Minutes for Meeting for Business January 16, 2011
Posted: under Minutes from Meeting for Business.
Bennington Friends Meeting
Meeting for Worship for the Conduct of Business held at the
Senior Citizens Service Center, Bennington, Vermont
January 16, 2011
It is always to be recognized that, coming together with a variety of temperaments, of background, education and experience, we shall have differing contributions to make to any deliberation. It is no part of Friends’ concern for truth that any should be expected to water down a strong conviction or be silent merely for the sake of easy agreement. Nevertheless we are called to honour our testimony that to every one is given a measure of the light, and that it is in the sharing of knowledge, experience and concern that the way towards unity will be found.
Quaker Faith and Practice of Britain Yearly Meeting
Present were Beth Cheadle, Juliet Wright, Auberta Galusha, Arnold Ricks, Peggy Kahn, Maurice Kahn, Bain Davis
Out of the silence the clerk read the above quote from Quaker Faith and Practice of Britain Yearly Meeting.
2011-01 The recording clerk read the minutes for meeting for business, December 19, 2010. They were approved and are appended.
2011-02 Auberta Galusha reported on behalf of ministry and counsel. The minutes are approved and are appended.
2011-03 Meeting for business approves having a post potluck discussion on February 6, to reflect on the meetings journey over the past year.
2011-04 Business meeting approves the Worship Sharing Guidelines as presented by ministry and counsel and as experienced in today’s worship.
2011-05 Business meeting approves the First and Third Sundays Worship Schedule sign up sheet. The sign up sheet and format will be revisited in May.
2011-06 Worship sharing topics were presented and discussed. Volunteers will come up with their own topics. Suggested topics are included on the sign up sheet. In coming up with Worship sharing topics Friends are reminded to consider if the topic is appropriate for worship sharing or if it is better suited for an adult education session. The topic list will include a footnote indicating that the topic can be changed if the Spirit deems it so.
2011-07 The meeting is still searching for an accountant to complete our treasurer’s duties. Arnold will contact Jane about the number of hours a month this job entails so we are better informed. Arnold will also call Ed Connelly a local accountant.
2011-08 The meeting notes that our member, Thoreau Raymond, died in Concord, NH on January 14, 2011 at the age of 96. The meeting decided it would like to hold a memorial meeting on April 3, 2011.
2011-09 Auberta Galusha reported on behalf of the Interfaith Council. The meeting is being asked to consider pledging support for one months rent for the Greater Bennington Interfaith Food and Fuel Fund building. The cost to the meeting would be $350.00. The total cost of the rent is $700.00 but the Methodist church is covering half of the rent because they are sharing the building with them. The meeting will consider sharing this cost with the Bahi community.
After a few moments of silent worship, the meeting adjourned.
Beth Cheadle, co-clerk
Juliet Wright, recording clerk
Meeting of Ministry and Counsel
January 9, 2011
Present: Beth Cheadle, Bain Davis, Auberta Galusha and Priscilla Tracy, Co-Clerk
The meeting began with a period of silence.
Pastoral concerns were considered.
01.11 Ministry and Counsel reflected on the practice of “holding in the Light” persons or situations of concern with the following suggestions: 1) we do it at the beginning of Worship, 2) that we allow a space of time for holding that specific person or situation in the Light, and 3) that we allow time for a brief explanation of the particular need of the person or situation to be held in the Light when appropriate.
02.11 Ministry and Counsel recommends that as a meeting we gather on February 6th following Pot Luck to reflect on the Meetings journey over the past year.
03.11 Ministry and Counsel asks Meeting for Business to suggest topics for our Worship Sharing on the 3rd Sundays of the month.
04.11 Ministry and Counsel offers the following guidelines for Worship Sharing:
WORSHIP SHARING GUIDELINES
After the facilitator restates the topic for the morning’s sharing, we will join together in silent worship. Out of the silence, an individual speaks as s/he feels led.
After each person shares his/her thoughts, we will return to silent worship to provide a time for reflection on what was said before the next person speaks.
Worship sharing is a time for deep listening to one another. It is not a time for discussion or for statements of agreement or disagreement or for preparing in our heads what we plan to say.
Each of us will have an opportunity to speak ONCE to the topic. There will be no automatic shut off when thirty or forty minutes has gone by.
But if we divide the allotted time by the number of persons in the group, we will have a rough idea how many minutes of silence and speaking each person has. We should be our own self-monitor.
Everything we hear should be kept in strict confidence unless the person giving the information has released us from not sharing beyond those in the worship sharing circle.
Ministry and Counsel also recommends having a sign up sheet for the 1st and 3rd Sundays Sharing.
Our meeting closed with a period of silent worship.
Priscilla Tracy, co-clerk
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Jan 16 2011