December 2010 Newsletter
Printer-friendly versionCONTENTS:
Meeting for Worship With a Concern for Business
Memorial Minute for Peter Stebbins Craig
Property Committee Interim Report
School for Friends, Highlights and Annual Report
Friends for Non-Profit Housing
FRIENDS MEETING OF WASHINGTON
MONTHLY MEETING FOR WORSHIP WITH A CONCERN FOR BUSINESS
NOVEMBER 14, 2010
Minutes
11/10-1 Opening The Meeting opened at noon with a period of silent worship. David Etheridge served as Presiding Clerk, Susan Lepper, Alternate Clerk, and Merry Pearlstein, Recording Clerk. Sabrina McCarthy joined the clerks on the facing bench holding the Meeting in the Light. The clerks read Advices, Queries and Voices concerning peace which have been proposed by the Faith and Practice Revision Committee of Baltimore Yearly Meeting.
Advices
Since its founding over 350 years ago, the Society of Friends has testified to the worth of every individual by refusing to participate in war. We repudiate war because it violates the primacy of love, destroys lives that God has given, and tears the fabric of society. Members of our Society have traditionally refused to serve in the armed forces. The Peace Testimony is, however, more than a mere refusal to participate in war.
Fox’s assertion that he “lived in that light and power that takes away the occasion for war” and Woolman’s advice that we “examine our lives to see that the seeds of war are not contained therein” firmly establish connections between this and other testimonies. As we work for peace in the world, we search out the seeds of war in ourselves and in our way of life. We refuse to join in actions that lead to destruction and death. We seek ways to cooperate to save life and strengthen the bonds of unity among all people. We work to create the conditions of peace, such as freedom, justice, cooperation, and the right sharing of the world’s resources.
Our faith calls for us to be fully present to the person before us. History has shown that when a future outcome, however noble, seems of greater worth than the human being before us, any means, any atrocity, is possible. To work for peace without being divisive, we need to work out of a place of faith, truly trusting in the movement of the spirit. We need to bring into God’s light those emotions, attitudes and prejudices in ourselves which lie at the root of destructive conflict, acknowledging our need for forgiveness and grace.
Peace is the state in which we are in accord with God, the earth, others, and ourselves. We know that true, lasting peace among us flows from unity in the life of the spirit.
Queries
What does it mean to live in the virtue of that life and power which takes away the occasion of all war?
Where there are hatred, division, and strife, how are we instruments of reconciliation and love?
How do we communicate to others an understanding of the basis of our peace testimony?
As we work for peace in the world, are we nourished by peace within and among ourselves? How do we think of those we believe have harmed us or others? How does our way of thinking about them affect our spiritual lives?
Voices
We are too ready to retaliate, rather than forgive, or gain by Love and Information. And yet we could hurt no Man that we believe loves us. Let us then try what Love will do: For if Men did once see we Love them, we should soon find they would not harm us. Force may subdue, but Love gains: And he that forgives first, wins the Laurel. William Penn
Peace is not merely a distant goal that we seek, but a means by which we arrive at that goal.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Why are we here? If I understand the message of God, his response to that question is that we are to take part in the creation of the Peaceable Realm of God. Again, if I understand the message of God, how we take part in the creation of this realm is to love God with all our heart, our mind and our strength and to love our neighbors and enemies as we love God and ourselves. In its essential form, different aspects of love bring about the creation of the realm. Tom Fox
If you want to make peace with your enemy, you have to work with your enemy. Then he becomes your partner. Nelson Mandela
The activist who seeks explanations based on outer facts declares that our restlessness is due to the terrible state of the world at present. If we could just get the outer world in order we could then feel inward peace. But perhaps he has not the whole truth. Perhaps the more fundamental difficulty is with our inward world. As long as there is inward chaos, all outward actions will be contaminated by this chaos. In such a case all that we do will promote rather than allay confusion. We seek to bring peace in the world when there is no peace in our hearts and as a result we infect the outer world with our inner conflict. Howard Brinton
11/10-2 Attendance Approximately 27 Friends were present. Presiding Clerk David Etheridge welcomed visitor William S. Busker of Alexandria, Virginia.
11/10-3 Clerk’s Report David Etheridge announced that the next 45 minutes would be devoted to worship sharing on the topic of renovations. He asked that Friends observe periods of silence between messages and said that priority would be given to those who had not spoken during the worship sharing portions of the September and October meetings.
David noted the new, condensed format for the Order of Worship, and announced that a larger print version was available for those who preferred it. He also stated that portions of future meetings for business would include updated interim reports from various committees.
It was announced that a memorial meeting for Elizabeth (Betty) Morris had been held at Friends Meeting of Washington on Sunday, October 24, 2010.
