My report to the 318th Summer Sessions of NY Yearly Meeting

Report from the New York Yearly Meeting Young Adult Field Secretary,

Gabrielle Savory Bailey

July 24, 2013—Silver Bay, New York

Good morning, Friends.

Frequently this year I was asked by meetings and individuals to talk to them about how to attract more Young Adults and Families.  They explain to me, how their Meeting is dying, and they need to get more young people.  I hear this as a very pressing and serious concern. I also travel around and witness that there are a lot of great things happening in many of the Monthly Meetings of this Yearly Meeting, and not only that, but there are indeed Young Adults and families that are involved. 

 In my survey of 151 Young Adults in NYYM, 76 did not grow up as Quakers. That is huge.  That means that there are more than half of our Young Adults are coming to our Meetings with little knowledge of Quakerism.  We have an amazing opportunity here.  86 of the respondents to my survey did not grow up in the meeting they attend.  So, even those who do grow up as Quakers, they move, and find new communities.  There are opportunities all over for Young Adults and Families.

The language we use is powerful.  I hear, repeatedly, how people refer to Quakerism as dying, and it really impacts me.  I think that one step to growth is to stop saying we are dying.  Imagine receiving an invitation. The invitation reads PLEASE COME, WE ARE DYING AND IF YOU COME WE MIGHT STAND A CHANCE AT SURVIVAL. The person then goes on to say that the gathering will be awful, no one interesting will be there, it will probably end 5 minutes after it starts, and you probably have better plans anyway.  But if you have nothing better to do, you can come.

I hear the concern, and anxiety, deeply, that we are dwindling in numbers and our meetings are tired, over worked, and overwhelmed with committee work, and want fresh life.  It is human nature to focus on the sad, bad and difficult.  I wonder if there is a way to examine our language, and our relationship with our Meetings as they are.  Friends, I believe that life attracts life. Early Friends had a vibrant movement.  They were filled to exploding over the Good News they were experiencing and the Fire God was asking them to spread.  And spread it did because people witnessed that there was something really moving there, and they could not wait to be a part of it.  It is easy to think that when I talk about “dying” that this is about age.  I have encountered deeply alive, spiritual people at all ages, some quite young, others quite old.  This is not about age, we are all part of this work.

What if instead the invitation you get to our hypothetical event reads, “YOU ARE INVITED TO JOIN OUR DIVINE EXPERIMENT WHICH IS ALWAYS REVEALING ITSELF AND WILL FILL YOU WITH THE SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES YOU LONG FOR.” Think of a great event you have been a part of.  One where you really felt welcomed and the hospitality was really good.  Maybe it was a party, a quiet evening by a fire with a friend, or a satisfying debate over dinner. Most likely it was a place where there was some sort of energy, purpose, passion, life, presence.  Perhaps you were greeted warmly, or given a preview of what was going to happen.  Perhaps you were listened to.  What made that place a place you wanted to be?

What if we cultivate what is ALIVE in our meetings, and practice radical hospitality to each other and to anyone we encounter? What if we see ourselves as divine hosts, and think carefully about how we provide hospitality, radical hospitality, while they are there.   This hospitality, the giving and the receiving of it, is part of being present to God and to each other and manifest what is ALIVE and revealing itself to us.  I have been welcomed, lovingly into many of your meetings and homes.   I have heard about support committees, the loving care you give each other, the schools you oversee, the meals you share, your Quaker Quests, the groups of Young Adults that gather in fellowship and worship, intergenerational worships, new worship groups, and retreats.  There are so many great things happening in the Meetings I visit.  This is not to say that there is not also struggle, and fatigue in some meetings.  But what I invite us to do is to look deeply for the ways that we are already alive.  The party is already happening, even if no one else comes.

There are many ways to manifest radical hospitality, and it looks different for each person. Perhaps it is making sure others are comfortable, or introducing them to other people they have things in common with.  Some people are good at asking about and anticipating the needs of others.  Some people show hospitality through food or keeping a clean welcoming space, some people can talk about their faith eloquently, some live in response to their experience with God, and never speak a word of it. Some make sure there is an entry point for a guest, and that they will feel tended to for the whole time they are there.  How can we each manifest what is most alive in us, and share that with others, new or not?

I often hear how long people feel new.  It is MUCH longer than the Meeting perceives them as new.  Because Meetings are so thirsty for young people and families, I think we forget that they can feel new for a long time (sometimes years).  They need to learn our history, our acronyms, our peculiar practices.  They might need to learn what gifts they have, forget about on what committee they will be well used.  They might need to hear about our individual journeys, leadings and gifts.. They might not understand this peculiar tradition, and might need a present host to guide them through, for a while, could be a long while.

