Friends Bulletin PACIFIC, NORTH PACIFIC, AND INTERMOUNTAIN YEARLY MEETINGS OF THE RELIGIOUS SOCIETY OF FRIENDS Volume 62, Number 8 May 1994 Ghost Ranch 1975. — INTERMOUNTAIN YEARLY MEETING TWENTIETH ANNIVERSARY — PAGE 122 MAY 1994 FRIENDS BULLETIN FWCC Editorial Triennial Update Where were you twenty years ago? Culminating seven years of planning, the 18th Twenty years ago we (Nancy, Wayne, Bruce, and three TriennialoftheFriendsWorldCommitteeforConsul- cats) had just moved from Tucson, Arizona, to Bellevue, tation will be held at Ghost Ranch, Abiquiu, New Washington.WhileinArizonawehadattendedPimaMeeting Mexico,August15-24, 1994. ThehostfortheTriennial and had once gone to Arizona Half-YearlyMeeting. We liked is Intermoimtain Yearly Meeting. The theme of the it a lot. That was my first experience of a larger Friends Triennial is "The Light of God's Creation," and the gathering. (Wayne had gone to FGC as a yoimg person.) W—e activities of this 18th Triennial are designed to take New have special memories of the Friends we met in Arizona advantage ofNorthern Mexico's special histori- MaryBooth(nowMillman), theBrowns,ArlineHobson,Ruth cal and environmental situations. There will be a full Knittel, Frances McAllister, and others whose faces we re- dayofexcursionsandhalf-daywalkaboutswhichwill useapproximately30volunteersinguidingand driv- member, but not their names. ing groups of Friends. InBellevueweattended(andtransferredto)EastsideMeet- To assist in the funding of this Triennial, T-Shirts ingand laterthatyearwenttoNorthPacificYearlyMeetingin and buttons are available for purchase by Friends. T- Port Townsend, Washington. Had we stayed in Tucson, we ShirtscomeinsizeLargeorExtra-Largeandare$10.00 might have gone to Intermountain Friends Fellowship and plus $2.50 shipping and handling. Buttons are $1.00 beenpresentwhenthatfellowshipdecidedtobecomeayearly plus $.50 shipping and handling. Both the T-Shirts meeting. ManyotherFriends did go, and thehistoricdecision andbuttonscarrytheTrienniallogodesignedbyTina was made. Kachele of the Albuquerque Monthly Meeting. Ted Church, who was IMYM's first historian, has shared DirectdonationstotheTriennialarealsowelcome. with us a history of the yearly meeting and of the fellowship Please make checks payable to the Albuquerque that was written twenty years ago. Monthly Meeting/Triennial. Send all orders and/or Ithinkit'sappropriatethatinthisissuewherewecelebrate donationstoKathleenMcNamee,TriennialTreasurer, beginnings, we also look at meetings with longer histories. 505 Hermosa Dr SE, Albuquerque, NM 87108. Don't miss Marge Abbott's report on her visit to the 314th annual session of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting. (I'm glad I YEARLY MEETING OFFICERS don't have to be involved in the question ofwhich is the real PACIFIC PYM!) She reports on issues that seem remarkably similar to Presiding Clerk: Ellie Huffman (916) 626-1524 the concerns I hear in our three Western yearly meetings. PO Box 136 Happy Anniversary, Intermountain Yearly Meeting! Rescue, CA 95672 May you live more than 314 years and always have the AssistantClerk: Andrea English (510) 848-5202 1746 Virginia Western flavor that makes you so unique. Berkeley, CA 94703 Treasiuer: PhyllisJones (916) 223-5405 PO Box 493599 CA Redding, 96049-3599 nkventij Oscars in !J^riends (BuUetin NORTH PACIFIC Subcommittee on Visitation Presiding Clerk: Margery Abbott (503) 284-1799 NE 1830 Klickitat The purpose of our Subcommittee as outlined in PYM's Portland, OR97212 Faith and Practice, is "to foster intervisitation within the Steering Committee Clerk: Yearly Meeting to improve communications and to Paula Butzi (206) 869-2810 14349 189th Way NE strengthen the life of the Meetings by sharing experiences, WA Woodinville, 98072 information, and insight. Visits should be carefully pre- Treasurer: Charlie Kimball (503) 997-4237 pared to provide Meetings with a useful catalyst and focal 04862 Oceana Dr OR point for revitalizing the life of the Meeting, reconciling Florence, 97439 INTERMOUNTAIN differences and bringing the Meeting together for thought- ful discussions and spiritual growth." Presiding Clerks: (719) 846-7480 ... Bill aWnd Genie Durland InJune of 1973 Dennis Durby, ofourSubcommittee and 605 Pine St CO Editor ofour Bulletin, attended Intermountain Friends Fel- Trinidad, 81082 lowship, traveling from there to the Utah Meetings. Each Continuing Committee Clerk: Meeting received him lovingly and expressed to us their V1i5c1k7iEe ABlodurtizchRd (505) 522-3462 