Goose Creek Friends
Newsletter February 2020
Goose Creek Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), Lincoln, Virginia
Queries for First Month: Education
• How can we most effectively foster a spirit of
inquiry with a loving and understanding attitude?
• What effort are we making to be better acquainted
with Quaker faith and practices and the beliefs of
other faiths?
• Do we take an active and supportive interest in
schools, libraries, and other educational resources
in our communities and elsewhere?
• How do we prepare ourselves and our children to
play active roles in a changing world?
Monthly Meeting for Worship with a
Concern for Business: Second Month
Friends approved with thanks the 2019 financial
report of the Trustees. The Trustees act as stewards
in safeguarding and investing the two capital funds
of the Meeting – the General Fund and the Burying
Ground Fund. Returns on our investments were larger
for both funds than they were in 2018.
Friends approved with thanks the annual report of
the Property Committee. The report listed repairs
Goose Creek group at the Martin Luther King, Jr. march from
Leesburg Courthouse to Douglass Community Center
and improvements completed in 2019 and the list
to be done in 2020. This includes repairs to stone
walls, steps, and walkways, refinishing the First Day
School room floor, and painting the Meeting Room.
Friends discussed the reasons for delays in making
property repairs. These vary from lengthy permit
processes to the importance of making repairs to our
historic properties with care.
Ed Devinney presented a budget overview for 2020.
The annual budget is funded by returns on our
investments and by our donations to Meeting. This
overview was approved with thanks.
Sue McCollum presented a notebook that members
of the Meeting Cares Committee have created. It
contains a great deal of information about community
services and resources of all kinds. Additions will
be made to the book, and suggestions are welcome.
The book will be placed in the Meeting library. A
suggestion was made that this information be placed
in some form on our website. This is intended to be
a resource for the community, not just Goose Creek
Meeting. Friends offered their thanks.
A soup lunch and a Quakerism 101 session will be
offered on March 8. Facilitators will be Sheila Kryston
and Chuck Hough. Child care will be provided and a
Friendly Adult Presence will be needed.
The Friends Committee on National Legislation
requests input from Friends on what FCNL’s priorities
should be in 2021-22. A discussion of this will be
held at the rise of Meeting on March 15. Our Peace
and Social Concerns Committee will forward our
suggestions to FCNL.
Committee clerks and co-clerks will meet at the rise
of Meeting on February 16. Everyone is invited to
attend. Allen Cochran asked that suggestions for the
agenda be sent to him by February 13.
Continued on next page g
Goose Creek Friends Newsletter | February 2020 | Page 2
Meeting approved May 17 as the date for a session
on the Baltimore Yearly Meeting’s camping
programs. This is intended for families of campers
and campers themselves, as well as for anyone
interested in our camps.
Meeting approved June 7 as the date for this year’s
Book Sunday and ice cream social. The Sixth
Month Meeting for Worship with a Concern for
Business will follow these events.
Friends approved a request from the Unity with
Nature Committee to show a film called “The
Pollinators” after the rise of Meeting on April 19.
The film will be followed by a soup lunch.
The Clerk read a letter drafted by Patricia Barber
sent on behalf of Goose Creek Meeting to the
Innocence Project in support of Joseph Evans of
the Maryland Correctional Institution, Hagerstown,
Maryland. The letter offers our help to the Innocence
Project as it works towards freeing Joe from prison.
Sheila Kryston, Chuck Hedges, and Randy Ihara plan
to launch an interfaith advocacy team in Loudoun
County. This will not be under care of the Meeting,
but under the guidance of the Friends Committee on
National Legislation. There are currently 123 such
FCNL advocacy teams around the nation. A training
workshop is to be held at the Baha’i Center for
people who are interested on April 18, 1-4pm.
The team’s focus this year will be on legislation
to end war.
Parent Get Together
Saturday, February 29th
10:30-12:00 pm
This will be a great time and occasion
to support each other as parents. Please
come with an open mind and open heart.
