Smithfield Friends Newsletter May 2003 Smithfield Monthly Meeting of Friends 108 Smithfield Road Woonsocket, RI 02895 Vol.15________________________________________________________________________ No.149 Parsonage: 762-5726 Internet: www.smithfieldfriends.org Clerk: Richard Frechette Recording Clerk Connie Bair-Thompson Pastor: Marnie Miller-Gutsel Treasurer:Bruce Buteau Ministry&Counsel Rhoda Mowry Newsletter: Randy Oftedahl CALENDAR FOR May/June EVERY SUNDAY 10:30 am: MEETING FOR WORSHIP Child Care Available LAST SUNDAY OF EACH MONTH: Unprogrammed Worship and Pot Luck Lunch Children's First Day School during worship OTHER WORSHIP UNDER THE CARE OF SMITHFIELD MEETING OR RI/SMITHFIELD QTLY. MTG. SECOND SUNDAY OF MONTH 4:00 PM: Unprogrammed Worship at Uxbridge Meetinghouse, Uxbridge, Mass EVERY WEDNESDAY 4:00 PM: Unprogrammed Worship and discussion at ACI(Maximum) Other events Sunday, May 18 9:30-10 AM, Meeting for Worship for Healing--special series--"Exploring the Realms of Healing," led by Ron Belliveau Sunday, May 25 Discussion Group, 9:15 AM --Topic, the Earth Charter Sunday, June 1 Monthly Meeting for Business NEWSLETTER DEADLINE for Summer Sunday, June 8 Peace and Social Concerns Committee meets after Meeting for Worship 1st Day School: Friends are reminded that 1st day school for all ages of children and youth is held on the last Sunday of each month during unprogrammed meeting for worship. Letter from Marnie Dear Friends, In connection with my work at the Archives, Maine Quaker Silas Weeks has asked my help in working on a second, expanded version of his recent book on New England Meeting Houses. He wanted information on three of the old Meeting Houses in Rhode Island which appear on the old (1833) map of New England Meetings. That map is very imprecise about their locations. Where exactly were they? Do the buildings still stand? If so, what sort of shape are they in? Are there any photos? Nothing at the Archives fascinates me more than a request to do some detective work, so I tackled Silas' request with considerable enthusiasm. Not surprisingly, I found I could not stop with the three Meetings he inquired about, but proceeded to have some wonderful hours pursuing the locations of the rest of the Rhode Island Meetings that appear on the 1833 map. I had a grand and glorious time pouring over old maps, 20th century surveys of historic properties, local histories, cemetery records, and anything else I could think of that might provide clues. I had remarkable success. Surprisingly few of the old buildings have been torn down, even when the Meetings themselves had died well over 100 years ago. They have become everything from local history sites or private residences to community centers and insurance offices. One has even become the internal structure of a restaurant, though it could never be recognized as a Meeting House from outside. Now--and this will be even more fun--I plan to visit the remaining sites (or at least the burial grounds if the Meeting House is gone) and photograph them. However, as I 'chase dead Quakers' around the landscape, I have to ask this question: Why did those Meetings die? In the colonial period, Quakers literally dominated the life of Rhode Island. It was as much or more of a "Quaker State" than Pennsylvania, and it didn't even need a Quaker proprietor like William Penn to do it. The reasons are complicated. The Industrial Revolution, the Civil War, and the floods of new immigrants (especially Catholics from Ireland and Quebec) all played their part. But why did some Meetings live and others fade and die? There are poignant accounts of places like Little Compton, where one old man faithfully opened the Meeting House every First Day and sat in worship, hoping others would join him until at last it became obvious that no one would ever come again. Yet other Meetings came to the brink of oblivion and managed to keep from falling in; some even stepped back and rose again to good health. One thing seems evident: simply turning up is not enough, no matter how faithfully it is done. One must reach out. And it takes more than one faithful person, though a small but very dedicated group may succeed. Rigid conformity to "the rules" can kill the Life in a Meeting, even though some may define that as "faithfulness." On the other hand, abandoning all standards does not work either. "Faithfulness" must mean faithfulness to the leading of the Spirit, not to the "traditions of men" (see Mark 7:5-8), whether those come from early Friends or from contemporary society. So come, Friends. Bring into this Meeting your gifts and leadings, and let us discover together what it is that gives Life to this Meeting! Love, Marnie Discussion Group Our 'Last First Day of the Month' discussion group meets this month at 9:15, on May 25. The topic will the the Earth Charter. Copies are available in the foyer. Everyone is invited to come--including Young Friends and attenders. Each topic is self contained--you do not need to have attended previous meetings. We welcome suggestions for future readings. Summer Is Icumen In! Check out the bulletin board and tables in the foyer for fliers on various summer Quaker activities: children's camps, FGC Annual Gathering, etc.--including the Grand 50th Anniversary Celebration and Reunion for former campers and staff at China Camp (Saturday, June 21) and the annual Explore-a-College at Earlham College for college-minded rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors in high school (June 22-July 5--Application Deadline: June 6). Need-Based Housing We have received a notice that the Property Advisory Group, Inc., managers of the Hanora-Lippitt Manor in central Woonsocket is inviting applications from moderate to low income elderly, handicapped, and disabled people who are in need of housing. The Manor is located at One Main St., Woonsocket, 02895. If you are interested in such housing, or know someone who might be, especially qualified minority applicants, you may contact the managers at that address, or phone 766-3636 for information on eligibility requirements. In search of Young Friends Retreat Staff Yearly Meeting's Young Friends (i.e. High school