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QEW Steering Committee Spring Meeting |
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Minutes The Cenacle Retreat & Conference Center, Chicago, Ill., April 26-29, 2007 Present for some of all of the meeting: Marci Ankrom, Jack Bradin, Bill Cahalan, David Ciscel, Phil Clampitt, Bob Cordova, Louis Cox, Meredith Dowling, Ed Dreby, Elaine Emmi, Marshall Gibson, Mary Gilbert, Dick Grossman, John Hackman, Christopher Haines, Ruth Hamilton, Alice Howenstine, Bill Howenstine, Michael Jokinen, eric joy, Donn Kesselheim, Mary Jo Klingel, Hollister Knowlton, Ken Lawrence, Barbara Letsch, Judy Lumb, Steve McConnell, Tracey McCowen, Angela Manno, Joe Morris, Noel Pavlovic, Sarah Pavlovic, John Payton, Jasa Porciello, Betsy Proechel, Susan Swanstrom, Ruah Swennerfelt, Roy Taylor, Roy Treadway, Justin Weaver, Barbara Williamson, Bob Wixom, Rod Zwirner Plenary Session I—Thursday, April 26 Clerk Barbara Williamson convened the meeting after open worship at 7:30 p.m. She offered the following reading: From a Friend’s letter: As you gather, remember the wisdom of more worship, not less, when there are important steps needing discernment… I know you are going to As I have said before, now is the time for Quaker Earthcare Witness to go deep and come up with the Light shining as a beacon for others, particularly Friends. For the Earth, Alice M. Wald Introductions Mike Backus, a member of The Cenacle staff, welcomed Friends and gave an orientation to house rules and emergency procedures. Friends introduced themselves by giving their name and Yearly Meeting and sharing a blessing they brought with them. Request from Continuing Counsel Committee CCC asked Friends to consider making Steering Committee (SC) meetings fragrance-free. Several Friends acknowledged that this is a real problem that extends beyond wearing perfumes to many kinds of chemical sensitivity. The SC agreed that future meeting should be fragrance free. The matter was referred to Sustainability, Faith and Action to review more thoroughly and prepare an article on the topic for BeFriending Creation (BFC). General Secretary’s Report – Ruah Swennerfelt QEW has applied for accreditation by the Department of Information at the United Nations. Our application will be acted upon in June or July. As part of the application QEW needed two letters of recommendation. We requested letters from QUNO and FCNL. Ruah read part of the letter from Joe Volk, General Secretary of FCNL, in which he described QEW as the leading Quaker organization to advance Friends’ concerns for the environment. This reflects a huge shift in how QEW is regarded from 20 years ago when the organization was founded. Ruah acknowledged the work that Ed Dreby has done with FCNL to build QEW’s relationship with that organization. Publications Committee was asked to determine how these letters might best be acknowledged in BeFriending Creation. Concern was expressed that the letters mention only the Ruah reported that FUM’s Quaker Life has invited QEW to submit an article on Ruah and Louis’ walk for their November issue. Ruah has also submitted an article to Quaker Life that is being saved for their May 2008 issue on simple living, and the magazine has sent a video to Louis to review. Western Yearly Meeting has asked QEW if we will be participating in their annual sessions this year. Newsweek mentions QEW in its current issue, and we have received good feedback from QEW articles submitted to Friends Journal. The second edition of Healing Ourselves and the Earth by Elizabeth Watson is now available for $4. Ruah showed Friends a carbon-neutral certificate she received from contributing money representing our collective carbon emissions to travel to the 2006 annual meeting in The 2007 QEW Annual Meeting will celebrate our 20th anniversary. Special invitations will be extended to those who helped start and nurture QEW (then FCUN). Friends were asked to advise Ruah of the names of folks that should be invited. United Nations Update Mary Gilbert reported that she has been going to meetings of the Committee on Sustainable Development at the UN for 7 years. She explained that the structure and process of the Committee are complicated and that there are few opportunities for civil society to be heard. She went this year to the week-long preparatory meeting for the first time. Meetings are held on clusters of topics. Current clusters are energy, global warming and climate change, pollution, and industrialization. Mary reported that large corporations seem to control what governments say in these meetings. Mary takes seriously her role in reporting back to QEW what goes on at these meetings and asked Friends to provide her with questions to guide this reporting. It was noted that climate change was recently brought to the UN Security Council as a crisis issue, but the developing world voted it down. Report on Earth Charter