Meeting History timeline
Public ContentAnyone can view this post
Chestnut Hill Meeting Timeline
| 1924 Chestnut Hill United Monthly Meeting founded Concern about schism between Orthodox and Hicksite Friends--Need to heal |
First Committee Meeting- Held at Yarnall-Waring Office Bldg., 102 S.E. Mermaid La. First Meeting Held in house of R. & E. Yarnall Average Attendance 8-30 |
[Members] |
| 1925 First Clerk: R. Yarnall |
||
| 1926 Concern about outreach |
Signs made to advertise meeting |
|
| 1927 Discussion: Concern about welding two branches of Society of Friends whenever possible |
Tea meetings started to discuss topics of interest First Day School started Business meeting reminded people: Secular discussions not appropriate to Meeting |
|
1928 |
Initiative to stop the Legion from portraying capture of machine gun nest in Vernon Park on Memorial Day |
|
| 1929 Decision to rent land from Yarnall for $100-/yr. 1/3 of money for new building raised |
Plymouth Mtg. invites CH to form united branch; CH declined- prefer to remain in CH |
|
| 1930 Cost of new bldg., property & furnishings: $18,000 |
Attitude toward industry subject of tea meetings |
|
|
1931 Friend appointed to visit other meetings to "Broaden Horizons" Meeting house completed |
Yarnall employees and CH neighbors invited to meeting Continued consideration of joining meetings |
|
| 1932 Choice of Yearly Meeting left to individual Request for footstools for children's dangling legs |
Request quarterly meeting establish CHM as a joint Monthly Meeting "Asking applicants to choose a Yearly Meeting is questionable… It is the unity of our Quaker faith which has led them to us." |
Dodson, Hershey, Duetz, Thomas |
| 1933 Recognized as united Monthly Meeting Concern for Friends in Germany Letter offering help to member Mary Kelsey working with West Va. miners |
Application for status as United Monthly Meeting Both Yearly Mtgs. adopt procedure for joint membership Compare queries of Race & Arch Sts.-- beginning of lengthy struggle |
|
| 1934 32 members, Yearly budget: $333. Nazi Gov't permitted a meetinghouse to be built- contributions sent to Pyrmont, Ger. Concern for more unified form of supplication- suggest bowing heads |
New Committee: Ministry and Council Establish Fund for members in need First Day School: International Relations with Japan Budget feeling pinch of depression- rent reduced Tea Meetings: Non-Violence in Industrial Strikes Adopted Name: Chestnut Hill Friends Meeting |
Yarnall, Bradley |
| 1935 First Day School divided by boys and girls Participation in peace activities with other meetings |
Peace Demonstration in Reyburn Plaza Concern about tardiness at meeting Depression created need for fund to aid members in need |
|
| 1936 "Honesty in Race Relations" subject of discussion group |
Clerk asked to collect funds for Big Jim Shawnee Indian Reservation |
|
| 1937 Interest in conditions in local prisons |
Invited to X-Mas candlelight tea on First Day |
Taber |
| 1938
|
Howard Elkington traveled to Europe; Robert Yarnall is one of three Quaker representatives who meet with the Gestapo in an effort to bring relief to the suffering of German Jews. Something good might have come from this meeting but for the commencement of the war in 1939 |
Karr |
| 1939 Librarian position established Armistice Day: Day of Prayer, Meetinghouse open all day |
Soul searching of members over peace testimony and how to uphold |
Myers, Platt |
| 1940 Assisted in efforts to bring refugees to U.S.; to send food to war zones prior to official involvement in war |
Postponed plans for addition to meetinghouse |
Wood |
| 1941 Emergency funds for Friends set up Involvement Peace Chest Campaign and Red Cross |
Financial support of Civilian Public Service Camps; visits to men; offers of hospitality |
Reinemann, Hagner, Levy |
| 1942 Aware of problems in internment camps for Japanese-Americans; Contributed X-Mas presents, fruit, blankets to Chestnut St. Hostel |
Included requests for funds in annual budget for first time Participation in Friends Fiduciary Fund began Permanent Race Relations Committee formed Meetings to plan for permanent peace at end of war |
Fischer |
| 1943 Members asked to encourage local business owners to "be courteous to all patrons"; [all races] |
Arch St. Mtg. has 139 men in armed forces, CHMM has none |
Nicholson |
| 1944 Members become active in Germantown-Chestnut Hill Housing Commission 19 meeting members 18 yrs. of age |
Letter written to young Quaker men who entered service "assuring them of our love and affection" Supper Committee has difficulty obtaining food. |
|
| 1945 Minute prepared recommending to G.F.S. that all qualified students who apply should be admitted Sent letters to Roosevelt requesting end to fighting |
Issue of meeting newsletter devoted to Men/Boys in CPS, prison and military service Joined churches in Chestnut Hill and Germantown to plan for peace; included solutions to economic and social problems Friends asked to enroll children in Hill School inter-racial kindergarten |
|
| 1946 Joint Arch St. and Race St. committees formed |
