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2006 State of the Association Reported May 2007
"To nurture the peacemakers among us BLQCA Mission statement |
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| As the cycle of winter resolves into spring and summer matures into fall, so Quaker Center has evolved into a new cycle over the last twelve months. With the departure of Co-Directors, Walter and Traci Hjelt Sullivan, Quaker Center ended a thirteen year cycle under their strong leadership. Their children, Rebecca and Grace, grew up from young children into dynamic teens during this time and the young people of the Quarter miss their presence. But as every season brings its joys and its challenges, so this new cycle offers us new opportunities to reflect upon and re-vision the work of Spirit at Quaker Center. The Board made great efforts to be proactive in the personnel search process. Policies and documentation were reviewed and clarified long before Walter and Traci moved on. In addition to advertising the positions nationwide, Board members had many conversations and phone calls with possible candidates. Personal interviews were conducted and finally the Board came to unity on the choice of Jacob and Gretta Stone as our new Co-Directors. Jacob and Gretta bring many gifts to Quaker Center. They are long-time members of Doylestown Monthly Meeting in the other PYM (Philadelphia Yearly Meeting); Gretta has development experience with Friends General Conference (FGC) and Friends Journal; Jacob is an experienced instructor, counselor and consultant; both are licensed social workers. Jacob and Gretta have strong ties to FGC and have led many workshops including Couples Enrichment workshops. Prior to joining Quaker Center, Gretta and Jacob sojourned in Fairbanks Meeting, Alaska, which both describe as a transformative experience. Following their sojourn there, over 40 members of Fairbanks Meeting attended FGC last year. And as icing on this rich cake of experience and gifts, they are talented musicians (Gretta, guitar; Jacob, banjo) who have a special gift of developing community by leading groups in singing together. The Board enjoyed an evening of singing led by the Stones during the January Board retreat. Gretta moved to Quaker Center in September, 2006, and Jacob completed a semester of teaching prior to his arrival in December. The Board hired Anne Bleile-Kratzer as Assistant Director during the transition period and she and John deValcourt, Clerk of the Board, provided much helpful information and assistance. During this period, the planned programs were conducted as scheduled and ran smoothly. The annual Summer Camps were directed by Anne Bleile-Kratzer and attracted 56 campers, an equal number to the all time high in 2004. Popular programs this year included Quaker Testimonies, Beyond SPICES led by Eric Moon and Stephen Matchett. Twenty per cent of attenders of this program were college students and young adults interested in adding to their knowledge and experience of Friends' testimonies and practices. All visitors to Quaker Center appreciate the beauty of the campus and perhaps few realize how much time, energy and effort is spent in maintaining it. David Forbes, Quaker Center's very capable Maintenance Manager keeps extremely busy with the continued upkeep and maintenance of the campus. An increasingly time-consuming task is the water testing program. More regulations require more training and more of David's time. David monitors the most outstanding road issue, the culvert that passes under the road and regularly reports to the Board on this and all maintenance concerns. Quaker Center benefits greatly from David's eleven years of experience here. At the time of writing this report, the most exciting new project of 2007, the building of the new Casa de Luz bathrooms was nearing completion. The new bathrooms include an accessible shower room. The Board is currently considering new ways of using the Casa de Luz. John deValcourt, Clerk May 2007 |
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