DQM 2021-08-29

Dover Quarterly Meeting

held on Zoom

29 August 2021

Present:

• Concord – Mark Barker
• Dover – Jeremiah Dickinson (presiding clerk), Beth Collea, Bill Woodward, Maggie Fogarty (also AFSC NH), Jnana Hodson
• Gonic – Candace Cole-McCrea
• New England, Nashua – Niva Muchuma, Sychellus Wabomba
• North Sandwich – Susan Wiley, LeeAnn Stevens
• Souhegan – Erik Cleven
• Weare/Henniker – Ann Ludders, Dick Ludders, Marian Baker (recording clerk)

16/21  Previous minutes.  The minutes of our last meeting on 30^th May were approved.  The Recording Clerk was asked to send a copy to Mark Barker for the archives.

17/21  Treasurer’s Report.  4 transactions were made since our last meeting.  3 Deposits from our CD’s, and 1 check to Dover Monthly Meeting Sanctuary Project.  We have $377 in unrestricted funds available.   We accepted the report. 

18/21  Question about the CD for poor ministers that matures in November.  We decided to ask the treasurer to put that money into our savings account rather than have it roll over or stay in a CD.  We considered putting the money into the Community Loan Fund but questions also arose about what is meant by poor/indigent ministers and whether we need to consider ways to support the ministers amongst us.  We approved sharing about ways we support our ministers at our Quarterly Meeting on October 31.

19/21  Invite Brian Drayton, one of our recorded ministers, to come share with the Quarter about his ministry at our October 31 meeting.

20/21  Guidance to Meetings about financial support of the Quarter.  Question arose about whether we have any guidance about each meeting’s support of the Quarter.  It was noted that some meetings had lowered their contributions to the Quarter, when  the Quarter was not actively spending money.  Some yearly meetings recommend a suggested amount of financial support for the monthly, quarterly, and yearly meeting depending on the number of members of the meeting.  We suggested that we ask each meeting to bring their ideas to our October 31 meeting of :

• what can the Quarter provide to help each local meeting?
• what do local meetings want to get from the Quarter?
• what do we want to do?
• what are the functions and value of a Quarter? 

21/21  Representative to NH Council of Churches - Replacement.  Marian Baker, our long-time representative, shared that she wanted to step down from this appointment and to encourage others to have the opportunity to serve NHCC.  Several Friends shared their positive experiences with what the Council does and praised the work of Jason Wells who has just stepped down as Director, and of Heidi Carrington Heath, the new director.  Marian was asked to write up a description of this opportunity to serve, so that word can be spread around the Quarter to find who might feel led to take her place.  We will make a decision at our October meeting.

22/21  Report on Dover Sanctuary Project.  Beth Collea reported that the renovations of the meetinghouse to meet the town safety codes will begin this fall, after delays due to the surge of construction projects and scarcity of building supplies  resulting during the Covid Pandemic.  Dover Meeting is only 6 miles from the county jail where illegal immigrants are often jailed.  They, thus, can be first responders to provide temporary housing for those being released from jail, while more permanent accommodations can be found.  The large banner (15’x25’) will be on display until 5 November.  It has drawn interest in the community. Other churches have held brief worship services/vigils next to the banner.  Other Friends Meetings are also welcome to come.  The banner is available to travel to another church in NH.  Check out the website at: https://www.familiaseperadas.com/phaseshome/phasethree for details.

23/21  Report from NH AFSC.  Maggie Fogarty reported recently a group that called on Governor Sununu asking that NH welcome Afghan refugees.  Individuals and local meetings are encouraged to also write Governor Sununu asking that we welcome not just military people, but other civilians from Afghanistan as well. 

Maggie also reported that AFSC NH hired a formerly incarcerated person, Anthony Harris, to help people are adjusting to life outside prison.

24/21  Updates of local meetings/ worship groups.

