"G" is for 'Gaga Ball' . . .

"And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi,

Let me now go to the field,

and glean ears of corn after him

In whose sight I shall find grace.

And she said unto her, Go, my daughter."

Ruth 2:2  KJV
 

'Gaga Ball' game at Quaker Haven Camp

"G" is for 'Gaga Ball,' yep, 'Gaga Ball!' And no, I'm not making this up!

 

I first heard of and saw 'Gaga Ball' when I was at up at camp last June . . . Quaker Haven Camp, in Northeastern Indiana - and that's what allows me to post this in my Quaker Alphabet blog . . . the Quaker connection!

 

It was new and 'the thing to do at camp!' Seriously, the campers, and therefore the counselors, spent hours upon hours in and around the gaga pit! The boys got up extra early and went straight down to play, along with a few of the girls. A counselor or two went down with them, it's down by the lake. Now the problem was trying to get them out of the gaga pit and to meals, to chapel, to devotions, to bed . . . you get the picture . . . they didn't want to quit!

 

'Gaga Ball' was also extremely popular during the 'Adventure Camp' session, incoming 4th & 5th graders, for 'Cabin Challenge' time and 'Free Time.' At one point I think we had 100% of the camp down at the gaga pit and most of the campers were inside trying to play! The campers just couldn't get enough of it! Go figure!

 

So, what is Gaga Ball? OK, I looked it up so that I could get it straight.



It's a serious
game! The
girl in front
(grey t-shirt)
was from my
cabin.

Ga-ga, or 'touch-touch' is a variant of dodgeball, that makes sense to me. It is sometimes called 'Israeli dodge-ball,' 'Octo-Ball' and 'Panda Ball.' The game involves dodging and/or striking a ball - I think the campers were using a soccer ball, running and jumping. The object is to hit the others, with the ball, below the knees while avoiding being hit! The game can be played by individuals, teams or one-on-one matches.

 

The game is played in a large octagon or hexagon pit. The players all gather up against the inside wall of the pit and the game begins with someone throwing the gaga ball up into the air, and when it bounces the players say "ga" for each of the first three bounces. After the third bounce, the ball is in play and the game begins!

 

Players 'hit' the ball at each other inside the pit. A player cannot hit the ball twice in a row, unless it bounces off a wall or another player. Sometimes the campers would hit the ball against the wall, I think hoping that they'd have a better angle to try and hit one of the other campers with it. When a player has been hit, he/she leaves the game . . . climbs or steps over the wall!

 

Here are the rules I found, online:

A player can hit the ball with their hands, but picking up the ball and throwing it at a player is not allowed. Also scooping is not allowed. In some games, only open hand hits are allowed to prevent striking injury to small children and also allowing better control of the ball to keep it low and prevent head shots.
If the ball touches a player anywhere on or below the knee (in some versions, below the ankle or waist), that player is eliminated from the game.
If a player pops the ball up into the air it can be hit down to keep it in the game or let it go.
The player cannot kick the ball. (As this is touching the ball below the knee.)
Wall jumping is not allowed (holding onto the wall while jumping).
If a player hits the ball out of the arena and hits another person the person who touches it last is out.
No double tapping. A player is allowed to hit it against the wall to keep it in play but no more than 3 times.
A player must step out of the pit to show that they're out.

I enjoyed watching the campers and some of the counselors, play 'Gaga Ball' up at camp last summer, from outside the pit - not something that I can physically due - due to nerve damage in my left leg and a back injury.

Competitive, you betcha!
 



A good game of 'Gaga Ball'
And this was a small group of campers!



 

 

 

"G" is for Glass . . .

"And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi,

Let me now go to the field,

and glean ears of corn after him

In whose sight I shall find grace.

And she said unto her, Go, my daughter."

Ruth 2:2  KJV

Mooresville
Friends

"G" is for 'Glass,' but more specifically 'stained glass.' This may be a bit of a touchy subject among some Friends/Quakers, due to the Quaker Testimony of simplicity, but there are those Meetings that do have some lovely stained glass windows in them for one reason or another. Some were built that way by Friends and others came about as some Friends Meeting may have purchased or occupied buildings that were built by other faith bodies.

