Appendix D: Wider Quaker Organization Reports
App_D_WQOs_()_.wpd

American Friends Service Committee Southeast Regional Office

Friends Committee on National Legislation

Friends Committee on Unity with Nature

Friends General Conference

Friends for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Concerns

Friends World Committee for Consultation

Quaker House

Right Sharing of World Resources
Report to the SAYMA Yearly Meeting, 2003 from the SAYMA representatives to the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), Southeastern Regional Office (SERO), Executive Committee (EC).

Background:

“The American Friends Service Committee is a practical expression of the faith of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers).  Committed to the principles of nonviolence and justice, it seeks in its work and witness to draw on the transforming power of love, human and divine.”  from the Organizational Principles and Guidelines for the AFSC dated 19 June 1994.

Structure:

The AFSC is a Quaker organization which promotes peace and social justice and provides humanitarian assistance.  The structure of the organization includes the national office located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, international program offices outside the United States, and nine region offices within the United States.  Most of SAYMA lies within the boundaries of the Southeastern Region.  For this region, the main office is located in Atlanta, Georgia.  There are additional program offices in High Point, North Carolina and Miami, Florida.  

All members of the national AFSC Corporations must be members of the Religious Society of Friends.  The Corporation, which meets each November, appoints the AFSC Board of Directors and has the overall responsibility for AFSC.  SAYMA appoints representatives as members of the AFSC Corporation.  About half of the members of the Corporation are yearly meeting representatives; the other half are at-large members, nominated by the AFSC standing nominating committee.

SAYMA also appoints representatives to serve on the Executive Committee of the Southeastern Regional Office which is empowered by the AFSC Board with responsibilities for the AFSC work in this region.  Additional representatives to the SERO EC are appointed by Southeastern Yearly Meeting and both the Friends United Meeting and North Carolina Yearly Meeting (Conservative).   The remainder of  EC members are nominated by the standing nominations committee as at-large members or are appointed as representatives to the EC from various SERO programs.  The SERO EC approves the regional budget, selects programs, and sets regional policy.  The SERO EC has four quarterly meetings per year which are attended by all EC members.  Additional meetings of SERO EC sub-committee meetings are also arranged as needed.  SERO EC members serve three-year terms with a limit of six continuous years of service.

The SAYMA representatives to the SERO EC are Pam Beziat and Debra Johnson.  Both representatives began their appointments in September, 2002.  Pam Beziat served on the Program Committee.  Debra Johnson served as co-clerk of the Personnel Committee and the clerk of the Affirmative Action Committee.

Regional Programs:

The Southeastern Region currently has six programs that are located in three different areas of the region.

Central American Political Asylum Program (CAPAP)

CAPAP, located in Miami, Florida, has been providing legal assistance to El Salvadoran and Guatemalan immigrants since 1984.  The past year the program has worked with Haitians and a small number Mexicans and Colombians.  The staff managed over 300 active case files, averaged 24 - 30 court cases, and 2100 consultations a year.  Amada Orendain has been the managing attorney of CAPAP since 1993.

African Peace Education Program (APEP)

Originating in 1977 as the  Southern Africa Peace Education Program (SAPEP) addressed the economic and social justice issues following the end of apartheid in South Africa.  As APEP, the program’s present emphasis is on issues confronting communities on the African continent.  These include: HIV/AIDS, empowering womyn and youth, and banning landmines.  The Youth Against HIV/AIDS Unite! (YAHU) project works to unite American youth in solidarity with African youth in the fight against the spread of HIV/AIDS.  This project is located in Atlanta, where Tejan Muata has been program director since May, 2001.

ORITA

The word “Orita” is derived from the African Yorba language meaning “crossroads.”  ORITA has been working with the youth of High Point, NC since 1995.  Through various programs, ORITA works to provide youth with an alternative to crime and violence.  Classes in conflict resolution that integrate leadership training help youth become aware of the alternatives available to them.  Ann Lennon has been the program director of ORITA since 1994.

Emergency and Material Assistance Program (EMAP)

EMAP, based in High Point, North Carolina, has been in operation for over 40 years and is the oldest program in SERO.   Providing relief material as needed, the focus for this past year has been hygiene kits for Iraqi refugees.  As the collection center for the Southeastern Region,  EMAP shipped 1,916 hygiene kits to AFSC in Philadelphia for distribution in the Middle East.  Peggy Baxter has been program director of EMAP since August, 1999.

