Announcements:
A small work party consisting of Property Committee members and other Meeting Friends will meet following worship on Sunday, October 5 to replace some of the caulking in the meetinghouse windows. Anyone with skill sets in this area (removing loose/cracked caulking, light sanding, priming and applying compound) are welcome to join us between 11:30 AM and 4 PM. More info here.
Special Program: In May Martha Yager was part of an AFSC staff delegation to visit the AFSC staff in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza. Since that visit there have been huge events in the area. On Wednesday, Oct 8, (6-8:30 PM) Martha will share some images from her travels in the region as well as provide an update on events, not all of which have made the US news cycle. There will be time for questions and discussion of ways we might be involved in pushing for a resolution to the conflict.
Meeting Friends are encouraged to consider guest-teaching one or more times in our First Day School. If interested, please speak with Amy Lee Vieira.
OCTOBER CALENDAR
3-5 JHYM Retreat at Framingham Meeting.
4 NEYM Committee Day at Worcester Meeting.
5 Working party 11:30 AM – 4PM.
8 Meeting potluck/program with Martha Yager, Com. House, 6-8:30 PM.
9 Property Committee, 7 PM in Community House.
19 Family Worship Sunday during regular meeting for worship.
25 Sandwich Quarterly Meeting at Martha’s Vineyard.
26 Monthly Meeting, 8 AM in Meetinghouse.
Future Dates to Save:
Seekers Group, Oct 27 at 7 AM.
Seekers Group Potluck, Friday, Nov 7 at 6PM sponsored by Ministry and Counsel.
Nov 21-23, JYM Retreat at Westport Meeting.
OCTOBER BIRTHDAYS
1 Oscar Martinez Cardenas
15 Owen Thomas Vieira
16 Gorman Reilly
18 June Correia
21 Jeanne Robinson
24 Nancy Dubler
28 Laura Bilodeau
28 Joshua Vieira
30 Jackie Bullis
MONTHLY MEETING HIGHLIGHTS
Property Coordinator Report: Friends are encouraged to read Gretchen’s full reports, which give a thorough review of what’s going on with our Meeting property and her sense of things within her role as our Property Coordinator.
Property Committee: Meeting considered and approved the following:
- A small utility trailer, owned by Kevin Lee, has been used frequently over the past several months to remove brush, etc, on the Meeting property. The committee seeks approval to store the trailer on Meeting property on a more permanent basis. Friends approved.
- The well will be tested again soon.
- Property Committee will be choosing a new clerk in the near future.
- The committee plans to organize work days this fall to re-caulk some of the meetinghouse windows and do some touch-up painting on the exterior. Please see announcement above.
Ministry and Counsel: Monthly Family worship will begin on October 19. A Seekers Group Potluck, which will be hosted by Ministry and Counsel, will be held on Friday, Nov 7, and all Friends are encouraged to attend. Details to follow. The Westport Friends Meeting 2013 State of Society is on our site, which may be read here.
Finance Committee: Due to a $15,000 donation earlier this year, we are ahead in Income for the year and the Finance Committee is projecting an end-of-year surplus. This assumes we will be receiving the regular offerings projected for October-December. Our Assets have increased to $364,944.30. The Finance Committee is working with the Property Committee on plans for building renovations required over the next 5 years.
The Finance Committee is starting to put together the FY15 Budget. Committees have been asked to get the Finance Committee Budget Requests by the October Business Meeting. The Finance Committee will put together a First Draft FY15 Budget in November. – Greg Marsello, clerk of Finance.
Book Fair: The Book Fair in July was a big success. Over $20,000 was generated and the net is $15,000+. We sold over 16,000 books! Work has begun on 2015 Book Fair and over 3,000 books have already been sorted, priced and boxed. Children’s books are especially sought and Friends are encouraged to spread the word for possible donations.
Seekers Group: The Seekers Group is a small circle of members and attenders who gather for worship, conversation, and mutual spiritual nurturing. Our meetings are from 7 to 9 p.m. usually on the last Wednesday of the month in the Community House. For information about topics covered visit the Seekers Group page on our site and/or contact Gretchen Baker-Smith. In September, the Seekers Group will meet on Monday, September 29 at 7 PM. The topic is “Fear,” and additional information and resources for this meeting is available on the Seekers Group section of our site here.
Other Actions/Items at Monthly Meeting:
Friends requested that the slate of Meeting officers and committees for 2014-2015 be highlighted in this Newsletter. The slate is available on our Web site here. Copies of the slate will also be available in the meetinghouse.
Jay Vieira presented a brief overview of how NEYM Sessions went in August at Castleton State College in Vermont, which was a new location for our annul Sessions.
Deana Chase, reflecting on how business meeting went at our annual Session in August, said that there appeared to be a significant measure of anxiety about how best to manage a (very) large legacy gift that came to NEYM Friends (meaning, us) as a result of selling the former New England Friends Home in Hingham, MA. Some Friends felt that the bulk of the financial windfall should be kept in a rainy day fund, while others felt the financial resources should be utilized now in ways that support Friends testimonies currently. However, no decision was made at this time. Deana also reported that the Doctrine of Discovery, and our Yearly Meeting’s proposal to support it, was approved by Friends during business at our annual Sessions in August. Friends can read the full account of the doctrine, and what it stands for, here.
Area and Regional Resources and Opportunities:
Pendle Hill, an acclaimed Quaker retreat, conference and Quaker study center in Wallingford, PA, offers many opportunities from sojourning to extended studies in spiritual nurture over a great many areas. Check out what they have to offer by visiting Pendle Hill’s site here.
Woolman Hill is a Quaker Retreat Center located in Deerfield, MA, that offers retreats and enrichment programs for Friends throughout the year. See what they have to offer by visiting their site here.
Visit our Photo Site!See photos of our recent and past Book Fairs, Meeting sponsored events, meetinghouse, Community House and grounds and archival photos of Meeting history and Friends not longer with us.
New England Yearly Meeting News covers events and news of other meetings around our yearly meeting and beyond.
Clerk of Monthly Meeting: Betty Ann Lee, 508-994-1638
Ministry and Counsel Clerk: Melinda Foley-Marsello, 401-624-9840
Property Coordinator, Gretchen Baker-Smith, 508-636-4963
Newsletter Editor, Kevin Lee | 508-994-1638