Smithfield Friends Newsletter May 2001 Smithfield Monthly Meeting of Friends 108 Smithfield Road Woonsocket, RI 02895 Vol.13________________________________________________________________________ No.129 Parsonage: 762-5726 Internet: http://www.smithfieldfriends.org Clerk: Bruce Kay Recording Clerk Ron Belliveau Pastor: Marnie Miller-Gutsel Treasurer:RichardFrechette Ministry&Counsel Rhoda Mowry Newsletter: Randy Oftedahl CALENDAR FOR MAY/JUNE EVERY SUNDAY 10:30 am: MEETING FOR WORSHIP First Day School Child care for infants and toddlers LAST SUNDAY OF EACH MONTH: Unprogrammed Worship and Pot Luck Lunch OTHER WORSHIP UNDER THE CARE OF SMITHFIELD MEETING OR RI/SMITHFIELD QTLY. MTG. SECOND SUNDAY OF MONTH 7:00 PM: Unprogrammed Worship at Uxbridge Meetinghouse, Uxbridge, Mass EVERY WEDNESDAY 6:00 PM: Unprogrammed Worship and discussion at ACI(Maximum) Other Events: Sunday, May 20 Young Friends Meeting following worship Monday, May 21 7 PM: Quaker Discussion Group at the Meetinghouse Sunday, June 3 Monthly Meeting for Business following worship SUMMER NEWSLETTER DEADLINE Monday, June 4 7 PM: Quaker Discussion Group at the Meetinghouse Sunday, June 10 Recognition of graduating seniors during worship First Day School Picnic at Connie Thompson's home Monday, June 11 7 PM: Ministry and Counsel at the home of Ron Belliveau 7:30 PM: Uxbridge Meetinghouse Association meeting at Uxbridge Meetinghouse First Day School Picnic June 10 following worship details inside Letter from Marnie Dear Friends, Is it possible that our long, messy winter is finally over? The parsonage lawn is finally turning green (well, except for the bare spots--must do something about that this year). The daffodils have come and gone, and so has the amazing outburst of scarlet tulips I had this year. The lavender plant at the front gate has abandoned its winter grey for the beautiful frosty green of mid-spring. And the lilac bush by the garage clearly benefited from last year's pruning and is full of blossoms. Spring has even invaded the interior of the parsonage--all my house plants are madly putting out new leaves in response to the increasing light. (A less delightful aspect of the growing warmth and light was our mercifully brief foray into the temperatures of mid-July the other week--I was grateful it didn't last long enough to require hauling the fans up from the basement.) Isn't it amazing what a little extra light can do? New life even seems to have invaded the front page of the Providence Journal. Amid the wintry dreariness of perpetual political scandal in Rhode Island and perpetual violence in the Middle East, two items appeared recently that gave me hope. They appeared on the same day, and one of them even started 'above the fold.' The first article had to do with literal "new growth." It seems that for a long time, the folks who organize the Rhode Island Community Food Bank have had a struggle to get enough fresh produce for those whose income doesn't stretch far enough to provide adequate nourishment. Donations from local farmers have helped, but it's not enough. (Of course it's a complete disgrace that there should even be such a problem in the richest country in the world, but that's another issue.) Now a group of people have gotten together, found a landowner willing to let several acres be used rent-free, and are busy planting a big vegetable garden using volunteer labor. They are doing it as a memorial to a man who loved gardening, but died at a tragically young age. This project gives a tax break to the landowner, protects open space, blesses the memory of the young man who died, and feeds the poor. This wonderfully creative idea isn't just a win-win one--it's a win-win-win-win! The other article described the pope's recent visit to Greece. This particular pope has done a number of things I cannot commend, but this is not one them. Despite his increasing frailty, this 80 year-old man is devoting his last years to a personal effort to atone in the new millennium for the sins the church has committed against various places and peoples over the centuries. For the church to admit wrong is not merely commendable--it is extraordinary. The Orthodox churches and the Roman church split centuries ago, each believing they were in the right and hurling anathemas at each other. One of the primary offenses was the sacking of Constantinople (modern Istanbul) in 1204; it was the center of Orthodox Catholicism at the time. Now the head of one of these great churches admits to sins against the other--that verges on the mind-boggling. And it gives new meaning to Matthew 5:24--Before offering your gift at the altar, "First be reconciled to your brother." Yes, isn't it amazing what a little extra Light can do? Love, Marnie The Talking Quakers--New Folks Especially Welcome Everyone is invited to join the Friends who gather every Monday at 7 PM to discuss a variety of ideas from a Quaker perspective. We are currently using different Biblical Epistles as springboards for discussion on a huge variety of topics. Each discussion stands on it own; you do not need to have attended previous sessions. Want to try it out? Drop-ins are welcome! Now that we are (hopefully) past the heating season, all meetings will be at the Meeting House. Topics will be announced at Meeting for Worship the day before. Earlham's