This is open to all parents and guardians
of all ages and stages of parenting. There
will not be childcare provided during this
time but if there is a need in the future, can brown bag.  Please RSVP to Sheila Bach by
we can consider it.
For more information contact Cameron
Hughes at Cameron247@hotmail.com
Upcoming First Day Activities
(after the rise of Meeting)
February 16
Committee clerks meeting
March 8
Quakerism 101 discussion
and a soup lunch
March 15
Discussion of priorities of
Friends Committee on National
Legislation (FCNL)
FCNL lobbies Congress and the administration
to advance peace, justice, opportunity, and
environmental stewardship.
Climate Change: Act for Our Future
A Conversation for Head and Heart
Saturday, February 22nd, Noon to 4:30 PM
Langley Hill Friends Meeting
6410 Georgetown Pike, McLean, VA 22101
 The Friends Wilderness Center is focusing its 2020
programs on connecting with nature and living
sustainably.  Its February 22nd program to be held
at Langley Hill Friends Meeting will promote
dialogue on global climate disruption and how
each of us can take action to mitigate it.  Structured
to both educate and inspire, this 3-part program
will inspire you to add your voice, your heart, and
your talents to shaping a sustainable future for
future generations and the planet they will inhabit.
As Kallan Benson, our youngest presenter, noted
in her September 2019 speech to the gathered
environmental delegates at the United Nations in
New York, “Giving up is not an option.”   Lunch is
available for $10 with advance reservation or you
Monday, February 17th at naturesheila@gmail.
com or (571)271-6267 and let her know if you
would like a meal. 
Continued on next page g

From Baltimore Yearly Meeting:
February 22 – Deadline for Annual Session 2020
Workshop Proposals
Want to lead a Workshop at Annual Session (July
27-August 2)? If you, or a committee you are part
of, wants to lead a workshop, please submit this
form (www.bym-rsf.org/events/annualsession/
workshopprop.html) not later than February 22.
Workshops are held Thursday, Friday, and Saturday
afternoons, and typically cover a range of topics
that relate to the theme of Annual Session (Courage,
Faith, and Hope to Love Across Our Differences),
and other topics of interest to Friends. Interest
group times are also available for those that want
to converse with others on a topic, without the
preparation needed for a full workshop. Interest
group requests can be made any time before or
during Annual Session.
February 29 – Religious Education Retreat at
Adelphi Friends Meeting
Quakers strive with joy to welcome people of diverse
spiritual journeys, beliefs and life experiences. How
do we nurture each other’s growth, in the midst of
great diversity? Such an ideal can be challenging.
Our morning speaker will present current issues and
remind us of times in Quaker history when increased
diversity presented similar dilemmas. A panel will
facilitate an audience discussion. Following lunch,
we will divide into three workshops:
• Continuing discussion of morning’s theme
• Nurturing our youth’s individual spirituality
within the group setting (i.e., Quaker
classroom management)
• Teaching history through story telling
After our workshops, we will gather in the large
group to share highlights, and take part in a
“mystery book game.” The retreat will begin
at 10am-3pm (refreshment and sign-in 9:30-
10). If there are any questions or to register,
please contact Ellen Arginteanu (ellenandjules@
protonmail.com, 814-206-6712).
Goose Creek Friends Newsletter | February 2020 | Page 3
News and Notes:
GCFM was well represented at the Virginia
Interfaith Center for Public Policy’s Day For All
People in Richmond on January 22.  Bobbi Block,
Eric Carlson, Susan French, Sheila Kryston,
Jeanne Smith, and Will McCabe advocated with
lawmakers and their legislative aides on VICPP
priority issues including passing a paid sick day
standard for Virginia’s workers, minimum wage
legislation, wage theft reform, driver’s licenses
for all, in-state tuition for non-citizens, and
predatory lending reform.  They also participated
in workshops including Standing with Immigrants.
