Quaker Thought and Today
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\ October 1991 Quaker Thought FRIENDS and Life OURNAL Today .............. ~ Edltor-M•n•ger Among Friends Vinton Deming Assocl•te Editor Melissa Kay Elliott Art Director Barbara Benton Christmas in October Advertising M•n•ger Catherine Frost Clrcul•tlon •nd Promotion hen we are traveling among Friends, one particular question Nagendran Gulendran often arises: How do issues of the magazine come together? ~peseHing Services James Rice and Susan Jordhamo W People want to know whether the articles are solicited, for Secret•rl•l Services instance, or if they just come in. How do we decide what to use? Edward Sargent Bookk•eper Our process of receiving articles is much like an unprogrammed meeting James Neveil for worship. We as editors find ourselves sitting on the facing bench, if you Volunteers Jane Burgess, Carol Eresian, Anders Hansen, will, of a very large meeting-a threshing session, perhaps-one that Emily Conlon includes Friends of many persuasions from a wide geographical area. When Bo•rd of M•n•gers 1989-1992: Jennie Allen (Secretary), Richard messages are shared with us, as they are daily, we read them carefully. Eldridge (Assistant Clerk), Bernard Haviland, Some are expressed well, others need improvement or seem less suitable. We Eric Larsen, Marcia Mason, Janet Norton, David Samuel, Carolyn Sprogell, Wilmer try to exercise discernment and participate in extensive dialogue with Tjossem, Alice Wiser authors. Out of this process our monthly issues emerge. 1990-1993: Clement Alexandre, Marguerite Clark, Leonard Kenworthy, Lee Neff, Mary Sometimes we ask individuals to submit articles. Currently, for instance, Ellen Singsen the subject of realignment within Friends United Meeting is a topic of wide 1991- 1994: Frank Bjornsgaard, Emily Conlon, Nancy Cocks Culleton, Barbara Dinhofer, Dian discussion. We have invited two Friends to write on the subject for a future Fatula, Sam Legg (Clerk), Parry Jones, Richard Moses (Treasurer) , Harry Scott, Larry Spears issue. Similarly, this year marks the 50th anniversary of Civilian Public Honor•I'J M•n•gers Service. Several veterans of CPS have been asked to write articles for an Eleanor Stabler Clarke, Mildred Binns Young issue this winter. We try to be aware too of who has traveled recently to an fRIENDS JOURNAL (ISSN 0016-1322) was established in 1955 as the successor to The interesting place in the world, what Friend has delivered a challenging Friend (1827-1955) and Friends Intelligencer (1844- 1955). It is associated with the Religious conference address, who is traveling with a particular concern. At such Society of Friends, and is a member of the times we encourage timely articles. Associated Church Press. Our October issue represents all of this. When Imogene and Richard • FRrENDS JOURNAL is published monthly by Friends Publishing Corporation, 1501 Cherry St., Angell visited us in June, Imogene brought us her article. We were moved Philadelphia, PA 19102-1497. Telephone (215) by her account of the work of Friends in Detroit to support a Friends 241-7277. Accepted as second-class postage at Philadelphia, Pa. and additional mailing offices. school, and looked forward to publishing the piece. A short time later we • Subscriptions: one year $18, two years $34. received, unsolicited, the articles by Thomas Woehrle on "Teaching Add $6 per year for postage to countries outside the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. Individual copies Religion in Friends Schools" and by Alfred LaMotte on multicultural $2 each. education. Spencer Coxe's article had been in a folder for over a year; we'd • Information on and assistance with advertising is available on request. Appearance been waiting for the right mix of articles with which to place it. The "final of any advertisement does not imply endorsement by FRrENDS JouRNAL. examination" on page 17 found its way to us from a monthly meeting's • Postmaster: send address changes to newsletter (we receive many of them and comb them regularly for things to FllrENDS JouRNAL, 1501 Cherry St., share). Paul Wahrhaftig was invited to report on the national conflict Philadelphia, PA 19102-1497 • Copyright © 1991 by Friends Publishing resolution conference. The FGC reports are a mix: some of the authors Corporation. Reprints of articles available at were invited during the gathering to send us their impressions; others nominal cost. Permission should be received before reprinting excerpts longer than 200 surprised us with their reflections or photographs. words. Available in microfilm from University Microfilms International. A particular delight in the current issue is a new department, the Parents' Corner, initiated by Harriet Heath. We look forward to contributions from PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER our readers to this corner- parents and children alike-and trust this will become a valued space for good dialogue among Friends. In closing, may we suggest a particular writing