2024-10-06 Newsletter of
Concord Friends Meeting
A Monthly Meeting in Dover Quarter of
New England Yearly Meeting, Religious Society of Friends
To request log-in information for Zoom Worship: Zoom [at] ConcordFriendsMeeting [dot] org (subject: %E2%80%9CWorship%E2%80%9D%20Zoom%20Link%20Request) .
In a room where people unanimously maintain a conspiracy of silence,
One word of truth sounds like a pistol shot.~ Czeslaw Milosz (1911-2004)
A Polish-American poet, prose writer, translator, and diplomat.
He won the 1980 Nobel Prize in Literature.
| Day | Date | Time | Event |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunday | October 6th | 10:00 a.m. 11:30 a.m. ~12:30 p.m. |
Meeting for Worship For Zoom link, email Zoom [at] ConcordFriendsMeeting [dot] org (subject: %E2%80%9CWorship%E2%80%9D%20Zoom%20Link%20Request) . Potluck followed by Change in Schedule: Meeting for Worship w/ Attention to Business With Children: TBD; Closing: Juliet C. & Dave W. |
| Monday | October 7th | 4:00 p.m. | Contact Rich to confirm location and time. klnschmdt [at] gmail [dot] com (subject: Mid-week%20Worship) (603-899-7574) |
| Sunday | October 13th | 10:00 a.m. 11:30 a.m. |
Meeting for Worship For Zoom link, email Zoom [at] ConcordFriendsMeeting [dot] org (subject: %E2%80%9CWorship%E2%80%9D%20Zoom%20Link%20Request) . Fellowship With Children: TBD; Closing: TBD. |
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT
Ecumenical Service of Lament TODAY, October 7th
On the anniversary of the October 7th attacks, join Churches for Middle East Peace today at 2:00 p.m., on Zoom, for a communal space of worship, lament, and prayer. This service will be virtual. Please register by clicking this link: https://cmep.org/events/october-7th-ecumenical-service-of-lament/
FUM General Secretary Kelly Kellum and FCNL General Secretary Bridget Moix are among the featured speakers.
Co-Sponsored by:
Alliance of Baptists; American Baptist Church USA; Church World Service; Global Ministries of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and United Church of Christ; Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns; National Council of Churches; Pax Christi USA; Presbyterian Church USA– Office of Public Witness; United Methodist Church — General Board of Church and Society, The Episcopal Church
Animal Blessing ceremony at St Paul's Episcopal on October 5th
At the Greater Concord Interfaith Council Meeting, it was announced that this would be happening. [Each year on or near the Feast Day of St. Francis, which falls on October 4th, there are requests for a liturgy of blessing for animals.] I don't know that it would ordinarily be of interest to many in our community. However, the recent public attacks on Haitians who are living and working in this country make many of us want to show support for the new Haitian priest at St Paul's who will be leading this. No need to enter the church itself as it will happen outside on the statehouse side just across Park St.
- Animal Blessings, St. Paul’s Church Garden, Sat. Oct. 5, 10:00 AM
Jennifer S.
Message from The Concord Female Charitable Society
Dear Members of Concord’s Faith Communities:
We invite you to attend an important meeting on Tuesday, October 8th, at 1:30 p.m. at East Congregational Church on 51 Mountain Road in Concord.
The Concord Female Charitable Society, founded in 1812, has been reexamining its mission and membership. We are looking to attract new and active members and would like to engage you in brainstorming methods of enlarging our reach in the community. For those not familiar with our work, this meeting will explain it in detail. We are blessed with a substantial endowment which gives us the freedom to help with a variety of requests.
We would value your input and assistance as we consider enlarging the number of faith communities that participate in our work.
You are welcome to send a representative to this meeting if you are unable to join us. Please send any questions to linda [dot] baines [at] comcast [dot] net and RSVP to Kathy Gray at kbushmv [at] gmail [dot] com.
Thank you for considering our request.
Linda Baines
Interim President, Concord Female Charitable Society
Solemn Vigil for a Cease Fire in Gaza
Thursdays at Noon, at the corner of Main and Park Street
The silent vigil for a ceasefire in Gaza continues every Thursday from Noon-1 p.m. at the corner of Main and Park Street. Make your own sign, use one provided, or just stand in silent witness besides others. This is done in coordination with NH Peace Action. We suggest that people make signs that convey something about justice for Israel and Palestine. Also please avoid the word genocide, ethnic cleansing, and similar terms.
