CMM 2018-08-12 Possible Items for Agenda

Here are some possible agenda items for Eighth Month’s Meeting for Worship with attention to Business, which will be on the 12^th of Eighth Month.  Some of the items from Sixth Month may 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 the “Advices on Corporate Discernment” in the 2014 Interim Faith & Practice of NEYM [2].  Friends are also asked to consider the “Queries on Corporate Discernment [3]”.

Being orderly come together [you are] not to spend time with needless, unnecessary and fruitless discourses; but to proceed in the wisdom of God, not in the way of the world, as a worldly assembly of men, by hot contests, by seeking to outspeak and overreach one another in discourse as if it were controversy between party and party of men, or two sides violently striving for dominion, not deciding affairs by the greater vote. But in the wisdom, love and fellowship of God, in gravity, patience, meekness, in unity and concord, submitting one to another in lowliness of heart, and in the holy Spirit of truth and righteousness, all things [are] to be carried on; by hearing, and determining every matter coming before you in love, coolness, gentleness and dear unity.

- Edward Burrough 1662

• Minutes of Seventh Month’s Meeting for Worship with attention to Business [4].
• 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
• Property Committee report
  • “Does our Meeting serve social and economic justice in its uses of property and money?” ¹
  • Do we wish to consider purchasing the commercially zoned property opposite the Meetinghouse?
    • See below an email from Charles Bassett, the owner of the 1.5 acre lot across from the meetinghouse.
      
      As you know Mark, James and I walked the property Thursday with Charles, because we chanced to find him working on his property just then.
      
      He told us that he lives in the Bahamas and does not pay income tax in the US and so, could not write off any donation to CFM of the property -- whole or partial -- because he has no tax liability to offset.  At the time, he said he was willing to finance the sale of CFM at the intra-family loan rate (currently about 3%) over 20 years.  The price is posted on his For Sale by Owner sign, $75,000, which is consistent with the town's assessment.
      
      Charles now says he has sold his other property in Warner and this lot is his last tie to NH. He really wants to be done here.  He is no longer willing to finance a mortgage for us, but he would be willing to drop the price.  He does not say how much he is willing to drop the price.  He is selling the property by himself and so, does not have to pay a commission to a realtor.  If we assume the realtor's  fee would have been in the vicinity of 5%, then he could reduce the price by $3,750 without earning less than he would have had the realtor completed the sale.  The question is:  How much more than that would he be willing to reduce the price?  
      
      He also says he wants to try again to get the Canterbury ZBA to remove the commercial zoning.  In my view, he is not likely to succeed, but it would take some time.
      
      
      
      Lucy
• 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
• Peace, Social, and Earthcare Concerns Committee (PSECC) report
  • AFSC’s Sanctuary Everywhere [5]
  • FCNL’s #LoveThyNeighbor (No Exceptions) [6]
  • AFSC-NH’s, GSOP’s, and NH Council of Churches’ Immigrant Solidarity Network [7]
• 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
• 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?” - NEYM 1985 Faith and Practice, Queries 5.4 and 5.5 [8].
  • Should we create a blogging section on our website?  [Technically, this is already built into our website.]  What are the issues?  What would the policy be?  For an example of a collection of blogs, see Britain Yearly Meeting’s “Blog” section [9].
• Ministry & Counsel Committee report
  • Query 2. “b) Are we aware of the roles we fill as heirs of the meetings of ministers and elders?  What do we do to support each other in the use of our gifts for God’s work?  Do we actively seek to identify and nurture these gifts in each other?”  NEYM Minute of Exercise, 2015-09-15 [10]

Announcements & Events:

NEYM Annual Sessions Registration Information and Instructions [11]  August 4–9, 2018 at Castleton University, Castleton, Vermont.

Volunteers to be ready to support Manchester Unitarian Universalist Church as a Level 1 physical sanctuary in the New Hampshire Immigrant Solidarity Network.  There's a sign-up sheet on the easternmost bulletin board.  Here's a list of the support roles needed.

• Day Citizen Companions
• Provide Food
• Provide Transportation
• Offer Entertainment (games or movies)
• Provide Emotional Support
• Provide Language Translation
• Provide Legal Support
• Provide Medical Support
• Raise Funds
• Provide a Gift Card
• Organize other Volunteers
• Laundry
• Other support you could offer

Jul 15 (Sun)  10:00 a.m.  Worship.  Closing: Greg, Ruth.

Jul 17 (Tue)   8:30 – 10:00 a.m.  Interfaith Prayer Vigil for Immigrant Justice [12] [Joshua 6:1-27 [13]] for those reporting to ICE [14] for deportation that day at the Norris Cotton Federal Building, 275 Chestnut Street in Manchester.  [Also, see resources at the website [15] sponsored by the US Conference of Catholic Bishops.]

