S OLEBURY F RIENDS M EETING
S ENTINEL N EWS
S IXTH
MONTH ,
F IRST , 2007
Query: Is our Meeting open to all regardless of race, ability, sexual orientation or
class?
In Times of Joy and Times of
Sorrow….
Solebury Friends is for us an anchor of spiritual renewal, understanding
and hope. Our appreciation of our spiritual center
deepens from discovering that of God in each
other. Many people have shared such gifts within
our Meetinghouse through celebrations of births,
marriages and the ultimate peace of death. The
gatherings sometimes were raucous and happy,
others were somber and sad. The tenuous frivolities of life were quickly abated in favor of more
meaningful connections among us.
Our Meeting renews its bonds through each other’s joys or sorrows when
we share our thoughts or words of spiritual renewal. There are no scripts
or doctrines that shackle us during these unusual times of gifting. It is
faith and silent understanding to know that our Light comes from our
hearts. Without question, we accept what others have said as their truths.
We can only thank them for their insight to make us wiser.
New bonds form with strangers for merely an hour of worship. We may
depart with a life long understanding of each other, perhaps never to meet
again. Old friends affirm their beliefs with one another. Our worship
strengthens us in words or silence, from new life or death. When the
magic hour has ended, how can we strengthen and sustain this weighty
anchor called enlightenment?
Honor All Fathers
Sunday, June 17, bestow gratefulness to all uncles, brothers, friends, teachers,
and grandfathers who have given you lessons in life.
It Is a Wise Father That Knows His Child
W.Shakespeare
Call Us
Clerk:
Lynne Feldman,
215 230 9093
lynnefeldman@att.net
Editor:
Stuart Wisse
609 397 3319
spwisse@patmedia.net
Caretakers:
Michael, Julie Honer
215 803 4538, 803 4539
I NSIDE
THIS ISSUE :
M EETING B USINESS
N URTURE Y OUNG
F RIENDS
A NNUAL
CONTRIBUTIONS
F RIENDLY N EWS
V ISIT WEB SITES :
WWW . PYM . ORG
WWW . QUARTERBUCKS . OR
UNAPPROVED MINUTES OF SOLEBURY FRIENDS MEETING, INC
FIFTH MONTH, SEVENTEENTH DAY, 2007
Meeting for Worship began with a few moments of silent worship. There were eleven members present. Meeting for Business
approved the minutes of the April Meeting.
Lynne Feldman will write thank you notes to the Solebury Police and the Eagle Fire Co. for helping with the parking for the
memorial service on May 16, 2007.
Pierre Bick will graduate from George School, Emily Honer from Buckingham Friends School and Emily Renschler from University of Pennsylvania.
The memorial service held for Haley Yarmark on May 16, 2007 was the largest gathering in recent memory. There were at
least 400 present at the Meeting for Worship and the same at a covered dish following. There were many standing outside who
were not able to fit in the Meeting house. The service expressed the community spirit present at Solebury Meeting and the respect and spirit that Haley gave us during her short seventeen years. The memories shared by Haley’s friends, relatives and
community gave everyone the opportunity to know Haley even better, her talents, her giving, friendly nature and her willingness to be kind to everyone. The Meeting for Worship served as an outreach in the sense that it allowed the community to witness the true spirit of our Meeting community.
CLERK’S REPORT: Clerk Feldman reminded the Meeting that we are responsible to lead Meeting for Worship on June 3 and
June 17. Meeting for Business will take place on Tuesday, June 12, 2007 at 6:45pm
Three annual reports are due: Sue Tinsman, Mary Blackmar report, Amy Manoff, Religious Ed, and David Cann, Buckingham
Friends Report.
OVERSEERS’ REPORT: Patt Wisse, Clerk suggested that the Meeting consider a donation to Young Friends in memory of
Haley Yarmark. The Meeting for Business agreed that Solebury Meeting would match any members’ donation received by
June 15. Stuart Wisse will include the information in the next Sentinel.
PHILADELPHIA YEARLY MEETING ANNUAL FUND REPORT: Judith Norris gave the report on the Annual Fund. Three
quarters of the goal amount had been reached by May 1. A donor has given $50,000 toward matching funds for first time donors and for donors who have increased their donations. Stuart Wisse will include the information in the Sentinel.
HOUSE AND GROUNDS REPORT: Stuart Wisse, clerk of the House and Grounds Committee gave the report. A copy is attached to the minutes. Among the expenditures planned for next year are: tree removal and planting, Education Building rug
removal and tile installation, and the caretakers’ kitchen floor replacement. After some discussion, the Meeting felt that the rug
removal and tile installation should be tabled. Although the rug is stained, because it is three years old, the Meeting felt that we
should keep it a while longer. The Meeting is in agreement about replacing the caretakers’ kitchen floor up to $3000. The proposed 07-08 House and Grounds Budget was approved. The last section of the stone wall will be rebuilt. The cost of $7500 will
be taken from the graveyard fund.
HOUSE AND GROUNDS 06-07 ANNUAL REPORT: Stuart Wisse gave the House and Grounds Committee annual report. A
copy is attached to the minutes.
TRUSTEES REPORT: Chris Kerr gave the report of the trustees giving definition to the trustees’ role since the incorporation
of Solebury Meeting.
The trustees recommend that the Nominating Committee replace one member each year. The term would be three years and the
committee would consist of five members. One member will be an Overseer, one will be a Trustee.
The trustees are in the process of writing job descriptions for all of the officers. Meeting approved the job descriptions for the
Treasurer and Assistant Treasurer. Any changes to the present draft should be submitted to Stuart Wisse. Meeting approved a
new officer, the Assistant Treasurer.
