Guest Blogger: Angelina Conti

Posted August 24th, 2007 by EmilyStewart

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AngelinaI feel really lucky to be alive and in community with Quakers right now, because I can see the glimmers of a resurgence and growing vitality, particularly among young adult Friends. This is true of FGC — with the Youth Ministries Committee and flourishing AYF programs at Gathering — but also individual yearly meetings. My own yearly meeting, Philadelphia, has had a fairly active young adult Friend group for more than two years (admittedly reincarnated from a much longer history). The February conference at Burlington brought together a lot of young adult Friends who are doing similar work all over the country.

All of this growth and good work in mind, I want to put forward yet another way that I think young adult Friends can be (and in many cases already are) working to build sustainable community among ourselves and the greater community of Friends: by being involved, as young adult Friends, in high school Quaker communities as Friendly Presences (chaperones) and workshop leaders.

Young adult Friends are needed role models, friends, and allies for teenagers and represent yet another model of adulthood that is different from parent, teacher, coach, etc. Having more recently been teenagers, YAF/AYFs bring a different perspective and skill set to the pool of Friendly adults committed to high school programs. Active and present young adults can demonstrate that there’s somewhere to go after high school and adolescence, that not only is it possible to continue being a Quaker once you graduate and move on to new adventures, but there are other young adult Quakers discerning that process too. And when former high schoolers want to check out a young adult Friends community, it helps if they already know someone. If nothing else, young adults chaperoning Young Friends gatherings can be a great recruiting tool.

Of course the often transient lifestyles of young adult Friends is a big issue here — people going off to college or out into the world, or being generally unsettled. Thankfully, most high school Friends programs don’t require you to come to every single event, and are generally happy to have you whenever you are available, though continuity is certainly welcomed. For young adult Friends communities, too, continuity is a big issue. Lately in Philadelphia people keep going off to grad school. That kind of turnover hits home the need to really be a community of equals, to take turns stepping into positions of responsibility and leadership and to be intentional about sharing knowledge and ideas so people can carry on after a particularly gifted leader has moved on to new adventures. In turn, Young Friends communities can often be models for this kind of continuity and organization — sustaining community and leadership, sometimes across hundreds of miles.

One of the best Young Friends events I ever helped with had chaperones that ranged in age from early twenties to early seventies. I believe that that diversity of ages, and the forming of Friendships and support beyond the limitations of generations, were why the event went so well. We all played, worshiped and searched together. If the Religious Society of Friends is going to be vital into the 21st Century we must be actively and joyfully multigenerational, and young adult Friends are an important piece of that. Not only is it important for us to have fellowship both amongst ourselves and in community with older adult Friends, but with teenagers too. We have a lot to offer, teach and give each other.

Angelina, Your enthusiasm

On June 30th, 2009 Guest says:

Angelina, Your enthusiasm and commitment to the Young Friends community, and Quakerism in general is refreshing and admirable. I have worked in education with Friends of all ages - from adult religious education classes to 5 year old children in Quaker schools, so I am familiar with and know the value of sustaining Friends communities across the age spectrum. I grew up in Philadelphia, as you already know from having reviewed my book, Ghetto Flowers in the June issue of the Friends Journal (thank you), and I completed the second book of the trilogy (being edited by my son), and have several chapters written for the third. Are you open to reviewing the second book and would you be willing to have a sit down interview? The first book is when the young Francis (me, of course) is first introduced to Quakers, an influence that continues in book 2 and more fully in book 3. The books are not intended to be a testimony to the work of Friends, although it is that, but a story of the spiritual journey and the extremely difficult challenge of overcoming a world fraught with violence and racism. Survival as a child in such circumstances necessitates the development of the tribal mentality, where violent encounters are the norm and pride in being able to deal with them successfully reinforces ones capacity to survive. I appreciate much of what you said in your review, however, I am saddened that you missed this major theme in the book because, I believe, you wanted a clearer message against the violence, yet you acknowledge the gray areas - I suggest that your Quaker lens did not permit you to see through the violence and to the very heart of the gradual transformation taking place within the Ghetto Flowers (in book one, mostly Francis and Sandy). It is my intention that readers come away from reading my books with a clear understanding to the challenges faced by inner city youth, and the vital importance of Friends and other compassionate people can play in lending a helping hand. These youth play with the deck of cards they are given, and the mix of their animal/human/spiritual nature interacts with the social arena in the best way they can - and some make it through, and many more do not, as you will learn as the story unfolds in the next books. The fact, as I believe, that you missed the heart of the books message, informs me that I have much work to do to communicate the message of the spiritual journey the protagonist (me -as the story is true, altered only through condensing events, changing names, and blending characters, although the truth of the messages are unaltered), has gone through to an audience outside of those who are familiar with the circumstances and experiences of the inner city life of poverty (the audience that have responded quite favorably to my book(s) have such familiarity). I must learn how to reach a wider audience, and your review has awakened me to this fact, and perhaps you can be of further assistance by agreeing to meet with me. I am available to visit with you in Philadelphia at the Cherry Street Meeting if that is convenient for you. Please email and phone me: franlynn36@hotmail.com 609 937 8711 Tell Susan I said hello. Did you know that she hired me to work at Powell House as the Youth Director, and she opened the door for me to teach at Princeton Friends School? I hope you do take me up on my offer as I plan to launch my books in the Philadelphia area once all three are completed and your feedback is extremely valuable. Francis PS: Have you written any books or short stories? I would love to read them.