BROOKLYN MEETING NEWS a Publication of the Brooklyn Monthly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends
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BROOKLYN MEETING NEWS A publication of the Brooklyn Monthly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends brooklynmeeting.org April 2016 Meet the Meeting: work together; it also teaches that we But silence in the classroom is not get to a greater truth when there are limited to the weekly meeting. Quakers in the Classroom more voices contributing. Jonathan points out how important it is to walk the line between making an This is the first installment of our new Similarly, silence is a Quaker observation or connection for a “Meet the Meeting” feature, in which principle that also has a pedagogical student versus simply being in the we get to know Brooklyn Meeting purpose. At BFS, lower school moment and letting students make members and attenders while students have meeting time once per those leaps themselves. highlighting the myriad ways in which week in their classrooms. As a they apply their Quaker values to the teacher, Jonathan uses silence to mark “Silence is key to getting them to a outside world. Would you – or the transition from the busy activity of deeper spot,” he said. “Knowledge is someone you know -- like to be the classroom to the more not just quick recall. They need space featured in an upcoming article? Then contemplative time in meeting, in to grapple with what they’re thinking get in touch! (Talk to one of the which children can begin to get a about.” communications committee members, sense of themselves as part of a or email community as well as an individual. Jonathan notes that he is interested [email protected]) As the meeting goes on, silence also and active in the Quaker identity of sits in the gentle pauses between the school, as a member of the Quaker What makes for a Quaker education? speakers, as children take the time to Life Committee and Quaker Spiritual Is it the use of silence in the absorb what friends have said. Life Communities. classroom? An ingrained respect for diverse perspectives? A “It is essential that the school recognition of the Light within understands and reevaluates all the each child? For Jonathan time: ‘What does it mean to be a Edmonds, math specialist in the Quaker school, in the classroom, in lower school at Brooklyn Friends student interactions, and with School, it is all of these things parents?’” and more. Jonathan specifically sought a In his 14 years at BFS, Jonathan teaching position at a Quaker has given a great deal of thought school when he began his career. to the ways in which he brings Raised Lutheran, he learned about Quaker values to the classroom. Quakers when he studied 19th In part, he explains, it is the way century social movements in he approaches the material. For college, and began attending instance, in mathematics, there meeting in Nashville after he are a number of solutions to any graduated. He started as a teacher’s given problem. If we want to assistant at BFS while still in understand how 6 + 7 = 13, we graduate school, and began can simply put six objects and attending Brooklyn Meeting at the seven objects together and count same time. His wife, Rachel, them. Or we can note that 6 + 6 = teaches English in the middle 12, with an additional one making school at BFS. His son Eli is in the 13; or that 7 + 7 = 14, and taking second grade, while daughter one away makes 13. Naomi is enrolled at the Family Understanding the different ways Center. that people might approach Giancarlo Young adding 6 + 7 does not just give Jonathan is quick to note that he children a better idea of how numbers does not have all the answers about Quaker values in the classroom, but that it is important to explore the questions. In doing so, he is taking an approach similar to the ones that he instills in students – to contribute their truths confidently but also humbly, knowing that it is important to learn from other perspectives. -- Melissa Cavanaugh March Meeting for Concerns Committee, announced death, or hearing the preferences of plans for a Quaker Party. The party, others is fraught with discomfort. I Business: New Members; sponsored by the New York Quarterly might not have gone to the workshop Committee Report; Meeting, will bring together young if I hadn’t committed to writing about adults from four Yearly Meetings. It it for the newsletter, but I left Young Adult Event will be held at 15th Street Meeting afterwards feeling like the from June 17 through the 19th. He asks conversation was one that more of us Two Letters Applying for that Brooklyn Meeting be responsible should have more regularly. Membership for a potluck dinner on Saturday evening. Friends agree and ask Anna The group was led by Yana Landowne Adrienne Almeida read her first letter Staab to coordinate the potluck. and Electra Cummings, and the of application for membership for her meeting started by asking people to family (including her husband, Communications Committee describe a good death. People Howard Oliver, and daughter, Neva). Reports on the Meeting Newsletter described being close to nature, Amy Hundley read her first letter of having time to say goodbye, being application. Both letters will be read a The Communications Committee comfortable, listening to music, going second time at the April Meeting for reports that the Newsletter was quickly, and disintegrating naturally. Business. published every month but August. Although I’d never asked myself Many Friends from the Meeting specifically about my own death, I May Meeting for Business contributed articles during the year. realized that very distinct images Rescheduled The committee has been short one came to mind. There was a joyful Due to a conflict with the Meeting member for two years. This member quality in the details that people Retreat at Powell House, Meeting for is needed to provide the Calendar of shared—they were descriptions of Business will be held on May 8. Events for the Meeting website and relationships and favorite places, would need to attend Meeting for beauty and art, and in sharing them Recorders Report on Membership Worship twice a month to hear the idea of planning for death didn’t announcements of events. feel like an invitation to disaster, but Iris Lee Stoler reported on the present The Nominating Committee re- also a moment of celebration. membership of the Meeting. Over the nominated three members for the past year the Meeting has added eight Communications Committee. They The opportunity to hear useful adult members and four children. Four are approved. information, and learn from the members died. The Meeting has 207 -- Molly Rusnak experiences of others was extremely members locally, as well as 273 reassuring. I had assumed that the role Attenders. 61 members live outside of of a health care proxy was (stressful, the area, bringing the total of 541. Quaker Values and End- but) straight forward, but there were The Meeting Directory of Members of-Life Decision Making several questions that made me aware and Attenders is emailed four times a of the need for more specific year. Several printed copies are Workshop conversations. A sense of anxiety, that available in the Meeting Library. I hadn’t even admitted, was relieved Iris and Lucy Sikes are nominated as Dear Friends, just by knowing more about what to recorders for their 12th terms ask, and where to find resources for I feel compelled to write personally the information. It was also wonderful New York Yearly Meeting Young about the ARCH workshop that took to share this conversation with people th Adults Plan Large Event place on February 28 , on End-of-Life who were older and younger than Decision making. The process of myself; I felt like speaking about it Glenn Josey, speaking for the New choosing a healthcare proxy, or more regularly within a broader York Yearly Meeting Young Adult describing one’s preferences around community, with less emotional tension, might actually make it easier future. Dinner will begin at 6:30 p.m. to talk about more intimately as well. Bring some food to share or just come Most Friends know that Cadbury’s and share. The event is free. Chocolates was owned by Quakers So much of the conversation about Donations welcome. (until 1969) and that Quaker Oats death seems medicalized usually— never was (although the “Quaker seems to come in moments of crisis, On the morning of April 5th, we are Man” on the box supposedly around the need to make complicated invited to join the Walk into the city represents the product’s integrity). decisions on short notice. A lot of over the George Washington Bridge things are worse for being put off, but from New Jersey beginning at 9 a.m. Quakernomics: An Ethical death is a subject, I’m realizing, that or on the New York side at 9:40 a.m. Capitalism, released in 2014, has a has so many rewards for being This will be a beautiful way to honor title reminiscent of the runaway discussed. The discussion can be the them and a powerful opportunity to bestseller Freakanomics. But the two basis for community, and part of a help bring peace to our city. The are not to be confused. The book’s practice of prioritizing one’s values. walkers will be holding a vigil at 4 author, Mike King, is an English non- The initial discomfort of broaching p.mm at the United Nations’ Ralph Friend with an admiration for the the conversation is so small in Bunche Park which people are contributions Quakers made to the comparison to the benefits of having welcome to join.