(As approved 5/14/06)
Concord (NH) Monthly Meeting gathered in a regularly called Meeting for Worship for Business, on the date above stated, at the Merrimack Valley Day Care Center, Concord, NH. Friends present were Graham P. Chynoweth, Ruth Heath (treasurer), Deane Kellison, Rich Kleinschmidt (recording clerk pro tem), Zane Knoy, Jay Smith, Sara Smith (clerk), Bevin Tulk.
The meeting was opened by the clerk with a period of worshipful silence.
4.1 Minutes. The minutes from 2006 3rd Month were corrected and approved.
4.2 State of Society. The State of Society Report approved last month (minute 3.3) has not yet been forwarded to Dover Quarterly Meeting and New England Yearly Meeting. The clerk will do so.
4.3 Refugee Supplies. Deane Kellison will collect usable household furnishings (chairs, tables, lamps, etc.) and get them to Lutheran Social Services as available and needed.
4.4 Finance. Ruth reported that we have received $9,029 in donations. To meet anticipated expenses for the fiscal year, we need another $2,600 in donations. People who have made in-kind donations for the work of the Meeting should report these to Ruth so that the Treasurer’s Report will more accurately reflect the actual cost of our Meeting.
Finance committee should meet to propose a budget for the fiscal year that starts 6th month.
4.5 Nominating Committee. Nominating committee needs to propose officers and committees for this coming year. They were asked to consider whether to lay down some committees such as the Adult Education and Community Building committee which has been largely inactive. The committee should also consider whether some appointments such as AFSC representative or Interfaith Council representative should be left unfilled.
Nominating committee was advised to keep in mind the limitations on time and energy for committee work. They should discern whether a potential appointment has a commitment to the work of a committee – not just to the subjects that the committee addresses. The nominating process is a time for individuals to dicern how they are led to contribute to the life of the Meeting.
4.6 Memorial Minute. The memorial minute for Eleanor Loos Kleinschmidt was approved.
The meeting ended with a period of worshipful silence, purposing to meet again on the second First Day of Fifth Month or at the call of the clerk.
Respectfully Submitted,
/s/ Richard Kleinschmidt, Recording Clerk pro tem
Accepted as the Approved Record,
/s/ Sara Smith, Clerk
Meeting for worship 10 a.m.
Merrimack Valley Daycare Center
19 N. Fruit St., Concord, NH Children welcome and cared for
“The people of your culture cling with fanatical tenacity to the specialness of man. They want desperately to perceive a vast gulf between man and the rest of creation. This mythology of human superiority justifies their doing whatever they please with the world.... But in the end this mythology is not deeply satisfying” - Ishmael: An Adventure of the Mind and Spirit by Daniel Quinn
April 17th 2 hour abridged version of “Rx for Survival” will be broadcast on NHPTV (Ch 11) at 9 p.m. This is a great introduction to myriad issues of health and development
April 19th Mid-week worship sharing group meets at 7 p.m.at Kathy Urie’s house at 138 Knowlton St. in Manchester. Call her at 641-4826 if you need directions.
April 23 Potluck after Meeting for Worship followed by program on vocal ministry led by Brian Drayton, clerk of Dover Quarterly Meeting
April 29 AFSC N.E. Regional annual gathering, “Quaker Service in the 21st Century: The Prophetic Voice and Witness in Our World” at Cambridge Friends School. Location and schedule information can be found at www.afsc.org/newengland/default.htm [1]
April 30 (Fifth Sunday) Quarterly meeting at Dover Meeting. If you want to car-pooling from Concord area, please contact Jay Smith (jcmd7699 [at] pol [dot] net or 485-4231)
May 3rd Mid-week worship sharing group meets at 7 p.m.at Kathy Urie’s house at 138 Knowlton St. in Manchester. Call her at 641-4826 if you need directions.
May 5-7 Woolman Hill has 2 retreats: “The Practice of Presence in Poetry” and “Exploring the Natural World of Woolman Hill”. See contact information above.
May 10th Mid-week worship-sharing in the chapel at Havenwood; music, prayer and more; gather in the chapel at 6:30. If you need transport, call Jay Smith 485-4231.
May 14th Potluck followed by Meeting for Worship to conduct business.
May 17th Mid-week worship sharing group meets at 7 p.m.at Kathy Urie’s house at 138 Knowlton St. in Manchester. Call her at 641-4826 if you need directions.
May 19-21, 2006 Elementary retreat at Woolman Hill. Sign-up begins 4/15; www.jymretreats.org [2].
The middle school group (occasionally joined by some younger ones) have been studying the Psalms this winter using the various translations of the Bible and comparing them to find ones we like the best. We are also enjoying a very modem translation, Prayers to an Awesome God: The Psalms in Modem Day Language for Teenagers, by ????
We have recently started a unit on Islam in order to learn more about this important religion. We have noticed many similarities between it and Christianity.
