Twin Cities Friends Meeting (TCFM) belongs to the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), with affiliations to Northern Yearly Meeting and Friends General Conference. We are located at 1725 Grand Ave. in St. Paul, Minnesota, a block east of Fairview (view map/directions), telephone 651/699-6995. Sunday parking is available at the Ramsey Junior High School lots; enter either at Grand and Cambridge, or from the frontage road on the south side of Summit between Wheeler and Cambridge. (more…)

So, I’ve been thinking…

I’ve been carrying a concern for a number of months now. I read in the news awhile back that a recession is expected and the economy isn’t doing well, so the government has decided to send out “economic stimulus” checks to most Americans. As the discussion was taking place in Congress, both sides had to concede things in order to come to agreement. I was saddened to read that “calls for increases in food stamps and an extension of unemployment compensation” were dropped as part of the agreement.

I had to wonder: is more consumerism, buying worthless stuff, and going into more debt really going to help the economy?

My husband and I were stopping by a store the other day and saw flyers all over advertising an “economic stimulus plan.” Buy $750 worth of stuff and get no interest and no payments for a year.

As I read about the plans for these economic stimulus checks months ago, I wondered what I could do with the money. Did I really need it? I don’t feel that I’ve been affected much by the economy and I’m doing okay financially. But what about those living in poverty around me? $600 will help them right now, but it won’t pull them out of poverty. So I began to think of all the places this money could be given: to support food banks, programs and housing for the homeless, and so forth. And then I thought, what if a lot of other people also decided they didn’t need the money and they also passed the money on to worthy causes? What a statement we could make!

I am pleased to read that there are plenty of people who aren’t planning a shopping spree with their checks. People are considering saving the money and investing it, or paying off credit card or school loan debts. Considering the debt many Americans are in and our lack of saving, this is a wise idea.

The IRS will begin sending checks and automatic deposits on May 2nd.

My hope is that people will think about these checks. Do we really need the money? Is there someone or some local charity that needs it more than we do? Can we save some and give away the rest? Can we give it all away? If we are able, can we use this money for something better than a new electronic gadget or a new designer outfit?

We’re still planning what to do with the funds we receive - which should arrive on the 16th.

Will you consider what you can do with yours?

My calendar and Dave Shove’s Progressive Calendar are archived at http://lists.justcomm.org/pipermail/mn-prog-events/

Peace Calendar for May 9, 2008

EDITOR’S RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE WEEK:
Demonstration: Al-Nakba event on 5/17.
Movies: Body of War, one week starting 5/16.
Sami Rasouli speaking: Mahtomedi (5/10), St Paul (5/12), Fridley (5/15) and Crystal (5/29)
JNP events in LaSueur Co, Northfield, Eagan, Circle Pines, St Paul and Mankato.

5/3 to 5/11, Faithful Fools comes to the Twin Cities, an interesting project out of San Francisco combining Buddhist meditation, Catholic activism and an emphasis on homelessness. Aspects include Unitarian preachers preaching, plays, walking meditation through city streets and a Mayday presence. Details at http://www.faithfulfools.org or 612-728-2079.

5/7 to 5/18, striking series of developing nations’ films Global Lens, with film “The Kite” set in Israel/Lebanon, “All for Free” about Croatia, “Luxury Car” set in China, “The Custodian” set in Argentina, “Kept and Dreamless” also in Argentine, “Let the Wind Blow” set in India, “The Bet Collector” set in the Philippines, “Fish Fall in Love” set in Iran, “Opera Jawa” set in Indonesia, and “Bunny Chow” set in South Africa. Schedule and ticket info at http://walkerart.org or 612-375-7600.

Friday, 5/9, 4:15 to 5:30 pm, vigil to end US military/political support of the Israeli occupation of Palestine, corner Summit and Snelling, St Paul.

Friday, 5/9, 7 pm, Women Speak for a Sane World, Vets for Peace and Grandmothers for Peace sponsor “Honoring the Voices of Women: A Panel of Mothers on War,” YWCA Trepanier Hall, 202 W 2nd St, Duluth. http://www.northlandantiwar.blogspot.com or northlandiquana@gmail.com

Saturday, 5/10, 10 am to 2 pm, Convocation for a More Peaceful World, with Congressman Keith Ellison, Muslim Peacemaker Team member from Najif Sami Rasouli, Rev Victoria Safford and others, White Bear Unitarian Universalist Church, 328 Maple St, Mahtomedi. Mary Jane at 651-426-9940.

