Durham Monthly Meeting Minutes, October 16, 2016

Durham Monthly Meeting of Friends, October 16, 2016

Durham Monthly Meeting of Friends convened in worship on Sunday, October 16, 2016 at 12:30 with sixteen people present. Clerk Sarah Sprogell opened with a quote from an article by Howard Zinn expressing optimism as we look at the compassion, sacrifice, courage and kindness in history and how that gives us energy to live now as we believe human beings should live.

  1. Ron Turcotte reported for Ministry and Counsel.

a) Ministry and Counsel will hold an open meeting after worship on October 30 to discuss their recommendation of a six-month trial period of being a pastor-less semi-programmed meeting and the opportunities and ramifications of that.

b) Ministry and Counsel recommends that the meeting’s portion of the income raised at the Rise Again Singing concert of November18 be given to the American Friends Service Committee’s Wabanaki REACH program.

c) Daphne Clement will no longer be on the Pastoral Care Team because of her move to Rhode Island.

d) Ministry and Counsel recommends that four people will be discontinued on the meeting membership list because of long absence from meeting. One member has requested discontinuance, and the others have not responded to correspondence.

2. The meeting approved funds raised at the Rise Again Singing concert be given to the Wabanaki REACH program of AFSC.

3. It was approved that the following non-resident members be removed from our membership list: Karen Jonitis Rhoda, Barbara Wilcox, Elizabeth East and David Atherton.

4. Tess Hartford reported for Christian Education Committee.

a) Because of many changes in families and young people coming to meeting, and because of the changes the meeting is facing with Doug Gwyn’s leaving in December, Christian Education is looking at redefining the role of Youth Minister to consider whether this position can serve the meeting in a broader context. They would like to meet with Ministry and Counsel on this matter. This may be addressed to some extent at the October 30th open M&C meeting.

b) Christian Education conducted an evaluation of the Youth Minister in early summer and a summary will be reported in November.

c) Christian Education has invited families to meet in November at the home of Jeanne Baker Stinson to share what the spiritual needs are for families, with an eye to broadening their community in and outside of worship.

d) Clarabel Marstaller said the adult Sunday School Class is reading The Powers That Be by Walter Wink. Martha Hinshaw Sheldon is the new facilitator of the group.

e) The Adult Sunday School group continues the spiritual journeys program on the 4th Sunday of each month (taking a hiatus in November and December).

5. Wendy Schlotterbeck gave the Youth Minister report.

a) In response the New England Yearly Meeting minutes on Climate Justice and Racial Justice, Wendy has been working on how to teach about these things to youth and will be attending the NEYM workshop of October 28-30, “Prophetic Climate Action.”   She will also be participating in a webinar on “How to teach about racial justice to children.” Meeting youth she currently meets with have expressed interest in these two topics.

b) Wendy is creating the first of several banners on the Quaker testimonies and other themes. These banners will rotate and will be hung outside the meetinghouse.

c) Wendy is coordinating the November 18 and 19 Rise Again concerts at the meeting house and in Auburn. The theme for both concerts will be Racial Justice.

6. Margaret Wentworth reported for Trustees on the open meeting of October 2.

a) Estimates were presented for work needed for the replacement of the roof. A working group will be composed of Paul Wood, David Dexter and Daniel Henton will focus on the issue of the roof.

b) A proposal for solar panels and a heat pump was presented at the meeting, using Maine Solar Solutions as the contractor, the total cost being approximately $20,000-$21,000. She presented the possible ways of meeting the cost, including two grants. Although there was lack of clearness in the open meeting about moving forward with the solar project at this time, the meeting did affirm Monthly Meeting’s approval to proceed with applications for two grants for this project. We will not know the outcome of the grants until the beginning of 2017 at which time we can decide how to proceed.

7. Sukie Rice brought the financial report. In the period of January-September 30, the meeting has received $43,459 in Operating Fund Income, or 73% of our budgeted amount for the year. This is due to a wonderful response to the mid-year appeal which brought in $3565! Thanks to all who helped make this such as successful appeal. During this same period, the meeting expended $46,812, or 76% of our budget for the Operating Account.

It was reported that the new meeting room floor cost $5725. The full $8933 of the Pennell Fund was transferred to the Capital Account, closing out the Pennell Fund. This was used for the floor along with a $300 contribution, which was given for the flooring.

8. Margaret Wentworth is going off the Lisbon-Area Christian Outreach board of directors. There are three people interested in taking her place on the board.

9. Katherine Langelier proposed holding a Thanksgiving meal at 1:00 at the meeting- house November 24, with an open-house in the afternoon. She would like to extend an invitation to the community to expand the reach of who might like to attend. The meeting gave approval for this event.

10. Barbara Simon requested approval to apply for a grant from the Seed Garden Fund for the meeting garden. It would include both “crowd funding” and a merit grant. Grant money would be used to enhance the garden to plant vegetables and fruits for LACO as well as the meeting community. The meeting approved applying for this grant.

11. Falmouth Quarterly Meeting will be held October 22 from 9:00-12:30 at Durham Meeting. Joyce Gibson, Clarabel Marstaller, Margaret Wentworth and Sarah Sprogell will be our representatives. The purpose and future of Quarterly Meeting will be discussed at that time. Durham will provide the coffee and refreshments and attenders will bring a bag-lunch.

12. The meeting approved receiving donations for the Kickapoo Friends Center during the month of November.

13. LACO will be holding their Thanksgiving ecumenical worship on Sunday, November 20 at the West Bowdoin Baptist Church.

14The minutes of Monthly Meeting were approved during the meeting.

The meeting adjourned in the Spirit at 2:35.

Sukie Rice, Recording Clerk

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