In my survey I asked “what are needs for Young Adult Friends and Families?” and “What are you hungry for?”  I found myself excited by the answers, and hopeful.  Some responses were:

·      Understanding procedures and practices

·      Feeling welcomed

·      “Eldering (Even though we do not like to admit it)”

·      Nurturing spiritual gifts

·      “we need connections, responsibility and Guidance.”

·      Deep worship

·      Prayer life

·      Hearing the Spiritual journeys of others

·       “Opportunities to explore both silence and conversations with diverse friends.”,

·       “I want to journey with people into our preconceived notions and spirituality.”

·      “People expressing interest in who I am, combined with being able to see that the community is thoughtful and loving to itself and others”

The responses were not limited to going where there were other young people.  They mostly want connection in this world that is more and more disconnected, and deeper spiritual discourse in this world that is more and more secular.  Isn’t that what many people want, regardless of age?  The good news is that there is great value and life in the practices of Friends.  Many people are looking for the very practices that are central to our tradition.  Whether or not anyone new comes to us, we can be alive in our faith communities.

Friends, we have a call.  We have a call to be good hosts, and to be guides, not just to new comers.  We are sometimes so afraid of telling people what to believe, and what to do, that we do not share what is life giving.  And because of that fear, we do not engage people where they long to be. Many people, younger and older, that I have spoken to in my travels talk about the importance of SOME ONE in their life who saw them, heard them, and made an impact on their life.  That person may never know they had this impact.  But in being present to them, they changed that person’s life, forever.  They became a guidepost in their spiritual journey.  I would venture a guess that you have someone in your life who did this for you. This is not age dependent.  Young and old can be present to each other. We have the amazing opportunity to walk with each other, and to know each other deeply, and to answer to that of God in each other.

I think that sometimes in our most well-meaning attempts to make people included, we rush to find them something to do.  It might be helpful to allow people to take time to see either where they fit in to what already exists, or to see that there is room for them to do work they see as alive in themselves. Here are three quotes that might give us a perspective on how our fear is read by new comers.

·      “The hunger in the eyes of Quakers for youthful participation has disturbed me.”

·      “My MM eagerly pursued my attendance on committee not more than 3 weeks after I met them, and I have been lapsed ever since.” And

·      “ I was an attender at a meeting in Ohio and they were constantly asking me to be on a committee and give back, except I truly didn’t have the time to commit.” 

This is in no way to induce guilt.  I know that this eagerness comes from a good place.  What I invite us to sit with is how our language might be coming across. What new comers, or long timers for that matter, might hear is that they can’t find people to serve on committees.  So, why would they jump in?  Would they want to end up like the very tired people they see? (remember they still feel new!) When asked why they did not do committee work on my survey, The top answers, of those who responded to the question, were, 35 said they did not want to sign up for too much, 32 they did not know what they were led to do, 31 said they do not know what is available, 18 said they do not know how their gifts would be best used. 

This leads me to wonder, how do we portray committee work, and what is available? How do we talk to our youth, and our membership about committee work and worship?  Are these things that are portrayed as better to be avoided because of being boring and life sucking? Are there ways to be involved in Service to the meeting that does not require a committee commitment? Can we prune what is no longer alive? Do we welcome new life as it arises?

Can we please acknowledge that there is a problem with burn out in our Yearly Meeting and our Monthly Meetings?  Can we please lovingly address the needs of those who are doing too much?  This is as much a ministry to the life of the Meeting, as it is the individual.  This is part of radical hospitality.

I want to say again, I witness life in our Meetings!  When I asked about positive experiences in my survey, here are some responses I got:

·      Powell House and other conferences

·      “Being asked to serve in a way that my matched gifts”

·      “hearing about life stories of older Quakers”

·      “people being open, explaining, struggling with spiritual questions.”

·      “inviting me to volunteer or be part of the service of the meeting.”

·      “Going to Sessions and meeting F/friends who accepted me on my own terms and engaged me in spiritually enriching, seeking conversations with me, and journeying through those together.”

We have so much to share, and we do.  We have Opportunities to be present to each other, and God, and share our lives with everyone that is part of our Meetings. What we can do is share the witness of how God is manifesting in our lives, and in our Meetings, in struggle, in service, in connections, in matters of conscience. This work belongs to all of us, at every age. How can we be good hosts and answer to that of God in all who we encounter? How can we be good guests and engage with the party we are being offered? Do we see our whole life, and our relationships to others, as a testimony to how God is moving in us? Then, as we live into that witness, we are alive. 

