Bayard Rustin (center) speaking with (left to right) Carolyn Carter, Cecil Carter, Kurt Levister, and Kathy Ross, before demonstration, 1964
(Photo: Library of Congress, Ed Ford, photographer, New York World Telegram & Sun )

7pm, Monday, May 4th, in the parlor at the Friends Center, 5 Longfellow Park, Cambridge

Jacqueline Houtman and Walter Naegle, authors of Bayard Rustin: The Invisible Activist (2014 QuakerPress of Friends General Conference), will present a program on the life of Bayard Rustin (1912–1987)—an African American Quaker, pacifist, teacher, organizer, advisor, gay man, and one of the most important, and least known, activists of the civil rights movement. An advisor to the Martin Luther King, Jr., he promoted nonviolent resistance, participated in one of the first Freedom Rides, organized the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, and worked tirelessly for marginalized communities at home and abroad. As an openly gay African American, Bayard Rustin stood at the intersection of many of the struggles for equal rights. Walter Naegle is Bayard’s former partner and Jacqueline Houtman is a children’s author. In 2013, on Bayard Rustin’s behalf, Walter Naegle received the posthumous Medal of Freedom Award from Barack Obama.

This event is sponsored by the Friends Meeting at Cambridge Peace & Social Concerns and Friends for Racial Justice Committees. More information about the book is at QuakerBooks of Philadelphia and at Amazon

Now Available, a new biography for middle school ages and up…

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To many, the civil rights movement brings to mind protests, marches, boycotts, and freedom rides. They often think of people like Martin Luther King, Jr. or Rosa Parks. They seldom think of Bayard Rustin.

Bayard in Trafalgar Square, London, England. (Photo: Walter Naegle)

Raised by his Quaker grandmother to believe in the value of every human being, Bayard made trouble wherever he saw injustice. As a teenager, he was arrested for sitting in the whites only section of a theater. More arrests followed, for protesting against segregation, discrimination, and war. His belief in nonviolent action as a means for social change gave him a guiding vision for the civil rights movement, which he used to mentor the young Martin Luther King, Jr. When A. Philip Randolph needed the best organizer on the planet, he turned to Bayard Rustin to bring 250,000 people to the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.

Illustrated with over sixty photos, this book is the product of a unique collaboration between three authors: Bayard’s partner of ten years, a professor of religious studies, and a children’s book author. Though he is largely ignored in history books, Bayard’s ideas and actions will inspire today’s young (and not-so-young) readers to be angelic troublemakers.

President Obama handed the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Walter Naegle as an aide announced, “Fifty years after the March on Washington he organized, America honors Bayard Rustin as one of its greatest architects for social change and a fearless advocate for its most vulnerable citizens.” (Photo: Pete Souza, The White House)

Our Memorial Day Family Retreat starts Saturday and goes through Monday noon. The deadline for registration is May 15. My family has attended this retreat every year for the last twelve years. What brings us back every year? Mostly, it’s the chance to connect with other families in a way that just isn’t possible during our Sunday coffee hour. The Maine retreat also offers children the opportunity to spend extended time together and explore the outdoors.

The retreat takes place at the Notre Dame Spiritual Center, a retirement community of Franciscan brothers. There is a playing field just behind Denis Hall, our dorm. Nearby is a chapel, a Shaker museum, the Notre Dame Bakery, a very active frog pond, and woods with paths leading to a small cemetery, a Catholic shrine, and a herd of cows. Beautiful Bunganut Lake, where we swim and picnic, is just a short drive away.

Most rooms come with three twin beds; there are usually more than we need, allowing plenty of room for families to spread out. All-you-can-eat meals are served in the cafeteria, and are especially popular with kids. A typical dinner might be lasagna, ham, or roast chicken. There is always a salad bar with fresh fruit and vegetarian options. Families also bring snacks and goodies from home, which can be stored in our own fridge. Not having to cook or wash up is one of the most relaxing aspects of this experience!

While our retreats are loosely structured, we generally plan a few activities. For example, some adults might volunteer to lead games; kickball and Ultimate Frisbee are favorites. Typically, we break into small groups and just go exploring. Kids sometimes bring nets (see photo on flyer) for catching and inspecting frogs before returning them to the pondWe usually organize a swimming outing on Saturday or Sunday. When it’s chilly or rainy, there are ping-pong and pool tables in the recreation room. We also bring cards and board games, and organize craft activities such as beading, felting, or bracelet making when kids need to take a quiet break.

After dinner, there is always stargazing, night walks, and sometimes music, if people want to bring instruments. After the kids are asleep, parents often gather downstairs in the library for conversation.

On Sunday morning we meet for silent worship in the parlor– conveniently overflowing with cushions. The kids enjoy stacking their cushions into towers or build “Meeting Forts” to lounge in during this peaceful hour

I hope this paints a fuller picture of one of our favorite traditions! If you have any questions, please feel free to write anniemyers5@gmail.com or call 617-232-0937.

Friday, March 20, to Sunday, March 22

Register by Sunday, March 15

Join us in Alfred, Maine, for this all-Meeting retreat for all ages.. The retreat offers a great opportunity for reflection, relaxation, fellowship, learning, and connection for families, individuals, and couples. We will explore the theme, “Spirituality is…” looking at spirituality from different standpoints and considering how we live out our essence of spirituality individually and collectively. On-site childcare will be provided by FMC, along with ride-share coordination. Sliding scale of $125-$175; children free. Some partial scholarships available.. Look for registration forms in the Friends Center foyer or here. Also see our agenda.

