SILENT ANNOUNCEMENTS         (Revised - no fooling!)         April 1, 2007
NOTE:  if you are having trouble reading these announcements because the lines seem to run off your monitor screen, try clicking the little squares on the top right hand corner of your screen to make the screen size SMALLER, and/or click View on the above menu and make the type larger.  The lines of text will then wrap to fit.
Sunday Apri l 1st, Second Hour:  Instead of the usual pattern of wrestling to find some rationale for allocating our limited budget between a handful of equally worthy causes, Peace and Social Concerns Committee (PSC) proposes instead to concentrate on the AFM members and attenders who go out into the world to build peace and address pressing social concerns.  In many instances, our members and attenders support (or are supported by) organizations that might benefit from our spiritual and financial support. In such cases, PSC proposes that AFM financial giving be premised on the recipient organization having both a practical and spiritual relationship with an AFM member/attender. Those AFM attenders/members would be asked to share with AFM their spiritual relationship with the entity receiving AFM funds and be prepared to engage with the Meeting in a process of learning from each other and building a plural relationship. AFM "sponsors" would be asked to do this either at regular PSC monthly meetings, or in conjunction with special Second Hours, with the larger AFM community invited to be a part of the sharing. PSC will be holding a special Second Hour on April 1st to discuss this proposal, as well as the role of PSC in facilitating our community's social and peace building outreach – and the spiritual growth opportunities that flow from such outreach.
Sunday April 8, following First Day School: AFM traditional Easter Egg Hunt. Please bring your hard-boiled and decorated eggs (No Candy Please!) to leave by the Meeting House door, prior to Meeting.  Parents should remind their children of the cooperative nature of the egg hunt, the joy of seeking and finding, and how older children may help the younger ones. Children should bring a basket to hold the eggs they find.  For the smallest children, eggs will be hidden in the fenced playground area.  The older Classes will search, in front or behind the meeting house (according to age).  The Young Friends (grades 6-12) will be hiding the eggs during Meeting. 
JOYS AND CONCERNS:
 
Please continue to hold Joan Clement's mother, Ruth Petersen, in the Light as she continues recovery from her recent hip and knee replacement surgeries.
COMMUNICATIONS WITHIN THE COMMUNITY
Sunday April 15th 8 am: Come to the next IHOP Breakfast o ye early risers!!  All are invited on Sunday April 15th at 8:00 a.m. to meet at the College Park IHOP (Rt. 1 and Cherry Hill Rd.) for fellowship and breakfast.  For more information, contact anyone on the Outreach & Fellowship Committee. (hint:  We stand up each week after Meeting and identify outselves.)
 
Sunday, April 22, after Meeting  (Note change in date) Peace and Social Concerns Committee and Earth Care Witness are inviting all members of the meeting to participate in a trail clean-up in honor of Earth Day.    We will have burgers and dogs on the grill and other potluck contributions, then take time for both clean up and fun activities.  Bring the kids! Also bring food, gloves, brooms, and good energy.   Gather at Adelphi Mill, off Riggs Road from 11:30 – 2:30 pm.
 
SUMMER ART WORKSHOPS at Joanna Axtmann’s Studio starting June 7th.  Four classes exploring sources for images in June and three to draw the figure in late July & August.  Sign up for one session or both.  Look for the Red flyer in the foyer of the Meeting House.  Call for info:(202)723-4428 or e-mail jaxart@infionline.net  Reserve space by 5/1/07.
 From Outreach & Fellowship Committee: As you have probably realized, we are trying to clean up and organize the lobby of our Meeting House.  Things that do not belong there are being sorted through and removed.  We are interested in the old wooden display case near the committee mailboxes.  Does anyone know its history?  It definitely has historical photos in it, but they seem to be heaped in there and not displayed.  We want to preserve the photos, but possibly remove the display case since it is serving no purpose and has a large glass front that makes it difficult to place anywhere where there are lively children.  Please contact Carole Hoage (301-585-3124, or cmooreph@comcast.net) if you have any information about this case.
 
Interested forming a women’s group?   Outreach and Fellowship Committee is wondering if there are women who attend or are members of our Meeting who might be interested in forming a new Women's group.  Currently the Meeting has four such groups already formed but it seems it might be time to start another one!  Such groups usually meet once a month with a focus decided upon by the group.  If you might be interested, please contact Carole Hoage or Wendy Eck and give one of them your name and phone number or email.  (One or the other is usually greeting before Meeting each week.)  This is a very nice way to get to know folks in the Meeting.
 
