Bennington Friends Meeting

Meeting for Worship on the Occasion of Business
Held at the Senior Citizens Service Center,
Bennington, Vermont
April 17, 2016

Present were Timmy Bullock, Dorothea Izzo, Priscilla Tracy, Lucie McKee, Eliza Navias-Bell, Arnold Ricks, Michael Thomsen, Auberta Galusha, Marj Davis, Bain Davis and Juliet Wright

The danger in Society doth not lie so much in that some few may have a differing apprehension in some things from the general sense, as it doth in this, namely, when such that do so differ so suffer themselves to be led out of the bond of charity, and shall labour to impose their private sense upon the rest of their brethren and to be offended and angry if it be not received. This is the seed of sedition and strife, that hath grown up in too many to their hurt.

Stephen Crisp 1694

Out of the silence, the clerk read the above quotation from Stephen Crisp.

The recording clerk read the minutes for meeting for business, March 20, 2016. They were approved.

2016-15 Priscilla Tracy reported on behalf of Ministry and Counsel. The minutes are appended.

2016-16 Meeting for business approved the schedule for Friendly Bible Study, but we may have to change one date to early August.

2016-17 The clerk reported that the $250.00 that was to be allocated for printing for All Species Day has, instead, been allocated to defraying the cost of one of the bands.

2016-18 Meeting for business has approved and looks forward to a workshop with Friend Stanford Searl from Santa Monica Meeting based on his book “Quaker Poems: The Heart Opened” on Sunday, Jun 12, 2016, following the rise of meeting. Meeting has authorized an honorarium of $250.00 to defray the cost of the book copies and some transportation expenses.

2016-19 Auberta Galusha reported on behalf of Interfaith Council.

After a period of silent worship, the meeting adjourned.

Timmy Bullock, clerk
Juliet Wright, recording clerk

Minutes for Ministry and Counsel

Sunday, April 10, 2016

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

Pastoral concerns discussed.

16-6 Ministry and Counsel proposed a schedule for Friendly Bible Study as follows: July 3, 10, 17 and 31 after meeting for worship, July 12 at Berta’s and July 19 at the Tracy’s. At Berta’s and the Tracy’s we will gather for a simple potluck at 6:00 pm and start bible study at 6:30.

16-7 Ministry and Counsel recommends reflecting on inviting Stan Searl of Santa Monica Meeting for a workshop on “Quaker Poems A Heart Opened.” Date is to be determined but Sunday, June 12th fits Mr. Searl’s visit to Vermont.

Meeting for Worship on the Occasion of Business
Held at the Senior Citizens Service Center,
Bennington, Vermont
April 17, 2016

Present were Timmy Bullock, Dorothea Izzo, Priscilla Tracy, Lucie McKee, Eliza Navias-Bell, Arnold Ricks, Michael Thomsen, Auberta Galusha, Marj Davis, Bain Davis and Juliet Wright

The danger in Society doth not lie so much in that some few may have a differing apprehension in some things from the general sense, as it doth in this, namely, when such that do so differ so suffer themselves to be led out of the bond of charity, and shall labour to impose their private sense upon the rest of their brethren and to be offended and angry if it be not received. This is the seed of sedition and strife, that hath grown up in too many to their hurt.

Stephen Crisp 1694

Out of the silence, the clerk read the above quotation from Stephen Crisp.

The recording clerk read the minutes for meeting for business, March 20, 2016. They were approved.

2016-15 Priscilla Tracy reported on behalf of Ministry and Counsel. The minutes are appended.

2016-16 Meeting for business approved the schedule for Friendly Bible Study, but we may have to change one date to early August.

2016-17 The clerk reported that the $250.00 that was to be allocated for printing for All Species Day has, instead, been allocated to defraying the cost of one of the bands.

2016-18 Meeting for business has approved and looks forward to a workshop with Friend Stanford Searl from Santa Monica Meeting based on his book “Quaker Poems: The Heart Opened” on Sunday, Jun 12, 2016, following the rise of meeting. Meeting has authorized an honorarium of $250.00 to defray the cost of the book copies and some transportation expenses.

2016-19 Auberta Galusha reported on behalf of Interfaith Council.

After a period of silent worship, the meeting adjourned.

