The gangsters in the Ministry committee at Palm Beach Quakers: we do what we want and then tell you about it later. Quaker process be gone!

 The title is a bit sensationalistic but not much.

In August 2023, in Lake Worth, FL business meeting was held at 1pm. During this meeting, it was suggested that the unprogrammed worship should begin with reading a quote from George Fox's writings. After this motion was raised, the clerk said: "those in favor, say aye" and then he said: "are there any objections"?

At this point I stood up and said: "I object. First of all, why was this morning's worship at 10:30am opened with a quote from George Fox even though we have not agreed upon it in business meeting yet? Second of all, you already give them a welcome packet. The more you talk, the more you lead people into the mind instead of into the supramental silence beyond the mind. It is presumptuous and haughty of you to think you can take the role of educator to someone new to this meeting without them requesting it. They might be new to this meeting but that doesnt mean they are new to spirituality."

It was at this point that a member of Ministry on the Zoom said: "I hear you"

Ellie Caldwell (member of Ministry) was in the room and had nothing to say about the fact that she took the liberty of changing the meeting protocol without group consent. Instead, when business meeting was over, she gathered her things and hustled out to her car without addressing me at all.

It was very painful of me to call out Ellie's behavior because we were starting to get close on a personal level because she was into the Women's World Cup and we had good talks about it. I felt very conflicted to call out the violation of protocol. But I did it.

Admittedly I did so using violent communication. And as a yoga practitioner, Ahimsa (non-violence) is the FIRST rule that I live by. Satya (truth) is 2nd or 3rd... not first. What I said was true but violent. Because no other party responded to my violent communication with a violent response, my unskillful way of expressing my viewpoint did not escalate into more violence.

REFLECTIONS

should I be pointing the finger on this? Or just letting it go?

shouldnt the members of the Ministry committee explicitly acknowledge that they had no business creating new programming at an unprogrammed meeting without group consent? 

how did they skillfully manage to avoid accountability for this?


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