assignment for all who Moving? wish to contribute to our December issue? In 300 words or less (deadline October 14) send us your " most memorable Christmas as a Friend." Last Let us update year The Friend of London Yearly Meeting published the responses to such your subscription a question, and they were wonderful; brief, yet providing great depth and diversity. and address. We look forward to your gifts-at Christmas and at other times. Write or call: FRIENDS JoURNAL, 1501 Cherry St., Philadelphia, PA 19102-1497 (215) 241 -7277; FAX (215) 568-1377 2 October 1991 FRIENDS JOURNAL October 1991 FRIENDS Volume 37, No. 10 JOURNAL Features Departments 6 Continuing Revelation 2 Among Friends Sam Legg New light, new understanding can come at any time, from 4 Forum any source. 5 VIewpoint 8 Friends School-One of Detroit's 28 Witness Jewels 30 Reports Imogene B. Angell Racially integrated and vibrant, a Friends school addresses a 32 Life of the Meeting city's needs. 33 Parents' Corner 10 Teaching Religion In Friends 34 Bulletin Board Schools Thomas Woehrle Calendar Students from different traditions can be brought closer to 36 News of Friends God in Spirit and in truth. Nonsense 12 Friends Schools: 1\vo Unmet Needs of the Meeting Spencer Coxe Can inclusive education validate Quaker principles? 38 Books 14 A Critical VIew of Multicultural 40 Milestones Education Classified Alfred K. LaMotte Quaker education affirms the transcendence of God in a 42 Meetings diversity of culture. 17 Final Exam: Gulf War 101 The course is over. Can we learn from the answers? 18 Trends in Peacemaking and Conflict Resolution Paul Wahrhaftig New and exciting approaches are being made at all levels of our society. 20 1991 FGC Gathering Friends share their experiences from a week of " Growing in Radical Faith." The front cover shows a class self-portrait on fabric made by second graders in Boulder, Colo. They gave one copy to Boulder's Sister City, Dushanbe, in the Soviet Union; the other is on display at the State Capitol in Denver. FRIENDS JouRNAL October 1991 3 ~ - ~---------------------- Foftlm "The Penn Elm Tree " Attention arboriculturists Looking again at one of my favorite photographic histories-Philadelphia Quakers 1681-1981, by Philadelphia Yearly Meeting-! note the close association of old trees with old Quaker structures or with old Quakers. The most noteworthy association of these two is the Shackamaxon elm with William Penn, made well-known by the Quaker painter Benjamin West. In the above-cited book is a reproduced photo of a great white oak near Salem (N.J.) Meeting, which in 1676 predated Penn's gathering on the Delaware River with his Friendly native Americans. Turning more pages I find two other old trees associated with Quakerism, the only two I remember viewing personally before my emigration from one PYM deep road cut. The hushed swish of trucks following crostic as a letter with a note area to another PYM (Pacific Yearly and cars is steady. One could wish that the explaining who actually wrote the one Meeting). These are the magnificent old corridor of traffic were set over a mile or you published in July. oak-is it a black, white, red, or other so to the south. Yet it occurred to me oak?-in the foreground of the London during worship in the meetinghouse that Oops! Grove (Pa.) Meeting, and the giant the Jove and centeredness of that building Sequoia near the Painter-Tyler and of the century-old school grounds A. FRIENDS JouRNAL's editorial standards. Arboretum in Delaware County, Pa. continually radiate spiritual energy and I suggest there are in the early Quaker peace. Some of this may spill down onto 6 areas of the mid-Atlantic states other the highway. If so, drivers of trucks and B. Embarrassed sound. examples of historic old trees of known autos are splashing their vehicles through 4 association with Friendly structures or an invisible, ever-replenished pool of C. ___ if it were mine. II 7 with Friendly arboriculturists. This blessing. Do these people sense a appeals to me as a worthy topic for a D. Editors can _ __ but they can't corresponding moment of light hide. __ Quaker writer to explore. Taking another heartedness and of relaxation from 5 9 12 tack, what kinds of native woods were anxiety? Do travelers experience a strange E. Someone who couldn't believe what the old Quaker meeting benches sawed and beautiful empowerment as they drive he saw. from? From where were the trees cut and just below the meetinghouse? These 2 10 who were the sawyers, the joiners? Were questions came to me. Could it be that the the wooden partitions between meeting Divine Presence is pleased to see a major sections cut from the same woods as were highway touch the hem of the grounds of a the benches? committed religious community? I would like to correspond with any The fact that a similar impingement of a other Friendly historians of similar mind new highway is happening to Pendle Hill's wanderings who would fancy such grounds in Pennsylvania gives credence to intellectual explorations as mine.