On behalf of the Finance and Stewardship Committee, David presented an updated report on the Meeting’s financial condition. Contributions for July through October are running about $1,750 behind both the budget for this year and the same period last year. Year to date revenue is less than 28% of our fiscal year goal with more than a third of the year having passed. Expenses are on track, although substantial savings are anticipated due to the vacancy of the assistant administrative position. Friends are reminded that the Meeting’s audited financial statements for FY 2010 (now posted on the F&S page of the website) showed the Meeting in the black, but only as a result of capital gains. Expenses were tightly contained, but contributions fell below the level of the preceding year. The Finance and Stewardship Committee is developing a long-term plan to replace fund-raising with true Friend-to-Friend stewardship that will engage the entire Meeting. In the meantime, Friends can expect to receive a renewed appeal for funds this holiday season.
David reported that the Personnel Committee continues its review of staffing and has not yet decided whether to fill the assistant administrative secretary’s position. In the interim, the Meeting welcomes additional office assistance. Friends willing to volunteer time should contact Tom Cooke. Such assistance will be particularly welcome the week before Christmas when Tom will be on vacation.
It was announced that there would be a meeting for worship on Thanksgiving Day at noon in the Decatur Place Room. Further, the Meeting will host Baltimore Yearly Meeting young Friends the weekend of November 26 through 28. Finally, David noted there would be a pot luck in the Assembly Room at the rise of Meeting.
11/10- 4 Renovation Worship Sharing A Friend expressed her strong support of a “Barbara Nnoka Memorial Elevator,” but cited the concerns voiced by another Friend the previous month that adding an elevator would increase annual operating expenses. She hoped that, for planning purposes, the additional operating costs resulting from proposed renovations could be quantified.
A long-term member of the Finance and Stewardship Committee noted that historically Friends tend to be generous of their time, service and contributions to other charities, but not necessarily in their financial gifts to their own meetings. The Friend noted that our land and original building had been given to us, and that the buildings acquired later (Carriage House and Quaker House) had been financed by mortgages that had been repaid early through the generosity of Meeting members. In recent years, he said that most maintenance work had been paid for from capital reserves. Considering that only about half of the members contribute to the Meeting, and that the median household contribution is around $500, he said that many wonder how we can manage a multimillion dollar capital campaign. This Friend voiced his faith in the future, however, and indicated he was encouraged about the Meeting’s ability to undertake this effort. His experience with capital campaigns leads him to believe that people give because they care about and choose to invest in the community. He has faith that any capital campaign will carefully evaluate ongoing operating expenses as well as the cost of bricks and mortar, and further believes that Friends Meeting of Washington will rise to the challenge and help the meeting grow rather than allowing its gifts deteriorate.
Another Friend cited the recent death of her mother-in-law whom she credited with having been responsible for the family’s becoming Friends. She suggested that the capital campaign and ongoing responsibilities for operations should be an occasion to review individual lifestyles and financial priorities. This is an opportunity to make an exciting leap of faith with confidence in our ability to create a legacy for future generations.
It was suggested that consideration be given to alternative means of fundraising, such as holding suppers or presenting concerts, since these activities help to build community in addition to raising money.
Another Friend expressed her sense that there was a great deal of unity toward moving forward with renovations, but voiced some confusion as to the design. She noted with admiration the simplicity of recently completed improvements at the Langley Hill Meeting.
A Friend said that if we did not go forward with renovations, we would be walking away from ourselves and harming our community. He noted that lack of courage, concern and commitment is not the legacy we seek.
Another Friend said that there is no question of our going forward, but that the discernment process currently being undertaking is a necessary step. He noted that the additional annual cost of owning an elevator would be approximately $5,000 (including payments to a reserve fund for its eventual replacement). He also observed that there is space in Quaker House and Carriage House that is currently unused, and that revenue generated by that space, if made usable and leased, could help address the shortfall of around $30,000 in our annual operating budget. He also noted that the capital campaign should address the need for replenishment of reserves. He concluded by saying that the resources needed to care for our campus are inadequate, and encouraged Friends to participate in work days as a way not only to address the Meeting’s needs but also to become familiar with and feel invested in the property.
A Friend expressed her concern that the assumption of debt could alter the dynamics of the Meeting. She wondered whether onerous financial obligations might encourage some people to leave.
Another Friend voiced her optimism resulting from Friends’ expressions of love and support for the Meeting. She feels a sense of community in members’ working together to find a realistic plan the Meeting can afford.
Still another spoke in favor of moving forward incrementally, beginning with the addition of an elevator and adding other improvements as way opens.
A Friend indicating he had been struggling to find an appropriate metaphor for our renovation process, noting he often considered times as a young person when after family dinners, they sometimes rolled up the rug and danced. He felt that, in light of such obstacles as leaking foundations and roof, we still have work to do in addressing basic needs before we will be ready to dance.
