As Way Opens
This week's week’s As Way Opens is written by Nichole Yaconis Mathews on behalf of the Friends Education Fund Committee.
Come this Sunday, June 24th, to congratulate our Friends Education Fund scholarship winners! The Friends Education Fund, a Quaker college scholarship program for African American Students was able to award 42 scholarships this year. There will be a short reception with light refreshments following Meeting for Worship. This fund has a fascinating history. The program was created in the mid-1940’s by several members of Indianapolis First Friends Meeting who were the surviving governing board of the only orphanage for African American children in the state of Indiana.
The orphanage was also created by First Friends members after the Civil War. By the 1920’s, when it was closed, the orphanage had provided care for over 3000 African American children.
The educational program was funded by the assets which remained following the closing of the orphanage. These included a bequest from John Williams, a former slave, who was a successful farmer and tanner in 1860’s Washington County, Indiana. In his will, he requested that his assets be used to educate “poor Negro children” and, after his death, his assets were transferred by the courts to the Friends Orphanage in Indianapolis. The 1940’s decision for educational scholarships was influenced by his bequest.
The founding directors from First Friends invested the orphanage assets and used the proceeds to assist African American students. Since that time, the directors have continued to invest and use the income generated to provide nearly $800,000 in scholarships to over 1500 students since its beginnings.
Nichole Yaconis Mathews
Friends Education Fund Committee
Quaker-Affiliated Organizations
IFCL members are taking a breather as the Legislature is not in session at this time. However, our hard-working underpaid lobbyist continues to stay connected to our state legislators. Summer study committees will be meeting this Summer. If you would like a study committee information sheet, please contact Ed Morris at meeting or call (317) 691-5542. Our next meeting will be on July 7th at the Meetinghouse from 9am-11am.
Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities
Monthly Meeting Notice ~ Due to holidays and events, we will be holding one Monthly Meeting for Business for both June and July. It will be held Sunday, July 1st after worship in the Parlor. Please plan on joining us that afternoon.
First Friends Meal Ministry ~ First Friends offers a meal ministry to those who need meals for a short period of time due to illness, the birth of a child, a death in the family or any other situation where meals would be helpful to support the family. This ministry is a tangible and important way to journey with each other through life’s circumstances.
We need more people to sign up in the meal ministry network for providing meals. It is easy to do and we only need your email address. The meal ministry process is online and a notification is sent out asking for meals along with an electronic calendar to be filled in when a need is identified. If I am in the network, I can see if the needed meals fit within my schedule and can sign up if available. Meals do not have to be home cooked as there are plenty of options to take out and deliver to the family. The meals can be dropped off or folks can stay and chat with the person. It’s all up to you. Please consider signing up for the network by providing the office (office@indyfriends.org) your email.
Is He Dead? Community Performance ~ The Carmel Community Players presents, “Is He Dead?” A “new” comedy by Mark Twain, adapted by David Ives. All are invited to performances June 8th-24th. Friday and Saturday shows at 7:30pm and Sunday at 2:30pm. Tickets are $16 for adults and $14 for seniors. Come see one of our newer attenders, David B, as he plays a number of roles in this performance. Held at Ji-Eun Lee Music Academy, 10029 E 126th St D, Fishers. For more information, visit www.carmelplayers.org or call 317-815-9387.
Community Garden Update:
Wedding Bells for Gardeners Sam and Gabe; Fun Fruit and Veggie Tips
Community Garden Friends thank Samantha R for her gracious service as co-clerk last year and this year. Her leadership skills helped enhance our garden and guide our community. We appreciate her joyous and gentle spirit. Her computer skills and hands-on eager participation are inspiring.
Reluctantly, Sam resigned her clerking position since she and her fiancé, Gabe are in a busy season of their lives. They are converting their new house into a home, working, and planning a wedding soon. We wish them a memorable day and a long and happy life together. We look forward to their continued involvement in the community garden when their lives are less hectic.
We thank Gabe for lending his excellent woodworking skills as we built and rebuilt raised bed frames, including a new one for them. With some sadness they passed on their plots to this season’s gardeners who are already tending to the beds.
The couple’s plot #3 is being converted into the Hope Garden, a shared community plot. It is at the south end of the Community Garden rather than the north side as originally planned before #3 became available. Ask Garden Clerk Nancy Scott how you can help with the Hope Garden plot.