Respectfully Submitted,

Gabrielle Savory Bailey

June issue of my newsletter, Now you Know

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Now you know! A newsletter for Young Adult Friends, and Families, of New York Yearly Meeting June 2013 Greetings Friend! It is so strange that Spring JUST arrived and now I see Summer fast approaching!  Time flies at this time of year.  A word about this newsletter.  I know that there is a lot of information.  I invite you to skim, or to look at the list of articles and choose what is relevant to you.  I am not a graphic designer, and soon I will have someone help me with layout, and editing, but until then, use what is helpful to you, and refer back when you need it.  Spread it around.  Send it to your clerks, print it and post it at your meetings.  Use it however it is helpful!          We had a wonderful weekend for Families at Powell House May 10-12.  It was a full group!  The weekend focused on practical tools that Quakerism gives us, and each family walked away with concrete tools that we can use in our family, worship, and life.  36 family members of all ages, 11 months on up, were in each session.  It was a success!  We ended out time together with a semi-programmed worship, that was centered and grounded.  It was lovely.  We are in the process of planning at least one more this year, so stay tuned!          At Pendle Hill, in June, there is a week long conference for YAF on Simplicity.  It is a wonderful opportunity to meet YAF from all over the country.  I was there last year, and it was great.  It is being offered at an extremely low rate.  Please click here for more info.http://www.pendlehill.org/yald. I highly recommend it!  You can contact me for more info as well. There may still be time to sign up!!!          Summer sessions at Silver Bay is July 21-27.  I cannot believe how soon it will be upon us!  We are so excited!  For those who have never been, Summer Sessions is a week long residential gathering in Silver Bay, on Lake George.  There are opportunities for worship, worship sharing, committees, social gathering, business worship, singing, Meetings for Discernment, swimming, you name it.  There are worship sharing groups for Families with young children, women, men, and general groups.  This is an opportunity to meet Friends from all over New York Yearly Meeting. Call me a Quaker geek if you want, but I also really enjoy Business Worship.  Please do not let cost keep you from attending.  There is PLENTY of funding available!! I can help you or you can request funding from Helen at the Yearly meeting office office@nyym.org.  Please do not hesitate to ask!   You can come and dabble in a variety of things, no need to commit.  BUT, if you want to jump in, here are some ways:  Young Adults Concerns Committee is looking for people who would like to help organize Young Adult gatherings and activities.   There are opportunities available to work with Youth at Junior Yearly Meeting (JYM) at Summer Sessions this year.  Please see the announcement below.   Sessions committee is looking for someone younger than 35 to serve on that very cool active committee There are opportunities for Young Adults to facilitate Worship sharing groups You can hold an interest group about something that you are working on, or that is important to you. You can look at the NYYM Yearbook, in print or online here, and see what committees might interest you.  You do not have to join them to attend a meeting, except for a select few. Keep an eye out for the May issue of Spark, for more information.  It has all sorts of helpful information! Or see it online here  Do you have something you would like to share with YAF and Families in NYYM?  I would welcome photographs, artwork, poetry, essays, haiku, meaningful quotes and passages, you name it! Peace and Blessings,  Gabi Savory Bailey Young Adult Field Secretary, NYYM—nyym.yafs@gmail.com IN THIS NEWSLETTER What is YACC? Where has Gabi been? Where is she going? Upcoming conferences at Powell House, Pendle Hill and NYYM Young Adult Friends Spotlight on 2 committees (YAY!), Witness Coordinating Committee AND the new YACC Event Planning Sub-Committee VOLUNTEER and INTERN opportunities, Young Friends in Residence, American Friends Service Committee  YAF Spotlight: Jillian Smith, Saratoga MM What is going on with other YAF and Families in NYYM? Help to fundraise to send people (maybe you?) to Chwele YM in Kenya Volunteers needed at Summer Sessions for JYM What is YACC?   The Young Adults Concern Committee (YACC) is a committee of NY Yearly Meeting.  It is the committee that oversees the Circle of Young Friends (CYF) and the retreats they plan.  YACC also plans the CYF activities for Summer Sessions each year.  This committee is one way that Young Adults can find voice in the Yearly Meeting.  YACC is also interested in the spiritual nurture and care of Friends between 18-35 ish. YACC meets regularly throughout the year on the internet, and also in person at Summer Sessions, and one other annual meeting. Currently sitting on this committee are: Lucas Braun- Old Chatham MM, Rosie Stillman—Montclair MM,  Audrey Jaynes—Montclair MM,  Jenny Pronto Adirondack/Ithaca/Poplar Ridge MM,  Anthony Smith—New Brunswick MM, Alanna Badgley—Poughkeepsie MM, Barbara vonSalis (coopted member) Brooklyn MM.  