THE FRIDAY BEE May 15, 2026
SCHEDULE FOR SUNDAY, MAY 17
10:20am
Greeter
Bobbie Horowitz
10:30am
Child Care
Starts in kindergarten building across the driveway
10:30am
Meeting for Worship
In the meetinghouse for hybrid worship or 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
Jonathan Busser
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
JOIN IN FOR A MID-WEEK, CASUAL PICNIC DINNER GATHERING AT THE MEETINGHOUSE! 🧺
When? This Wednesday, May 20, 6:00PM
Where? At GMM Meetinghouse (Front lawn on Coulter St side and/or & porch) – rain or shine
Bring your own picnic supper, beverages, blankets or chairs – and your kids! – and enjoy the company of others on a spring evening outside the meetinghouse. No agenda, no set-up required. Just a relaxed dinner outside together!
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED! Food Distribution in front of GMM
When? This Sunday, May 17 (& every 3rd Sunday)
- 9:30am for set-up & 12:00-3:00pm for distribution
Where? In front of Germantown Meetinghouse on Coulter Street
The Center for Returning Citizens (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
FREE KIDS CONCERT – THE RECORDER & WHISTLE FLUTES FROM AROUND THE WORLD
When? Thursday, May 21, 4:00pm
Where? Glenside Free Library (215 S Keswick Ave, Glenside)
GMM Member Elissa Berardi, also a professional recorder player, will be performing this free children’s concert (recommended for ages 7-12)! Whistle flutes exist in almost all cultures and have been used for thousands of years. Come see and hear the wonderful music written just for the recorder a few centuries ago when that instrument was “king.”
SAVE THE DATE: ANNUAL GMM PORCH POTLUCK PICNIC!! ☀️
When? Sunday, June 7, at the rise of worship
Where? Our meeting house porch!
Always a favorite event – join together for a picnic lunch following worship. Mark your calendars now, and start planning to bring your favorite picnic dishes to share with a crowd.
- Need ideas on what to bring? Click here for some classic potluck dishes.
VOLUNTEERS ALWAYS NEEDED FOR REFRESHMENTS!! ☕🍪
Our weekly coffee, tea & yummy snacks don’t happen by magic.
We still need to recruit volunteers from amongst members/attenders to make them happen!
- Please contact Mike Pechter or click here to sign up
- There are plenty of dates available! Thanks in advance!
QUAKER NEWS & EVENTS
LOVE AS ACTION: RESISTING AUTHORITARIANISM
When? Sunday, May 17 at 3pm
Where? Philadelphia City Hall (1400 John F Kennedy Blvd)
Please join the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) and Philadelphia area Friends to bear witness and show resistance to the authoritarian actions in our country. Friends, members of other faith communities, and people of conscience will gather for one hour of silent public worship at Philadelphia City Hall. There will be an art build at Friends Center (1501 Cherry St) prior to the action at 1:30pm
- Registration here is encouraged but not required.
WELCOME TO QUAKERISM – Topic: Beyond Sunday Morning
When & Where? Thursday, March 21, 7:30pm on Zoom
The last in a 4-part adult religious education series. Great for newcomers and for anyone wanting a “refresher!”
Program Highlights:
- This 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 may be repeated again, 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.
Prior Monthly Topics:
- February 19: Meeting for Worship
- March 19: Quaker Decision Making
- April 16: 10 Peculiar Things You Should Know About Quakers
A QUIET ROAR: THE UNPARALLELED LIVES OF BAYARD RUSTIN AND SARAH MAPPS DOUGLASS
When? Saturday, May 23, 5:00pm
Where? Arch Street Meeting House (320 Arch St)
“A Quiet Roar” is an immersive theater performance that bridges the stories of two phenomenal Black Philadelphian Quakers who walked the halls of Arch Street Meeting House a century apart. Yet, in their respective times, both struggled with racial injustice, persevering through political activism and their experiences within the Quaker faith. This interpretive program brings their writings and experiences back to life, highlighting the often-overlooked intersections of race, faith, and freedom.
PHILADELPHIA YEARLY MEETING (PYM)
- PYM Weekly Update
- PYM Events Calendar: Check out upcoming and ongoing programs promoted by PYM
GERMANTOWN FRIENDS SCHOOL (GFS) NEWS & EVENTS
ALL SCHOOL CHORAL CONCERT – EVERY SONG A STORY
When? Sunday, May 17, 3:00pm
Where? Barbara and David Loeb Performing Arts Center (Taulane Auditorium)
Come out for an afternoon of song to celebrate the artistry of our choral students in Lower, Middle, and Upper School. The concert is about 80 minutes in length, and we will celebrate with snacks afterward!
ALL-SCHOOL ART SHOW
Join us for the annual All-School Art Show, when campus is transformed into colorful, vibrant gallery spaces!
A chance to see the incredible work that GFS students create during the year.