11/10-5 Memorial Minute Michael Cronin read the memorial minute he had prepared for Peter Stebbins Craig. Friends reflected on the gifts of this former member, and APPROVED the memorial minute.
Friends also APPROVED the appointment of Hayden Wetzel to write the memorial minute for Elizabeth (Betty) Morris.
11/10-6 Request for Marriage under the Care of the Meeting Erica Hurvitz, a member of the Marriage and Family Relations Committee, made the first presentation of a Request for Marriage under the Care of the Meeting of attenders Frank Taylor and Mark Meinke. She noted that Meg Green and Jane Edgerton have agreed to serve on the committee of oversight for the marriage, which is scheduled for March 26, 2011. The request will be held over for one month, as is customary.
11/10-7 Report from the Membership Committee Janet Dinsmore, a member of the Membership Committee, presented the request for transfer of the membership of Laura Yeomans and Richard Renner to Adelphi Friends Meeting, and noted the Meeting’s appreciation for Laura’s service as assistant administrative secretary. Friends APPROVED this request.
11/10-8 Report regarding the Search Committee David Etheridge noted that last month he had announced the nominations of Sara Satterthwaite and Judy Hubbard to the Search Committee but had not asked for Friends’ approval. Friends today APPROVED those nominations. On behalf of the Search Committee, he announced the resignation of Kimberly Crichton from the Nominating Committee. Friends ACCEPTED this resignation. He noted that Marcia Reecer had been nominated to the Nominating Committee for a term ending December 31, 2011, and to serve as its Interim Clerk until the earlier of that date or the identification of a suitable replacement. Friends APPROVED that nomination. Merry Pearlstein has also been nominated to the Nominating Committee for a term ending in December 2013. Friends APPROVED this nomination.
11/10-9 Report from the Nominating Committee Marcia Reecer, Interim Clerk of the Nominating Committee, noted that, although in the past members of the former Planning Committee had been chosen by the committees they represented, members of the Capital Improvements Task Force are being chosen by the traditional processes followed by the Nominating Committee. She reported that Justin Connor, Tina Giffin and Steve Brooks (who is due to return from Africa soon) have been nominated to serve on the Capital Improvements Task Force. Friends APPROVED these nominations. Marcia also reported with regret the resignation of Mary Campbell from the Personal Aid Committee. Friends ACCEPTED this resignation.
11/10-10 Update from the Property Committee Neil Froemming, a member of the Property Committee, presented the attached updated Sticks and Bricks report. He encouraged Friends to participate in the work day scheduled for Saturday, November 20 from 9:00 to 3:00. Friends expressed appreciation for the work of the committee and their thorough and informative reporting. A Friend was particularly grateful for the Committee’s assistance with setup and cleanup for the Pakistan lunch on November 7.
11/10-11 Update from the Capital Improvements Task Force Ken Forsberg, Clerk of the CITF, noted that the recent efforts of the Task Force have concentrated primarily in its own staffing. He expects to be able to provide a more substantive report next month with frequent updates as work progresses.
11/10-12 Report from School for Friends Michael Cronin, a member of the School for Friends Board, presented the attached report from the School for Friends, noting that his service on the board had been a consistent joy. A Friend announced that the School for Friends annual auction would be held next week. Another Friend who had been involved with the Meeting when it helped to establish the School for Friends observed with satisfaction the remarkable growth of the school and noted how gratifying it was to see the fruits of this labor.
11/10-13 Report from Friends Non-Profit Housing Lewis Smith, a member of the board for Friends Non-Profit Housing Corporation, presented the attached annual report. He noted particularly that the mortgage will be repaid in April, 2012, reducing expenses by approximately $6,500 per month. There are also capital reserves in excess of $500,000. The Board is hopeful of using at least a portion of those funds to increase the number of one bedroom units available. Lewis said that young people in the area assist each year in early December in packing and delivering holiday gift baskets to residents, and that any young Friends wishing to participate would be welcome. Finally, he noted that the Board, which currently consists of two Friends each from Friends Meeting of Washington and the Bethesda and Sandy Spring meetings, as well as one non-Friend, is seeking another member from our Meeting since he will be leaving the board after nine years of service. Anyone interested should contact Marcia Reecer or other members of the Nominating Committee.
11/10-14 Report from Baltimore Yearly Meeting Interim Meeting David Etheridge reported that at the Interim Session of Baltimore Yearly Meeting held October 16, 2010 in Richmond, the issue of the Yearly Meeting’s contribution to Friend United Meeting was resolved; $6,300 has been paid to FUM without restriction. Members of various Quaker archives groups headed by the Friends Library at Swarthmore College are engaged in negotiations with Ancestry.com to have monthly and quarterly meeting records digitized and made available for a fee. The meeting approved a minute from the BYM Indian Affairs Committee supporting the endorsement by the United States of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
11/10-15 Minutes The minutes were read and APPROVED.
