DQM 2023-07-30

Dover Quarterly Meeting

Meeting virtually via Zoom.

30 July 2023

Present: We began the meeting at 1 p.m. with the following Friends present.

• Concord: Mark Barker
• Dover: Beth Collea, Sandy Hargy, Jeremiah Dickinson
• Gonic:
• New England Evangelical Friends: Muchuma Niva, Sychellus Wabomba, Pastor Aggrey Kilungula
• North Sandwich: Linden Jenkins, Susan Wiley, LeeAnn Stevens, Kateryn Rounder, Crosby Kennett
• Weare: Marian Baker,
• West Epping:

12/23  Linden Jenkins offered a presentation about recent pilgrimages.  She expressed deep gratitude for North Sandwich Meeting and wider family of Friends for both support and her clearness process.  This was a deeply personal and spiritual experience reconnecting her to herself of 1971 when she went on the same pilgrimage.  This, 450-mile pilgrimage, the Santiago de Compostella, created an opportunity to more fully integrate disparate parts of herself.  This was also a time to lean into radical simplicity which required her to ask her various communities for support.

She walked alone and used network of hostels and eateries to find companions at the end of the day.  Along the way, she deepened her own practice of hospitality based on the gracious hospitality she received.  Due to a foot issue, she ended up staying at one hostel for an extended time and witnessing the ministry of taking care of pilgrims.  The trip was extremely rewarding, inwardly. She encouraged other Friends to consider pilgrimage as a spiritual practice.  The Art of the Pilgrimage and John Brierley’s guide book, A Pilgrim’s Guide to the Camino de Santiago, were highly recommended.  Brierley framed both an interior and exterior pilgrimage.  We need both varieties of pilgrimage—one must bring the pilgrimage home.

13/23  Previous minutes were approved with one correction.

14/23  Treasurers report.

There is little change, other than one donation from Concord MM, and an increase in interest.

The treasurer suggests that we let go what is unnecessary to leave space for what matters most.  Is it necessary for the Quarter to have its own treasury?  We will put it on the agenda for October as a major issue to consider as well as future use of a quarterly meeting.  Approved with gratitude.

15/23  Nominating Committee-

Heidi Babb has resigned as assistant clerk of the Quarter, as she has moved to New York.  The nominating committee (Mark Barker, Jeremiah Dickinson, LeeAnn Stevens, and Marian Baker) will need to convene and bring suggestions to our next meeting.

16/23  Report of Triennials in Kenya

Marian gave a brief report of the United Society of Friends Women, International (USFWI), Friends United Meeting (FUM), and Quaker Men Triennials in Kenya held in July.

Four from Dover QM attended: Sara Smith of Concord, Maggie Fogarty of Dover, Niva Muchuma of NE Evangelical Friends, and Marian Baker, of Weare.  We were welcomed by children from Nakuru singing, dancing, and carrying in flags of all countries represented at the Triennials.  Two highlights were the memorial service at the USFWI Triennial (it was the first time for African women to participate in a New England style memorial service), and at the Quaker men’s Triennial, the pastor who is clerk of Uganda YM had been invited to lead one evening worship service, but was given no financial assistance to attend.  Alfred Wasike took his place, and spoke how Jesus reached out to the disenfranchised, and then shared that in Uganda, the ones most disenfranchised were the LGBQT+ community, which drew gasps from the anti LGBTQ men present.

Reports from each meeting

17/23  Concord-

They are working on decolonization issues. They are negotiating with a woman to hold an outdoor childcare program at Concord meetinghouse. Building code required limiting the number of people or increasing fire protection system around the pellet stove-($40,000).  They instead are changing to Geothermal heating. (Pathfinder) for 10 months a year. Open house will be on Wednesday, 2nd of August.  Check Concord MM website.  They are adjusting to having a gun manufacturing operation near the meetinghouse.  They celebrated a new Historical marker of Flynn.  They also had a water station at Canterbury Fair-(free water), which was a good opportunity for outreach about local Quakers.

18/23  Dover-

They have started a religious adult study using Bill Tabor’s pamphlet- Four Doors to Worship.  They hosted a Black Heritage Trail NH unveiling ceremony for a marker for Nellie Brown Mitchell who is buried in the cemetery next to the meeting.  Their sanctuary ministry has found a preservation minded contractor who found significant repair needed in the post and beam framework of the meetinghouse.  They have more attenders, including some younger people.  A memorial service for Charlotte Fardelmann will be held Sept 16th at Dover.

19/23  New England Evangelical Friends

Niva Muchuma, Sychellus Njibwakale, and. ? arrived at our meeting.  They have four families plus five others attending , one new family has joined.  Still looking for a place to meet.  How can they negotiate with FUM and New England YM in terms of membership?  They want to have relationship with Dover QM, NEYM, FUM.  They will present the first early morning programmed worship at NEYM sessions.  We will see how we can help them join NEYM.

20/23  Gonic-

A memorial service for Muriel Farrar, longtime former treasurer of Dover QM was held on 22 July, 2023.

21/23  Weare-

They have had some new attenders.  They had a successful summer sing along/pie social in late June. They look forward to a yard sale at their meetinghouse on October 7^th to raise money for the work with women in East Africa.

22/23  N. Sandwich-

They fixed various safety issues to satisfy fire codes.  They were very happy to host the Quarter.  Their challenges are: being all older people.  All committees of the whole meeting.  They hired someone to mow the lawn.  They enjoyed reading the State of Society reports from NEYM.  They saved on oil- no heating for 3 months of year in winter. Have money, but no young children.  Read the 4 doors pamphlet before becoming members.

23/23  West Epping- Bridget sent a report -They finished a new septic, new steps, new bathroom, and are still doing landscaping.  They continue to meet the 1^st and 3^rd Sundays, and would like visitors.  Two of the first deaths from long haul Covid were Mary Moklar and Brian Moklar from their tiny meeting.  All are invited to their annual meeting at October 1 at 11am-  They plan to shut the bathroom during cold winter month and have decided not to hold their Christmas eve services anymore.

24/23  Closed meeting purposing to meet next at-October 29^th in Concord. Betsy Miner is new clerk, (formerly Clerk of Baltimore YM) – Jeremiah will confirm this venue.

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 2023-07-29

**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.’”

CD special rates, as of 2023-07-29:

15 Month, APY 4.00%, $500 minimum

23 Month, APY 4.15%, $500 minimum