Dear Members of Allen’s Neck Meeting,

Holly and Leigh-Anne and I went to New England Yearly Meeting (NEYM) from Saturday evening, August 6^th, through Thursday, August 11^th noon at Bryant College, less than 50 miles from home. Holly was in Young Friends, living in a special dorm for them, and Leigh-Anne was in Junior High Young Friends bunking with me for one more year.

I attended most of the business meetings, a three-day workshop on "Spirituality of Money," and three days of hour-long worship-sharing sessions. I have been eager to get "volunteering" into the girls’ NEYM experience; so during four or five meals, I carried trays for people who needed help in this area, and on three occasions I drove my car as a shuttle, carrying people from their dorms to the Unistructure, where our meals and most of our meetings were held. NEYM has lots of elderly people and young couples with little children who need these services to make their attendance possible. The Junior High Young Friends leaders and the Young Friends leaders were going to push "volunteering" with their people this year, too. (I’m assuming they did.) Volunteers and our tiny number of paid staff are what make NEYM work! We came away feeling we had spent a pleasurable, productive week. My girls see NEYM as the high point of their year! Thank you for sending in $150 towards our registration and housing fees, making this experience possible.

Holly, as a Young Friend, felt a lot of pride for her part in the intergenerational worship service held on Sunday. These high school-aged people welcomed worshipers as they came up the walk to the new Great Hall. After 600-700 of us were seated, they organized us all into a get-acquainted activity, did a skit on the various thought/worship activities they find themselves going through as they worship, and then led us in 15 minutes of silent worship – "Worship, not sharing!" they admonished!

As a result of this experience, the next day the Young Friends sent us a minute eldering us for the lack of centering felt in our worshipping and a plea for us to do a better job of modeling of the Quaker way of worship. This minute was delivered to our business meeting by their two clerks. Upon having read this to us, they left and we continued on with our business as if nothing had happened. After 20-30 minutes, someone got up rather appalled that no note seem to have been taken of our Young Friends’ effort to share a deep concern of theirs with us. Apparently, most of our meeting felt the same way. A grateful minute of appreciation of their caring for us was drafted and delivered to the Young Friends the next day.

The Young Friends made 4" x 5" signs for each of the dining room tables advertising the NEYM Bookstore. They also made brightly colored paper footprints which they glued to the hall floors, pointing people to the new location of our bookstore. I don’t remember noticing any year before when Young Friends’ activities were so noticeable and helpful. Perhaps it’s just that Holly was one of them and Leigh-Anne will be next year.

The theme of this year’s sessions was the Parable of the Sower, Luke 10:37 – "Go and do likewise."

As scheduled last year, after many years as our Friends’ Camp Director, Susan stepped down last fall. Nathaniel took over this position in April 2004 and has enjoyed working with these children. Christopher, of Burlington (VT) Meeting, took over as Presiding Clerk of the Yearly Meeting from Deana at the end of our closing session last summer. Our financial bookkeeper turned in her resignation earlier this year, leaving our Treasurer Ken to keep the books. After four years, he tendered his resignation this summer. These two positions, along with Cristel’s (our Youth and Education Secretary, who stepped down last fall) have not been filled. The remaining staff have been pinch hitting in Cristel’s two positions.

I continue to find pleasure watching how potentially explosive situations can be defused by an experienced Clerk, who calmly follows Friends’ procedures through the hot spots, and the help of a prayerful Meeting, can come out with everyone feeling satisfied. Our new Clerk had various hurdles to get us through and was willing to accept guidance from former clerks and sensitive Meeting members to lead us to a fairly satisfying adjournment.

Thank you again for making it possible for my grand-nieces and me to attend NEYM 2005!

In Peace and Love,

Betsy

[NOTE:  Last names have been omitted for privacy.]