11/10-16 Adjournment With approximately 17 Friends present, the meeting adjourned at 2:10 p.m. to reconvene as way opens on Sunday, December 12, 2010 at 11:45 a.m.
ATTACHMENTS: Memorial Minute for Peter Stebbins Craig
Property Committee Interim Report
Report from School for Friends
Report from Friends Non-Profit Housing Corporation
Memorial Minute for Peter Stebbins Craig September 30, 1928 to November 26, 2009
Peter Stebbins Craig was born September 30, 1928, in Brooklyn, NY, and grew up in Oberlin, Ohio. As a teenager, Peter had a part-time job delivering telegrams to families who had lost a soldier in World War II. That experience turned him into a lifelong pacifist and Quaker.
Peter graduated from Oberlin College, and his honors thesis, "Baseball as a Monopoly," got him a summer job with the House Judiciary Committee when it investigated the sport. He earned a JD from Yale Law School in 1953, where he was a member of the Yale Law Review.
Peter moved to Washington after college to work at Covington and Burling, then left in 1960 for Southern Railway. In 1967, he became Assistant General Counsel for litigation at the US Department of Transportation. He returned to Southern Railway in 1969 and worked there until he retired in 1989.
Peter met Sally Banks Craig on New Years Day 1970, and they were married six weeks later, on Valentine’s Day. A year later their daughter Katherine Love was born. Peter was a member of the Friends Meeting of Washington and starting in the mid-1980s Peter and Sally attended meeting for worship held at Sidwell Friends School, which was close to their home on Macomb Street.
Peter took an early retirement to pursue a passionate interest in genealogy and history, and became the leading authority on 17th-century Swedish settlements in the Delaware Valley. Peter published scores of articles and books on the topic. The king of Sweden honored him in 2003, and in October, the Swedish Colonial Society gave him a lifetime achievement award. He was a fellow of the American Society of Genealogists.
Peter’s legal and public service to the community is well known. It was done largely outside the realm of membership on committees of the Friends Meeting of Washington.
Less well known service was done during the thirty-nine years of their marriage: Peter and Sally extended tender hospitality to many, many friends and grown children of friends who were experiencing turbulence and needed a safe place to be in discernment. Several recipients of Peter and Sally’s supportive generosity spoke at Peter’s memorial meeting about the kindnesses they’d experienced as temporary residents of “the third floor at 3406 Macomb,” where the Craig’s lived. Some were sure that for much of their thirty-nine years together, their third floor had always been occupied by someone in transition.
Friends also remember Peter for his pro bono service to the Washington, DC community. For example, Peter was one of the leaders in the crucial but little-remembered battle that prevented interstate highways from bisecting Washington, DC.
One of Peter’s most noteworthy achievements was serving in the vanguard of a broad, inter-racial citywide coalition to keep superhighways outside DC city limits. Leading the coalition, “The Committee of 100 on the Federal City,” Peter’s first efforts involved a lawsuit, declaring that an 1880s law mandated that no road in the city be wider than Pennsylvania Avenue.
As noted in The Washington Post obituary written by Patricia Sullivan, “Meticulously prepared, tenacious in the face of bureaucratic obfuscation and a stalwart supporter of the subway system, Mr. Craig maneuvered between presidential-level politics and public protests. Feelings about the freeways ran so high that a 1969 D.C. Council meeting devolved into either a riot or a melee, depending on which local newspaper you read.
“All sides agreed that fistfights broke out, chairs were thrown and an ashtray whizzed past the ear of council Chairman Gilbert Hahn Jr. Fourteen people were arrested. Some protesters chained themselves to trees, and others canoed to the Three Sisters, a trio of midriver boulders, and hung a banner on the rocks that read: "Stop the Bridge." In 1970, John Sirica, then the chief judge of the U.S. District Court, ordered work on the bridge halted. Still, Mr. Craig said in a HYPERLINK ‘http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/metro/endofroads.pdf’ Washington Post Magazine story on the fight in 2000, ‘I was not satisfied that the war was won until Teddy Kennedy got the Highway Trust Fund opened up. That plus home rule tipped the scales here.’
“For more than two decades, Peter battled business interests, developers and members of Congress who wanted to build a bridge over the Potomac River to carry Interstate 66 into Georgetown and seven multilane highways, which would have destroyed more than 200,000 housing units, many in historically black sections of the city.
“Peter also prevented an effort in 1973 to replace McLean Gardens with high-rise condos, a hospital, hotel and offices. In 1996 he forced the city to throw out 9,700 flawed property assessments. During his later years and recently fought unsuccessfully to overturn the District's method of assessing property taxes.”