Saturday, 5/10, 10 to noon, Women’s Intl League for Peace and Freedom hosts Jo Monte talking about “Picture Books Inviting Compassionate, Creative Responses to Human Needs,” Van Cleve Community Center, 901 - 15th Ave SE, Mpls. http://www.wilpfmn.org/

Saturday, 5/10, 1 to 4 pm, peace and sustainability U.S. Senate candidate Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer appears at LaSueur County annual bean feed fundraiser, home of David and Jane Cummisky, 1280 Highway 13 N, Waterville. http://www.jackforsenate.org/

Saturday, 5/10, 4 to 5 pm, coffee and conversation with peace and sustainability U.S. Senate candidate Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer, home of Bob and Suzannah Ciernia, 41 Fareway Dr, Northfield. http://www.jackforsenate.org/

Saturday, 5/10, 7 to 9 pm, coffee and conversation with peace and sustainability U.S. Senate candidate Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer, home of Sue and Greg Skog, 1591 Mallard Dr, Eagan http://www.jackforsenate.org/

Sunday, 5/11, 10 am, Palestinian Melkite archbishop and long-time peace activist Elias Chacour speaks at the baccalaureate service, St Johns University, Collegeville. Archbishop Chacour also speaks at commencement at 2 pm, for which tickets are needed, and received the Pax Cristi award. http://www.pilgrimsofibillin.org or Joan at 608-241-9281.

Sunday, 5/11, 6 to 8:30 pm, Veterans for Peace chapter 27 meets, St Stephens Church, 2123 Clinton Ave S, Mpls. (Ring bell on north door.) John Varone 952-2665.

Sunday, 5/11, 1 pm, Mothers’ Day at Lyndale Park Peace Garden hosted by Mpls mayor RT Rybak, northeast shore of Lake Harriet at 4124 Roseway Rd, Mpls.

Monday, 5/12, 10 am, Palestinian Melkite archbishop and long-time peace activist Elias Chacour speaks at chapel service, Gustavus Adolphus College, St Peter. http://www.pilgrimsofibillin.org or Joan at 608-241-9281.

Monday, 5/12, 6:30 pm, bimonthly potluck meeting of Every Church a Peace Church featuring theme “How Do You Raise Compassionate, Peace-Seeking Children?,” Basilica of St Mary, 88 N 17th St, Mpls. rolsen6376@visi.com

Monday, 5/12, 6:30 coffee, 7 pm program, Network of Spiritual Progressives meets at Plymouth Congregational Church, 1900 Nicollet, Mpls.

Monday, 5/12, 7 pm, Palestinian Melkite archbishop and long-time peace activist Elias Chacour speaks at Unitarian-Universalist Church, Mankato. http://www.pilgrimsofibillin.org or Joan at 608-241-9281.

Monday, 5/12, 7:30 pm, Iraqi American and founder of Muslim Peacemaker Team Sami Rasouli speaks on “What’s Really Going on in Iraq?” Macalester Plymouth United Church, 1658 Lincoln St, St Paul.

Tuesday, 5/13, 10 am, Palestinian Melkite archbishop and long-time peace activist Elias Chacour gives chapel service address at Luther Seminary, St Paul. http://www.pilgrimsofibillin.org or Joan at 608-241-9281.

Wednesday, 5/14, 6:30 pm, Red Wing Vets for Peace meet to plan 7/12 Pigstock retreat, 8/31 RNC march and goals for next year, home of John and Marybess Goeppinger, 1008 W 3rd St, Red Wing. FFI: Bill at habedank@charter.net

Wednesday, 5/14, 7:30 pm, Mary Tillman reads from her book “Boots on the Ground by Dusk: My Tribute to Pat Tillman” about her college football son who became an Army Ranger in Iraq and was later killed by “friendly fire” in Afghanistan, Magers and Quinn Booksellers, 3038 Hennepin Ave S, Mpls. http://www.magersandquinn.com or 612-822-4611.

Thursday, 5/15, 4:30 to 5:30, protest “Fund Human Needs, Not War” in front of Norm Coleman’s office to demand that a further $172 billion not be added to the $12 billion the U.S. spends each month to occupy Iraq, 2550 University Ave W (intersection University & Highway 280), St Paul. 612-522-1861.