Middle East Peace Education Program (MEPEP)

Started in 1976, MEPEP provides education on the culture, history, and current events in the Middle East and promotes peaceful resolutions as alternative perspectives to conflict in the Middle East region.  This past year much work and education focused on the peace mobilization to prevent the war in Iraq.  Samir Moukaddam has been program director of MEPEP since March, 2003.

Help Increase the Peace (HIPP)

HIPP began in 1998 as a modification of the Alternative to Violence Program (AVP) for prison inmates developed by Quakers in 1975.  The program teaches youth alternatives to violence by helping them to develop the skills necessary to act peacefully in situations of conflict and by increasing acceptance and inclusion of people of all races, classes, gender, sexual orientation, cultural and religious backgrounds.  Angela Henderson has been program director of HIPP since September, 2002.

Staff and Personnel
 
A team of consultants was hired to work with the staff and Executive Committee of SERO in an effort to address communication and management issues that had contributed to a high turn-over rate in staff.  The team helped to define issues of concern and formulate strategies that would prevent hostile environments from occurring in the future.  The staff has reported an overall improvement in working conditions and have expressed satisfaction with the consultation process.

Two new program directors have been added to the staff since June, 2002. Andre Danzy joined the staff as Associate Regional Director in Fall, 2002.  Angela Henderson joined the staff as program director of Help Increase the Peace Program in September, 2002.The Middle East Peace Education Program (MEPEP) welcomed Samir Moukaddam as director in March, 2003.   All active programs now have program directors.

Program Development

In response to an identified need, SERO began the process of developing a criminal justice program.  The first consultation, held in February, 2003, brought together a diverse group of individuals who began to identify the areas of need.  A focus group met in May, 2003, to began the process of refining idea from the consultation in an effort to better identify a vision for this program.  

