CMM 2017-10-08 Possible Items for Agenda

Here are some possible agenda items for Tenth Month’s Meeting for Worship with attention to Business, which will be on the 8^th of Tenth Month.  Some of the items from Ninth Month have been carried forward.  Some of the proposed items may need further seasoning. They are in no particular order at the moment.  [See also http://quakerspeak.com/quaker-decision-making-consensus/ [1]]

During worship, please hold in your heart the following from Eden Grace’s paper “An Introduction to Quaker Business Practice” [2].

Quakers profess a theocratic understanding of authority. “The primary authority is that of God, as the God whose will is sought, as Christ who presides, and as the Holy Spirit who inspires and empowers. Thus the task of the meeting is to listen in worship, putting itself under that authority, to discern the right way forward on any piece of business.” ^* All human leadership is subordinated to the authority of Christ, the true shepherd of any gathering of Christians. All participants in the Meeting are equally capable of being used by the Holy Spirit, and those who moderate the Meeting are seen as servants of the gathering discernment process.

* Scott, Janet “Business Meetings”, manuscript submitted for inclusion in the forthcoming Dictionary of the Religious Society of Friends, 1999.

• Minutes of Eighth Month’s Meeting for Worship with attention to Business [3].
• Budget Committee report
  • “How does our Meeting engage its members in the support of the Meeting’s work, its ministry, and the upkeep of its property?” ¹ [4]
• Property Committee report
  • “Does our Meeting serve social and economic justice in its uses of property and money?” ¹ [4]
  • Appalachian Mountain Teen Project [5] and transfer of their camping property?  Before Meeting, please download and read the following notes from the first and second meetings of the AMTP Ad Hoc Committee.  We will report these to Business Meeting this Sunday.  Note that we are asking for authorization from the meeting for clerks to be able to sign deed/articles of agreement, etc before next business meeting.
    • 2017-09-26 AMTP Ad Hoc Committee minutes.doc [6]
    • Acquisition Committee minutes v2.doc [7]
• Solar Committee report
  • “We do not own the world, and its riches are not ours to dispose of at will. Show a loving consideration for all creatures, and seek to maintain the beauty and variety of the world. Work to ensure that our increasing power over nature is used responsibly, with reverence for life. Rejoice in the splendour of God’s continuing creation.” ² [8]
• Youth Religious Education Committee report
  • “Children and young people need love and stability. Are we doing all we can to uphold and sustain parents and others who carry the responsibility for providing this care?” ³ [9]
• Outreach Committee report
  • “Are you patterns, examples; do your lives preach among all sorts of people, and to them?  Do you walk cheerfully over the world, answering that of God in every one?” - https://neym.org/faith-practice/part-3/queries [10]
  • Canterbury Fair [11]
  • Compassionate Listening [12]
• Ministry & Counsel report
• Modify the purpose of the PSECC Committee.

Announcements:

Sep 14 (Thu)   5:30 - 6:30 PM Thursday, Discussion of Door 4 of the "Four Doors to Worship", the 'Door Beyond'. All are welcome. Contact Mark Barker

Sep 16 (Sat)  Dover Friends Meeting Retreat:  Nudged by the Spirit:  The Process of Being Lead by the Spirit of God is the title of this all day retreat to be held Sept. 16 at Mainsspring Center in South Berwick, Maine and facilitated by Allison Randall.  Registration information was not included with their announcement, but their email address is dovermm [at] neym [dot] org.

Sep 16 (Sat)  NEYM Sessions Committee meets at the meetinghouse all day.

Sep 17 (Sun)  10:00 AM Worship, Closing Mark and Gini. Clean Up the Meetinghouse - about one half hour long following some fellowship after Meeting. Please dress accordingly, and thank you for your efforts to keep our meetinghouse in good order. We only spend about half an hour - working efficiently to get a lot done in a short time. Jon Hall is the organizer of this event.

Sep 17 (Sun)  After Clean Up, there will be a "Meeting for Knitting" at the home of Gini Barker.

