Weekly Announcements for February 21, 2025
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Welcome, Zora Tucker,
BYM Interim Camping Program Manager! |
BYM is thrilled to welcome Zora Tucker as our Interim Camping Program Manager. Zora grew up in Charlottesville Friends Meeting and has been involved with BYM and BYM Camps since age 11. For the past fifteen years, Zora has worked as a teacher and a leader at middle schools, high schools and a small liberal arts college - working to help young people understand the current moment through examining the past. Zora will be full-time with BYM through the end of the 2025 camping season and can be reached at ZoraTucker@bym-rsf.org. Welcome back, Zora!
As Zora shares in an re-introduction letter to BYM:
This summer, many kids may need camp more than ever. I’ve been thinking a lot about courage and joy lately. The anticipation of camp may be what gives them the courage and resolve to persevere in a world that is daily becoming more hostile to the most vulnerable communities in our country and also to literally everyone who isn’t a billionaire (if you are a billionaire, please consider making a donation to BYM camps here). That courage needs to walk lockstep with a commitment to feel and experience joy, collectively, in a moment when the powers that be want us to shut down and give up–and our camps are a place where campers, families and volunteers can experience that joy.
I want to reassure you that the directors, the staff and myself are already working to create a safe, joyful and hope-filled refuge for all the campers to not just survive–but to thrive as their best selves. It is truly a gift to work for an organization that remains committed in both word and action to the idea that you cannot build peace without working for justice.
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Register for March 22nd Interim Meeting @ Alexandria
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BYM will gather for Meeting for Worship for the Conduct of Business on March 22nd at Alexandria Friends Meeting. The agenda will be posted early next week. Supporting Documents & Advance Reports are due next Feb 28th to GenSec@bym-rsf.org.
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BYM Hiring Next Youth Program Manager
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Do you know someone who loves working with 11-18 year olds? Someone excited to co-create safe, joyful, inclusive spaces with young people to build social skills, independence, resilience, and community? BYM seeks our next Youth Programs Manager and is now accepting applications. This is a half-time position with benefits. Come work with BYM Young Friends!
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JYF Con Registration Deadline is Monday!
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The next BYM Junior Young Friends Con ("JYF Con") will take place March 1-2 at Langley Hill Friends Meeting. Junior Young Friends is BYM's program for 6th - 8th graders. JYF Cons are a fun way to see friends from other Meetings or camp, make new friends, have fun, and retreat from the pressures of pre-teen life while developing skills for living in community. Registration will close on Monday - get your JYF signed up today!
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| Epistle to BYM Friends from the School of the Spirit Cohort
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For the past year members of The School of the Spirit’s “Participating in God’s Power” program have been studying, praying, and listening deeply to and for the leadings of Spirit. At Their final residency last weekend, they were led to create an epistle in the manner of Quakers to be shared with “all Friends everywhere." To do the work we are each called to in these times, we have to be responsive to and follow the leadings given to us. These Friends are convinced that now is the time to live fully into our calling.
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Friends and family of Hank Schutz will gather in Charlottesville at 2pm this Sat, Feb 22nd at the Colonades (first floor auditorium) for a special concert. Hank died earlier this week. The concert was to have been a surprise 80th birthday present - a one hour concert from many of the folks with whom he has made music over the last 40+ years, and the show will go on with Hank attending in-spirit rather than in body. There will be classical pieces - concertos and quartets that will include a couple of beautiful pieces that Hank and Frances especially loved including shape-note songs, chamber music, and a Gilbert & Sullivan selection. All are welcome. A formal Memorial Meeting will take place at a later date.
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Rev. Dr. Robert Turner to speak to BYM, March 8
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BYM will have the opportunity to hear Rev. Dr. Robert Turner speak about his experiences and his faith journey working in the national reparations movement on March 8th at 1:00pm. Rev. Turner walks from Baltimore to DC every month, in one day, walking 42 miles, calling his walk #40milesfor 40 acres, as a statement that reparations once promised are still needed. Rev. Turner is the Senior Pastor of the AME Empowerment Temple in Baltimore, and author of the book, Creating a Culture of Repair: taking action on the road to reparations - full of things we can all do, right now.
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Quaker Voice of Maryland Advocacy Workshops, Week of Feb 23
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Join BYM Friends in Maryland for a Friendly Persuasion Workshops (Week 5) this week. These will be learning and work sessions that will include presentations for f/Friends who are new to advocacy and more experienced advocates, with a particular focus on preparing and submitting testimony, tracking bill progress, and followup advocacy. Several Quaker Voice priority bills have testimony due and hearings coming up next week. Email erinn@campmansour.com or call 410-961-1332 to schedule a time that works for you!
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| BYM Celebrates Black History & Futures Month
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Many BYM Friends are taking time this month to think about our efforts to be/become an Anti-Racist Faith Community and wanted to share a recommendation for continued learning for all of us this month which is 28 Days of Black History. Once you subscribe, each day they will email you a person in history that has done incredible work. Some of them are Quaker a as well! In this last week of February we hope you will commit to continued practice, learning, growth, transformation and Celebration this Black History and Futures Month.
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| Friends to Hold in the Light
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- Mother of Kim Keck (Patuxent)
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Harriet Dugan (BYM Staff) & Family
- Family of Valarie Matthews (Charlottesville), d. 02/09/2025
- Family of Prose Cassells (Frederick), d. 02/14/2025
- Family of Hank Schutz (Charlottesville), d. 02/16/2025
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To add Friends from your Meeting to our weekly list of Friends to Hold in the Light, please email LucyAzenga@bym-rsf.org.
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