Durham Monthly Meeting of Friends\nconvened in worship for the conduct of business on Sunday, February 17, 2019\nwith 16 people present. Clerk Susan Rice\nopened the meeting by reading from the 1985 New England Yearly Meeting Faith and\nPractice, \u201cThe Quaker Method of Making Decisions\u201d, p. 115. There was no monthly meeting in January due\nto snow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1.\nThe December 16, 2018 minutes were approved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2.\nMinistry and Counsel: Martha\nHinshaw Sheldon reported that Ministry and Counsel met in January and February\nto discuss worship, pastoral care concerns and opportunities, and new members. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
They received a letter requesting\nmembership from Cushman Anthony who had been a member of Portland Friends\nMeeting in the past. A clearness\ncommittee met with Cush and recommend that he be received into membership at\nDurham Friends Meeting. Ministry and\nCounsel enthusiastically approved this recommendation and sent it on to monthly\nmeeting for final consideration and approval.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They will continue to suggest a\ntheme for worship. Those bringing a\nmessage may choose the theme, \u201cLeadings\u201d for February and March. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
They report that Ralph and Twila\nGreene have found a stable home into which they moved this month. They are thankful for those who stepped in to\nhelp resolve this concern: Nat Shed, Nancy Marstaller, and Edwin Hinshaw.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
3.\nWe enthusiastically approved welcoming Cushman Anthony as a member of Durham\nFriends Meeting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
4.\nNominating Committee: Margaret Wentworth and Jo-an Jacobus reported that\nthe list of committees and officers is almost complete with a few changes and\ncorrections. The corrected report will\nbe included in the Newsletter and attached to these minutes. We expressed our thanks to the committee and\nto Jo-an who is leaving the committee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
5.\nWe approved the Nominating Committee report with corrections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
6. Trustees: Leslie Manning reported that\nthere is no report this month; Kitsie Hildebrandt, Treasurer, reported trouble\nwith the heating system at the parsonage which has been resolved thanks to the\nhelp of Craig Freshley. An insurance\nclaim has been filed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
7.\nCommunications Committee: The committee met on Wednesday Feb. 13, 2019.\nJo-an Jacobus will be stepping down as Newsletter Editor. Her last month as\nNewsletter Editor will be April 2019, when she will assemble the May 2019\nnewsletter. The committee does not yet have a replacement. Jo-an reported that\nthe hardest tasks of getting the newsletter out are 1) getting information from\nthe meeting and 2) getting messages for the first page. Doug Bennett will\nassist in getting all the needed information from the various individuals and\ncommittees through April.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We expressed much appreciation for the hard work that Jo-an has\nperformed as editor of our newsletter: The\nBest of Friends<\/em>!<\/p>\n\n\n\n 8. Christian\nEducation Committee: Katherine\nLangelier reported that the committee is very grateful for Ashley Marstaller\u2019s\npresence and skill in providing childcare. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Game Night (afternoon) on January 12 was very\nenjoyable, and the next one will be March 9. \nPlans are being made for an Easter celebration. They plan to participate in an event with\nPortland Friends School\u2019s Parenting for Peace series, and request funds to\nco-sponsor the program. Leslie Manning volunteered to sit at a Durham Friends\nMeeting table at the event. We endorsed the exciting plan of a World Quaker Day\nHomecoming Sunday on October 6. Plans\nfor these activities will be included in detail in the Newsletter. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The committee expressed appreciation for the joyful noise\nof small children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Adult Sunday School Class has been and continues to\nread Waking up White<\/em> by Debbie\nIrving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 9. We approved the\nexpense of $50.00 each from Christian Education and Peace and Social Concerns\nCommittees to cover the cost of co-sponsoring the Parenting for Peace event.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 10. Peace and Social Concerns: the\ncommittee welcomed new members Bob Eaton and Cush Anthony. They reported that the film series and the\nSeeds of Peace events were very meaningful but not well attended.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They discussed possible spring events and the importance\nof addressing climate change, the real crisis right now. They hope to put together a panel to help\nmove toward taking collective action. \nThey would like to collaborate with another group(s) on this and are\nlooking for partners. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Ingrid Chalufour has volunteered to represent the meeting\nat the Brunswick Area Interfaith Council which meets monthly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They are planning an event for April 28 as a follow-up to\nthe American Friends Service Committee discussion about action priorities. The committee will give the message that day\nand facilitate an after-meeting discussion. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n 11. The Library Committee gave their\nannual report which is attached to these minutes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 12. A thank you letter was received from Lisbon\nArea Christian Outreach for $355 donation to the food pantry from the parsonage\ngarden profits; they report that they serve between 250-300 families a\nmonth. <\/p>\n\n\n\n 13. Leslie Manning reminded us that members are\nneeded from our meeting to serve on the New England Yearly Meeting Nominating\nCommittee and the Yearly Meeting Ministry and Counsel. <\/p>\n\n\n\n 14. Much appreciation was expressed for Andy\nHiggins who has been offering his services to plow and mow for us without any\ncharge. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The meeting closed at 1:58 p.m. in\nthe Spirit, in appreciation for God\u2019s guidance. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dorothy Hinshaw, <\/em>Recording Clerk<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Durham Monthly Meeting of Friends convened in worship for the conduct of business on Sunday, February 17, 2019 with 16 people present. Clerk Susan Rice opened the meeting by reading from the 1985 New England Yearly Meeting Faith and Practice, … Continue reading