Bennington Friends Meeting

Bennington Friends Meeting
Meeting for Worship on the Occasion of Business
Held at the Senior Citizens Service Center,
Bennington, Vermont
October 19, 2014

Present were Timmy Bullock, clerk, Juliet Wright, Auberta Galusha, Eliza Navias-Bell, Priscilla Tracy, Joseph Tracy, Marge Davis, Bain Davis and Dorothea Izzo

Everyone has direct access to God, but we help each other discern what we hear from that divine presence in community.

Ashley Wilcox, AFSC blog, cited in October 2014 Friends Journal

Out of the silence the clerk read the above quotation from Ashley Wilcox.

2014-34 Priscilla Tracy read the minutes for Ministry and Counsel. They are appended.

2014-35 Meeting for business supports using the Testimonies (SPICE) as an approach to presenting on Sexuality to the Bennington College Interfaith Group. Presenters will be Simplicity – Juliet, Peace – Joseph, Integrity – Arnold, Community – Auberta, Equality –Eliza/Timmy, with an introduction by Timmy. We suggest a rough schedule of half an hour of presentations and half an hour of worship.

2014-36 Meeting for business confirms that we will set aside the annual retreat for 2014.

2014-37 Meeting for business approves having the Christmas party on Sunday, December 14, 2014 at Juliet’s home. The theme will be: Something is gestating at this dark time of year, but change (light, birth) is coming. How do you feel? Hopeful? Fearful? But then how do you nurture what you’ve birthed?

2014-38 Meeting for business authorizes a loan of $1350.00 to Eliza Navias-Bell. That loan will be made out of the sufferings budget line and will be in addition to loans totaling $2300.00 given by members of the meeting. We recognize that this does not meet the full request for $5000.00, but we will be open to reconsideration for the remaining amount.

2014-39 – Auberta Galusha reported on behalf of the Interfaith Council.

After a period of silent worship, the meeting adjourned.

Timmy Bullock, clerk
Juliet Wright, recording clerk

Minutes for Ministry and Counsel

Sunday, October 12, 2014

Present were Priscilla Tracy, Timmy Bullock, clerk ex-officio, Auberta Galusha, and Juliet Wright, Eliza Navias-Bell

Pastoral concerns discussed

14-13 Ministry and Counsel suggests using the Testimonies (SPICE) as an approach to presenting on Sexuality to the Bennington College Interfaith Group. Tentatively we suggest Simplicity – Juliet, Peace – Joseph, Integrity – Arnold, Community – Auberta,
Equality – Eliza/Timmy, with an introduction by Timmy. We suggest a rough schedule of half an hour of presentations and half an hour of worship.

14-14 Ministry and Counsel recommends setting aside the annual retreat for 2014.

14-15 Ministry and Counsel recommends holding our annual Christmas party on Sunday, December 14, 2014 at Juliet’s home. Theme to be discussed.

14-16 Ministry and Counsel recommends the reprinting of Ursula Scott’s 1992 Article “From the Friends: There Is ‘That of God in Every Person’ and submitting it to the Bennington Banner for re-publication in their Speaking Of Religion section.