NM appreciationofhisvisits as "a greatsourceofstrength" and Las Cruces, 88001 as an "enriching experience." Treasurer: Jan Miller (801) 278-2759 5672 S Park PI E Friends Bulletin, May 1974, Volume 42, Number 7, p. 61. Salt Lake City, UT 84121 1 — FRIENDS BULLETIN MAY 1994 PAGE 123 Friends Bulletin Table of Contents — Twenty Years Ago in Friends Bulletin 122 TheoffidalpublicationofPacific,NorthPacific,andIntermountain FWCC Triennial Update — 122 YearlyMeetings ofthe Religious Society ofFriends — 1620 NW Menlo Drive, Corvallis, OR Early History Intermountain Yearly Meeting — 124 Intermountain Yearly Meeting by Ted Church ~ 126 97330-2055 Reminiscences of Levi Coffin, Review Editor, Nancy Yarnall by Reuben Bames-Levering 127 — 757-0981 (503) Call to Intermbuntain Yearly Meeting 128 — [email protected] Call to North Pacific Yearly Meeting 129 Book Review Editor A Statement on Yearly Meeting — Molly Bishop, PO Box 192, Duncans Mills, CA 95430 by Karen Lawrance 129 (707) 865-2496 Religion and Psychology Conference — IMYM Corresponding Editors by Patricia Dienstfrey 130 Mary Lou Coppock, 1127 E Belmont, Phoenix, AZ 85020 Faith and Formation by Marge Abbott 130 Jim Ray, 2520 S Ivanhoe PI, Denver, CO 80222 Peace Training Institute by Polly Hare —— 131 Alice H. Stokes, 1722 Saddle Hill Dr, Logan, UT 84321 Friendly News —— 131-133 Elizabeth Buckley & Deborah Richards, 13418 MountainView NE, Arizona Half-Yearly by Alicya Malik —— 131 Albuquerque, NM 87123-2052 Willamette Quarterly by Sheila Smith—— — 132 NPYM Corresponding Editors Pacific Northwest by Diane St. Marie — 132 — Jim Coates, P.O. Box 377, Red Lodge, MT 59068 Southern California by Bobbi Kendig ~ 133 Sheila Smith, 925 NW Merrie Dr, Corvallis, OR 97330 Utah Friends Fellowship—by Cathy Webb and — Diane St. Marie, 10430 57th Ave S, Seattle, WA 98178 Allen Stokes — 133 PYM Corresponding Editors Memorial Minutes 134 ——— Bobbi Kendig, 3275 Karen, Long Beach, CA 90808 Advertisements — 135 -— Patricia Silva, 16557 S Highland Ave, Selma, CA 93662 Vital Statis—tics— — 135 — Bob Stauffer, 51-019 Lau PI, Kaaawa, HI 96730 Calendar- - - — 136 — Friends Bulletin Committee Announcements 136 Clerk: Rob RoyWoodman, 2532Westemessee Rd, Davis, CA95616 Cover photo and photos (916) 753-5547 from page 124 to 127 were taken hy Tony Umile, Boulder Molly Bishop, PO Box 192, Duncans Mills, CA 95430 Meeting. These pictures were taken at Ghost Ranch in 1975. Annis Bleeke, 3111 NE Tillamook, Portland, OR 97212 Langdon Elsbree, 400 University Cir, Claremont, CA 9171 Corrections to the April Issue: Charlie Kimball, 04862 Oceana Dr, Florence, OR 97439 In the article, "Friends Committee on Scouting," Jean Arden Pierce, 3498 South Ct, Palo Alto, CA 94306 Harrison-Siegler's name was spelled incorrectly. Alan Strain, 260 High St, Apt 1, Santa Cruz, CA 95060 The picture ofthe shooting star (flower) on page 113 was SendallcorrespondencetotheCorvallisaddress. Deadlineforcopyisthe drawn by Alice H. Stokes, Logan Meeting. firstofthe month precedingthemonth ofissue. Wegladlyacceptcopyon 3 1/2” PC orMAC floppydisks in anywell-known word-processorformat. LETTER Printed by Corvallis Web Press, Corvallis, OR ...You might want to pass on to Warren Ostrom (Marchissue-"SpreadingtheQuakerWord:HowCan Keep from Singing?") the information thatElizabeth • FRIENDSBULLETIN (USPS859-220)ispublished monthlyexcept C1 adyStantonwasnotaFriend.(Inhishandout,"Quak- February and August by Pacific Yearly Meeting of the Religious ers Live," he makes that claim.) Tve just finished Society of Friends at 1620 NW Menlo Drive, Con/allis, Oregon reading a recent biography of her life. In Her Own 97330-2055. Telephone (503) 757-0981. Second-class postage Right;and I feel quite sure of this. She was very much paid atCon/allis, Oregon. influenced in her religious thinking (according to this • book) by Lucretia Mott. The other women who con- SubscriptionRates: $20.00peryearforindividuals, $16.00peryear vened the 1848conventiononwomen'srightswereall for group subscriptions through Meetings. $14.00 per year for a Friends, but Elizabeth Cady Stanton never became a student/low income subscription. First class postage $5.20 addi- Friend, nor is there any mention that she might have tional. Foreign postagevaries. Individual copies $2.00 each. considered doing so. • Postmaster: Send address changes to FRIENDS Atthesametime,TdlikeWarrenOstromtoknowthat BULLETIN, 1620 NW Menlo Drive, Corvallis, OR Iwasheartenedbyhisarticleandtheworkheisdoing.... 