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Newsletter for June 2026
Sixth Month
| | Thank you to Member Joyce Anitagrace for her beautiful sketch of the Stony Run Meetinghouse! The physical sketch will be unveiled to our community at Meeting for Worship with a Concern for Business on June 7 at 1:00 PM. Please join us to thank her for the love and Light she put into this piece of art. | | |
New Ways of Listening
Building on the vulnerability, honest reflections, and tender connections of our recent Fishbowl gathering, we invite you to take the next step in our collective journey toward racial understanding and healing at Stony Run.
These 90-minute small group sessions on Zoom will be learning and brave spaces designed for us to practice "new ways of listening." They are open to all, even if you were not able to attend the Fishbowl gathering.
Click here to learn more and register.
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Stony Run T-shirts
The order form is open again, now until June 7. Don't miss this final window to purchase your gear!
| Already have a shirt? Please wear it to the Cookout on May 31, 2026. | | |
Quaker Voluntary Service
On May 31, Executive Director Greg Stefanski will attend both Meetings for Worship and will be available after for questions and to hand out QVS stickers.
QVS offers an 11-month Fellowship program to young adults, offering community living and working at a community based non-profit in Boston; Philly; Minneapolis; and Portland, OR.
Read our blog for more info.
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Cook Out
Let’s celebrate the season and new Members Theresa, Aggie, & Eliza Lawler with a cook-out! The Meeting will provide burgers, dogs, and buns; please bring sides or desserts to share.
See you there: May 31 @ noon
on the Meetinghouse grounds
Wear your t-shirt and bring a blanket/chairs!
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1st First Day Potluck
The Hospitality committee invites our Stony Run Community to Potluck Simple Lunch on the 1st First Day each month.
This month: June 7
Friends are invited to bring any contribution: something simple (chips and hummus) or more elaborate (if so led!), but your presence is the most valuable thing you can bring.
Read more.
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Ice Cream Social
Calling all First Day School students, caregivers, and the wider Meeting community!
June 7 at 12:15
in the Dining Room
Join us for an ice cream social during Simple Lunch to celebrate our students and their teachers at the end of their First Day School year.
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LGBTQIA+ Welcome Here
While Stony Run Quakers have long welcomed and supported the LGBTQIA+ community at our unprogrammed Meeting, we recently approved a statement and testimony of our faith and practice.
Read more here.
We welcome you to join us at unprogrammed worship 9:30 and 11:00 AM, no matter your gender identification or sexual orientation.
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Join Us for PRIDE Events
June 8 - 14, 2026 is a week-long celebration of LGBTQ+ pride, culture, and community in the heart of Charm City. Join Stony Run at these events!
Thurs., June 4 (7:00 PM @ NBMC 4615 Roland Ave.): Interfaith PRIDE Service. More info here.
Sat., June 13 (12 - 3:00 PM): Walk in the PRIDE Parade with Stony Run and Faith Communities of Baltimore with Pride.
To learn more or volunteer, email Brian Gamble.
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CSS: Vacation Policy Change
CSS proposes changes to two personnel policies to clarify vacation and holiday leave for part time employees.
Read these changes here.
The comment period on these policy changes will close July 31, 2026. If you have comments, please contact Adrian Bishop or David Pruitt, co-clerks of CSS.
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Freedom Walk 2026
#FreedomWalk2026, a modern day retracing of the Underground Railroad from Sandy Spring to Canada, began on May 4. Stony Run hosted the group (and their Harriet Tubman statue) at the Meetinghouse. We gathered as a community to welcome them for a Potluck dinner and Friends shared stories as part of the Textile Project.
Day 6 of the #FreedomWalk gathered a group of 6 walkers, including RoJamie and MySon. Read about the day in "One Family's Walk to Freedom" on Substack.
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Childcare Check-in
Our Nursery is one of the primary ways we support the children and families of Stony Run, and we wanted to take a moment to check in to make sure that we are offering the support our community needs. So we're trying out a new way to evaluate our Nursery program, asking for feedback from our workers as well as our families.