Thanks to Dan M for mowing between the boxes. Gardeners, thank you for keeping the pathways free from rocks and anything that blocks the lawn mower! Thanks to everyone pitching in to help vacationers and under-the-weather gardeners. That’s why we are a community garden!
Fun Tips from the Garden Committee:
- Put green onions, bulb-first, into a jar with water or soil. Store on the counter or in the fridge as roots continue to grow. Snip off onion leaves as needed; they regrow.
- To revive salad greens, rinse in ice water.
- Store tomatoes longer by keeping them away from the sun at room temperature, stem-side down, or put scotch tape over stems.
- Cool off with frozen treats; eat frozen—not thawed: peeled bananas or whole grapes.
- Keep berries fresher longer by washing them in 1 part white vinegar and 3 parts water. Dry berries and store in a paper towel lined container. Vinegar is a natural disinfectant and helps prevent mold.
- To pit cherries: Hold cherry firmly and twist a plastic straw through the stem end to the bottom of the fruit. Usually the pit stays in the straw as you lift it out. By not boring completely through the fruit more juice is preserved.
Seasoned Friends Open Film Showing and Field Trip: Columbus ~ Everyone is invited to our Seasoned Friends events this month. First, we will be viewing the film Columbus, held Thursday, June 21st at 6:00pm in the Parlor. Soup and salads will be served during the film. If you are interested in attending the showing, please let the office know at office@indyfriends.org so we can be sure to have enough food for everyone.
The following week, on Wednesday, June 27th, we will be taking an actual field trip to Columbus, Indiana. We will meet at the Meetinghouse and leave at 8:45am and will return around 5pm. We will be touring the town and having lunch there as well. Please contact the office if you’d like to RSVP. We still have space available on our 90-minute walking tour (walking no more than 8 blocks) at $10 per person. We will also eat lunch together and tour one of the churches in Columbus. We hope to see you there!
Rise Up Singalong! Enjoy an evening of fun and songs old and new. Experience the retro delight of making music together. The next Sing Along will be June 22nd, at 7:00 in the parlor. Please note that this month we are holding it on the fourth Friday of the month as opposed to our usual third Friday of the month due to scheduling conflicts. Those who have Rise Up Singing and Rise Again songbooks, please bring them. We are planning a song list ahead of time and will have enlarged copies of the selections for those who lack books. Those who want to purchase books may get them directly from riseupandsing.org. Or, if you must, through Amazon. You may save a few dollars from Amazon, but you support the authors more by going directly. Learn more about the books on the website. Contact Linda L if you have questions.
The Overman Family Scholarship, in memory of Jess and Mark Overman, is available again this year. High school seniors through graduate students are welcome to apply. Undergraduate students will be given first consideration. The scholarship fund is designated to support the members and attenders of Indianapolis First Friends Meeting. Scholarship funds may be applied to any school related expense, i.e. books, supplies, tuition, housing, computer, etc. The deadline for application is June 30th, 2018. For an application please contact the office at office@indyfriends.org.
WYM and FUM 2018 Summer Mission Projects ~ Western Yearly Meeting and Friends United Meeting have announced their mission projects for 2018.
The FUM project is “Rebuilding a Friendly Place.” In the early 1900s, a school was started in the Cuban town of Puerto Padre by Quakers from Wilmington Yearly Meeting. In 1961, all private schools in Cuba were nationalized. The school subsequently fell into ruin. In 2014, the Cuban government agreed to return control of the school to Cuba Yearly Meeting. Although it’s in disrepair, it can be refurbished... “Rebuilding a Friendly Place.” Your contribution will help FUM achieve its goal of $25,000 for the restoration of the Wilmington School. For more information, visit http://www.friendsunitedmeeting.org/assets/2018-smp-cuba_4pg.pdf
The WYM project is to assist Tanzania Yearly Meeting continue to grow and develop as a yearly meeting. In 2009, the yearly meeting had only seven Quaker meetings in Tanzania, all in the Mara region along the Kenyan border. Today, Tanzania Yearly Meeting covers eight regions and includes 26 meetings...and continues to grow. Monies will be used to train Kenyans interested in mission work in Tanzania, scholarships for one year for 4 students in a pastoral ministry program at Friends Theological College, Kenyan mission outreach in Tanzania, and regional workshops in Tanzania in discipleship and Quakerism. WYM’s goal for this Tanzania project is $14,000. These are the major Quaker missionary projects for 2018. For more information, visit the WYM website at https://www.westernyearlymeeting.org/missionsandprojects/
Please prayerfully consider how you are able to help our fellow Quakers who are trying to establish and reestablish themselves in Tanzania and Cuba. Checks can be made payable to First Friends with a notation for the WYM and/or FUM 2018 projects. Additional information about these projects is under the Witness & Service section of the bulletin board.