Sep 18 (Mon)  7:00 PM Olga Morrill, author of Vagabond Quakers [13], gives a book talk at Laconia Library.

Sep 19 (Tue)   8:30 – 10:00 AM Interfaith Prayer Vigil for Immigrant Justice for those reporting to ICE for deportation that day at the Norris Cotton Federal Building, 275 Chestnut Street in Manchester.

Sep 19 (Tue)   7:00 PM Canterbury Citizens for Democracy Meeting at meetinghouse.

Sep 22 (Fri)  1:00 PM PSECC Meeting at meetinghouse

Sep 24 (Sun)  10:00 AM Worship, Approx. 11:45 AM Potluck followed by report on NEYM Annual Sessions.   Please read the “2017 Epistle of New England Yearly Meeting [14]”.  If you have time, have a listen to Ruby Sales’ Plenary Message [15] on the NEYM Youtube channel, and audio recordings of the 2017 Annual Sessions Bible Half-Hours by Marty Grundy [16]. Draft booklet of Bible Half Hour texts [17].  Closing J J and Kathy U

Sep 25 (Mon)   8:30 – 10:00 AM Interfaith Prayer Vigil for Immigrant Justice for those reporting to ICE for deportation that day at the Norris Cotton Federal Building, 275 Chestnut Street in Manchester.

Sep 28 (Thu)   11:00 AM – 1:00 PM Interfaith Sanctuary Network meets at the Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church, 14 Elm St., Manchester, NH 03103

Sep 28 (Thu)   2:00 PM Property Committee meets at Presidential Oaks. (Date changed from Sep 22)

Sep 29 (Fri)   8:30 – 10:00 AM Interfaith Prayer Vigil for Immigrant Justice for those reporting to ICE for deportation that day at the Norris Cotton Federal Building, 275 Chestnut Street in Manchester.

Sep 29 - Oct 1 (Fri evening – Sun lunch)  Young Adult Friends (YAFs -- age 18-35ish) meet several times a year at retreats around New England. This year the fall retreat is Sept 29-Oct 1 in Providence, RI at the Providence Friends Meeting.  The theme is: “Healing, Flourishing, and Preparing for Action.”  Together we will share space for healing; spend time building community (through games and arts & crafts); and explore how we are each called to act in our communities and institutions.  We hope to come away feeling rejuvenated and ready to take action.

YAF retreats are an opportunity for YAFs to be together for a weekend (Friday after dinner through Sunday lunch), staying at a Quaker meeting (Providence Monthly Meeting), and participating in activities related to the theme. We'll sleep on the floor and couch cushions like a good ol' fashioned slumber party, eat delicious food, and have opportunities for spiritual growth as well as hilarity and fun.

Please fill out the registration here [18]. The retreat is soon -- so if you're coming, just fill out the form!

(If you aren't hopefully we'll see you at Midwinter Jan 4-7 at Woolman Hill in Deerfield, MA.)

This information is also on the website [19]. Spread the info far and wide!

Much love, Hilary – Hilary Burgin, Pronouns: she/her/hers, Young Adult Engagement Coordinator, New England Yearly Meeting of Friends (Quakers), 978-760-0116

Oct  3 (Tue)     8:30 – 10:00 AM  Monthly "Stop Separating Families" Vigil during monthly check-in by immigrants at ICE, Norris Cotton Federal Building. 275 Chestnut Street, Manchester, NH  03101 for immigrants reporting to ICE for deportation that day. From Maggie Fogarty, AFSC-NH  "Please help us to ensure a strong, prayerful and powerful presence at Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in September, when many people will be checking-in with ICE and many others will be returning with plane tickets to their home countries as they have been ordered to do.  These vigils are sponsored by AFSC, the Granite State Organizing Project (GSOP) and the NH Alliance for Immigrants and Refugees."  Here is the Facebook event page [20].  Please plan to join us, and please invite your friends and faith communities. 