Community Mary Jo Klingel reported on her attendance at this conference and that she is preparing an article on the conference for BFC. This was a planning meeting for the Earth Charter Community. More than 50 Spiritual Nurturance The Committee will be sending cards for those not present. Liseli Haines, whose mother recently died, will not be with us and will be remembered with a card. Friends were asked to advise members of the Committee for others who should be remembered. Ad Hoc Committee on Planning the SC Meeting Friends extended their appreciation to members of the committee. Ed Dreby reported that beginning on Saturday morning Friends would be brought together in pairs and small groups to learn about what is going on in various yearly meetings to promote Friends’ involvement in earthcare. A list of meeting participants was distributed, and Friends were asked to indicate who on the list they knew well, not so well, and not at all. This information will be used by the Ad Hoc Committee to assign Friends to pairs and groups. Donn Kesselheim will be the facilitator of this process. Roy Treadway and Ed Dreby will be observing and compiling their observations. A report on the ideas and recommendations generated from the Saturday and Sunday activities will be produced by the Ad Hoc Committee. Announcements At the rise of meeting a video on the U.S. Navy’s plan to appropriate land in eric joy expressed concern about Friends’ clarity on our spiritual relationship with the earth. Tomorrow night he will show a video of a talk given by Ashok Gangadean, head of the philosophy department at Angela Manno has pamphlets on Quakers and the New Story from Friends Meeting of Cambridge. Noel Pavlovic, clerk of Nominating Committee, asked Friends to consider who on their committees are not participating and let the Nominating Committee know. Plenary Session II—Friday morning, April 27 The clerk opened the meeting at 9 a.m. after a few minutes of silent worship. She shared the following reading: Isaiah 55: 1-9 Lo, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you that have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. Incline your ear, and come to me; listen, so that you may live. I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David. See, I made him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander for the peoples. See, you shall call nations that you do not know, and nations that do not know you shall run to you, because of the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, for he has glorified you. Seek the LORD while he may be found, call upon him while he is near; let the wicked forsake their way, and the unrighteous their thoughts; let them return to the LORD, that he may have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. We are beginning to see signs of spring. Our cabin fever restlessness from a long winter is falling away as we shed the sweaters, layers of clothing, & long coats and feel the sun again on our bare hands and heads. It smells like new growth outside; the moist soil and green sprouts leave a promising scent in the air that soon we will be surrounded by fully growing green plants. The reading from Isaiah presents beautiful natural images of God’s calling and work in the lives of God’s people. In Isaiah chapter 55, God’s covenant of steadfast love is compared to a rich banquet, good satisfying food and drink. In this covenantal relationship, God calls the people to seek her, to repent and return to the Lord, the One who abundantly pardons. If the people respond, the covenant made with David will be a covenant with the whole nation of The end of chapter 55 reads: “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there until they have watered the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and succeed in the thing for which I sent it. For you shall go out in joy, and be led back in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall burst into song, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress; instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle; and it shall be to the Lord for a memorial, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.” When the people listen to God’s word and follow in God’s way, nature rejoices. God’s word is purposeful and mighty; as the forces of nature that bring sustenance to the people of the earth, so is God’s word. God’s word is what brings life; God’s promises of salvation and steadfast love are solid and sure. But what is a Word that is neglected; what is a promise if it’s not believed and acted upon by the receiving party. There is an assurance here in Isaiah that God’s word cannot be thwarted. Yet the imagery of covenant leaves open the question; what about the people’s end of the bargain; our responsibility for our end of the covenant? Certainly part of our end is faith, belief, repentance when we have gone astray, and a transformation of our ways