Quaker Resources

IOWA YEARLY MEETING(CONSERVATIVE ) is our Yearly Meeting. There are 11 monthly meetings in IYM-C, numbering six to 100 members, with a total of 568 members from two meetings in Nebraska, one in Missouri, and eight in Iowa. We gather as a whole two times during the year—Midyear Meeting in February, usually at Bear Creek and Yearly Meeting the last week of July, currently held at Scattergood School. Both are wonderful opportunities to meet other Quakers, hear about international and national projects that we support, and see Quaker process in action among a large group of Friends. Proceedings, complete with a roster, are published each year and distributed to the monthly meetings. Deborah Fisch, Des Moines Valley Friends Meeting, is the present Clerk of IYM-C.

AMERICAN FRIENDS SERVICE COMMITTEE is the Quaker peace and social justice action group involved in numerous international, national, regional and local projects. Some of the regional actions involve assisting the Lakota people in South Dakota and the migrant workers in Iowa. Help Increase the Peace is a national program that teaches middle and high school students peaceful alternatives to violence. Our local chapter is quite active in this program as well as organizing a Community Listening Project, The Forum Theatre, and a coffee house speaker series. The local office is located in the Penn Valley Meetinghouse: staff can be reached at 931-5256 (fax: 561-5033).

PENDLE HILL is a Quaker retreat center in Wallingford, PA, located near Swathmore College. Staff host numerous weekend, week long, and resident programs so that Friends can integrate personal, spiritual, and intellectual learning. Scholarships are available from IYM-C as well as through a work study program provided by Pendle Hill. Two other resources provided by Pendle Hill includes publications (catalog can be found at the meetinghouse) and Pendle Hill on the Road, a program that provides leaders for weekend workshops for monthly meetings. (800-742-3150; www.pendlehill.org)

SCATTERGOOD FRIENDS SCHOOL, located east of West Branch, IA, is a boarding school owned by IYM-C. Approximately 60 students, 9-12 grades (about 1/3 Quaker) live in dorms on the rural campus. In past years, there have been many students from Mexico, and a work project in Mexico occurs every other year. Each student is given a janitorial and a farm job each semester. About half the food eaten at Scattergood is raised on the organic farm. Most of the staff lives on the campus, also, as their salaries are low (about $10,000). Founded in the late 19 century, the school served as a hostel for refugees during World War 11 and is rich with history. Friends are always welcome to stay there inexpensively (about $20/ person) and can also serve as Friends in Residence to teach a skill or speak on a particular issue. The contacts at the school are Ken and Belle Henshaw, 1951 Delta Ave. .West Branch, IA 52358; 319-643-7600.

FRIENDS GENERAL CONFERENCE
1216 Arch Street Philadelphia, PA 215-561-1700 Friendss@fgc.quaker.org
This is a national organization of unprogrammed Friends. Most people know of the FGC gathering that is hosted each summer in various locations east of Kansas. About 1200-1600 Quakers attend these gatherings for one week over the July 4 holiday. FGC has a dozen or so permanent staff, a large fall Central Committee Meeting for business, and numerous standing committees: Outreach and Advancement, Christian Interfaith Religion, Long Range Conference Planning, Religious Education, Ministry and Nurturing, Publications and Distributions. Many are affected by FGC when they orderfrom the bookstore, read about affiliation, a ttend mini-conferences or the Gathering, read Quaker authored publications, listen to Deborah Fisch of the Traveling Ministries Program or consider a loan from ihe Meetinghouse Fund. A call to the FGC office results in answers to pertinent questions.

FRIENDS JOURNAL
1216 Arch Street; Suite 2A; Philadelphia, PA 19107-2835; 215-563-8629
This publication, available at the meetinghouse along with Friendly Woman, includes many short articles of interest as well as regular departments: Letters to the Editor, Young Friends, Reports and Epistles, Bulletin Board, New Books, Milestones, classifieds and an occasional section that lists meeting locations in many states and a contact. Advertisements include those for investments, retirement, and Quaker schools. Traveling friends may want to consider writing for housing information as well as consulting Traveling Friends available in our library.

OTHER INTERNET RESOURCES
From lYM-C:www.quaker net.org (can list Quaker information for free). Penn Valley Meeting has a home page at this site. A website with hundreds of links to other quaker information: www.quaker.org (Kent says "entrance to Quaker Cyberland!). Almost any topic you can imagine is listed here, and there are chat rooms set up as well.