 

Mooresville Friends Meeting does have several stained glass windows along the east and west walls and one off to the right side on the north wall of the Meetingroom. Actually, except for the windows in the two sets of doors on the south side of the Meeting House and the choir room and the Noah's Ark room all of the windows in the Meeting House are stained glass. Although the stained glass windows in the Sunday School wing & basement (below the Sunday School wing) are just full sheets of a kind of 'marbled' looking stained glass. These let in light and add a bit of privacy without the need for curtains or other window coverings.



'Good Shepherd'
above the altar at
Zion UCC

The stained glass windows in the Meetingroom have been cut and pieced together and are very 'simple' unlike the stained glass windows that I grew up seeing every Sunday as a child growing up and attending Zion United Church of Christ, in South Bend, Indiana USA. Now those were, and still are to me, some awesome stained glass windows! Hummmm, after visiting the website for Zion UCC, this may lead to another blog post . . . just on those stained glass windows, because I just learned an interesting fact about one of them that I never knew before! Wonder why it was never mentioned???

I find myself looking at the windows in the Meetingroom at different times during worship - during our Centering Down period, Communion in the Manner of Friends, towards the end of worship and sometimes during the morning Message. Sometimes they're a welcome distraction . . . something to focus on and rest my mind..

 

I do love looking at stained glass windows - the ones from my childhood have to be my all time favorites, but looking through the colored class and the reflections that they make on the walls and carpet are always interesting to me. There use to be a show on our local PBS TV channel showing how to make various items out of stained glass . . . but I think that is a bit much for me, don't think I'd be good at breaking the glass in just the right place! So instead I'll make quilts . . . they are a bit like stained glass . . . little bits and pieces of color.



OK, a couple more recipes to follow, some letters will be a bit more of a challenge than 'G' as this is easy. Again some of my favorites from my childhood!

Green Bean Casserole



2 - 15 ounce cans green beans, drained

1 can Campbell's cream of mushroom soup (or any creamed soup)

1/2 can milk

1 can (small size) French fried onions

Combine soup and milk, add drained green beans and 1/3 of the French friend onions. Pour into casserole dish. Bake covered in 325 degree F oven for 1 - 1 1/2 hours. Remove from oven and sprinkle the rest of the onions on top and return to the oven for 5 minutes.

Gingerbread

 

Mooresville
Friends



1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup oleo (margarine)

1 egg, large

1 cup molasses

2 1/2 cups sifted flour

1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon, ground

1 Tablespoon ginger, ground

1/2 teaspoon cloves, ground

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup hot water

Sift dry ingredients together. Mix into egg mixture alternately with the hot water. Bake at 375 degrees F until tester is clean.





Mooresville Friends



"F" is for Friends Committee on Scouting . . .

"And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi,

Let me now go to the field,

and glean ears of corn after him

In whose sight I shall find grace.

And she said unto her, Go, my daughter."

Ruth 2:2  KJV
 

"F" is for 'Friends Committee on Scouting.' Of course it is, and what else would I blog about for 'F'? Consider this a Friendly public service announcement, an introduction of sorts and/or some global publicity if you will.

 

On April 13, 2007 I attended the 'First Annual International Quaker Scout/Guide Gathering' at the Western Yearly Meeting facilities in Plainfield, Indiana, USA. I was asked that Friday afternoon (yes, Friday the 13th!) if I would like to join Friends Committee on Scouting. That was something that I hadn't thought about, didn't know was possible . . . something I would have to really think about. I was asked again Saturday morning and yet again Sunday morning before I finally said "Yes." Less than three years later during the 2010 Annual Meeting, on March 20th, I was nominated and approved to serve as the Clerk for FCS.



FCS patch
with 25th
Anniversary
ring patch

So, it's natural for me to talk or write about Friends Committee on Scouting and I've been thinking about blogging about who we are and what we do since I first set-up my blog back in early May of last year but I just hadn't quite figured out how to do it or found the time . . . until this Quaker Alphabet blogging came along!

