DQM 2024-04-14

Dover Quarterly Meeting

Held via Zoom.

Draft Minutes.

14^th April 2024

Present: We began the meeting at 1 p.m. with the following Friends present.

• Concord - Apologies- conflict with their business meeting
• Dover - Jeremiah Dickinson, Beth Collea, Sandy Hargy, Wendy Berthiaume
• Evangelical Friends- Niva Muchuma
• Gonic - no one
• Souhegan - no one
• North Sandwich - Ken Kettering
• Weare/Henniker MM - Marian Baker, Dick Ludders, David Erickson, Ann Ludders
• West Epping - regrets from Bridget Rogier

2024-01  Previous Minutes of October 29^th.

Minutes of previous meeting, These minutes were approved with the correction that Sandy Hargy was also present at our last meeting.

2024-02  Treasurer’s Report-

The treasurer sent in the attached report. She will be going to California for a PhD program, but is willing to remain as treasurer. The clerk can deposit any checks if needed. This report was received with thanks.

2024-03  New monthly meeting to join Dover Quarter

The clerk reported that a group from the Quarter met as a clearness committee with Niva Muchuma, and Sychellus Wabomba, leaders of the new meeting in Nashua, NH/Methuen, MA.

The whole group felt fully clear to let them be a new monthly meeting of New England YM under Dover Quarter. Due to work obligations, Niva arrived late but expressed gratitude for the warm welcome. Others present expressed their appreciation for the diversity that they bring to our Quarter, that we can all benefit from.

2024-04  Report of Ministers

Marian reported that while in USA, she continues to be a conduit through which local meetings who want to contribute to some cause in Kenya, to make sure any donations get to the actual people who need help. She has been a channel for Lawrence MA meetings support of the ministry of Zelika Galavu , (one of the twenty women Friends ministers with whom Marian often travels in ministry), in her work supplying food to these Friends in the desert of northern Kenya.

She announced that Getry Agizah will be coming to New England in May. Getry is Program Coordinator of FUM Africa, works in Samburu and Turkana, and is leader of Friends Peace Teams. She will be main speaker at USFWI Northeast Region over Memorial Day weekend and will be sharing her testimony of how she was able to keep the most recent elections in Kenya peaceful. She will then be available to travel in ministry in New England or New York.

Also Linet Mmbone, archival librarian for the new Africa Quaker Archives in Kenya has been invited by Swarthmore, Haverford, and Earlham Colleges to visit and be an intern in their Quaker Collections. Her interview for her visa to come will be April 18^th.

2024-05  Updates from Meetings

• CONCORD
  

  Due to conflict with their monthly business meeting, no one attended.

• DOVER
  

  Their children’s ministry is growing and in doing renovations to expand the upper floor, they are facing some repair from a previous leak. Dover is providing some material aids to homeless people in the area and monthly works in the Friendly Kitchen (the local Food kitchen).

• GONIC
  

  No report.

• NEW ENGLAND EVANGELICAL
  

  They were assisted by Friends from Lawrence Meeting and are now renting a space in the same church building where Lawrence Meeting meets in the afternoon. He expressed great thanks for the warm welcome, letting them join our Quarter officially.

• NORTH SANDWICH
  

  After a difficult three years of the pandemic, members who moved, or those who died, they were down to 4 to 6 attenders. This year they have 8-10 with three new transfers from other meetings. N. Sandwich has four people sharing the clerkship of the meeting. He is not officially a member, but has been attending for dozens of years and was asked to join due to longevity, as the others are all new members who have transferred from elsewhere. Their biggest challenge is getting more younger members and children. Three kids from the area attend Friends Camp.

• SOUHEGAN
  

  They have dropped in attendance and are struggling with very few people, meeting only once a month this spring and summer.

• WEARE
  

  They have one new transfer and a younger adult attender. A young family with three children come to the meeting whenever they can. They have a solid group, the eldest being 98, and had ten in attendance for their business meeting held today. They will be hosting their Summer Sing Along on June 23rd at 4 pm (along with a pie social). All are invited.

  They also are planning celebrating George Fox’s 400th birthday by sharing a Godly Play type of story of George the Rebel with all ages, and studying some of Fox’s writings with adults.

• WEST EPPING
  

  Bridget sent in a report that their new water supply is seasonal and will be open soon.

  They found they were not listed correctly on the NEYM website.

2024-06  NEYM Website

David Erickson reported that it is hard to find on the NEYM website when and where Dover Quarter meets. Jeremiah will notify NEYM of the times and details of each of our Quarterly meetings, and back up West Epping in getting their listing corrected.

2024-07  Next Meeting

We will try to meet at West Epping Meeting on June 30^th, and at Evangelical Friends on September 29^th. Jeremiah will follow up on these arrangements.

4/15/2024

Dover Quarterly Meeting of Friends

New England Yearly Meeting of Friends, Religious Society of Friends

℅ LeeAnn M Stevens, Treasurer, 400 Webster St, Manchester, NH 03104

Treasurer’s Report: October 30, 2023 - April 14, 2024

Respectfully submitted,

LeeAnn M Stevens, Treasurer, submitted 4/14/24

**Restricted Funds are the “Mary G. Morrell and Horatio S. Morrell Trust Funds. Such funds are dedicated to help ‘poor...ministers… in the service of the Lord.’”