If you have any questions, ideas or concerns please contact a member of YACC.  You can also contact me to put you in touch with YACC.  Are you interested in getting involved with YACC?  They are actively looking for Friends who have gifts in organizing conferences, reaching out to new people, spiritual nurture, recognizing gifts, eldering, hospitality, and community development.   Contact me atnyym.yafs@gmail.com, or co-clerks Alanna Badgely and Audrey Jaynes.   Where have I been?  Where am I going? April 5-7 Spring Sessions, Locust Valley, NY (That is on Long Island).  Truth be told, I love Spring Sessions.  It is a low commitment way to see what is happening in the Yearly Meeting.  I get to catch up with People that I have not seen since Summer, or Fall.  I get to dabble in the committees, and Coordinating committees with no commitment to joining.  I do not have the same expense as summer sessions, and less time commitment, but I still walk away connected to the wider Quaker Body.  Also, I get to stay with other Friends who I may or may not know yet, for Free!  I LOVE staying with Friends and seeing them at home, and getting to know them.  It is another gift of travelling, and knowing each other in different ways.  If you have not been to Spring Sessions, please consider going.  Financial Aid is available. April 13 &14- Adirondack MM.  There was a gathering for Families and YAF on Saturday, and I gave the message at worship on Sunday.  It was wonderful to meet new Friends and to see old ones! April 26-28 Farmington Scipio Spring Gathering, Pan Yan, NY.  This is a GEM of a gathering.  I never knew it existed!  What fun for individuals and families!  It is held at a camp in the Central Finger Lakes.  Anyone is welcome.  There is time to worship, fellowship, and sessions on different things.  I do not know what this year is.  There is a great Youth Program.  My whole family loves it.  I have met wonderful people there.  Camping is available.  If you live in Farmington Scipio RM, or want to see what I am talking about, PLEASE consider going.  There are usually a good number of YAF there, as well as families.  Kids love it!  May 10-12 Leading a Family Weekend at Powell House  This was a Powell House opportunity for the WHOLE family. During this weekend we looked at what tools Quakerism gives us as families and individuals to help us in our daily life.  Through story, art, role playing, discussion, small groups, worship and active participation of people of all ages, we explored tools like holding someone in the light, worship/centering, simplicity, clearness committees/discernment and others.  We createe a “toolbox” that families and their members can use. There was not be childcare at this weekend, as the children were part of the sessions with the adults.  There was time for parents to talk about their experiences as well.  This was an opportunity for families to do meaningful Quaker work together! June 9 and June 22 Gathering of Young Families and Young Adult Friends in Northern NJ. I am going to host 2 get togethers at my home, in Denville, NJ, near Morristown, on June 9 and 22. We did this last year, and it was a lot of fun. I am hoping that the college ones of you will be home by then. I know June is a crazy time, so i am extending 2 invites. come to either or both, or decline until another one arises at an easier time. I am inviting you to a BBQ/Potluck. All kids and significant others are welcome! I have a 2 year old, so kids are a plus! I think we would gather around 4:30/5, so that people with kids would be able to get home at a reasonable time. The end time is open. We can put a fire in our chimminea, and chill as long as we want. I have a bunch of games, and we can meet new people in the area. This is a chance to meet other YAF and Families and to see if there is a call for a regularly meeting group. This even is open to 18-35 ish year olds, and families that have young children. Spread the word to others you know! Please Let me know which date you would like to attend ( OR BOTH!) :) You can email me with questions. nyym.yafs@gmail.com   June 29  Family Day at Easton MM, Easton, NY. Easton Meeting invites families with school-age and preschool children from all of the Northeastern Regional Meeting to Family Day,Saturday, June 29 - a program of fun, fellowship and getting acquainted. The program will be at our South Meeting House, 227 Meetinghouse Road, Easton. Our schedule is as follows: 10:00 a.m. Registration 10:30 a.m. Morning Program: After a brief time of Quaker worship and singing - parents, grandparents, guardians and other adult family members will meet for discussion while children will have games and activities led by members of Easton Meeting. 12:15 p.m. Potluck Lunch (Please bring food to share, place settings, and picnic blankets or chairs.) 1:00 p.m. Afternoon Program: Intergenerational activities with parents participating with their children in art, storytelling, games, and other activities. 