| Announcements for
July 30, 2021
The Daily Minute
will be sent each evening during Annual Session
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 | Picture of the Week
New sign at Menallen Monthly Meeting
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| Announcements, News, and Events
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Baltimore Yearly Meeting
350TH ANNIVERSARY OUTREACH SUBCOMMITTEE: LET OUR LIGHT SHINE!
The Outreach Subcommittee of BYM’s 350th Anniversary Ad Hoc Committee needs your help! This landmark occasion is a great opportunity to tell the wider non-Quaker community that Friends still exist, that we are still active, and that we are deeply engaged as a faith community in today’s world. As part of that wider outreach, we are putting together a number of presentations to offer to a variety of organizations, such as historical societies, service groups, libraries, civil rights organizations, and other faith communities. We plan to tell the full story of our history – where we struggled as well as where we shone. Suggested topics include our history; our Quaker witness; Quakerism as a faith path; Friends, abolition, and civil rights; and Friends and the Civil War. Other suggestions are welcome!
To help us get this off the ground, we are seeking Friends who:
- Have already developed a presentation about any aspect of our faith, history, or witness that they can share with us.
- Have specific expertise regarding Quaker faith, history, or witness and would be willing to be a resource as we develop our presentations.
- Have great PowerPoint skills and can help us develop compelling visuals for the presentations.
- Enjoy public speaking and would like to be part of our BYM Speakers Bureau.
Please contact Patricia Barber at patloubar@gmail.com if you would like to help! We also welcome Friends who would like to be part of the Outreach Subcommittee.
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| Reopening Meeting Houses Conversation Available
Dear Friends,
On June 24, Baltimore Yearly Meeting Quakers gathered online to discuss their thoughts and experiences about reopening the Meeting Houses. It was a very rich discussion. To see the video, click here. You will see another link for "Recording of June 24, 2021, Conversation".
Thanks,
Gary Sandman
Co-Clerk, Ministry and Pastoral Care Committee
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| Off-season Rentals at the BYM Camp Properties
As Friends are probably aware, we have about 2 and ½ fewer people in the office providing support for the Yearly Meetings programs and administration than we did at the start of 2020. Much of the administrative work of scheduling and billing for the off-season rentals was done by people in these supportive roles.
We look forward to continuing to rent the Studio at Catoctin on AirBnB throughout the year, as well as offering campsites at Catoctin on HipCamp.com through the end of September 2021. Unfortunately we do not feel we can return to renting the entirety of the camp properties during the off-season this fall. We look forward to a time when the Yearly Meeting has enough administrative support resume renting the properties in their entirety to schools, local Meetings and other groups.
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Thinking about Race (Summer 2021)
“If you have the privilege of being born a black woman, it is my belief that it is part of your divine mission to liberate yourself from all external and internalized oppression and thereby liberate the world.” - Ama Karikari-Yawson
Ama Karikari-Yawson is the Founder, President, and Principal of Milestales. She is the author of Sunne's Gift: How Sunne Overcame Bullying to Reclaim God’s Gift and Kwanzaa Nana Is Coming to Town.
Ms. Yawson earned a BA from Harvard University, an MBA from the Wharton School and a JD from the University of Pennsylvania Law School. She is an attorney, author, publisher, entrepreneur and educator who gives workshops on various topics including bullying prevention, culturally empowering education, and entrepreneurship.
This column is prepared by the BYM Working Group on Racism (WGR) and sent to the designated liaisons at each Monthly and Preparative Meeting for publication in their newsletter or other means of dissemination. The WGR meets most months on the first Saturday from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm, at various Meetings. If you would like to attend, on a regular or a drop-in basis, contact clerk David Etheridge.
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Updated Marriage Provisions of Faith and Practice
The latest draft revision to the marriage provisions of Faith and Practice prepared by the Faith and Practice Committee, dated July 18, 2021, is available here. This draft is being provided to Monthly Meetings and other BYM groups for comment, and will be available in the Faith and Practice Section of the BYM website. The Faith and Practice Committee email address is fandp@bym-rsf.org.
Since April 2020, two earlier drafts of this document have been sent to Monthly Meetings and other BYM groups for input, and the comments received have been faithfully incorporated. At this point in the revision process, the Faith and Practice Committee will only accept substantive comments from Monthly Meetings and other BYM groups regarding matters that would prevent approval of this section of Faith and Practice. Deadline for comments will be May 14th (before the June Interim Meeting). At Sixth Month 2021 Interim Meeting on June 12, an advance copy will be presented (in preparation for second reading at Annual Session). Any substantive issues that the Faith and Practice Committee cannot resolve on its own will be referred to the Yearly Meeting officers to determine next steps.
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Unity with Nature Committee Announces Climate and Sustainability Webinars
The Unity with Nature Committee is sharing information about this series of seven webinars on climate change, solutions and related technologies this summer. Dr. Sara Via, Climate Extension Specialist at the Univesity of Maryland, ia a gifted communicator and she is offering the webinars free and accessible to everyone. Dr. Via's previous work can be seen on her web site, https://climatecorner.org. A copy of the flyer for the programs can be downloaded here.
Because of UMD's Zoom system, you will need to register for each webinar. But the good news is that by registering you'll get the link to the video the day after the webinar! The late afternoon timing of the webinars may challenge people's work schedules. If you register for the session, you will be sent a link to the video the day after which you can watch at your conveniences. Click here to register.
We hope that you enjoy these climate change videos as a way to educate yourself this summer.
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Conscientious objector workshop(s) for BYM youth?
Selective Service System (SSS) registration for a possible draft into compulsory U.S. military service, now, is automatic in most states when getting a state driver’s license. If the draft is reinstated, they could have as little as nine days to prepare a CO claim before having to go before a local draft board.
Thus, Quaker youth could easily miss the chance to claim status as a conscientious objector (CO).
If your Meeting (or other BYM unit) has youth ages 15-18 who could want to find out how to claim conscientious objector status in Quaker-based "how-to" workshop, please email Phil Caroom (pcaroom@gmail.com) of BYM Peace and Social Concerns and Annapolis Friends Peace and Social Concerns for more information.
Such workshop(s) would be interactive and offered via Zoom on some date(s) t/b/d during fall 2021.
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Quaker Voice of Maryland is seeking input from Maryland Quakers!
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Annual Session 2021 Registration Information
When you register for Annual Session, you should receive, within 48 hours, an email with your personalized links for every event for which you have registered. PLEASE CHECK the events listed, and let us know if there are any errors. If you have NOT received a confirmation email with these events, or find errors, please email registrar@bym-rsf.org. Include your name and phone number and we will be in touch. As they are able, the Registrars can ADD events to your registration. We request 24 hours notice to ADD an event. Please email registrar@bym-rsf.org with your request.
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| Daily Minute for Annual Session 2021
If you have a submission, send to dailyminute@bym-rsf.org by 12:00 pm the day before you want them published and we will include them in the next day’s Daily Minute.
The Daily Minute will be for each day will be sent in the evening of the day before, and will include links for events for those who have already registered.
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Tech Assistance for Annual Session 2021 Needed
Annual Session 2021 is coming up rapidly. Hopefully you have your registration in. Program Committee is looking for some additional volunteers to assist with Zoom session host duties, primarily for the workshops. If you would like to volunteer some time, please contact lindajcoates@gmail.com or send us a note at annualsessiontech@bym-rsf.org. If you would like to host for a specific time or workshop, just let us know. We will get back to you to confirm and answer any questions you may have. Thank you.
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