9:00 AM unprogrammed meeting for worship
9:45 AM worship with attention to business: Ranae Hanson, clerk; Terry Hokenson, recording clerk
11:15 AM semi-programmed meeting for worship: Sandy Olson, reader; Carolyn VandenDolder on the facing bench

TODAY

Friends School of Minnesota’s plant sale is concluding today at the MN State Fair Grandstand.

MEETING MATTERS / CALENDAR

Next Sunday, May 20th, at 10:15: Book Sunday. Hear summer reading recommendations and tell what you are reading or recommend! May 20th is the last Sunday of the school year schedule.

Starting May 27th, unprogrammed worship will be at 9:30; semi-programmed worship at 11:00. There will be no adult program or first day school until next September.

Let the sun shine in! The Property Committee will be hosting the annual window-washing day next Sunday, May 20th, at the rise of semi-programmed worship. All are encouraged to do at least one window before heading home!

Property Committee seeks someone knowledgeable about sound systems to stabilize the current system and explore the cost of a lapel microphone system. Contact Jim Haefemeyer with interest or leads, 612-724-0877; haef5135(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)comcast.net

Northern Yearly Meeting, an organization of Friends (Quaker) meetings and worship groups mainly in MN and WI with some groups in ND, SD and IA, will have its annual sessions Memorial Day weekend, May 25th – 28th, at the Lions Camp in Rosholt, WI. Worship, worship sharing and interest groups, sharing State of Society Reports, programs for children, youth and young adults and business sessions as well as free time. This year’s theme, Being Salt and Light – Friends living the kingdom of God in a broken world, is the same as the theme of the 2012 World Conference of Friends recently held in Kenya, and MFM and NYM participants in the World Conference will report back there in a workshop setting. This is an opportunity to connect with Quaker neighbors and to gain and offer support in living a Quaker faith – all in the beautiful natural setting of the Wisconsin woods. Some programs and registration forms are on the long table in the hall or Friends can register online at northernyearlymeeting.org . Registration deadline is May 4th. Late registrations accepted.

MFM will host special meetings for worship for healing around the marriage amendment the fourth Thurs of each month until Nov 2012 when the amendment comes to the ballot. Unprogrammed worship at 7:00 p.m. followed by worship-sharing, discussion and social time with refreshments. The next worship will be Thurs, May 24th. All are welcome.

Zephyra and Roland Shepherd Scholarship applications are due June 10th. This scholarship for post-secondary education was started by the Shepherds in 1977. Selection criteria and applications are on the long table in the east hall. Applications should be mailed back to the meetinghouse or put in the Shepherd Scholarship file in the blue box.

Phena Shimaka has a dream of cattle and chickens, and a Friends retreat center on a farm near Pine City. You can help by being part of a community weekend, June 2-3, in the manner of an Amish barn raising. (We’re not raising a barn but doing other tasks.) You can work or you can just enjoy the farm and barbeque; you can camp or stay a few hours. Contact Nancy Peterson before May 9 or after May 14 – nancypeterson23(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)gmail.com .

Offering boxes are located on small tables near the meetingroom doors. Our approved budget for this fiscal year (April 1 – March 31) is $114,624.00. To meet our budget obligations, we need to average $2,204.00 in donations per week. Thank you to Friends who generously support the Meeting in all manner of ways.

OUR WIDER COMMUNITY

Friends School of MN (FSM) is looking for a Spanish teacher, a .5-.6 position. FSM (K-8) strives to meet children’s intellectual, emotional and spiritual needs in an environment that nurtures their social consciousness, supported by peaceful forms of conflict resolution. The academic program is guided by the principles of progressive education – seeing the children as active participants, collaborators, and problem-solvers within a community. A job description is posted.

Twin Cities Friends Meeting will host a variety show May 18th, 6:30-8:30 (ish). The teens and older elementary students are hosting this multi-generational community event for the fun of it and to raise money for two Friends Schools in El Salvador. Small admission and food sold at the intermission.

A weekly electronic newsletter for Quakers with events and updates about defeating the proposed anti-LGBTQ constitutional amendment begins this week. To receive it, contact Liz Oppenheimer at lizopp(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)gmail.com.

Every Church a Peace Church will host its next potluck supper meeting Mon., May 14th, at 6:30 p.m. at Pilgrim Lutheran Church, 1935 St. Clair Ave., St. Paul. The program (about 7 pm) will be: Occupy Wall Street: This Changes Everything! A panel of local Occupy activists will speak about the history and philosophy of the Occupy Movement, their involvement, and why they believe Occupy is important. Discussion following.

Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer will speak about the Minnesota Arms Spending Alternatives Project and his new book, Authentic Hope at Twin Cities Friends Metting on June 7th, 7 PM, in the fellowship room. For further information contact Bob Nechal, FNVW Managing Director at 651-917-0383 or fnvwbob(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)gmail.com.

Pendle Hill offers a rich array of workshops and courses in a lovely, wooded community of seekers and finders. Some of the upcoming courses are: Black Fire: African American Quakers on Spirituality and Human Rights (June 1-3); Writing the Children’s Book You Hold in Your Heart (June 10-14); Inquirers’ Weekend: An Introduction to Quakerism (June 22-24); Writing Your Spiritual Autobiography (July 8-12); Creating Poetry and Song, Write Now! (July 15-19); Touching the Earth, Giving a Gift (August 12-16); What’s Your Story? Uncover Hidden Stories from Your Life Experiences (August 31-Sept 2). See posted flyers for more and descriptions.

Looking Ahead: Friends Committee on National Legislation has a new opportunity available for Friends “ . . . to contribute to the shaping of wise and right legislation . . .” (from a statement of Friends determined to witness to our nation’s political leaders in the midst of WWII.) Friends are invited to Washington for the first Quaker Public Policy Institute to be held November 15-16, 2012. In the midst of the post-election lame duck session of Congress, there will be a unique window for lobbying Congress for a more moral federal budget. Your voice at this time will have maximum effect as members run up against two critical deadlines: making cuts to Pentagon spending mandated by the Budget Control Act of 2011, and the expiration of Bush-era tax cuts for wealthy Americans. More at fcnl.org/QPPI

OFFICE HOURS
Pat Jones will be in the office Wednesday from 2:00-5:00 and other times Wed, Thurs, Fri. and Sat.
Carolyn Sherer VandenDolder, the Administrative Assistant, will be in Wed. afternoon and Fri. Bulletin deadline, noon Thur. Bulletin items can be phoned in to the office, emailed or written and put in the bulletin file of the blue box.