The day was very full, starting with excellent worship together. Benches full, with regular Arch Street folks, Quarter Friends and visitors and guests. Hospitality was abundant of food and friendly with conversations, prior to two presentors and the business meeting. Draft Minutes of this session are linked below.

Mike Kuchar's presentation focused the plan for the Memorial Garden at Southwest Burial Ground, and presented sponsorship opportunities (including customized paving bricks on garden walkways) and final resting place options for both Friends and non-Quakers. His photos and description of the memorial garden and green burial options appealed to many present. Mike is seeking opportunities to visit and speak at Monthly Meetings - if interested - please see the links for more information!

Jerome Shabbazz, Exec. Director, presented the story of the Overbrook Environmental Center in Philadelphia. Most folks would give up their dream to create a community center if they discovered the land they just acquired turns out to be a toxic brownfield. Instead, Jerome described why the OEC is now a national model for transforming a hazardous sites into an environmental, educational, health promoting, community building asset for an underserved neighborhood.

The business meeting was well attended, drawing Friends across the Quarter to consider Minutes of Concern from three of our member meetings regarding the Multicultural Audit Committee process and its RFP. A Draft of the Minutes are posted below and will be considered for approval at the April 28th PQM meeting, to be hosted by Chestnut Hill MM. 

DRAFT Minutes Philadelphia Quarterly Meeting. Jan 27.2109  which includes the PQM Minute of Concern on the Multicultural Audit at the end. 

Hollister Knowlton, outgoing Clerk of the Quarter, offered a chronology for framing the discussion of the various minutes, to aid Friends understanding.

Documents from the Jan. 27, 2019 Winter PQM meeting include: 

• PQM Agenda for.January.27.2019 
• Minutes of Concern in chronological order:
• GreenStreetMM.10.21.2018Withdrawn.ReplacedMulticultural Audit Minute
• CPMM 12.9.2018 Endorsement of Green St 10.21.2018 minute on Audit RFP
• Germantown_MM_12.9.2018 Minute on Multicultural Audit
• GreenStreetMM.1.20.2019.REVISED.Multicultural Audit Minute
• PYM _ Request for Proposal (RFP) for Multicultural Audit
• Below are links to the FGC: Institutional Assessment on Systemic Racism within Friends General Conference as Reported October 2018:
• FGC Task Force on Instit Racism - Summary
• FGC Task Force on Instit Racism - Report 
• Presenter Bio JeromeShabazz PQM_1_27_19
• SWBurial_MemorialGarden_Invite Ltr
• SWBurial MemorialPaver_Order Form 

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Schedule for the day:

10:30 - 11:30     Worship with Friends of Monthly Meeting Friends of Philadelphia
11:30 - 12:30     Refreshments and Fellowship, Arch Street Volunteering / Tour
12:30 - 12:45     Green Burial at Southwest Burial Ground presentation - Mike Kachur
1:00 - 2:00         Program: Social Architecture for Resilient and Sustainable Communities
                          -Jerome Shabbaz, Executive Director, Overbrook Environmental Center
2:15 - 4:15        Quarterly Meeting for Worship with Attention to Business