THE FRIDAY BEE                                   March 13, 2026

 SCHEDULE FOR SUNDAY, MARCH 15 

10:20am

Greeter

Karen Lightner

10:30am

Child Care

Starts in kindergarten building across the driveway

10:30am

Meeting for Worship

Hybrid: in-person & on Zoom

10:50am

First Day School

Older children attend Meeting for Worship with their families until 10:50 am, when their teachers will lead them to the Committee Room.

Questions? Please contact Carla Childs.

Note: Children of any age are always welcome to join their families in Meeting for Worship.

11:30am

Introductions & Announcements

Alfie Hanssen & Alexis Schulman

11:35am

Zoom Social Time

Zoom attendees, please stay online to join in a Zoom social time after Meeting for Worship!

11:40am

Refreshments

Wendy Wells & Bruce Grant

PROTOCOL FOR MEETING FOR WORSHIP (Zoom, hybrid, in-person)

Please maintain silence as you enter the Zoom meeting or the meetinghouse so Friends can center and settle into worship. Masks are optional in the meetinghouse. Feel free to wear one if you wish. We have a supply if you’ve forgotten yours. If you have a fever or are feeling unwell, please stay home and join our worship on Zoom.

MEETING NEWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED! Food Distribution in front of GMM

When?  This Sunday, March 15 (& every 3rd Sunday)

  • 9:30am for set-up & 12:00-3:00pm for distribution 

Where? In front of Germantown Meetinghouse on Coulter Street

TCRC Community Healing Center Food Distribution takes place every 3rd Sunday out on Coulter Street, in front of the Meetinghouse. Helping hands are needed and always appreciated!

Questions?  Contact Jondhi Harrell 
REGISTER NOW FOR THE GMM RETREAT 🌲🛶

Happening May 1-3, 2026 at Camp Dark Waters in nearby Medford, NJ.

Join us for a time of spiritual nourishment and community bonding. We will enjoy shared meals, worship, and fun activities for all ages, including canoeing, a ropes course, nature walks, and fireside singing. We’re committed to making the retreat accessible for all.

GMM ADULT CLASS –
Happy with Congress Now? What Should the Dems Do When They Take Power in November?

When?  Next Sunday, March 22, 9:00 - 10:15am

Where? Meetinghouse Committee Room

Help us identify and describe Germantown Meeting's top five priorities for legislative action in the next session of Congress!  Due to FCNL by April 17. Bill Cozzens, our meeting's rep to FCNL, assisted by members of the Adult Class Committee, will be leading this exercise.  

Homework: Recommended, but not required reading: FCNL's The World We Seek 

Every two years the Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL), our Quaker lobby in Washington, DC, sets its priorities for action during the next session of Congress. FCNL asks Quaker meetings, churches and other Friends organizations across the country to  provide our input on what issues, programs and policies the FCNL lobbyists and volunteers should tackle. The FCNL Policy Committee weighs our input and that of all these Quaker groups to discern what Friends want from Congress in its next session. This priority document goes to the FCNL General Committee for further discernment, possible modification and approval at FCNL's annual meeting in November.

HOST A SMALL GATHERING FOR GMM’RS

Volunteers needed to host small get-togethers in their homes (8-10 folks?) from our Meeting (GMM). These popular events are fun, casual gatherings, and a fantastic way for us to get to know each other better.

What might these look like?

The options are limitless! A dinner (some of you might remember the old “Friendly 8’s dinners”); an afternoon tea; a wine & cheese gathering; a weekend brunch; a picnic; anything, really!

These are typically potluck, last for a couple of hours, and can be as casual (or fancy!), as thematic, as family-oriented (or even pet-friendly!), as each host prefers.

Interested in volunteering to host? 

STORYTELLER LEGACY SERIES INTERVIEW WITH ED STIVENDER

When & Where? Thursday, March 26, 7:00pm, on Zoom

Storytelling Resource Place in Jonesborough will kick off their Storyteller Legacy Series with an interview with our longtime attender Ed Stivender, review of his 40+ years of performances as a storyteller!

SIGN UP FOR SPRING NIGHT CLASSES AT GFS!

GMM is invited to sign up for a course at GFS to explore cross-disciplinary ideas – from history to literature to art –  and learn and connect across generations. Classes are pay-what-you-can.

  • See link below in the “Germantown Friends School News” section 
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED TO PROVIDE REFRESHMENTS THIS WINTER! ☕ 🍪

We all appreciate a cup of coffee/tea and snacks after worship.