Survivors include his wife of 39 years, Sally Banks Craig of Washington; three children from his first marriage, Stephen Tucker Craig of Chicago, Carolyn Alden Craig of Davis, Calif., and Jennifer Stebbins Craig of Woodland, Calif.; a daughter from his second marriage, Katherine Craig Bocock of Takoma Park; a brother, John Craig of Washington; and five grandchildren.
Attachment:
Sticks and Bricks
Property Committee Interim Report
November 2010
The Property Committee wants to keep FMW Friends informed about what we’re up to, so we can address concerns and ideas that may come from outside the committee.
Lead and Asbestos Testing
We tested for lead in ten rooms of the Meetinghouse. The good news is that, only three rooms failed the lead test, and they are rooms that have not been generally occupied: the Storage Room and Furnace Rooms at the north end of the ground floor, and the North Attic Room.
The worst spot was the Storage Room. Although the walls and ceilings were negative for lead, the trim, windows, and doors need to be abated. Also, we found asbestos in the old floor tiles in that space. Fortunately, we did NOT find lead in the Decatur Room or Terrace Room.
For more details, see the copy of the test reports on the Property Committee page at www.QuakersDC.org.
Next Steps . . .
There’s long list of things that we should be tackling, but our limited resources (money and volunteer time) compel us to focus on our highest priorities, which currently are:
1. Tasks to remediate health and safety hazards, particularly in areas where children are present.
2. Tasks to meet commitments to space sharing partners, such as the renovation of Carriage House First Floor for occupancy by Tostan and the Quaker House First Floor SW corner office for the National Campaign for a Peace Tax Fund.
We are talking with a contractor about adding new flooring to the Meeting House Storage Room (northeast corner of the ground floor) to contain potential hazards from the asbestos content in the present floor tiles.
We hope to make progress this month on Quaker House, Carriage House, and Meeting House painting and other renovation tasks, using volunteer help.
Speaking of which . . .
Oh, Help!
Work Day — November 20th
The Property Committee is sponsoring a “work day” on Saturday, November 2oth, between 9 am and 3 pm.
This is a time for FMW Friends to come down to the Meeting House and help with all the cleaning, painting, hammering, shifting, noticing, scraping, caulking, worrying, smashing, assembling, and lunch eating that is required.
By “FMW Friends”, we do mean you, and not those other people. The FMW campus is too big and too much in need of work for the Property Committee to do it ourselves and money for contractors is limited.
Besides, it’s kind of fun, it makes you feel good, and you could use the exercise.
School for Friends Highlights – 2009 – 2010
SCHOOL FOR FRIENDS [SfF] is a nationally accredited preschool offering full and half day educational programs for 60 two-to-four-year-olds, Monday - Friday from 8 AM to 6 PM year around.
SfF is a Quaker school and is a member of the Friends Council on Education. “The School for Friends educational curriculum reflects the Quaker values of cooperation, equality, and nonviolence.”
STRATEGIC PLAN UPDATE
In September and November 2007 the Board and the school’s Director, Jim Clay, conducted its eighth three-year strategic planning session. In March 2008, the Board adopted six priorities, for implementation by January 2011. School for Friends will begin its next threeyear strategic planning cycle with a two-day retreat in the fall of 2010.
The strategic plan’s 2008-2010 priorities were:
1) resolving space and location issues;
2) teacher retention and recognition;
3) fundraising/financial sustainability;
4) reliable, safe, and up-to-date physical plant and information technology;
5) improved support for the school’s administrative and management structure; and,
6) enhancing board governance.
Since 2009 the SfF Director and Board Presidents, in pursuit of “space and location issues,”negotiated with representatives of Church of the Pilgrims to locate all SfF classrooms andoffices there. This fall the DC Government awarded SfF a Certificate of Occupancy, so the SfF is now located at Pilgrims.
The SfF has recently updated its three year strategic plan. Priorities for 2011 – 2014 are development, succession planning, and moderate expansion. It’s expected that by January 2011 goals, goal-teams and leaders, and operating plans will be in place for all priorities.
PLAYGROUND Addressing Strategic Plan items 1), 3) and 4) SfF undertook and completed major planning and fund raising to build a new playground at Church of the Pilgrims. A committee of SfF parents worked closely with Learning Structures, Inc., a firm that’s built dozens of community playgrounds in the US. To cut the budget from $175,000 to about $50,000, SfF recruited more than 100 volunteers to support all aspects of building the playground under contractor supervision. Demolition of the old playground, ground preparation, and construction were mostly completed, in the rain, in October 2009.
REGGIO EMILIA In the autumn of 2009 SfF Director Jim Clay attended a study tour of Reggio Emilia, in northern Italy. Reggio Emilia has a visionary approach to child care and education, started in 1945. http://www.reggioemiliaapproach.net/about.php Much of what Jim Clay learned has made its way into SfF classrooms, including the integration of art, specifically a wide range of materials, and the role of documentation not only for reporting purposes, but for curriculum planning. Jim has organized a support network of Washington, DC schools that attended the study tour in 2009 (Miner Elementary, 601 15th St NE, and St. John’s Episcopal Pre-School in Georgetown).