When? Thursday, May 21, 4:00 - 7:00pm
Where?
- Early Childhood - Little Gym, 4-6 pm
- Lower School - Main building, first and second floors, 4-6 pm
- Middle School - All School Commons, second floor, 4-6 pm
- Upper School - All School Commons, lower level and third floor, 5-7 pm
ATTEND GFS MEETING FOR WORSHIP DURING THE WEEK
GFS welcomes GMM to attend Meeting for Worship during the school year.
- Middle School Worship: Monday, 5/18, 10:20 - 11:00am
- Lower School Worship: Thursday, 5/21, 9:00 - 9:30am
- Upper School Worship: Thursday, 5/21, 10:10 - 11:00am
TAKE ACTION!
CARPENTERS WOODS VOLUNTEER SERVICE DAY
When? This Saturday, May 16, 9:00am - 12:00noon
Where? Meeting at Wayne Avenue Trailhead (W Sedgwick Street & Wayne Avenue)
Take part in keeping Wissahickon Valley Park beautiful and sustainable! This relatively small section of the Wissahickon, while frequented by West Mt. Airy neighbors, is not widely-known to many regular visitors of the Park. We’ll be completing a variety of stewardship tasks in the area. (A partnership between Friends of the Wissahickon and Friends of Carpenter’s Woods). All are welcome to attend, and no experience is needed.
FREEDOM WALK CELEBRATION CONCERT – BLACK BREATH COLLECTIVE
When? Sunday, May 17, 3:00pm
Where? Mother Bethel A.M.E. Church (419 S 6th Street)
Prayers for Peace Alliance believes in solidarity, public memory, and freedom from oppression. While we work for justice for our peoples in the Holy Land, we have much to learn from the African American liberation struggle in this country. Freedom Walk 2026 is a 750-mile pilgrimage that will retrace the route of the Underground Railroad. As the journey reaches Philadelphia, join us for this Celebration Concert by Black Breath Collective. Following the concert, we will walk together to the President’s House/Slavery Memorial at 6th and Market, where the Trump Administration is attempting to remove exhibits about Black history.
LOVE AS ACTION: RESISTING AUTHORITARIANISM
When? Sunday, May 17 at 3pm
Where? Philadelphia City Hall (1400 John F Kennedy Blvd)
- See more above in “Quaker News & Events” section
REMEMBER TO VOTE – PRIMARY DAY IS TUESDAY, MAY 19!
- WHYY Primary Voter Guide
- Not sure what your districts are? Check - Find my Legislator
- Ballot Questions explained
TELL THE PA LEGISLATURE: TAKE ACTION TO END GUN VIOLENCE
Calling on the Pennsylvania House and Senate to pass a ban on untraceable ghost guns, a ban on deadly machine gun conversion devices, and require secure firearm storage.
On June 2nd (see below about End Gun Violence Advocacy Day), we'll deliver a coalition letter to the legislature, urging them to pass and send these critical life-saving laws to the governor's desk.
- Click here to add your name, so lawmakers understand the size and power of the statewide movement to end gun violence.
SIGN UP FOR END GUN VIOLENCE ADVOCACY DAY 2026
When? Tuesday, June 2, 9:30am - 3:30pm
Where? Pennsylvania State Capitol (501 N 3rd St, Harrisburg, PA)
Gun violence is a slow moving massacre, taking the lives or injuring 4,600 Pennsylvanians every year, impacting every single community in the state. Join CeaseFirePA and partners in Harrisburg to lobby, rally, and send a powerful message to lawmakers: prioritize public safety and pass life-saving gun violence prevention laws.
RECLAIM PHILADELPHIA – GET INVOLVED WITH YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD!
Reclaim Philadelphia builds community power to win change, reclaim government for the people, and advance economic, racial, and gender justice. Neighborhood Chapters are our community hubs, organized by volunteer leader teams. These hyper local organizing groups focus on building community within Reclaim’s base and connecting with community groups and neighbors.
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.
- See more here, and bookmark their site!
➤ 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
EXHIBITION OPENING RECEPTION: Julie Rainbow – Love, Fierce Love
When? Saturday, May 16, 5:00 - 7:00pm
Where? Allens Lane Art Center (601 W Allens Lane)
A multimedia storytelling exhibition by oral historian, cultural curator, and socially engaged, Philadelphia-based artist Julie Rainbow. Through oral history, black & white portraiture, and community dialogue, Rainbow brings forward the voices of African American elders – stories of love, migration, resilience, and becoming, that might otherwise go unheard.
GERMANTOWN KITCHEN GARDEN – SATURDAY FARM STAND NOW OPEN!
When? Saturdays, 9:00am - 1:00pm
Where? 215 East Penn Street
Offers the chance to mingle with neighbors and see what’s new in the garden while you select from the freshest, highest quality produce Philadelphia and the surrounding area has to offer.
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)