In addition to this vigil, we are committed to holding smaller vigils on each of the days that people have to return to ICE with their plane tickets.  We want to show each family that we stand heartbroken with them as they comply with this terrible demand.

It might be helpful to know when people are planning to attend, so that I can advise others who can only choose one or two days.  So if you are able, please send me an email (MFogarty [at] afsc [dot] org) about your availability and I will coordinate with Sarah Jane Knoy at GSOP to make sure we have good coverage.  For the October 3^rd event, feel free to simply use the Facebook event page to RSVP."

Oct  1 (Sun)  10:00 AM Worship, Closing: Greg and Ruth

Oct  4 (Wed)   8:30 – 10:00 AM Interfaith Prayer Vigil for Immigrant Justice for those reporting to ICE for deportation that day at the Norris Cotton Federal Building, 275 Chestnut Street in Manchester.

Oct  6 (Fri)   8:30 – 10:00 AM Interfaith Prayer Vigil for Immigrant Justice for those reporting to ICE for deportation that day at the Norris Cotton Federal Building, 275 Chestnut Street in Manchester.

Oct  6   (Fri)    7:00 – 9:00 PM Sing Your Heart Out Singalong at Meetinghouse

Oct  7   (Sat)   5:00 – 9:00 PM AFSC Fundraising Dinner [21]. Save the date!  "Sanctuary Everywhere" will be the theme of the NH Program's annual fundraising dinner, October 7, 2017, at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Concord [22], with special guests Ravi Ragbir and Amy Gottlieb.  Ravi is the Executive Director of the New Sanctuary Coalition in New York City, where he is a well known and highly respected leader of the movement for immigrants' rights.  Amy, a long-time immigration lawyer and community activist, is the Associate Regional Director for AFSC's North East Region.  (Read more about Ravi and Amy here [23].)    Use this link [24] to sign up now and let us know you are coming.  Stay tuned for how you can help with food or clean-up.

Oct  7   (Sat)    Noon – 3 PM  CROP Walk [25]. Concord.   Walkers and donors needed.  We are assembling a Concord Friends Meeting team. Thank you to Carol Stonemetz, Pat Wallace, Rob Yager, Donna Moore, Dave Woolpert, and Mark Barker who have already volunteered to walk. If you want to join this great group of people please contact Ruth who is the CFM organizer to get your materials.  If you can't walk but want to donate, contact any one of them.  Ruth has set up a website for the team where donations can be made [25] online.  Thanks for helping to relieve hunger and poverty around the world

Oct  8  (Sun)  10:00 AM Worship followed by potluck and Meeting for Worship for Business, Closing: Pat and Faith.

Oct 10 (Tue)   8:30 – 10:00 AM Interfaith Prayer Vigil for Immigrant Justice [20] for those reporting to ICE for deportation that day at the Norris Cotton Federal Building, 275 Chestnut Street in Manchester.

Oct 10 (Tue)   6:45 – 9:00 PM Building a Culture of Peace Forum program - RSVP required.  The launch of our 11th year begins with "Active Bystander Training" at the Concord UU Church. The program is offered by trainers from Granite State Organizing Project.  As always, the Peace Forums are free to the community and all are welcome.

What is a bystander? "A bystander is a witness—someone who sees a harmful situation and has choices to make: Do I do something? What do I do? TAB training helps participants recognize when they are bystanders, analyze the situation, and evaluate the consequences of their actions." Unlike other Forums, we are asking those interested to RSVP and reserve a place by emailing Kimm Philips of our Forum planning group at: kimm65 [at] comcast [dot] net  Below is more information about the content of the training.  Hope to see you there!

Training Active Bystanders (TAB):  The TAB curriculum increases bystanders’ effectiveness by teaching how we each can interrupt harm doing and generate positive actions by others. Instead of becoming complicit through remaining passive, participants learn the competencies they need to decide to take action when they witness something they feel is troubling, unfair, or wrong. Active bystandership does not mean aggression against the harm doer, it means taking responsible action to help people in need. Giving people the tools to create justice in the moment of need can transform them and their communities.

