We are PYM!
Reflections by Sheila Magendantz (Kennett MM)
On Friday, November 7th, I was among 3 members of KMM who attended the PYM Tour / Baked Potato Dinner at Centre Meeting in Delaware to meet our new General Secretary, Christie Duncan-Tessmer. Kathy Taylor Gamble and Chuck Shoemaker were also in attendance.
PYM provided baked potatoes, salads and beverages. Attenders were asked to bring a potato topping. The room was filled to capacity, and I thought for a moment that I might have to sit on the front porch with my dinner plate!
After a brief moment of worship, the program began with Christie updating Friends on the current state of PYM. She spoke first of her gratitude to be in her new position and among people who are led by spirit. She gave a brief history of her involvement in various roles at PYM – she is a convinced Quaker of some 26 or 27 years. Her daughter is a sophomore at George School.
PYM is currently financially solvent. This comes after a 3 or 4-year campaign to rebuild the financial stability of various accounts. There is a 3 to 4 month reserve in the checking account for regular, ongoing expenses. And there is somewhere between 7 and 800,000 dollars in another fund for long-term growth and income. (I forget the exact amount.) There are plans to appeal for donations in order to build that fund up to 1.2 -1.3 million dollars.
Christie also spoke of some changes being implemented at PYM. We (I say “we” because she emphasized that WE ARE PYM.) are working to narrow and deepen our focus and support to affect more meaningful change and positive results. She acknowledged that this also means letting go of some causes, which is a difficult process. This situation reminded me very much of our own Meeting’s struggles with the Quaker Fair.
All of the information about the new plans for PYM are available online, and Christie’s phone number is listed if you wish to speak with her directly.
She illustrated her vision of PYM as she set a table with a colorful tablecloth and said that it represents us, PYM. She then laid plates and utensils and napkins and glasses on the table and reminded us that we need to create a table where all feel welcome.
She asked that each member please visit at least 2 other Meetings over the next year, and encouraged us to visit pym.org/visits to upload photos or record comments about our visit in the user-friendly template provided. She feels strongly that while each Meeting is special and unique, we can all benefit from experiencing the differences and ways of other Meetings.
She also asked that we visit pym.org/stories to share joys and concerns about our individual experiences and those of our Meeting. She wants that to be a place to share and collaborate with other Meetings that are part of PYM. She reminded us that while some Meetings are small, PYM as a whole is big and strong. (sort of how the light of one candle when shone with the light of others becomes brighter) The stories page of the PYM website also has a user-friendly template.
There was a brief Q&A session. Christie shared PYM business cards that had maps to all of our Meetinghouses. She also shared cards that offered new ways to ask our Friends “How are you?” In days long past, apparently Friends would greet each other with the question to the effect of “What is the condition of the Spirit within you today?” The cards read, “How does your Light shine?” and other ways of more effectively expressing, “How are you?” – “Fine, and you?”
There are several remaining stops on the Tour / Baked Potato Dinner. I encourage everyone to try and attend one of them.
The dinner tonight (11/14/14) is at Gwynedd Meeting. (Here is the link to all of the tour stops: http://www.pym.org/2014/10/10/you-are-pym-tour-announced/)
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