Bennington Friends Meeting

Bennington Friends Meeting for Worship with Attention to Business

May 19, 2024

Present: Timmy Bullock, Auberta Galusha, Juliet Wright, Julie Snow, 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 1980 quotation from Parker Palmer: 

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 the 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, cited from The Spirit of the Quakers by Geoffrey Durham, p. 189

The recording clerk read the minutes from our March 17 meeting for business for information.

2024-14.  Alison Levie circulated a draft State of the Meeting report that she and Timmy prepared following our meeting for learning to consider the State of Society queries sent by New England Yearly Meeting. The draft reflects well the reflections shared during our meeting for learning in April. Interestingly, it includes some concluding queries addressed to ourselves to reflect further consideration of ways we can continue to grow. It was suggested that we use these concluding queries for a future meeting for learning. The meeting approved the draft as written. Our clerk will forward the report to yearly meeting and Alison will bring it to Northwest Quarterly Meeting.

2024-15. Michael Wajda provided a brief update on our new website. He and Gabrielle have been working on the content since enrolling with the Quaker Meetings Network, the Quaker website hosting service being operated by British Friends. 

Our new website was just launched publicly this month. There is content about Quaker spirituality, a welcome to newcomers, and an events calendar active. There are two embedded QuakerSpeak videos, one entitled “9 Core Quaker Beliefs” and the other entitled “My First Time at Quaker Meeting.” There is also a “Contact Us” option with two choices of topics, Discuss Quaker Beliefs and General Questions. Each topic sends an email to different persons. Currently, General Questions go to Timmy. Quaker Belief questions go to Michael. Any of this can be changed and topics can be added. Michael wondered about adding the option for questions about children in meeting, but didn’t feel we are prepared at this time to address them.

Michael and Gabrielle also are working on a “Quaker Resources” section with links to other Quaker organizations and information. Gabrielle hopes to be able to have some items posted within the next few weeks, while she is recuperating from her foot surgery.

The “intranet” or internal-facing site will take a little longer. They are working on posting the minutes of Ministry and Counsel, Meetings for Business, and financial reports for the past year. They also plan to set up an easy way to for meeting members to get into that part of the site, which will not be public. 

Friends are encouraged to check out the current content of the website and to offer feedback to Gabrielle and Michael. Here is the url: https://benningtonfriends.quakermeeting.org to the new website. The meeting expressed its gratitude to Gabrielle and Michael for their work on this undertaking.

2024-16.  New England Yearly Meeting has arranged for Kenyan Quaker, Getry Agizah, to visit and speak with local meetings here and in New York Yearly Meeting during this month and June. Getry will speak about her experiences of working for peace in the aftermath of the violent Kenyan elections in 2007-2008, and how they used what they learned to create more peaceful elections afterwards. Getry’s experience and guidance may prove valuable to us as we prepare for what may be a time of fraught emotions and tensions before, during, and after our upcoming presidential election. 

Getry will be in this area on Tuesday May 28 and Michael and Alison have agreed to host her at their home with a potluck open to the public. Michael circulated a draft press release about Getry’s visit. We hope that the event will attract as broad an audience as possible. The meeting expressed its support and appreciation to Michael and Alison for hosting this event.

2024-17.  Marsh Hudson-Knapp has circulated a calendar requesting groups to sign up to provide one or more of the Sunday community suppers. Timmy and Michael are recommending that we work with the Peace and Justice group to handle the meal on September 29, which is a fifth Sunday. The Newbold family has already to committed to helping on fifth Sundays, so it is a good fit for our meeting. Our biggest need is to collect enough food for 100 meals and 150 desserts. The meeting approved helping on September 29.

The meeting closed with a period of worship.

Michael Wajda

Recording Clerk

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

Bennington Friends Meeting for Worship with Attention to Business

December 18, 2022

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

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 quote from Parker Palmer:

Here is where Friends can contribute to community by refusing to follow the religious individualism of our times. Behind these new movements lies the assumption that truth is totally subjective – one truth for you, another for me, and never mind the difference. But when we understand truth that way then the truth we are given will have no chance to transform society or ourselves. If we affirm community, we must risk that our partial versions of truth will be enlarged or even made uncouth by the light given to others.