• Gonic is holding worship in their meetinghouse with Zoom meetings afterwards.  They are studying together the book called The Gathering.  They are getting a new roof put on and have gained one new attender.
• Souhegan is hybrid - some in-person at Brian and Darcy’s porch and others via Zoom.  So far, The High Mowing School where they had been meeting has not allowed them to meet there, so they are looking into alternative sites, e.g., Oddfellows in Milford or Jewish Synagogue.  They are trying to reach out to attract more people via local farmers market.
• North Sandwich has been holding two services - at 8:30 and at 10 a.m.  They are presently meeting in their meetinghouse with all doors and windows open.  They have had some meetings with the two local summer chapels as well as had booths at farmers market.  They are planning the October Crop walk with both a short and a long walk - and are also involving the local Interlakes HS track team in it.  They are looking forward to a visit from Jeremiah Dickinson and Leslie Manning to do some long-term goal planning.
• Concord has had hybrid meetings for a long time and have gained four new attenders from Franklin and from southern NH due to their Facebook page.  This morning their technology committee experimented with a microphone and a camera giving a panoramic view of all inside the meetinghouse.  Others did not attend Quarterly Meeting due to a canoe trip on the Merrimack.
• Weare/Henniker will be overseeing a wedding next weekend under their care.  They enjoyed ‘The History Alive’ event in Hillsboro that focused on Abenaki this past weekend.  On 12^th September, they will be having the Abenaki Trail Project leaders coming after meeting for worship for lunch and further discussion with these neighbors.
• Dover started meeting in their meetinghouse but gone back to Zoom due to Covid concerns.  They have one couple that may be coming into Gospel ministry and have been in contact with Ralph Greene, a long-term New England YM Pastor for encouragement.  The Quarterly meeting level can be good for nurturing new ministers among us.
• New England Friends church (Nashua) have continued to have hybrid meetings.

25/21  Formally connecting a new meeting into the Quarter.  Friends from Nashua asked how to formally join the Quarterly Meeting.  Jeremiah will check with others in the Yearly Meeting to see how a formal membership in the Quarter can be accomplished.

26/21  Question arose about the National Diversity Organization of Friends, whether we had any Friends from NEYM as representatives.  AFSC NH has an extensive anti-racism training.  See details at https://www.afsc.org/quakersuprootingracism.  Candace will bring further information on this topic to our next meeting.

We adjourned purposing to meet next on 31 October, 2021.

Marian Baker, Recording Clerk

Jeremiah Dickinson, Clerk

Addendum:

Your clerk did not see this until after the meeting. It is included here for your information.

Although West Epping will not be attending the meeting today, I am providing the following updated information.

West Epping has not resumed in-person gatherings.  Members do have their own keys to the meeting house, and go individually for worship.  Once the Delta Variant has settled down, we will be discussing resuming in-person gatherings. 

We have never had bathrooms or running water of any kind at the Meeting House.  We are, however, moving forward with plans to have a septic system, well, running water and a bathroom installed.  A test pit was dug and the work viewed by the town building inspector.  The results were very good.  Meridian Land Services was hired to design a septic system, and the plans have been submitted to the State for approval.  Once that is received, we will move forward with local approvals.  We will also be pursuing having a well drilled and installed.  Once all is in place, we can move forward with having a small bathroom installed.  Depending on timing, this work may not be completed until spring.

We conducted general maintenance and mowing at the West Epping Quaker Cemetery, and had several headstones repaired. 

Best regards,

Bridget Rogier, Clerk, West Epping Religious Society of Friends

Dover Quarterly Meeting of Friends

New England Yearly Meeting of Friends, Religious Society of Friends

℅ LeeAnn M Stevens, Treasurer, 400 Webster St, Manchester, NH 03104

Respectfully submitted,

s/ LeeAnn M Stevens

Treasurer, submitted 2021-08-29

**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 the $1000.00 of the Restricted Funds as “principal” in keeping with restrictions on the funds, with the remainder available for use by the Quarter.)  In 7^th month 2017, it was agreed that interest earned on the H.S. Morrell Trust Fund will be accumulated and available as allowed by the Fund.