Project Voices is a program that will be implemented in the Southeastern Region in coordination with national AFSC.  Project Voices will address issues related to the immigrant community.  A consultant has been hired by the region to determine the best location for this program.
Report to Yearly Meeting from SAYMA’s FCUN Representative—6th Month 2003
Friends Committee on Unity with Nature is an organization of North American Friends working to integrate concern for God’s Creation into Friends beliefs and practices. 
  During the past year, FCUN has increased its efforts at outreach and has engaged many new Friends in its work. More than three quarters of the positions of responsibility within FCUN are now held by Friends who were not active with FCUN three years ago—this includes five SAYMA Friends on the FCUN Steering Committee. FCUN would welcome a second appointed yearly meeting representative from SAYMA. 
  FCUN was represented at last year’s World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg by four steering committee members. These Friends are willing to visit and share their experiences. 
  FCUN’s public policy project, Quaker Eco-Witness, enjoyed success in its efforts to make the connection between peace and environmental concerns when Friends Committee on National Legislation included the national energy policy among its legislative priorities. FCUN has recently become a member organization of FCNL. QEW has organized an ongoing consultation on Ecology and Economics, which will begin this month with a gathering at Pendle Hill. Two SAYMA Friends will be participating. 
  FCUN’s sustainable agriculture project in Costa Rica, Finca la Bella (Beautiful Farm), has been protected with a conservation easement. Formerly landless parceleros will be able to continue to work their parcels and live in harmony with God’s Creation. 
  FCUN's newsletter, BeFriending Creation, continues to inform Friends about projects, activities, and visions from Friends around the globe. The website www.FCUN.org is frequently updated and provides a wealth of information including the latest issues of BeFriending Creation and Quaker Eco-Bulletin, lists of FCUN publications, general information on committees, and contact information for presentations.
  FCUN recently approved a new Vision and Witness Statement: 
“We are called to live in right relationship with all Creation, recognizing that the entire world is interconnected and is a manifestation of God.  We work to integrate into the beliefs and practices of the Religious Society of Friends the Truth that God's Creation is to be respected, protected, and held in reverence in its own right and the Truth that human aspirations for peace and justice depend upon restoring the Earth's ecological integrity. We promote these Truths by being patterns and examples, by communicating our message, and by providing spiritual and material support to those engaged in the compelling task of transforming our relationship with the Earth.” 
  FCUN is making plans to expand its outreach through visitation. A number of experienced presenters and workshop facilitators from FCUN would be happy to visit and share with monthly and yearly meetings. 
Please support the work of FCUN with your participation, prayers, and financial contributions. FCUN would welcome support from SAYMA monthly meetings and from individuals.
Respectfully submitted,  Kim Carlyle
Report of SAYMA Appointed Representatives to Friends General Conference
Sixth Month 2003
Your representatives to Friends General Conference (FGC) continue to feel blessed by the trust you place in us to represent this body. We feel doubly blessed by the experience of being in fellowship with Friends from all over North America. So we begin with thanks to you for the opportunity to serve you and the Religious Society of Friends in this way.
Friends General Conference is us - each and every one of us. For FGC's mission is to provide support and resources to Friends in its member organizations - yearly meetings and affiliated monthly meetings which are primarily unprogrammed, although some of the yearly meetings are united, that is they have both programmed and unprogrammed meetings. We are well served by a relatively small staff, which does amazing and prodigious work on our behalf. Some of the new and on-going work is mentioned in this report. Most of the work cannot be summed up in these few paragraphs, but all you need to do to find out more is access the web site www.fgcquaker.org and browse among its pages, or even better ask us, your representatives, questions!
We are both impressed with and involved in the on-going work of the Committee for Ministry of Racism (CMR).  This committee seeks to help FGC as a body and the constituent monthly and yearly meetings in dealing with the difficult issues of racism in the Religious Society of Friends. We ask that you hold this committee in the Light as they continue to dig deeper into parts of the Society that need both exposure and healing—especially when this brings deep pain.
One of the most exciting resources of FGC is the work of the Traveling Ministries Committee, including the Couple Enrichment Program (CE) and Yearly Meeting Visitors Program (YMVP.) Several meetings within SAYMA have been recipients of the ministry provided by the Traveling Ministries Program. Nils Pearson will be happy to expound on the Couple Enrichment Program. Then YMVP appoints FGC visitors to each yearly meeting—this year at SAYMA we are again pleased to have Nils Pearson with us - Peg was unable to return. We encourage you to take advantage of the opportunity to meet and greet Nils.
An emerging and committed vision FGC is to increase the participation of youth at all levels of Friends’ work and activities. Young Quakes, the annual FGC youth gathering, similar to the across Quakerdom YouthQuake, will be held in October west of Nashville, TN, here in our own yearly meeting. Two exciting wider Quaker youth/young adult events now in planning stages are the next YouthQuake (in Colorado over New Year's 2004) and the World Gathering of Young Friends (in Britain in 2005). We will share more information, as it becomes available.
FGC is in the process of reviewing its second Long Term Plan (Five Year Plan) which focuses and guides our work on your behalf. Each committee is reviewing its direction according to the original five goals and recently discerned objectives. We expect the plan will be brought to Central Committee for approval at the annual meeting in October.
As referenced earlier, FGC’s web site continues to be upgraded and become more informative. A major accomplishment has been the QuakerFinder site, which allows one to enter a zip code, and all the member meetings within a 20-mile radius will be shown. The hope is that soon all Quaker meetings in North America will be listed. Gradually the committees and programs are developing pages that explain their purpose and progress. Don't forget the fabulous Quaker Books of FGC where you can order any book you want, in or out of print! A fine sampling can be found downstairs in our own Bookstore.
Last but not least, we would be remiss if we did not encourage you to continue (and increase!) your financial contributions to this organization. The recent campaign was very successful, consequently new programs have been initiated and money is needed to ensure their continuation. This is the only Quaker organization whose purpose is "to provide resources and opportunities that educate and invite members and attenders of our monthly and yearly meetings to experience, individually and corporately, God's living presence, and to discern and follow God's leadings." We are eager to hear your suggestions on how FGC might do this more effectively; but please bear in mind that increasing our programs is likely to require increased funding. 
Respectfully submitted:  Julia Sibley-Jones (Columbia MM), Penelope Wright (Nashville MM) 
In our further service to FGC we serve as recording clerk (Julia) and clerk (Penelope) of Ministry & Nurture Committee. Julia is a corresponding member of Christian and Interfaith Relations Committee. Penelope is also a member of the Traveling Ministries Committee and represents SAYMA on the Executive Committee.
Also serving FGC in non-SAYMA appointed capacity:
Sharon Annis (West Knoxville MM)			Ex-officio to Central Committee
Mary Ann Downey (Atlanta MM)			FGC rep to Friends Journal
Priscilla Ewen (Atlanta MM, sojourning at Cambridge MA MM) Invited to M&N Committee.
John Geary (Boone MM)				Asst. Clerk - Publishing & Distribution
Tom Kenworthy (Atlanta MM)			Co-opted to Development Committee
Perry Treadwell (Atlanta MM)			Clerk - Long Range Planning Committee
Robin Wells (Asheville MM)			Invited to Religious Education Committee
Report to SAYMA from Midwinter

Gathering of FLGBTQC, Feb. 14-17th, 2003

Over 100 people gathered at Ghost Ranch Conference Center near Abiquiu, New Mexico. Surrounded by silent, awe-inspiring beauty we centered on our there of “honoring our truth”. This was done in as many different ways as there were participants. Through John Calvi’s sharing of his personal journey, worship sharing groups, meetings with a concern for business, workshops, meals, Meetings for worship, hiking, sharing of local history, and talent night we explored our Truth.