age) retreats have become such a booming success that there is a backlog of Young Friends signed up to attend them. Yearly Meeting could sponsor more of these retreats if they had an increased number of adults to staff them. Would you consider committing to staffing of one retreat per year? If so, contact Bill Harley, clerk of Yearly Meeting's Youth Programs committee (508) 336-9704; bill@billharley.com. If you want to first talk to someone who's staffed a Young Friends retreat, see Richard Frechette Friends United Meeting 2003 Chain of Prayer - May 18 It is Time to Pray for Peace Every year, hundreds of meetings support one another and under-gird the work of Friends United Meeting through the Chain of Prayer. Because of the context of the global war on terrorism and conflicts in Iraq and Palestine, this year's theme is particularly pertinent. The Chain continues from January 1, 2003, to Pentecost Sunday, June 8, 2003. Smithfield Meeting's time is Sunday, May 18 from noon to midnight. Friends are encouraged to commit to either a half-hour or hour time period during which time you will pray for peace, either individually or in group, either at the meetinghouse or anywhere else. You choose. The sign-up sheet is on the meetinghouse bulletin board; non-resident members can call or e-mail Richard Frechette (401-769-4433; RFrech@cox.net) to sign up remotely. We hope that our meeting's participation in this sustained period of prayer will be a period of spiritual refreshment at both a corporate and personal level. "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' "But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous." -Jesus Christ (as found in Matthew 5:43-45, NRS) Ongoing Events for the Peacemaker Community (from American Friends Service Committee of Southeastern New England) AFSC Yard Sale, SATURDAY, MAY 17, 9am-1pm, Providence Quaker Meeting, 99 Morris Ave, Providence (corner of Olney). We need DONATIONS, WORKERS, and BUYERS! More info: 521-3584. Potluck Supper for Central Massachusetts Peace Community, SATURDAY, MAY 17, Unitarian Universalist Church of Worcester, 90 Holden Street. 6:30 P.M dinner, 7:30-8:30 speaker and discussion; 8:30 - 9 announcements/update on local actions and events. PROGRAM: Michael True will speak on "After Iraq--Local Peacemaking and Global Nonviolence." Mike is a member of the Executive Committee of International Peace Research Association Foundation, and an emeritus professor, Assumption College. DIRECTIONS: From I-190, take exit 2. (If you're going north, turn left at the first light, cross over I-190, then turn left again.) Then head south on the access road (do not get back on I-190) to Shore Drive, then turn right, go west 1/2 mile to our parking lots just before the end of Shore Drive at Holden Street. Or take (bike) Holden Street from Grove Street/ Route 122A. Or take bus 6N from downtown at 5:43 pm. The church is next to Bancroft School and down the street from the Greendale YMCA. Rhode Islanders for Peace Contingent at the 2nd Annual Parents for Progress JUSTICE FOR ALL FAMILIES DAY!, TUESDAY, MAY 20, RI State House, 3-5pm. RIers for Peace will meet at 2:30pm at the park between Train Station & Providence Place mall. Our contingent will demonstrate how military spending bankrupts and impoverishes our communities. We will be there to support the "One Rhode Island Platform." One RI Platform includes: Affordable Housing / Child Care / SSI Benefits / Food Assistance / Improving the Family Independence Program / Reducing RIte Care Premiums / State Earned Income Tax Credit (For full platform and list of endorsing organizations, go to www.povertyinstitute.org). For more info on the Rhode Islanders for Peace gathering, contact 521-3584 or sene@afsc.org. Author Jonathan Schell: People's Power and Preventing War, FRIDAY, MAY 23, 7-9pm, Paulist Center, 5 Park St., Boston (near the Park St. T Stop on the Green/Red line). $5.00 Suggested Contribution. Jonathan Schell is a contributor to the Nation Magazine. Mr. Schell has written numerous works on defense and disarmament, including his most recent book: The Unconquerable World: Power, Nonviolence and the Will of the People. For More Information Contact: (617) 661-6130 or write Jgerson@afsc.org. Sponsored by: New England American Friends Service Committee, United for Justice With Peace, Massachusetts Peace Action. Endorsed by the Coalition For a Strong United Nations. Veterans for Peace Forum, WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 6:45pm, American Legion, Main St., Worcester, MA. Endorsed by the Rainbow Coalition and Worcester Peace Works. Issues discussed will include the reduction of health care for veterans and civilians; homelessness among veteran and civilians; and the economic draft of high school kids. For more info, contact Hellowithfire1@aol.com. Rhode Islanders for Peace Day of Reflection and Renewal, SATURDAY, MAY 31, 1-5pm, place TBA. Cookout to follow. This coincides with United for Peace & Justice's call for National Teach-ins on Iraq, Preemptive War and Democracy. More info: 521-3584. Richard Walton's 75th Birthday Party & Fundraiser for Amos House and the Providence-Niquinohomo Sister City Project, SUNDAY, JUNE 1, 2pm, 5 Grenore St, Warwick, RI. Just off Narragan Parkway in the Pawtuxet section of Warwick, on Pawtuxet Cove. This annual progressive fest has raised more than $30,000 over the years! Questions? 781-7504. Perform for Peace: AFSC's Youth Performance Festival, FRIDAY, JUNE 6, 5-9pm, AS220, 115 Empire St., Providence; and SATURDAY, JUNE 7, all day, the Met High School Black Box Theater, 325 Public Street, Providence. Young actors perform the socially conscious works of young writers from around southeastern New England. Pay what you can ($10 suggested donation). More information: (401) 521-3584. Peace is Patriotic Annual Picnic, FRIDAY, JULY 4, 4pm-8pm. Save the date! More info: 521-3584. The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral, begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy. -Martin Luther King, Jr., Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community? (1967) Smithfield Monthly Meeting of Friends 108 Smithfield Road Woonsocket, RI 02895