EMEYF

In this blog, we also want to make visible the people who have committed themselves to serve EMEYF as role holders. From time to time we will publish a portrait of one of these people. They keep EMEYF going in and between meetings and look after the community. Thank you and go on like this! ❤️ 🧡 💛 💚 💙 💜

Dear Friends,

As our annual Spring Gathering fast approaches I thought I would take a brief moment to introduce myself. My name is Rosie, she/they, and I am co-clerk for the EMEYF community. I am originally from Scotland and always have the vague wish that people can detect this through the traces of my accent, though I haven’t lived there permanently since 2009. Currently based in Amsterdam, the last five years have been a succession of existential crises – something I feel is endemic for my generation as we navigate these choppy waters called life. 

My journey with Quakerism started as a teenager when I attended what is now called Northern Young Friends Summer Shindig. I have dipped in and out of Quaker communities since then – Young Friends General Meeting (YFGM), and the London Young Quaker Working Group (YQWG). Don’t we just love acronyms! In the lead up to last Spring Gathering I ended up on the planning committee, then, at the event – as so often happens – I winded up volunteering for a role. My time as clerk-cover for our previous clerk – Lisette – began in April 2023. It has been such a profound time of reflection, self-development and consolidation of knowledge, skills and experience, I am quite sure that filling this role for Lisette has given me the confidence to land a job that I will immanently start supporting students and doing admin at a college here in Amsterdam.

I have always questioned my identity as a Quaker – most recently this manifested in a conversation with my previous co-clerk, Marcie, where I said something along the lines of, I’ve never really known if I’m Quaker enough to call myself a Quaker. The conclusion of this conversation was that this probably qualifies me even more as Quaker, so here I am, newly professing my commitment to Quaker values. What I like about the European liberal tradition of Quakerism is this attitude of continually questioning, living in the grey areas, and the embracing of multitudes – that is, rather than perceiving life through a black/white, good/bad lens.

I’m looking forward to Spring Gathering, to enjoying our community together, to seeing Friends old and new, and to holding space for everyone in our meetings for worship for business. Until then I will be scrambling around trying to find somewhere to live and starting a new job!

See you there,

R.