2020 Journal Entries
— Dave Horton
|
|
I cried soft that day
meeting for worship closed for
in person gathering.
No hour long drive for
worship beginning quietly.
The ninety-five year old aunt
who will not see me, feels old,
frail in aloneness.
Trying to gain succor from
phone calls imitating visits.
Walking into stores,
masked and gloved surgeons
addressing open wounds.
Masks in different colors
revealing hidden emotions.
|
|
A friend in anger,
hands shaking proclaims election
stolen. “The lie wins!”
Democracy chipped, not broken.
Lies follow lies and liars.
Bucolic summer
evening. Kayaks plowing vees
into Cayuga.
Suddenly 41” snow,
falls in early December
Hope grows fainter that
romantic companionship
exists… can be found.
Gray eyes that turn gold, then green
hold me at year’s end. Hope lives…
|
|
(I invite you to add to this poem using the same form. — Dave)
|
|
Peace & Social Justice Committee is Open
The Peace & Social Justice Committee is an “open” committee, which means that participation is open to any Friend who wishes to be a part of it. Participation does not go through the Nominating Committee. All are welcome at our meetings, which are held on the third Sunday of the month at 12:30. Of course, at this time, we are meeting via Zoom. In December the following Friends met: Margaret McCasland, Miguel Piery, Elizabeth Schneider, Garry Thomas and Ruth Yarrow. We began a discussion on how we wish to organize the Committee and what we wish to focus on in the year ahead. We agreed to continue working with the Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL). We discussed other matters and will continue to decide how we wish to focus our energies. But we are off to a good start for this year. If you have interest in the Committee, or just some questions, please contact Elizabeth at 351-0057 or at neschneid@aol.com. She can also provide the Zoom address.
|
|
A Message from FCNL’s Advocacy Teams
— Ruth Yarrow, FCNL Representative
Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL) has been working with over 100 teams of Friends across the county for five years, trying to end endless wars. They focus on the legislation that has been misused to justify US involvement in conflicts around the globe. If you share this concern, you could urge Senators Schumer and Gillibrand and Congressman Reed to repeal the 2002 AUMF (Authorization for the Use of Military Force.)
To try to pull the rug out from under more unauthorized wars, here is a letter I'm sending to the Ithaca Journal. More information can be found on the FCNL Advocacy Teams website.
To the Editor:
You know those throw rugs you put in your entrance to catch spring mud? They are for a specific purpose.
The 2002 Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF) is like those throw rugs. It specifically authorized the war against Saddam Hussein’s regime because Iraq supposedly breached U.N. Security Council resolutions by possessing weapons of mass destruction – a claim that turned out to be false.
When mud season is over, we often neglect to remove those rugs until they slide, and someone falls hard on the hard floor.
Similarly, we have neglected to repeal the 2002 AUMF and it has slid from its original Iraq intention to three Presidents using it to justify 41 military operations in 19 countries. Many people have fallen hard as a result.
If we are attentive, we remove dangerous throw rugs when the mud season has ended. If we are attentive citizens, we urge our Congressional Senators and Representatives to repeal the dangerous 2002 AUMF that has skidded us into far more international conflicts than Congress ever intended.
— Ruth Yarrow
|
|
Recognize Volunteers in Our Community
Do you know of an older adult (age 60 +) who has done something special for the community? The Tompkins County Office for the Aging is now accepting nominations for volunteers who have made significant contributions to the community through civic engagement. Awards will be presented at Older New Yorker’s Day which will be held virtually on May 18.
Nominations should be in the form of a letter and should include activities, achievements, and the reasons that the individual should receive the award. Please include contact information for both the nominator and the nominee in the letter. Send your nominations to the Tompkins County Office for the Aging, 214 W. Martin Luther King Jr. St., Ithaca, NY 14850 (email: cbullis@tompkins-co.org or fax 274-5495) by Monday, March 1.
|
|
Remote Meeting for Worship every Sunday at 10:30am
Friends can join online Meeting for Worship using a computer, with or without a video camera, or by phone. Join online with this link or from your Zoom app with Meeting ID: 372 632 479 and password: friends. You can also join by phone by calling (929) 205-6099 and entering Meeting ID: 372 632 479 when prompted.
These instructions and more are available in the ithacamonthlymeeting.org site with a big “Connect to Meeting for Worship ” button. CONNECT to Meeting for Worship
|
|
In-Person Meeting at Hector
When conditions permit, there is an opportunity to worship at the Hector Meetinghouse on Perry City Road on Sundays at 10am. Please check the announcements listserv for updates, as circumstances may change week-to-week.
|
|
Where are Monthly Meeting minutes?
The minutes from Meeting for Worship with Attention to Business can be found on the right-side column of our website. The minutes from January are here. |
|
February Calendar of Ithaca Monthly Meeting
|
|
IMM Guys’ Lunch
Thursday, February 4, 12n
A time together for Quaker men and people who don’t mind talking to them. Bring your lunch and enjoy fellowship.
|
|
QuakerSpeak
Sunday, February 7, 9:30a
Join Friends to watch a brief QuakerSpeak video and discuss what you watched. This week, we will be watching "My Journey as a Transgender Quaker."
|
|
Meeting for Worship with Attention to Business
Sunday, February 14, 12:30p
Please send annual reports to the Clerk by Monday, February 8. (Contact information is at the bottom of this newsletter.)
|
|
Women’s Fellowship is Zooming
Friday, February 19, 6:30p
Bring your knitting, wear your best sweatpants... or not... and join us for an informal hangout. Hope to see you there!
|
|
QuakerSpeak
Sunday, February 21, 9:30a
Join Friends to watch a brief QuakerSpeak video and discuss what you watched.
|
|
Women’s Chair Yoga now by Zoom
Monday & Thursdays, 11a to noon
|
|
This long-running group, which met for years at the meetinghouse, now runs on Zoom, making it more accessible than ever. To join in, email < jaihari10@gmail.com> The group is about half Friends and half neighbors, nurturing the Inner Light. No yoga experience required. There is a sliding-scale fee. For more info or questions, Nancy Gabriel, 607-339-7123; ntg2@cornell.edu. |
|
120 Third Street • Ithaca NY 14850
|
|
Gina Varrichio, Clerk
clerk@ithacamonthlymeeting.org
607-272-2512
Pat Sewell, Treasurer
treasurer@ithacamonthlymeeting.org
|
|
Marin Clarkberg, Newsletter editor
clarkberg@cornell.edu
Newsletter contributions due on
last Monday of the month at 5pm
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
