IOWA CITY FRIENDS MEETING NEWSLETTER
Fifth Month — May 2003

Special Events

Eastern Iowa Gathering of Friends – 15 June at West Branch Friends Meeting (Meeting for Worship at 10:00 a.m., followed by program and potluck)

Iowa Yearly Meeting of Friends (Conservative) – 5-10 August at Scattergood Friends School

Regular Events

Worship - We gather for worship on Sundays at 10:00 a.m.

First Day School meets 15 minutes after the start of worship in an upstairs room of the meeting house.

Ministry and Oversight normally meets on the fourth Sunday of the month at 9:00 a.m.

Potluck is held the first Sunday of the month following meeting for worship.

Business Meeting is the second Sunday of the month following worship and snacks.

ICFM is scheduled to volunteer for Free Lunch Program - 4th Wed. of the month at Wesley House kitchen (335-6283). Let Jean Cadoret (644-2746) know when you can help prep, serve, clean up. Contact Rebecca Rosenbaum (337-5187) if you can help with clean-up for Free Lunch, or drop in between 12:00 & 1:30.

We are aware that some who attend meeting are allergic to perfume, so we are asking folks not to wear it to meeting.

Meeting for Business

Fifth Month 2003 (11 May)

Present: Kate Cowles, Ruth Dawson, Elsie Kuhn, Perry Howell, Judith Pascoe, Tim Shipe

Meeting for Business began with a moment of silence. Perry Howell presented the Treasurer's report, and Elsie Kuhn presented the Ministry and Oversight report. No reports were presented by Peace and Social Concerns, First Day School, or Building and Grounds.

The Meeting is attempting to keep a complete set of minutes and newsletters. The clerks will keep hard copy of the minutes from each business meeting. Tim has electronic copies of all the newsletters since he began as newsletter editor.

Reports from the Meeting are due to Iowa Yearly Meeting at the end of June. Elsie will do the state of the meeting report and Judith the First Day School report. Judith will give written information on the required reports to the other committee conveners. These reports should be ready to read at the June meeting for business.

Iowa Yearly Meeting will be held August 5-10. We need representatives from our ICFM. Ruth volunteered to be one of them and to serve on the IYM nominating committee.

With regard to ICFM, we will try to encourage nominees for next year's positions by June 1. We are particularly seeking people who wish to be co-clerks or to assume leadership roles in the Meeting committees.

Kate Cowles

Iowa City Monthly Meeting of Friends

Treasurer's Report, April, 2003

General Fund

Beginning Balance $1032.78

Income

Non-caretaker contributions 237.00

Caretaker contribution 460.00

Income total +$697.00

Expenses -$257.57

Ending Balance $1447.21

Building Fund

Beginning balance $5637.61 Interest +4.17

Ending balance $5641.78

(Transfers from General Fund to Building Fund for April and May will be done next month.)

Ministry and Oversight Report for 4/27/03

Present: Kara Hartzler, Susan Murty, Elsie Kuhn, Judith Pascoe

We plan for the Ministry and Oversight Committee, as a whole, to assume responsibility for greeting newcomers to the meeting.

Hospice discussion following meeting for worship, May 18. – The first Hospice Discussion was a lively one. Susan Murty will lead the second Hospice discussion following meeting for worship on May 18^th. This discussion will focus on advanced planning regarding living wills and power of attorney, and can include other issues Friends are interested in. Hospice deals with many end-of-life issues, so this discussion may lead to future discussions.

Kara Hartzler plans to be away during the summer months. She will be working with the United Nations High Commission for Refugees. This sounds like an interesting and valuable assignment. We eagerly anticipate a report of her activities at the U.N. when she returns to Iowa City in the fall.

We prepared the following response to Query #11 on Social and Economic Justice for Iowa Yearly Meeting:

Our first reaction after reading the advice on social and economic justice is that it covers a very wide scope, and is almost impossibly idealistic. Yet, it gives us the hope that we as individuals can bring about change in the world. We realize that, as individuals, we cannot bring justice to the world all by ourselves. We do believe that each person knows of an area of need within the community toward which he/she has a passion or a pull and can be most effective. We can encourage each other to follow that leading whether it is directed toward improving things on the world scene, making our prisons better, involving ourselves with problems of Native Americans, or working in our immediate community. We think that our willingness to take the necessary risks to bring change about, while maintaining a thorough understanding of our own capabilities, will help to make us more effective. We need to have a firm understanding of the social and economic problems we wish to alleviate and not take on so many concerns that we lose our focus or our centeredness. We feel that this understanding begins by first seeking spiritual guidance in our lives.

11. Social and Economic Justice

When I was hungry you gave me food, when thirsty you gave me drink, when I was a stranger you took me into your home, when naked you clothed me, when in prison you visited me. --Matthew 25:35-36

Advice

We are part of an economic system characterized by inequality and exploitation. Such a society is defended and perpetuated by entrenched power.

Friends can help remove causes of social and economic oppression and injustice for others by first seeking spiritual guidance in our own lives. We envision a system of social and economic justice that ensures the right of every individual to be loved and cared for; to receive a sound education; to find useful employment; to receive appropriate health care; to secure adequate housing; to obtain redress through the legal system; and to live and die in dignity. Friends maintain historic concern for the fair and humane treatment of persons in penal and mental institutions.

Wide disparities in economic and social conditions exist among groups in our society and among nations of the world. While most of us are able to be responsible for our own economic circumstances, we must not overlook the effects of unequal opportunities among people. Friends' belief in the Divine within everyone leads us to seek change in institutions which fail to meet human needs. We strengthen community when we work with others to help promote justice for all.

Query

How are we beneficiaries of inequity and exploitation? How are we victims of inequity and exploitation? In what ways can we address these problems?

What can we do to improve the conditions in our correctional institutions and to address the mental and social problems of those confined there?

How can we improve our understanding of those who are driven to violence by subjection to racial, economic or political injustice?

In what ways do we oppose prejudice and injustice based on gender, sexual orientation, class, race, age, and physical, mental and emotional conditions?

How do we deal with prejudice and injustice based on gender, sexual orientation, class, race, age, and physical, mental and emotional conditions?

How would individuals benefit from a society that values everyone? How would society benefit?

Iowa City Friends Meeting Committees

Clerks: Judith Pascoe, Kate Cowles

Recording Clerk: Tim Shipe

Ministry & Oversight: Ruth Dawson, Susan Murty, Kara Hartzler, Elsie Kuhn

Building & Grounds: Jeff Cox (convener), Ann MacMillan, Steve Tatum

Treasurer: Perry Howell

Peace & Social Concerns: Monica Sandschafer (convener), Jeff Cox, Lori Nelson, Kate Cowles

Representative to Emergency Housing Project: (open)

Librarian: Quinn Dilkes

Religious Education: Tim Barrett, Jodie Plumert, Perry Howell

Representative to Consultation of Religious Communities (CRC) of Iowa City:. Ruth Dawson