to align with God’s will. It seems that at this moment in time, we are being offered an invitation to restoration; we are late in reading these signs of the times, so now is truly the time to wake up. Our way of life is destroying that which is loved by God and that which is a gift to us. Today, how can we not breathe deeply in awe of the beauty of this new spring season, of the cycles of nature that keep us, and the rich diversity of our planet, alive? How can we not say thank you for this gift from God. And how can we not be moved in urgency to uphold our end of the covenant? To repair our ways to stop the drastic destruction our greed, our hunger for convenience and goods and power, is wreaking upon this planet, our home. Now is the time to save ourselves, and our neighbors, and other forms of life created by God from death. Now the ears of my ears awake and now the eyes of my eyes are opened because there is not much time to tarry. Friends expressed appreciation for Barbara’s reading on the Isaiah text. Welcomes The Director of The Cenacle welcomed Friends and said that QEW’s gift of compact fluorescent bulbs last year “raised our consciousness” and motivated us to begin changing to compact bulbs throughout the center. For this, he said, “we are very appreciative.” The Cenacle is also in the process of switching to fair trade coffee. Introductions Friends were invited to introduce themselves using adjectives alliterative with the first letter of their first name to help others remember their first names (e.g., Dangerous Dick). The Clerk urged Friends to write letters this weekend to their congressional representatives opposing the U.S. Navy’s plan for installation of an Outlying Landing Field (OLF) at Site C in Committee meeting assignments The clerk pointed out posted committee meeting locations and reminded Friends that every SC members is expected to serve on a standing committee. Committee clerks were introduced. In addition to standing committees, Friends will have the opportunity to attend the meeting of an interest group or project committee. The difference between interest groups and projects is that projects raise their own funds. General Secretary Ruah announced that Friends will be able to follow the walk that she and Louis will begin this fall on a blog that will be linked to their website—www.peaceforearth.org. She pointed out that through a grant that is supporting the walk, she purchased a computer that has a broad band account. It is available for Friends to use this week end. Friends can make donations to support the walk through Owing to limited plenary space, the October annual meeting will be limited to the first 70 people who sign up. Bill McKibben will be the keynote speaker. Jim Merkle, who wrote Radical Simplicity, will also speak. Ruah mentioned several other invited speakers, including Roy Taylor who will talk about green architecture. This will be the 20th anniversary of QEW. Ruah requested Friends’ help in identifying those who were instrumental in founding QEW but who are no longer active so that they can be invited. Various options for additional housing in order to increase the number of participants in the annual meeting were discussed and will be investigated by Ruah. Announcements Ed Dreby announced that Friends Testimonies and Economics (FTE) was established at a Pendle Hill gathering in 2003. FTE is a joint project of QEW and the Earth Care Working Group of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting. FTE has produced resources for Friends to use. Volume 1 of its three-volume publication Seeds of Violence, Seeds of Hope, which is a collection of readings, is available free to Friends who will make it available in their monthly meetings. Volume 2, a series of interactive exercises, is available for free down load from the QEW web site. Volume 3, which will be a series of articles, has yet to be finalized. Plenary III—Friday evening, April 27 After open worship, Clerk Barbara Williamson convened the meeting at 7:15 p.m. with the following reading: The creation of our Lord does not belong to the rich who possess it or to the poor who need and want the resources. Neither the greedy nor the needy can claim ownership! God owns everything! The earth is the Lord's! … The community of faith cannot be silent any longer. We must speak out and proclaim that all unrighteousness is sin. It is unrighteous to denude the forest, to pollute the air, and to squander the richness of the earth. Creation does not belong to humans; it is God's property. Therefore, to disrespect God's authority and ownership is to commit both the sin of disobedience and the sin of rebellion. --Bishop George D. McKinney, Jr., founder of Spiritual Nurturance Committee John Hackman, acting clerk of the Spiritual Nurturance Committee, introduced a recommendation in response to a concern from the Committee: “In preparing for the 2007 annual meeting titled “Designing Sustainable Futures,” we see a lack of presentation that directly addresses the spiritual base from which sustainable futures naturally emerge. We seek to encourage QEW to seek and include the spiritual roots of this theme. In accordance with our Vision and Witness statement, we ask that presenters now and in the future be encouraged to include some expression of the spiritual basis of the presentations.” In considering the recommendation, Friends inquired about what is meant by ”presenters.” The word “presenter” is used for those giving presentations at Steering Committee meetings or QEW gatherings. The Spiritual Nurturance committee also asked that their clerk be involved in the planning of SC meetings and gatherings. Friends pointed out that information on the spiritual background of speakers for the 2007 annual meeting is included in the meeting flyer. Ruah pointed out that it is QEW’s practice to ask all prospective presenters and authors for BC articles to speak or write from their own experience. It was noted that the clerk of Spiritual Nurturance is always invited to participate in CCC meetings where meetings and gatherings are discussed. While Friends expressed support for the intent of the Spiritual Nurturance Committee’s recommendation, in order to differentiate the spiritual basis of QEW’s environmental concerns from those of secular environmental groups, they expressed a concern about its apparent requirement that prospective QEW speakers submit to a “litmus test.” In response to a question, Spiritual Nurturance clarified that the recommendation is not requesting that the SC or QEW staff take any specific action. The Committee also clarified that their recommendation was not intended as a criticism of anyone and apologized for the hurtful effect it had on Friends. Minute 2007-0401: In accordance with the QEW Vision and Witness statement and a concern brought forward by Spiritual Nurturance, Friends reaffirm the spiritual inspiration of all of our work, including planning and publicity for and presentations made at Steering Committee meetings and QEW gatherings. APPROVED Ann Kriebel/San Luis Project Bill Howenstine, clerk, reported that the legal challenges Finca La Bella has faced will probably be coming to an end within a week or two. With the establishment of a land trust for 99 years (the longest period allowed by Costa Rican law), land ownership will be turned over to the parceleros without jeopardizing the long-term protection of the land and the interests of all parties, including QEW, the Monteverde Institute and the Monteverde Friends Meeting. Under the terms of the trust, the land cannot be sold, and many decisions on its use are left up to the parceleros. This honors the expectations of donors who contributed to purchase of the land. The Committee is looking toward a three-pronged approach to the future of Finca La Bella, including (1) developing programs, activities, and relationships with the parceleros and their community, including field trips and work camps; (2) using these experiences in publicizing the work of the project by the Religious Society of Friends and the world beyond Friends; and (3) writing about the project in a variety of sources as a model of community development using increasingly sustainable agricultural methods. At this milestone for the project, Friends would like to ask the parceleros what help they might want from QEW. One thing they have indicated a desire to do is to go to Nominating Committee Noel Pavlovic welcomed new attenders and expressed the hope that they would get involved in QEW. He pointed out the availability of a questionnaire on which they can indicate their gifts for consideration by Nominating Committee in staffing committees. Minute 2007-0402 The Committee recommends Dick Grossman as a 2006-2209 at-large Steering Committee member and as the new clerk for Sustainability: Faith, and Action. Approved Minute 2007-0403 Hollister Knowlton and Jack Bradin volunteered to serve as a Naming Committee to name one additional person to serve on the Nominating Committee. The Naming Committee will fulfill this task in time for the 2007 annual meeting. Approved Publications Committee Roy Taylor reported that QEW does not have a clear procedure for getting manuscripts published. The Publications Committee suggests the following guidelines: Items for publication coming from a committee, interest group, or individual should be sent to the Publications Committee, which will give feedback on it before sending it on to the Steering Committee or, when time is short, to the Continuing Counsel Committee for approval. Approved items then go to Louis Cox for editing and formatting and then on to the printer. Announcements eric joy introduced a video of a talk on the “nature of reality” by Ashok Gangadean, head of the Philosophy Department at Plenary Session IV—Saturday morning, April 28 At 9:20 a.m. Clerk Barbara Williamson convened the meeting after open worship with the following reading: The outstanding scientific discovery of the twentieth century is not television, or radio, but rather the complexity of the land organism. Only those who know the most about it can appreciate how little we know about it. The last word in ignorance is the man who says of an animal or plant: "What good is it?" If the land mechanism as a whole is good, then every part is good, whether we understand it or not. If the biota, in the course of eons, has built something we like but do not understand, then who but a fool would discard seemingly useless parts? To keep every cog and wheel is the first precaution of intelligent tinkering.