We are excited about the prospect of inviting children from Refugee families to join in outdoor and indoor games and activities with us. Last Sunday (March 19), Shelley Lathrop of Lutheran Social Services, visited our class and told us about why people become refugees, the difference between immigrants and refugees, what things are hard for them, what things they enjoy, and how we can learn from them. After we watched the video, "The Lost Boys of the Sudan", we brainstormed these ideas of activities we might do with refugee children:
We would like to begin with an outdoor activity where parents would come and watch. CFM parents who come should also get volunteer training (Ruth, Lois, Kathy, and Sarah already have had training.) Maybe combine with a potluck picnic lunch.
Hi. The Sunday school sale of hot chocolate and Divine Chocolate was big success! It seemed to my mom. “I’ve ever felt so wanted in my life”! She said. There were only four of us there but that seemed just enough. The people who where there were Ruth Heath, Sara Smith, Caleb Smith (me) and Jay Smith. We had just set up, on the State House plaza when the marchers came in across the street! My mom thought the whole march was going to line in front of our table! You may ask yourself how did they have so much water on hand? Well the first thing we did was we went up into the AFSC office and plugged in the Meeting hot water system and filled it with water. When we needed more hot water some one (usually me) ran up to the AFSC office and got some hot water in a thermos and then went to a restroom to refill it.
In other news from meeting, many of us enjoyed the huge gathering at Don and Lois Booth’s 60th wedding anniversary March 18th. It was touching and inspiring to hear of all the lives they had had a real impact on. I hope the family does write a book of their lives. It is so inspiring to know people who have lived their values so deeply and made their lives speak in the true Quaker spirit. God Bless!
The next day March 19, 2006 a small group of us again felt the moving of the spirit as Shelly Lathrop of Lutheran Social Services described the work volunteers do in refugee resettlement. We saw a video showing how quickly most refugees make the leap of about a thousand years, from primitive refugee camps to modem America. It really is a story of hope and faith and hard work. Several more people were moved to attend future trainings to become accepted as volunteers. Since Ruth, Lois, Kathie Urie and I have already completed the training, we plan to move forward with planning some youth gatherings.
The youths in attendance came up with the following list of possible activities, just to think of a few. Inexpensive ideas include things like game nights to learn American games and those the refugees could teach us; also going to outdoor events like maple sugaring, hayrides, cookouts, or going to see movies. More ideas are welcome. Right now the meeting as a whole wants to just focus on these once or twice a month group activities, although members may individually feel moved to do more. Let the Spirit lead us! My prayer is that simple activities like these will help bring some understanding and harmony to an America increasingly turning anti-immigrant. Let the spirit speak in our lives as it has in so many Quakers around us.
By the way, I have signed up for the Woolman Hill workshop on Nurturing, Sharing and Inviting the Mystical experience, with Susan Davies and Tom Antonik on April 21-23. If anyone would like to go and wants a ride let me know.
I have been wondering what the meeting, as a whole, is moved to focus on in the area of peace and social concerns. As we have become smaller, it might make sense for us to discuss this as a whole instead of delegating to a committee. For it to seem meaningful to our lives it needs to come out of our concerns and be a continuation of them. Then perhaps the committee can carry it forward and arrange a program. I would like to offer some time during business meeting for people to share what their concerns are and see if see can get a sense of our leadings in the spirit. If business meeting does not work for you, feel free to share your concerns in a way that does (talking, emailing etc.).
Our Yearly Meeting camp in South China, Maine has made a few interesting changes in the camp’s schedule: they have added three new programs to the summer offerings. The new sessions are: Family Camp, Leadership & Service Camp and a Drama Camp. The regular youth sessions now have new Quaker names - Dyer Camp for middle school youth, Fox & Fell Camps for high school youth; and Jones Camp(s) for elementary age. The new one-week Mott Camp for families will offer simple and flexible programming for up to twelve families. Most of the days will include; worship, adult workshops, youth programming, rest time, chores, recreation, waterfront activities, sunset vespers and an enjoyable evening program. One of the days will be set aside for families to explore scenic parts of Maine. The camp’s cook, Twila Greene offers healthy meals for both vegetarians and non-vegetarians.
Friends Camp now offers one-week camps for youth ages 7 to 11 years old. The new schedule gives families who attend Yearly Meeting Sessions the chance to send their child to the Jones Camp for the week after Yearly Meeting sessions. The new Leadership and Service Camp provide older teens, ages 14 to 18, with the opportunity take part in interesting workshops on team-building, visioning, mediation, and servant leadership. Youth who are starting to think about ways that they can implement positive social change will benefit from this unique week. A special project of benefit to the community will be an important part of the learning. The Leadership & Service Camp starts three days after the end of Yearly Meeting Sessions and is limited to fourteen campers. A Drama Camp for teens has also been added to the summer schedule.
Families can request camperships for youth and adults. Find a brochure at www.friendscamp.org [4] or contact Nat Shed at 207-873-3499 or director [at] friendscamp [dot] org
Concord Friends Meeting
19 N. Fruit St.
Concord, NH
03301
|
Canterbury, New Hampshire 03224-2043 USA
Links:
[1] http://www.afsc.org/newengland/default.htm
[2] http://www.jymretreats.org
[3] https://www.concordfriendsmeeting.org/2005CMMStateOfSociety
[4] http://www.friendscamp.org