PSECC Committee
News from Dover Quarter
September 30, 2024
Hello, Friends,
The Quarter met yesterday on-site at Dover Friends Meeting and on-line via Zoom. We had a fruitful time of fellowship and business that felt filled with the Spirit. Several items came forward that I want to share with you.
The meeting endorsed travel minutes for Dover Friends planning to travel to Cuba in February 2025, to visit with their sister meeting in Holguín and to attend Cuba Yearly Meeting. They will be traveling with three Friends from Portland and Durham, ME meetings. As part of this travel, Friends are raising money to bring to Cuban Friends in recognition of the ongoing challenges they face. There will be an information sharing and fundraising dinner at Durham Meeting on October 12 at 7 pm. Friends are invited to attend. In support of this, the Quarter was clear to give $250. to this effort. In addition, individual Friends are invited to make contributions. Donations may be made out to Dover Quarterly Meeting with “Cuba trip” written on the memo line. These may be sent to: Jeremiah Dickinson, clerk, Dover Quarterly Meeting, 1 Hull Avenue, Dover, NH 03820.
The Quarter is co-sponsoring a presentation of “An Iliad” performed by Anna Fritz and Paul Susi. Anna is a cellist who presented the plenary at NEYM Sessions in 2023. She has a leading to present this story “…to examine the cycles of violence, trauma, displacement and hope for healing that unite us all.” She presents these performances in correctional facilities and in the communities near those institutions.
This performance will be at: The Friends School of Portland, 11 US Rte. 1, Cumberland Foreside, Maine, October 19, 7 pm. No RSVPs are required and admission is pay-what-you-will.
West Epping Friends are holding their annual open house on October 6, from 11-1. Friends are invited to join in this celebration of their 251 years in West Epping, coinciding with World Quaker Day. For information, call: 603-777-6021.
The meeting approved new officers for the Quarter. After a brief period of transition, the new officers will be:
| Presiding clerk: | Sandy Hargy |
| Dover Ass’t. clerk: | Jeremiah Dickinson |
| Dover Recording clerk: | Marian Baker, Weare-Henniker |
| Ass’t. recording clerk: | David Erikson, Weare-Henniker |
| Treasurer: | LeeAnn Stevens, Souhegan Prep. |
Our gratitude to these Friends for their commitment to and willingness to serve, our Quarter.
Finally, January 5th, 2025 was chosen as the date for our next meeting. This is one week after the next fifth Sunday, which is the traditional meeting time. It was felt this time, after the holidays, would allow for fuller participation of Friends. Location of the meeting will be announced as it is known.
In faith,
--Jeremiah
Dover Quarter Meeting Minutes
Draft minutes of Sunday’s Dover Quarterly Meeting are on the website. You can access the web version of the minutes directly at 2024-09-29DoverQuarterlyMeeting or via MinutesofDoverQuarterlyMeeting [I did make some minor clarifications in the report for Concord Meeting at 2024-09-29DoverQuarterlyMeeting#2024-18 §a. The changes are between square brackets.] As always, you can download the original Word document by clicking on "Dover Quarterly Meeting" at the top of the page [DoverQuarterlyMeeting-2024-09-29Minutes].
With love, and peace, and tenderness,
Mark
Right Sharing Newsletter
RightSharingNewsletter
Partnering with women in Guatemala, India, Kenya and Sierra Leone
Monteverde Friends School, September 2024: Culture and Community
2024-09 NEYM Monthly Newsletter
Solar Committee Report and Recommendation [September 30, 2024]
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT – Please Review:
The Solar Committee asks the Meeting to approve the purchase of the solar array from Oxbow Solar LLC. The Meeting was first apprised of this plan in March 2024 after having concluded that purchase of the solar system was the appropriate step to respond to our increased electricity consumption resulting from the new the geothermal heating system. It has taken this time to research the consequences of the purchase and to iron out the details. Some important points of information for the Meeting are noted below along with the details of the proposed purchase. If you have questions please contact Greg Heath at 603-219-4491.
- The independently determined fair market value of the system is $18,066. That will be the sale price per the terms of our existing contract with Oxbow Solar.
- The cost of the purchase will be underwritten by the existing Solar Grant Fund of $1,209 and approximately $3,600 on the Meeting’s books as prepaid electricity. The latter is the remainder of the original $10,000 paid to Oxbow Solar for a 10 year supply of electricity.
- The Committee has identified members of the Meeting who would loan the required funds with arrangements made in a manner similar to the recent borrowing for the geothermal heating system. Interest will not exceed the rate off 5% per annum and the term will not exceed 15 years.
