A Monthly Meeting in Dover Quarter of New England Yearly Meeting, Religious Society of Friends
Click here to subscribe to this newsletter [1]
My best language has always come out of silence.
(Carrie Newcomer, Quaker Songwriter and Performer)
The Meeting Calendar
Day | Date | Time | Event |
---|---|---|---|
Sunday | July 16th | 10:00 a.m. | Meeting for Worship & Fellowship, followed by Meetinghouse Clean-Up. For Zoom link, email Zoom [at] ConcordFriendsMeeting [dot] org (subject: %E2%80%9CWorship%E2%80%9D%20Zoom%20Link%20Request) . Closing: Ruth & Greg H. With Children: Dave & Sharon. |
Wednesday | July 19th | 9:00 a.m. | Midweek Meeting for Worship |
Sunday | July 23rd | 10:00 a.m. | Meeting for Worship & Potluck, followed by Fourth Sunday Program: Humor, A Spiritual Gift, led by Betsy Meyer. For Zoom link, email Zoom [at] ConcordFriendsMeeting [dot] org (subject: %E2%80%9CWorship%E2%80%9D%20Zoom%20Link%20Request) . Closing: Sara & Jennifer S. With Children: Faith & TBD. |
Saturday | July 29th | 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. | Canterbury Fair!!! (see below) |
Wednesday | August 2nd | 9:00 a.m. | Midweek Meeting for Worship |
John Gfroerer, a former member of Meeting died on July 6 with his daughter Brinkley and wife Lisa at his side. A significant member of our Concord Friends Meeting decades ago, John was a protagonist for equal opportunity in Concord and around the northeast US, and helped rediscover our Meeting’s history, including the fact that there is a Quaker cemetery next to a small one near the Concord’s center that is owned by the city.
When our Meeting was looking for an existing building in Concord in the 1990s to convert into a Meetinghouse, he encouraged us to buy the duplex he was living in on Franklin Street. He had evidence that it been a Quaker Meetinghouse a very long time ago and had been moved twice before the original Concord Meeting was laid down in the mid-1800s [3].
His willingness to speak truth to power didn’t always make people comfortable, so he was a reminder of what some Quakers have bravely demonstrated over the centuries.
The Meeting benefited from his participation during the years he attended and those of us who attended back then enjoyed getting to know the three sets of his family members who often attended with him. Namaste – Dave
The memorial will be at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church in Hopkinton on Sunday July 16 at 1:00 p.m.
===========
Mary Mokler, who attended meeting for a decade or so before moving to New Mexico in 2021 to live with her son, Gibson, passed away peacefully at home after a long illness on Sunday July 9. If you wish to express condolences or share special memories, Gibson can be reached at gibsonmokler [at] gmail [dot] com.
===========
Hello Friends,
I am forwarding a message from Gonic Meeting about the recent passing of Friend Muriel Farrar. I had the privilege of working with Muriel on the NEYM Finance Committee where she was an able and gentle-spirited participant. She will be missed. — Jeremiah
I wanted to share Muriel Farrar's obituary with you all and let you know that we’ll be having a Memorial Service for her at Gonic Meeting on July 22nd at 1 p.m. Her husband, Don Foster, would be glad to hear from friends who have fond memories of Muriel. His address is 148 Gear Road, Rochester, NH 03839, if you’d like to send a card. He asks for donations to your favorite charity in lieu of flowers. – Ginny
https://www.edgerlyfh.com/obituary/muriel-farrar [4]
If you missed the Meeting for Worship with Attention to Business:
After much thought, preparation, discussion and worship over several months and meetings, we found unity to proceed with renovations to bring the Meetinghouse up to the fire codes. These improvements in the safety and preparedness of our building will make it possible to host the proposed nature-based childcare program, and events with more than 49 in attendance. To get all the details be sure to read your (draft) minutes from the meeting at https://www.concordfriendsmeeting.org/2023-07-09_CMM_Minutes [5] or via https://www.concordfriendsmeeting.org/Minutes_of_ConcordMonthlyMeeting [6]
In brief:
Once again the Childcare Planning Committee thanks the Meeting for its thoughtfulness and serious attention to this momentous undertaking. Stay tuned for our progress reports.
- Ruth, Greg, Dave and Elaine
Update: Lots of rain is predicted for Sunday so our cleaning day will focus on cleaning soot and dust out of the mechanical room, getting junk down from and out of the attic, and window cleaning. We hope you can join in this work to prepare for a more crowded meetinghouse as we host the new childcare program!
If the weather improves, Friends should plan to do mostly outdoor work. If you know you can't be there for that time, we will have a list of residual tasks to send out afterward so that Friends can plan to do them over the next few weeks. If you won't be available much for the following several weeks and are anxious to do some work around the Meetinghouse and grounds before 7/16, send a note to PropertyCommittee [at] ConcordFriendsMeeting [dot] org and we will let you know what would be helpful. The next scheduled group cleaning activity will be the third Sunday of September.
Led by Betsy Meyer. We will explore Quaker humor, the use of humor in a spiritual community, teaching good humor to our children, and humor in the Bible. Bring your favorite Quaker joke to share.
The YRE Committee is organizing outreach at the Canterbury Fair, July 29, hoping to reach potential families and others who might be in search of a spiritual home. We need your help!
Friday, July 28, in the late afternoon/early evening we'll need 2 people to bring tables, chairs, tents, and plastic boxes of supplies to the Center (and maybe set up the tents if no wind is predicted).
The Fair begins Saturday at 9 a.m. and ends at 4 p.m. For each 1½- to 2-hour shift we'll need:
When you're not helping out, there is so much to do and eat and buy: the legendary Book Sale, the scrump-deli-luscious Chicken BBQ, the antiques, the live music, the kids games, the frappes(!), the sundaes, the baked goods, the tacos, the "Grill", the What Not Sale, the Morris Dancers. Plan to make it a day and spread the word about Quakers and what we offer to a world in need of peace and hope and love.
"Please email Ruth if you can help - ruthmheath [at] comcast [dot] net (subject: Canterbury%20Fair) . Thanks!"
Friends around New England and beyond—you are invited to the 363rd Annual Sessions of New England Yearly Meeting, August 4–9, 2023!
Last year we pioneered hybrid sessions, with some of you attending at Castleton University, and others participating by Zoom. Continuing that successful experiment, our focus this year is building connections, strengthening local meetings, and practicing our faith together. Our schedule has been built with attention to creating time for sitting with old F/friends and making new ones.
Click here for more information [9]
This unveiling is part of our statewide program, Mapping Untold Stories, which makes New Hampshire’s Black history visible and brings to light the rich history and contributions of Black people in New Hampshire.
Nellie Brown Mitchell was a successful Black soprano concert singer, music educator, inventor, and activist. She was a native of Dover. Her brother, Edward Everett Brown was a lawyer and civil rights activist. He was also born in Dover.
The unveiling will take place Saturday, July 15, 2023, at 1 p.m. The event will begin with a tour of Dover’s Black history sites, beginning at 11:00 a.m., meeting at the Dover Friends Meetinghouse, 141 Central Ave. The tour will end at Dover Friends Meetinghouse. The program will then continue with speakers including MC Steve Curwood, Dover Mayor Robert Carrier, and BHTNH Board Member Sen. David Watters. Singer Jennifer Rachele will be performing songs sung by Nellie Brown Mitchell. Ms. Rachele is a Haitian-American artist born and raised in Brooklyn, NY. She has a deep love for music, theater, and words and respects the power it has to inspire and heal.
Following the speakers, attendees will then walk up the street to Pine Hill Cemetery for the unveiling of the marker and a prayer with Rev. Lillian Buckley at the Brown Mitchell gravesite.
After the unveiling attendees will be invited to view the display of historic memorabilia regarding the Brown family at the Woodman Museum. Refreshments will be served at Dover Friends Meetinghouse.
Click here for a Schedule of Events [10].
Offers a daily online meeting for worship from 7:30-8:00 a.m. Pacific Time (10:30–11:00 a.m. Eastern Time). You can join them from anyplace in the world! online meeting for worship [11]
Questions, comments, suggestions? Email us at: ConcordFriendsNewsletter [at] gmail [dot] com (subject: Newsletter%20Submission)
Those of you who enjoyed singing with Peter and Annie this spring might enjoy this summertime event. Peter says
"I don’t know if you are aware that we are leading a 6-day workshop at Ferry Beach (Unitarian Conference Center) in Saco, Maine in August.
This is the longest music workshop we have led in many years and is a wonderful opportunity to learn songs with us out of our songbooks and hang out with others passionate about community singing!
We hope you will share about this opportunity with others involved in Concord NH Song Circle—and others you know who might enjoy taking part in this. There are a number of different housing options including camping and commuting from off-campus. It is also possible to attend for part of the week. (I have been to this retreat center and it right on a lovely section of the Maine coast with an old fashioned camp atmosphere.)"
- Sara
Circle of Music
Sunday, August 13-Friday, August 18, 2023
Ferry Beach Conference Center
Saco, Maine
Details & registration: ferrybeach.org/circle-of-music.html [12]
Dear Friends,
If you have information to share via this Newsletter please have your information submitted to ConcordFriendsNewsletter [at] gmail [dot] com (subject: Newsletter%20Submission) by 5:00 PM on Thursdays.
Juliet Curran / Wendy Lapham Newsletter Editors
Visit this page on our web site: Past Announcements and Newsletters [16]
Visit this page on our web site for more information: Donations [17]
Links:
[1] https://concordfriendsmeeting.us19.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=9a8043445371972ccf703d972&id=dc58e50148
[2] https://www.concordfriendsmeeting.org/InPersonMeetingGuidance
[3] https://www.concordfriendsmeeting.org/HistoryOfFriendsInConcordNH
[4] https://www.edgerlyfh.com/obituary/muriel-farrar
[5] https://www.concordfriendsmeeting.org/2023-07-09_CMM_Minutes
[6] https://www.concordfriendsmeeting.org/Minutes_of_ConcordMonthlyMeeting
[7] https://apnews.com/article/geothermal-ground-source-heat-pump-home-cooling-heating-3e0a1a15751ee3c66e23fee2a170aa74
[8] https://www.concordfriendsmeeting.org/2023-07-09_CMM_Minutes#FireCodeComplianceCosts
[9] https://www.concordfriendsmeeting.org/sites/all/files/documents/Annual_Sessions_We_Look_Forward_to_Welcoming_You.docx
[10] https://blackheritagetrailnh.org/dover-historic-marker-unveiling/
[11] http://www.quakercenter.org/programs/meeting-for-worship/
[12] https://ferrybeach.org/circle-of-music.html
[13] https://quakerstoday.podbean.com/
[14] https://quakersofnewengland.buzzsprout.com/
[15] https://calendar.powwows.com/events/categories/pow-wows/pow-wows-in-new-hampshire/
[16] https://www.concordfriendsmeeting.org/PastAnnouncements
[17] https://www.concordfriendsmeeting.org/Donations