Parker J. Palmer, 1980

The recording clerk read the minutes of our September 18, 2022 meeting for business for information.

2022-24. Priscilla Tracy reported for Ministry and Counsel. The committee is asking the meeting to consider pausing for a moment of worship before we sit down at potlucks. One way would be to hold hands in a circle before going through the line to get our food.  The meeting approves of starting such a practice going forward. 

2022-25.  Alison Levie read the report from the clearness committee that met with Gabrielle Isenbrand following her application for membership. That report is appended to these minutes. The clearness committee and the Ministry and Counsel Committee heartily recommend Gabrielle for membership. The meeting joyfully approves. We will celebrate her becoming a member at our January 8, 2023 potluck.

2022-26.  The meeting then turned to our plans for our January 27-29, 2023 retreat at Woolman Hill. The meeting reaffirmed its approval of the theme, “How Are We Called,” with the three sessions that were outlined in our September minutes. Saturday evening is to be a family fun time. 

We also discussed attendance, room assignments, bedding needs, and meal planning. Michael and Timmy received information about Woolman Hill’s snow policy in case there is a storm on the weekend we have booked.  Woolman Hill does not do refunds if it snows.  If bad weather is known to be coming on that Friday, they can arrange for our group to arrive earlier in the day, or to come Saturday morning after the roads are plowed.  If we get a huge storm that prevents the event from happening at all, they will credit our deposit to apply to a future, re-scheduled retreat so long as it is used within a year.  The full cost for the weekend is $1,800.00 and Juliet has mailed a $500.00 deposit.

Those who are leading sessions will do their own planning.  Michael and Juliet will plan for the family fun night.  Michael, Timmy, and Gabrielle will work on meal planning. Friends are asked to bring their own dinner on Friday evening. Since meeting won’t be happening in Bennington that weekend, Michael will post a message to the meeting listserv and alter the listing in the Bennington 
Banner for that Sunday. Auberta will ask the Senior Center Director to post a sign that we are away that Sunday in case there are any visitors. We are looking forward to a meaningful retreat.

2022-27. Bennington and Wilderness Meetings are responsible for planning the March 4-5, 2023 Northwest Quarterly Meeting, but Wilderness Meeting is not available this time for assistance. Alison Levie is Clerk of Northwest Quarter and explained that there is an expectation that the weekend either be a hybrid event, with some Friends attending in person and some Friends on zoom, or that it be held entirely on zoom. There are questions about continuing the practice of “coffee klatches,” one or two zoom get togethers largely for social purposes, as well as the schedule for the program.  Some program ideas were offered, such as focusing on the recent “Urgent Call to the Religious Society of Friends,” in which Michael Wajda has been deeply involved. 

After wrestling with these questions, we decided that we would be most comfortable doing a one-day Zoom event only on Saturday, March 4.  We would organize the program and meeting for business for that day and encourage Friends to attend their own meetings for worship on Sunday. If the Quarter wants a coffee klatch, we suggest that Interim Meeting organize it. Michael and Timmy will work on the program and bring those ideas back to the meeting. 

2022-28.  Our Treasurer, Juliet Wright, presented a review of our income and expenses so far for this year. Our total assets as of December 17, 2022 are $197,208.17, which is basically $25,000 less than we had at the beginning of 2022 and largely reflects a decrease in value of our Vanguard account. We will take up our regular and special contributions at our January meeting for business, which we decided to move to the fourth Sunday, January 22, 2023.

2022-29.  We have received a request from Meegan Winslow to present to the meeting about refugee resettlement in Bennington. We are interested but have postponed deciding when and how we can make it happen.

The meeting closed with a period of worship.