Paid position for Adelphi Summer Program:  The Religious Education Committee is seeking recommendations/applications for someone to lead First Day Classes for Children in our 3 - 5 year-old program.  We need one adult to plan and facilitate weekly sessions for this group from June 24 through September 2, 2007.  The adult will be paid $15. per hour for two hours each week.  This could be an ideal position for a returning college student, a current teacher of this class, an interested parent or other meeting attender.  If you have been attending meeting for at least 6 months and are interested in this position, please contact a member of the RE committee:  Lynn Brown: 301-585-0007, browngorrell@starpower.net, Joanna Axtmann: jaxart@infionline.net, Beth Anderson: bethlanderson@yahoo.com, or Angela Toda: angela_toda@rhsmith.umd.edu
Eyes On The Prize.  Do you have stories of Friends involvement in the Civil Rights Movement, or know someone who does?  The Adult Religious Education Committee is planning a Second Hour on this topic and would like to hear from you.  Please contact Grant Schmick, grant.schmick@gmail.com, 301-890-8480.
OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS
If anyone missed the Now with David Brancaccio feature on the AFSC Iran delegation that was broadcast last Friday,  March 23, on PBS, you can now view it online at:  http:www.pbs.org/now/shows/312/index.html or http:www.pbs.org/now/shows/312/video.html
 
Opening for Director of Quaker Affairs at the American Friends Service Committee, 1501 Cherry Street, Philadelphia, PA.  Summary of Responsibilities:  An essential position at AFSC to build enhanced initiatives to connect with and engage Quakers to join in and support AFSC’s work.  Work with directors and program staff across AFSC’s regions and units and in close collaboration with the General Secretary’s Office, in particular the Assistant General Secretary of Quaker Affairs. 
Any person interested in applying should send a letter and resume to Willa Streater in the Human Resources Department by June 15, 2007, or email WStreater@afsc.org for the full announcement.
 
May 19, 2007, Save the Date: Friends Wilderness Center near Harpers Ferry, WV holds its annual Open House that Saturday. Free.  Come for tours, hikes, yummy lunch, kids' activities and meet people as interesting as you!  Bring a group or bring a sleeping bag and stay the night if you like in treehouse, yurt or your tent.  www.friendswilderness.org.
 
April 14 – 15, 2007, Catoctin Camp Work Weekend.  Spring is upon us and it is time to start thinking about getting our camp properties ready for another season of use.  Work weekends offer us an opportunity to enjoy some fun with Friends, some time for renewal, and some gratifying and meaningful work!  Come and give the gift of your time and enjoy the gifts our camps have to give. You DO NOT need to have any building or carpentry skills in order to pitch in!  You do need to have some energy and a willingness to get dirty, try new things, be flexible and enjoy the company of others who want to pitch in too.  We need sweepers, painters, cooks, ditcher's, concrete mixers, trail clearer's as well as carpenters and handy people.  Work weekends are held on both Saturday and Sunday; you may come just for the day or you may spend the night on Saturday night. You may arrive Friday night if you'd like to make a weekend of it, but there will be no dinner served on Friday.  Feel free to bring food to share.  We will provide simple breakfasts and lunches on Saturday and Sunday as well as the evening meal on Saturday night.  Bring bedding (we do not always have enough suitable mattresses), flashlights, and anything else you may want.  Cabins are generally available or you may bring a tent.  Please visit the Website before you come to make sure everything is on schedule.  There may be times when we are sharing camp with other renters and cabin space will be limited. Friends of all ages are welcome.  Young people (0 to 18 years of age) should always bring their parents or a Friendly Adult Presence (FAP).  Parents or FAPs will be responsible for supervising the young people under their care. 
Please visit:  http://www.bym-rsf.org/camping/WorkWeekends/work.html
for more information and send an e-mail to davidhunter@bym-rsf.org if you plan to attend.
 
Location                                          Date
Catoctin Quaker Camp                     April 14 – 15, 2007
Opequon Quaker Camp                    April 28 – 29, 2007
Catoctin Quaker Camp                     May, 5 – 6, 2007

Shiloh Quaker Camp                         May 19 - 20, 2007
Opequon Quaker Camp                    June 2 - 3, 2007