DQM 2010-01-31

Dover Quarterly Meeting

DRAFT MINUTES

1.31.2010

Presiding Clerk: Marian Baker

Recording Clerk: Sara Hubner

Dover Quarterly Meeting gathered at Concord. Friends were present from Concord (4), Dover (2), Gonic (1), North Sandwich (2), and Weare (2).

Before our meeting for business, we had a discussion of the drafts of Chapters 4 and 11 from the Faith & Practice Revisions Committee, and summarized our reactions to send back to that Committee.

Friends gathered to attend to business at approximately 2:30 p.m. with a period of open worship.

10.1.1  News from Meetings

Weare Meeting reports that (a) one of their attenders expects a baby at any minute; (b) that children are attending meeting once a month, which is greatly appreciated by families; and (c) they are considering transferring ownership to the Pittsfield meeting house and are exploring the legal options.

Gonic is doing well, although attendance is low.  One meeting for worship was held at Shirley Leslie’s home in order to avoid having to heat the meetinghouse.  They recently joined the Greater Rochester Interfaith Council is celebrating the week of Christian Unity, with Muriel visiting one of the area Catholic churches and offering a message to the congregation.

Concord has re-instituted its Ministry and Counsel Committee, and would appreciate a visit from members of Ministry and Counsel from other meetings.  They are busy with volunteer work at the new meetinghouse, where interior trim, painting, and interior doors must be finished before electricians and plumbers can finish their work.  They have had three big work days so far.  Sara Smith (Clerk) stated they could use some expert help to advise them on materials (such as flooring) to use to improve acoustics in the worship room.

Dover reported that meetings for worship are well attended and there are more children in First Day school.  Dover recently held a threshing session to discuss the problem of committees not meeting and the shortage of volunteers.  One question that came up is “Is ‘multi-tasking’ an acceptable concept for Quakers?”

Muriel Farrar (Gonic) reported that she and Shirley Leslie had attended West Epping’s annual meeting, held in the fall.  The highlight of the gathering was the returning to a family a Bible which had somehow ended up on sale on E-bay and was purchased by someone in the area who recognized its value. The man who rescued the Bible by purchasing it on E-bay held a reception at his home after meeting.

North Sandwich is going through a difficult time; a core group continues meeting, but they feel the loss of Heather Moir greatly.  A regular attender has recently had to move to D.C. for his business, and a young family has begun attending Concord rather than North Sandwich.

November Minutes were approved with the addition of Ray Stineford’s surname in the minute regarding the memorial minute for Heather Moir.

10.1.2  All New Hampshire Friends

Because they could not find a suitable, affordable location that was available on a Sunday, Sara Smith and Muriel Baker decided to postpone the Gathering until May, when Concord Monthly Meeting will be able to host us in their new building.

Arnie Alpert and Maggie Fogarty (N.H. AFSC), Marian Baker, Sara Smith, Katherine Cranford, David Montgomery (Hanover MM), and Al Converse (Monadnock) have met to discuss the date and the program.  The Gathering will be either May 22 or 23; the committee will poll New Hampshire meetings to find out which date is preferred.

The Gathering will celebrate the 35^th anniversary of the founding of the N.H. office of AFSC.

The tentative program is to have Keith Harvey from the AFSC New England office talk about the spiritual basis of AFSC, then hear from N.H. office staff about their spiritual journeys.  The workshops might discuss various ways that Friends can support AFSC.  Darcy Drayton and Katherine Cranford are working together on a program for elementary-school children, while Maggie Fogarty and Anna Schonwald (Dover MM) are working on a program for high school students.

Brian Corr and Jack Snyder, both from the national AFSC office, have expressed an interest in attending.

Sara Smith volunteered to clerk the planning committee for the Gathering, which will comprise Arnie Alpert, Maggie Fogarty, Marian Baker, and Grace LeClerc (AFSC-NH Support Committee); they will invite Friends from N.H. Meetings outside of Dover Quarter to participate in the planning, too.

10.1.3  Gathering for Extended Worship

Ian Harrington (Friends Meeting at Cambridge) spoke to us on behalf of the Planning Group for Extended Worship, explaining the origins of the Planning Group and sharing the plans for gatherings in other Quarters around the Yearly Meeting.  The typical format of these gatherings is to begin with a coffee hour, followed by an initial meeting for worship with someone providing a Call to Worship (for example, a query).  This is followed by small groups for worship-sharing and discussion, and then a return to worship.