Thursday, 5/15, 4:30 pm, Southeastern Minnesota Peacemakers hosts peace demonstration at Broadway and 2nd St SW, Rochester, followed by SEMNAP meeting at the Rochester Public Library at 6:45 pm, 101 - 2nd St SE, Rochester. http://www.semnap.org/

Thursday, 5/15, 7 pm, Citizens for Global Solutions hosts U of M poli sci prof August Nimtz and Century College Spanish prof Barbara Kennedy speaking on Cuba, Venezuela and the Bolivarian Revolution, Hennepin Ave United Methodist Church, 511 Groveland Ave (at Lyndale & Hennepin), Mpls. http://www.globalsolutionsmn.org

Thursday, 5/15, 7 pm, Iraqi American and Muslim Peacemeaker Team member Sami Rasouli speaks about 5 years of war and occupation, Church of St William, 6120 - 5th St NE, Fridley. http://www.worldwidewamm.org

Thursday, 5/15, 7:30 to 9 pm, peace and sustainability U.S. Senate candidate Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer visits coffee and conversation hosted by Anne Benson, 1997 Selby Ave, St Paul. http://www.jackforsenate.org/

Friday, 5/16, noon, Iraq Moratorium picket, Duluth location TBD. http://www.northlandantiwar.blogspot.com or 715-394-6660.

Friday, 5/16, 1 pm, courtroom visibility and support for demands for permits to march to the Republican National Convention on 9/1, Federal Courthouse, 4th St & 4th Ave, Mpls. http://www.antiwarcommittee.org

Friday, 5/16, 4:15 to 5:30 pm, vigil to end US military/political support of the Israeli occupation of Palestine, corner Summit and Snelling, St Paul.

Friday, 5/16, 5 to 9 pm, peace and sustainability U.S. Senate candidate Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer appears at Dan and Ronnie Burton DFL fundraising dinner, Mankato Alltel Civic Center, 101 E Main St, Mankato. $75 includes private reception at 5 pm, $40 for dinner and program at 6:30. FFI: http://www.jackforsenate.org/ or Judi Gauch at 507-625-3395.

5/16 to 5/22 (one week only), documentary “Body of War” about a young soldier who volunteered for duty in Afghanistan, but was sent to Iraq, wounded and paralyzed, Lagoon Theater, 1350 Lagoon Ave, Mpls. http://www.www.landmarktheaters.com

Saturday, 5/17, 9:30 refreshments, 10 to noon program, U-W Madison Middle East Studies prof Jennifer Loewenstein speaks on “Gaza Today” based on considerable time in refugee camps there, Southdale Library, 7001 York Ave, Edina. steichenfm@usfamily.net or 651-696-1642.

Saturday, 5/17, 1 pm, demonstration remembering Al-Nakba (”the catastrophe”) expulsion of 750,000 Palestinians and other massacres of Palestinians, most recently in Gaza, Loring Park, next to the bridge, Mpls. http://www.antiwarcommittee.org or 612-437-0222 or http://www.coalitionforpalestinianrights.wordpress.com or 612-827-5364.

Saturday, 5/17, 6 pm, potluck and presentation by Kathy Kelly, as part of Iraq Moritorium, Peace, Church UCC, 1111 N 11th Ave E, Duluth. FFI Steve Carlson at 715-635-6416.

Saturday, 5/17, 7 to 9 pm, panel on “What’s Really Happening in Venezuela, Bolivia, Cuba, Mexico and the Rest of the Region,” with Hands Off Venezuela activist Jorge Martin, Colombian trade unionist Geraldo Cajamarca, professor and Cuba expert August Nimtz, and Venezuela activist Yasmin Tovar, Mpls Central Labor Union Council, 312 Central Ave SE, 2nd floor, Mpls. jp@handsoffvenezuela.org or 651-373-7609.

Sunday, 5/18, 12:15 to 2 pm, Peace and Justice Forum presents Amy Blumenshine talking about “Care of Returning Veterans,” $7 for lunch, Central Lutheran Church, 3rd Ave and 12th St, Mpls. dhilden@comcast.net or 612-825-1581.