97330-2055. InFriendship, DorothyAnderson, Pima Meeting — PAGE 124 MAY 1994 FRIENDS BULLETIN Intermountain Yearly Meeting Eariy History its In theSpringof1974,LeanoreGoodenow,ClerkofIntermoutain Friends Fellowship, feeling a needfor an account ofhow the Fellowship came to be, asked Clarissa B. Cooper, then ofFlag- staffMonthly Meeting and living at Camp Verde, Arizona, to writeahistory. ClarissacorrespondedwithseveralFriendsand edited their material and recollections. Because ofClarissa's move to Friends House, Sandy Springs, Maryland,shesentherworkandsourcematerialtoTedChurch in May 1974. Her source material is in the archives ofInter- mountain Yearly Meeting. Clarissa's workwas read to Intermountain Friends Fellowship at its meetinginJune 1974. TheFellowship thenappointed Ted Church as its historian. Ted added thefinal chapter in this account and added an appendix. INTERMOUNTAIN FRIENDS FELLOWSHIP Edited May 1974 by Clarissa B. Cooper Beginnings In the Fall of 1950 Arizona Friends from Tucson and Phoenix met at the Casa Grande ruins near Florence, Arizona, to celebrate the first anniversary of Phoenix Monthly Meeting, A weekend retreat was considered at that gathering. Initiators, Femer Nuhn (then living in Tucson) and others, had a hope that the retreat might develop into a half-yearly or quarterly meeting. Mary Campbell (1975) The first retreat of Arizona and New Mexico Friends was held with 61 persons present June 15-17, 1951, at Participating meetings were Santa Fe and Albuquer- Montlure, a Presbyterian lodge in the White Mountains que with Friends from Ranchos de Taos, New Mexico; near Greer, Arizona. The second one was held June 6-8, Phoenix, Tucson, and Flagstaff, Arizona; as well as a few 1952, at the Heart to Heart Lodge on the Little Colorado FriendsfromAFSCinPasadena,California;andanumber River, also near Greer (Mahlon Hagerty, Chairman; Cleo of especially interested Friends from other parts of the Cox, Registrar; 29 adults; 22 young folks). The third and country. last of this series metJune 5-7, 1953, at Montlure (Fermor Cleo Cox remembered an especially moving message Church, Chairman; Cleo Cox, Registrar; 55 adults; 35 from 1953. CecilMurdock (PhoenixMeeting, aKickapoo) yoimg folks). andhiswife,IdaMae(aHopi),hadbroughtwiththemher At these retreats there were no previously planned aunt, Elizabeth White. She spoke in a worship period, programs. They grew from concerns expressed in the saying, "This remindsmeofmychildhood (inold Oraibi) Fridayeveningmeetings,afterachairmanwasappointed. whenwewould takeourhandfulofsacred commealand One year John and Ann Salyer (Tucson) bought the go out to the edge of the mesa to watch the sunrise. The food; the last time Chuck and Laura Gritzner (Phoenix) older people would tell us children what to pray. As the tooktheresponsibility. Workcrewshelped withprepara- suncameupwewouldprayonourhandfulofsacredcom tions of meals and clean up. meal. These were precious times of living and loving, of Saturday afternoons were held open for enjoying the praying and learning." natural beauty of Ponderosa forest, birds, brooks, and In 1953 it was decided that this gathering was more of flowers. Therewasnoneed forcrafts. Ona little streamat a conference than a retreat and should be renamed. This Montlureoneseason, thechildren, supervisedbyCharles would have taken place the next year had the weekends and Dorothy Carus-Wilson, built the Silver Spear dam continued. Arizona and New Mexico Friends did partici- and the Wilson spillway and waterwheel. The children pate in the sessions ofPacific YearlyMeetingwhenitwas were so thrilled they wished the adults could have taken held at Prescott, Arizona, in 1955. New Mexico Friends part in the joyous adventure. met with Arizona Friends in the Fall of 1964 in Tucson — FRIENDS BULLETIN MAY PAGE 1994 125 when Arizona Half-Yearly Meeting was formed. New the lawn, together with the cheerful patience of all, en- Mexico Quarterly Meeting had been established in the abledthesixtyparticipants(45adults, 15yoimgpeople)to summer of 1964. experience meaningful fellowship and worship. Apartof 1969 Retreat the lawn was reserved for silence. Several groups gath- AlthoughtheArizonaandNewMexicomeetingswere ered for talk. Craft materials were available. The hosts part ofPacific Yearly Meeting and members appreciated prepared Sunday breakfast and dinner. Attenders at the gatheringthoughtfullycontributedenoughmoneytocover yearly meeting support, with the great distances, only a few were able to attend yearly meeting or its committees the costs and to provide $22 to