2:15 p.m. Wrap-up and head for home This program is presented as a response to parts of three Advices from Faith and Practice: From Advice Five: "Meetings are urged to help parents and children share religious experiences at home and in the meeting for worship and to give them an understanding of the principles and practices of Friends."From Advice Six: "Parents and older Friends are advised to be sensitive to the insights of younger people and to keep a close and sympathetic contact with them."From Advice Seventeen (adopted July 27, 2012): "Friends are advised … to share with our children and others our love for God's creation." We also recognize that many Meetings do not have a sufficiently large group of school-age children to have a vital and meaningful First-Day school or youth program. We are thinking "out of the box," and hope that this day will inspire other Meetings in our region to find ways for Meetings to work together to communicate to our children our Quaker values and how we have learned to live these values. To assure that we have age-appropriate activities for all, we are asking for preregistration by June 25: You can do that by calling Bill or Val at 518-677-8934 or 518-469-3467, or you can register on line at our new Quaker Cloud website: https://www.quakercloud.org/cloud/easton-friends-meeting/events/family-day June 30 VIsit to WIlton MM, CT Details to be announced July 21 Adirondack MM, Glens Falls, NY  Young Adult Friend, Margaret Webb will be bringing the message to Adirondack MM the morning Summer Sessions Starts.  Adirondack MM is on the way to Silver Bay, so it is an easy stop off.  If you have never experienced a programmed meeting, this is a wonderful opportunity.  I have worshipped there, and it is a lovely meeting.  Please consider coming! July 21-27 Summer Sessions, Silver Bay.   Keeping Faith: Answering That of God in All Creation This is the annual NYYM Sessions held at Silver Bay on Lake George.  It is a residential gathering for people of all ages where we do our YM business, fellowship, speakers, Junior Yearly Meeting, committees, interest groups, swimming and activities, and worship.   There will be much more information coming up soon.  If you love Summer Sessions, tell people!  If you want to know more, contact me for information. Nyym.yafs@gmail.com. September 20-22-- Bridging the Gap conference, Richmond Indiana This September 20-22, we will be gathering at Friends United Meeting's headquarters in Richmond, Indiana, to explore what it means to practice ongoing care for and ministry to our youth and young adults. What does it look like to lead a sustainable lifestyle, avoiding burnout while caring for younger Friends? What does it mean to experience the Sabbath rest that Jesus offers us (Matthew 11:28-30)?  Gabi will be offering a workshop! Please click on here (http://fum.org/bridging-the-gaps/) for more information.  I think it will be great. Would you like me to come to your Meeting, or Region?  Would you like someone to support the work that is already being done there?  I am eager to travel to do a program, support an existing program, or simply sit and listen.  Contact me at nyym.yafs@gmail.com    YAF CONFERENCES FOR NYYM ( families welcome! ) UPDATE on the YAF conference Replenishing the Well on self- care, May 31-June 2 Unfortunately, this weekend has been postponed.  We will let you know as soon as we can about when it has been rescheduled.   Upcoming Powell House  and Pendle Hill weekends  www.powellhouse.org On the Way to Silver Bay In 2010 and 2011, several of us met the weekend that NYYM"s annual session began at Silver Bay. We had such a good time that we're doing it again in 2013 - opening up Pitt Hall, the ACC, and the campground. We'd love to see you whether you are going to Silver Bay or not. It will be a weekend filled with visiting, playing ultimate Frisbee, singing, blowing bubbles, playing games, swiimming, and maybe even doing some work projects. Similar to our New Year's Celebration, Pitt Hall will be the "quieter" buildings, with times set aside for extended worship. You are welcome to come for part or all of the weekend. Just let us know that you are coming so we'll have enough food. We'll end the weekend in time for Friends to travel to Adirondack for worship - so there is no lunch on Sunday. Special weekend rate: $200 families; $100 individuals & commuters & campers. Half weekend: Half price.   Upcoming Pendle Hill weekends www.pendlehill.org June 21-23, 2013  Life in the Seed: Isaac Penington's Spiritual Journey and Counsel Isaac Penington was the most eloquent spiritual writer of the first Quaker generation.  How did he come to such clarity?  Writing Your Spiritual Autobiography July 7-11, 2013 Dan Wakefield Evocative exercises and group sharing in a nurturing setting allow us to remember and write about meaningful parts of our life’s journey.   Thirty Paths to Healing Mind, Body, and Spirit July 14-18, 2013 Max Muenke and Stephen Potthoff Reconnect your mind, body, and spirit by finding the center within you that contributes to healing.   Befriending Earth: An Invitation to Earth Literacy July 14-18, 2013 Brad Stocker Our ecological crisis calls for a new way of thinking. Earth Literacy is that; it is understanding the sacredness and implications of the universe story as it is told through science.   Inquirers’ Weekend: An Introduction to Basic Quakerism July 19-21, 2013 Clinton Pettus and Faith Kelley Explore the basics of Quaker faith and practice and discover how they connect with your own spiritual experience.   