Sunday, 5/18, 3 to 5 pm, regular meeting of Amnesty International, with Nepalese presenter Hemlal Kafle talking about the transition from monarchy to democracy, Center for the Victims of Torture, 717 E River Rd SE, Mpls. gabeo@bitstream.net

Monday, 5/19, 6:30 pm, free documentary film “Ghosts of Abu Ghraib,” St Joan of Arc Church, Hospitality Hall, 4537 - 3rd Ave S, Mpls. http://www.worldwidewamm.org or 612-827-5364.

Monday, 5/19, 7:30 to 9 pm, peace and sustainability U.S. Senate candidate Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer appears at coffee and conversation at Hospitality Place, hosted by Eleanor and John Yackel, 18 E Golden Lake Rd, Circle Pines. Wine and cheese served. http://www.jackforsenate.org/

Monday, 5/19, 7:30 pm, Middle East expert Cathy Sultan discusses her new book “Tragedy in South Labanon” about the lives of civilians in south Lebanan and northern Israel during and fter the war of July 2006, Magers and Quinn Booksellers, 3038 Hennepin Ave S, Mpls. http://www.magersandquinn.com or 612-822-4611.

Thursday, 5/22, 7 pm, independent documentary on the Highway 55 reroute encampment “The ReRoute: Taking a Stand on Sacred Land,” Riverview Theater, 38th St and 42nd Ave, Mpls. biego001@umn.edu or http://www.oakfolkfilms.net/

Thursday, 5/22, 7:30 pm, Arab-American literary journal Mizna presents Palestinian-American Susan Abulhawa, whose family was scattered following the war of 1967, and who has written anthologies “Scattered Illusions” and “Searching Jenin” as well as novel “Scar of David,” Open Book, 1011 Washington Ave S, Mpls. http://www.mizna.org

5/23 to 6/1, Spirit in the House presents a spiritual play and film festival at Hennepin Ave United Methodist Church, 511 Groveland Ave, Mpls. Plays include Jesus in Guantanamo (which ed has seen and very highly recommends), Witnessing to a Murder by a friend of ed’s and highly recommended by people ed trusts, The Diana and Mother Teresa Story which ed has heard rave comments about.. Also perhaps of interest are the plays Dachau Dreaming about the liberation of the death camp, Presente! apparently about the US-operated torture training school, and The World’s Most Frequently Bombed Hotel which takes place in Belfast during the Troubles. Details can be found at http://spiritinthehouse.org/

Saturday, 5/24, Walk Against Weapons, starting 10:30 am at old corporate headquarters of Alliant Techsystems (makers of landmines, depleted uranium weapons, cluster bombs and other particularly nasty weapons) at 5050 Lincoln Dr in Edina, 11 am start talking the 5.5 miles to their new headquarters at 7400 Flying Cloud Dr in Eden Prairie, with rally at 1 pm. http://www.worldwidewamm.org

Saturday, 5/24, 7 pm (also 5/24 at 2:30 and 5:30 pm, 5/31 at 5:30 pm and 6/1 at 5:30 pm), incredible 1-man show by Matthew Vakey “Jesus at Guantanamo” about the Son of God rounded up and held as a terrorist, part of Spirit in the House Festival, Hennepin Ave Methodist Church, 511 Groveland (at Lyndale), Mpls. $12 adults. http://spiritinthehouse.org or tickets at http://www.uptowntix.com or 651-209-6799.

Sunday, 5/25, 9:30 am, Iraq Vet Against War and “Winter Soldier” participant Brandon Day shares his experiences at the First Unitarian Society Forum, Lower Auditorium, 900 Mt Curve, Mpls. Carole at 763-546-5368.

5/25 and 5/26, major peace banner painting at driveway of the Ross and Coleen Rowley, hotdogs, drinks and music provided, bring old sheets (light or white flat work best, but any will do), 193 Beaumont Ct, Apple Valley. Details at rowleyclan@earthlink.net or 952-465-2866.

Tuesday, 5/27, 5:30 pm, (also 5/29 at 7, 5/30 at 7, 5/31 at 2:30 and 6/1 at 4), Spirit in the House Festival presents play “Witnessing to a Murder,” the autobiographical story of a Quaker woman whose witness sends her crashing though the boundaries that separate her from horror and from the voice of God, Hennepin Ave United Methodist Church, 511 Groveland Ave S, Mpls. http://www.spiritinthehouse.org/ or http://www.elizabethosullivan.com/

Wednesday, 5/28, 6 to 8 pm, Congressman Keith Ellison hosts a town hall forum of Iran, with featured guests author Dr trita Parsi and U of MN prof William Orman Beeman, First Unitarian Society, Lower Assembly Hall, 800 Mount Curve Ave, Mpls. Alison.Harris@mail.house.gov or 612-522-1212.