start plans for a gathering or to feel known to the larger group. In Albuquerque, the next year in a place with adequate facilities. As more Dorelen Bunting, Ted Church, and Marian Hoge talked than one Friend wrote afterward: "We think this gather- ing actually seems thebeginning ofour yearly meeting." together about thepossibility ofa smaller regional group or even a yearly meeting. Intermountain Friends Fellowship Following the retreat at Camp Verde, the clerk of ArizonaHalf-YearlyMeetingandtheclerkofNewMexico QuarterlyMeetingconferred toplana gatheringfor1970. New Mexico Friends were asked to take the lead in mak- ing reservations at Ghost Ranch, Abiquiu, New Mexico, June 12-14, 1970. HavingobtainedtheapprovalofFriends earlieratCamp Verde,MarianHogecontacted Mountain View Meeting of Denver and Boulder Meeting as well as Friends in Utah. The response was overwhelming as 24 adults and 12 children from Colorado attended the first GhostRanchsession. Total attendancewas 167 (95 adults and 72 young folks). ThenameIntermountainFriendsFellowshipwaschosen. New Mexico Friends served the second year (1971). Responsibility then was passed for two years (1972 and 1973)toArizonaHalf-YearlyMeetingwithThorntonPrice, Clerk; Charles Minor, Registrar; and Francis McAllister, Vincent Lovett (1975) In 1969, as new-comers shared with people who had long desired closer contacts with other Friends, hope to renew thesortofmeaningfulgatherings thatwereheld at Greer crystallized to action. Flagstaff Friends tried to reserveaplacetomeetbutdidnotfind a vacancy. Samuel andClarissaCooper, ofFlagstaffMeeting,encouragedby the interest felt and remembering the value of retreats at the Woolman Memorial in New Jersey where they had been directors, offered to consult other meetings about a date. They invited Friends to come to their small home and its shady yard in Camp Verde, Arizona, June 14-15, 1969. Flagstaff Friends approved but asked what the CooperswoulddoifquitealotofFriendsresponded. The answer was, "Rejoice!" Thefacilitiesoflocalmotels.ClearCreekStateParkfor Jim Graham leadingfolkdancing. (1975) a potluckpicnic supperSaturday, thirty sleepingbags on — PAGE 126 MAY 1994 FRIENDS BULLETIN Her storybeginsin the Fallof1950 and ends inMay 1974, the monthbefore the meeting of the Fellowship atwhich changed name. it its TheminuteadoptedonJune8,1974,states,"Following several years ofprayerful search, itis thepresentsenseof the meeting that the Intermoimtain Friends Fellowship now constitute itselfa yearly meeting tobe known as the Intermountain Yearly Meeting ofthe Religious Societyof Friends, emphasis to be on fellowship, community, and spiritual renewal. The organizational structure is to be minimal. Meetings affiliated with other yearly meetings mayhave associate status with the IntermountainYearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends. The Yearly Meeting will periodically evaluate whether the yearly meeting structure is meeting the needs of the members. The Yearly Meeting will continue in the traditions of the Intermoimtain Friends Fellowship with the Continuing Committee as a standing committee. The monthly meet- ing is theprimaryplace forbusiness and caring formem- bers and attenders." The June 1974 meeting at Ghost Ranch, with 300 in attendance,wasnotthelastmeetingoftheFellowshipbut a moment in history when Intermoimtain Friends recog- Kenneth Boulding (1975) nized their interdependence with Friends everywhere in RecordingClerk. For1974leadershipwaspassed toColo- the celebration of continuing revelations of the Divine rado Friends. Leanore Goodenow was Clerk; Dorothy Presence. "Many trails lead to the Spring," and Inter- Aldrich, Treasurer; Anthony Umile, Recording Clerk; mountainFriends are followingthetrailsoftheReligious MaryBates,Registrar;andCarolClark,coordinatorofthe Society of Friends. Children's Program. The Fellowship's Continuing Com- The first meeting under the new name will again find mittee was charged with the planning and providing of Intermountain Yearly Meeting at Ghost Ranch, Abiquiu, guidance of the meeting at Ghost Ranch. New Mexico, on June 12-15, 1975. Whether the word "fellowship" continues in use or is changedto"yearlymeeting,"thehopehasbeencherished by attenders that the gatherings will remain primarily FRIENDS BULLETIN APRIL 1974 times for worship and fellowship when younger and Intermountain Friends Fellowship olderpeopleexchangeideasofthe"durablesatisfactions" oflifeand,imderasenseofDivinePresence,exploreways ... Registration is now under way. It