The Sacred Art of Spiritual Discernment July 21-25, 2013 Nancy Bieber Are you seeking God’s guidance for your life? Learn practices to see yourself, your choices, and your calling more clearly.   Women Weaving Work and Worship August 11-15, 2013 Sara Knisely Bixler Practice weaving, spinning, and knitting with women who love working with fibers. Learn new skills, create beautiful products, share your stories, and have fun.   Free Flow: Creativity as a Spiritual Practice August 16-18, 2013 Melanie Weidner Experiment with simple, yet profound, exercises to open the flow of Spirit in your life.   Creative Spirit: Paper Arts Collage August 18-22, 2013 Melanie Weidner Explore art-making as spiritual transformation. Nurture your inner life and activate your expressive energies by creating paper arts collages in a variety of forms, including three-dimensional possibilities. AND, there are still spots left for this program at Pendle Hill!  Please look into it.  It is a great program! There are funds available to help make conferences possible!  PLEASE contact me, Helen Garay Toppins (office@nyym.org) or the clerk of your Monthly Meeting to find out how to get financial assistance.  Questions about Transportation?  Let’s talk.  I bet there is a solution!   Spotlight on 2 committees! : Witness Coordinating Committee  AND Young Adult Concerns Committee (YACC) event planning sub-committee OK, SO, in NY Yearly Meeting there are many, many committees.  In our Yearly Meeting There are 4 umbrella  COORDINATING COMMITTEES that each individual committee reports to.  This allows for better order for business, more support and better accountability.  The 4 Coordinating Committees are: General Services, Nurture, Ministry and Witness.  Each of those  coordinating committees is discerns what business will go before the body and is responsible for reporting to the Yearly Meeting Body at Spring, Fall and  Summer Sessions.   There is also The Meetings for Discernment, which also reports separately to the Yearly Meeting.  Each Coordinating committee makes budget decisions and dispenses funds to the committees in its care.  They are made up of representatives from each of the member committees, and at large members. The Coordinating Committees meet at each YM sessions, coordinating Committee weekend, and any other time that the committee decides on.  These Coordinating Committees (CC) are a great way to know what is happening in various committees, as each committee reports to the CC.  They each welcome visitors at sessions, and are able to answer questions about what is happening in the individual Committees. Want to know more about the other Coordinating committees?  Click here for the handbook about the other Coordinating Committees. Witness Coordinating Committee is a great place for those interested in Social Justice, and Peace Concerns.  Also Alternatives to Violence Project, and Prisons.  They also have committees that are concerned with the Environment.  Here is the page from Witness From the NYYM Handbook: Purposes & Objectives The Witness Section comprises those committees and representatives to Quaker bodies which try to make visible the traditional testimonies and newer concerns of Friends in ways that extend beyond the Society of Friends. Its work attempts to express beliefs in action. The Witness Coordinating Committee (WCC) functions as an enabling body of the section. The Sharing Fund, a coordinated annual giving appeal under the care of Witness Coordinating Committee, assembles funds for the use of committees whose primary functions are in the area of projects of outreach sponsored by New York Yearly Meeting. Witness Coordinating Committee establishes goals for the Sharing Fund based on the recommendation of its constituent committees and exercises general oversight of the fund. Committees Alternatives to Violence Project, American Friends Service Committee,  Barrington Dunbar Fund,  Black Concerns,  Bolivian Quaker Education Fund,  Committee on Conscientious Objection to Paying for War,  Friends Committee on National Legislation,  Friends Peace Teams,  Indian Affairs,  Prisons,  William Penn House,  World Ministries Representatives American Friends Service Committee,  Friends Committee on National Legislation,  Friends Peace Team Project,  Meeting the Minimum Needs of All,  National Campaign for a Peace Tax Fund,  National Religious Campaign against Torture,  New Jersey Council of Churches , New York State Council of Churches,  Peace Concerns Coordinator,  Quaker Earthcare Witness,  Rural and Migrant Ministry,  William Penn House Functions & Activities The Witness Coordinating Committee supports and oversees the work of committees of the Witness Section, as well as their relations with others in the Yearly Meeting. It considers concerns brought by individual Friends, monthly and regional meetings, and other groups within and outside the Society of Friends. It fosters communication among those with related concerns and tries to help in clarifying issues and in facilitating their presentation to Friends. The Witness Activities Fund is administered by Witness Coordinating Committee. Witness Coordinating Committee appoints task groups as needed. Does Witness Coordinating Committee sound interesting to you??   