The TAB training includes:

• What inhibits bystanders from acting
• What promotes positive bystander behavior
• Putting oneself into the victim’s situation
• Feeling responsibility for others’ welfare
• Competence.
• The ability to have a positive influence, avoid harm to oneself and others
• Safe, non-confrontational strategies for intervention
• Promote caring for people both within and beyond one’s own group
• Promote the inclination to help others, and the moral courage to speak or act on behalf of positive values in the face of potential opposition
• Interactive exercises and activities: students discuss, brainstorm and roleplay bystander responses to varied situations

Oct 11 (Wed)   8:30 – 10:00 AM Interfaith Prayer Vigil for Immigrant Justice [20] for those reporting to ICE for deportation that day at the Norris Cotton Federal Building, 275 Chestnut Street in Manchester.

Oct 12 (Thu)   6:00 – 7:00 PM Quakerism 201: This Is Our Testimony to the World [26].  Week 1: “What Is A Testimony?”.  Printed booklets of background readings for the next session will be available at each meeting.  At the end of each session, we will agree the date and time that is most convenient for the next session.

Oct 13 (Fri)   8:30 – 10:00 AM Interfaith Prayer Vigil for Immigrant Justice [20] for those reporting to ICE for deportation that day at the Norris Cotton Federal Building, 275 Chestnut Street in Manchester.

Oct 15 (Sun)  10 AM worship. Closing: Rob Y and Jon.

Oct 19 (Thu)   8:30 – 10:00 AM Interfaith Prayer Vigil for Immigrant Justice for those reporting to ICE for deportation that day at the Norris Cotton Federal Building, 275 Chestnut Street in Manchester.

Oct 22 (Sun)  10 AM worship. Closing: Dave and Penny

Oct 22 (Sun)   West Epping Annual Meeting - Will be held on 10-22-2017 at 2:00pm.  There will be no regularly scheduled 10:00 meeting for worship.  Bridget Rogier who lives near the meetinghouse will be hosting the refreshments at her home following the meeting since there is no bathroom or running water at the West Epping Meeting House. She invites folks to stop at her place on the way to the meeting also and encourages carpooling from there to the meeting.  She can be reached at: rogierb [at] comcast [dot] net (rogierb [at] comcast [dot] net )

Oct 25 (Wed)   8:30 – 10:00 AM Interfaith Prayer Vigil for Immigrant Justice for those reporting to ICE for deportation that day at the Norris Cotton Federal Building, 275 Chestnut Street in Manchester.

Nov  4 (Sat)     5:00 pm – 10:00 pm  NH Peace Action Annual Fundraising Dinner at Bektash Temple, 189 Pembroke Rd, Concord, NH.  Join us for an evening of storytelling, entertainment and a fantastic meal!  Doors open at 5 pm. More details available soon.

Nov  9 (Thu)    6:30 pm – 8:30 pm  Compassionate Listening Project at the Meetinghouse.  Come and hear stories of Israelis and Palestinians from the other side of the world, retold precisely as told by those who live them.  Many Israelis and Palestinians opened their hearts and shared their personal stories with us. Now we will share them with you.  After listening to those narratives, you will have the opportunity to explore and discuss your reactions with other participants. We hope tins process will open your hearts to the experiences of both Israelis and Palestinians.

Our program will also introduce you to the principles and practices of Compassionate Listening, a process based on the conviction that truly healing each other's stories - without judgment - opens the possibility of mutual compassion, understanding, and honest human relations laps.  A deeply moving and experiential presentation by Concord’s Compassionate Listening Project and members of Concord Friends Meeting.

Nov 12 (Sun)  10:00 AM Worship followed by potluck and Meeting for Worship for Business, Closing ....

1. See http://www.pym.org/faith-and-practice/queries/11-stewardship-of-resources/

2. See http://qfp.quaker.org.uk/chapter/1/ [27] № 42

3. See http://qfp.quaker.org.uk/chapter/1/ [27] № 24