Wednesday, 5/28, 7 pm, (also 5/30 at 5:30, 5/31 at 1 and 7, and 6/1 at 5:30), Spirit in the House Festival presents play “The Diana and Mother Teresa Story” about arrogance, a loveless marriage, doubt, pain, friendship and a campaign against landmines, Hennepin Ave United Methodist Church, 511 Groveland Ave S, Mpls. http://www.spiritinthehouse.org/

Thursday, 5/29, 6:30 pm, Northwest Neighbors for Peace host potluck with Muslim Peacemaker Sami Rasouli, St James Lutheran Church, 6700 - 46th Place N, Crystal. http://nwn4p.pbwiki.com/

5/30 (6 pm) to 6/1 (8 pm), Alternatives to Violence Project basic level workshop, Twin Cities Friends Meetinghouse, 1725 Grand Ave, St Paul. http://www.fnvw.org or avperika@gmail.com or 651-644-5851.

5/30 (5 pm) to 6/1 (2 pm), nonviolence training for Creating a Culture of Peace using social change techniques of Gandhi, King, Tich Nhat Hahn and others, $210 (includes all expenses), ARC Retreat Center, 75 minutes north of St Paul. http://www.mnfor.org/content/about_us or Joan at joan@pleromacoaching.com or 651-641-0946.

********************

SAMI RASOULI’S SCHEDULE:
Updated on 4/20. The following is the speaking schedule for Iraqi-American Sami Rousili, recently returned from Muslim Peacekeeper Team work in Iraq. For further details, try contacting someone at the venue or Marie Braun at braun044@umn.edu

May 6-8 International Falls - Nancy Lindstrom,
Nanno620@hotmail.com. 218-286-5464
5-6 HS class and College in the evening. 1 or 2 high school
classes on the 7th.

May 8 Return from International Falls
Candlelight Service, Plymouth Presbyterian Church, 3755 Dunkirk
Lane No,. Plymouth
Contact: Roxanne Abbas, 763-476-7643, rabbis@usinternet.com

May 10 White Bear Lake Unitarian Church 10:00 - 2:00 followed by
reception (Sami at 12:30 or 1:00 pm) - Mary Jo LaVigne, Do
Peace Minnesota Maryjanelavigne@comcast.net

May 12 Macalester Plymouth Church, 1658 Lincoln Ave., St. Paul, 7:30 pm
Contact: Molly Redman, 651-633-2743, msring@earthlink.net

May 15 St. William Church, 61 Ave NE & University Ave. NE, Fridley -
7:00 pm
Contact: Don Larson 763-784-4267; don.larson@comcast.net

May 17 Unity Church-Unitarian, St. Paul. Breakfast and speak at 10:00 am
Contact: Rachel Kaul. 651-436-2238

May 22 Northeast Suburban Greens - 7:00 pm Dori Ullman;
612-414-9528; dorijj@aol.com

May 27 Progressives on the Prairie, Davannis Pizza. Eden Prairie -
7:00 - 8:30
Contact: Terry Erickson; 952-975-6015

May 29 Northwest Neighbors for Peace - Pot luck, St. James Lutheran
Church, 6700 46th Pl N (corner of Hampshire), Crystal), 700 pm

*******************************

VIGILS

Every Sunday, 9:30 to 10:45 am, vigil to Close Guantanamo-End Torture, 40th St pedestrian overpass over 35W, Mpls. 952-465-2866.

Every Sunday, noon to 1 pm, peace vigil at Summit and Snelling, St Paul. 651-699-8655.

Every Sunday, 1 to 2 pm, St Crook Valley Peacemakers sponsors peace vigil at the Stillwater bridge, Stillwater. www.stcroixvalleypeacemakers.com or 651-275-0247.

Every Sunday (weather permitting), 3:30 to 4:30 pm, peace vigil on the I-94 footbridge just west of Snelling, St Paul. Mike Madden, 651-644-2288.

