Dear Friends, After several recent virtual meetings with FCNL staff members, many Friends in the Piedmont area are becoming increasingly interested in forming a grassroots Advocacy Team. Those who might be interested in forming such a group to advocate locally, or nationally as might be the case are encouraged to join in this effort. The process would be to form a group of about 6-8 interested people to connect for about an hour by Zoom…
Thank you to the participants in our NGFM Quaker Relations survey. We had just over 50 people share thoughts on how NGFM has been engaged with outside Quaker organizations and how those organizations have made an impact on NGFM. The top two most frequently referenced organizations were NCFF and PFYM/ PFF followed by FGC and AFSC. The respondents felt strongly that NGFM was a better community because of our association with these organizations.
You are invited to consider participating in the New Garden Friends Meeting Anti-racism working group to guide the Meeting in addressing systems of racism within our community. But, you may think, we’re Quakers, we have the Equality testimony. New Garden Friends Meeting has many nice white people, who don’t see themselves as racist. And you would be right in thinking that, as a faith community, we’re not intentionally harming to Black, Indigenous and People of…
Cases of COVID and hospitalizations in NC have stayed stable again this week. Vaccinations are ongoing but with lower numbers of vaccines being given than previously. The use of the J & J vaccine (1 dose vaccine) was resumed last week at the Four Seasons Mall mass vaccination site. Last week Governor Cooper allowed the increase of sizes of both outdoor and indoor groups gathered together. The CDC also clarified guidance for mask use out…
Notes from our April 25th Meeting / Have a forum to discuss and consider clean energy options. – To Peace and Social Concerns. Is there interest and support at NGFM for a community garden in coordination with Friends Homes? – To Peace and Social Concerns. Expression of continuing interest for a picnic shelter at the Meetinghouse. – To House committee. What is the status on holding Meeting for Worship in person; explanation of the dynamics…
9:45 a.m. / Zoom / Rep. Manning represents North Carolina’s Sixth Congressional District, which includes all of Guilford County and part of Forsyth County. This meeting with her has been organized with the assistance of the Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL), and all Friends living or worshipping in the Sixth District are invited. We will be sharing FCNL’s legislative priorities with her and hearing her thoughts about important policy issues at the federal level.…
9:45 a.m. / Zoom Forum / In our discussions about the New York Times 1619 Project in February, Friends became engaged in a conversation about U.S. capitalism. This week, Friends are invited to join us for a conversation about Quaker perspectives on economics. We will watch a short QuakerSpeak video together, and explore some queries. For more information or to receive a link to join Adult Forum, please contact Karin Heller.
North Carolina Vaccination rates continue to increase. New cases of COVID and hospitalizations were slightly increased but fairly stable this past week in North Carolina and in the United States. This is believed to be due to more people starting to travel and relaxation of previous policies like mask mandates. Concern is also present about vaccine variants which may be more contagious , not be covered by vaccines or cause more severe illness. Continue to…
April 24, 2021 / 7:00 p.m. / In 2006 as his senior project for the Guilford College Quaker Leadership Scholars Program, Jon Watts set up a recording studio in the lower level of Friendship Friends’ meetinghouse and created “A Few Songs Occasioned.” That collection of original music reflecting on early Quaker history and spirituality served in part as a launching pad for his later musical projects and QuakerSpeak. It was a remarkable accomplishment for an…
North Carolina Fellowship of Friends will host an antiracism discussion group. Mark your calendars for Tuesday, April 27 at 7 p.m. when the NCFF antiracism discussion group will look at how the elements of our country’s racial caste system have appeared in Quaker history and in modern-day Quakerism. Kate Seel and CH Holcombe will be presenting the background material. For this discussion, if you have the book Fit for Freedom, Not for Friendship: Quakers, African…