2017 Weare MM State of Society

WEARE MONTHLY MEETING OF FRIENDS

STATE OF OUR SOCIETY, 2017 [1]

Our 1799 Meetinghouse located in the quiet, historic corner of the town of Henniker known as the “Quaker District [2]” continues to provide a spiritual center for us that is truly special.  But we have also found that there is confusion in our name that contributes to difficulty for those who wish to find Weare Monthly Meeting of Friends in a remote part of Henniker.  To help clarify our location as part of our on-going outreach efforts, in 2017 we started using the informal name of “Weare/Henniker Quaker Meeting” to both include our actual geographic location and the more familiar descriptive term of “Quaker” for those less familiar with Friends.  We have not formally changed our name from Weare Monthly Meeting of Friends because of that name’s connection to so many legal documents, bank accounts, etc.

The number of members and attenders has remained fairly steady in a range from three to fifteen on a typical Sunday and from a teenager to a nonagenarian.  One family which lives a distance away comes when they can and we enjoy doing a children’s program with them.  We are also blessed with sojourning members from two meetings in Florida and Connecticut.  In an effort to boost our outreach efforts we held a “threshing” session this summer to come up with a variety of ways we can make ourselves more known in the community, including more signage, working with New England College, advertising, changing our name (above), and inclusion in local publications.  In 2017 we joined with the Henniker 250^th Committee to begin planning for a Quaker element in the town’s celebration of its 250^th anniversary in 2018.  We hope these efforts show a welcoming face of the Meeting and thereby add to our numbers.  Our major outreach events continue to be our Solstice Sing and Pie Social which people enjoy, but the numbers remain small; and our Christmas Carol Sing which is usually more popular, but unfortunately a snowstorm led to cancellation this year.

Our concern for global climate change has been expressed in quarterly contributions by some of our members to a voluntary carbon tax, which through the end of 2017 had generated over $1,800 which we have donated to Quaker organizations dealing with the issue of climate change.  Our fourth Sunday potluck lunches and issue discussions continue to generate meaningful dialog on a wide range of topics.  And the on-going African ministry of our member, Marian Baker, enriches and keeps us in touch with the broader world and Quakerism’s role in it.

A major contribution from Rachel Carey-Harper of Barnstable Friends Meeting to all NEYM meetings prompted considerable discussion within our meeting as to how to use our share of her generosity in a meaningful way.  As an extension of our outreach efforts the meeting decided to purchase pew cushions that significantly improved the appearance and the comfort of the worship room, making it a more welcoming place.  Our work on painting the worship room last year has given us a sense of communal satisfaction in our accomplishment and we plan to refurbish the middle room in the same manner in 2018.

We continued to fulfill our legal responsibility for the Pittsfield, NH Meetinghouse [3] property by coordinating a Sunday’s worship there with the South Pittsfield Community Club that uses the facility on a regular basis.

The Souhegan Worship Group in Wilton became a Preparative Meeting in 2017, appointing Erik Cleven as Clerk. We are encouraged by their growth and commitment.

In the Light.

Dick Ludders, Clerk