Durham Monthly Meeting of Friends DRAFT Minutes, March 16, 2025
Durham Monthly Meeting of Friends met for the conduct of business on Sunday, March 16, 2025, with 14 people in attendance at the Meetinghouse and three people by Zoom.
1. Meeting Opening
Clerk opened the Meeting with a traditional Irish blessing from the book Earth Prayers From Around the World.
“May the blessing of light be on you, light without and light within. May the blessed sunshine shine on you and warm your heart till it glows like a great peat fire, so that the stranger may come and warm himself at it, and also a friend.
“And may the light shine out of the two eyes of you, like a candle set in the two windows of a house, bidding the wanderer come in out of the storm; and may the blessings of the rain be on you — the soft, sweet rain. May it fall upon your spirit so that all the little flowers may spring up and shed their sweetness on the air. And may the blessings of the Great Rains be on you, may they beat upon your spirit and wash it fair and clean, and leave there many a shining pool where the blue of heaven shines, and sometimes a star.
“And may the blessing of the Earth be on you — the great round earth; may you ever have a kindly greeting for those you pass as you’re along the roads. may the earth be soft under you when you rest upon it, tired at the end of a day, and may it rest easy over you when at the last, you lay out under it; may it rest so lightly over you that your soul may be off from under it quickly and up and off, and on its way to God. And now may the Lord bless you all and bless you kindly.”
2. Approval of Minutes of February 16, 2024 — Ellen Bennett
Meeting approved the February minutes.
3. Ministry and Counsel — Tess Hartford, Renee Cote
The State of Society Report was read aloud. The report that was read differed from the report that was distributed in advance of the meeting; it included modification of the last paragraph.
Suggestions were made to spell out acronyms, e.g., LACO. as well as a few others. All changes to the Report are included in the attachment.
Meeting approved the report, with gratitude.
4. Statistical Report— Sarah Sprogell
The Statistical Report was reviewed (see attachment). A question was asked about financial contributions to New England Yearly Meeting and the connection to the number of members. There is no longer a per head requirement for the Meeting contribution to NEYM.
Looking at Yearly Meeting records for trends, the YM is losing about 1.5% of its membership every year, and at Durham Friends Meeting, we are on that trend line. This is true of most YMs in the US. We review our annual budget and consider our YM contribution every year.
Meeting accepted the report, with gratitude.
5. Trustees Report —Sarah Sprogell
The Gathering Room and kitchen need new light fixtures. A very reasonable quote was offered, slightly more than $2,000, for replacing all the lights, including the lights for the Exit signs. Bulbs will be replaced with LEDs.
Meeting approved this expenditure, coming from the capital fund.
6. On the use of Rachel Carey-Harper’s Donation — Linda Muller
After conducting some research, Linda Muller and Sarah Sprogell recommend the Meeting donate the remaining $1,000 (out of the original $2,000 gift) to Safe Voices, a domestic violence, direct service organization working in Androscoggin, Oxford and Franklin Counties. This is a geographic area of greater risk, many towns without standing police departments. Over 2,700 women were served last year.
Meeting heartily approved this contribution.
Rachel has asked us to view a website called Healing Voices, which she is involved in creating. Information will be included in the April newsletter.
7. 250th Anniversary Celebration —Ellen Bennett
A proposal was made to spend, from communications line in the budget, up to $250 for a banner for the horse shed. Communications committee will research this and get back to the Meeting.
Possible event dates to celebrate our 250th are an event in July, one in October, and a lecture to be given in concert with the Durham Historical Society.
8. Peace and Social Concerns — Ingrid Chalufour
No report.
Donations will be gratefully accepted to help defray the cost of framing the Wabanaki posters that will hang in the Vestry/Gathering room. In addtion, the request was made to check out the website to read about LD 958 that concerns eminent domain and Wabanaki lands.
9. Library — Dorothy Hinshaw
The request was made to increase this year’s budgeted amount to $300, in part to renew the Meeting’s Pendle Hill pamphlet subscription and to purchase pamphlets not currently in our library. It was suggested that the library budget line be charged, and if we go over budget for this year, it tells us something — overages can provide important information — as we prepare future budgets.
Meeting accepted this approach.
10. Makers Cafe Update — Outreach Committee members
As a Maker Cafe group, we would like to continue to host these events, beyond the initial three as a trial run, and ask for approval to continue.
Meeting approved continuing the Maker Cafés.
11. Other Business
The request was made to honor Gabriel’s first birthday this month, with a cake and singing. Someone will check with Laura and Ezra for the best Sunday to do this.
12. Closing Worship
Clerk closed with a blessing by Diane Neu, from Earth Prayers from Around the World.
Blessed be the works of your hands, O Holy One.
Blessed be these hands that have touched life.
Blessed be these hands that have nurtured creativity.
Blessed be these hands that have held pain.
Blessed be these hands that have embraced with passion.
Blessed be these hands that have ended gardens.
Blessed be these hands that have closed in anger.
Blessed be these hands that have planted new seeds.
Blessed be these hands that have harvested ripe fields.
Blessed be these hands that have cleaned, washed, mopped, scrubbed.
Blessed be these hands that have become knotty with age.
Blessed be these hands that are wrinkled and scarred from doing justice.
Blessed be these hands that have reached out and been received.
Blessed be these hands that hold the promise of the future.
Blessed be the works of your hands, O Holy One.
Respectfully submitted, Ellen Bennett, Recording Clerk
Attachments
2024 State of Society Report