London Grove Monthly Meeting December 2014! 1

London Grove Monthly Meeting Bulletin ~ Begun 1714

~ Established 1792 ~December 2014

Query for Twelfth Month: Integrity and Simplicity

What does our Meeting understand to be the meaning and implication of our testimonies on simplicity and integrity?

How do our Meeting's actions demonstrate this understanding?

As a Meeting, what are we doing to encourage members to embody integrity and simplicity in their everyday lives?

How do I strive to maintain the integrity of my inner and outer lives—in my spiritual journey, my work, and my family responsibilities? How do I manage my commitments so that overcommitment, worry, and stress do not diminish my integrity?

Am I temperate in all things? Am I open to counsel and advice on overindulgence and addictive behavior, such as gambling? Do I take seriously the hazards associated with addictive and mood-altering substances?

Am I careful to speak truth as I know it and am I open to truth spoken to me? Am I mindful that judicial oaths imply a double standard of truth?

Do I refrain from membership in organizations whose purposes and methods compromise our testimonies?

Christmas Choir

Our Choir is planning to sing at the morning program on December 21.  We hope lots of you will join us.  Rehearsals are scheduled for December 7 & 14 after Meeting for Worship.  New rehearsal time will be 10:30 (during First Day School) in hopes of fitting more of your schedules.  If you can't make a rehearsal we would still love to have you sing with us.  We'll be handing out the music on November 30.  Feel free to contact Wyatt Thompson or Eileen Hickman with any questions.

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December 2014 Calendar

Sunday 11/30 9:30 am Meeting for Worship Children’s First Day School 10:30 am Adult Religious Education - “A Christmas Oratorio” (see p. 3)

Saturday 12/06 5:30 pm Covered dish supper, followed by 300th Anniversary Event at 7:30 pm Gillian Grassie, Celtic Harp (see p. 6.) Sunday 12/07 8:15 am Religious Education Committee 9:30 am Meeting for Worship Children’s First Day School Betsy Walker, back door greeter (all month) Greta Rech, teacher: Yoga Calm 10:30 am Meeting for Worship for Business

Thursday 12/11 9:30 am Library Committee 7 pm Care & Membership Committee

Sunday 12/14 9:30 am Meeting for Worship Children’s First Day School 10:30 am Intergenerational ornament making 7 pm Worship & Ministry Committee

Saturday 12/20 TBA Young Adult Friends Reunion and Meetinghouse Decoration (Contact Mariah Matos McIntosh for details) Sunday 12/21 8:30 am Peace & Social Justice Committee 9:30 am Meeting for Worship Shortened First Day School 10 am Children join Adults for Christmas music and story 6:15 pm Cast arrives to prepare for Christmas Pageant 7 pm Christmas Pageant

Wednesday 12/24 10 pm Christmas Eve Candlelight Meeting for Worship

Sunday 12/28 9:30 am Meeting for Worship Children’s First Day School 10:30 am Memories of Morocco with Wick Williams

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Celebrating Christmas 2014 at London Grove Friends Meeting! ! ! ! ! (A Guide for Families)

November 30: 9:30 am Meeting for Worship Children’s First Day School 10:30 am For the Time Being: A Christmas Oratorio

Donald LaBranche expands on W.H. Auden’s poetry and the Nativity Story

December 14   9:30 am Meeting for Worship Children's First Day School 10:30 am Intergenerational ornament making and refreshments for children and adults December 21 Family Christmas Celebration  9:30 am Meeting for Worship Shortened Children's First Day School                10:00 am Children join adults for Special Holiday Celebration                 6: 15 pm Children arrive in classroom wing to get dressed in costumes      7 pm  Nativity Pageant followed by Refreshments and a visit from Santa   

December 24 10 pm  Christmas Eve Meeting for Worship by candlelight  

Sleepy Angels in Christmas Pageant Six Years Ago: December 2008

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Clerk’s Summary of Eleventh Month Second Day Meeting for Business

While continuing worship on the second day of the eleventh month, the following business was conducted with Karen-Lee Brofee serving as clerk, Bob Frye as Assistant Clerk, and Laura Reilly as Assistant Recording Clerk.

MINUTES: Minutes of the Tenth Month were read as recorded by Gail Newbold and approved with one correction.

STANDING REPORTS: The Treasurer’s Report, prepared by Treasurer Doug Myers, showing a closing balance of $60,168.80, was ACCEPTED as presented. The report noted that the sale of the 300th Celebration Dinner tickets and leftover food exceeded the direct costs of the meal by $1000. This money will be used to cover other expenses of the day and upcoming programs. We are 83% through the year and have received 69% of the budgeted contributions. The Keeper of the Calendar had no report, but noted the upcoming 300th Anniversary Committee’s November event of Karen Marshall addressing Quaker Descendants on November 8th at 7:30 PM at the Meetinghouse. The Western Quarterly Meeting Report, composed by Margaret Walton and read by Anna Myers, detailed the events of Quarterly Meeting on October 19th, listed coming WQM events, and cited four points of information/requests from the WQM Support Committee:

• Each monthly meeting should engage in “intentional” discussions about money allocations to QM and PYM

• The mailing of the paper newsletter has been laid down; instead there will be individual emailings and the placement of paper copies in each Meeting;

• The restructuring of WQM continues to be discussed

• The recommended appointment of Sarah Kastiner as WQM coordinator was received from the personnel committee, discussed and approved.

