State of the Meeting Report - 2006

For example, those who attended Iowa Yearly Meeting last year came away realizing that instead of trying to revive our faltering Peace and Social Concerns committee, we might take a new approach.

After a thoughtful discussion, helped by the presence of a visiting Friend from another small meeting, we decided to change the composition of the committee to include the entire meeting. To make sure that this did not mean that nothing was accomplished, we chose a coordinator to facilitate the sharing of individuals’ special concerns. As a result, we have made progress in knowing more about the seemingly small actions that each of us takes to carry out our leadings and in helping each person feel more supported by the meeting.

Perhaps one thing leads to another. We realized once again that we like each other and would like to spend more time together. A retreat, which featured time for Friends to share their leadings and activities, several game nights, in which we could see each other in a whole new way, and a work/ clean-up day gave us a chance to visit and to deepen our connections.

They also made it possible to relate to the children in ways that are different from our First Day interactions and thus created some new appreciation across the generational divide. The number of children has continued to grow with the birth of baby Violet, and plans are coming along for providing more specific Quaker education for the older ones.

It seems as if a lot of people have visited, and of course many have not stayed. Some have, however, and some relatively new people are drawing toward the center of the meeting. There is a perpetual division between new and old, but we continue to be creative in finding ways to bring people together. Our Bible study group has added depth to the meeting. The Quakerly approach to the Bible that is used seems to keep the group’s appeal wide, and several relatively new people have found this a good way to dip a toe into the pond of meeting culture. It is a pleasure to see them emerge smiling and enthusiastic.

We at Penn Valley Meeting don’t agree with each other all the time, and learning to disagree in a productive way is a goal that many of us are striving for.

In those moments when we have realized that we don’t have to resolve our differences by logic or persuasion but can put those differences out for the Holy Spirit, we have realized that our meeting can be a place where radical change takes place.

-Karin McAdams, Clerk