Warm greetings! We had a wonderful annual conference in August at Powell House with 31 Friends from 14 yearly meetings. The minutes from our business meeting include the following:
- Friends approved Kody Hersh (SEYM) to serve on the Steering Circle, and current Steering Circle member, Sita Diehl (NYM) to serve as QREC Secretary.
- We are still searching for a Friend to serve as QREC Treasurer. The Treasurer would report to the Steering Circle periodically but would not need to attend all meetings. Please contact Gifts and Leadings Circle member Windy Cooler with recommendations: WindyCooler@gmail.com.
- The membership approved $3,000 as a goal for membership contributions in the coming year. If you are so led, please visit the membership application on our website:
Three ongoing projects are made possible through the generous support of the Thomas H. and Mary Williams Shoemaker Fund to strengthen our community of practice:
- Our pilot project supporting unstaffed yearly meetings. A special welcome to Sierra-Cascades Yearly Meeting of Friends, our first pilot site. We are seeking two more. Contact Beth Collea: Bethcollea@aol.com.
- An experimental program Weaving Quaker Activists into First Day Schools
- Creating international stories of Quaker faith and witness to share in translation across the worldwide family of Friends.Our new work has not replaced the tried and true resources you’ve come to rely upon like our First Day School Planning Calendar or our monthly online Conversation Circles on topics of faith formation or the craft of teaching. We have a great year of sharing and fellowship in store.
Plan to join us for the 2020 QREC conference:
August 14 – 16, 2020
Catholic Conference Center
Hickory, North Carolina
We are seeking Friends to serve on the conference Planning Circle!
For more information, contact Beth Collea: Bethcollea@aol.com
We close with the following blessing and extend this to you now as part of our wider circle. It is from the first gathering of QREC East Africa in January 2019.
We see you.
We believe in you.
We bless you.
We send you forth.
Live your faith. Do your work.
In Faith and Friendship,
The QREC Steering Circle:
Beth Collea, New England Yearly Meeting
Sita Diehl, Northern Yearly Meeting
Kody Hersh, Southeastern Yearly Meeting
Marsha Holliday, Baltimore Yearly Meeting
Liz Yeats, South Central Yearly Meeting
Yani Zamora, NEYM and Mexico City