Click here for survey.
Care and nurture of our youngest attenders is deeply important to us.
Thank you for your feedback!
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Children & Youth Summer Assembly Volunteers
We request volunteers from the Meeting Community to support our children by leading an All Ages Summer Assembly from June 14 - August 30.
Our young Friends bring such joy and curiosity to the community. It is a fun task!
Sign Up Here.
Lesson plans are available, but volunteers are welcome to plan their own activities. Pay is available for your hours planning and teaching. Please contact Laura for more information.
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Community Garden Volunteers
Stony Run and Friends School is looking for summertime Community Garden Volunteers.
Learn more here.
Most crucially, this year we're looking for a few "harvester" volunteers to help with harvesting and dropping the harvest off at GEDCO Cares Pantry on Wednesdays between 8:30 and 10 AM. We also need one harvester per week and help with watering 2-4x per week as well as weeding whenever possible.
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Save the Date: Jazz Concert
Join us for our annual Jazz Concert Fundraiser!
October 18 at 3:00 PM
in the Meetingroom
Dizzy Spellz, featuring trumpet master Sean Jones and renowned tap artist Brinae Ali, blends jazz, tap dance, Bebop, and Hip Hop with an Afro futuristic lens taking a deeper look at the intersecting cultural and spiritual dilemmas within the African Diaspora.
We hope to see you there, and bring a friend!
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Summer Schedule Changes
Hymn Sing accompaniment will go to a monthly schedule (including June 7, July 5, and August 2) for the summer. Please feel free to gather for a cappella singing in between.
Simple Lunch does not take place during the summer months. The last Simple Lunch of the season will be potluck on June 7.
Stay tuned for the beloved summer lunch schedule!
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Meeting for Worship Schedule Not Changing this Summer
Ministry and Counsel reminds us that Stony Run will have Meeting for Worship during the summer at the same time as it does the rest of the year: at 9:30 and 11:00 AM.
In previous years, we met an hour earlier over the summer. We've made this change for many reasons, mainly because during the summer people continue to come to the Meeting at the "regular" times - after it has finished.
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Application for Budget Surplus Funds and Gilbert Bequest
Applications for charitable grants using the Budget Surplus and Jerry Gilbert Bequest are now available. FRAUC will receive applications through August 10, and announce its recommendations at the September Meeting for Worship With a Concern for Business. If you have any questions about this grant opportunity, please contact Tanza Aliberti or Ann Kehinde.
Click to Learn More
Click to Download the Application
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Indigenous Affairs Quarterly
BYM's Indigenous Affairs Committee (IAC) works to stimulate interest in issues related to American Indians. The oldest continuous committee of BYM, IAC works with local Meetings, other Yearly Meetings, and other Friends' organizations to benefit native peoples.
Read IAC's Quick Facts.
Every quarter, IAC produces a newsletter.
Read the Spring 2026 Newsletter.
| | From our Community Partners | | |
UniFIED Efforts
Student Named Police Commissioner for a Day
On April 21 UniFIED Efforts, Inc. New Career Program recognized its participant, Treasure Mack (11-year-old and attendee of BCPS), as its 2026 Baltimore Police Department Commissioner for the Day.
See photos and read more on our blog.
Birthed out of Member Debbie Ramsey's Quaker leading, UniFIED Efforts has operated in West Baltimore's Penn-North community for eleven consecutive years, and operates at no cost to families. If you would like to get involved in supporting UniFIED Efforts, please contact Debbie.
You're Invited: UniFIED Efforts Golf Tournament
When you register, you will play 9-holes with one UniFIED Efforts BCPS youth, helping to give inner-city kids access to playing golf, new career paths, and fun!
Learn more here.
| | Clerking and Recording Toolkit | | |
As new Clerks and Recording Clerks are entering their roles on Committees, we thought it would be helpful to provide some tools to support these roles.
Please click on the following links for more information:
MEMBER PORTAL: These 'tools' are available on Stony Run's Member Portal. Please sign in or create a log-in today! If it is your first time creating your account, you may need to wait 24 business hours for Office Staff to approve your request.