Emerging from this gathering and the work of the last 10-12 years, came a new name for our group: Friends for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Concerns. This cumbersome name has inspired much discussion, humor, and distaste since it was brought forward at the FGC meeting of FLGC. Durings Meetings with a concern for business it became clear that this name was an important witness for some of us, and that it was the best way of speaking our truth at this time. We are listening for continuing revelation in this, as in all else, and hope that way will open for a better name eventually.

Of interest to SAYMA may be the renewed availability of the book “Each of us inevitable”, a compilation of some of the talks of plenary speakers at FLGC over the years. This will be available in book form or over the internet as a downloadable file.

Our workshops included “Peace Witness in the Middle East”, “Reflections from the FWCC Conference on the Peace Testimony in Times of Crisis”, “Civil Disobedience at the School of the Americas”, “Living Spiritually”, “Writing Towards Our Truth”, “Soulforce”, and more.

I would be happy to share more detailed information with anyone who is interested. I thank you all for letting mem help represent SAYMA to FLGBTQC. I would love to have input and feedback as to how I can be of better service to you all in that regard. I have gained a renewed sense of how important it is to gather as a specific subgroup of Friends. Being in a safe space to explore our common issues helps to rejuvenate, anchor, and deepen our witness to other Quaker groups and to the world.

				Annie Black
Friends World Committee on Consultation Report
June 2003

FWCC Section of the Americas has been going through changes of structure and staff.  Structurally FWCC has been trying to shift some of the work from staff to volunteers and from committee members to volunteers.  This has had mixed results.

Cilde Grover who has served as the executive secretary of the Section of the Americas for  several years was finally allowed to retire from FWCC with the advent of Margaret Fraser of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting, the former dean of Pendle Hill.  With Margaret’s coming a shift in attitude has been felt.  FWCC has been financially strapped for a while and Cilde cut expenses where she could.  It was becoming clear that we were reaching the point where outreach needs to happen or we will shrink beyond the point of return.  The last Annual Meeting was focused on an envisioning process.  What would we like the Section to look like in five years?  If you have thoughts on this matter, they could be sent to the Section office.

Our Section hosted two major events this year.  One was the Quaker Youth Pilgrimage.  Pilgrims went from Washington DC to North Carolina visiting sites also visited by George Fox and doing service projects.  Occasionally they had time for play as when they stopped by Celo for a hike.  The other event was the conference “Friends Peace Witness in a Time of Crisis.”  SAYMA sent Hannah McDermott, Debra Johnson and Kim Carlyle.  Larry Ingle was one of the presenters.  His speech as well as the other presentations can be ordered on CD for $30 from the main office.

	The Wider Quaker Fellowship is starting a readings on tape project.  If you enjoy reading out loud and can do so without putting others to sleep, contact Vicki Hain-Poorman at the main office.

	The Committee of Latin American Friends has an electronic newsletter, “En Pocas Palabras.”

News Related to the World Office
	The world office will also be changing executive directors soon.  Elizabeth Duke will be stepping down and retuning home just in time to help with the last preparations for the Triennial in New Zealand January 2004.  Lauren Mitchell and another Friend will be attending.

	The Quaker United Nations Office which represents FWCC and thereby Friends before the United Nations has been recognized for its work by the UN.  QUNO received and upgrade in status from special to general consultative status.  This gives QUNO permission to work on a wider range of issues with the UN than it could with its special consultative status.

							Respectfully submitted
							Rachel Weir
FWCC Section of the Americas
1506 Race Street
Philadelphia, PA  19102           Tel:  215-241-7250
Quaker House Rep Report:

	SAYMA has gone a long time without representation at Quaker House
Fayetteville. I have attended one Quaker House board meeting, and will be at a
second board meeting during the weekend of SAYMA.

What is Quaker House?