Ask me! Gabi Savory Bailey nyym.yafs@gmail.com Or speak to co-clerk of Nominating Committee,  debdickinson2@gmail.com. AND, Because this is an EXTRA SPECIAL edition... Here is a sub committee that you might be interested in! Young Adult Concerns Committee (YACC) event planning sub-committee The Young Adult Concerns Committee (YACC) is seeking Friends aged 18-35 who are interesting in helping plan and realize events for the Young Adult Friends (YAF) of our Yearly Meeting.  Do you know any such YAF who are seeking to become more involved in the life of the Yearly Meeting? Anyone who has a gift for event logistics, creative planning, promotion work, or the conducting of gatherings? We seek both younger and older YAF and YAF from all regions of our Yearly Meeting, because we want to plan events that are relevant for all. Please advertise this newly formed YAF Planning Committee in your Monthly Meeting. Even if you are not a Young Adult Friend, we would love to have you contribute to our events as a guest speaker or workshop leader. All those interested should contact the clerks of YACC, Audrey Jaynes and Alanna Badgley, by emailing them at the following addresses: Audrey: AudreyJ@communityofunity.org Alanna: alanna.badgley@gmail.com Planning Committee is responsible for the organizing and coordinating of community events, especially retreats. For each event, they will set the date, create the program, invite the speakers, promote the event, plan a schedule, run the retreat, and do any necessary follow-up. The Young Adult Concerns Committee will work with Planning Committee to help book the venue, hire the cook, handle registration, and create and distribute a ride list. Planning Committee is responsible for three Yearly Meeting wide retreats each year, as well as developing and running YAF focused programming at Summer Sessions. The planning of regional events is encouraged but not required.  Planning Committee is not responsible for fundraising for events.  That responsibility belongs to YACC. Planning Committee is a subcommittee of YACC, but is open to all Young Adults in the Yearly Meeting.  However, Planning Committee always includes at least one member of YACC who can report back to the supercommittee. Volunteer and Intern Opportunities Abound! Young Friends in Residence (YFIR) Are you interested in living in a Quaker community with other young adult Friends? If so, then Young Friends In Residence (YFIR) may be the perfect program for you! We are looking for young adult interns who will live in intentional community with 1-2 other interns.  Work includes developing youth and adult programs focused on creating a space for friends of all ages to experience, live in and respond to Spirit.  Interns are encouraged to immerse themselves in the local community and participate in the life of Perry City Monthly Meeting and the wider Quaker Community.  An openness to grow and deepen spiritually is required as is experience in Quaker practices. If you have any questions, or want to request more information, including a more extensive job description and an application, please email us at YFIRwg@gmail.com To read about what previous interns have done visit their blog at http://youngfriendsinresidence.blogspot.com/ American Friends Service Committee (AFSC)   American Friends Service Committee has many opportunities to volunteer, and to intern.  Learn more at www.afsc.org   Spot light on a NYYM Young Adult Friend: Jillian Smith, Saratoga MM How did you come to Quakerism and why did you stay? My family brought me to Quakerism in search of something. I stayed because "I met a lot of good people and called them F/friends."   What Quaker work have you done, or do you do? I work for Powell House as a youth co-facilitator, and as a host/facilities director for private school groups. I am a reading clerk for NYYM and I'm weighing whether I'm led to serve on the Yearly Meeting Youth Committee.  I'm also on Buildings and Grounds and First Day School Committees for my Monthly Meeting. I created and maintain Saratoga Meeting's facebook page.   What is a gift of Quakerism for you? A gift of Quakerism is a skill or trait of a person. It could be a strong, present silence, or an ability to install solar panels, or a passion for farming.  Making coffee every First Day is a beautiful gift I've been especially grateful for lately.   What is a challenge of Quakerism for you? Fully living into each testimony in today's world is quite a challenge; from what kind of laundry detergent to buy, to what food to eat, to the words I choose to use and whether it's my animal nature to be red in the tongue, tooth and claw.    How does Quakerism impact your life work? Quakerism and my passion for all spiritual conversations and text affects where I work and what I eat.  I switched careers because of the destructive nature in my old work. I'm now in people care.     I was in sales and I took some time to have some epiphanies on an organic farm. Now I'm doing people care as a nurse assistant. I have to live and work to my Truth, which no longer includes the work I was doing before. GMO free organic farming is my hobby. Know a young adult, or parent of a young family, who is doing good work?  Let me know, so I can include them. nyym.yafs@gmail.com What’s going on with YAFs and families in the Yearly Meeting?   These are examples of gatherings past and present.  