Bennington Friends Meeting

Bennington Friends Meeting for Worship with Attention to Business

February 20, 2022

Present: Timmy Bullock, clerk, Auberta Galusha, Juliet Wright, and Michael Wajda.

We gathered in the Senior Center for meeting for worship with attention to business again wearing masks for safety during the pandemic. Due to the small number of Friends present, we decided to have an abbreviated meeting for business.  The meeting opened with a period of worship during which the clerk read the following quote from Pierre Ceresole:

I am determined to set my face resolutely against preaching sermons to others, on any pretext whatever. And that includes a resolution not to preach sermons against sermon-preaching. No sermons, but confessions, humble if possible, and of experiences helpful to others. There is strength in knowing how to keep silent..

The recording clerk read the minutes of our December 19, 2021 meeting for business for information.

2022-01.  Juliet Wright reported for Ministry and Counsel. The committee recommends that we set a date for an ice cream celebration of Kerby Lovallo’s new membership in the Religious Society of Friends.  Timmy will check with Kerby about having it on the first Sunday of March with our regular (now bring your own) potluck.

2022-02.  Our Treasurer, Juliet Wright, presented the year-end finances for 2021 and a review of our income and expenses so far for this year. Our total assets as of February 19, 2022 are $223,689.29, which is basically $10,000 less than we had at the end of 2021. That reflects our special $10,000 gift to the Goodrich Foundation. The meeting asks the Treasurer to distribute now the budgeted contributions listed in the 2022 budget, which is attached.  This does not include our commitment to contribute an additional $4,000 in special contributions. We will take up that consideration at a future meeting.

The meeting expressed its deep appreciation to our Treasurer for her diligent work on the behalf of the meeting.

2022-03.  The meeting has been holding a question of how and when to consider future directions for the meeting and the use of our finances. We decided to defer this consideration to the next meeting for business when more Friends are likely to be present.

2022-04.  Michael Wajda offered an update on the rescheduled Martin Luther King Day program organized by the Greater Bennington Interfaith Council and the Bennington Peace and Justice Center.  The program will feature two renowned historically Black men’s choirs from the Progressive Mount Olive Missionary Baptist Church in Albany, NY. The MLK Day program was originally scheduled for January 17 but was postponed due to the pandemic.  Michael distributed a press release and poster for the new date, which is Saturday, March 19^th at 7 PM at the Bennington Performing Arts Center. Michael will also distribute the poster and press release to the full meeting’s listserve.  As approved in December 2021, the meeting will send the $300.00 to the Bennington Peace and Justice Center to help with the expenses for the program.

2022-05.  We briefly discussed meeting for learning. Gabrielle Isenbrand is facilitating the February 27 meeting for learning.  We decided to use the March 27 meeting for learning slot to consider the FCNL priority questions.

The meeting closed with a period of worship.

Michael Wajda

Recording Clerk

Recording Clerk