DQM 2010-05-30

DRAFT MINUTES

Dover Quarterly Meeting

V.30.2010

Presiding Clerk: Marian Baker

Recording Clerk: Sara Hubner

Dover Quarterly Meeting gathered at Gonic. At the rise of meeting for worship, we shared informally the news from our monthly meetings.

Gonic reports that the meeting is still small, but growing, and full of heart. They received today a request for a transfer of membership to Gonic.

Weare Friends have lost their eldest member, Oscar Straw, but rejoice in the births of three babies—including twins bom to Micah Drayton and his wife. The meeting feels deeply the tragic loss of Molly Hawthorn MacDougall, who sometimes attended with her husband and helped with work projects at the meetinghouse.

Concord is busy with finish work on the interior of the new meetinghouse. Sara Smith sent her regrets; she is fetching Caleb from Scattergood School. Jay Smith just returned from volunteer work in Mali.

West Epping has four members and two attenders; Fritz Bell reports that if everyone comes it feel crowded! They host an annual meeting in October and candle-lit worship on Christmas Eve.

Dover: Sara Hubner reports that she is no longer attending, but has been told that a women’s group has formed and the men’s group and midweek meeting continue. The basement level of the meetinghouse is stuffed with items to be sold at the June 5 yard sale.

There is little news from North Sandwich; Marian Baker reported that their numbers are small and Heather Moir’s absence is keenly felt. Kathryn Cranford, her husband Brian and their daughter Sage have begun attending Concord meeting.

At 12:30, after a light lunch, Friends gathered again for a conversation led by Leslie Manning of Durham (Maine) Monthly Meeting, a member of the Ministry & Counsel Committee’s working group on sexual ethics. She brought regrets from Thayer Quoos (New Haven MM), who had originally planned to be with us but her work as a hospital chaplain kept her at home.

The working group formed partially in response to Sessions consideration of the FUM personnel policy, which raised questions about our own values, and partially in response to a pointed question from a Young Adult Friend.

We spent an hour in worship sharing around the question: What role do our testimonies and values play in forming an ethic? As an aid it was suggested that we imagine talking to a young person. Our sharing was deep and fruitful. Sara Hubner and Muriel Farrar will write a summary of our sharings to forward to the working party.

We gathered for business at approximately 1:40 p.m., with Friends present from Concord (2), Dover (1), Gonic (5), Weare (1), and West Epping (1); we were joined by Jonathan Vogel-Borne, (NEYM Secretary) as well as Leslie Manning.

A1I N.H. Friends. Muriel Farrar and Shirley Leslie reported that approximately 30 Friends, including children, attended the All-New Hampshire Friends Gathering held at Canterbury on Seventh Day, Fifth Month, 22. The staff of the N.H. AFSC office talked about their work.

Marian Baker said that the planning committee discovered that they can’t rely on email communications, because not everyone is connected. She also felt there was some confusion caused by the change in schedule.

First Month Minutes were approved with the following corrections: Under the heading “All New Hampshire Friends,” in the first sentence, “Muriel Baker” should be “Marian Baker.” In the second paragraph under the same heading, Kathryn Cranford’s first name was misspelled. Also, David Montgomery is not from Hanover Meeting and is not currently attending a Quaker meeting.

Treasurer’s Report. The written report is appended to these minutes. Muriel Farrar reported that one of our Certificates of Deposit has matured but she has not reinvested it because the interest rates are so low. She is currently comparing rates at different banks and reports that the Quarterly Meeting may need to register as a corporation with the State in order to open a new account at another bank. The Quarterly Meeting was registered as a non-profit with the State about 1988.

Cuban Friends. We have no news from Holguin Friends, but Marian reports that two Cuban women will be traveling to the USFW international gathering in Kenya this year; they are Erena Escalona of Gibara and Maria Perez of Puerto Padre. USFW-NE is paying the costs of one of them and USFWI is paying for the other.

Jonathan Vogel-Borne spoke with Ramón Gonzalez Longoria recently, and Ramón told him that a Canadian Friend had bequeathed an estimated £190,000 to Cuba Yearly Meeting. This should simplify travel arrangements, as Cuban Friends will not be depending on advance funds from hosting groups in order to arrange visas, etc.

Future Meetings. North Sandwich has invited us to meet there for our August meeting, and we accepted their invitation. Marian told us that Weare Friends will make other arrangements to open the Pittsfield meetinghouse, since the Quarter will not be meeting there. (The meetinghouse must be used once a year in order to maintain its status.) Friends from Mattapoisett Meeting traveling under a concern for Liberia will speak to us.

Our October meeting will be at Weare and may include an overnight.

Jonathan encouraged us to look into FWCC’s Global Change Initiative [R this correct wnw*-⁰ Lcouldn’rt-fnid 11 óñthe iTrtefneL-butfound an NGO called “Initiatives of Change.

•international”.. .?]rMarian said that Brian Drayton is very interested in this Initiative and will ask if he is willing to speak to us at our October meeting.

Jonathan also encouraged us to look into presenting Quaker Quest. Leslie Manning reported that Durham Meeting joined with Lewiston and Brunswick Meetings to present this program and it was very successful, with an average attendance of 30. The program combines inreach and outreach. FGC provided very good support. The combined meetings spent approximately $1,000 for the first round and $800 for the second round, which included travel expenses for their speakers, advertising, and food.

Meeting rose at approximately 2:40 after a brief period of open worship, purposing to meet Eighth Month 29^th at North Sandwich, God willing.

Respectfully submitted,

Sara Hubner

Recording Clerk