The meeting opened at 12:30 p.m. with 12 people present.
Clerk Sue Wood opened with a reading from New England Yearly Meeting Faith and Practice: “No Bond But Love and Fellowship” by Rufus Jones (page 122) followed by a period of worship.
1. Clarabel Marstaller reported for Ministry and Counsel. They are working on an Inquirer’s Packet, which should be ready April 22.
2. David Reed reported for Trustees. The windows for the nursery room doors are in and look great. The stove in the meetinghouse kitchen has been serviced and is working now. The pilot lights have all been turned off so there is no propane gas usage except when we are using the stove. The result is that air quality in the meetinghouse is dramatically improved, as well as reducing our use of fuel. People will need to be shown how to light the burners and oven. Please see David for instructions.
3. Susan Rice, Daphne Clement and Wendy Schlotterbeck reported for Peace and Social Concerns (P&SC): a.) Lisbon Area Christian Outreach (LACO): We will have a monthly “shopping list” of the LACO food-
pantry needs that will be available for when friends do their shopping. This April/May we are asking for hearty soups, crackers, brown rice, cereals and cans of fruit. The Meeting will hold a pig-roast benefit dinner for LACO on Sept. 29. There is a spaghetti dinner to benefit LACO on May 19 at the Holy Trinity Church in Lisbon Falls. Friends are being asked to contribute desserts.
b.) There will be a benefit dinner for the Kakamega Orphan Project on Saturday, June 23. It will be a BBQ chicken and strawberry shortcake dinner.
c.) The community garden at the parsonage is coming along very well. David Marstaller has agreed to build a trellis there. P&SC is also planning to have a bench, which we will dedicate in memory of Louis Marstaller. We hope to have this completed by Memorial Day weekend so we can dedicate it after Worship on May 27.
d.) 350.org is calling for a global “Connect the Dots” action on May 5 and May 6, envisioned as a world- wide “action” which calls for a reduction of carbon fuels and for care for our environment. Durham Friends Youth Group and Peace and Social Concerns will be organizing a photo of the Meeting participating in this campaign after worship on May 6. Our environmental action will be to begin planting the community garden on that day, and to plant some fruit trees. We will also encourage carpooling and bicycling to the meeting on May 6, as a first step to further carpooling.
4. It was approved that we should build a commemoration bench using P&SC funds. 5. It was approved that we plant two peach trees and put out a basket to receive contributions to pay for them. 6. Margaret Wentworth reported for the Library Committee. Old periodicals have been recycled. We will save
the boxes for future use. Library Committee would like to hold its meetings on the 5th Sundays.
7. Katharine Hildebrandt brought the Finance Report for March. The total General Fund Income for March was $3,561.89 and the Expenditures were $5,461.94. The year-to-date finances for the General Fund shows that Income for January 1 – March 31 period was $12,881.55 and the Expenses were $17,098.83. This means we are running a $4,217.28 deficit for the first three months of 2012. Her report was accepted with gratitude. 8. Daphne Clement gave her pastor’s report. It has been an active April, especially around Easter time. The
reading group that has been meeting on Wednesdays has been rich. The community garden is proceeding very nicely. Contemplative prayer will be held on Tuesdays in May.
9. Registration has opened for the Friends General Conference Gathering at the University of Rhode Island in Kingston (July 1-7). People planning to go are encouraged to sign up early to get their choice of workshops.
10. Jo-an Jacobus reported for the Website Committee. Wendy Schlotterbeck will be helping on the technical level to get information onto the website. The Committee is very appreciative of this help she is giving.
11. Susan Rice reported that the Ad-Hoc Fundraising Committee is actively meeting. They see that raising consciousness around the operating budget deficit is an important part of raising money to meet that deficit.
12. Quarterly Meeting will be held on April 28 at Portland Friends Meetinghouse. Approved for representatives are Leslie Manning, Clarabel Marstaller and Susan Wood.
Minutes of the meeting were approved during the meeting. The Meeting adjourned at 1:55 p.m. with a period of worship.
By Nancy Marstaller
Fourteen women met at Muriel and Karen Marston’s. Their recent work on the house makes the place just glow.
Margaret Wentworth led the program and devotions on the theme “God Speaks Through Others.” The author of the lesson in our Blueprints quoted Psalm 46: “As the deer panteth for water, so my soul panteth for you, oh God.” We shared how God can speak to us through others or in ways we might not recognize.
We sent many cards: thinking of you, birthday, get well, and thank you. Our treasurer reported a balance of $2,140.94, with $2,000 dedicated to a meetinghouse sound system. The April Tedford meal was chicken and rice, green salad, fruit, brownies and
cheesecake. Angie and her team will provide the May meal.
We are asked to pray for all Friends attending the Friends World Committee for Consultation world conference in Kenya. We planned details of the NE USFW meeting to be held at the meetinghouse on May 12 and the Yard Sale on May 26 (see related articles!). In closing our meeting, we held in prayer all those who could not join us for the evening.
We enjoyed Karen’s fabulous refreshments, the antics of their dog, and each other’s company before heading into the night. Our next meeting will be Monday, May 21, at Nancy’s house, with Angie leading devotions and Dot Hinshaw leading the program. Hope you can come!
Woman’s Society April Meeting Notes
Respectfully submitted, Susan Rice