Every Monday, 4:15 to 5:15 pm, Vigil in downtown White Bear Lake at intersection of Highway 61 and 4th Street.  FFI: www.worldwidewamm.org

Every Tuesday, 4 to 5 pm, Peace walk, carrying signs in both directions from the corner of Hwy 241 and Co Rd 19 (across from St. Michael’s Church), St. Michael.  FFI: regofam@earthlink.net

Every Tuesday, 4:30 to 5:30 pm, Peace vigil at 98th St. and Lyndale, Bloomington.  952-831-4276.

Every Tuesday, 4:30 to 5:30 pm, peace vigil outside John Kline’s office at intersection of Burnsville Parkway and Nicollet, Burnsville. family4peace@msn.com

Every Tuesday, 5 to 6 pm (all year), east end of Franklin bridge over the Mississippi River, Mpls. carolynbelle@pressenter.com

Every Tuesday, 5 to 6 pm (back to summer hours), Penn Ave just north of 394, Bryn Mawr neighborhood of Mpls. bnlberry@netscape.net

Every Wednesday, 7 to 8 a.m., Vigil at Alliant Tech, 5050 Lincoln, Edina.  FFI: www.circlevision.org/alliantaction.html

Every Wednesday, noon to 1, peace vigil across from the post office, Mankato. richard.wintersteen@mnsu.edu

Every Wednesday, 4:30 to 5:30 pm (winter hours), Grandmothers for Peace vigil, 50th and Halifax, Edina (just west of France). www.worldwidewamm.org

Every Wednesday, 5 to 6 pm (back to summer hours), Vigil to end the occupation of Iraq, Lake/Marshall bridge over the Mississippi.  www.worldwidewamm.org

Every Wednesday, 4:30-5:30 pm, Peace vigil over footbridge at 85th Ave N and Hwy 252, Brooklyn Park FFI 763-566-8255

Every Wednesday, 6 pm, peace vigil at signal light on Hwy 169, Belle Plaine. JoAnne, 952-873-3315

Every Thursday, 4:30 to 5:30 p.m., Vigil in front of Lockheed Martin, NW corner of Pilot Knob Road and Yankee Doodle Road in Eagan.  FFI: family4peace@msn.com

Every Thursday, 4:30 to 6, vigil at 42nd (County Rd 9) and Winnetka Ave N, New Hope. carydberg@comcast.net

Every Thursday, 5 to 6 pm, Chisago City gathering for peace, Moberg Park on Hwy 8, Chisago City. AARONWOODJW@aol.com

Every Thursday, 5 to 6 pm, Peace vigil at intersection of Bridge and Fountain Streets, Albert Lea. sjmoore@smig.net

Every Friday, noon to 1 pm, Anti-Recruitment vigil “Our Children Are Not Cannon Fodder,” off Oak St and Washington Ave, East Bank of U, Minneapolis, 612-379-4716.

Every Friday, 4:15 to 5:30 p.m., Vigil to end the occupation of Palestine, Snelling and Summit, St. Paul.  steichenfm@usfamily.net

Every Friday, 4:30, Red Wing Alliance for Peace sponsors a vigil at John Rick park, Red Wing, followed by potluck and discussion on alternate weeks. tuvecino@redwing.net

Every Friday, 5 to 6 pm, peace vigil at Lagoon and Hennepin, Uptown Mpls.  FFI: WAMM.

Every Saturday, 9 am, Peace walk, Fern and Hwy. 95, Cambridge.  (8 block walk) ytpsund@yahoo.com

Every Saturday, 11 am to noon, peace vigil at corner of Bridge and River St, Chippewa Falls, WI.  FFI: lagoclam@aol.com or 715-726-0365.

Every Saturday, 11 to noon, Minnetonka weekly peace demonstration, at Hwy 7 and 101. Park in Target Greatland lot; meet near entrance fountain. carydberg@comcast.net

Every Saturday, 10:15 to noon, peace bannering on 40th St footbridge over 35W, Mpls. 952-465-2866.

Every Saturday, noon to 12:15, Vigil at Bridge Square (Division and 4th), Northfield.  billmcgrath52@gmail.com

Every Saturday, 2 to 3 pm, Mounds View peace vigil, SE corner of Hwy 10 and University Ave NE in Blaine. vanka485@aol.com or 763-717-9168.

