COVID-19 Response

Concord Friends Meeting Room

Here is the link for ZOOM participants for worship and the Specially Called Meeting for Business this Sunday. https://zoom.us/j/785997472 or Meeting ID: 785 997 472 (if it asks for one).  The meeting will open at 10:00 and remain open through the end of Meeting for Business.  Please join in soon after 10:00 so that you can check out that all is working well before the start of worship.

Keep this message handy in your in-box and click on the link at 10:00 or any time thereafter. This particular ink will remain the same for all ZOOMed Meetings for Worship held on Sunday mornings in the future.

Pointers:
  • Reach out to Ruth or Greg Heath for help getting on line with ZOOM.  Please do not wait until Saturday night or Sunday Morning.  On Saturday night they are having “dinner out” with another family – by ZOOM of course!
  • Test your system by going to this test site: https://zoom.us/test.
    • Your screen will show “Launching Zoom”. 
    • If all is working well a dialog box will open that says “Open Zoom Meeting”.  Click on that.
    • There will be a choice there to test your mic and camera.  Try out the test. 
    • Then click on “Join the Meeting”. 
    • Notice that back lighting is not helpful.  Some advance planning about how you position your computer camera and the ambient light will enhance everyone's experience.
  • Cursor over the lower left of your screen to see the controls for your mic and camera.  Click to turn each on or off.
  • Keep your mic off (muted) except when you are speaking.  During the times after the close of worship (introductions, announcements and Meeting for Business), please wait to be recognized by the Clerk.  Physically raise your hand for the Clerk to see your interest in speaking during announcements and business.  During worship you determine when to speak.
  • Cursor over the upper right of your screen to see the choice of Gallery or Speaker view.  This only shows up when there is more than one participant in the meeting.  When you click on Gallery View small video images of all participants are shown in a grid on your screen.  When you click on Speaker View the person who is speaking will be shown in a large image on your own screen and the images of others will be reduced in size.
  • Use headphones or earbuds if you can.  You will find the sound improved over little laptop speakers.
  • If you have multiple participants in your household, your experience will be enhanced if you are each on a separate device in spaces separated from one another.  If you must share the same space be sure to use earbuds or earphones, or simply share the same device.

Concord Meeting Responds to COVID-19

Concord Friends Meeting agreed to creating an ad hoc task group to explore and make recommendations on how the Meeting responds to the threat of the erupting epidemic of COVID-19.  Members of this committee (Sara S, JJ S, Rob Y, Wendy L) met on 3/13 to discuss this.  They met via ZOOM and focused on six questions to be answered.  They offer the following recommendations.

Do we continue to hold meeting for worship?

We recommend that meeting for worship should be held as usual for Sunday, March 15.  Because the situation is changing every day, we recommend that the decision about whether to hold meeting for worship should be made on a weekly basis.  Beginning immediately, we recommend the following:

  • Symptoms:  We recommend that people who are experiencing flu-like symptoms, or who are coughing, and/or sneezing not attend meeting for worship  (See https://www.nh.gov/covid19/residents/documents/self-observation-covid.pdf)
  • Information:  We will provide information about COVID-19 displayed inside the entrance to the meetinghouse  (See https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/cases-updates/summary.html) and https://www.nh.gov/covid19/)
  • Risk factors:  We recognize that some people may have higher risk factors and may opt not to attend, and we will make every effort to provide virtual accommodations
  • Frequently-touched surfaces:  We suggest new protocols for decontaminating frequently-touched surfaces, such as doorknobs, handles, and countertops
  • Sanitizers:  We will make hand sanitizer and wipes readily available
  • Seating:  We will consider moving the chairs six feet apart or encouraging people to sit with a chair in between them and the next person
  • Greetings & Partings:  We will ask those attending meeting to try new options in place of holding hands at the close of meeting, such as touching elbows, pressing hands together and making eye contact (namaste), or using sign language for ‘I love you’ (See ‘ILY sign’)

ILY - shorthand for ‘I Love You’ in American Sign Language (ASL)

How do we include people who can’t be there?

We recommend that we make every effort to provide virtual accommodations for those who cannot attend in person.  To implement this, we will use a laptop connected to a monitor (if available), which will access the internet through a Wi-Fi hotspot.  We will connect speakers to improve sound, and we will utilize Zoom video conferencing.  Individuals will be able to call in by phone or log in via computer or device.  (See Zoom’s Support webpage at https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us)

What social distancing strategies should we embrace?

