The Dallas Area Light Monthly Newsletter of the Dallas Friends Meeting June, 2013

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1 The Dallas Area Light Monthly Newsletter of the Dallas Friends Meeting June, 2013 American Friends Service Committee celebrates progress on marriage equality In a week of highs and lows in the struggle for justice for all, AFSC celebrates the Supreme Court decisions to strike down the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and to return marriage equality to California, major milestones in the movement for equal protection of lesbian and gay couples. AFSC was among a small number of organizations working to oppose DOMA when it was first enacted in 1996, and its reversal today reminds us of Martin Luther King s words: The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice. We rejoice that lawfully married couples living in states with marriage equality will soon have equal access to all the federal rights and benefits that are based on marital status, and marriages in California are expected to begin again soon. We are relieved that married same-sex couples will now be eligible to sponsor their foreign-born spouses for permanent residency status, a key concern that had been left unaddressed by current immigration bills before Congress. While celebrating these monumental steps forward, we recognize that in many states, LBGT people not only remain unable to marry, but also still lack even the most basic protections from discrimination. AFSC remains committed to ensuring that all people can live free from discrimination, oppression, and violence, with equal access to the rights and protections that others enjoy. From the AFSC website at AFSC.org Submitted by your newsletter editor An interesting article by Eileen Flanagan on the White House protest as part of the Earth Quaker Action Team can be found here: Spirituality roundtables Everyone is cordially invited to attend Scripture Roundtables on the second and fourth

2 Sundays of each month. They are not classes (no teacher lecturing) but an open discussion participated in by everyone. It is always interesting to hear what everyone thinks about the text and the very different interpretations that others have. What others say always gives new insights into the meaning of the text. 2nd Sunday of the Month: On the 2nd Sunday of the Month (2 Educational Opportunities Available, One before Meeting for Worship and One after Meeting for Worship): (1) 9:00 AM to 9:50 AM (one hour before Meeting for Worship at 10:00 AM) Quaker Roundtable Discussion of Modern Quaker Writings Reading and Discussion of Writings by modern Quaker writers. Readings are from handouts distributed to participants. Participants read and then discuss the writings. (2) 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM Quaker Roundtable Discussion of Historical Quaker Writings Reading and Discussion of Writings by well-known, deceased Quaker writers. Readings are from a paperback anthology. Copies of the anthology are distributed to participants. Participants read and then discuss the writings. 4th Sunday of the Month: On the 4th Sunday of the Month (1 Educational Opportunity Available before Meeting for Worship) 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM (one hour before Meeting for Worship at 10:00 AM) Scripture Roundtable Discussion Reading and Discussion of selected psalms from The Book of Psalms. Each participant brings a Bible. Bibles are also available in the meetinghouse library. A psalm is read and then discussed by all participants. Participation is open to everyone. Passages from Quaker writings will be provided on Second Sundays. Feel free to bring any version of the Bible for the Fourth Sunday Psalms. Newsletter Publication Information This is your newsletter! Submissions, suggestions and feedback are encouraged and welcome. Please send them to: news@dallasquakers.org. Please submit items for publication as soon as you are aware they need to be published. Items should be submitted to in final form so editing and proofreading are not required. Due

3 to time constraints, items requiring major editing and proofreading might not be included in the next newsletter CALENDAR Sunday Meeting for Worship is held on Sunday 10:00-11:00 AM, followed by refreshments and conversation. Some Sundays (see Regular Schedule below) other events may precede or follow. Children join worship from their program for the last few minutes. Everyone is welcome for all of these events! REGULAR SCHEDULE Except for committee meetings or unless specifically noted in an announcement or newsletter, all activities of the Dallas Friends Meeting are open to attenders and visitors as well as members. First Sunday: Eating Meeting (Potluck lunch following Meeting for Worship) Second Sunday: Committee meetings and Scripture Roundtables one hour before and just after Meeting for Worship Third Sunday: Meeting for Business following Meeting for Worship (visitors are invited to sit in on business meetings to experience a Quaker Meeting for Business) Fourth Sunday: Scripture roundtable discussion from the Book of Psalms one hour before Meeting for Worship Fifth Sunday: Special programs in months that have five Sundays will be described in the weekly announcement . Midweek meeting for worship is on Wednesdays, 7:30-8:30 pm. If you wish to receive this newsletter via please send a request to news@dallasquakers.org. Dallas Friends Meeting 5828 Worth Street Dallas TX 75214

