Bennington Friends Meeting

Bennington Friends Meeting for Worship with Attention to Business

October 15, 2023

Present: Timmy Bullock, clerk, Auberta Galusha, Gabrielle Isenbrand, Priscilla Tracy, Juliet Wright, Ed Cady, Alison Levie, and Michael Wajda.

We gathered in the Senior Center for meeting for worship with attention to business. 

The meeting opened with a period of worship during which the clerk read the following quotation: 

 The equanimity with which we all allow our religion to be of no real use in a crisis is disconcerting.

                                                                        Pierre Ceresole

The recording clerk read the minutes from our September meeting for business.

2023-26.  Upon hearing the minutes of last month’s meeting for business with the young people in our meeting, we decided to pursue establishing an ad hoc committee of meeting adults and young people to research service options locally and farther afield. We will consider the formation of such a committee at the beginning of the new year. The clerk will speak with the Newbolds about the plan to establish such a committee.

2023-27.  Priscilla Tracy reported for Ministry and Counsel. The committee recommends that the meeting consider organizing a New Testament Bible study. Following some discussion, the interest is more on a scholarly approach, rather than the personal Quaker Bible Study method. Possibly six to seven Friends expressed interest. The meeting asked Michael to explore with the Earlham School of Religion and Woodbrooke the possibilities for such a study, especially how we might focus the content. Michael will report his findings at our next meeting for business.  

2023-28.  We reminded ourselves that we agreed to use Noah Merrill’s message given to this past summer’s NEYM sessions as a future meeting for learning. We agreed that Michael will circulate the message as a PDF to the meeting for our November 26 meeting for learning. Michael will facilitate that meeting.

2023-29.  Michael Wajda brought a recommendation that the meeting consider revamping its website. Michael is working with Jon Watts, founder of the popular online Quaker video project QuakerSpeak, who has started a new Quaker media organization called Thee Quaker. Thee Quaker is producing weekly Quaker podcasts and plans to work with meetings to produce videos for their websites. Thee Quaker can also help to arrange a total website revamp with a Quaker website developer. Michael would like to explore with Thee Quaker what it would entail both programmatically and financially to redo our website and to bring that information back to the meeting. The meeting approved.

2023-30. The meeting reviewed its plans to provide the food for the October 29 Bennington weekly Sunday Supper organized by the 2^nd Congregational Church. The Sunday Suppers are now providing between 120-150 meals weekly to families in need. Because of the amount of food required, the Bennington County Peace and Justice organization is partnering with us to provide the October 29 meal. Timmy has been coordinating the quantity of prepared foods being offered by individuals in the meeting, along with the Peace and Justice Center. She will communicate the food quantities that are still lacking to Peace and Justice to see if those folks can fulfill those needs. If not, Timmy will reach out to Marsh with what’s needed. Several meeting members will join the Newbold family as servers for that Sunday dinner too. 

The meeting closed with a period of worship.

Michael Wajda

Recording Clerk

Sunday, Oct. 8, 2023

Present were Priscilla Tracy, clerk of M&C, Timmy Bullock, clerk ex-officio and Juliet Wright  

Pastoral concerns discussed.

23-8 Ministry and counsel will be asking for a reflection on a confidential request for funds. 

23-9 Ministry and counsel would like to recommend that we consider a bible study that focuses on the New Testament. This would likely involve an outside facilitator.