Explore-A-College--Deadline Coming From July 1-14, 2001, High School students (Sophomores on up) can explore actual college level courses and activities at Earlham College, a Quaker college in Richmond, IN. For a modest cost, you can find out if Earlham might be right for you. Successful completion of course work not only gives you a head start; you also receive a partial tuition credit if you go on to enroll in Earlham. Check out the brochure on the Bulletin Board. Application deadline is June 15th. Some need-based financial aid is available: Deadline for financial assistance applications: May 18th. Help Needed! Smithfield Meeting needs Greeters and Child Care Volunteers. If you have fifteen minutes to spare for Smithfield, we would very much appreciate your signing up to be a greeter. All you need to do is arrive at 10:15 on First Day. No experience needed--just the ability to offer a smile and a Friendly handshake! Child care volunteers look after the tiny ones who are below First Day School age. Often we don't have any children who need this service, but we do need volunteers who will stand ready to do it if necessary. Sing up sheets for both greeters and child care volunteers are at the table in the foyer. Uxbridge Meeting House The Quaker Meetinghouse Association, which cares for the Uxbridge Meetinghouse, is holding its annual meeting at the (Uxbridge) meetinghouse on Monday, June 7, at 7:30 PM. For those who use and appreciate this wonderful building and grounds, this is an opportunity to invest yourself into its continued care. Meeting House Janitor Needed We are in need of a person to provide weekly janitorial services at the meetinghouse at least through the summer. Duties include sweeping and vacuuming, cleaning and restocking the bathrooms, emptying trash and occasional heavier duty cleaning. Adult or mature youth. The Meeting pays $80 per month for the services. Contact Suzanne Frechette 769-4433 ...a prayerful thanks Dear Friends; I want to express my gratitude to those who prayed and held me in the Light with regards to my dream. In 1996 I told God I wanted to become a full-time working artist, and asked to be directed to my perfect place. I began working toward my goal in small ways. I also started to attend college, but the process seemed hopeless given the amount of time and money I could invest. Then, about two years ago, a friend suggested I could obtain education in alternative ways, such as seeking a Masters in Art and asking to observe and learn by doing. This friend gave me hope and a new focus. Today, I am happy to announce I will begin working as a full time artist/teacher in June 2001, exactly five years from the time I asked God to show me the way. Thank you with all my heart. -Love, Pauline Goulet Our visit to the MOWA-Choctaw Friends Academy We left RI on April 13 with 44 boxes of clothing contributed by Smithfield Friends for the MOWA-Choctaw Friends Academy's ongoing rummage program. The mini-van was absolutely stuffed to the ceiling; luckily we had side view mirrors on both sides! The Academy is approximately 30 miles north of Mobile, Alabama. No one can possibly find the Academy without explicit directions - which we luckily had the foresight to get prior to our departure. The sign at the entrance to the Academy This was our second trip to the Academy. The prior one, however, occurred during a school vacation. This time, we had the opportunity to see the children in classes and play. There are three classes in all: Kindergarten, grades 1-3, and grades 4-6 (in its life since 1985, the academy has occasionally had children through high school). The academy also has adult education classes, including basic ed and GED preparation, and hosts a variety of other academic and civic activities, primarily involving the MOWA-Choctaws. The total student count at this time is about 35. View of some of the school yard and the main lodge Suzanne took pictures in the classrooms and around the grounds. Richard taught a segment on Restorative Justice to the 5-6 grade class. We also spent several hours as on-the-spot computer consultants! Guilford College had contributed a number of computers to the Academy, enough to allow for the creation of two computer labs. But the staff hadn't had the time to load most of the educational software and to make the computers fully functional. Suzanne tackled the McIntosh computer room, and Richard the Windows computer room, and went to town. Kindergartners at play We stayed two nights at the academy (there a several guests rooms in the main building). We feel blessed to have had the opportunity to visit the MOWA-Chochtaw Friends Academy and to provide some small service to it. We encourage other Friends to consider doing so. Please feel free to ask us further to us about our visit. In peace, Suzanne & Richard Frechette Below: L: 3rd graders everywhere want to be in the picture... R: 4-6 graders learning about restorative justice all photos by Suzanne Frechette Marnie asked me to share something about my experiences at the protests in Quebec City and something about "what they were all about" from the perspective of those of us who were there. For many - if not most - people, all these "globalization" protests - Seattle, Washington, Prague, Quebec - seem to be vague complaints by mostly affluent young people against mysterious