The report was ACCEPTED with appreciation.

ANNUAL REPORTS: The Finance Committee’s Annual Report was postponed to a later date.

WELCOMING REPORT: Mary Jo Ciganek reported, for the welcoming committee for Bill and Grace Pfeifer, a very fine and friendly visit with long time attendees of whom we are all fond. The report was ACCEPTED with appreciation.

(continued)

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ANNOUNCEMENTS AND CLERK’S REPORT:

Follow Up: The clerk announced that a letter of thanks and appreciation had been written to Stanley Brooks regarding his donation of a Hearing Loop system to complement our audio system.

Two Philadelphia Yearly Meeting initiatives:

One begins this coming week with new General Secretary Christie Duncan-Tessmer’s commitment to come to know and meet individuals who “ARE PYM!” All are invited. She has five meetings, which will include worship, a program, and food, planned for this month. London Grove’s closest gathering is Centre Meeting on November 7th at 7 PM.

The second item is the “One Book One Yearly Meeting” initiative; this year’s book is The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander.

With the business completed, Meeting closed in silent worship. Summarized by, Karen-Lee Brofee, Clerk

PRELIMINARY AGENDA FOR 12th MONTH MEETING FOR BUSINESS

1. Minutes of 11th Month’s Meeting with a Concern for Business

2. Response to the Query: Integrity and Simplicity

3. Standing Reports: Treasurer’s Report; Recorder’s Report; Keeper of the Calendar’s Report; 300th Committee Report/Announcements

4. New Member Transfer Request

5. Annual Reports: Finance Committee; Budget 2015 Outlook

6. Outreach Donation: Leona Provinski

7. Concerns of the Meeting

8. Clerk’s Items

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Date First Hour Second Hour Flowers

11/30 FDS Greeter:Susanna DavisonFDS Helper:Susanna Davison

Matos Family Louise Price

12/07 FDS Greeter (all month): Betsy WalkerFDS Helper: Kelli Trice

Jim BrofeeMarianne Whitlock

Bob Frye

12/14 FDS Greeter: Betsy WalkerFDS Helper: Mary Jo Ciganek

Sam CypressiLisa Cypressi

Karen Conlan

12/21 FDS Greeter: Betsy WalkerFDS Helper: Karen-Lee Brofee

Dawn Thompson Betsy Walker

12/28 FDS Greeter: Betsy WalkerFDS Helper: Linda Currie

Betsy WalkerKaren Conlan

Rebecca Mitchell

December Child Care and Flowers

December 300th Anniversary Event: Harp Concert

On Saturday, December 6 we will welcome Gillian Grassie, who grew up in our midst.  Gillian is an award-winning harpist-singer-songwriter who attended London Grove Kindergarten and London Grove Friends Meeting in her youth. She is a graduate of Bryn Mawr College and her music is often inspired by literary works. She has traveled the world with her harp.

5:30 pm All are welcome to a covered dish supper prior to performance – bring a dish to share.7:30 pm Celtic Harp Performance

We are so happy to have Gillian Grassie perform here for the final event of our 300th anniversary year. We have had a wonderful year filled with many fun and interesting programs.  Having Gillian here to provide us with a finale is a most fitting ending to our celebrations. Sandy Reber, Clerk of 300th Anniversary Committee

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Amnesty International Write for Rights

Sunday, December 7, 2014 - 12 through 3 pmKennett Friends Meeting (Ground Floor)125 W. Sickle St., Kennett Square, PA

When you write a letter during the Write for Rights 2014, you can help change a life. By taking action, you will join hundreds of thousands of others around the world in demanding that the rights of featured human rights activists, individuals and communities are respected, protected and fulfilled.

Join us to make a difference and write letters for human rights around the world and inthe USA. A light lunch will be provided, as well as all letter writing materials.Donations are greatly appreciated for the cost of international and domestic stamps. For more information, or to read about this year's featured cases, please visit Amnesty USA's website: http://write.amnestyusa.org/?ac=none_r .Please bring friends and family -- the more letters we write, the bigger impact we make!

Questions? Comments? Call or email Holly Tyson at 484-612-8312 or guerillacomposter@gmail.com.

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Friends Economic Integrity Project Open Discussion & Support Group

Join members of the Friends Economic Integrity Project (part of the PYM Eco-Justice Working Group, formerly Growth Dilemma Project) as we to continue to learn about the intersection of economy and ecology, and consider how we can respond in our individual lives, our meetings, and the wider community. Each evening starts with 30 minutes of worship, followed by a brief presentation/discussion of new information, and updates from participants on how the projects they are working on individually or in small groups are developing.

First Tuesday of the Month @6:30September 2, 2014October 7, 2014

November 4, 2014December 2, 2014January 6, 2015February 3, 2015March 3, 2015April 7, 2015May 5, 2015June 2, 2015

Location:Friends CenterPYM Conference Room1501 Cherry StreetPhiladelphia, PA 19102