Couple Enrichment Half-Weekend Workshop for Couples

A program of Friends General Conference

Couple Enrichment for Friends, with Mary Kay Glazer and Mark Moss of New York Yearly Meeting

April 10 -11 2015

At Friends Meeting at Cambridge

Sponsored by FMC Marriage & Family Life

Do you have a pretty good relationship with your life partner and think things could be even better? This retreat may be just right for you. During the weekend, you will have a chance to celebrate your relationship and one another’s gifts, talk and listen deeply to each other, deepen your relationship as a path to spiritual growth, and nurture the sense of joy that comes from feeling fully yourself in relation to your partner.

This workshop is for couples in a committed relationship regardless of marital status or sexual orientation. The activities will support two essential skills – the ability to speak one’s own truth and the ability to listen deeply to the other, giving you the chance to explore who you are now as individuals and as a couple.

Friday 5:30-9:30 pm & Saturday 9:00 am -6:00 pm at Friends Meeting at Cambridge. Meals included. Limited to ten couples. Register now to reserve your spots with checks to FMC for $160 per couple, memo field: M&FL. Don’t let money keep you away. Childcare provided with notice. Contact Patti Muldoon at pmmQuaker@houserock.org or 781-648-1019 for more information.

Mary Kay Glazer & Mark Moss live in Ticonderoga, NY, and have been leading Couple Enrichment retreats for ten years. They are members of Rochester NY Monthly Meeting & attend Middlebury VT Monthly Meeting & the Ticonderoga Worship Group. Rochester Monthly Meeting & New York Yearly Meeting support Mark & Mary’s ministry as released Friends.

Register now

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You are invited to join an evening of food and song as a benefit for Alternatives to Violence Project (AVP) peace programs in El Salvador. Visiting Quaker, John Scardina, will sing and entertain us. Sponsored by P&SC Committee.

For John Scardina, AVP in El Salvador is an expression of his Quaker values. For many Salvadorans, AVP is a matter of life and death. Without additional funding, this life giving program will have to shut itself down.

John Scardina and Friends will perform a mixture of musical numbers from Nina Simone to Mumford and Sons. “We play whenever we can,” John said, describing the band’s music as “alternative folk rock.”

AVP is an international organization of volunteers who teach and practice non-violent conflict resolution, particularly in prisons.

Today, El Salvador continues to reel from decades of violence and poverty caused largely by American interference. Many people, even in tiny villages, experience murder and live with trauma. AVP El Salvador works with gangs, former prostitutes and juvenile delinquents.

Please come and celebrate with an evening of music and food and help AVP continue their work in El Salvador.

Suggested donation $25 (dinner & music) — Children free
RSVP appreciated — minga@thebornes.org • 617.354.3808

Learning with Debby Irving: Friends for Racial Justice is bringing local author of Waking Up White and racial justice activist, Debby Irving to FMC for a discussion of her book. She will answer questions and lead us in some thought-provoking activities to support our learning more about the challenges and possibilities for racial justice learning and activism as individuals and as a faith community.  High School and older are welcome.

Please bring a lunch for yourself and a dessert to share.  For childcare or questions call or write Polly Attwood at 617-354-3297,  polly.attwood@gmail.com or Chris Clamp at christina.clamp@gmail.com

See our flyer here.

Below is a catalog of the Minutes/Notes from the continuing series of threshing sessions on the ongoing conflict in Israel-Palestine. We are seeking our unique response, as Quakers and as a whole Meeting, to the conflict. The issue was forwarded to the Meeting by the Peace & Social Concerns Committee.

A threshing session is a formal meeting for worship for business where no decision is expected. It is a time to listen deeply to one another and to the Spirit for guidance on a specific and challenging issue.

The notes from these sessions and other background materials are linked below:

• Sunday, May 17, 2015, Threshing Session #7 Minutes/Notes
• Sunday, March 22, 2015, Threshing Session #6 Minutes/Notes
• Sunday, March 1, 2015, Threshing Session #5 <snowed out>
• Sunday, January 25, 2015, Threshing Session #4 Minutes/Notes
• Sunday, January 4, 2015, Threshing Session #3 Minutes/Notes
• DRAFT Status Report on the Threshing, resulting from the December 18th Threshing Session
• Thursday, December 18, 2014 Threshing Session #2 Minutes/Notes
• Sunday, December 7, 2014, Threshing Session #1  Minutes/Notes
• The George Mitchell Boston Globe article (a three-part series, Sept 7-9 2014) referred to at the December 7th Threshing Session
• Wording of two proposed minutes from the Middle East Peace & Social Concerns subgroup and other links:
  • Minute One — principal author, Skip Schiel
  • Minute Two — principal author, Cliff Harrison
  • Links to other information compiled by Skip Schiel

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NEWS COVERAGE

See article on Brayton Point “Pray In” in the eco/RI news for Southern New England.

Brayton Point electric plant in Somerset, MA was a site for peaceful demonstration, December 6, 2014.

A group of about 20 people — mostly Friends (Quakers) from The Religious Society of Friends in Cambridge — gathered for worship at the gate to the Brayton Point Electric Plant in Somerset, MA on Saturday afternoon, December 6. Despite a cold drizzle, they remained seated in their circle at the gates of the facility on Brayton Road, currently being sold to Dynergy by Energy Capitol Partners. In Quaker terminology, they were giving “witness” to the global climate disruption that science has shown to be largely caused by burning fossil fuel. They were calling attention to the prediction that – without massive action — Earth’s temperature will likely rise another 4 to 6 degrees Celsius and cause unimaginably horrific global calamity.

A printed statement explained their purpose:

“Consistent with our spiritual leadings, we are compelled to act and “witness to” the excessive burning of fossil fuels that are despoiling the earth and its atmosphere. Brayton Point and other fossil fuel plants have had cumulatively devastating effects on all Creation; we believe it is immoral to stand by while climate disruption causes harrowing havoc worldwide.”

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