These yummy refreshments rely on volunteers to make that possible every week.

Please volunteer to provide refreshments this winter & spring!

We need volunteers on these dates:

  • March 29  ◆  April 5  ◆  April 19 ◆  May 3, 10, 24, 31

Please contact Mike Pechter or click here to sign up 

  • You can also use this same volunteer form to sign up to Greet at the door, or Close worship from the facing bench, or provide Refreshments! Many options to participate. THANK YOU!

Note: Refreshments expenses are reimbursable or can be credited as in-kind donations to GMM.

QUAKER NEWS & EVENTS

WELCOME TO QUAKERISM (4-part) SERIES RETURNS!

When & Where?  Next Thursday, March 19, 7:30pm on Zoom

Topic: Quaker Decision Making

The Welcome to Quakerism series is starting over again, with four monthly sessions on the third Thursday of each month at 7:30 pm. Great for newcomers and for anyone wanting a “refresher!”

Program Highlights:

  • The series is designed to be accessible: no advance reading or homework is required.
  • Sessions include a mix of local speakers, QuakerSpeak videos, and small group discussions.
  • The four-session series will be repeated three times, so newcomers can join at any point and still experience each topic.
  • Meetings can be attended individually, and all are welcome to join. Meetings may be attended from home or by gathering for a “watch party” at someone’s house or meetinghouse.

Remaining Monthly Topics:

  • March 19: Quaker Decision Making
  • April 16: 10 Peculiar Things You Should Know About Quakers
  • May 21: Beyond Sunday Morning (This session will rotate topics such as spiritual practices, Quaker activism, and the wider Quaker world)
EARLHAM SCHOOL OF RELIGION WORKSHOP (virtual) –
Beyond Consensus: Discerning The Mind Of Christ Clerking Meetings Of The Society Of Friends

When & Where? Thursday, March 19 7:00-8:30 pm – On Zoom

This workshop led by Dave Goff explores the basics of clerking a meeting within the Society of Friends. The primary focus is clerking committee meetings, but the principles can be used at all levels of Quaker business. These principles of discernment are effective whether one is clerking at the Monthly, Quarterly, or Yearly Meeting level or beyond.

REMEMBERING IRENE MCHENRY

Shared by Chestnut Hill Meeting –

Friends will be very sad to learn that Irene McHenry passed away peacefully at home on March 11th.

A spiritual seeker, Irene devoted herself over decades to studies of meditation, Quakerism, and Judaism. Irene was a long-time and very active member of Chestnut Hill Friends Meeting.

In her professional life as a transformational educator, Irene helped found three schools and inspired a whole generation of teachers and administrators as Executive Director of the Friends Council on Education. For many years she led the Quaker Pilgrimage to George Fox country, which quite a few members of our meeting enjoyed. In later years she served as a consultant and therapist.

Irene was a radiant presence, a beloved mother, wife, friend, and a spirited dancer.

A Celebration of Life for Irene will be held on May 1 at 2:00pm at the Arch Street Meetinghouse. Remembrances are being collected here for the family by Friends Council.

CELEBRATING THE LEGACY OF ANNA T. JEANES: STORIES OF STEWARDSHIP AND GENEROSITY

When? Saturday, April 11, 10:30am - 2:00pm

Where? Stapeley Hall (6300 Greene Street)

Join in at the historic Stapeley Hall to celebrate Anna T. Jeanes' Birthday and how this Philadelphia Friend's faith and generosity continue to shape our world today. Please consider joining this free event! You'll hear inspiring stories of stewardship and generosity, while learning how you can follow in Anna's footsteps and build your own legacy of impact. 

PHILADELPHIA YEARLY MEETING (PYM)

GERMANTOWN FRIENDS SCHOOL (GFS) NEWS & EVENTS

ESSENTIALLY GFS: SPRING NIGHT CLASSES – Sign up by April 8!

When? Wednesdays, April 15 - May 6, 6:30 - 8:30 pm

Where? GFS All School Commons

GMM is invited to sign up for a course at GFS to explore cross-disciplinary ideas – from history to literature to art –  and learn and connect across generations. Classes are pay-what-you-can.

ATTEND GFS MEETING FOR WORSHIP DURING THE WEEK

GFS welcomes GMM to attend Meeting for Worship during the school year.