 

To quote from our website: "Friends Committee on Scouting serves to encourage and promote the faith, history, and testimonies of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) through religious education programs for Quaker Scouts/Guides and other similar youth organizations." We do this through the various curriculum's we have developed over the last 25 years:

• In the United States we offer 'That of God' (grades 2-5) and 'Spirit of Truth' (grades 6-12 + Venture Scouts) to our Young Friends enrolled in Girl Scouts of the USA, Boy Scouts of America and Camp Fire, Inc. These curriculum's were introduced in March 1989.
• In Canada we offer Quaker curriculum through their 'Religion in Life' program, which has four levels for our Young Friends and a fifth level for Adult Friends. This curriculum was introduced in the early 1990's.
• And we went global with 'Quaker Faith Journey' for all of our Young Friends in Scouting and Guiding programs outside of the United States and Canada, which also has four levels for our Young Friends. This was introduced in July 2012.

We are currently working on creating a listing of resources and helps for our Young Friends in the United Kingdom who are working on their 'My Faith' and 'Discovering Faith' badges offered through the Scout Association and Girl Guides respectively. Any Friends in the UK that would like to give us a hand with this project, please contact me, we would love to have your assistance with this, and you don't have to be involved in Scouting or Guiding to help. Thanks.



Friends
Emblem

Adult Friends who are registered volunteers in any of the Scouting or Guiding programs worldwide are eligible for the 'Friends Emblem' recognition, which is awarded through a nomination process. One can not nominate themselves or be nominated by a spouse or family member for the award. The 'Friends Emblem' is awarded to adult Friends who 'make outstanding contributions to the spiritual and social development of our Young Friends through Quaker programs and through one or more of the Scouting or Guiding programs and through their active involvement in the life of the Religious Society of Friends  through their local Meeting, Yearly Meeting or other Friends organization.' Individuals, local Friends Meetings/Friends Churches, or Scouters/Guiders are encouraged to nominate worthy Friends for this award. While the 'Friends Emblem' recognition was originally part of the US materials, the committee has released this recognition to be awarded worldwide. The Friends Emblem Review Committee reads through all nominations and gives their approval or disapproval on them.

That of God



Spirit of
Truth

The US awards are medals - youth awards are pins and the adult recognition is on a ribbon worn around the neck. They incorporate the eight-pointed star, known as the Quaker Star. The red and black Quaker star dates back to work performed by English Friends during the Franco-Prussian War of 1872, and has long been associated with Quaker relief service worldwide. A scriptural quotation, central to Quaker beliefs, "A light that shines in the dark" encircles the Quaker Star. The scripture comes from John 1:5a and refers to the light of God, which shines in all humanity. The US awards/recognitions are available through the P.R.A.Y. website (www.praypub.org). The adult recognition also comes with a very nice certificate.

Religion in
Life patch

In Canada, the Scouts, Guides and adults wear a patch on their uniform, which is available from the Scouting and Guiding Shops. The border color on the patch indicates at which age level the Scout/Guide/adult earn the award.

 

For our global curriculum we went with a certificate that can be downloaded from our website once the Scout/Guide has completed the curriculum.

 

All of our curriculum's, certificates and the ‘Friends Emblem’ nomination packet are available as FREE downloads from our website http://quakerscouting.org.

As with any organization, we are always looking for new members to join our committee. Membership in Friends Committee on Scouting is open to any registered Quaker Scouter or Guider, worldwide. Annual dues are $15/US - and members receive a FCS patch, label pin and membership card. Members are entitled to join us for our Annual Business Meeting, held in the Spring each year, either in person or via Skype. A membership application is available on our website.


Quaker Faith Journey
artwork

Friends Committee on Scouting is an affiliate of Friends World Committee for Consultation, Section of the Americas, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.

Want more information? Please visit our website: http://quakerscouting.org, check out &/or join us on Facebook – just search for Friends Committee on Scouting or email the Clerk – clerk@quakerscouting.org.

 

So, now I've done it, I've published a blog about Friends Committee on Scouting,  the nuts & bolts of it that is . . . I could have also told you about all the amazing Scouting & Guiding Friends that I have had the honor of meeting over the last seven years, but this post would never get published if I tried to do that . . . so, I'll just tell you that they are amazing Scouters, Guiders and F/friends and I am so totally blessed to know each and everyone of them, even if it's only their name, address, phone number and email address! I wouldn't trade any of them . . . we're family! I love them all! HUGS Friends!