Jul 19 (Thu)   6:00 – 7:00 p.m.  Study group using “Friendly Faith & Practice Study Guide” by Joanne & Larry Spears. [16]   Printed booklets for each session are available in the meetinghouse or from MarkBarker [at] ConcordFriendsMeeting [dot] org (subject: Friendly%20Faith%20%26%20Practice%20Study%20Guide) .  At the end of each session, we will agree the date and time that is most convenient for the next session.  (Usually, meetings will be on the first and third Thursdays of the month.)

Jul 22 (Sun)  10:00 a.m.  Worship.  Closing: Pat, Faith.

Jul 29 (Sun)  10:00 a.m.  Worship.  Closing: Rob Y, Jon.

Jul 29 (Sun)  10:00 - 11:00 a.m. Dover Quarterly Meeting is at the Pittsfield Meetinghouse.  Weare/Henniker Quaker Meeting will host again.  Several Friends have also expressed that they would like to be present at Concord Friends Meeting for the dedication of the gift receipt of forest land next to their meetinghouse from the Appalachian Mountain Teen Project (AMTP) which had originally been given the land by Don and Lois Booth.  In 2009, AMTP donated the building lot to Concord Meeting.  The following schedule will allow for both events and means that we will not conduct Quarterly business in July but instead worship and socialize together:

• 10:00 - 11:00 a.m. Worship
• 11:00 - 12:00 a.m. Picnic Lunch
• 12:00 Noon: Potluck at Concord Meetinghouse (For those who wish to go to Concord: the directions for the drive to Concord Meetinghouse [30 minutes] are below.)
• 12:45 p.m. Program of Appreciation to Don and Lois Booth and Appalachian Mountain Teen Project
  • Welcome and Introduce Booth family and AMTP people — Mark Barker
  • Song to open celebration — “A Song of Peace” (Finlandia) [№ 304] (we'll use songbooks for this and other song) — Ruth Heath
  • Booth legacy to the Concord area — Dave Woolpert (who will then introduce Donna)
  • AMTP — relationship with Booths that encouraged them to give them the land and what the land was used for — Donna San Antonio
  • Some history — How the Meeting acquired Meetinghouse location and got gift of other land from AMTP — Ruth Heath
  • Visioning of land use in future by Concord Friends Meeting — Sara Smith
  • Gratitudes out of Silence — Sara Smith
  • Song to close: “For the Beauty of the Earth” [№ 10] — Ruth Heath
  • Invitation to walk the land — Sara Smith
•   1:00 p.m.? Walk to bluff overlooking River and around property (optional since this requires a fair amount of climbing up a trail)
  • Swimming at Town Beach on Merrimack just down the road
  • Greeting Lois Booth

Directions to the South Pittsfield Meetinghouse:  484 Dowboro Road, South Pittsfield, NH.  From Concord, go East on Route 202; at 3.6 miles beyond the Epsom Traffic Circle turn left onto North Road; travel north 3.6 miles (North Road changes to Dowboro Road); the Meetinghouse will be on your right.  [From Faith Sillars who lives opposite the Meetinghouse.  (Faith has also offered use of her bathroom to Friends.): “The Pittsfield Meetinghouse is on Dowboro Road, which is a road that starts at rt 28, as Main St, going through the Pittsfield downtown, then is South Main St, then, after about 3 miles, Dowboro Road though the center of South Pittsfield, then is North Road, at the Epsom line, extending about 3 miles, to Rt 4, becoming 107 S, when it crosses Rt 4.”]  Just a reminder — the facilities consist of a two-hole indoor outhouse.  Directions from S. Pittsfield to Concord Meeting:  Left out of Pittsfield Meetinghouse to Rt 202/4 West.  After about 8.6 miles, bear right to get on I-393.  Take Exit 1 to go North on I-93.  At about 6 miles, take Exit 17 and right at fork which merges you onto US 4 West toward Boscawen/Penacook.  At 0.6 miles (first right) turn onto Old Boyce Rd; take left at immediate fork (signs are there) and follow road 0.8 miles to Meetinghouse, which will be on right.  Use this Google Maps link: https://goo.gl/maps/VfdiKDjqpwv [17]

Aug   2 (Thu)   6:00 – 7:00 p.m.  Study group using “Friendly Faith & Practice Study Guide” by Joanne & Larry Spears. [16]   Printed booklets for each session are available in the meetinghouse or from MarkBarker [at] ConcordFriendsMeeting [dot] org (subject: Friendly%20Faith%20%26%20Practice%20Study%20Guide) .  This will be the sixth and last session of this study group for now.