Important reminders for Clerks and Committees:
- All items for the Newsletter are due by the 14th of the month prior (except for the summer July/August newsletter, for which the date will be announced)
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We are always looking for ways to showcase committee work on the Stony Run blog. Sharing your work is also a great way to find new committee members. Please send your ideas, text, and photos to Ashley.
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Contact Elizabeth and Laura with as much advance notice as possible to schedule a meeting in the Meetinghouse and on ZOOM. In your request, please provide as many event details as possible, and space will be reserved on a first-come first-served basis. Our space is used often!
Stay tuned for a survey to check dates for a Stony Run Clerks Retreat to be scheduled in this fall.
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Walking in the World as a Friend
Explore the book by Nadine Clare Hoover: Walking in the Wold as a Friend.
Sundays, June 14 & July 12
9:00 - 10:30 AM
in the Dining Room
This engaging book presentation will be led by Doug and Marvi Vaugn, who will guide us through thoughtful reflections on Conversion, Conviction, and practical insights on the Quaker roles of Minister, Steward, Witness, and Spiritual Companions in our daily lives.
Come connect, learn, and share in a welcoming environment.
Coffee, bagels and doughnuts will be served, so arrive a little early to enjoy some refreshments and conversation.
All are welcome – bring a Friend! Contact Ellen Lerner with any questions.
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African Great Lakes Initiative
Join us for a discussion of current programs and events in Burundi, Rwanda, and the wider African Great Lakes Region.
Sunday, June 28
9:00 AM
in the Dining Room and on Zoom
Joining us on Zoom will be David Bucura, African Great Lakes Initiative of Friends Peace Teams; Parfaite Ntahuba, Friends Women's Association, Burundi; Francine Muhawenimana, Children's Peace Libraries, Rwanda; and Peter Serete and Innocent Kamanzi, Programs for South Sudanese Refugees in Kenya and Uganda.
Friends School of Baltimore will be helping with the Zoom and demonstrating a setup that Stony Run might consider for the Dining room. All are welcome.
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New Book Aquisitions!
From the Library: Check out our newly purchased books on the credenza in the library!
They include: African American Leaders of Maryland, by Suzanne Ellery Greene-Chapelle and children's book, Farah Rocks: Summer Break, by Stony Run Friend Susan Muaddi Darraj. ALL the books on display are available for you to check out!
| Stony Run hosts intergenerational, family, and kids programming throughout the year. From camping or egg hunting to Thanksgiving pie baking or carol singing, we hope you will join us at one of these events! All event dates will be announced in the Silent Announcements. | |
RE is responsible for Stony Run's children and teens programs on First Day, called First Day School, and for special activities at other times. Not-yet-school-aged children may play in our staffed Nursery, while First Day School teachers work with elementary-aged children. Junior and Young Friends (J/YF, Middle and High School students) self-govern alongside Friendly Adults.
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Save the Date
End of First Day School Presentations and Ice Cream Social
Sunday, June 7
at the rise of the 11:00 AM Meeting for Worship
Followed by: An Ice Cream Social
We look forward to making presentations to our 5th, 8th, and 12th graders as they prepare to transition to new schools in the fall.
| | Peace & Justice Committee | | |
IC4BL
Interfaith Coalition for Black Lives Rally
Sunday, June 28
1:30 - 2:30 PM
TBA in Catonsville
Details will be announced in the Silent Announcements.
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May Day
Stony Run's Peace & Justice Committee hosted a peaceful, joy-filled May Day demonstration in front of the Meetinghouse on Friday, May 1.
We called on our leaders at every level of government to govern with fairness and compassion, with a particular focus on caring for marginalized communities.
Thank you to all who joined!
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CO Training
On Sunday, May 17, 2026 more than 50 participants gathered at Stony Run to learn about conscientious objection to war and registering with the Selective Service System - or not registering. Almost 60% of the participants were youth and young adults, many joined by their parents/caregivers and other adults who support them - folks were from Maryland, DC, Pennsylvania, Virginia and beyond...
