"The winter tree Resembles me,

Whose sap lies in its root:

The spring draws near

As it, so I Shall bud, I hope, and shoot."

~ Thomas Ellwood (1639-1714)

Editor of George Fox's Journal

Join Friends for a special Easter sunrise Meeting for Worship at our Hector Meetinghouse at 6:00am on Sunday, April 9, 2023. Contact Judith for more details. If the weather is very cold or there is significant snow it might be cancelled. Changes will be sent to the Announcements listserv. Click here for directions to Hector Meetinghouse.

The Peace and Social Justice Committee invites Friends to join us on Sunday April 23 at 9:15 am at Third Street Meetinghouse and on Zoom to reflect on what IMM recommends that the Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL) should say about reproductive health care in its policy statement. They ask us to consider these queries:

Questions? Ask Ruth Yarrow, rmyarrow@gmail.com. See the Calendar section for details of the Zoom link, or click here.

April 14-16

Oakwood Friends School and online

It's Not Too Late to Register! The website says "Please register by April 1st" but that's especially for those attending in person. To attend virtually, just register ASAP!

Spring Sessions 2023 will be a ‘hybrid’ gathering, both online via Zoom and in person at Oakwood Friends School in Poughkeepsie, NY.

JYM Sessions for youth will be held Saturday, July 22 through Wednesday July 26 during Summer Sessions at Oakwood Friends School.The JYM Coordinators are seeking Friendly adults to work with our young Friends. JYM volunteers meet with their assigned group Saturday afternoon, every morning Sunday through Wednesday, and gather for other JYM activities during the week. The schedule for the week is open, so the JYM volunteers will help us create the program!

If you are drawn to be a JYM volunteer, a resource person, or an organizer, please contact jym-coordinators@nyym.org to start the conversation.

— Susan Stillman & Ellie Rosenberg for JYM

NYYM Summer Sessions

Saturday-Thursday, July 22-27, 2023

Hybrid (at Oakwood Friends School and online)

June 2-4, 2023

Ithaca Meeting is part of Farmington Scipio Regional Meeting (FSRM), which is all of the Quaker Meetings from Syracuse down to Elmira, and the rest of New York west from there. We have three gatherings a year. Spring Gathering is the weekend long event, and is a great time to get to know Friends in our region!

Our theme for this year is Restoring Our Friendships. We envision time for renewal, recreation, and listening for Spirit together as we meet in person for the first time since 2019.

We will gather first in person at Watson Homestead (in Painted Post, NY), June 2-4 from Friday supper through Sunday worship, and then we will travel home, and gather again via Zoom for regional Meeting for Worship with Attention to Business from 4:00-6:00 pm.

More details will be shared via announcements and the IMM email messages, or you can contact Angela Hopkins, Antonia Saxon, or Bronwyn Mohlke for more information.

Our own Michael Trotti has written a new book, The End of Public Execution: Race, Religion, and Punishment in the American South. There were be a launch of the book via Zoom on Tuesday, April 4, at 7pm. Michael will be in conversation with historians about his new book which focuses on the shift from public executions, situated in lynching and competing visions of justice and religion. Michael invites F/friends to join this gathering and say he would, " love to have friendly faces in the virtual audience and asking questions if you'd like. It will start with a welcome from my Dean, then a short precis of the book by a really wonderful professor from Illinois, then I will take questions first from a wonderful professor from Buffalo, then from the "audience." You can learn more about this event at Ithaca College's website for the Finger Lakes Environmental Film Festival.

Active 75-year-old woman, Quaker, hiker and walker, healthy eater, wants to rent space in a house or apartment in Ithaca from mid-May to mid-August. Seeking companionship and some shared meals. Text or call Barbara at 570-470-7960.

During a discussion recently at the Rise of Meeting (on Zoom), the conversation turned to healthcare and decision-making for one's own medical care. As many F/friends know, I worked for Hospicare & Palliative Care Services for many years. Part of my job at one point was writing and speaking about advance directives: what they are and why they're important. During the recent discussion with Friends I shared some insights I have learned from my work. I invite you all to check out the section on Hospicare's website on Advanced Care Planning (www.hospicare.org/advance-care-planning/). The page has concise explanations of key advance care planning documents (living will, healthcare proxy, MOLST form, DNR), as well as links to other helpful websites, and an excerpt from a video featuring Dr. Lucia Jander talking about advanced care planning.