	From the Quaker House web site: "Quaker House of Fayetteville is a witness
of the peace testimony of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers). Quaker
House stands in opposition to the violence and prejudice that exist in our society,
offering a peaceful, life affirming presence in the midst of several of the largest
military bases in the country. Quaker House staff work for change through
education, advocacy, caring and counseling. Quaker House of Fayetteville is a
nonprofit organization with a board made up of representatives from Quaker
Meetings throughout the Carolinas.
	Quaker House is a founder and co‑sponsor of the GI Rights Hotline, (1‑
800‑394‑9544) a nationwide toll‑free telephone hotline which GIs and their
families can call 24/7 for counseling on legal discharge issues. The Hotline
handled more than 21.000 calls in 2002. Through the Gl Rights Hotline, Quaker
House handles calls from GIs in thirteen states."
	Chuck Eager is the Quaker House director.

Financial Status, as of March 2003 Board Meeting, From Minutes:

	As of March 23, 2003, assets totaled $36,201.77 (Treasurer's Report). Chuck
Fager noted that this report did not include approximately $3400 in additional
contributions received.

Financial Status, Late 2002, From Chuck Eager:

	I've (Chuck Fager) just finished opening all the donation mail through last
Saturday (November 31), and can report that for the month of November, our donation
income totaled: $9,785.

	That's a lot (in November 2001 the donations total was $360.64); but a
straight month‑to‑month comparison is not fair. This year's figure shows the
initial response to our fund appeal letters, which went out earlier this
autumn than did last year's.

	This can be seen from the December figures: in 2001, in response to our
fund appeals, total donation income was $10,720. What this December's total
will be we're about to find out. Half a dozen donation envelopes came in
today’s mail, but I haven’t opened them yet.

	The November‑December totals are another indicator. Last year, the
two‑month figure was: $,: we are now $1,316 away from that figure, with a
month to go.

	I think a better comparison would be the three months between November
through January.

	From November, 2001 to January 31,2002 the total donations were: $16,920:
We are now $7,137 away from that total, with 60 days to go.

	Perhaps the happiest calculation of all here is that for the 2002‑2003
Fiscal year to date, we are now back in the black. Just barely, but there:

	FY 2002‑2003 Income

	Budget:  $19,485
	Actual:   $19,526
	Balance:  $   41+

Below are some monthly statistics on the number of counseling calls, referred to as
counseling statistics, just to give Friends an idea of what Quaker House has been
doing this year:

Quaker House Counseling Statistics, January 2003 (From an e‑mail from Chuck Fager)

(G. 1. Rights) Hotline Calls for January topped 3500, an all‑time High for a single month. (For comparison: January 2001 = 1631 calls, January 2002 = 2026 calls. That's 73 per cent more calls than last January, and a 215% increase in two years.)

	This record should be no surprise. Tho Quaker House share of this January tally should be about 700 calls, but I haven't heard a definite figure yet. It will also mean a big Hotline phone bill for that month.

	And speaking of breaking records, yesterday (Feb. 19, 2003), in addition to House business, I (Chuck Eager) dealt with six--count ‘em)--counseling contacts, including emails and phone calls, covering AWOL, hardship, and CO issues. In one sense that’s a daily high for me, but it is also an indicator of how the counseling load is increasing, because I've (CF) recently had several days with three or four counseling contacts, and few anymore when there are none.

	But yesterday’s "high" became history today, when I (CF) have spent almost eight hours doing counseling, and am not done yet ‑- but this time on only one case:

	It’s that of the GI who wrote to the House from Afghanistan, and filed a CO claim shortly after he returned. He had an investigative interview last Friday, which I attended as his representative. It was a grueling session, with the captain in charge showing blatant bias and hostility, and the Gl stumbling over his words in near‑panic.

He received the captain's report ‑- strongly negative, as expected -‑ yesterday. He has ten (nine days now) to prepare and file a rebuttal, and I’m helping him work on it. The report is full of the bias that marked the session, and has many points where it can be challenged under the regulation. But there are many details to sort through, regulations to sift, documents to assemble and analyze, etc.; lots of stuff.

	And his superiors aren’t helping much. After threatening him and refusing to reassign him to noncombat duties -- again in defiance of regulations -- they finally put him on a kitchen detail, where he’s being required to put in fourteen‑hour shifts. So I had to begin this process pretty much without him, though his wife was helping.

	There will be a lot more labor getting this rebuttal together in the next few days, and its importance can't be exaggerated: it's his last bite at the apple, before his file goes up the chain to a review board in the pentagon.