Every Saturday, 2 to 3 pm, Peace vigil at NE corner Co Hwy 10 & Univ Ave NE, Blaine. vanka485@aol.com

(More vigils are listed at http://www.worldwidewamm.org/takeaction/vigil/statevigils.html )

• View the most recent agenda
• Submit agenda item for next MWB. (choose “business agenda item” as recipient)
• About MWB

Anne and I are interested in holding up a mirror to the face of meeting and saying, “look, isn’t this a wonderful community?!” We want to give ourselves—collectively– a fresh look at ourselves.
As our first act in this process, we plan to spend the first 30 to 45 minutes of the May 9th MWB in a “Meet The Parts” Party. There will be refreshments, and also the following “Links of Meeting” game.

Orientation to the Game:
Most of us have several links to the whole community of TCFM. We may attend Wednesday-evening Worship and/ or teach First Day School. The goal of this Links of Meeting exercise is to create a paper chain with a link for each activity that connects you and your Ffriends to the TCFM community.

Instructions for Participants:
1 Collecting your links
We have grouped the hundreds of ways people are connected to TCFM into 10 categories, like “8:30 Worship” and “Informal Ministry & Support.” Each category will have its own location on one of the tables in the Meeting Room, with a description of common activities in that category (below), and a pile of colored paper strips. Each participant should check out all the categories, asking “In the last year, have I connected to others in the TCFM community through an activity in this category?” When the answer is “yes,” take one of the strips of that color and write your name on one side of it.
If you find you have done several different activities that fall in the same category, we would encourage you to put your name on a separate slip for each of them, or at least several of them. The longer the chain, the better the representation of our connections to Meeting!

If you take part in a TCFM-community experience which is not mentioned in any category, you are encouraged to write it in as a sub-category on one of the ten category sheets.
Or, if it doesn’t fit under an existing category, write it on the MISCELLANEOUS sheet, or if it deserves a category of its own, use one of the unassigned categories.

2 Attaching the Links
On the east wall of the Meeting Room you will find a cord strung like a clothesline with links of each color hanging from it. With a piece of tape, form your paper strip into a link and attach each of your colored links to a link of that color that is already hanging from the line.
If you feel comfortable, tell someone else what the link stands for as you attach it.

3 Receive the Links of Others
When you have attached all your links, have another cookie and share with someone your reactions to the exercise. OR, stick around the growing paper chain and help others attach their links, and hear what they have to say about them.

Our Categories of TCFM Community Activities:
8:30 WORSHIP

11:00 WORSHIP

WEDNESDAY EVENING WORSHIP

FORMAL MEETING WORK
Service on the regular Standing Committees of the Meeting, or an ad hoc committee, or other administrative work
Attending Meeting for Worship with attention to Business (MWB).
Caring for the building or grounds, perhaps on work days, even though it’s not your committee assignment
Setting up chairs or tables and food for Meeting events like weddings or memorial services
Helping clean up after Meeting events, like Potluck
Other standard, recognized activities that directly support TCFM

FAMILY ACTIVITIES
First Day School
Family Meeting
Away-from-Meeting shared playgroups and childcare.
Friends School
Other family-related activities

CLEARNESS, SUPPORT & ELDERING COMMITTEES

INFORMAL MINISTRY & SUPPORT
For community members in difficulty: home visits, taking food and offering other forms of help
Listening to community members who need to share, face to face or on the phone.
(Might happen at potlucks or Needle-Workers-Anonymous)
Lending or giving money
Other similar activities of informal ministry and support

GROUPS FOR QUAKER-RELATED INTERESTS, EDUCATION AND EXPLORATION
Adult Education Hours
“Old Friends” and “Crones”
Adult Young Friends
Quakerism 101
Other Meeting-sponsored workshops and seminars
Spiritual Nurture Groups
Circle 8 Potlucks
Eco-Quakers, Quaker Community Forest
Book groups with a recognized Quaker context
Metro Friends, NYM & FGC Gatherings
Pendle Hill & similar workshops and settings (you may have attended a workshop alone but we assume it builds the whole TCFM community that you have done so.)
Other Quaker-related educational activities you have done with or without other members of this community

“IN-THE-WORLD” COMMUNITY SERVICE AND POLITICAL ACTIVISM where I feel “kin” with other Quakers who I know are involved, or care about the issue, even though we may not bump into each other often.
Loaves and Fishes
Project Home
Anti-war rallies
GLBTQ activities
Other activities in the larger world that you feel you attend “as a Quaker, a member of the TCFM community” even if you may not be recognized as officially representing the meeting

MISCELLANEOUS ENCOUNTERS WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS, such as
Working for pay
Going to movies together
Doing laundry or housecleaning
Other activities you share with TCFM community members that may not be recognized as “spiritual” or “community-related”

I have long thought there was great potential in an expanded relationship between our Meeting and the Macalester student body, probably because my own first regular contact with Quakers came as a college student in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

I encourage Friends to learn about the Experimental College (EXCO). It started at Macalester a couple of years ago and has modest organizational and financial support from the College.