should be to experience and share them. Increasing numbers and completed before May 24, 1974. Registration is $2.00 per single individual and $3.00 per couple or family diverse backgrounds and needs have called for growing dependence on the "inshining Light" to achieve creative unit. (Fee covers postage, telephone, child care, craft relationships. Hopi Elizabeth White's message renewed materials, etc.) via the Coopers (May 1974) is: "Many trails lead to the ConTfhereeCnocnefCeernetenrc,eAwbiilqlubiue,hNeeldwaMtextihceoG.hCoosntfeRraenncche Spring." ThusfartheweekendsofIntermountainFriends Fellowshiphavebeen,likeHopimorningdevotions,"pre- openswithdirmerat6:00p.m. onJune 6 and endsafter cious times of living and loving, praying and learning." the noon meal on June 9. (The center operates on Mountain Standard Time.) Intermountain Yearly Meeting Ranchfeesare$27.75perpersonforthefullsession; A change to a name by which all Friends may $13.88 for children 9 and under. For further informa- recognize andjoin infellowship tion or registration, write to: Dorothy Aldrich, Trea- by Ted Church, Albuquerque Meeting (1974) slueraevri,ng...Doerncvaelrl MeaarrlyytBhaetefisr,stRwegeiestkroafr,Ju..n..e,Bostohgewtilyloubre IntermountainYearlyMeetingisthecontinuingmeet- information and register early. ingofIntermountainFriendsFellowship.ClarissaCooper Friends Bulletin, Vol. 42, No. 6, April 1974, p. 52. hasdescribedtheoriginsandfirstyearsoftheFellowship. — FRIENDS BULLETIN MAY PAGE 1994 127 Reminiscences of Levi Coffin Edited by Ben Richmond^ Review by Reuben Bames-Levering, San Francisco Meeting My dadandIhavebeenreadingtheautobiographyofLevi Coffinforthepastfewmonths. Hereismybookreview. Levi Coffin Was a major Quakerwho was often called the president of the Underground Railroad. He helped three thousand runaway slaves get to Canada. I enjoyed thebook. I like suspenseful stories, and Levi Coffinhas a good way ofwriting. My favoritestoryisaboutaslavefromKentuckycalled Aunt Rachel who had a nice master. But one day her master died, herchildren were sold to a differentmaster, andshewassold toaslavetraderwhosoldhertoacotton planter in Mississippi. She was beaten a lot because she wasn'tused to field work. She ran away from this master because she had received so much cruel treatment. When she went back to her old neighborhood, she almost gave herself away when she saw her three-year- old daughterplaying happily. Hermaster foimd her and Gilbert White (1975) she was then taken in a wagon with handcuffs and a ball ofironchained toherankle. Theystoppedata tavernand Appendix leftherinthewagon.Sheslippedoutofthewagonandinto In pursuit ofthegoodorderofFriends, the recordoftransferof a ravine almostunderthe wagon. Theynever expected her ajfiliationsofmeetingsformerlywithPacific YearlyMeetingis tobe so close, so theyoverlooked her hidingplace. indexed here. The archives ofIntermountain Yearly Meeting When it was night and they were asleep, she walked A&B contain thesourcematerial. Items werewritten Novem- awayasfastasshecould,luggingtheironballinherarms. ber 1974 and Item C, February 1975. Shesawsomehogsrestingquitesnuglyinabedofleaves. A. 1972 minutes of Pacific Yearly Meeting She frightened them away and got into their warm bed. — 1. page5 report thatNew MexicoQuarterlyMeeting Thenextdayshestoppedatacreekwheretherewerealot plannedtobewithdrawnfromPacificYearlyMeeting oflarge stones around. She put two of them next to each by 1973. other and laid the chain of her iron ball across. With — 2. page7 Minute1972-9minutesthewithdrawalofNew another stone she bashed her chain until it broke. Then Mexico Quarterly Meeting, including its constituent freed of the weight ofher iron ball, she continued on her meetings, Santa Fe, Albuquerque, and Las Vegas. journey. Butshe did notmanage to getoffthe iron anklet B. 1973 minu—tes of Pacific Yearly Meeting that made a big swelling in her leg. page 19 reports that New Mexico Quarterly Meet- She stopped ata slave'scabinnear theOhio River. He Francisco. 