Read the full blog post for more information and resources on Conscientious Objection.
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Social Order Box
Donations to the Social Order Box for the month of June go to the Center on Conscience & War (CCW), a non-profit organization that advocates for the rights of conscience, opposes military conscription, and serves all conscientious objectors (COs) to war. CCW helps run the GI Rights Hotline, and in March received 80 new clients - more than twice what it takes in the average year. Bill Galvin, long-time staff member and Vietnam-era Conscientious Objector, visited Stony Run on May 17 to co-present the youth Conscientious Objector Training. Donations for the Social Order Box can be made online here. Checks may also be mailed to the Meetinghouse or checks and cash may be placed in the S.O. Box to the left of the Library doors. Please make checks payable to Stony Run Friends Meeting, with ‘S.O. Box’ on the memo line.
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Hold in the Light: Mona Ahmed; Zizwe Allette and the entire Cavell-Allette family; Zawadi Dance and her daughter, Ayanna Urena; Cindy Eyler; Karie Firoozmand; Barbara Treasure and her brother, Peter Rohde; and the Vaughn family, especially Suezan.
A Memorial Meeting for Worship for Charles Loubert is scheduled for June 20 at 1:00 PM. Please bring cookies for a reception to follow (either bring them early and put them in the freezer or bring them the day of the Memorial).
Please send cards or notes to Janet Guthrie and Sandi Adams. Correspondence with Sandi should be sent to the care of her daughter, Joellen. These addresses are in the Meeting Directory.
Thank you to all who have donated nutritional support to Mona Ahmed. Her nutrition has stabilized, but she is having a relapse of other symptoms impacting her ability to work. Please consider financial support of Mona and another refugee family facing serious medical challenges via the Refugees and Asylum Seekers Fund here.
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Greetings from old Friends! Deirdre and Steve Samuelsson
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"This is Deirdre (and Steve) Samuelsson, now living in Beverly Cove, Massachusetts.
When we lived in Cincinnati, I worked for the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center during its infancy (1997-1999); the Cincinnati Enquirer gave them office space during incubation. I worked for the Director of Development, who taught me corporate prospect research, as P&G's CEO, John Pepper, was backing the Freedom Center. He sat on dozens of corporate boards, so brought in partners.
I was their 'token' Quaker, with my Indiana and Kentucky ancestors involved with the Underground Railroad."
| | A 2023 photo of Andrew (44) with 3 daughters - Ellie (8) and twins, Addy and Pia (5). They live in NC. | |
Recurring
Movement for Wholeness: Every Tuesday and Thursday from 10 - 11:00 AM. Join Sara Workeneh in the Double classroom for gentle movement and stretching.
Bible Study: Every Tuesday at 8:00 PM via Zoom. The ID and passcode are the same as for Programmed Worship. Contact Pastor Ronald Moyia for info.
Meeting for Worship with a Concern for the Country: Every Wednesday at 4:00 PM in the Meeting room. We will hold the country and those affected by turmoil, including ourselves, in the Light.
Peace Vigil: Every Friday at 5:30 PM in front of Homewood Friends Meeting. Share the message: War is not the Answer! No War On Iran. Invite your Friends; bring your children.
Upcoming
BYM Camp Work Day: Saturday, May 30 at Opequon. Join us to wake up BYM Camps and prepare them for summer camping season! Register here.
Stony Run Summer BBQ: Sunday, May 31 at 12:15 PM. It's after Memorial Day, but school is still in session. Let's have a cook-out! Join us after later meeting for a picnic Simple Lunch. The Meeting will provide burgers, dogs, and buns; please bring picnic sides and desserts to share - plus your picnic blanket and/or chairs!
BYM Camp Work Day: Saturday, June 6 at Catoctin. Join us to wake up BYM Camps and prepare them for summer camping season! Register here.
Last First Day School, Presentation, and Ice Cream Social: Sunday, June 7 at 12:00 noon in the Meeting room. Our last regular First Day School (before the start of All-Ages Summer Assemblies) will be followed with a presentation of books to students finishing their 5th, 8th, and 12th grade year at the rise of Meeting and an ice cream social during Simple Lunch.