  • Middle School Worship: Monday, 3/16, 10:20 - 11:00am
  • Lower School Worship: Thursday, 3/19, 9:00 - 9:30am
  • Upper School Worship: Thursday, 3/19 10:10 - 11:00am        
REMEMBERING ANN JONES

Message from Dana Weeks –

Longtime GFS staff member Ann Jones passed away after a long illness on Monday, March 9, 2026.

Ann began her tenure at GFS in 1987, part-time in the guidance office. Shortly thereafter, she became the Head of School’s assistant, first to John Wilkinson, then to Dick Goldman in his interim year, then to Dick Wade from the start of his tenure in 1993 until his retirement in 2013, and then worked with me in my first year as Head of School. Ann retired in 2014. Her son, Andrew Jones '03, was a GFS lifer.

Ann lived her life with grace, dignity, kindness, and little fanfare. She walked the walk; a life well-lived. Her tenderness with her garden, her remarkable scones, and her winning grin captured the essence of her kindness and her sly wit. Ann died as she lived—quietly and in peace. A remarkable soul.

There will be a Memorial Service in April or May (details to follow).

Please join me in holding all of Ann’s loved ones in the Light.

TAKE ACTION!

NO KINGS PROTEST  

When? Saturday, March 28, 12:00 - 3:00pm

Where? Starting at City Hall, then march down the Ben Franklin Parkway

What began in 2025 as a single day of defiance has become a sustained national resistance to tyranny, spreading from small towns to city centers and across every community determined to defend democracy. Our peaceful movement is bigger than ever.

GUIDE TO ICE WATCH HOTLINES AND IMMIGRATION RESOURCES

Provided by GMM member John Colgan Davis; also available at the resource table at GMM on Sundays. 

A list of resources and organizations with guidance on immigration support.

Many of these on-the-ground organizations have been working with immigrant communities for years.

TRYING TO FIND SOCIAL JUSTICE EVENTS?

Mobilize is a central posting site that has opportunities concerning local actions for protest and in support of social justice.

➤ LIST OF ONGOING/WEEKLY SOCIAL JUSTICE EVENTS

CLICK HERE for a list of ongoing, weekly/regularly scheduled vigils & protests supporting immigrants, Palestine, peace, Constitutional rights, etc.

  • Includes standing events such as — Fridays @ Fettermans, Mondays @ McCormicks, We the People Wednesdays, etc.

(These used to be listed every week in the Friday Bee, but we are consolidating them into their own linked document.)

Have more ongoing protests and vigils to include? Send them to the GMM Office (gmm@germantownfriends.org)

GERMANTOWN & NEARBY

TUESDAYS AT THE MOVIES – AT THE WOODMERE: WIDOW’S PEAK 

When? Tuesday, March 17, 7:00 - 9:00pm

Where? Woodmere Art Museum (9201 Germantown Avenue)

This sly, character-driven comedic mystery unfolds around a reclusive Irish community of widows (led by Joan Plowright) unsettled by the arrival of a spirited young American outsider (Natasha Richardson). Secrets and shifting alliances play out beneath the town’s genteel surface as the newcomer develops a rivalry with another resident (Mia Farrow).

  • Donations suggested
WOMEN’S HISTORY TOUR

When? Saturday, March 14, 1:00 - 2:00pm (rain date: March 21)

Where? Historic Fair Hill (2901 Germantown Avenue)

A guided tour honoring the stories and contributions of remarkable women connected to Fairhill, highlighting their impact on history and community change.

QUAKER RESOURCES

OTHER (VIRTUAL) WORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
  • Pendle Hill – Daily Zoom meeting for worship online from 8:30-9:10 am
  • Friends Council on National Legislation (FCNL) Witness Wednesdays: Weekly worship at 5:15pm (ET)
  • Friends General Conference’s (FGC) has many options for worship & discussion, including Newcomers & Seekers, Friends of Color Monthly worship, BIPOC Womxn’s space, White Friends Confronting Racism, Gen X Friends (new), Neurodivergent Friends (new). The offerings keep growing! Click here for the calendar
  • Quaker Voluntary Service (QVS) Worship with Attention to Gaza/Palestine: Tuesdays, 12:00noon (ET) 

FOR QUAKER NEWCOMERS: Friends General Conference New Quaker Hub

QUAKER ORGANIZATIONS

Stay connected with news, work and resources of various Friends groups. Bookmark them for easy reference

Philadelphia Quarterly Meeting (PQM)

Philadelphia Yearly Meeting (PYM)

Friends General Conference (FGC)

Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL)

Friends Council on Education (FCE)

American Friends Service Committee (AFSC)