 

Happy Scouting & Guiding Friends!

 

 

OK, a couple of 'F' recipes, I'm trying to stay with the right letter of the alphabet here, so an odd assortment maybe or maybe not . . .

 

These recipes are a couple more of my favorites from my childhood, ones my mom use to make every year, but ONLY once a year, sigh! The first is Filled Noodles, for Maundy Thursday (Easter) and the second, Filled Ice Box Cookies (Christmas). Oh my, I just realized what I did here . . . there's a bit of a theme going on. I hope you enjoy these as much as I have over the years!

Filled Noodles - Maundy Thursday

DOUGH:

4 eggs (large)
2 cups flour (all-purpose)
1 teaspoon salt
little water

 

FILLING:

¾ pound hamburger, raw (ground chuck - beef)

onion, chopped

parsley, chopped

salt, to taste

pepper, to taste

1 egg (large)

Mix noodle dough – roll into a circle – don’t dry. Fill with meat mixture above. Fold over (almost like jelly roll) separate into sections with hands (sealing ends). Cook like noodles, either in water or broth (3 bouillon + 3 cups water) for about 20 minutes. May be served with broth (beef). 

 

Filled Ice Box Cookies

(makes 82 cookies)

DOUGH:

1 cup sugar (white granulated)

4 cups flour (all-purpose)

1 cup dark brown sugar

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup margarine

1 teaspoon baking soda

3 eggs (large)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

FILLING:

2 cups (1 box) raisins, ground

1/3 cup sugar (white granulated)

½ cup water

Preheat oven to 350˚F. Un-greased cookie sheets.

Cook ground raisins, sugar, and water, until clear - that is that the liquid is clear, will be tinted a bit amber colored.  Cool.

Mix together and divide dough in half.  Roll dough thin (between two sheets of wax paper) - spread filling and roll jelly roll style in wax paper.  Place in refrigerator a few hours before baking (Mom always put these in the freezer to make easier to cut).  Slice thin - less than 1/4" thick.

Bake for 8 minutes - watch, you don't want them to get too brown. Will be quite soft when they come out of the oven, so allow them to sit a minute or two on the cookie sheet before removing them to a wire rack or bread board to cool.

Can be stacked on top of each other in an airtight container to store, or place a sheet of wax paper between the layers.

These freeze well, and are yummy straight from the freezer or warm from the oven!

 

 

 

 

 

"E" is for Education . . .

"And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi,

Let me now go to the field,

and glean ears of corn after him

In whose sight I shall find grace.

And she said unto her, Go, my daughter."

Ruth 2:2  KJV

"E" is for Education. One thing I read when I did my "A" is for Academy post was that education was very important to the early Friends in Indiana. I still see education, specifically Quaker/religious education, as being important today. Not just within my local Meeting (Mooresville Friends) but also within my Yearly Meeting (Western), other Meetings, Yearly Meetings as well as other Quaker/Friends organizations, including so many Quaker missions.

I'll begin locally with Mooresville Friends Meeting. We have Sunday School classes for all ages - youth through adults, often offering more than one option on Sunday morning for the adults to choose from. We have, off and on, offered Bible study times for adults - sometimes as one of the Sunday School options and at other times Tuesday, Wednesday or Sunday evenings. During the summer we have worked with other local Friends Meetings, OR ventured off on our own, to offer Vacation Bible School, several times with options for the parents to take a class as well. We began a 'Kid's Club' program back in the summer of 2005, but more on that perhaps when I reach the letter 'K.' As a Meeting we also support the Morgan County Schools of Weekday Religious Education program with a representative to the Board, financially and hosting the classes in our sanctuary on Fridays.

Western Yearly Meeting hosts different programs for our Young Friends during Yearly Meeting sessions in July - from the Wee Friends through our Young Friends in High School. Sometimes there are a lot of youth and other times not so many. Some of our High School students are elected to the 'Youth Cabinet' and they meet throughout the year traveling to various Meetings within our Yearly Meeting presenting their 'Road Show' - a message that they feel needs to be shared with the members of the Yearly Meeting. Both of my daughters have been part of the Youth Cabinet and the Road Shows. There's also other programs throughout the year that are educational which are sponsored by the Yearly Meeting or individual/groups of Meetings within the Yearly Meeting.

Quaker/Religious Education is also seen up at Quaker Haven Camp, more about that when I get to 'Q' in my alphabet postings, perhaps. But for now, the most obvious is the summer camping programs and not so obvious other youth and adult programing that goes on throughout the year.

And how's about all the Quaker schools - from the pre-schools up through the University/Colleges around the world. Including three that I hear about all the time -  the Friends School in Belize, the Ramallah Friends School in Palestine and Friends Theological College in Kenya.

The Indian missions here in the United States including the Mesquakie Friends Center (Iowa), the Kickapoo Center (Oklahoma) and the MOWA Choctaw Friends Center (Alabama).

I've not attended any of these schools or visited any of these missions, maybe someday, but I will be spending the first weekend in April over at Sandy Spring Friends School in Sandy Spring, Maryland. I'm looking forward to that experience, OK, most of it . . . not looking forward to the long drive over and back or the sleeping on wrestling mats on the floor! But, as a Scouting Friend has commented "We are Scouts, and that's what Scouts do!"

The other thing that I've noticed is that there seems to be a lot of Friends that are teachers and librarians - wondering if is just within the circle of Friends that I have/know or if that is the case. I suppose this is why I feel at home in Meeting - my major in college was Elementary Education with a minor in School Library and Audio Visual Services.

So, yes, education is important to Friends,

education for Friends of all ages . . .

and it's not just the spiritual education that's important.

 

There's been one reoccurring comment, from a lot of Friends around the world, that I've heard the last three years or so - we need or need more good quality Quaker education material! Mostly for our Young Friends, but also for our Young Adult and Adult Friends. And then when I get to talking with Friends within my wider circle of Friends I hear that there's lots of good Quaker educational material out there. I don't know the answer(s) . . .

But, I'll ask the questions . . .

What are you doing, personally, to help support Quaker education? Within your Monthly Meeting? Within your Yearly Meeting? Among the wider circle of Friends?

What is your Monthly Meeting doing to support Quaker education? Locally? Within your Yearly Meeting? Among the wider circle of Friends?

What is your Yearly Meeting doing to support Quaker education? Within the Yearly Meeting? Within the Monthly Meetings? Among the wider circle of Friends?

What more can Friends do?

OK, so while you ponder all the questions I've given you . . . a couple of recipes - that begins with the letter 'E,' from my childhood:

E-Z Chicken Tetrazzini

(makes about 4 cups)

 

1 can (15-15 1/2 ounce) cream of chicken soup (or cream of ______)

½ cup water

½ cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

1 ½ cup chicken, cooked & diced

2 cup spaghetti, cooked

2 ounce can mushrooms, sliced & drained

2 Tablespoons parsley, chopped

In saucepan, blend soup, water and cheese. Heat slowly until cheese melts; stir often. Blend in remaining ingredients. Heat; stirring often.

 

(Auntie) Elsie Ann’s Brownies

(makes 48 bars)

2/3 cup margarine

2 eggs

2 cups light brown sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon baking soda

2 cups flour

1 cup milk chocolate chips

1 cup nuts, chopped - optional

Preheat oven to 350˚F. Greased 11"x15" jelly roll pan.

 

Mix all together and spread in pan.

 

Bake for 20-25 minutes. Cool and cut into bars (1"x1 1/2"). They will be chewy.

'Auntie Elsie Ann' was a really good friend of my parents - they graduated from High School together and were in each others weddings.

 

'D' is for Dolls . . .

"And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi,

Let me now go to the field,

and glean ears of corn after him

In whose sight I shall find grace.

And she said unto her, Go, my daughter."

Ruth 2:2  KJV


"D" is for 'Dolls.' Yes, you read that right, dolls, and I can tell you about Quaker Dolls . . . and I don't mean the 'quiet dolls' - the ones made from fabric or hankies, or do I?

For many years various groups of ladies from Mooresville Friends Meeting would paint these ceramic Quaker Dolls. These dolls were given to new babies born into the Meeting - with the presentations made during Meeting for worship. The girls received a girl and the boys a boy. They were also made and sold at our annual Bazaar - as individuals or in pairs, they were quite popular.

 

My Quaker Dolls

I received my Quaker Dolls for my birthday in October 1984 - the first year I went to the Mooresville Friends Bazaar. I was able to pick out the pair that I wanted. I picked a 'fancy' couple - that is to say that the girls dress & apron had a bit of added decoration to it. Give me a break, I wasn't 'Quaker' then - I had only been attending Meeting for Worship for three months at the time. The paint has gotten a bit chipped over the years, may have to see what paints I might have that I could use to touch them up a bit, or I just might leave them alone.

 

The dolls are ceramic, and stand only about 5 inches tall. We would take the mold to one of the local ceramic shops to have the dolls poured. When they were ready someone would pick them up and clean them and then return them to the ceramic shop to be fired. Once they had been fired than they were ready to be painted. I do remember times when I first started helping with the dolls that we would meet as a group, not a very large group, in the basement and spend several hours painting the dolls. Some Friends had certain parts that they were good at, and that's the part or parts they would paint. Only a few were good at painting the faces which took very steady hands to do. Most of the pairs were painted and then had a protective matt spray coating put on them, very few were fired a second time with a 'glossy' finish.


Great-Aunt Sylvia's
Quaker Dolls

Sad to say that the last time I went to the ceramic shop to order some more dolls, I found that the shop had gone out of business. They had our mold, as the owner kept telling me that the mold was just too wet for me to transport, so I would need to leave it with her. So our mold was gone. I don't think that anyone ever looked to order a new one.

 

This was one of those fun 'ministries' within the Meeting that I really enjoyed working on - as I had done ceramics previously. I miss not working on the dolls, but it was beginning to really mess with my 'dust' allergy so cleaning them was getting hard to do.



Quaker couple
"Read to us, please"

Now that was the end of what I was going to write about Dolls, until this last Sunday while I was at Meeting and happened to go into our Library . . . and there they sat, she in the tiny rocking chair on the floor in front of the shelves and he up high on a shelf of reference books for young adults. I did move him down to the rocking chair with her, as I've seen them sitting in it together a lot of times. Until I stopped to take their pictures, to share with you all here, I had never really looked at them very closely, I suppose because they were so close to the floor!

 

I have always thought they were a couple, a pair, that they went together . . . but they're not! She appears to have been made from a cream colored sock and he from cotton fabrics. OK, I did do a bit of investigation, and there is a tag in his hat saying he was handmade by . . . (a name that I'm not familiar with). But I find no tag on her at all, but expect that she was also handmade.

I'm very curious right now . . . where did this little couple come from and what is their history? I will have to be asking questions of members of the Meeting to find out. I've just gotta know.

 

Quaker couple as I
found them
in the Library

This little couple is often picked up and given some loves by the Wee Friends and Young Friends and visitors to my Meeting. Surprised that my now 14 month old granddaughter hasn't yet found these dolls and given them some of her loves! Expect that will happen soon, when she gets a bit more of a chance to start doing some roaming around on her own.

So, yes, 'D' is for dolls . . . the ceramic Quaker dolls that were a ministry here at Mooresville Friends and the soft fabric Quaker dolls that keep an eye on our Meeting's Library.

 

 

*Great-Aunt Sylvia was my husband's great-aunt, who was a member of Mooresville Friends Meeting and died in early October 2010, just two months short of 102 years of age.

 

  

 

'C' is for Clerk/Clerking . . .

"And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi,

Let me now go to the field,

and glean ears of corn after him

In whose sight I shall find grace.

And she said unto her, Go, my daughter."

Ruth 2:2  KJV

"C" is for 'Clerk/Clerking.' OK, this is an easy one, maybe . . .

Friends/Quakers use the term 'Clerk' instead of 'Chair/Chairman' for the individual who is the head of a committee or group. Now I really got messed up when it came to Friends World Committee for Consultation (FWCC) - as they have an 'Executive Secretary' at the Section level and a 'General Secretary' at the World level - this confused me for a bit, but I've figured it out now, I think. When I use the term 'Clerk' with my non-Quaker friends they think I'm some sort of 'secretary' or 'scribe' . . . they have no idea what I'm talking about, so I have to stop and explain to them.

In the past I have served multiple terms as the Clerk of the Christian Education Committee in my Meeting. My first term began with just my second year on Christian Ed, my second year on any committee within the Meeting, with a phone call from Francis, the previous year's CE clerk, congratulating me on having been nominated/approved to serve as the clerk for the coming year! Say what??? You can't be serious!!!! When did this happen?????

Seems that since we hadn't met in December and she needed to let the Clerk of the Meeting know who the CE clerk was going to be for the upcoming year - she called all the members and somehow I was it! I really had no clue what a clerk did, other than run the meeting, and I had no idea how to do that . . . I was still trying to figure out what CE did in the first place! Francis told me that she'd help me . . . great I could use a lot of help! Did you catch on . . . I was never 'asked' if I would or could be Clerk, I was told I was the new Clerk! I was truly blessed to have been mentored by Francis in my first Clerking position . . . she was a great teacher.

Well, I made it through my first year, and the next four years after that as well - completing my six years on CE before having to change committees or sit out for a year. I chose to sit out for a year - CE was hard enough for this convinced Friend with little ones. I repeated this cycle of six years on and one year off CE for several terms, ending only a few years ago. And I have not agreed to go on another committee since I left CE.

Now, don't think of me as neglecting my 'duty' as a member of the Meeting, not so. I have been the Representative from my Meeting to the Weekday Religious Education Board for over 14 years now - one of those positions that has no term limit, and have been serving as an elected Director to that Board and an Assistant Teacher for the last 12 1/2 years. So, I do feel that I am doing my part - and I rather like being a committee of one . . . in that it means I don't have another committee meeting to go to, only the monthly Board Meetings! I am free to talk to myself whenever I feel the leading to! Oh, and the 'bonus' here is that I'm not required to make monthly reports to Monthly Meeting for Business, but I do make short reports a couple of times a year.

I am, however, currently serving as a Clerk, and how did I get into the current Clerking position? I didn't go to the 2010 Annual Meeting in Maryland, instead I joined the meeting via Skype and I had connection issues, I just love to hate technology! There are some different versions of how this happened - the official minutes say that 'Luanne agreed to be clerk,' the notes sent out the Monday following the meeting said 'Luanne was talked into taking over this role,' and then there's my version . . . I was 'railroaded!' Take your pick on which version you prefer, I'm sticking to mine.

So, what committee is it that I am Clerking, and why when I live in Central Indiana would I have need to go to Maryland for a committee meeting? I am the Clerk for Friends Committee on Scouting, an affiliate of Friends World Committee for Consultation/Section of the Americas(FWCC), but more about them perhaps in a later Quaker Alphabet post, as this post is about Clerk/Clerking.

I knew that Clerking this committee, on an international level, would be nothing like Clerking the CE committee in my local Meeting. Clerking is a serious job and not everyone can or should be a Clerk. Being a Clerk, and being a good Clerk takes a lot of practice and help from Friends. I am extremely grateful for all the help from my Friends over the years as I've tried to figure out how to Clerk this committee. I've also found several really good article on the Internet on Clerking that I've read and found very helpful.

I know that what I've done, and how I've done things, are not the way they've been done in the past - as it's not my way. I was brought up using Robert's Rules of Order, a hard habit to break. I've also had a hard time sometimes cutting off a conversation that has gotten off the point, but I'm working on this and I think I've gotten better with it.

I've learned over the years, with other groups I am and have been a apart of, that communication is huge. So I do tend to send out a lot of emails - and sometimes they do get a bit long and most of these do go out to the whole committee - few go to smaller groups that may have a particular interest in or are working with a particular piece. Keeping everyone informed as to what's going on, keeping them 'in the loop,' makes them feel part of the group, let's everyone see what all we've got going on and I believe gives them more opportunities to see what they might be able to do for the group.

