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To Friends Throughout the United States:  

Greetings in the Spirit of Love.  

We write to share with you an “Urgent Call to the Religious Society of Friends” concerning the current extensive threats to our U.S. democracy. We are led to speak out against the lies, extremist movements, and anti-democratic actions that are the opposite of our Quaker understandings of integrity and Truth.   This Call was prepared by a group of nineteen Friends.

We encourage your prayerful discernment of this “Urgent Call” and ask you as individuals, monthly meetings, yearly meetings, and Friends organizations to consider how you might be called to act with integrity in response to these concerns. 

Read the Urgent Call
Join the Conversation at quakercall.net 

Friends Peace Teams Announcements and Upcoming Events: 

Upcoming Events

• Roots of Injustice (TRR) Online: Jan 22 or Feb 11, Sun 2-4pm Mountain
• Meet the Javanese Team: Fri, Feb 24, 6:30p Eastern for Power of Goodness and 8:30pm Eastern for Visitation.
• Indian Boarding Schools… Online, Mar 14, Tue 9:15pm Eastern 
• FPT Annual Gathering, May 4-7, Westtown Friends School, Register Now! (yes all are welcome)
• Paula Palmer interview

Friends Peace Teams In Ukraine:

FPT has been working with Ukrainians since 2014 supporting internally displaced

Former Houston native and Quaker activist, J.E. McNeil prides herself on her ability to bridge the regional, cultural, and political divides in the United States—the ability, as she puts it, to speak both NASCAR and NPR. So she created a program that teaches others how to communicate with people of different ideological persuasions. As she says, "You can't start persuading people until you're actually communicating." 

Watch the video here.

If you don't already know about Quaker Speak Videos, this is great time to view this one and others. You can find the whole archive of videos here. 

Save the Dates! Registration is Open 
Join Friends from across North America in seeking what messages Spirit offers us as we explore Spirit led growth and transformation. We will have time to deepen our spiritual lives, share ideas across yearly meetings and explore new ones as we meet online.

The dates are January 18-21, 2024 online only.

The program includes four main components that were lifted by yearly meeting clerks, focus group members and additional Friends:

• Connection to Spirit
• Becoming an Actively Anti-racist Faith Community
• Changing Structures for Changing Times
• The Future of the Religious Society of Friends.  

For more info go to: https://www.fgcquaker.org/event/gathering-anew-2024/?sd=1705554000  

Registration is Open

Are you a student asking deep questions about who you are and how to live and work in alignment with your values? This 2-afternoon virtual workshop, from 1-4 p.m. ET August 13 and August 14, sponsored by Friends Place on Capitol Hill and led by Beacon Hill Friends House will offer you an opportunity to explore those questions in community with peers. It is especially geared toward students interested in careers in social action and public service. The cost to participate in the workshop is $75. RSVP at: https://www.friendsplacedc.org/event/letting-your-life-speak  

Read the Friend Peace Team's  Peaceways 2024 and Epistle

Reflect on the annual  FPT query:
"Justice and peace are possible!
What sustains your faith in justice and peace in the face of violence and war?
What brings you hope, joy, and resilience?"

FCNL put out a statement today, January 3, 2026, condemning the kidnapping of Venezuela's President and the violation of Venezuela's Sovereignty They ask Friends and others to contact their Senators and Representative to act on relevant legislation. You can find more information, the statement and ways to act here.

I'm happy to say that Changemaker Weekend was a great success. This past Tuesday, Alex, Kendall, and I (Lisa Jordan, Spring Friends Meeting) met Arden Hooper, foreign policy advisor for Sen. Cruz, and we got our photos at Texas Constituent Coffee. Alex and I also met with Sen. Cornyn's staff, and my Rep. Babin's staff. We also dropped by Rep. Fletcher's office who gave us tickets to the House floor, which we enjoyed! We hope to follow up with all of them with virtual lobby visits later this year. We asked them all: No more money for the Iran War. The timing was good, my LTE came out the same day.

Click "Read more" to see the Letter to the Editor (LTE).

Eight SCYM Friends from Fort Worth Friends, Friends Meeting of San Antonio, and Friends Meeting of Austin (FMA) attended the workshop sponsored by FMA and AVP Texas. Friends report learning through the many experiential exercises and games in affirmation, communications, and cooperation while having fun. It was a chance to grow skills in nonviolence and build closer ties between Friends, essential for acting together to use nonviolence in our personal, meeting, and civic lives. The delicious meals and lovely hospitality at FMA helped us to share deeply and increase our ability to use the transforming power of nonviolence in this chaotic and challenging world. 
AVP Texas asks participants in this workshop and others who have experienced AVP in the past to talk about their experience and hopefully organize another workshop at the end of August 2026 somewhere in SCYM. Please contact Liz Yeats or Kevin King for more information. 

7/14/26
Please hold MaryLee and Gary Hicks and their family in the Light. MaryLee died peacefully surrounded by family on July 10, 2026. Information about the memorial meeting will be posted here as soon as it is available. 

6/28/26
Please hold Marylee and Gary Hicks and their family in the Light. Marylee has been in the hospital and rehab after a seizure a few weeks ago. She will be returning home soon under hospice care. Cards can be sent to Marylee at:
8419 S FM 973
Austin TX 78719  

6/1/26
Larry Vaughn's memorial meeting will take place on June 27, 2026 at 2pm CDT at Friends Meeting of Austin (3701 E Martin Luther King Jr Drive) and on Zoom. The link will be available at austinquakers.org the morning of the event. See below for more information about how to be in touch with the family. 

5/21/26
Please hold Larry Vaughn, Joanna, and their family in the Light. Larry died May 20, 2026. He had been battling breathing and heart problems for some time but kept up an active life among Friends and Austin Unitarians with his music, writing and many hobbies. We will miss him at SCYM. Cards can be sent to Joanna at 1008 E 14th St, Austin TX 78720. Information about a memorial service will be posted here.

1/22/26
Please hold Byron Sandford and his family in the Light. Adam Sandford wrote: It is with heavy hearts that we share the news that Byron Sandford passed away on January 10, 2026, surrounded and held by his loving family. The family is looking to receive stories about our memories of Byron and photos. Information about where to send those will be sent in the next SCYM E-News. You can send cards to Susan Griffin, Byron's wife, at 17215 Friends House Road #203 Sandy Spring. MD 20860.

1/14/26
Please hold Mike Gray and his family in the Light. Josh, Mike's son, reported that Mike died January 8 surrounded by family. A memorial meeting will be planned for the Spring. Friends in SCYM will be notified when we know the place and time.

1/3/26
Please hold Mike Gray and his family in the Light. Josh, Mike's son, posted at 8pm on 1/2/26: "Hi folks, my name is Josh. I’m Mike Gray’s son. I’m not on Facebook but I wanted to notify my Dad’s enormous!! network of friends, that he has fallen terminally ill. He is in Hospice care, here In Phoenix , surrounded by his family. We ask for prayers for him, to end any prolonged suffering, for a peaceful transition to our creator! We will provide an update after his blessed transition…. peace to all of you affected by this news, he has blessed so many of our lives and he is no less a saint in the eyes of the almighty!"

9/26/25
Please hold Tina Coffin in the Light. She fell and has a non-displaced shoulder injury. It will heal without surgery or casting but needs to be immobilized. Please hold Tina in the Light for healing and John Coffin in the Light as he cares for Tina.