AWARD After a national competition, School for Friends was recognized as one of ten exemplary early childhood development programs; SfF received the “Engaging Diverse Families” award at the annual conference of the National Association for the Education of Young Children, in June 2010. NAEYC has 90,000 members worldwide.
SCHOOL FOR FRIENDS ANNUAL REPORT TO FRIENDS MEETING OF
WASHINGTON, NOV 2010
History, operations, philosophy, and affiliations of School for Friends
The School for Friends was co-founded in 1981 by members of FMW and neighbors who supported Quaker teaching and education. SfF has four classrooms for up to sixty 2 to 4 year-olds, located at the Church of the Pilgrims, 2201 P St NW, two blocks from FMW. The SfF rents approximately 3400 ft2 of space for classrooms, offices, meeting rooms, and storage areas.
More than 50% of the families with children in the School identify themselves a people of color (African American, Latino, Asian American, American Indian). Approximately 20% of students receive financial aid. The School enjoys strong parental involvement and close teacher-parent relationships.
A Quaker school promoting Quaker values, SfF “provides a loving, caring, and supportive educational environment for children.” The curriculum reflects the Quaker values of cooperation, equality, and nonviolence. All children have a moment of silence at circle time, and the pre-kindergarten classroom at Quaker House does so in the FMW Meeting room twice a month. The SfF curriculum for three- and four-year olds includes the Quaker pillar of “service” by having children in all classes complete a community service project.
SCHOOL FOR FRIENDS ACCREDITATION AND AFFILIATION
SfF is accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children, and has met the NAEYC Academy’s criteria for high quality early childhood programs. In 2007, School for Friends was awarded accreditation through 2012.
SfF is a member of the Friends Council on Education [founded 1931]. The Council celebrates four centuries of Friends education and promotes the theory and practice of Quaker education. “The Council has 81 member schools in 21 states with 20,600 students, 4,560 faculty and staff and 1,190 trustees/board members. It includes 14 nursery schools, 37 elementary schools, 19 preschools, 10 secondary schools [7-12 and 9-12] and eight boarding schools. Five new schools have applied for membership. ”
School for Friends is also a founding member of Washington, DC-area Friends Schools located in Washington, DC, Maryland, and Virginia.
FRIENDS NON-PROFIT HOUSING CORPORATION
July 20, 2010
Owner and Manager of Friendly Gardens Apartments
Annual Report 2009-2010
Friendly Gardens (FG) consists of 85 apartments in six three-story plus basement buildings at 2423 Lyttonsville Road, Silver Spring, MD, just a few blocks above East-West Highway off Grubb Road. In October, 1970, having been newly built under a committee of members of area Friends’ Meetings, the apartment complex was opened. There are 22 two-bedroom, 35 three-bedroom, and 28 four-bedroom units. The apartment complex is notable for its spacious units, good maintenance and very moderate rents!
Residents
Friendly Gardens is an attractive group of residences in a comfortable neighborhood convenient to Montgomery County and DC. It is a relatively stable community of households with low to moderate incomes. Of the 85 units, approximately 16 are supported by Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) “Section 8” subsidies which make up the difference between 30% of the household income and a HUD-defined basic rent level. However, all rents at Friendly Gardens are well-below market.
In the most recent Montgomery County Human Rights Survey, FG reported, using these County categories, that of the “primary leaseholders,” 34 were Black, 33 Spanish/Latino, 2 White, and 16 “Other” ethnicity. A few tenants continue to move out each year on buying their own homes. Periodically, there are evictions, often because of housekeeping standards but sometimes due to drug sales or possession by a member of the household.
The Board has directed management to survey apartment utilization by family size as a basis for better matching families to apartments with the most appropriate number of bedrooms.
With support from area Friends Meetings, and particularly the Bethesda Meeting, the Board has continued to prepare Christmas food baskets which are distributed to all FG residents about a week before the Christmas holiday. This annual project is very well received and remembered for many years by the residents.
Financial Condition
The most recent audited financial report, for the fiscal year ending 6/30/09, was positive without any (negative) “findings.” Total revenues were $775,337 and total expenses and depreciation were $680,124 for $95,213 in revenues over expenses. As of April 30, 2010, cash on hand in the Friendly Gardens operating account was $52,764, the HUD–required reserve for replacement fund held $532,526 and the “residual receipts” fund held $82,588. With HUD’s approval, the latter two funds can be used for repairs and improvements. The FHA mortgage on the property will be paid in full in April, 2012, eliminating our $6528/month principal and interest mortgage payment.