- The Finance Committee will determine the exact amount of borrowing required to maintain adequate cash flow for the Meeting, but in no case would the borrowing exceed the sale price of $18,066.
- The Solar Committee, consisting of the Finance Committee plus Ruth Heath, has evaluated that the purchase is affordable by the Meeting without fundraising. Our current mortgage payment of $317 per month will conclude in January. Our payment on the new borrowing would be no more than $143 per month.
- We expect the Meeting to pay off the loan as soon as possible while maintaining sufficient resources to meet Meeting needs as determined by the Finance Committee. The Committee fully expects to receive about $15,000 by early 2025 from the US Treasury as reimbursement for the geothermal system and expects to use those funds for debt reduction.
- The Meeting will begin to pay for its electricity as billed by Unitil offset by income generated by the system. We expect the net cost of electricity to be less than what we have been budgeting each year for electricity.
- With this purchase the Meeting will need to assume the responsibilities as host of the Net Meter Group by obtaining approval of an application to the state Public Utilities Commission and by replacing the contract between Oxbow Solar and the group members with one between the Meeting and the group members.
Proposed Minute.
Solar Array Purchase.
The Meeting agrees to purchase the solar installation asset from Oxbow Solar LLC for the sum of $18,066, its independently determined fair market value. The Meeting intends to assume the responsibilities of host of the existing Oxbow Solar net meter agreement by immediately seeking approval of an application to the NH Public Utilities Commission and by establishing a new group net meter contract with such members as wish to continue with the group under new ownership.
Presiding Clerk, Heidi Babb, is authorized to sign such contracts and documents as may be required for this purpose and is further authorized to sign a promissory note or notes, not to exceed a total of more than $18,066, to finance the solar array purchase at no more than 5% simple interest per year with a term or terms of no more than 15 years. The Meeting intends to retire the loan or loans as quickly as possible with such advance payments to be planned and supervised by the Finance Committee with an eye toward maintaining sufficient cash flow for the Meeting’s operating needs.
As part of the sale Oxbow Solar LLC has acknowledged the Meeting’s credit for prepaid electricity in the amount of $3,600 (calculated to the end of October 2024) and thereby reduces the required payment for the solar array assets to $14,466 if completed by the end of October 2024, the sum to be adjusted accordingly should the sale be delayed.
Fall 2024 NEYM Children and Family Ministries Events
LYMSE: Local Youth Ministers Supporting Each Other (Next session: Sept. 23rd 7:00-8:00 p.m.)
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR THE NEXT LYMSE SESSION
Fall Retreat in an Election Year: Rebuking the Wind and Waves
Junior High Yearly Meeting (JHYM): Fall Retreat for 6th-8th graders:
October 4-6, Portland Friends Meeting, Portland, ME
Young Friends October Retreat at Portland Meetinghouse
Registration is Open
The YF First Retreat of the School Year!
Dear Young Friends,
You are invited to register for our Fall Retreat! Our theme will be "The Costumes We Wear."
Each year on the last day of 10th month (October), people across the country don costumes and assume new identities in celebration of Halloween. Though Early Friends did not observe this tradition, many Friends today do. But what about the costumes that we try on, both intentionally and unintentionally, during other times of the year? How do the costumes that we wear affirm and how do they obscure our identities? How do the Early Friends' customs of plain dress and “clothing ourselves in righteousness” resonate with our spiritual practices and traditions today?
Join Young Friends for a weekend of silliness, deep conversation, and reflection at Portland Friends Meeting. You can register for the retreat here.
Love,
Collee & Kenzie
Collee Williams, Teen and Outreach Ministries Coordinator, collee [at] neym [dot] org
Kenzie Burpee, JYM Coordinator, kenzie [at] neym [dot] org
Reminders
- Please remember to keep a pair of slippers or indoor shoes on the shoe rack to limit damage to our floors.
- Plastic Bags can be put inside the box by the entrance of the Meetinghouse.
Questions, comments, suggestions?
Questions, comments, suggestions? Email us at: ConcordFriendsNewsletter [at] gmail [dot] com (subject: Concord%20Friends%20Newsletter%20%E2%80%93%20Questions%20Comments%20Suggestions)
From Past Issues:
Ben Lomand Quaker Center
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Submission for this Newsletter
Dear Friends,
If you have information or personal news to share via this Newsletter please email your submission to ConcordFriendsNewsletter [at] gmail [dot] com (subject: Concord%20Friends%20Newsletter%20submission) by 5:00 p.m. on Fridays.
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Juliet Curran, Newsletter Editor
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