Bennington Friends Meeting

Bennington Friends Meeting

Minutes for Meeting for Business

March 20, 2011

As thou beginnest with the Spirit, keep to it in thy going on and conclude in it, and this will preserve thee from tiring thy brethren, and causing them to wish for thy silence.

Samuel Bownas, cited in The Amazing Fact of Quaker Worship, p. 109

By George Gorman, Swarthmore Lecture 1973

Present were Timmy Bullock, Juliet Wright, Auberta Galusha, Arnold Ricks, Bain Davis, Joseph Tracy, Priscilla Tracy, and Beth Cheadle.

In the silence at the beginning of the Meeting Co-Clerk Timmy Bullock read the above quotation by George Gorman.

Recording Clerk Juliet Wright read the minutes of the February Meeting for Business.

2011-15 Priscilla Tracy read the minutes for Ministry and Counsel meeting on March 8, 2011, which are appended.

2011-16 The meeting for business affirms Ministry and Counsel’s minute: “Ministry and Counsel recommends extending the “experiment” with our worship through June. We recognize that we are still learning how to define the intent of what we undertake on first and third Sundays, but we do not find that what we have experienced so far has detracted from worship; indeed, that it has expanded our worship experience.”

2011-17 Meeting for Business asks Arnold Ricks, in consultation with Bain Davis, to come up with some readings in an effort to answer the following question: What was the history that led to the divisions among Friends and how did that manifest itself in FUM personnel policy? This discussion to be held after our May potluck lunch, is preparatory to a discussion of FUM personnel policy.

2011-18 Timmy Bullock reported on behalf of Finance Committee. The minutes are appended.

2011-19 Meeting for business has determined that we will reduce our Sufferings, Special Appeals and Friendly Grants appeals by $100.00 each and those monies will be reinstated as a $300.00 annual contribution to AFSC.

2011-20 Meeting for business has determined that we will further reduce our Sufferings budget by $200.00 and those funds will be forwarded to GBICS to help meet the rental costs of the new food distribution center. Berta Galusha will be in touch with the Bahais to determine if they can contribute the remaining $150.00 towards the rent.

2011-21 Meeting for business approves that the annual donation to NEYM will by sent by 6/30; the other half is to be sent at the end of the fourth quarter.

2011-22 Meeting for business asked that Arnold Ricks be in touch with Bob Condon for the date of the memorial service to be held locally for Marie Condon.

2011-23 Meeting for business has affirmed that we will hold our State of Society discussion at our June potluck.

The Meeting closed in silence.

March 8, 2011

Meeting of Ministry & Counsel

Present: Timmy Bullock, Co-Clerk, Bain Davis, Priscilla Tracy Co-Clerk, Auberta Galusha

Pastoral Concerns were discussed.

07.11 Ministry and Counsel recommends extending the “experiment” with our worship through June. We recognize that we are still learning how to define the intent of what we undertake on first and third Sundays, but we do not find that what we have experienced so far has not detracted from worship; indeed, that it has expanded our worship experience.”

08.11 Ministry & Counsel recommends setting aside a time to discuss the FUM personnel policy using Alan Taplow’s quite extensive collation of minutes and letters. These can help frame any reflections as we proceed; we would also add to Alan’s summary the various related minutes that the Bennington Meeting has drafted in the past three years.

Bennington Friends Meeting

Minutes for Meeting for Worship on the Occasion of Business

Senior Citizens Service Center, Bennington, Vermont

February 20, 2011

“If you don’t listen, as Miss Daisy struggles to, you miss the nuances of what others

are saying… I’ve certainly taken it as something I’ve worked on myself–listen, listen,

listen, really listen. You think you’re listening, but you really have to work at it.”

Vanessa Redgraves, commenting on her Broadway role in

Driving Miss Daisy, New York Times, Feb. 16, 2011

Present: Timmy Bullock, Beth Cheadle, Bain Davis, Auberta Galusha, Maurice Kahn, Peggy Kahn, Arnold Ricks, Joseph Tracy, Priscilla Tracy.

In the silence at the beginning of the Meeting Co-Clerk Timmy Bullock read the above observation by Vanessa Redgraves.

Acting Recording Clerk Arnold Ricks read the minutes of the January Meeting for Business.

2011-10 Co-Clerk Timmy Bullock presented the minutes of Ministry and Counsel’s meeting on February 14, which are appended. In accord with its recommendation the Meeting decided that our regular Meeting for Worship at 10:00 AM on Sunday, April 3, would be the occasion of our memorial Meeting for our late member, Thoreau Raymond. At the outset of the Meeting Friends will be reminded of the trajectory of Thoreau’s life and her coming to Friends during the time she taught in Bennington. We anticipate that there may be those not from this area who knew her who may wish to be present.

2011-11 The Meeting is pleased to accept the offer of Sheila Mann of the Unitarian Fellowship, tendered through the Interfaith Council, to serve as Treasurer of the Meeting succeeding Jane Radocchia. The Meeting recommends that a Clerk of the Meeting, Co-Clerk Beth Cheadle, sign checks. It also recommends that we compensate Sheila Mann at the rate of $10/hour for her services.

2011-12 After participating for a decade in Bennington’s annual downtown Mayfest, the Meeting decides that we will not have a booth at Mayfest this year.

2011-13 In light of the heavy snow on Sunday, February 6, and consequent reduced attendance at Meeting our consideration of the State of Society is laid over to Sunday, March 13.

2011-14 Welcoming Emma Rinaldi back from her winter work term in Ghana, we look forward to hearing a report from her and from other Bennington College attenders at Meeting on their work after the rise of Meeting on Sunday, March 27.

The Meeting closed in silence.

Timmy Bullock, Co-Clerk Arnold Ricks, Acting Recording Clerk.

Meeting of Ministry & Counsel

February 14, 2011

Present: Timmy Bullock, Co-Clerk, Bain Davis, Priscilla Tracy, Co-Clerk, Auberta Galusha and Beth Cheadle

Pastoral Concerns were discussed; this included some discussion of the changes in our worship, but observations were preliminary, with no recommendations derived.

05.11 After considering several scheduling variations, Ministry & Counsel settled on recommending that the April 3 memorial service for Thoreau Raymond be incorporated into our regularly scheduled meeting for worship. We should announce the fact of the memorial service in the Banner and also be in touch – via phone, note, Bennington Google group etc – with all those who would be interested in attending a memorial service for Thoreau. This meeting for worship would be clerked by Arnold Ricks, and the meeting would be followed by our usual first Sunday potluck luncheon.

06.11 Ministry & Counsel hopes the Meeting will undertake to accept Sheila Mann’s offer to take up our treasurer’s duties. Ministry & Counsel also recommends that check-signing be carried out by a member of the Meeting, and also recommends that we pay Sheila Mann a modest hourly sum for her work.

The meeting closed with a moment of silence.