ECXO is a collective that shares common visions for a better world and offers free and open classes to the public. EXCO strives to offer Twin Cities’ communities the opportunity to teach or learn in a space open to alternative education and all kinds of knowledge, particularly those that have been historically marginalized. At EXCO, everyone can teach or take a class, and all classes are free.
– from the EXCO website.

My long-term dream is that we would offer a couple of regular courses in the EXCO format, most semesters. Perhaps one on Quakers and one on Nonviolence in the fall, maybe a Spiritual Nurture class in the spring. Last fall, Betsy Raasch-Gilman co-taught a class which was an inter-generational dialog between anti-authoritarians and more traditional peace and justice activists.

In the short term, I urge interested Friends to check out the website, consider taking a summer class, and please talk to me about what you think we might be able to do in the future.

A sample of EXCO courses from the term just ending:
Building A Movement for Economic Human Rights
Introduction to Programming (in Java)
Beginners Intro To Knitting and Crochet
Climate, Development, and Energy: Renewing Our Future
The Social Responsibility of African American Music
Meet the MN 8! Peace Criminal or War Criminal? How do you envision your life in the age of the War on Terror?
Basic Bike Maintenance

Peace, Struggle & Giggle,

I have never been in a king’s court and do not take the metaphor of “jester” too literally. And yet, I have discovered over the years that while I don’t like being in positions of hierarchal power, I am comfortable standing next to them, and that I often have something to offer, frequently through the vehicle of a humorous remark.

And what does this have to do with being Clerk of TCFM? This is where the “magic” comes in. I don’t pretend to understand the synchronistic events within myself and the TCFM community that have led me to becoming its clerk. I simply marvel that this has happened.

AND, it is time to alert you to the fact that I will be bringing a fool’s energy to the job.

That is not to say I will make light of my responsibilities. I promise to take them seriously. But my energy, my “magic,” my gifts that I bring to the work, contain a good portion of what I call the fool.

I believe that is just fine. I trust that I have been brought into this role among us at a time when what I have to offer will be beneficial. We’ll see.

My message to you, my community, at this point, is that sometimes your clerk will be odd. On the one hand, I could argue that Meeting has gotten a little stuffy, and that it can use some fresh air. On the other hand I could say that Nominating Committee had already asked a lot of other people to serve, and they had said “no;” I am the best that TCFM can do, at this point in our history.

Appreciating my gifts, compensating for my weaknesses

In any case, here we are. I greatly admire the sense of gravitas Marianne Clinton-McCausland was able to bring to the role of clerk, and I am sorry that I have much less of that to offer. I will do the best I can, with what I bring.

And to the extent that there are things lacking in my style of leadership, dear Friends, I am counting on you to supply them. This fool is looking to cultivate a collective style of leadership among us. If you sense that discussion during MWB has gotten too heady, or that significant emotional realities are not being given enough weight, ask for some moments of silence. If you know that the discussion at hand is going to take a long time and that there is a later agenda item that needs to be dealt with before the end of the meeting, please point this out. I am not saying that I will deal perfectly with surprising suggestions from you, but I want to hear them. I want us all to hear them, and, as a group, to find our way forward as best we can.

One of the benefits of a person like myself being clerk at this point in the life of our meeting is the contrast with Marianne. I cannot “replace” her. I cannot fill her shoes. I will do clerking in my own way, and we, the community, will adapt to this, appreciating the gifts I bring, and compensating for my weaknesses. Assistant Clerk Anne Supplee is our first line of defense!

And, as the TCFM community discovers it CAN function with this oddly-gifted clerk, I hope it will embolden others of you to think about taking positions of greater responsibility, in the months and years ahead. You don’t have to be perfect, you don’t have to live up to your ideal of who you “really should be,” to offer valuable leadership in a community that is watching out for you, and helping you when you need it.

This post is password protected. To view it please enter your password below, or click ‘Contact Us’ above and request a password from the web clerk.

Password: