Friendly School

Friendly School

What is Friendly School?   
Friends from around Australia offer workshops on a theme. The theme is explored in a variety of ways such as spiritual writings or practices, creative writing, poetry, social justice issues, Earthcare, Indigenous concerns, and so on. For many, it is a highlight of Yearly Meeting to gather for a day with Friends exploring the same interest.

YM24 theme:  Quakers in times of conflict and change
It is 400 years since George Fox’s birth and we are living in times of conflict and change. What are our sources of nourishment and strength? How do we live our lives?  

YM24 Friendly Schools 
This year Friendly School will be on Sunday 7th July at 10 am ACST. Here are the workshops on offer for those gathering at the venue in Adelaide:

(1)  Creative Writing  ---  David Evans

(2)  Indigenous Theologies: reflections from attending the Indigenous Theologies Conference  ---  Jane Hope 

(3)  Learning to Adopt some Traditional Aboriginal Spiritual Practices  ---  Rowe Morrow

(4)  Radical Hospitality  ---  Emily Chapman-Searle and Yarrow Goodley

(5)  Reflection on Quaker Funding Groups and Quaker Applicants 
       ---  Sue Ennis, Di Bretherton, Paula Paananen

(6)  She wrote this that made me think…  ---  Anne Herbert

(7)  Spirituality and Ageing  ---  Anne Felton

Find out more about these workshops below.

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Will there be any Friendly Schools online?
We welcome offers of online Friendly Schools. 

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Friendly School workshops --- at the venue in Adelaide

(1)  Creative Writing  ---  David Evans
400 years of Pen and Quill and Keyboard expressing Quaker Thought and Action gives us a foundation to move on.  So join us to share your thoughts and writings. In the first session, you will be asked to talk about your interest in writing. In following sessions you will be given an opportunity to present what you have written (a book or article etc) with time for discussion. The creative writing interest group of YM 2018 led to a publication entitled Turning Points which has just now been published by the Australia Yearly Meeting Publications Committee. It would be possible to do something similar from this Yearly Meeting.

(2)  Indigenous Theologies: reflections from attending the Indigenous Theologies Conference  ---  Jane Hope
In February 2024, I represented Quakers at the Indigenous Theologies Conference: Raising Our Tribal Voice for Justice: An Indigenous Theological Revolution Conference. At the conference we heard from key Indigenous speakers, such as journalist Stan Grant, Professor Dr Auntie Anne Pattel-Grey (a Donald Groome fellow in the 80’s) and Rev Dr Garry Deverell. As well as hearing their theological reflections from an Indigenous experience, we heard of current issues around truth telling, land back and decolonisation. As I prepared my address for the ‘heads’ of churches section I reflected deeply on Quakers' concern for Indigenous people throughout the 8 generations of Colonisation in these lands. I would love to share my reflections on how we have been involved with decolonisation in the past and what we could be doing today in the present. I can also share some of the current theological reflections from the Indigenous lived experience and how we can incorporate this into our predominantly eurocentric Quaker Community.

(3)  Learning to Adopt some Traditional Aboriginal Spiritual Practices  ---  Rowe Morrow
While recently at Silver Wattle - Quaker Weereewa,  I realised that unless we late comers to this country, we call Australia, and who have done so much damage, embrace aspects of Indigenous spirituality we will continue to damage the ‘country’ where we live. I propose we learn about Indigenous spirituality - and practice it  This workshop offers depth and practicality. Not just know about Indigenous spirituality as a curiosity but as a satisfying way to live or find meaning in life. Some Friends could develop deep protective relationships to water, air, mountains and all species and then, perhaps then, one day in the future, we could call ourselves truly belonging because we know how to live here without doing harm, and in fact we become restorative as well.

(4)  Radical Hospitality  ---  Emily Chapman-Searle and Yarrow Goodley
What does Radical Hospitality look like for Quakers these days? How would we respond if George Fox appeared in our meeting one Sunday? Building on our experience of twelve months as coordinators at Silver Wattle Quaker Centre, we are interested to think more about how we practice radical hospitality. How can we be welcoming to all who come to us and make space at our table...both physical and metaphorical. We are thinking broadly. How are we accessible to people of all ages, genders, sexuality, race, age, class and more? How do we deal with being challenged? 

(5)  Reflection on Quaker Funding Groups and Quaker Applicants 
       ---  Sue Ennis, Di Bretherton, Paula Paananen  
Quakers have a long tradition of providing financial support to F/friends with tested concerns. We will explore: 

• How F/friends seeking financial support are best able to navigate the many types of funds that are held within the Society.
• How current funding structures meet the responsibilities of administering donated or public monies whilst supporting the work of F/friends.  
• What is working well and what, if anything, could change to improve the accessibility and effectiveness of the current funding systems within AYM.
   

(6)  She wrote this that made me think…  ---  Anne Herbert
Many of us are challenged to express the Quaker peace testimony. Our practice experiments lead us to consider what is peace, and related concepts like what is violence and conflict, non-violence and conflict transformation, non-violent communication and so on. Our Friend, Margaret Bearlin, exhorts us to “read more women” on peace, avoiding violence and consider their approaches to transforming conflict and non-violent communication because “Women do groundbreaking work for justice, peace and security. Yet, they continue to be sidelined ...Even when women play instrumental roles in forging and sustaining peace, when they are at the table, we don’t hear enough about their contributions…" 
(https://www.unwomen.org/en/news/stories/2019/10/compilation-the-power-of...) 
Let us take time during this Friendly School to share texts by women that have engaged each of us on our own journey to express our peace testimony. Please bring a text and be ready to share how it has affected your thinking and practice.

(7) Spirituality and Ageing  ---  Anne Felton
We live on average 20 years longer today than in 1900. What are those extra years for? And the big question: How will we spend those extra years beyond “retirement”?  Spirituality means different things to different people. For most, it’s about finding meaning and purpose. This can be a lifelong quest but seems to come to the fore later in life. Research shows that the spiritual task of finding meaning in life does in fact become more important at this time. Why is that? And how can we navigate this time with more grace, given the mixed messages about ageing that society gives us? This Friendly School “Spirituality and Ageing” offers older folk the opportunity to reflect and share on your experience of later-life spirituality. Younger people are invited to learn something about what your family and friends might be feeling as they get older.  Anne Felton will draw on her own experience as a caregiver to an older person and as an older person herself. A geologist by profession, she has recently re-trained as a spiritual companion.

REGISTER NOW!
Complete the registration form to request a place in the Friendly School workshop of your choice:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSew9h316KtdH8HOJ6pL_m49waUC5IjI...