Food packages sent to Friends in Europe; raised $1,000 for "Feed Europe Now" campaign w/ Methodist Church |
|
| 1947 Statement of Meeting's position re: Peace testimony published in ads in local papers |
Involvement in Fair Employment Practices Commission Mary Dearden married to Mark Shaw in Shanghai under care of meeting |
Dearden |
| 1948 Peace Committee asks meeting to better define what is expected of them |
In cooperation with other groups, found living quarters, jobs and sponsors for refugees |
Stine |
| 1949 Peace Committee recommends support of resolution in Congress to support U.N. as peacekeeper |
Friends participated in inter-racial meetings and worship services Robert Yarnall attended Radnor Conference on Quaker Unity |
Soast |
| 1950 Letter to City Council opposing loyalty oaths Wrote to President Truman: opposition to H-Bomb; Peaceful solutions |
Opposition to Captal Punishment Participation in Census/Community Audit on racial and religious prejudice |
|
| 1951 Meeting issued statement on behalf of C.O.'s |
||
| 1952 First Representatives appointed to Joint Quarterly Meetings Suggestion to "almost forcefully" encourage children to attend First Day School |
Letter to Eisenhower re: immigration and universal military training | |
|
1953 Received letter from Japanese Women's Peace group |
Brown, Burnham |
|
| 1954 Unification: Joint Faith and Practice issued |
||
| 1955 Chestnut Hill first united meeting at Yearly Meeting |
Taken for granted that meeting children should be educated at Friends schools |
Gnielka |
| 1956 Temperance issue left to Individual |
||
| 1957 | Ruch, Blanchard, Gutkind-Bulling |
|
| 1958 A. Bertholf walked 70 miles in peace march from Phila. To N.Y. Adopted minute re: End Nuclear Testing |
Meeting decides to purchase land from Yarnall-Waring; 60'x120' for $6,800 with addition planned Walk in Washington to protest testing Soviet Delegation to U.N. invited to Chestnut Hill as guests |
Yarnall |
| 1959 Letter to Pres. Eisenhower re: End Nuclear Testing | |
|
| 1960 Letters to Eisenhower and Kruschev encouraging efforts for peace |
Membership 190 |
|
| 1962 Final plans approved for new addition |
|
|
| 1963 | Philips |
|
| 1964 Ecumenical meeting with Catholic Priest, Episcopalian and Presbyterian minister and members to share dialogue New addition built |
Assisted refugee families from post-war Europe Support given to Civil Rights Movement New Building Completed F. Tatnall lobbied in Washington for conversion of military installations to civilian use |
|
| 1965 | Burnham |
|
| 1966 | Hurwitz, Naghski, Fuchs |
|
| 1967 Petition circulated to abolish House Un-American Activities Committee |
D. Robert Yarnall died Several members traveled for speaking engagements |
|
| 1968 $400 sent to Black Minister in Tennessee who lost home, land and church because he urged Blacks to vote |
||
| 1970 Contact with U.N. accomplished by peace committee inviting Cubans and Arabs to be weekend guests of CHM during visits |
Membership 240 |
|
| 1971 Concern over lack of people for committees and very little financial support |
"Laid down" First Day School because of poor attendance |
|
| 1972 Work parties, coffee hours, care circles, friendly eights held to nurture community of meeting |
||
| 1973 Forums conducted- members discussed their vocations and relationship to Quaker principles |
||
| 1974 | Meeting member opened her home to 2 Vietnamese refugees; supported by meeting |
Kempner, Garrettson |
| 1975 | Support with food and money for Community Cupboard |
|
| 1976 Members hosted U.N. Delegates from other countries Dinners for Senior Citizens in low-rent housing Membership 176 |
New stirrings of hope; Renewed Closeness: Concern and issues Addressed:
|
|
| 1977 Members felt more like family; increased participation of younger members |
||
| 1979 Membership 165 |
||
| 1980 | Mitchell/Anthony, Robinson/Hughes |
|
| 1984 Carla Garrettson marries Bruce White |
||
| 1985 Sanctuary Declared- Paz arrives |
||
| 1988 | Jim Cox |
|
| 1991 Jim Cox marries Terri Constant (w/Brittany) |
Meeting begins hosting families with NW Phila. Interfaith Hospitality Network |
|
| 1996 Meeting Supports first student from Bosnia |
||
| 1999 | Prayer Vigils for Peace begun at Independence Mall, initally in response to NATO bombing of Kosovo, then continuing for peace in the world |
|
| 2001 | Jorge Arauz walks 140 miles from Philladelphia to D.C. to register his concern with IMF about Ecuadorian debt and death of 4 indigenous persons |
Original chart prepared by Marylou Finch
Web version by Terry Foss
Send suggestions for additions to tfoss@aol.com.
Chestnut Hill Meeting, 100 E. Mermaid La., Philadelphia,
PA 19118-3507
E-Mail: info@ChestnutHillQuakers.org Phone:
215-247-3553 www.ChestnutHillQuakers.org
Meeting Clerk : Meg Mitchell Clerk@ChestnutHillQuakers.org Web
Clerk: Terry Foss
Last changed:
January 9, 2012
Worship Opportunities
Find a Quaker Meeting near you
Books and Pamphlets about Friends
Challenge Racism
Build Intergenerational Community
Spiritual Deepening Library
Sign up for Gathering information
About FGC
Publish with FGC
Donate