them. If there is an attender that may be looking to find Friends closer to their age, I can help. I need your help to make a list of names and contact information so that I can get myself in contact with and make myself available to them. This can be accomplished in a number of ways.
My contact information can be posted on your bulletin board (Is there a section for Young Adult Friends?) I am supplying a flyer and cards in this mailing.
You can read this letter during announcements.
You can forward this letter to Young Adult Friends (YAF) in your meeting.
You can email me and let me know who the YAF are, and their contact info, and I can get in touch with them.
I can come to your Monthly Meeting, Regional Meeting, or meet with YAF from your meeting during Summer Sessions. (Do they know about Summer Sessions at Silver Bay?) I would love to have a YAF get together in your neck of the woods!
If email is easier, I will email an electronic copy of this letter as well.
Alert them to read my regular articles in Spark.
I am on Facebook. Nyym Ya Fieldsecretary. Friend me!
Soon, I will be looking to get a web page going, and a blog, so look for that in the future.
Send me the contact information for a YAF who can serve as a point of contact in your meeting, or give them my info and they can contact me.

I am also putting together a "cluster" of rooms for families with young children at Silver Bay this year. If there is a family of YAF with young children, who might be interested in attending Summer Sessions, PLEASE encourage them to get in touch with me as soon as possible.

Thank you so much for all of your help! Do not hesitate to contact me with any questions or suggestions that you have. I can be reached at:
Nyym.yafs@gmail.com
Or
(607) 749-0088
Or
FaceTime (contact me for address)
OR
Skype: nyymyafs



Looking forward to getting to know all of you!
Peace,


Gabi Savory Bailey

PLEASE talk to each other, and talk to me! I am very excited about this.

Here are some upcoming events to be aware of:

Farmington Scipio Spring Gathering, I hear this is great! I am planning on attending, Are you? See www.NYYM.org for details

Summer Sessions at Silver Bay. Spend a week on beautiful Lake George! There are business and committee meetings, Circle of Young Friends events, outdoor activities, and an opportunity to get to know other YAF from NYYM!! It is great fun! If you have a family, TALK TO ME. I have a young daughter and we want to get a cluster of rooms for families with young children. Short on funds? No problem! There are assistance funds to help you get there. Contact me with questions! Or see www.NYYM.org for details.

Feeding the Fire weekend at Powell House, the retreat center for NYYM. August 2011. See www.powerhouse.org for details.

Circle of Young Friends conference, August 2011 topic and date and location, TBA.

PLEASE let me know if you have any questions, comments, suggestions, feelings, thoughts, musings, concerns, need for support, or bad jokes. I look forward to getting to know you!

Peace,

Gabi