Aug   4-9 (Sat-Thu)  NEYM Annual Sessions [18] at Castleton University, Castleton, Vermont.  Each August, more than 600 Friends come together for worship, fellowship and seeking how God will guide us in meeting for business.  Having first gathered in 1661, New England Yearly Meeting of Friends is the oldest “yearly meeting” in the Quaker world.  While this gathering is large—among the largest Quaker events in North America—there are many opportunities to connect with Friends old and new: vibrant youth programs, adult small groups, variety shows, topical interest sessions and shared meals.  In recent years, Sessions has featured plenary addresses, Bible Half-Hours, a contra-dance, and coffeehouse.

Aug   5 (Sun)  10:00 a.m.  Worship.  Closing: Dave, Penny.

Aug   7 (Tue)   8:30 – 10:00 a.m.  (First Tuesday) Interfaith Prayer Vigil for Immigrant Justice [12] [Joshua 6:1-27 [13]] for those reporting to ICE [14] for deportation that day at the Norris Cotton Federal Building, 275 Chestnut Street in Manchester.  This will be followed by the Sanctuary Support Network [19] meeting at Blessed-Sacrament Church, 14 Elm St, Manchester where there will be refreshments.  We have signed the pledge to stand with our immigrant neighbors.  If you have not seen a copy of the revised solidarity statement, it can be found here [20].  [Also, see resources at the website [15] sponsored by the US Conference of Catholic Bishops.]

Aug 12 (Sun)  10:00 a.m.  Worship, followed by potluck and Meeting for Business.  Closing: Rich, Kathy U.

Aug 19 (Sun)  10:00 a.m.  Worship.  Closing: Mark, Gini.

Aug 21 (Tue)   8:30 – 10:00 a.m.  Interfaith Prayer Vigil for Immigrant Justice [12] [Joshua 6:1-27 [13]] for those reporting to ICE [14] for deportation that day at the Norris Cotton Federal Building, 275 Chestnut Street in Manchester.  [Also, see resources at the website [15] sponsored by the US Conference of Catholic Bishops.]

Aug 26 (Sun)  10:00 a.m.  Worship.  Closing: Greg, Ruth.

Aug 28 (Tue)   8:30 – 10:00 a.m.  Interfaith Prayer Vigil for Immigrant Justice [12] [Joshua 6:1-27 [13]] for those reporting to ICE [14] for deportation that day at the Norris Cotton Federal Building, 275 Chestnut Street in Manchester.  [Also, see resources at the website [15] sponsored by the US Conference of Catholic Bishops.]

Aug 31 - Sep 3 (Fri-Mon)  Exploring Art as a Practice of Faith Quaker camp for adult artists of all media over Labor Day Weekend at Friends Camp, South China, Maine.  Registration opens June 1^st and closes August 15^th at http://Art-Camp.org [21] or e-mail ArtCampRes [at] gmail [dot] com; follow on @artcampres and #artcamp2018.

Sep   8 (Sat)   8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.  Mindfulness in Society.  at NHTI Campus, Concord, NH.  Keynote address: Congressman Tim Ryan.  Workshops with Margaret Fletcher, Sharon Salzberg, Charlie Hartwell, and Richard Brady.  $109 registration includes continental breakfast and lunch.  More information and online registration: http://www.nhti.edu/mindfulness-society [22].

Sep 17 - Oct 14 (4 Weeks)  Meeting for worship for business: an online course [23] (£75.00 or approx. $98.58 ):  Meetings for worship for business are one facet of Quaker worship; but what is actually going on in a meeting for worship for business?  Why do we do what we do?  What is the spiritual underpinning?  This course is for all Friends, to help you to understand our decision making process better.  Friends ‘on the bench’ as well as clerks can benefit from the course which will help you to understand more about deepening our experience of worshipful discernment as a group.

Sep 29 (Sat)  Manchester NAACP Annual Meeting:  Debby Irving, author of Waking Up White [24], will be the featured speaker.

First Day School Help:  If you would like to be a helper in the children’s program, and have not yet filled out the Youth Worker Screening Form [25].  Please download and print one out, fill it in, and pass it to Kathy Urie.  You can find it at Youth Worker Screening Form [25].  We need one helper each week.  Look for a sign-up sheet on the left bulletin board this Sunday.  And thank you!  The children thank you too!

In August 2017, we published a statement in response to the tragedy in Charlottesville, Virginia [26].  Please also see “Such a Time as This: A Response to Hate and Violence [27]” as well as the “2017 Epistle of New England Yearly Meeting [28]”, Ruby Sales’ Plenary Message [29] on NEYM’s Youtube channel, and the audio recordings of the 2017 Annual Sessions Bible Half-Hours by Marty Grundy [30] focusing (exegeting [31]) on Romans 12:2 [32].  Draft booklet of Bible Half Hour texts [33].

^1. See http://www.pym.org/faith-and-practice/queries/11-stewardship-of-resources/ [34]

^2. See http://qfp.quaker.org.uk/chapter/1/ [35] № 42

^3. See http://qfp.quaker.org.uk/chapter/1/ [35] № 24