1. ing laid down Las Vegas, New Mexico, Monthly managed to fileherchains offand gotheracross the river Meeting. in a boat. She got to Levi San — Coffin's house in Newport, 2. page 20 Minute 1973-23 minutes the release of Indiana. She stayed with him Albuquerque and Flagstaff Monthly Meetings and foraboutsixmonths;thenshe Levering, Arizona Half-Yearly Meeting. — left and got to Canada by the Minute1973-24minutesapprovalofthe Undergroimd Railroad. decision of Pima (Tucson) Monthly Meeting to move Robert fromPacificYearlyMeetingintoitsnewfamilyofInter- I learned that Quakers of preached, gavespeeches, and mountain Friends Fellowship in thenextyear (1974). talked with a lot of people, C. 1974 minut—es of Pacific Yearly Meeting including slave owners, to courtesy 1. page 32 Minute 1974-25 minutes the release of fight slavery. SantaFeFriendsMeetingandNewMexicoQuarterly Photo Meeting effective 1974 and commends them to Inter- ReubenBames-Levering,agenine,attendstheFirstDaySchool mountain Yearly Meeting. at San Francisco Meeting. 1 Friends United Press, Richmond, Indiana, 1991. — PAGE 128 MAY 1994 FRIENDS BULLETIN Call to Intermountain Yearly Meeting Community Living the of Faith Intermountain Yearly Meeting, June 15-19, 1994 Ft. Lewis College, Durango, Colorado by Genie and Bill Durland, Co-clerks Intermountain Yearly Meeting is twenty years old this year. It was on June 8, 1974, that Intermountain Friends Fellowship adopted its Minute constituting itself as Intermountain Yearly Meeting. For a diverse group of Quakers spreadoveravastgeographicalexpansetotakesucha stepwastrulyanactoffaith. Itrequiredfaithinthegraciousgifts of the Holy Spirit to those who strive towards a realization of God's reign in our lives together. And it took faith in ourselves,thatwewillsupport,sustain,andembraceeachother,inthevenerabletraditionofFriends,overtheyearsand in spite of our differences and the physical distances between us. Itisfittingthereforethatthethemeofyearlymeeting 1994is "LivingtheCommunityofFaith."Thoseofuschargedwith We planningandpreparingthe1994sessiondosoinaspiritofhopeandexpectation. hopeforarenewalofthefaiththatgave birth to Intermoimtain Yearly Meeting and we expect unexpected visions ofwhat our future as a yearlymeeting holds. ThereisasenseinwhichIntermountainYearlyMeetingisata turningpoin—tinitshistory. Indecidingto develop our own Faith and Practice we have taken a giantstep toward Friendlymaturity anotheract offaith, since this endeavor will clearly take years ofprayerful and faithful work on the part ofmany Friends trusting each other and the process. Wehave,also,forthefirsttune,establishedaMinistryandCounselCommitteefortheYearlyMeeting. Weareconfident that this Committee will help us function in a manner faithful to the best of Quaker process and to be clear about our relationships and intentions in the process. On a lighter side, we will celebrate our 20th birthday in ways fun for all. Plans are afoot to have birthday cake for everyoneatouropeningsession. FriendswhohavebeenpartofIntermountainYearlyMeetingfortwentyormoreyears will be identified by special name tags. Thiswillmakeiteasyfornewermembers and attenders toapproachtheseFriends tohearfirsthand aboutthe IMYMjourney. An interestgroup ledbyFriends whowere "in on" the originaltransformation from Fellowship to Yearly Meeting wiUbe provided for those wanting to explore ourhistory more deeply. Our keynote speaker this year is Dorian Bales of Wichita, Kansas. Educated at Earlham School of Religion and the UniversityofChicago, Dorian (inhis ownwords) "hasbeen a Friends pastor and teacher,butnow ... makes and repairs stringed instruments part time and devotes considerable energy to the Friends ofJesus Community, which he helped found in 1987." In Dorian's experience, "Global issues like racism, sexism, poverty, homophobia, and nationalism aU mustbedealtwithattheapartmentbuildingwherethecommunitylivesandworks."Thesameistrueforallofus. Being Quakers doesnotmakeus immune to strugglesbased onthose sameissues inour ownmonthlymeetings and inyearly meeting. Dorianhaschosen"TheTruthThatReconciles"asthetitleofhisaddressandhasalsoagreedtoleadaninterest group to further explore his message. We anticipate that Dorian's presence and input will contribute new and fertile leavening to our already lively, sometimes contentious, almost always loving, journey together as Friends. Our experience as relative newcomers to Intermountain Yearly Meeting has been one of warmth, love, and immense potential. We call all members, attenders, and friends of IMYM to join us June 15-19 at Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado.LetusgatherthisyearknowingthatGodisleadingustowardarealizationofourpotentialasacommunityoffaith.