One of the wonderful things about sending your kids to a Quaker school is that the whole family becomes part of a community. Sandy Spring Friends School’s community is caring, diverse, opinionated, innovative, motivated and talented. We practice a type of decision making that has its roots in Quaker tradition. Betsy Meyers, a member of our Sandy Spring Monthly Meeting, described our governance in the most beautiful way. I wanted to share it with our school community.

On Wednesday we arrive in Kendal, the heart of Quaker country and the origins of the Society of Friends. I fell asleep last night thinking about whether a "Quaker pilgrimage" is an oxymoron or merely ironic. After all, the whole notion of Quakerism comes from a place of dissent and experimentation - the revolutionary idea that knowing God comes from experiencing the Light within and that the search for Light requires no intermediation by a designated person. The Quaker belief that there is that of God within each person takes the focus off of externalities; we have no amazing cathedrals, and the early Quakers did not even use marked gravestones (a significant nod toward equality of all mankind or perhaps a reminder of the famous Quaker stinginess?). Again, the idea that we are all children of the Light encourages a certain simplicity. Note the spare Meeting Houses devoid of stain glass and architectural flourish.

The final episode of 30 Rock included a message that, in many ways, was quite profound. Basically, both Liz and Jack find themselves in roles that they had spent their whole lives working to achieve and - you guessed it - they’re actually quite miserable.

I love this expression. It appears above the door of Moore Hall where it has reminded us of our better selves for over 50 years. I have co-opted it to be at the end of all of my emails, and I often wonder how my friends on Wall Street react when they read it. I suspect that they are a little jealous that I am in a position where I can include this gem every time I write an email. It is poetic and graceful and - even though it is a quote that originates in a slightly different form from early Quakers in the 17^th Century - it is utterly modern.

If I were to acquire a tattoo, it would say: “Proceed as the Way Opens.” “Let Your Life Speak” might also make an appearance, but I will save that one for another day.

Nelson Mandala describes his childhood in his autobiography A Long Walk to Freedom. His feelings of being a young boy growing up in a South African village seemed familiar, lyrical and universal.

Parents who send their children to Sandy Spring Friends School choose to do so. It is not the default choice (that would be public school) and, in fact, requires effort and (as we well know) money. Different parents look for different things from the school, or at least have different priorities. This is natural and, I suppose, has something to do with what each of us remembers about our own experience in primary and secondary school.