	I'll be working with Lenore and Steve on this, as well as consulting counselors from other parts of the country. It has to be ready by the middle of next week.

	All this comes on top of my (CF) normal work: the newsletter, board concerns, outreach to meetings, dealing with the mail, the bank, the bills, etc.

	I'm not complaining; this is just one manifestation of what the approach of war means.

Quaker House Counseling Statistics, as of March 2003 Board Meeting

	For the counselors, Lenora Yarger reported that the number of calls continued to
rise sharply during February, with CO's becoming the most frequent category of call.
The 182 calls, including 123 new calls and 59 call‑backs, do not include calls taken by
Eric while Lenore was out of town. More calls are coming from National Guard and
Reserve members. Lenore noted interest in and her willingness to participate in
training for some people in Western N.C. and some UNC law students.

Media and Outreach

	Chuck Fager, Quaker House director, has had a few articles in the lead up to the
war in the Fayetteville, NC newspaper. Chuck has also been a panelist on forums
about the war.

One More Interesting Item

	Chuck Fager shared some government documents at the February Board
Meeting related to the spying the Federal Government did on Quaker House
Fayetteville during the Vietnam War.

Right Sharing for World Resources Report –2003 –Geeta McGahey

	RSWR’s project support for 2003 is increased to $170,500.  Over half of SAYMA’s Monthly Meetings and Preparative Meetings support RSWR. We have 44 projects, increased from 39.  I was privileged to visit project partners in South India and the one in the Himalayas this year, and found the women knowledgeable about local issues and the economics of their projects and very enthusiastic.  See the pictures on display. I was impressed by the commitment of the organizers both to participant empowerment, and to encouraging reflection on the important things in life, looking at the issues of sustainability and Spirit-based living.  
	RSWR funds two basic program areas: income generation through various forms of micro-enterprise, and support for the development and practice of sustainable agriculture systems, including non-well water projects.  Currently our work is in India, Philippines, Rwanda, Kenya, Uganda and Sierra Leone.  Roland Kreger, our executive director is currently in Kenya completing visits to all nine of the YMs to further our goal of adding a Kenyan focus, similar to our south India one.  He will be discussing the types of projects that we will support and identifying a person to do the site visits on contract, as we have in Tamil Nadu, India. 
	We greeted four new board members, including Mukta Jost, New Garden Friends meeting, Greensboro, raised in Tamil Nadu, India and George Kegode, Red River Friends, Fargo, raised in one of the Kenyan yearly meetings and is a soil scientist focusing on weeds.  One of my personal goals is to recruit a Young Adult Friend to serve on the board.
	The Right Sharing office will be moved to Richmond, Indiana to better utilize resources at Earlham College and provide opportunities for interns. The board asked Roland “to gather further details on opportunities among Friends for free or nominal cost space, rental costs in the area, and the opportunities to purchase space in Richmond, Indiana. If this requires renovation, a Friend should have come forth to oversee this process.  This information will be circulated to the board for comments and input, and then discernment will take place at the Executive Committee.  If there is a stellar rental or donated opportunity Roland is empowered to move quickly, with approval of the Executive Committee.” 
	At the last board meeting, we had long and deep discussion on the spiritual underpinnings and transforming nature of our message and the language that empowers or blocks communication. We reaffirmed our mission statement: “God calls us to the right sharing of world resources, from the burdens of materialism and poverty into the abundance of God's love, to work for equity through partnerships with our sisters and brothers throughout the world.” As we go out to meetings, we hope both to communicate the profound impact that our grants and support give to disenfranchised people, and also look at how materialism can interfere with our relationships with the Divine and each other.
           Roland and our new educational coordinator, as they continue with their work, are asked to be cognizant of the varieties of leadings of supporters and potential supporters of Right sharing. We encourage Roland to focus some time on outreach to churches and meetings in Western and Indiana Yearly Meetings. Our educational coordinator should try to deepen the focus in the yearly meetings where historically Right Sharing has been stronger. 
	I am willing to travel to any meetings to share my experiences. I suggest Right Sharing projects as good youth fundraiser recipients, with 90% of the money going to projects.  Our website rswr.org has been updated to provide improved resources for Friends meetings.  We will be hiring a new part-time educational coordinator to take this material out to meetings, when requested The RSWR video is now available for use; stop by and watch it while you are here.  
        Thank you for allowing me to continue to represent the concerns of Right Sharing to our Yearly Meeting and please share anything that you want me to take to our board meetings- concerns, ideas or feedback..