Timmy Bullock, clerk
Juliet Wright, recording clerk

Minutes for Ministry and Counsel

Sunday, April 10, 2016

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

Pastoral concerns discussed.

16-6 Ministry and Counsel proposed a schedule for Friendly Bible Study as follows: July 3, 10, 17 and 31 after meeting for worship, July 12 at Berta’s and July 19 at the Tracy’s. At Berta’s and the Tracy’s we will gather for a simple potluck at 6:00 pm and start bible study at 6:30.

16-7 Ministry and Counsel recommends reflecting on inviting Stan Searl of Santa Monica Meeting for a workshop on “Quaker Poems A Heart Opened.” Date is to be determined but Sunday, June 12th fits Mr. Searl’s visit to Vermont.

Meeting for Worship on the Occasion of Business
Held at the Senior Citizens Service Center,
Bennington, Vermont
March 20, 2016

Present were Timmy Bullock, Dorothea Izzo, Priscilla Tracy, Roc Kaufman, Michael Thomsen, Auberta Galusha, Sam Humes, Marge Davis, Bain Davis and Juliet Wright

Most Friends are painfully aware of how our humanness falls short of the spiritual ideal, and of how fragile our process can seem. Corporate discernment of the will of God is a risky and imperfect proposition. In relying so extensively on the Holy Spirit, we make ourselves vulnerable to pitfalls and failures. However, far from begin a weakness, such vulnerability is central to our understanding of the power of worship (and business) “In spirit and truth.” To fall into the hands of the living God requires leaping, laying ourselves open to risk. Our commitment to this process, and our assurance of its outcomes, can only be proven [at the end of time], but still we give testimony to the truth we have been given, and are able to say that we have tested this method and found that it does indeed bring us into Unity with the will of God.

Eden Grace 2000

Out of the silence, the clerk read the above quotation from Eden Grace.

The recording clerk read the minutes for meeting for business, February 21, 2016. They were approved.

2016-11 Timmy Bullock reported on behalf of Ministry and Counsel. The minutes are appended.

2016-12 Meeting for Business recommends the following FCNL Priorities:
1. War: curtail military expenses; advance peace building and the peaceful prevention and resolution of violent conflict.
2. Climate Change.
3. Emphasize and fund all social programs: health care, from reducing drug prices to alternatives to for-profit instruments; to increased support for constructive societal health awareness, including physical, mental and social aspects; de-emphasizing incarceration.
4. Reverse Citizen’s United; cap corporate influence in government.
5. Work on global regulation of technology; promote dialogue on regulation of research and intrusion into privacy.
6. Consider stringent ethical guidelines for all genetic research and development as it impacts on humans, plants and other elements of the environment.
7. Promoting low tech, low cost person to person contact between groups in conflict: eg. Israelis and Palestinian or Iranians and Americans, using programs such as the hotline program Hello Peace.

2016-13 Meeting for business approves an allocation of $250.00 to support All Species Day. The money will be used specifically to pay for the printing and dissemination of flyers. The clerk will be in touch with Fidel Moreno for details on the name of the printer.

2016-14 Auberta Galusha will speak with Maryann St. John about providing materials on non-violent conflict resolution for All Species Day.

After a period of silent worship, the meeting adjourned.

Minutes for Ministry and Counsel

Sunday, March 13, 2016

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

Pastoral concerns discussed.

16-4 Ministry and Counsel Recommends the following FCNL Priorities.
1. War: curtail military expenses to allow more money for social programs; enact a peace tax to allow monies to be allocated for peace rather than war.
2. Climate Change.
3. Emphasize all social programs: health care, from reducing drug prices to alternatives to for-profit instruments; to increased support for constructive societal health awareness, including physical, mental and social aspects; de-emphasizing incarceration.
4. Reverse Citizen’s United; cap corporate influence in government.
5. Work on global regulation of technology; playing with DNA; promote dialogue on regulation of research; regulation of intrusion into privacy.
Consider stringent guidelines for genetic research and development.
??Where should we allocate person to person contact such as a hot line between Israeli-Palestinian groups of parents – set up hotline for a member of one group to talk to the other.

16-5 Ministry and Counsel asks meeting for business to consider a contribution to support Earth Day/All Species Day.