Potluck Lunch: Sunday, June 7 at 12:15 PM in the Dining room. Join with any contribution: something simple (chips and hummus) or elaborate (if so led!), but your presence is the most valuable thing you can bring. Read more here.
Meeting for Worship with a Concern for Business: Sunday, June 7 at 1:00 PM in the Meeting room and on Zoom.
Lunch with Friends: Typically the first Thursday of each month, Lunch with Friends at Broadmead will be paused for the summer. The next gathering will be September 3.
Baltimore PRIDE Parade: Saturday, June 13 from 12 - 3:00 PM: Walk in the PRIDE Parade with Stony Run and Faith Communities of Baltimore with Pride. To learn more or walk, email Brian Gamble.
Walking in the World as a Friend: Sunday, June 14 from 9:00 - 10:30 AM in the Dining Room. Explore the book by Nadine Clare Hoover: Walking in the Wold as a Friend with Doug and Marvi Vaugn who will guide us through thoughtful reflections on Conversion, Conviction, and practical insights on the Quaker roles of Minister, Steward, Witness, and Spiritual Companions in our daily lives. Coffee and bagels will be served, so please arrive a few minutes early.
Bible Study Hour - A Quaker Perspective: Sunday, June 14 at 1:00 PM in the Library and via Zoom. Join us as we explore the Scriptures and fellowship with each other. For more information, please email Paul L. Isayi or call 240-521-6227.
African Great Lakes Initiative: Sunday, June 28 at 9:00 AM in the Dining Room and on Zoom. Join us for a discussion of current programs and events in Burundi, Rwanda, and the wider African Great Lakes Region.
Interfaith Coalition for Black Lives Rally: Sunday, June 28 from 1:30 - 2:30 PM. Black and immigrant lives matter! Join IC4BL's monthly rally. More details will be available at IC4BL.org.
Walking in the World as a Friend: Sunday, July 12 from 9:00 - 10:30 AM in the Dining Room. Explore the book by Nadine Clare Hoover: Walking in the Wold as a Friend with Doug and Marvi Vaugn who will guide us through thoughtful reflections on Conversion, Conviction, and practical insights on the Quaker roles of Minister, Steward, Witness, and Spiritual Companions in our daily lives. Coffee and bagels will be served, so please arrive a few minutes early.
Bible Study Hour - A Quaker Perspective: Sunday, July 12 at 1:00 PM in the Library and via Zoom. Join us as we explore the Scriptures and fellowship with each other. For more information, please email Paul L. Isayi or call 240-521-6227.
Meeting for Worship with a Concern for Business: Sunday, July 19 at 1:00 PM in the Meeting room and on Zoom.
Interfaith Coalition for Black Lives Rally: Sunday, July 19 from 1:30 - 2:30 PM. Black and immigrant lives matter! Join IC4BL's monthly rally. More details will be available at IC4BL.org.
Bible Study Hour - A Quaker Perspective: Sunday, August 9 at 1:00 PM in the Library and via Zoom. Join us as we explore the Scriptures and fellowship with each other. For more information, please email Paul L. Isayi or call 240-521-6227.
Interfaith Coalition for Black Lives Rally: Sunday, August 16 from 1:30 - 2:30 PM. Black and immigrant lives matter! Join IC4BL's monthly rally. More details will be available at IC4BL.org.
Lunch with Friends: Thursday, September 3 at 12:00 PM in the Holly Terrace at Broadmead. The cost is $15, and payment is by credit or debit card only. Don't forget to bring take-away containers for leftovers! Email RSVPs by 8/30.
Meeting for Worship with a Concern for Business: Sunday, September 6 at 1:00 PM in the Meeting room and on Zoom.
Camping Weekend: Friday - Sunday, September 11 - 13. Save the date for this special Stony Run tradition camping at Catoctin Quaker Camp. Registration will be available soon.
Return to First Day School: Sunday, September 13.
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