--Aldo Leopold Friends reviewed the environmental quiz distributed the night before. Introductions using alliterative adjectives for first names continued with Friend who had newly arrived. Climate Change Minute Joe Morris of Pacific Yearly Meeting (PYM) distributed a minute on climate change that will be presented at their annual session this summer. He urged other yearly meetings to develop their own minutes. He also shared initiatives on climate change being undertaken in various monthly meetings in Joe will be working with Ed Dreby on a QEW ad hoc committee to write a minute on climate change to present for approval at QEW’s 2007 annual meeting. The approved minute will then be shared as a resource to yearly and monthly meetings to encourage them to approve their own minutes. Noel Pavlovic stated that completing this minute should be coordinated with the planned development of a trifold on climate change by Sustainability: Faith, and Action. He volunteered to participate in the ad hoc committee. Any Friend who wants to work on the QEW climate minute should contact Joe, who is a new Publications Committee Roy Taylor noted that Sustainability: Faith and Action is bringing two new publications to the Committee but that the Committee does not have a clear process for approving new publications. Such lack led to the Committee’s sharing a draft process with the SC last evening. Minute 2007--0404 Manuscripts from QEW standing committees, interest groups, and individuals should be submitted to the Publications Committee for editing and review of their content to assure accuracy. The Publications Committee will, if needed, return manuscripts to their authors with feedback for possible revisions. After considering the Committee’s feedback, authors will resubmit manuscripts that reflect any needed revisions to the Publications Committee who will review the manuscripts before submitting the manuscript to the SC or, if time constraints don’t permit waiting until the next SC meeting, the Continuing Counsel Committee (CCC), for review and approval. Manuscripts approved by the SC or CCC are then sent to the Publications Coordinator, for editing and formatting the manuscripts before sending them to the printer. APROVED Finance Committee Steve McConnell reviewed the status of this year’s budget and fund-raising efforts. He reported that we are ahead of where we were last year at this time in relation to our fund-raising goals. Although we have no cash flow problems, we are trying to make up a loss of $8000 from last year because we did not receive a large donation we have received in the past. We are continuing to receive a good interest rate on our NEYM pooled fund investment. He noted that both Ruah’s and Louis’ printers have to be replaced this year. Steve also reminded Steering Committee members that it is part of our job to bring in new financial support for QEW. A year ago Finance Committee made QEW brochures available to SC members to assist them in this effort. This year the CCC has decided we should contact lapsed donors who have not contributed for more than one year to see if we can re-engage them in providing financial support for QEW. To assist SC members in making these contacts, CCC and Ruah have prepared a list of such donors with contact information and a script for Friends to use in making contacts. The following Friends volunteered to contact lapsed donors in the following yearly meetings. Baltimore–Barbara Williamson Intermountain—Dick Grossman North Pacific—Susan Swanstrom Northern—John Payton and Betsy Proechel Iowa Conservative and Pacific--Joe Morris SAYMA—Roy Taylor Unaffiliated—Alice Howenstine and Barbara Williamson Elaine Emmi urged Friends to donate monthly to QEW using a credit card. “Think of your support of QEW as a spiritual utility payment.” Currently, QEW receives $1,122 per month from Friends who contribute monthly. Steve reported that Finance is working on a budget for next year. He expects modest increases in staff salaries and rent payment to Louis and Ruah. Ruah has a contact who is a professional fund-raising consultant who is willing to provide SC members with training next spring. Because QEW is reducing Ruah’s and Louis’ salaries during