There have been many discussions and workshops in IMM over the years about this topic, including a presentation by IMMs ARCH (Aging Resources, Consultation, and Help) volunteers. You may have picked up copies of "5 Wishes" or the Quaker equivalent "Quaker Values and End of Life Decision Making". Both of these documents help guide you in writing your Living Will. If you would like to get one of these documents, and/or to have a conversation about those issues (whether one on one or as part of a group discussion), you are welcome to get in touch with Bronwyn in her role as ARCH volunteer to arrange a time.

Have you completed these forms, shared them with loved ones and your primary healthcare provider? If you have completed the forms, when did you last review them? Or talk to your family, partner, or other loved ones about what type of care you would want -- or not want -- if you were seriously ill? If you haven't done any of those things let National Healthcare Decisions Day (NHDD) be an incentive date for you to do so! NHDD happens on April 16 every year in the US. You've likely heard the old quote by Benjamin Franklin, "nothing is certain except death and taxes." In mid-April we have specific dates to remind us of that old adage! Being prepared for both will relieve a great deal of stress for you and your loved ones.

Ministry and Worship will continue potlucks on the last Sunday of the month. We will also provide childcare on these Sundays, to encourage family participation in both worship and potlucks. Our next potluck will be on Sunday, April 30 and we will be prepared to offer childcare during Meeting for Worship that day.  We invite Friends to continue to join this Ministry of sharing food together.

The minutes from Meeting for Worship with Attention to Business can be found on the right-side column of our website.

Ithaca Friends gather for unprogrammed Meeting for Worship on Sunday mornings at 10:30 am, in-person at our Third Street Meetinghouse and remotely via Zoom, for a hybrid Meeting for Worship. You can join by Zoom by clicking the gray button or

You can also join by phone by calling (929) 205-6099 and entering Meeting ID when prompted.

Join Friends to watch a brief QuakerSpeak video and discuss what you watched. In person at the Third Street Meetinghouse or through Zoom. You can also join by phone by calling (929) 205-6099 and entering Meeting ID when prompted.

The Earthcare Committee typically meets at 12:30 on the first Sunday of each month. For further information contact Betsy Keokosky at evk1@cornell.edu.

This committee meeting is open to all who would like to attend. Please feel free to come and bring your own concerns or interests. At this time we are meeting via Zoom; use the gray button below or:

You can also join by phone by calling (929) 205-6099 and entering Meeting ID when prompted.

Men’s Fellowship

First Thursdays, Friends, join us at Ithaca Bakery! Quaker men—and anyone who wants to hang out with Quaker men—are warmly invited.

Join Friends for a special Easter sunrise Meeting for Worship at our Hector Meetinghouse. Contact Judith for more details. If the weather is very cold or there is significant snow it might be cancelled. Changes will be sent to the Announcements listserv.

Please send agenda items to the Clerk by the preceding Monday. (Contact information is at the bottom of this newsletter.)

You can also join by phone by calling (929) 205-6099 and entering Meeting ID when prompted.

Join Friends to watch a brief QuakerSpeak video and discuss what you watched. In person at the Third Street Meetinghouse or through Zoom. You can also join by phone by calling (929) 205-6099 and entering Meeting ID when prompted.

This is an “open” committee, meaning that all are welcome; participation does not go through the Nominating Committee process. Please feel free to come and bring your own concerns or interests. At this time we are meeting via Zoom; use the gray button below or: 

You can also join by phone by calling (929) 205-6099 and entering Meeting ID when prompted. If you have any questions, please call Garry Thomas at 607-273-7567.

Women’s Fellowship

Bring your knitting, wear your best sweatpants, and join us for an informal hangout. We'll be meeting online during the colder months.

Peace and Social Justice Committee is hosting a special meeting for IMM Friends to consider FCNL's queries about our discernment on FCNL's policy on reproductive health and abortion. In person at Third Street Meetinghouse and on Zoom. Questions? Contact Garry Thomas or Ruth Yarrow.

You can also join by phone by calling (929) 205-6099 and entering Meeting ID when prompted.