targets. I understand this perception, and would like to share my thoughts on why I went to Quebec... Photo by Randy Oftedahl On the weekend of April 20th Marcel St. Germain and I joined over 35,000 others at the "People's March of the Americas" in Quebec City. This large public demonstration brought many thousands from the U.S. (we had 17 buses from New England alone) together with people from all across Canada to protest the proposed Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) under discussion by 34 hemispheric leaders inside the walled city. While the U.S. press chose to ignore the peaceful demonstrations (as expected), it devoted generous coverage to the "direct action" of a few hundred at the security fence that surrounded the trade summit. But much more troubling than the media's fixation on the dramatic was the virtual blackout of the reasons for the protests. "Many, many of the leaders came to me to compliment the way that the event (proceeded despite) those who tried to destroy a democratic system.'' Reported Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien following the Summit protests. Opponents of "free trade" (an un-examined term) are accused of "naiveté," "protectionism," or - when those words fail to discredit - "perpetuating poverty by impeding progress," and "destroying democracy." Canada's Trade Minister Pierre Pettigrew proclaimed that "We cannot, we must not, let the voices of opposition undermine our efforts to ensure that all of our hemispheric partners share in the prosperity we have enjoyed". He did not explain what prosperity he was referring to or who the "we" were that he was protecting. But the many thousands of us who were on the street that weekend - and millions more who were not - knew he did not mean the citizens of the Americas. Despite all the public rhetoric by leaders about "democracy," it is not the opponents of the FTAA that have set out to destroy it. The FTAA, sometimes referred to as "NAFTA on steroids" by opponents, seeks to bind every nation in the Western Hemisphere (except Cuba) to a single complex and encompassing trade agreement. Negotiated in secret, without legislative oversight or public input, with no provisions for repeal or legal challenge, the FTAA provides no guarantees for worker rights, environmental protections or the interests of local communities. What we know of what the FTAA does entail, based on leaked documents and recently released draft statements, vindicates opponents worst fears however. The FTAA would insure "investor-states rights," granting corporations and large investors the right to sue local, state and national governments when laws "restrict" corporate profits. The FTAA threatens small community-based businesses by mandating "national treatment" that would challenge local ordinances favoring domestic industries. Public services, labor laws, safety requirements, tariffs, 'anti-dumping' laws, price supports, class-action lawsuits - all can be subordinated to this undemocratic and unaccountable trade "agreement". Developing nations will fare no better. As with NAFTA, jobs will continue to move south with similar destabilizing results. Poverty will increase as peasant farmers are driven off their land because of foreign speculators. Environmental devastation will result as dirty industries seek a desperate workforce. Domestic economies and currencies will suffer from external 'devaluations', and meager social support systems will be sacrificed to "structural adjustment" schemes imposed by global financial institutions. So why would our government - or any government - agree to such a usurpation of sovereignty by international corporate and financial institutions? Why would Congress abrogate its Constitutional responsibility to direct public policy matters by granting exclusive negotiating rights to a single individual such as the President? (This scheme, called "fast track" or "trade agreement authority," has not happened yet - but it might). And most importantly, why are citizens in democratic countries kept so much in the dark about all this? The opponents of corporate globalization do not oppose global trade. We realize that trade can be a positive thing for societies all over the world, and offers the potential of hope in places that have struggled with poverty, disease, isolation and war for centuries. But the current rush to "free" trade is based on assumptions that have already proven disastrous for people around the world. The questions the protesters ask are: What is the purpose of trade? Is it to bring freedom and prosperity to the many or to the few? And, Who makes the rules that we all have to live under and who do those rules serve? Is it the citizens of the nations and the common good? Or is it a handful of elites serving private interests? To respond to these questions, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) gathered in the week prior to the Summit for an "Alternatives for the Americas" meeting to draft a counter-proposal to the corporate-driven FTAA. The document that came out of that gathering presented a Citizen's Agenda on trade that included the following positions: * Trade and investment should not be ends in themselves, but rather the instruments for achieving just and sustainable development. Citizens must have the right to participate in the formulation, implementation, and evaluation of hemispheric social and economic policies... * ....