« Genie and Bill Durland are part ofLamb's Communih/ Worship Group. They live in Trinidad, Colorado. Bill and Genie Durland (Staffphoto) Marion Hoge, Albuquerque Meeting (Staffphoto) — FRIENDS BULLETIN MAY 1994 PAGE 129 Call to North Pacific Yearly Meeting Do Justice, Love Mercy, and Walk Humbly with Your God: Turning Faith into Action North Pacific Yearly Meeting, July 14-17, 1994 Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon by Marge Abbott, Presiding Clerk Welcome to the 22nd Annual session of North Pacific Yearly Meeting to be held July 14-17, 1994, at Oregon State UniversityinCorvallis. WewillgatherinfellowshipandintheSpiritofTruth: toworshiptogether,toplaytogether,and to come to know one another more deeply. As we gather, we seek to reach a deeper understanding ofQuaker process and to practice walking in the Light in all we do. • As we seek to dojustice inresponse to theviolence around us, we areoftenpulled by myriad valid claimsonour attention and find thatour attention is easily scattered, drained, orour effectiveness diminished at times when we most need it. • In response to violence we seek to love mercy, acting out of compassion rather than adding to the violation. • As we walkhumblywithGod and listen towhatGod requires ofusitispossible to know fullywhatitiswemust do to be compassionate and mercifullyjust. In walking humbly with God, we can be renewed and refreshed. Our Friend-in-Residence, Mary Garman, will speak to us out of our theme, which is drawn from Micah 6:8. Mary GarmanhasbeenapastorandnowteachesatEarlhamCollegeontopicsrelatedtospiritualityandsocialaction,women's studies, and preparation for personal ministry. DonnaSweeneywillbewithusasourQuakerEducator.Sheiscomingwithlongexperienceinworkingwithchildren and children's programs in Friends' Meetings. Having a Quaker Educator is an exciting new opportimity to develop a strong program for the youngpeople atAnnual Session thatallows for fellowship, spiritual development, and a firmer understandingofwhatitmeanstobeaFriend. DonnaSweeneywillalsobeleadingaworkshoponChildren'sPrograms in our meetingsjust prior to Annual Session. Watch for special registration flyers. The Young Friends of North America Caravan will be with us, and this group of young adults will be performing duringinterestgrouptimeonthetheme,"WomynandMen:CelebratingOurIdentities,EvaluatingOurRoles."Thisyear there will again be opportimities for intergenerational worship-sharing and other cross-age activities. On Friday evening we will consider the recommendations Mulling Committee developed for reorganization of committees which do the work of the Yearly Meeting between Annual Sessions. We welcome all to join us who wish to worship God and enjoy fellowship. Marge Abbott is a member ofMultnomah Meeting. She lives in Portland, Oregon. A Statement on Yearly Meeting by Karen Lawrance, La Jolla Meeting Besides what you will be doing at yearly meeting, with Junior Yearly Meeting (JYM) or Young Friends (YF) or Pacific Yearly Meeting (PYM), you also need to think about what you will be doing as a part of the whole yearly meeting. I feel it is very important for all of us to participate in yearly meeting fully. You need to spend time with the children, time in plenary (PYM), time with JYM/YF, and time with each other. To invite people to participateinyourprogramdemandsthatyouparticipateintheirs. Yearly meeting is not a time ofselfishness, but a time ofopenness; it is not a time to divide, but to bring together. It is also important for you to come to yearly meeting with few expectations. Yearly meetingisaveryfluidentity;itcanbeonethingformeandanother for you. You must allow yourselfto be open to all the possibilities MargeAbbott yearlymeetingoffers. Remember, yearlymeetingisnotcreated for Photo by Norm Pasche, Marysville Worship Group. you; it is created by you. — PAGE 130 MAY 1994 FRIENDS BULLETIN Religion and Psychology Conference Faith and Formation by Patricia Dienstfrey, Strawberry Creek Meeting by Marge Abbott, Multnomah Meeting Amongtheawe-inspiringCaliforniaredwoods.Friends TheinvitationfromPhiladelphiaYearlyMeeting(PYM) and friends of Friends began dismantling the traditional to attend their sessions came unexpectedly and on short barriers between "scientists" and "non-scientists." The notice. I arranged to travel east to "enrich our sessions breakdown 5delded surprising gifts to both sides, as par- with attitudes and experiences different from ours." I ticipants met for this year's annual Religion and Psychol- traveled with Anna Baker of Northwest Yearly Meeting, ogy Conference entitled "Stalking the Absolute: Science carrying a minute from North Pacific Yearly Meeting. andSpirit"held February 18-21, 1994,atQuakerCenterin Snow wasstillpiled underthe gravelbytheparkinglotat Ben Lomond, California. the Arch Street Meeting House when I arrived