Ph.Hos by Todd Luck
The Rev. Charlie Davis came dressed for the occasion.
Peace-minded
crowd prays for
war-less world
BY TODD LUCK
THE CHRONICLE
Leaders from various
faiths observed the
International Day of Peace on
Monday, with a service filled
with prayer and song at
Green Street United
Methodist Church. ,
Peace Day events have
been held around the world
since it was first established
by the United Nations in
1981. In observance of the
day, the UN aSks that young
people take part in a minute
of silence and that warring
factions call a ceasefire for at
least 24 hours.
guitar.
Rabbi Mark Strauss-Cohn
of Temple Emmanuel told the
story of how Jerusalem got
its name, which means "city
of peace." Jerusalem, the
capital of Israel, has not
always lived up to its name,
having seen its share of vio
lence between Jews and
Muslims.
" It Is our eternal hope
that we can live in a world
where brothers and sisters,
people can come together, no
matter what their back
ground. their age, their her
itage. their people - that we
can work together to
. make. ..a city
"The idea is if
we can have one
day of peace, we
can expand on
that," said Linda
Winikoff, a mem
ber of the Triad
Interfaith Peace
Witness, which
organizes local
Peace Day events.
This was the
third year that an
interfaith religious
Peace Day service
has been held in
the city, and Green
Street's first time
playing host.
"We believe
Rabbi Strauss-Cohn
that is filled
with peace,"
said Strauss
Cohn.
Fleming
El-Amin gave
an Islamic
prayer in
Arabic. He
talked about
the legacy of
Dr. Martin
Luther King
Jr., who was
not only a non
violence cham
pion of civil
rights but
strong oppo
nent of the
all our traditions,
our cultural traditions, have
taught ways of peace that
have all too often been
ignored," said the Rev. Kelly
Carpenter, the church's pas
tor.
Green Street's ceremony
drew a small, but diverse
crowd of various faiths. The
service opened with the
group Sabbath Indigo's rous
ing performance of "Down
by the Riverside" and hand
clapping and foot stomping
that were so strong that they
shook the small sanctuary.
Then, a series of people took
to the pulpit to advocate for
peace in their own ways.
Nissan Micha, a Christian
from Iraq, recited a Christian
prayer in Arabic. Arci
Edwards gave a Hindu prayer
in the ancient Indian lan
guage, Sanskrit. James R.
Jones talked about finding
peace and spirituality in
nature and Native American
traditions. The Rev. Charlie
Davis, pastor of Unitarian
Universalist Fellowship of
Winston Salem, donned a tie
dyed. peace-sign t-shirt as he
sang of peace while playing a
Vietnam War and war in gen
eral.
"It takes courage to be a
peacemaker/' said El-Amin.
The crowd sang "Let
There be Peace on Earth"
before leaving the church to
try and make that a reality.
Locally, Augsburg
Lutheran Church also held a
Peace Day service featuring
an address by Archbishop
Elias Chacour. The City of
Winston-Salem has honored
Peace Day since 2003. A cer
emony was held at noon on
Monday on the steps of City
Hall. It began with a minute
of silence followed by the
reading of a Peace Day
proclamation by Mayor Pro
Tempore Vivian Burke and
musical performances by
children from local schools.
A moment of silence was also
observed in local schools.
A screening of "As We
Forgive," a movie about for
giveness and reconciliation in
Rwanda, will be shown as
part of Peace Day at
Winston-Salem Friends
Meeting, 3151 Reynolda
Road, tonight at 7 p.m.
Daniels
from page A7
responsibilities include over
seeing all branch operations
for the Fulton
roles, I have always had a
passion for members and
working deep into the com
munity to serve others,"
Daniels said. "I will bring
that to the Fulton Family
YMCA, too. I am
Family YMCA,
including pro
gramming, mem
bership, staff and
board develop
ment and commu
nity relationship
development. He
will also oversee
the branch's annu
al Partner with
Youth campaign,
which provides
Hazelhaker
excited about my
new role. The staff
and the atmosphere
at this branch have a
great energy and the
members and staff
are connected to
each other. There's
opportunity for
growth and a strong
staff to work with."
need-based scholarship funds
for youth, families and sen
iors.
"Throughout my different
To contact
Daniels, call him at 336-661 -
1093 or email him at
r.daniels@ymcanwnc .org .
Ball
from A /
city instead of at The Tree The
first one was held in l%() at
the old Patterson Avenue
Armory. It was featured in Jet
magazine, which hailed the
ball as one of the top social
events of the year. The balls
drew hundreds of attendees
from around the country and
around the world. Many recall
the year that civil rights icon
Fannie Lou Hamer showed up.
"Everybody in the country
has heard of the Black and
White Ball," said William
Simmons, the current presi
dent of Les Arbres Club.
Judging from Friday's
crowd, the ball is still popular
Attendees ate, laughed and
danced to the sounds of the
Dlanieous Two. State Rep.
Larry Womble and Mayor Pro
Tempore Vivian Burke were
among them.
Burke opened the ball by
reading and presenting a
proclamation celebrating the
50th anniversary of Les
Arbres. Burse's ties to The
Tree go back decades. She
held campaign meetings at the
club for her initial successful
bid for City Council in 1977.
She said she has always been
welcome there.
"It's a welcome place; it's
a happy place, the atmosphere
has just been warm," said
Burke.
Though Les Arbres is a lit
Phoit* b> Tutld Lock
Members ( from left)W'illiam
Simmons, Brick Johnson
(owner), Oscar Wilkins,
Ode 11 Isom, Richard
Glymph, Michael Williams
and Charles Eaton.
Right: Eleanor Williams
holds the mic as I)r. Burke
makes remarks.
tie less active than it was in its
meetings, live music and char
itable events. The club has
.always been selective in its
membership, frequently
recruiting doctors and lawyers
and local businessmen .
Membership has dwindled
over the years, to only nine
active members, and most of
them are older, long-time
members. Simmons said that
the club is always looking for
new members and hopes to
find a new generation to keep
the Les Arbres tradition going
strong for years to come.
Membership applications are
available through current club
members.
Fifty- five-year-old
Michael Williams is currently
the youngest member of the
club. Like his late father,
Abraham, and his uncle, J.T.,
he considers it a privilege. The
club looks to him for new
ideas, and he hopes he can
help Les Arbres become more
active in the community again.
"I feel like I'm part of a
great history," said Williams.
"It's a wonderful group of
guys and women who know
how to entertain and know
how to take care of each other
and love one another."
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