Adopt an Apartment! Coburn Place is a local nonprofit organization that offers supportive services and housing options to survivors of intimate partner violence. They have an Adopt an Apartment program, which is a great way for individuals and groups to become involved in providing a welcoming home to new Coburn Place families. $1500-$5000 covers the cost of completely readying an apartment for a new family to move in for one year. First Friends has for the past two years “adopted an apartment” at Coburn. FF has also decorated an apartment earlier this year. Thanks to all who have helped make Coburn a safe and helpful place for those who have been subject to domestic abuse. For more information about this program, you can read their latest news here: https://goo.gl/jJkXQx or visit their website at www.coburnplace.org.
Women at the Well AND Threshing at the Tap ~ A gathering of women/men who ponder current issues and topics, where differing views are discussed, no decisions are made, and food and drinks are enjoyed. This month Threshing at the Tap and Women at the Well will have a COMBINED gathering on Thursday, June 28 at 7pm. That means all women and men are welcome! It will be held at Rick’s Café Boatyard (4050 Dandy Trail, Indianapolis). Join other men and women of First Friends and enjoy a wonderful night of conversation together.
VBS Volunteers Needed! This year we are having Vacation Bible School from Sunday July 22nd through Thursday, July 26th. This year’s theme is Shipwrecked: Rescued by Jesus. We are looking for just a few more people to volunteer! We are in need of group leaders and people to bring snacks. This is a wonderful event that children look forward to each year and we are able to offer it free of charge thanks to volunteers like you! If you can help, please contact the office at office@indyfriends.org.
Summertime Special Music! Do you have a musical gift in ministry you’d like to share in our Meeting for Worship? As our choir takes a well-deserved hiatus for the summer, we are looking for volunteers to share their music. We need performers most Sundays from June 3rd through September 2nd. Please consider signing up for a date when you’d be willing to offer it in Meeting. Your ministry can be a blessing during this season of the year. Thank you!
Worship in the Woods & Path Dedication~ Join us on Sunday, July 8th at for our annual Worship in the Woods and picnic. We will start at our normal time, 10:15am, in the Meditational Woods. If you are able to bring your own folding chairs, please do. We will also hold a dedication for the new Meditational Woods path, in memory of Bob Hadley. Afterward, we will have our picnic! Rolls, fried chicken, hot dogs (beef and veggie), ice cream, drinks and some macaroni and baked beans provided. Anyone with last names of A-I are asked bring desserts; J-Z sides and salads, though feel free to bring both! We hope to see you there!
Native American Crafts Needed! WYM Outreach Board is looking for donations for the Native American table during WYM annual sessions July 12-15. Items they would like: handcrafts (new) food, needlework, etc. Items need to be priced. Contact Norma W or Terry T for questions.
Save the Date! Shalom Zone Garage Sale ~ On Saturday, July 28, from 8 am to noon (set up beginning at 7 am) the Shalom Zone churches will be sponsoring “garage sale’ and “craft sale” opportunities for individuals in the Cross and Crown parking lot at 79th and Allisonville Rd. You will be able to reserve a space for $10 in advance ($15 day of sale). The rest is up to you – bring your own table or use the trunk of your car. You get to keep whatever you earn. The adjoining neighborhood of Ivy Hills will have its annual garage sale the same day so there should be no shortage of folks looking for a deal. The Shalom Zone will donate the reservation fees to School on Wheels, a voluntary program which tutors homeless children throughout Marion County. For more info or to reserve a space contact the office at office@indyfriends.org.
Quaker Life magazine is being offered to us for renewal at a group rate of $30.00 per year. Published by Friends United Meeting, issues come out quarterly, that will “inspire, inform and teach you.” The journal is normally priced at $40.00 annually. We keep one copy in our Library. Please let the office know if you would like to add your name to the list of subscribers or renew if you already subscribe. Thank you!