Increasing Costs Lead to Rent Increases Yet Rents Remain Comparatively Very Low
With Montgomery County and HUD approval, FNPH instituted a 3.5% rent increase on October 1, 2009. This raised rents for 2 bedroom apartments from $556 to $575, 3 bedrooms from $599 to $620, and four bedrooms from $672 to $696. Previous rent increases were deemed necessary by the Board due to increased costs and were implemented most recently in 2008, 2006, 2005, and 2004. No rent increase is scheduled in the FY 2011 budget for the year beginning July 1, 2010.
Rents at FG are estimated to be less than half of those of comparable apartments in the surrounding area. The Board has been able to keep rents low in part because Montgomery County has exempted the property from any payment of property taxes (estimated at $500-600/unit or about $50,000 a year), and because HUD permits FG to retain “excess income,” (amounts collected from tenants paying more than the HUD-defined “basic rents”) estimated to total more than $65,000 per year. In addition, the Board and management have given close attention to cost factors like water consumption.
Physical Plant, Mechanical Systems and Utilities
Repairs and replacements are a continuing part of managing a 40 year-old property. FG is subject to inspections by HUD’s Real Estate Assessment Center (REAC). The annual review by Montgomery County, on April 7, 2010, was “Above Average,” which is a very good rating. Repairs are made accordingly. The Board and the management company regularly monitor water use and undertake timely repairs of small but often significant leaks throughout the system. A phased introduction of water-saver toilets started in 2005 and continues. The steep increase in gas and electricity costs since 2005 and 2006, which led to rent increases, focused the Board’s attention on ways to make FG’s energy use more efficient. In this we have had limited success.
Detailed Long-Range Physical Needs Assessment Ordered by the FNPH Board
The assessment by Building Consultants, Inc. was completed on August 17, 2009, and projects that improvements of approximately $2 million will be needed over the next 20 years.
Issues Related to the Proposed Housing Development Next Door
The slowdown in the economy and in housing particularly has halted any movement on the proposed housing development adjacent to Friendly Gardens. The Board follows the situation closely and has been exploring related opportunities.
The Board’s Attention to Major Changes Coming to FG in Less Than Two Years
Friendly Gardens’ 40 year mortgage will be paid in full in April 2012, eliminating our $6528/month principal and interest payment. The Board may choose to free the project from HUD management oversight at that time. Cash flow will significantly increase with no mortgage to pay. We are planning the transition to be sure we are fully prepared. We need to assure continuation of Friendly Garden’s Montgomery County property tax exemption and the utilization of Friendly Garden’s considerable reserves which were built up under HUD requirements during their long oversight.
Property manager, Staff, and Renovation and Enlargement of the Friendly Garden’s Office
The long-time property manager for FG is Joe Rector of the Whetstone Company. Joe Rector attends all regular FG Board Meetings. The FG complex has a staffed rental office, maintenance employees, and a part-time security presence by a Montgomery County Police officer. After delays, we expect a major office renovation and expansion to be underway soon.
Board of Directors
Current directors are Jim Breiling (Sandy Spring FM), Barbara Galloway (Sandy Spring FM), Ralph Hofmeister (Bethesda FM), Robin McGrew (Architect), Richard Mounts (Bethesda FM), Lewis Smith (FMW), and Willy Wilson (FMW), the current Board President. The Board meets bi-monthly in the Community Room, entered from the middle of the first parking lot to the right of the FG Office. Meetings are usually on the 3rd Monday, at 7:30 PM. Visitors are welcome!
Prepared by Lewis Smith, 7-17-10 Corrected 7-20-10
FMW NEWSLETTER
December 2010
WINTER EVENTS
William Penn House
William Penn House, a Quaker Center on Capitol Hill, hosts monthly potluck dinners with a speaker and discussion afterwards, In addition to monthly potlucks the William Penn House provides low cost accommodations and Quaker centered programs and seminars. On Sunday, December 5 at 6:30 p.m. Bryan Montanio and Brad Ogilvie will speak about NaturalBuilding.
At the William Penn House Workcamp with the Lakota Nation in South Dakota this past summer, Brad and Bryan were introduced to the Natural Building Movement. A “natural building” involves a range of building systems and materials that place major emphasis on sustainability. Ways of achieving sustainability through “natural building” focus on durability and the use of minimally processed, plentiful or renewable resources, as well as those that, while recycled or salvaged, produce healthy living environments and maintain indoor air quality. “Natural building” tends to rely on human labor, more technology and it depends on “local ecology, geology and climate; on the character of the particular building site, and on the needs and personalities of the builders and users”. The basis of “natural building” is the need to lessen the environmental impact of buildings and other supporting systems, without sacrificing comfort, health or aesthetics. To be more sustainable, “natural building” uses primarily abundantly available, renewable, reused or recycled materials. Building compactly and minimizing the ecological footprint is common, as are on site handling of energy acquisition, on-site water capture, alternate sewage treatment and water re-use.