We recommend that we implement social distancing strategies where possible, while recognizing that isolation can also be potentially unhelpful and even harmful.  Some strategies we feel we can implement immediately are moving chairs farther apart, substituting another activity for hand holding, and practicing social distancing during fellowship.

Do we need new/improved protocols for decontamination and cleaning?

We recommend that we implement some new protocols for reducing the spread of infection, including:

  • Hand hygiene:  Make hand sanitizer and wipes available at entrance and other points of contact, such as coffee area and bathrooms
  • Frequently-touched areas:  Begin a new protocol of wiping down frequently-touched areas such as door handles and countertops at building opening and closing
  • ‘Designated pourer’:  Consider having one person assigned to pour coffee and hot water
  • Recyclable or personal cups:  Use recyclable paper cups and utensils for coffee and tea during fellowship, or encourage people to bring their own mug and take it home
  • Cleaning products:  Recommend that the property committee purchase additional hand sanitizer, wipes and tissues
What is the best way to quickly communicate with everyone?

We recommend that Wendy and Sara have access to the Constant Contact login information, so that messages can quickly and easily be sent to members to alert them to any updates and changes that they should be aware of.

How do we handle children and First Day School?

We recommend that we extend the same expectations to children that we do to the adult members of our meeting to be responsible for reducing the spread of infection.  We will rely on parents to communicate and reinforce these expectations.  Very young children pose unique challenges to keeping areas clean and sanitized, and we recommend erring on the side of caution when deciding to have infants and toddlers attend first day school.

The minute:

03.2  Response to COVID-19:  Friends agreed to creating an ad hoc task group to:

  • Make recommendations on how the Meeting responds to the threat of the erupting epidemic of COVID-19 in this country.
  • We give the group authority to communicate to the community recommended changes in behavior (e.g., not holding or shaking hands when and if that seemed advisable).
  • Having representation in this group from M&C and of people working in the health field was felt to be advisable.
  • We agreed to start with naming Wendy L, Rob Y, Sara S and Jennifer S to do this.  If one of the named health professionals is unable to serve, we would ask Rob S.
  • If the group felt that expenditures were needed to protect us as this epidemic proceeds, it is authorized to use up to $500 from unrestricted funds.
  • The group is asked to report back to Meeting via our regular announcements on its processes and proposals.

Activity and Schedule Changes due to COVID-19

As we receive information regarding cancellations and schedule changes we will pass them on.  We continue to list items here that may be cancelled so please check with event sponsors.  A listing in these announcements does not constitute a recommendation that you attend.  Be safe.

Cancellations:
  • March 29:  Dover Quarterly Meeting
  • April 24-26:  WORLD CONFERENCE 2020: Abolish Nuclear Weapons | Resist and Reverse Climate Change | For Social and Economic Justice

Moving to Zoom

As committees and meetings move to the Zoom platform, you should know that it is fairly easy to use.  Sara sent along this set of easy-to-follow instructions.  Zoom’s free access allows one to participate in any meeting and to host meetings up to 40 minutes.  The paid subscription offers longer meetings and other options.

The Money and Spirit workshop planned for Saturday, March 21st “Greening Our Meetings and Our Lives” will not be held in-person at the Mattapoisett meetinghouse.  Instead, an abbreviated program focusing on energy use in meetinghouses will be held via Zoom, starting at 9 a.m., and ending between 11 a.m. and 12 noon.  There will be no afternoon program.  If you wish to join in on this Zoom meeting, either by phone or computer, please contact Robert Murray, finance [at] neym [dot] org, to get the Zoom instructions.

John Reuthe of Vassalboro Meeting will be our resource for the Zoom meeting.  John developed his greening expertise after personally visiting over 565 homes in central Maine.  Funded by Efficiency Maine Trust, he and his volunteer team developed policies and procedures to help homeowners reduce energy use, improve the comfort level in their homes, and reduce their carbon footprint.  They worked with energy auditors, contractors, apartment owners and various oversight agencies to provide efficient and cost-effective solutions.  In 2011, John and his team received the prestigious Efficiency Maine Trust Philip C. Hastings Award for their work.  John later led the Solarize Mid Maine Project (a group buy for the region).  He also played a major role in the greening of the Vassalboro Friends Meeting House.

Sara Hubner, NEYM Office Manager for the Finance Committee, 508-754-6760

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