Philadelphia Quarterly Meeting
Cross-Pollination Program on Inclusion, February 22, 2015

Minutes

Present: Jean Warrington, Chestnut Hill MM (CHFM); Margaret Wood, Philadelphia Quarterly Meeting Coordinator; Barbara Buonocore, CHFM; Kathy Miller, CHFM; Heath Meyers, Monthly Meeting of Friends of Philadelphia/Arch Street (MMFP); Dona Garrettson, CHFM; Nan Thompson, Central Philadelphia MM (CPMM); Emma Hohenstein, Frankford MM; Robert Peters, MMFP; Carla White, CHMM; Betsy Robertson, CHMM; Steve Elkinton, attender at CHMM, member of Langley Hill MM; George Garrettson, CHMM; Andrew Anderson, MMFP; Sara Palmer, CPMM; Vanessa Julye, CPMM; Tricia Walmsley, CHFM. Regrets: Hollister Knowlton and Carol Clark.

Friends settled into a brief period of worship. Andrew Anderson gave an introduction to the history of the Quarter’s “Cross-Pollination” events (this is the third annual such program). He defined the concept in terms of “listening one another into a friskier ground of being” with regard to concerns for inclusion; we are to “poach” one another’s ideas and be upfront about our experiences within our own Meeting communities.

Based on the interests and involvements indicated by attenders at the session, Heath Meyers of the program-planning group outlined the following emphases and point people for the small groups:

• Racism and class: Margaret Wood
• First Day School and Young Adult Friends: Heath Meyers
• People with disabilities: Andrew Anderson
• Everyone else (other concerns expressed, or no particular interests noted): George Garrettson

Margaret Wood outlined the parameters for our conversation: We need to hold it in the context of a loving community, being tender with one another. One of the elements of creating a more intimate conversation is to begin with identifying ourselves in terms of race, age, gender identity, class, disability, and religious perspectives.

Friends broke into small groups to reflect on the query: “What is the work we need to do to become more inclusive community that makes each of us feel we belong, are valued and have a role?” The notes of those sessions are appended below.

Friends returned to the worship room, then broke out by meeting to talk about some of the ideas raised that might be helpful in their communities.

Subsequently, Friends came together as a whole to lift up some of the ideas/current activities/concerns that stood out for them.

• F/friends who are isolated or have their mobility constrained by disabilities, including some at Stapeley, can still engage in active work on concerns in certain ways: for example, by corresponding with prisoners. Such opportunities need to be identified and lifted up.
• There are many disconnected folks “on the books” who have graduated from First Day School but haven’t themselves “re-upped” their membership—how to integrate young people into the worship life of the meeting? How do we help our young people experience the spoken message? Some adults experience disruption if the youth come in at the end of worship, but there is resistance to the idea of a possibly “canned” message given before the young people depart.
• One must never assume/guess at what is needed to make people feel included. Ask them!
• What is the best way to reach out to those unresponsive to outreach/contact? With teens, how do we get and keep them so involved with activities that they don’t feel like outsiders by the time they’re out of high school?
• We need to a better job of communicating among ourselves about our wonderful activities in each congregation, and let the outside community know as well. Social media should make calendar-sharing and cross-publicity an inexpensive proposition.***
• What in our practices is core to Quakerism, and what is merely an expression of white middle-class values? How do we disentangle the former from the latter? How do we interpret that “core” in our regular forms of outreach, e.g. via the work of the Arch Street Meetinghouse guides?
• Inclusion concerns were raised by one Quaker group’s refusal to consider rescheduling a quarterly session that habitually fell at the same time as the Midwinter Gathering of FLGBTQC.
• In another Friends organization, an agenda item that kept dropping off the agenda “because of lack of time” not coincidentally had to do with issues of race and inclusion. When it was finally tackled, folks couldn’t stop talking about it! We need to stop avoiding topics that feel sensitive.
• Concerns are expressed in one Meeting about “who’s going to take on leadership when we’re gone.” A lone Young Adult Friend in the meeting experiences the constant messages she hears of “how happy we are to have you” as somewhat exoticizing. What is important for Friends to know is that it’s hard for young people to stick with one position on anything, so trying to convince isn’t helpful. However, her Meeting community has gifted her with loving non-pressure—she knew she would continue to be welcome throughout her exploration of different expressions of religiosity (or lack thereof) as they gave her an “endless amount of Love that made me want to come back and stay.”
• What (in my perception of myself and beyond) am I willing to lay down in order to include others?
• Though Friends pride ourselves on espousing a “ministry of listening,” in practice we can be quite judgmental, and we do not always allow others to talk.
• Among us there are those who have gifts for listening and those who have gifts for speaking. Intervisitation is one way we can exercise these gifts—not only among our meetings but also with our Quaker schools. Friends might visit Quaker organizations/ministries in our Quarter and also invite those carrying forward such ministries to present at meetings throughout the Quarter.
• Within the Quarter’s meetings are committees already working on issues of racism—it would be a fruitful experience to bring those groups together to share their experiences and talk about current initiatives.***
• In one meeting’s First Day School, interest was expressed by the youth in visiting congregations of other faiths, but the adults were ultimately unable to make it happen. There is energy and interest among young people in taking community service into their own hands; the rest of the meeting needs to find ways for them to do so.

Though no overriding priority was mentioned, several “actionable” ideas were proposed (among them those marked with three stars above: ***). Friends approved bringing these to the attention of the Quarter’s program group for them to consider carrying forward as part of their agenda. In addition it was recommended (a) that Meetings in the Quarter be asked to study the query on inclusion used in this meeting; and (b) that inclusion serve as a guiding consideration as Friends prepare the Quarter’s calendar and agendas.

            The session closed with a brief period of worship in silence.

--Submitted by Sara Palmer, associate recording clerk