Westport Friends Meeting

February 2006 Newsletter

Be what you sing.

:- Saint Augustine

3-5 JHYM Retreat at Westport Meeting.
4 NEYM Committee Day, Providence Mtg.
5 Property Committee, 8:30 AM
Ministry and Counsel, 11:45
10-12 Young Friends Retreat at Wellesley Mtg.
15 Westport Meeting Youth Group, 6-9PM
19 Monthly Meeting for Business, 11:45
21 Market Ministries
25 NEYM Permanent Board, Location TBA
26 Religious Education Committee, 11:45
Peace and Social Committee, 11:45

• 1 Jennifer Lee Moura
• 2 Isabelle Bossom
• 4 Richard Hess
• 4 Gail Nixdorf
• 6 Jason Foley-Marsello
• 10 Jeffrey Hodge
• 12 Isaiah Manley
• 17 Martha Lang
• 22 Cory Foley-Marsello
• 25 Barbara Wicks

Clerk Buddy Baker-Smith reported that Friends Camp materials and forms for next summer are available in the foyer.

Beginning in February and for the rest of the winter Monthly Meeting for Business will be held in the Community House to conserve heat and to keep warmer!

Ministry and Counsel: Steven Correia, Clerk, reported that a minute of appreciation for Frankie and Stewart Kirkaldy would accompany their transfer of membership to Middlebury Friends Meeting. (The Kirkaldy’s have retired and relocated to Vermont earlier this fall.)

Finance Committee: Greg Marsello, Clerk, reported that the final balance sheet for the 2005 budget year will be available at the February Monthly Meeting for Business. The second reading of the 2006 Budget was read and discussed.

A concern was raised regarding our Meeting’s earmarked contribution to FUM for 2006. Friends agreed to hold off sending, or to withdraw a budgeted contribution to FUM until after NEYM Annual Sessions in August. Specifically, our Meeting wants to determine what steps NEYM will take after gathering input from other meetings in New England over the past year and what changes FUM might consider as well to its employment policy.

The Annual 2006 Budget was approved following discussion.

Property Committee: Recommended to Monthly Meeting that the committee previously appointed to study the future use of the Meeting’s Residence needs to be reactivated. Following discussion, Friends agreed and appointed Steve Correia, Buddy Baker-Smith, Gail Nixdorf, Mark Bauer, Eliza Miley, Barbara Wicks and Martyn Little, convener.

Book Fair Committee: As everyone knows, our hardworking Book Fair Committee has traditionally gone about its work quietly over the years. To help keep their important work more noticeable within the meeting, Friends agreed that in the future the Book Fair Committee would also be called upon to offer a report at business meetings along with other standing committees.

Our annual Booksale is only five months away! The work of sorting and pricing goes on year-round, but more help is needed. Please speak with Mark Bauer for details on how you can help.

The Westport Arts Council is requesting venues in Central Village where sponsored artists can perform or exhibit. The Council seeks permission to list approved venues on their Web site so that artisans can choose which location would work best. A concern was raised citing our Quaker testimony and opposition to gambling, realizing that lottery proceeds fund a major portion of the Massachusetts Arts Council, which in turn funnels moneys to local communities. Friends agreed to be listed on the Westport Arts Council Web site for artisans and to serve as a venue for those receiving grants from non-lottery sources only, such as the Helen Ellis Trust Fund.

A Second Sunday Discussion entitled “Sharing Worship and Community at Westport Meeting” was held Jan 8th with 24 Friends participating. The discussion was lively, spiritually centered and fruitful. Ministry and Counsel welcomes additional input and suggestions for similar programs in the future.

Please note that Bill Nixdorf has a new mailing address: 191 Cumberland Ave, Asheville, NC 28801. Cell number: 828-582-4975. Web address: http://www.positionbuilders.com.

Gretchen Reports: Four teens (Chris, Keith, Katey and Jeremy) and Gretchen took a road trip to Providence on Jan 18th to visit with Noah Merrill, Executive Director of AFSC's SENE Office. We got a little lost, but had a great time listening to Jeremy and Keith create "worst ever" covers for songs, “already bad to begin with,” on the way over. After sharing supper together, Noah talked to us about SENE's counter recruitment campaign efforts. We learned a lot, including: The US Military spends $5 billion per year on advertising for recruitment. And, one third of all women in the military report being sexually assaulted while enlisted. We definitely hope to return to Providence in the next few months to help Noah with poster art and the mural painting on the office wall. We may also become involved in the counter recruitment campaign in some way. We'll keep you posted.

Our next Wednesday night meeting will be a MOVIE NIGHT on February 15, from 6-9pm, beginning with Chris showing us a long-promised (!!) video of the robot he and his teammates created and compete with around the east coast. After that, we have decided to watch "Born into Brothels," an incredible documentary about a photographer who teaches a group of children in Calcutta, India how to take photos of life in the red light district. As always, supper will be provided, and Gretchen is available to drive teens home afterwards. All young people in grades 6-12 are welcome to join us. If you have any questions, call 508-997-0940 or email gretchen@jymretreats.org.

Reminder: The new Westport Friends Meeting Directory is available in the foyer of the Meetinghouse!

Weekend retreats for adults are available for spiritual renewal, contemplation and education at the following Quaker retreat centers. Perhaps one will interest you! Woolman Hill (413-774-3431. http://www.woolmanhill.org)
Feb 3-5 Couples Enrichment.
March 17-19 Creative Dialogue About Imprisonment
April 21-23 Nurturing, sharing, inviting the mystical experience.
May 5-7 The Practice of Presence in Poetry
Powell House (518-794-8811. http://www.powellhouse.org)
Feb 10-12 Food for Fire: Breaking into the Power of Quakerism
Feb 17-19 Responding to Grief
Feb 24-26 Clerking: Serving the Community with Joy and Confidence.
March 17-19 Embracing Community, Joy and Spirit through song with Annie and Peter-Blood Patterson.
March 24-26 Serving as Elder: Grounding the Life of the Meeting.
Pendle Hill (610-566-4507. http://www.pendlehill.org)
Feb 3-5 Kazantzakis’ Zorba the Greek as Nietzschian Parable.
Feb 10-12 100 Things To Do Before You Hit 100!
Feb 13-16 Activism and Contemplation: Where is the meeting place?
March 3-5 Walking cheerfully when answering to suffering.
March 6-9 Restoration: A short course with John Calvi.

Please send items for Newsletter to Kevin Lee. kevin@jymretreats.org. 508-994-1638

Posted by Greg Stone at March 7, 2006 03:03 PM