Bennington Friends Meeting

Bennington Friends Meeting
Meeting for Worship on the Occasion of Business
Held at the Senior citizens Service Center,
Bennington, Vermont
October 20, 2013

Present were Timmy Bullock, Beth Cheadle, Eliza Navias-Bell, Arnold Ricks, Auberta Galusha, Dorothea Izzo, Priscilla Tracy, John Maloney, Michael Thomson and Juliet Wright.

In a Quaker meeting, for worship or for business, there is more than waiting and silence. There is also speaking for one’s self and feeling the weight of words of others. The quest for truth among Friends is meant to be corporate, not a private reverie. The leading of the gathered group is to be trusted, and when you or I speak we must be willing to test our truth against the truth received by others.

Parker Palmer, 1980

Out of the silence, the clerk read the above quotation from Parker Palmer.

The recording clerk read the minutes for meeting for business for September 15, 2013, which were approved.

2013-40 Priscilla Tracy reported on behalf of Ministry and Counsel.

2013-41 The retreat agenda and topic was discussed. We approach next week with hope and trepidation.

2013-42 Meeting for business expressed an interest in working with the Interfaith group at Bennington College. Our approach will be to look at the topic “The Death Question: an exploration of the end” through the lens of Friends pacifist convictions. Michael Thomson will ask the Interfaith group whether Friday November 22 is a good date for the Interfaith group. Friends will offer their trial run of what they will present on the second Sunday of November, the 10th.

After a brief period of silent worship, the meeting adjourned.

Minutes for Ministry and Counsel

Sunday, October 13, 2013

Present were Priscilla Tracy, Auberta Galusha, Beth Cheadle and Juliet Wright

Pastoral concerns were discussed.

13-16 The following is the schedule for October 27 retreat (may be altered):

Retreat Schedule

8:30 – arrive and set up
9:00 – breakfast/coffee
9:30 – read 4 or 5 short articles
10:00 – 11:00 worship
11:00 – 11:15 break
11:15 – 12:15 brainstorm – big sheets on wall, key words, priorities, put sticky notes on what is important.
Reflections on individual and community efforts – where would you put your priorities, group level, individual level?
12:15 – 1:15 lunch
1:15 – 2:15 worship sharing – How do we do this in a Friendly way as individuals, as a group?
2:15 – 2:30 worship

How do you work in a community?
Arrive at an individual and group priority. Then ask, what separates us as Friends?
How can owners of apartments be given incentives to generate through solar power?

Articles urgently too be found. Please make copies of articles you find and bring them to meeting for business next week.