Muriel Farrar, Barbara Sturrock, and Sara Hubner agreed to plan for such a gathering for Dover Quarterly Meeting, to be held in March or April. Ian Harrington will be kept abreast of our plans on behalf of the Planning Group.

10.1.4  Future Quarterly Meetings

Our Fifth Month meeting will be held at Gonic.  Muriel Farrar (Gonic) confirmed that Thayer Quoos (New Haven MM) has agreed to facilitate a discussion of Quaker values and sexual ethics.

10.1.5  Treasurer’s Report

The Treasurer’s report is appended to these minutes.

Meeting rose at approximately 3:15 after a brief period of open worship, purposing to meet V.30.2010 at Gonic, God willing.

Respectfully submitted,

Sara Hubner

Recording Clerk

Dover Quarterly Meeting of Friends

New England Yearly Meeting of Friends, Religious Society of Friends

c/o Muriel A. Farrar, Treasurer

148 Gear Road, Gonic, NH  03839

Treasurer’s Report for 2009 covers January 1, 2009 to December 31, 2009

Beginning Balance Unrestricted and Restricted Funds: $2,813.88***

* Interest from Restricted Funds Trust Fund will no longer be shared with Unrestricted Funds but stay in Restricted Funds to accumulate for the use of those “in service of the Lord” February 2012. All interest earned in 2011 will be allocated to Unrestricted Funds.

(It was decided that C.D. interest earned will stay in Restricted Funds for “…the service of the Lord”

Combined Ending Balance Unrestricted and Restricted Funds: $2,784.66

Respectfully submitted,
/s/ Muriel A. Farrar, Treasurer, Date 1/31/2010

* In March, 2009 $2,000.00 was placed in two CDs of $1,000.00 each.  The interest gained will be divided equally between unrestricted and unrestricted funds.

** Restricted Funds are the “Mary G. Morrell and Horatio S. Morrell Trust Funds. Such funds are dedicated to help ‘poor … ministers …in the service of the Lord.’”  (In the 1^st Month 2000 Dover Quarterly Meeting for Business minute, the treasurer was directed to maintain $1,000.00 of the Restricted Funds as “principal” in keeping with restrictions on the funds, with the remainder available for use by the Quarter.)

*** An adjustment of $0.50 has been made: end of 2008 Restricted Funds for 2008 should have been $1,091.69 not $1,091.19.

Jan Hoffman, Clerk

31 January, 2010

Faith and Practice Revision Committee

343 West St., Amherst, MA 01002

REF: RESPONSE FROM DOVER QUARTERLY MEETING ON F&P DRAFTS

Dear Friends,

Since our Quarterly Meeting does not have anyone representing us on the Faith and Practice Committee, we decided to focus on Chapters 3,4, and 11 as our program for this quarter’s meeting today. We actually began our consideration with advice no. 26 in Chapter 3 page 5. (On entering the meeting           ) !

The following are some points we corporately wanted to forward to you. Some individuals will also likely send in some responses this week.

1. We really appreciate Chapter 4’s treatment of the testimonies and its focus on the Source of the testimonies. The quotations at the end of the chapters very much enrich the text. This faith and practice is much easier to read than previous ones. Thanks!
2. We wondered how the advices were to be used, only to find you had a section on this at the end. Could the section giving guidance on how the advices and queries are/ can be used be put earlier in the document, not at the end?
3. Some felt that the queries seemed intimidating, especially to newcomers. We wondered if we could avoid the yes/no answer type queries and ask questions in a more gentle and encouraging manner. For example, instead of asking “Are you faithful?” ask “How are you faithful?” or “have you considered....”
4. We felt there was a lot of redundancy, and over abundance of queries/ advices. (Twelve pages to download of just general advices/queries!) In the original London Book of Discipline there were only three queries. Our 1925 New England YM Version had nine, in the 1985 version had 12 (one per month). This draft has 24 advices and 54 queries! Are you planning to have 52( one per week?)

We wondered if this is indicative of these days of multi-tasking?

We also were reminded of New England 1925 query #8 (page 58) that asks :

Are you careful to avoid involving yourselves in business beyond your ability to manage? We also were reminded of the helpful quote from Thomas Kelly’s Testament of Devotion : “Our moderm lives grow too complex and over crowded. ...a never-ending program of appointments.  We are too busy to be good to our home and family, our responsibilities to our children, our civic duties, national and world wide issues, and our professional (work) obligations.  We’re tired and breathless and regret life is slipping away with our having tasted so little peace and joy and serenity... (page 112/113)”

On behalf of Dover Quarterly Meeting,

Marian Baker, Clerk