4 MINUTES FROM THE MAY BUSINESS MEETING Dallas Monthly Meeting of Friends Meeting for Worship with Attention to Business Fifth Month, Nineteenth Day, 2013 Present: Liz Wolff (Clerk), Cindy Gaertner, Bob Walton, Almeta Smith, Jules Palmer, Paula Keeth, Gerald Jimmy, Danielle Evans, Guy Long. Meeting opened with a moment of silence. Liz opened with a quote from David O. Stanfield. Minutes from the previous meeting were read an approved with one correction. Treasurer s report. Cindy Gaertner presented the report, please read it for details. Maurice Kerins is looking into the rates for different electric companies to see if we can save any money. The report was accepted. Ministry and Oversight. Paula Keeth reported that Myrtle s Hands has changed the date for their use of the meetinghouse to a day in June. Minute A clearness committee for Cindy Sy has been approved to discuss her program to become a hospital chaplain through Earlham College. The committee members will be Liz Wolff, Paula Keeth, George Trauth and Danielle Evans. Support for smaller meetings and isolated Friends was discussed. Information on Quakerquest was requested from Marianne Lockhart. This is a workshop about how to talk about the Quakers to those who are not familiar with us. Meeting closed with a moment of silence. Respectfully submitted, Guy Long Recording Clerk

5 April 2013: Treasurer's Report Donations Interest Withdrawals 4/30/13 General Operating Fund $1, $0.21 $ $14, Building Fund $50.00 $2, VIRTUAL PHYSICAL Scholarship Fund $ Adult Education $ Memorial Funds $ Special (e.g. Children's Room) $ Other $0.00 TOTAL ASSETS** $1, $0.21 $ $18, Deposits Interest Withdrawals Balance 4/30/13 Bank of America Checking $1, $ $12, Bank of America CDs $0.21 $5, Friends Meeting House Fund $ TOTAL ASSETS** $1, $0.21 $ $18, Description Fund Payments In-Kind Category All Safe Pest and Termite $97.43 Bldg & Grounds Xeroxing 7.21 Clerk Exp. Refreshments $15.46 Kitchen City of Dallas General $41.58 Utilities AT&T Bell General $73.09 Utilities ATMOS Gas General $49.86 Utilities TXU Electric *** General $41.82 Utilities TOTALS $ $22.67 FUND NAME USE RECOMMENDATION General Operating Fund full year's budget Building Fund unplanned expenses for building 10% of bldg's value Scholarship Fund member attendance at Quaker college awarded as needed Adult Education travel/honorarium for adult ed speakers as led Memorial Funds memorials for members as led Special Funds e.g., Children's Room as led **The Total Assets Balance no longer includes the $2,500 Pickett Fund Grant. ***Verbal contract with TXU on for 2 years at 9.8 cents per kwh effective Nov 2011 Total Assets Balance no longer includes Hartford Insurance claim. The Balance of $ was added into Building Fund.

6 INCOME April 2013: Year to Date against the Budget Category 2013 Budget As of 4/30 YTD In-Kind Contributions * $13, $4, Building Fund Rent and Donations $1, $1, Interest $3.00 $0.83 Total Income $14, $5, ACTIVITIES EXPENSES Adult Ed. $25.00 $0.00 $0.00 Bldg. & Grounds ** $2, $1, $15.00 Childcare $25.00 $0.00 $0.00 Clerk Expense $25.00 $0.00 $11.59 Conferences: e.g. SCYM,FGC,Rep. Etc. $ $ $0.00 Kitchen Supplies/Food $ $0.00 $ Youth Programs $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 Library $ $0.00 $0.00 Ministry & Oversight $ $0.00 $0.00 Music $50.00 $0.00 $0.00 Peace (in Special Funds) $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 Prison (in Special Funds) $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 Special Funds/Projects $ $0.00 $0.00 Quaker Service Projects $ $0.00 $0.00 Suffering $50.00 $0.00 $0.00 Discretionary $50.00 $0.00 $0.00 Total Activities Expenses $4, $2, $ ADMIN EXPENSES Advertising $50.00 $0.00 $0.00 Insurance $2, $2, $0.00 Newsletter $25.00 $0.00 $0.00 Safe Deposit Box/ Archival Stipend $ $ $0.00 Utilities $3, $ $0.00 Total Admin Expense $6, $3, $0.00 ORGANIZATION CONTRIBUTIONS AFSC (American Friends Service Comm) $ $0.00 $0.00 Dallas Peace Center $ $0.00 $0.00 DPC Peacemaker banquet $ $0.00 $0.00 FCNL (Friends Comm on Nat'l Legislation) $ $0.00 $0.00 FGC (Friends General Conference) $ $0.00 $0.00 Friends Peace Teams - African Initiatives $ $0.00 $0.00 FWCC (Friends World Consultative Comm) $80.00 $0.00 $0.00 Pendle Hill $80.00 $0.00 $0.00 QUNO (Quaker United Nations Office) $80.00 $0.00 $0.00 SCYM (South Central Yearly Meeting) $1, $0.00 $0.00 TCADP $ $0.00 $0.00 Total Outside Organizations $3, $0.00 $0.00 Total Expenses $14, $6, $127.23