for the Quakerscientists,JimBruneandJoeFranko, recreated 314thannualsessionofPhiladelphiaYearlyMeeting.This examples of both historic and recent paths of scientific was to be a week of contrasts and a sense of significant discoverywhichhaveledtothesameplace:Thattherewill change,both in theweather and in the shape oftWs large, alwaysbe, and alwayshavebeen, things thatare true and venerable yearly meeting. not provable and things that are provable and not true. PYM (the real PYM according to some) lasted from Scientists tend to fall into two camps, the leaders ex- Wednesdayafternoonthroughclosingworshipafterlimch plained: Those who believe scientific truths are invented onSunday.Thiswas a daylongerthantherecentpastand and those who believe they are discovered. allowed time for threshing sessions in preparation for After the initial presentations, attenders were on a major issues to be considered. Plenary sessions lasted for first-namebasis withShroedinger's cat,Timias' boat, and three hours each morning and evening. photonswithnoidentity. Insilenceandindiscussionthey Observations pondered the notion of self as a group of atoms in the • There were strong undercurrents of change which universecontinuallybeinglostand replaced. If,asscience ranthroughouttheannualsession.Isensedmanytensions tells us, within a time span of seven years, we have none which included a desire for spiritual renewal and a sense of the atoms we started with, are we then a different of tradition. There was energy for remaking the yearly person? Where do we get our identity, ifnot from atoms? meeting,becomingmoreresponsivetomonthlymeetings, Quantum statistics, say the scientists, theorize that fear of change, and anger from monthly meetings (often matter in one location is affected by matter in another related to distance from Philadelphia). Some were siu*- location without any known link or communication be- prised to discover that budget-making can be a spiritual tweenthetwo.Likewise,thereisadimensioninwhichone process, others tired of the use of "spiritual" and wanted cannotsaythatoneparticulareventoccursbeforeanother. to acknowledge the presence of God. There was the per- Scientistsseemtohavecome face tofacewithanalternate ception that PYM was rim by a few individuals, too few reality in which locality and time do not exist. Earlier people were willing to volunteer, and a certainty that the thinkersrisked theircareersascrediblescientiststofollow structureofPYMmadeitimpossibleformanytoparticipate. the path of truth wherever it led them. Contemporary • Therewasanequallystrongsenseofcommitmentto researchers continue to report coming face to face with find unity and to seekthe means to transformand revital- scientific truths that look a lot like God. From this view- ize the yearly meeting. point, traditional religious concepts intersect with the • The energy and commitment of the Young Friends/ cosmos as revealed by science in truly astounding ways. JuniorFriendswasevidentintheSaturdayeveningplenary Conference attenders with careers in the field of sci- "How Can We Respond to the Violence Around Us?" ence expressed deep appreciation for the opportunity to • I saw a great emphasis on the young people of the share theirpassionand experiencesinsciencewithothers yearly meeting and a desire to find a place for them. This within a spiritual context. Persons in "non-science" fields took concrete form in the decision to proceed with the wereabletoembracetheirowninnerscientist. Bothgroups constructionofthe BurlingtonYouthCenterdespitethefact recognizedthattraditionaldistinctionsbetweenscientists thatonly$700,000ofthenecessary$3.7millionwasinhand. and non-scientistshave notbeen helpful, since we all live • There was a tremendous diversity in the vocal min- inaculturedominatedbyascientificworldview.Wemust istry. I heard one call on us to Repent and another affirm- all "own" science, warned Joe Franko, lest crucial deci- ing the Goddess. I heard fear, anger, and pain. God was sions affecting our planet be made by a narrow select alternately He, She, and It. I heard deep faith in Christ group of people. Jesus. Concern for the environment was reflected in one Jim Brune (Reno Meeting) is professor of Geophysics at the focused period of open worship. University ofNevada, Reno. Joe Franko (Claremont Meeting) • Being in the midst of planning a residential yearly is professor ofMathematics and Computer Science at Mount meeting (NPYM) with no staff support and most of the San Antonio College in Walnut, California.