At a sharing session held January 6, 2007 the Meeting considered these questions proposed by NYYM Ministry and Counsel:

• What is the state of your Meeting group?

• Is Scarsdale Meeting an integral part of your life?• Where do you see new life emerging?   Growth?

• Where do you feel the Meeting is stuck 

• How do you attract and integrate newcomers into the life of the Meeting

• How are NY Yearly Meeting concerns such as Earth care, racism, conscientious objection to war taxes,  GLBT, meeting the minimal needs of all, manifest  in your Meeting

There is general agreement that we have both strengths and weaknesses.  On the whole, Meeting for Worship is well attended, although Business Meeting and discussion sessions tend to be less well attended.  We are pleased to have some newcomers, adding children as well as adults.

Two retreats held this year invigorated the Meeting.  Our spring retreat was on Advancement, in the sense of both “inreach” and outreach.   We have implemented, or are in the process of developing, many plans that grew out of that retreat.  Our Fall retreat at Powell House was on Deep Listening, and provided much nourishment and nurturing.Several Friends expressed gratitude for our Meeting, and for the centered worship and spirit of community it provides.  It is a family.  It takes work and laboring, and much of the time an amazing amount of work is being brought forth.  Many expressed the conviction that Meeting is an integral part of their lives.  Some felt that the Meeting is a place of comfort, a “fuzzy quilt, a featherbed”, as we enrich each other with spiritual connections and shared efforts in many projects.  For some it is a place where they are challenged and empowered.

Where do we see new life/growth emerging?

Our Renovations Committee has been very active this year.  What started out as a need for a kitchen sink repair evolved into many questions regarding the stewardship of our 50-year-old building, and the need for energy efficient repairs that fit in with our traditions and practices.  It has been an exercise in working toward unity, from a diversity of opinions and laboring to follow Quaker principles, as we proceed with a complex building renovation project.Other signs of life included a Quakerism 101 course offered by Ministry and Worship which was well-attended.  Eight teens were involved in the Powell House Youth Program, becoming involved in wider Quaker community. The Peace and Social Concerns Committee co-sponsored, with Friends from Chappaqua and Purchase Monthly Meetings, an Eyes Wide Open exhibit/vigil in White Plains that received front-page newspaper coverage.  Another big step for our Meeting was to hire a teacher to work with our teens, to increase the continuity and vitality of the First Day School program.

Where are we stuck?

Many people lamented the busyness of our lives, or expressed a feeling of being overwhelmed by life and the world situation.  There are a precious few who donate a tremendous amount of both time and money to the Meeting, but we are concerned about the many who are not so deeply involved.A concern arose out of one of the retreats -- that of not feeling emotionally or spiritually safe in the Meeting, of not being able to expose one’s vulnerability.  We have not moved forward in this conversation, but we plan to focus on this at our Spring retreat in March 2007.  At times there are interpersonal conflicts, and we continue to work on establishing deeper trust.  Part of the stuck feeling arises because of different expectations for the Meeting.At times we struggle to be all things to all people, and oftentimes we still endeavor to define who and what we are.  For some Friends, there is a separation between spiritual seeking and social activism.  Some friends are more contemplative than activist.  We seek to nourish the spiritual seed as we support the leadings of those called to activism on varied fronts.  One Friend implored us to cherish, respect, and be transformed by moments that happen in our Meeting.

How do we attract and integrate newcomers into the Life of the Meeting?

Some individuals express the idea that Quakers appear to be “perfect” and thus create a feeling of,  “I’m not good enough to be a member”. Much has been done over the past year with advancement, including the printing of materials about Meeting for Worship to be available to new attenders.  More needs to be done to help newcomers figure out how the Meeting functions and where they can fit in.  In this effort, we will be offering sessions on Quaker history and practice for newcomers.  The concern with advancement has been a part of the work of all the committees, and all members and attenders are encouraged to be attentive to newcomers.  However, some members feel that there is not such a need for advancement activities, believing that if our worship is centered and focused we will have something unique to offer and it will attract new people.The First Day School is thriving, and this is one way to bring in new members.  One First Day we invited students and parents of the Scarsdale Friends Meeting Nursery School to attend First Day School and stay for brunch.  Peace and Social Concerns committee has sponsored lunch and presentations on pertinent topics consistent with our testimonies such as selective service registration, earth care, UN Millennium Development Goals, and the war in Iraq.  The local community was invited to join in some of these “Sandwich Seminars”, increasing the visibility of the Meeting.One age group that is particularly difficult to attract and retain are teenagers and young adults.  Some students from Sarah Lawrence College attend Meeting and efforts are made to cultivate this group.

How are NY Yearly Meeting concerns manifest in Meeting?

The above-mentioned Sandwich Seminars have addressed several concerns. The Renovations Committee has been acutely aware of environmental issues as they considered changes in our building.  When SFM became aware of the FUM hiring policy and Baltimore Yearly Meeting’s creative response,  we minuted a request that our Yearly Meeting consider similar actions.Several individuals in the Meeting are actively concerned with the issue of racism, and two members of Meeting have created and nurtured a series on racism, “Free at Last,” within Purchase Quarter.  However, this group is no longer under the care of the SFM Peace and Social Concerns Committee; the Meeting as a whole needs to find ways to address racism, and to infuse the work of all our testimonies with love and compassion.One Friend takes care that our Meeting uses Fair Trade coffee and makes it possible for members and attenders to purchase Fair Trade coffee, tea and cocoa.  One Friend is actively involved with a group which is working to market handicraft created by impoverished women in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, and which has purchased one hundred acres of land in Ghana on which to demonstrate methods of sustainable agriculture.

One Friend advocates for the recognition of the human right of Conscientious Objection to Military Taxation at the United Nations and at other world forums, and has been asked by the Quaker United Nations Office in New York City to serve as a liaison on this topic.  Scarsdale Monthly Meeting sends a representative to the Purchase Quarter Peace Tax Escrow Account Oversight Committee which supports the witness of those who, for reasons of conscience, cannot pay for war.

We conclude with glimpses that add to a view of who and what we are: experimenting with Meeting for Business on Friday night with a potluck, hearing a former prisoner speak of his redemption, the women’s group discussions, reading the newsletter, carrying greetings to other Meetings, the memorial Meeting for a beloved Friend,  Unique Boutique to raise money for AFSC, tag sales for Open Arms Shelter, getting the SFM web page operating, visiting elderly and shut-in Friends, great soups and breads at coffee hour, the First Day School Christmas play, Monday group sewing, nursery school gatherings, Bible study.We are connected and thriving, with some bumps in the road, but we proceed with gratitude and hope.

Way will open. . . .