Bryan Montanio, who led this project, is a local resident and is earning a design degree at George Mason University. He will join us to talk about this movement, giving global examples and some ideas of local possibilities as part of creating a sustainable world. Brad Ogilvie is the Coordinator of Programs and Workcamps at William Penn house and was one of the leaders of the Washington Quaker Workcamps with the Lakotas.
The William Penn House is located at 515 East Capitol Street, SE Washington, DC 20003. it is an alcohol and tobacco free facility.
On Saturday, January 22, 2011 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. the William Penn House is celebrating Byron Sandford ten years of service and dedication to the organization. The celebration will be held at Busboys and Poets, 2021 14th St. NW, Washington DC. The cost is $60 per person which includes fountain drinks and coffee. Bar service is available. Menu options will include chicken, fish, vegetarian and vegan choices. Friends are welcome to share stories, anecdotes and well wishes that speak to Byron’s service and character.
FMW’s Senior Center in December
Programs of slides or talks are held on the second and forth Wednesday of each month in the Decatur Place Room at 1:30 p.m. On December 8 Carol Coffee will present Turkey III. On the Wednesday, December 22, the Senior Center will not be meeting due to the holiday season.
Annual Shoebox Project
All Friends are invited to participate and volunteer in the Meeting wide activity of packing approximately 2000 shoebox gifts for homeless men, women, and children that will be distributed throughout area homeless shelters. Your help is truly needed on Sunday,
December 19, from 8:30 a.m. until 3 p.m. If you would like to participate-just show up. Please consider setting aside several hours or the day. A good time is had by all in the best spirit of the season. In addition to assembling, filling boxes with sets of necessities, and wrapping in the Assembly Room, volunteers are needed to drive to shelters and clean up. All are invited- family, friends and for children this is a wonderful introduction to community service. Also, on Saturday, December 18, from 9:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. (including a pizza lunch break) the Young Adult Friends will be folding boxes to be ready for the next day. For information about Saturday activities contact Kate Decker) the Shoeboxes are filled with gender specific items, warm hat and gloves, and special additions for homeless children. If you have questions or would like to volunteer, please contact CJ Lewis at 202-704-4430. Hope to see you there!
Christmas Day Worship
On Saturday, December 25, at Noon there will be a Meeting for Worship held in the Decatur Place Room. All are welcome to attend.
Living Our Queries
Discover how the monthly queries, advices and voices connect with our daily spiritual experience. This Adult Education program will continue on Sunday, January 9, 2011 at 9:15 a.m. Every month Friends will share how the query for the month can help us live our faith. The group will convene in the Quaker House Living Room. Due to holiday schedules the group will not meet in December, but will meet twice in January. On January 9 the query to be discussed will be Education and on January 30 the query concerning Simplicity will be discussed.
Inquirers Class 2011
Put on your 2011 calendar the Inquirers class will start on Monday, January 10 at 7:30 p.m. and will continue for 5 weeks through Monday, February 7. This is great way to learn more about Quakers and the Religious Society of Friends. Newcomers and not-so-newcomers are welcome. Attendance at all five sessions is not mandatory. For more information contact the FMW Office or speak with Michael Cronin.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
FMW Holiday Office Hours
During the Christmas Holidays the FMW Office will be closed on Christmas Eve, Friday, December 24, Monday, December 26, (in observance of Christmas); News Years Eve, Friday, December 31 and Monday, January 3, 2011 (in observance of New Years). If Friends need to stop by the office, please call ahead to ensure staff is in the Office.
THINKING ABOUT RACE
From an email received in October from Fred Baldwin, Carlisle Friends Meeting, expressing some thoughts regarding school choice and how he feels that it relates to race : “I am convinced that Friends collectively are following a ‘tinfoil rule’-- all shine with no weight or substance. Defining racism almost exclusively as a personal matter gets us off the hook for institutional racism, most obviously in public education. I'm encouraged that both Pennsylvania gubernatorial candidates -- including Dan Onorato, the Democrat -- are supporting some form of school choice. Quakers, who led the fight against slavery, look to be in the rear guard (if not actually the opposition) on treating urban black children as deserving of the same opportunities as white families who can afford to live in good school districts. Honest people can disagree about how to achieve more [school] choice, but I think failure to focus on the issue is one of our gravest sins of omission.”
Friends who wish to comment on this or any other “Thinking About Race” items, may do so at the BYM website. The BYM Web Manager has set this up as a kind of blog. You will first need to register by emailing webmanager at BYM.
The Baltimore Yearly Meeting Working Group on Racism meets most months on the third Saturday from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm, usually at Bethesda Friends Meeting or Friends Meeting of Washington. If you would like to attend, either on a regular or a drop-in basis, please contact clerk Elizabeth DuVerlie though Baltimore Yearly Meeting Office.