NOMINATING COMMITTEE REPORT: Amy Manoff, clerk of the committee gave the report. A copy is attached to the minutes. The nominating committee report was approved by the Meeting.
Meeting for Worship ended with a few moments of silent worship.
Respectfully submitted, Patricia Wisse, Recording Clerk
Extracts: What is Quaker faith? It is not a tidy package of words which you can capture at any given time and then repeat weekly at a worship
service. It is an experience of discovery which starts the discover on a journey which is life long. Elise Boulding, 1954
Nurturing
Our Young
Friends
Haley Yarmark was an
energetic and active
Young Friend. Her
special enthusiasm, and
view of life was an essence of the future of Quakerism. While we all felt Haley’s
presence when she was among us , her recent memorial
service centered on her very special Friendly qualities
which we strive to encourage in our children. Her short life
nurtured us all through her actions and smile.
Friends are asked to remember Haley through contributions
to the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting , Young Friends. Scholarships are provided for children who are also engaging in
Haley’s pursuit of the Light within us. Solebury Friends
Meeting will match each financial contribution up to
five hundred dollars. The deadline for contributions is
June 15. Mail your donation to Marian Hepburn, Treasurer of Solebury Meeting, 20 Leif Erickson Ave, Princeton,
NJ 08540.Checks should be drawn to “Philadelphia Yearly
Meeting , Young Friends.”
Committees Approved
The nominating committee completed its work and brought
their recommendations to Fifth Month, Meeting For Business.
The list of committee members will be emailed to all who have
an address. Printed copies are available in the Meetinghouse for
everyone. Thirty two committees were staffed with volunteers.
A once large an bustling rural meeting began to decline as
the area’s young people moved to the
cities. The membership grew older and
fewer, until one First Day morning, when
a visitor came and found the meetinghouse open but empty. The visitor walked
up the long aisle, sat down in the front row and settled into silence.
Soon she heard the door open behind her, and footsteps echoed
their way up the aisle. Then there was a tap on her shoulder.
“Excuse me Friend,” said a quavering voice, “but thee is sitting in
my seat.”
For Where Your Treasure Is
Your Heart Be Also
Mathew 6:19
Our member contributions have not attained our anticipated goal
of $40,000 by $ 10,000. That budget item represents the nondiscretionary minimum amount needed to maintain our beautiful
buildings, grounds, pay salaries and utilities. We recognize that it
is our membership’s obligation to fully support our basic operating
expenses. Your Trustees and Clerks will be telephoning members
during the month of June asking for your generosity to offset the
shortfall of funds.
The minimum suggested adult
member donation is five hundred dollars. However, many
members and attenders generously give additional dollars
toward our expenses. If each of
our one hundred and twenty
nine members gave the suggested $500 amount we would
far exceed our financial needs and
be able to reallocate the extra
money to investments and beneficial causes. Alternatively, if all one hundred twenty nine members
each gave an $77.51 before June 30th, we would just meet our
expense obligations. For some members, this donation would be an
additional act of generosity, for others it will be their first contribution this year.
The support that our Meeting gives to Young Friends Scholarships,
social and religious causes comes from our long past investment
endowment. The good that Meeting contributions do for our children and others is vitally important to our communities spiritual
development . If operating expenses continue to be deducted from
investment revenue, then support for First Day School, education
and Quaker causes may be further diminished. Our Meeting wishes
to see the endowment grow and our godly work nourished.
The Solebury Friends community is our spiritual center and one of
our connections to the Light of God. Through the years that community has supported the financial well being of our buildings,
cemetery and employee needs so we may continue our worship in a
two hundred year old tradition.
News of Our Children
Please contact the editor, Stuart Wisse, with news of our children and
grandchildren for the July issue feature. We will use all news, received
by June15th. Thank you in advance.
Solebury
Friends Meeting
The Religious Society of Friends
2680 Sugan Rd.
New Hope, Pa 18938
ALL ARE WELCOME
F RIENDLY NEWS & EVENTS
June ’07 Events
Family Day Picnic,
First Day, 10th, 11: 00
Meeting For Business
Third Night, 12th 6:45 pm.
Marjorie Crooks,
Marian Hepburn,
Paul Cook,
Sasha Mathieu,
Chris Kerr, Ed Leydon,
Lily Walsh-Collins,
Happy Birthday
Seamus Mulcahy,
Neals Hurst,
Margery McNaught,
Julian Yarmark,
Karen Mathieu,
Sarah Bodine,
Chris Taylor,
Neighbors News
Cindy Baum Baicker will play her
violin for Chandler Hall worship services on June 24.
Emily Honer is graduating from
Buckingham Friends and will attend
George School in September.
Pierre
graduates
from George
Daryl Bick
and Rhoda
Renschler
School
and will
attend
Savanah
will spend
2 weeks
onthe
Lake
School
of
Art.
Michigan
Amy
us that theseefirst
FoodManoff
Pantry tells
Donations:
batch
strawberries
is the best
Don of
Griffin
with products
or for making
jam,
visit
her
farm
and
see.
cash
Our
condolences
to Chris,
Ed and
Alecka go
Leydon
haveCathy,
Nick
,
Katey
and
mom
Dora
moved to North Carolina. MoreKerr
on
the to
passing
of Chris’ father Charles.
news
come….
A memorial service is planned for SaturDavid
froma work
day,
JuneSmith
9th at is4 back
pm with
reception
in
Florida
to follow in the education building.
Charles and Dora were frequent attenders in our meetinghouse at special
events
andsend
holidays
family.
Please
NEWSwith
and their
EVENTS
to the Editor