Fifth Month, 2002

QUERIES for the Fifth Month: EDUCATION

• Do your children receive the loving care of the meeting?
• Does the influence of the meeting promote their religious life and encourage their desire for service to others?
• What efforts are you making to educate all your members in the knowledge of the Bible, especially the teachings of Jesus and their relevance to the principles and practices of Friends?
• Do those of you who are parents seek to share your deepest beliefs with your children, while leaving them free to develop as the Spirit of God may lead them?
• Do you encourage members to consider the advantages of education in Friends' schools and colleges for their children and do you give such financial aid as may be necessary?

CALENDAR NOTES

• Video - FCNL ON CAPITOL HILL: A PLACE JUST RIGHT
• A main focus will be to finish working on the back yard, but come and do whatever you think needs to be done.
• The Quaker study group will meet as usual at the Buskirks and will consider Mind What Stirs in Your Heart by Teresina Havens, a doctor of Comparative Religions. She seeks to provide a link between Quakerism and Buddhism and between our inner spiritual search and our outer work for social justice. We will discuss movement as a creative force and then do some experiential work such as Breathing with Penington . A celebration of food and Spirit among friends.
• The June forum will consider Natural Herbal Remedies: Do They Work? presented by Mona Morris
• Shanna Beardsley, daughter of Gene and Dick Beardsley, will wed Glenn Johnson in the Van Ness Center in Mcintosh. A reception follows.
• In what has become a tradition, Laura Winefordner has invited the Meeting to spend Friday and/or Saturday on Flagler Beach at her family beach house. Details will be announced later.

MEETING NEWS

Easter Seals at Altrusa House is pleased to announce its first art exhibition, "Celebrating Caring and Creativity" Saturday, May 18th, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m at 2002 NW 36th Ave. Proceeds will help Altrusa House provide day care for special-needs adults.

If you are willing to "adopt a room" (or a regular chore) to help keep our meeting house in an appropriate state of cleanliness, tidiness and good repair, see Mona Morris, clerk of House and Hospitality.

Our Chain of Prayer day was a day of fellowship, inspiration and fun. The Meetinghouse rang with the joyful music making of Annie McPherson on bass violin and David Cook on keyboard and with our enthusiastic dancing. Thanks, Annie and David. John Graham-Pole led a workshop on the holistic effects of laughter and fun that was fun! Thank you, John. Reuben Keppel, clerk of FCUN, led a Wisdom Circle. We passed the "talking stick" as we reflected on the Ojibway Prayer and talked about our need to "heal the earth and heal each other." Thank you, Reuben. Bill Mitchell and Phil Buskirk led us on a nature walk at our property. The results of their on-going work on the site as they have removed invasive trees and plants and cleared paths are evident. It is beautiful and it already feels like home. Thanks Phil and Bill.

Thanks to all who helped lighten some of the burden of our Day-of-Prayer family. We collected all of the smaller items on the list of needs as well as $335 to apply towards the special Reebok shoes and the electric bill.

Our Meeting received a Newsletter from the Redwood Forest Friends Meeting and Guatemala Friends Monthly Meeting telling us of the rich harvest being reaped, in part, from the proceeds of our Chinese Auctions. The student roster lists 111 regular students, 28 of whom are refuges. 68% are university level and their courses of study include Accounting, Agronomy, Architecture, Business Administration, Communication Sciences, Economics, and Engineering. 32% are high school students most of whom are preparing to become primary teachers, a great need in their communities. Our contribution this year was $802, an increase from past years.

We thank Gene Beardsley, Laura Winefordner and Judy Shea for their devoted service to our First Day School. The children bring us so much joy. Teacher needed for May 26. See Gene if you can help.

Gainesville Community Ministry welcomes volunteers to help in the Thrift Shop. Pick your hours from 9 - 3 Monday through Friday. Gene Beardsley is collecting clothing and household items at the Meetinghouse. Don't forget to shop there, too. Located at the corner of SW 3rd St and 4th Ave.

Welcome back, Traci! We have missed you. Traci Darnell is back from Chile and her doctoral studies in landscape ecology.

To read or subscribe to the SEYM web Q-news, a free service, go to www.seym.org. page one, left column under Index and click on Q-news. FCNL web page for Legislative Action Alerts and Background: http://www.fcnl.org

Please send your contributions to our newsletter to Joan Andrews, Editor: J6and8@aol.com or phone 373-2201 or Gene Beardsley, Special Correspondent: 4416 NW 93rd Ave, GVL, Fl 32653 or phone (386) 462-3201.