Sixth Month, 2004

QUERIES for the Sixth Month: Oversight of the Members

• What is being done to draw members together in a spirit of fellowship?
• Does the meeting keep in contact, either by visits or personal letters, with all its members?
• Are Friends in need assisted as their circumstances require?
• Do you counsel with those whose conduct or manner of living gives ground for concern?

• Forum: The facilitator for the discussion on the elections and getting the vote out will be Jim Morrison.
• Latin Dinner:Come all Amigos and Amigas for a night of festive delights...Our Patricia Ulrey will be preparing a delightful Latino Dinner for us! Latin music and you might even go home doing the Merengue!

  MENU	Arroz con Pollo Gallo Pinto Frijoles Fritos Ensalada de Repollo Platano Maduro Yuca Tres Leches Flan

  Reserve your place today! Suggested donation is 10.00 per adult, $5.00 per child 6 and over. Children under 6 are free.
• Quaker Study Group: After breaking bread together we will study and discuss the 1994 Walton lecture, Leadings, by Jim Corbett. A celebration of food and Spirit among Friends
• Bible Seminar, led by Don Smith: we will begin a series of at least six months on the Minor Prophets, beginning with Amos.

Meeting News

• Gainesville Monthly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends is proud to record Richard Beardsley as a minister for the purpose of counseling members of the armed services in matters of conscience.
  . . . Thank you, Connie Ray, for your research and leadership in forming an effective Clearness Committee for recording ministers.
• Have you noticed the sparkling new look of our meetinghouse - cleaned, painted, groomed? Our thanks to all who helped and particularly Bud Brennan, Mona and Walter Morris who went above and beyond the call of duty. Gainesville Monthly Meeting minutes its heartfelt appreciation to Bud Brennan, Mona and Walter Morris for their labor of love.
• Hannah has a new baby brother! Alexander was born on May 16 to Laura Winefordner's daughter, Anne and husband Mark. Congratulations to Laura and Jim, the proud grandparents.
• Another proud grandmother: Judy Shea. Judy left Gainesville May 19 to go to New York to meet her new grandson, John Raymond Shea, (commonly called "Jack"), born April 13. While she is in NY she will investigate further oncological treatment at Sloan Kettering medical Center. She will be returning to Gainesville June 5.
• Ministry and Nurture Committee expresses its appreciation to Laura Winefordner who has taken on the onerous position of treasurer in this particularly demanding period as we build our new meetinghouse.
• Congratulations, Arnold. 50 Years in America by Arnold Von der Porten in available for purchase directly from Arnold or at Goerings Bookstore.
• Gainesville Community Ministry: Gene Beardsley, a member of the GCM Board, came away from their April 20th board meeting excited and impressed by all the activity. In different stages of planning and implementing are several projects: Opening a second thrift shop in the NW section of town (near the YMCA) a location that will lend itself, perhaps, to customers with disposable income; Michael, the director met with city officials to present request of JUD funding for next year; a Dental Clinic is being built now and should be ready by August. It will be staffed by the Dental School; considering a partnership with Trinity United Methodist Church to provide a shelter for single homeless women in Gainesville; and GCM will be able to assist clients with prescription costs, thanks to a 5,000 grant from United Way. In our effort to support the many financial demands on our Meeting now, we decreased our support of GMC. Perhaps we can find some way of individually supporting their fine work. Gene reports that they need personal care items as well as cash.
• From the Mennonite church's pastor, Eve MacMaster: Prayers for Peace in a Time of War, Plaza of the Americas, UF campus, 12 noon-12: 15 p.m. each Wednesday. We'll have some music by our guitarist, Paul Wright, some singing, some prayers. Sponsored by Mennonite Student Group.
• Introducing... Sheree Sims. My childhood was spent on 5 acres in a small town in Michigan. When I was young you could still explore the woods and fields without an adult. Climbing trees, making forts, butterflies and crafting clay pots filled my childhood. Even as a child I would spend quiet time with God. I married my sweetheart when I was a very young lady and we have a son, Jason. For a short time in the 80's I volunteered for an organization called Friends in Deed. While volunteering I had many conversations with another volunteer who was a Quaker. I started reading about the Quakers and felt a strong connection. Soon afterwards we relocated to Gainesville. I looked for the meetinghouse, but could not find it. A couple of years ago, I had the feeling that I needed to find the meeting. When the Peace Pole was featured in the paper, it led me to the meetinghouse. I felt welcome and loved from my first visit. I could not imagine life again without a beloved community. I am so grateful to know each person in meeting; all are dear to my heart.
• Quaker Study Program: See June Calendar for June. The summer schedule includes a discussion of Emila Fogelklou Norlind's The Atonement of George Fox about balancing inward guidance and corporate authority on July 30 and Patricia Loring's The Hidden Center and Outward Scaffolding of the Quaker Spiritual Community on August 27. Would you like to have the July and August gatherings in McIntosh or Gainesville? Please let Jeannie or Connie know your preference in time for the July newsletter deadline. (June 20th)

• Southeastern yearly Meeting news:

  • Miami Monthly Meeting's Bartram House, a big house across the street from the meetinghouse and owned by Miami meeting, is undergoing vast renovation to the roof. It will house a Quaker Peace Education and Social Justice organization and it will be called Quaker Center. Miami Meeting could use some financial help with this project.
  • Augusta Monthly meeting has sold their meetinghouse. By August they will be down to 2 people and in all likelihood the meeting will be laid down. There is a worship group forming in Aiken, South Carolina and Augusta members will be attending there.
  • This year there were 182 people in attendance at the SEYM gathering. That is a ten percent drop from 2003 and a big drop in children from 42 to 31.
  • Next year the theme will be Living in the World as Quakers. The Walton lecturer will be Linda Chitsy, clerk of New York Yearly Meeting.