their sabbaticals and we are hiring Meredith Dowling to partially replace staff functions during this period, there are no significant budgetary implications associated with the sabbatical. The clerk, Barbara Williamson, reminded SC members that as board members they should all be making a contribution to QEW as they are able. Personnel Committee Minute 2007—0405 QEW approves extending contracts for Louis Cox and Ruah Swennerfelt as Publications Coordinator and General Secretary, respectively, for 2007-2008 with salary levels and benefits to be determined by the Personnel and Finance Committees for inclusion in the 2008 budget. APPROVED Nominating Committee Minute 2007--0406 Each incoming clerk will serve a total of 4 years—one year as incoming alternate clerk, then two one-year terms as presiding clerk, and finally one additional year as outgoing alternate clerk. This sequence, which follows the practice of FCNL, is intended to provide new clerks with an adequate period of orientation to the role of presiding clerk before assuming that position as well as an alternate clerk to preside in the absence of the presiding clerk. APPROVED. QEW currently has two representatives to FCNL—Lynne Heritage from Baltimore Yearly Meeting and John Payton from Northern Yearly Meeting. These Friends represent QEW at the November FCNL annual meeting in Minute 2007--0407 Al Connor is nominated to serve a three-year term as QEW’s third representative to FCNL. APPROVED Announcements Ruah asked for a show of hands of those going to FGC’s Gathering at Noel Pavlovic asked that Friends hold Nominating Committee in the Light as it seeks broad spiritual representation on Spiritual Nurturance. Bill Howenstine reminded Friends that it is possible to take deductions on one’s federal income tax return for charitable contributions. This includes QEW. He urged Friends to cut back on “lifestyle” expenditures and provide more generous support to QEW and other worthy organizations. Bill also asked Friends how they felt about this meeting for worship with attention to business and asked Friends to consider the following queries: When I speak in meeting for business, do I speak from a real sense of calling or am I simply unburdening myself? Do I speak without being recognized by the Clerk? Do I interrupt others when they speak? Do I speak contentiously? Do I revert to argumentation with others? Do I listen attentively? Do I get up and do other business in the room instead of focusing on the business at hand? Do I remain in the Spirit during meeting for worship with attention for business? The Publications Committee reminded Friends that the QEW website is becoming increasingly interactive. Especially during Louis’ sabbatical, committee clerks will need to take more responsibility for updating their sections of the website. Mechanisms to assist clerks with this are being developed and will be taken up at the annual meeting in October. Saturday Morning: First Phase of Structure Dialogue—Listening Friends participated in the first phase of the structured dialogue –Listening—facilitated by Donn Kesselheim. Saturday Afternoon: Second Phase of Structured Dialogue—Tools Hollister Knowlton, clerk of the Outreach Committee, led this part of the program. When we changed our name a few years ago, QEW entered a new phase characterized by our going out into the Religious Society of Friends to infuse earthcare into our faith and practice without losing its spiritual focus. We want to provide resources to promote this work. This would include a resource library for use by those traveling in an earth care ministry. Hollister Knowlton shared “QEW in a Box.” She also reviewed a range of pamphlets and other publications available from QEW. John Payton described how Milwaukee Meeting has used the pamphlet on sustainability in conjunction with QEW in a Box, signups for free copies of BeFriending Creation, the sale of compact fluorescent bulbs, locally made crafts, and fairly traded goods to both educate Friends about the environment and QEW and also to raise funds to support QEW. Mary Jo Klingel presented the music (CDs and live concerts) of Earth Mama as another QEW resource for Friends. Specific QEW publications that were highlighted included the recent republication of Elizabeth Watson’s pamphlet, Healing Ourselves and the Earth, Walking Gently on the Earth by Jack Phillips, Bill Cahalan’s Awakening to Earth, which was originally written for retreat participants, and Lisa Gould’s Caring for Creation: Reflections on the Biblical Basis of Earthcare. Other tools shared:
Sunday Morning: Regional Yearly Meeting groups and Worship Sharing Groups were formed based on regional Yearly Meetings where Yearly Meeting activities were discussed. The groups meetings were followed by a worship sharing session. The weekend ended with a Meeting for Worship. John Payton Recording Clerk |
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