Michael Wajda

Recording Clerk

Report from the Clearness Committee for Membership of Gabrielle Isenbrand

On Sunday, November 15^th, 2022, a clearness committee composed of Juliet Wright, Auberta Galusha, and Alison Levie met with Gabrielle Isenbrand to consider her request for membership to Bennington Meeting. After settling into worship, we read Gabrielle’s letter requesting membership aloud, so that we all could hold the moving description of her journey to Quakerism as we entered the clearness process.

Gabrielle added to the information she had provided in her letter, describing her very early sense of spirituality, which was most directly fed in nature. Although her family was committed to atheism, even as a teenager she felt a connection to something more, and soon became very involved in Tibetan Buddhism. 

After she started coming to Bennington Meeting and reading Quaker literature, she found herself developing a growing sense of her spirituality. She was raised with negative impressions of Christianity, so initially Quakerism seemed to offer a home that did not require her to be Christian. However, as she read early Quaker writers and engaged with some of the understanding of Christianity within the meeting, she found input for her own growth in that path. She still identifies herself with a universalist perspective, with Jesus as one teacher among many, but welcomes what she is learning about Jesus. She embraces the diversity of religious language found in Quakerism. 

 When we asked what she was hoping to get from the meeting going forward, she talked about her sense that there is so much more for her to learn. She appreciates guidance in knowing where to start and which resources would be most helpful. She is aware that there is much to Quakerism beyond Bennington Meeting and that she has not really experienced much, including the Quarterly and Yearly Meetings. She looks forward to participating more in the larger body. 

In discussing challenges, she mentioned the challenges in community of dealing with individuals that we may find irritating. While she said this had not been much of a problem in Bennington Meeting thus far, she is aware that it is an issue in any community. One time, when a visitor seemed challenging, she was curious how the Quaker way of dealing with irritations might be different. In the ensuing discussion, we agreed that this is a topic with a lot of potential for learning by all of us and might make a good study topic for the meeting.

Gabrielle is open to learning more about her evolving role in the meeting. She expects to contribute financially and is interested in how her strengths might complement the strengths of others. The committee expressed great appreciation for Gabrielle’s willingness to pitch in and help with anything that needs to be done. She already contributes a great deal to the life of the meeting.

We recommend that Bennington Meeting accept Gabrielle into membership. She brings a level of maturity and experience that is both deep and wide. Her eagerness to grow and learn is an inspiration to us all.

Sunday June 12, 2022

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

Pastoral concerns discussed.

2022-06 In light of Wayne Finnegar’s talk, Ministry and Counsel suggests asking the Newbold’s and other teachers how the meeting might effectively talk about peace work in the schools.

2022-07 Ministry and Counsel appreciates the care with which the State of Society Report was undertaken and recommends its approval and the forwarding of the report to the Quarter.

2022-08 Ministry and Counsel suggests, tentatively, the mid-winter date of January 21-22, 2023, for a meeting retreat.  Topic and schedule are to be determined.  

Bennington Friends Meeting for Worship with Attention to Business

Conducted by Zoom

February 21, 2021

Present: Timmy Bullock, clerk, Auberta Galusha, Juliet Wright, Alison Levie, Lucie Mckee, Edward Cady, Joseph Tracy, Priscilla Tracy, and Michael Wajda.

The meeting opened with a period of worship during which the clerk read the following quote from  

Julia Ewen found in the January 2021 issue of Friends Journal:

God gave us two ears and one mouth. It’s a hint. 

The agenda for this meeting was limited to consideration of the 2021 meeting budget and the distribution of the contributions itemized in this budget.

2021-05. The meeting turned its attention to the 2021 budget, which the Treasurer had distributed in advance. The meeting approved the budget and asked the Treasurer to disperse the contributions delineated in the budget, including those allocations to NEYM and NWQM.

Once we are back meeting in person, the meeting affirmed an interest in looking at our budget in the context of our vision for the meeting.

2021-06.  The Treasurer reported of challenges working with the Bank of Bennington and opened a question of changing where we bank.  The meeting will explore this question at a future time.

The meeting closed with a period of worship.

Michael Wajda

Recording Clerk