Healing Turtle Island

The knowledge of our ancestors and elders is needed now more than ever — as we navigate through times of illness, ecological suffering, painful division, and societal disruption. Here is another rich event to add to your calendar. In this gathering, you’ll find many diverse traditions represented that can help you connect with the spirit allies and resources you need to create healing and regeneration at all levels of your life.

You can join here: https://www.facebook.com/events/479743640169371/?ref=newsfeed [1]

Ministry and Counsel Announcements

Fourth Sunday Programs-

February- Nominating committee is planning a program on discovering our gifts March- AFSC staff Maggie Fogarty and Grace Kendeke will talk about AFSC programs

April- program under discussion

Small Groups continue with one change. The book group formerly on Thursday mornings is moving to Tuesday evenings at 7:30 on zoom. We will be reading and discussing “belonging” by bell hooks. This is part personal memoir and part social examination of how the place we live affects us.

There is some interest in having a book group meet on a different night so let us know if that is something that interests you and we can help get that going. No book has been decided on.

This Sunday Feb. 13

All NH Friends Gathering – Saturday, February 26, 9:30 AM to 3:30 PM, via Zoom:

Zoom in to the All NH Friends Gathering to learn and share what Quaker Meetings are doing to move toward right relationship with Native Peoples in our communities.

New England Yearly Meeting approved the Letter of Apology to Native Peoples and Call to Action at Annual Sessions last August. We’ve heard what Friends in Maine and Massachusetts have been doing, but what are we doing in New Hampshire? Join us to share, learn and imagine!

• 9:30 AM - Worship
• 10 AM - Brief Update from the NEYM Right Relationship Resource Group; Sharing by Meetings and individuals (10 minutes each).
• 12 NOON – Break for lunch, fresh air, dog walks
• 1 PM – Discussion about issues of concern to Native Peoples
• 2:30 PM – Next Steps
• 3 PM – Closing

Register today! For more information, contact Marian Baker (quakerbonnet [at] gmail [dot] com) or Sara Smith (sara [dot] rose [dot] ssmith [at] gmail [dot] com). registration link: https://forms.gle/MMJa8cs24dUQBVVL7 [2]

Sunday Feb. 13

Absented Presence: “They All Died Off” and Other Myths About Native Americans [3] – 2 PM to 3:30 PM. Hosted by the Black Heritage Trail of NH, 175 Parrott Avenue, Portsmouth Public Library, Livingston Room. Many organizations across the state have been using “Land Acknowledgments,” raising awareness of the first nation status and original presence of Native Americans in our state. However, New Hampshire is one of only 15 states that have no federally recognized tribes. For this panel, presenters will explore various issues in New Hampshire’s Native American community including, inadequate representation, access to education, and tribal non-recognition. https://blackheritagetrailnh.org/tea-talks-2022/ [4]

Tuesday, February 15

Digging into Native History in New Hampshire [5] – 7 PM to 8 PM. Hosted by Cook Memorial Library and Chocorua Lake Conservancy. The people now known as Abenaki or Wabanaki have lived in this region for more than 12,000 years. Join us for “Digging into Native History in New Hampshire,” a New Hampshire Humanities program with Robert Goodby, professor of Anthropology at Franklin Pierce College. Abenaki history has been reduced to near-invisibility as a result of conquest, a conquering culture that placed little value on the Indian experience, and a strategy of self-preservation that required many Abenaki to go "underground," concealing their true identities for generations to avoid discrimination and persecution. Robert Goodby reveals archaeological evidence that shows their deep presence here, inches below the earth's surface. His presentation will include a special focus on this region. Please register in advance.

FCNL is offering a film online

to highlight the effects of the Saudi-led War in Yemen that we'd love your help promoting!

February 17, 7 pm: Film: Hunger Ward: On February 17th the Friends Committee on National Legislation is sponsoring a showing of the film Hunger Ward about the effects of the ongoing Saudi-led war in Yemen which is being supported by the U.S. military. FCNL is working with local Advocacy Teams to lobby our members of Congress on repealing U.S. military support in Yemen. For more information, to view a trailer and to sign up to attend this showing go to: https://www.fcnl.org/events/hunger-ward-yemen-film-screening-and-panel-discussion [6]

Dua Lipa Asks Stephen Colbert How His Faith And His Comedy Overlap

This short interview is well worth your attention. https://youtu.be/pUaWDqDOWPk [7] The key question comes part way through the interview, but watching the thought process of the questioner and the immediacy of Stephen's response was quite inspiring for your Announcements editor.

The following items have appeared previously in emailed announcements.

Are you wanting information from past announcements?

Visit this page on our web site: Past Announcements [8]

Are you wanting to donate to Concord Monthly Meeting?

Visit this page on our web site for more information: Donations [9]

Ministry and Counsel Announcements

Ongoing programs:

• We continue to offer two book groups that meet online. Currently reading:
  • "The Gatherings: Reimagining Indigenous- Settler relations" - 2nd and 4th Monday
  • New - "belonging" by bell hooks - Tuesdays at 7:30 p.m. starting Feb 15
• Care groups Tuesday and Wednesday- Join a group to support each other and share our daily lives.
• Quaker Basics - learn the basics of Quakerism. By arrangement with Mark Barker
• Friends Committee on National Legislation: Join NH’s advocacy team to lobby our Congressional Reps on issues of peace and justice. (Sara Smith)

If interested in joining these - check with any member of Ministry and Counsel for details.

Closing the Meetinghouse on Sundays

We sure could use some more help with this weekly work. Presently a rotation of folks have volunteered to do this work over the next two months. If you are able to join them in the rotation toward the end of winter and into the spring, please let JJ know. The current list appears below: Cleaning the boiler is a separate job and help is needed there too. Formerly there were about 8 of us in this rotation.

Strong Concerns About AFSC by Kathi Connors

Please don’t let “I was not aware” be the reason for a future where AFSC and Quakers have no connection. Let us individually choose action or inaction after hearing the struggle.

Why consider becoming involved? It’s sensible to donate money to organizations and have our representatives make sure it is used as we wish. We trust experts to organize and spend, and that our direct involvement in decision-making is not appropriate. But when strong signals, then evidence, becomes available to us that things are going off the rails, that our intentions are not being fulfilled and the opposite becomes reality, we must lend our individual voices to the outcry rather than think it is enough that someone else is our voice.

After trying all internal channels to stop AFSC from evolving into a top-down power structure, trusted individuals have reached out to us in alarm, saying they need our help. A slow creep has now accelerated, and squelching “whistleblowers” has become legitimized.

A letter [10] exposing issues to concerned Friends was signed by a group including Arnie Alpert and was made public. The one AFSC employee who dared to sign it was fired, proving that the fear of retaliation is valid. That this person represented the tie between AFSC and Friends is most telling. See the Friends Journal article AFSC fires Director of Friends Relations following public criticism of restructuring plan [11]. Beth has also shared the contents of a letter she has sent to AFSC board members summarizing her observations, concerns, and requested response (able to be read here [12]).

A sacrifice has been made to warn us that our trust is being betrayed, that our money is not going where we expect, that power is not being used judiciously. This call for attention is not to further a rift or to tear things apart. Instead, as I think AFSC founder Rufus Jones would strive for, the goal is to allow all voices to contribute to moving forward with a shared vision. This is expressed in “AFSC at the Crossroads: A Call to Seek a New Unity [13]”, a statement written by Beth Collea of Dover Friends Meeting, and Paul Kerr of Exeter Friends Meeting.

Within the last two days, NEYM of Friends' Facebook page shared the link to Beth’s letter to AFSC board members, joining Friends Journal and Western Friend in broadening awareness across the Friends community.

Please read the DQM meeting notes [14] from last week’s Dover Quarterly Meeting where this was a topic for over an hour, with Friends familiar with the history offered their insight. Below is the recorded minute and its intended distribution.

Dover Minutes concerning AFSC

“Dover Quarterly Meeting expresses its deep concern over the current situation in AFSC. It seems work at reorganizing is proceeding without fully acknowledging ongoing lack of unity as to its purpose or the process being followed. Harm is being done to staff at different levels, and to stakeholders. We need to speak the truth and halt until there is participation by Quakers.

We urge the AFSC board to stop further movement toward structural change and to reengage with all stake holders, local as well as national until unity grounded in the movement of the Spirit can be found.”

The clerk was directed to send this minute to our NEYM AFSC reps. (Scott Rhodewalt, Peter Woodrow, and Becky Steele). Also it should be sent to Sara Hubner to go into this week’s NEYM newsletter, sharing this is what Dover is working on and to ask others in NEYM to help on the issue.