If you see something interesting, see me and I will set you up with a contact person. 15th Street MM- Friends under 40 (anyone is invited) meet once a month after Meeting for Worship, choose a local eatery (inexpensive preferably) and walk to lunch.  It is a very informal gathering, for fellowship and food. Brooklyn MM- Young Adult Friends meet for a potluck once a month at the home of one of the YAF from the meeting.  There is time for food, worship and fellowship.  At least once a year there is also a gathering in the old Quaker cemetery in Prospect Park, Brooklyn, for a picnic, and sometimes worship.  They also organize hikes, and other excursions outside of the city. Ithaca area MM -- YA Friends gather once a month at Burtt House, a property owned by Ithaca              Monthly Meeting, in Ithaca.  They have a potluck and fellowship. Rochester MM Parents worship sharing--  Rochester Friends met for an hour of parents' worship sharing while their children engage in an activity downstairs. The meeting begins with silent worship, followed by individual check in, then a query and worship sharing.  Afterwards there is a family pot luck dinner. Rochester MM family worship--This was an experiment in a monthly opportunity for semi-programmed Worship for people of all ages. Brooktondale worship group--This group is under the care of Poplar Ridge Monthly Meeting.  They meet the first Sunday of the month at a community center.  People of ALL AGES are welcome. The format will be very simple. It will start with a query, prayer, scripture, poem or song to help lead us into worship together.  Then we will sit together and share as led until 5PM. Princeton area worship group --Friends gather at the home of one of the members for worship once a week. NJ/AFRM family worship and potluck--This fall, five families with children ranging from 18 months to high school age, met for worship sharing, a potluck and fellowship.  We had the worship sharing in the nursery, all we welcome to participate.  The younger ones of us popped in and out.  It was a great opportunity to meet other families, and get to know each other a little better.  We hope to do it again. All Friends Regional Meeting Arts Day--All Friends Regional Meeting experimented with forging and nurturing friendships among Friends across the region and generations by conducting an Arts Day at Chatham Summit Monthly Meeting one late Saturday afternoon and evening in April of 2012. It was a resounding success with 48 children and adults attending, many of them young families. Artists from various meetings oversaw mini-workshops in sculpting, fabric construction, origami, book-cover making, and beaded jewelry making.  A show and tell, potluck and singing finale capped off a very enjoyable arts day. One parent said she felt like she had been on vacation and a child asked if we could do it every week! VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR JYM! As we look ahead to NYYM Summer Sessions at Silver Bay, Sunday, July 21, 2013 to Saturday, July 27, 2013, volunteers are being recruited to work for the Junior Yearly Meeting (JYM).  Friendly adults are sought to work with young Friends from Grades 1-12. Perhaps there is someone in your meeting who has the gift of working with children or teens and would welcome this opportunity. It is a wonderful way to get to know the Yearly Meeting. We ask that Meetings give consideration to providing financial assistance to JYM volunteers from their community so that they may serve the Yearly Meeting in this way.  Volunteers may also request that part of their Silver Bay costs be covered by JYM. Contact Dawn Pozzi apozzi@rochester.rr.com or Melanie-Claire Mallison (MsMellie@gmail.com), this year’s JYM coordinators, as soon as possible (both are in the Yearbook). UPCOMING NYYM EVENTS! Help fundraise to send representatives to Chwele YM in Kenya! Are you a musician, a comic, an actor? Please consider performing at the talent show to benefit African Great Lakes Initiative and the Chwele Task Group representatives' travel to Kenya for peace building work. David Zarembka from aglipt.org will give a brief presentation as well. The event will be held from 7-9 pm on Wednesday June 5th in the 15th st Meetinghouse. We seek performers of all ages from all Friends schools and meetings in NYYM. Volunteers are needed for publicity and ticket taking. Please contact Diane Keefe @ 917 312 4601 to help. Fundraise for Friends Committee on National Legislation There will be an FCNL fund raiser in Williamsburg Brooklyn on Tuesday June 4th. To co-host, volunteer or receive an invitation please contact dianekeefe@gmail.com.                                                                                                                       Have something great happening in your neck of the woods?  Let Gabi know!  If you have questions, or are interested in any of the opportunities listed above, contact Gabi Savory Bailey (nyym.yafs@gmail.com) and I will get you the information.  There is good stuff happening in our Yearly Meeting, Let’s hear it!!    friend on Facebook | forward to a friend  Do you have ideas for this newsletter?  I love feedback!  Do you have photos, drawings, stories, news items, jokes, quotes?  Send 'em over! nyym.yafs@gmail.com Inhale Love. 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