[hemispheric policies] should promote the broadest definition of human rights, covering civil, political, economic, social, cultural, and environmental rights, gender equity, and rights relating to indigenous peoples and communities... * ...Governments should subordinate trade and investment to policies that prioritize sustainable development and environmental protection....[they should] reject privatization of natural resources... * ...Hemispheric policies should guarantee the basic rights of working men and women... * ...[they] should not undermine the ability of the nation state to meet its citizens' social and economic needs... * ...Governments should have the right to screen out investments that make no net contribution to development, especially speculative capital flows....NAFTA mechanisms that allow investors to sue governments directly should be abolished and banned from other agreements... * ...[Governments must reserve the right] to guarantee access to essential drugs and protect biodiversity, indigenous knowledge, and traditional and farming communities. All life forms should be excluded from patentability. * ...to ensure food security, countries should have the right to protect or exclude staple food (and water) from trade agreements... This is just the beginning of a global justice movement that is only now finding its voice. It is saying to the leaders of the world that there must be no globalization without representation. It is shouting a resounding NO to a global economic order that benefits the few at the expense of the many. Despite growing pains and the antics of its rowdier children, it shares a vision of a globalization of values that respect families, communities, workers, and the world around us. As Maude Barlow of the citizens group, the Council of Canadians says, it is a movement that represents the "seedkeepers of democracy." And it is a movement preparing itself for the famine ahead. -Randy Oftedahl News from First Day School First Day School Teachers for May and June: May 13 - Martha Smith (older children) Kathy Malin (younger children) May 20 - Intergenerational Worship May 27 - Martha Smith (older children) Susan Kay (younger children) June 3 - to be announced June 10 - Karin Sprague (all children) - Last day of First Day School before September June 17 - Intergenerational Worship During the summer months, all school aged children are invited to remain in Meeting for Worship with their parents. Childcare will be provided for babies and young children. First Day School Picnic June 10 following Meeting for Worship Pot Luck Picnic/Cookout at the Thompson's Everyone is invited!! All Ages! Food ...Fellowship...Fun ...and swimming! See Connie for details First Day School will resume September 9 New curriculum for next year: "Preparing Hearts and Minds" (see Karin Sprague to review material) News from Smithfield Young Friends (teen group) Young Friends have selected Rocky Malin as clerk and Meagan Keene as recording clerk The next meeting will be May 20 following Meeting for Worship Upcoming Plans: * Visit to the Peace Abbey in Sherborne, MA (date to be determined) * Upcoming project: Establish video/CD library at the Meetinghouse For more information on the teen group, contact Jeanne Kinney or Diane O'Hara It is Not the Nails T he song asks: "Why did they nail His feet and hands when His love would have held Him there?" (the song: "Why," by Michael Card) I believe that. I believe His love would have held Him there. They say it (the cross) had to happen. They say because of sin it had to happen. They say there was no other way (for us to be right with God). I don't understand that. I see that sin breaks lives and I know sin breaks the heart of God. But the voice I hear calling from the Cross is not that old familiar voice speaking of sin. It is the voice of God in Christ crying out passionately to every heart that ever beat. It is the cry of love. Like a holy dare, the voice cries out "Whatever you have against Me, hurl it at Me. Whatever you have against anyone, stab it straight through Me. Look Me in the eye as your hammer slams the nails meant to bleed the life out of me drop by drop... Then, get over it, my friend! Give it up. For you cannot and will not bleed My life away from you... You cannot and will not crush My love For you.... You cannot and will not push Me any further away From you... than the very air that you breathe.... Look into My eyes and see what I'm saying Whether you understand it or not Whether you embrace it or not Whether you can even begin to believe it or not... It was not the nails that held Me there... it was not the nails, my friend." -Susan Kay The conception of the Inward Light leads to a belief that the fate of all are interrelated; that, ultimately, no one is free so long as one person remains in bondage, that no one is secure as long as anyone lives in fear, that no one is virtuous so long as one person is lacking in virtue, that no one is wealthy while another lives in poverty, and that God may make truth available to anyone. -Robert O. Byrd, Quaker Ways in Foreign Policy, 1960 angelic faces, grades 4-6 Mowa-Choctaw Friends School, Alabama Smithfield Monthly Meeting of Friends 108 Smithfield Road Woonsocket, RI 02905