I've also been working to include more Friends in the work that the committee has to do - I've sought out Friends that weren't doing anything on the committee and contacted them and asked them if they would be willing to do x, y or z for the committee. I don't think anyone has turned me down, yet. I'm reminded of the old saying 'many hands make light work,' and it's so true. While some Friends may ask 'What can I do to help?' there are others who sit back just waiting for someone to ask them to help. It's been wonderful getting to know these Friends and it has lessened the workload of others on the committee that just kept adding more tasks to what they were doing.

Being a Clerk takes time. Sometimes there's nothing much to do, and I wonder what am I forgetting. And at other times it seems that the more I do the more that seems to need to be done. I do think that Clerks need to know how and when to delegate tasks to others - to let go and let someone else do some piece that needs getting done. And along with that a Clerk needs to know when they've got enough on their plate and can't take on another project - either within that committee or elsewhere in their life.

Clerking this committee is an interesting challenge, and I don't mean that in a bad way. This is such a diverse group of Friends, representing the different branches of Friends as well as so many different Scouting and Guiding programs - currently we have members in the United States, Canada and Kenya - and we're looking for Friends from other parts of the world to join us. It's been a rather educational experience for me.

 

I'm finishing up my fourth year as Clerk of FCS, and as I sit here writing this post I have been reflecting . . . it's been an amazing four years - I've learned a lot about Clerking and feel I've grown a lot as well along the way - and I have a lot more to learn! A Clerk can't do the job alone, she/he needs a lot of support from the rest of the Committee or Meeting in order to do the job. I've also been truly blessed by the Scouting & Guiding Friends I've gotten to know along the way - from those who are members of the committee and those parents I've had conversations with about our awards. Thanks Friends!

At times having to explain all this gets rather amusing - like two years ago, when I told the Boy Scout District Executive that I was the 'Clerk for Friends Committee on Scouting.' I even explained it to him, in great detail what that was all about, and about a month later, he was emailing me and asking me "So exactly what is it you do again?" Lots of laughs! I think he and some of the other Professional staffers in my Council now understand what I'm involved in and a bit about what I do. I'm not really sure that too many at my Girl Scout Council know and/or understand what I'm doing.
 

So, a recipe to go with this post???? Well, so as not to get in trouble for this one beginning with the wrong letter, I will give you one that begins with a 'C.' I have made this one for my FCS Friends the last couple of years for Friday night dinner and as the Chair, for the last who knows how many years, for the January Monthly Meeting meal at Mooresville Friends Meeting. The first time I took this to Church I expected to take home most of it - if for no other reason than the hot dogs in it - my Meeting at the time was mostly over the age of 65! That didn't happen! I was lucky to get a bowlful to eat that day! My 6 quart crock pot was scraped clean! Last month was the first time I took any home - expect because of the cold temps that kept many away from worship or sent some straight home after worship. It's a good one for all my F/friends and family members out there who are freezing right now, and it's really easy!

Corn Chowder

This is the original recipe that was to serve 2

 

1 can creamed corn (15 ounce)                     1 cup milk

1 cup hash browns (the diced ones)               2 hot dogs - sliced thin

salt & pepper to taste

(I also add some onion powder & dehydrated onions - again to taste)

Mix all together in a small sauce pan on medium to low heat, until potatoes are cooked through. Stir frequently - if the heat is too high it will scorch on the bottom!

Now, when I make this for a crowd . . .

6 cans of creamed corn (15 ounce)             6 cups of milk (more or less)

2 - 32 ounce bags of hash browns

2 pounds of hot dogs (10 regular sized hot dogs)

salt, pepper, onion powder & onion flakes to taste

Mix corn, milk and hash browns together in a large (8 quart) pot and cook on the stove until the potatoes are nearly cooked. Stir frequently - if the heat is too high it will scorch on the bottom! I then pour into my 6 quart crock pot and add the sliced hot dogs and mix. Continue to cook on medium - low for a couple of hours. Keep a watch on it here too, and stir every 20-30 minutes.

Seriously, when I do this for a crowd . . . who measures! At least not the milk part of it. And I tend to not add a lot of salt & pepper - opting to let others add more to their liking.

I love to mix in some shredded Colby jack or mild cheddar cheese in mine! Serve with French bread, crackers or even a grilled (toasted) cheese sandwich.

Enjoy!