Sheila brought home the words of Pastor Rodney
Hunter to share with us: “We may worship
differently, but when it comes down to the truth of
the matter, it’s all about how we treat each other.”
Most of the team from Goose Creek Friends
at the Virginia State Capitol building
Jeanne Smith and Scott Ferguson welcomed a
new granddaughter, Clara Grace Ferguson, on
January 22, 2020. Clara joins her sisters Eila and
Mae and parents Eric and Kristyn in Potomac,
MD. Congratulations to them all!
Lee and Paul Lawrence’s granddaughter
Gwendolyn Lee was born on November 30,
2019, to Eva and Will Tracy who live in
Brooklyn, NY. Congratulations!
Continued on next page g
Page 4 | February 2020 | Goose Creek Friends Newsletter

Sundays Facing Bench

Meeting for worship at 9:45 a.m. FEBRUARY
First Day School at 10:00 a.m. Catherine Cox
Fellowship at 10:45 a.m. MARCH
Sheila Kryston
Wednesdays
Discussion Group at 7:00 p.m. First Day School
02/02/20
Calendar Equality & Fairness
FEBRUARY (elementary group)
2.16 Sunday 11am Meeting of committee clerks and co-clerks Winter Bird Feeders
2.19 Wed. 6 pm Religious Education Committee Meeting (teen group)
2.23 Sunday 11am Ministry & Oversight Committee meeting 02/09/20
2.29 Saturday 10:30-12 Parent Get Together The World We Seek
MARCH (teens & elem.)
3.1 Sunday 11am Meeting for Worship with a Concern 02/16/20
for Business Integrity
3.8 Sunday 11 am Quakerism 101 and a soup lunch (teens & elem.)
3.15 Sunday 11 am What should FCNL’s priorities be? 02/23/20
3.18 Wed. 6 pm Religious Education Committee Meeting SPICES Superheroes
3.29 Sunday 11 am Ministry & Oversight Committee meeting (elementary group)
Simplicity in Poetry
CHANGE OF ADDRESS (teen group)
Maria Nicklin and Cris Collins, 33679 Snickersville Turnpike, *elem. = elementary age group
Bluemont, VA 20135
NEWSLETTER
The Goose Creek Friends Newsletter
“It would go a great way to caution and direct People in their is published monthly by the
Goose Creek Friends Meeting,
Use of the World, that they were better studied and known in 18204 Lincoln Road, P.O. Box 105,
the Creation of it.  For how could Man find the Confidence to Lincoln, VA 20160.
abuse it, while they should see the Great Creator stare them in CLERK
Rich Weidner, 540.554.2747
the Face, in all and every part thereof?” rich.blacksmith1@gmail.com
– William Penn, Fruits of Solitude, 1682 ASSISTANT CLERK
Allen Cochran, 540.338.6485
Cochransstone@aol.com
TREASURER
Quaker Jargon of the Month Brian Burgher
goose.creek.treasurer@gmail.com
Sense of the Meeting: “Friends approach decisions in Meeting for
NEWSLETTER EDITOR
Business in a spirit of searching and listening rather than a determination to be Catherine Cox, 301-471-5330
heard as an individual voice. In each decision, we are seeking to discern the blycox@comcast.net
will of God for us as a community … The unity which underlies Sense of the WEBSITE & FACEBOOK
Meeting is not synonymous with consensus. Consensus is a widely used and www.goosecreekfriends.org
valuable secular process characterized by a search for general agreement largely https://www.facebook.com/
Goose-Creek-Friends-Meeting-
through rational discussion and compromise. The Quaker Meeting for Business 150892438287560/?rc=p
depends on a religious process characterized by listening for and trusting in DONATIONS
God. Both unity and consensus result in a course of action agreed to by all of the Please direct donations for
participants, but the Sense of the Meeting relies consciously on the Spirit.” Goose Creek Friends Meeting to
Brian Burgher, P.O. Box 105
– from the Stony Run Friends (Baltimore) website Lincoln, Virginia 20160