Westport Friends Meeting

October 2006 Newsletter

Ah! Well away!
Seasons flower
and fade.
- Lord Alfred Tennyson

• Clerk: Buddy Baker-Smith, 508-997-0940


• Ministry and Counsel Clerk: Steven Correia, 508-999-3798


• Friends In Residence: Emily Hoeffel and David Sutton, 508-636-4963

• 1 Property Committee, 8:30


• Ministry and Counsel, 11:45


• 7 Memorial Service for Ruth Howland at 2:00 PM


• (See details next column)


• 14 NEYM Permanent Board, TBA


• 15 Monthly Meeting for Business, 11:45


• 17 Market Ministries


• 20-22 Young Friends Retreat, Portland Mtg


• 29 Fall Clean-up Day following worship. Pizza provided for lunch. Please join us and help out!


• Note: Book sorting continues every Thursday from 1-3 PM.

• 1 Oscar Martinez Cardenas
• 6 Frank Lepreau
• 5 Holly Rebello (10/5/88)
• 15 Owen Thomas Vieira (1st!)
• 21 Jeanne Robinson
• 24 Nancy Dubler
• 28 Laura Bilodeau
• 30 Jackie Bullis

Clerk Buddy Baker-Smith reported that the Book Fair Committee expressed its appreciation for all meeting members, attenders and area residents who helped make this years annual Book Fair a success!

Nominating Committee: The proposed slate of committee members and positions was presented by Kevin Lee for consideration by business meeting. (Please see sheet attached.) Because the Nominating process is behind schedule this year, Buddy Baker-Smith, Clerk of Meeting, asked if Friends would consider only one reading of the Nominating Committee’s report. Friends minuted their approval. NomCom noted that the Treasurer is also nominated as a Meeting Trustee. Friends agreed that this would not be an issue as long as all Trustee actions are approved by business meeting.

NomCom also recommended to business meeting that Peace and Social Concerns Committee be laid down due to low interest. A number of individual Friends remain committed and continue to witness to peace and social justice issues as led, but not as a part of the committee itself. After a period of discussion, Friends minuted the following: “Meeting approved that further discernment is needed before laying down Peace and Social Concerns Committee. The recommendation to lay down the committee will be posted in the newsletter and the meeting will take this up as an item for the October business meeting.”

Ministry and Counsel: Steven Correia, Clerk, distributed “An Introduction to Quaker Process,” which describes how Friends practice the use of discernment in their business meetings. The document was created by members of our own Ministry and Counsel Committee and is intended to help guide us as we discuss potentially difficult topics, especially our meeting’s response to the FUM Minute. See copy on second page and on our Web site.

A Memorial Service for Ruth Howland will be held in the Meetinghouse on Saturday, October 7th at 2:00 PM. Buddy Baker-Smith, Clerk of Meeting, will officiate. Friends are asked to bring goodies and sweets (in honor of Ruth!) for fellowship after the service. Please contact June Correia (508-999-3798) who will coordinate refreshments.

Finance Committee: Reported by Greg Marsello, Clerk, and Deana Chase, Treasurer: Generally finances are strong, but offerings are down substantially from the previous year.

Finance will send $100 to college students in the fall and winter and will recommend sending letters or a care package in the spring. Finance Committee is continuing to explore which insurance company would best meet our needs in the future.

The meetings books will be audited at the end of fiscal year 2006. A draft of the FY 07 budget will be ready for the December business meeting. Committees will receive a summary of their 2006 budget and funds expended. During October committees are asked to review their summaries and to communicate with Finance Committee what their needs are for FY 07.

Property Committee: At their last meeting the Committee welcomed Dave and Emily Sutton as the Meeting’s new Friends In Residence. Dave, reporting for the committee, highlighted recent work: Routine repairs to the residence have either been completed or are in progress; repairs to gravestones are scheduled and replacement of damaged ceiling tiles in one of the classrooms is also planned. Repairs to Community House storm windows and work on the Residence roof will be scheduled soon too.

Property Committee has placed suggestion boxes in the Meetinghouse and the Community House. Friends are encouraged to use the boxes and/or speak with members of Property Committee directly.

Last month Katey Baker-Smith arrived in Bolivia to do volunteer work among children with the Sister Servants of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Katey has remained in contact with family via email and text messaging. Katey will return home just before Thanksgiving.

Friends are reminded that all scheduling and matters related to buildings and grounds should be directed to Emily and David Sutton, Friends In Residence.

Quakers on the Internet – Then and Now!

• gfox@roudyfriends.org
• margaretfell@judgenot.net
• willypen@nosword.com
• liashicks@splitsville.net
• Woolman@simplicity.org

(from Quaker Lite 2_, by Stan Banker)

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

Return to where report was first mentioned.

Nominating Committee report

Westport Monthly Meeting Committees September 2006 - July 2007

Clerk: Howard Baker-Smith 04-07

Recording Clerk: Steven Correia 04-07 Alternate: Melinda Foley-Marsello 06-09

Treasurer: Deana Chase 04-07

Trustees: Howard Baker-Smith, Deana Chase, Frank Lepreau

Newsletter: Kevin Lee 04-07

Newsletter Assistants: Alice Mercer Medeiros, Joseph Bossom

Statistician: Rebecca Lee 06-09

Meeting Historian: Drew Lizak

Greeter: Elizabeth Lee Alternate: Gail Nixdorf, Martyn Little

Book Sale: Mark Bauer, Deana Chase, Barbara Wicks, Blair Tatman, Drew Lizak, Richard Anderson, Eliza Miley,
Stewart Kirkaldy-Emeritus

Market Ministries: Barbara Wicks, J.R. Bullis, Carol Guay

Gardener: Cynthia Brenner

Representatives:
Yearly Meeting Nominating: Yearly Meeting Ministry and Council: Marion Athearn
Quarterly Meeting: Deana Chase Quarterly Meeting (Alternate): Gail Nixdorf

Finance Committee: (includes Treasurer and Trustees)
Howard Baker-Smith, Deana Chase 04-07, Martyn Little 05-08, June Correia 04-07, Drew Lizak 04-07, Greg Marsello 05-08,
Jason Moura 06-09, Frank Lepreau 06-09

Ministry and Council: (includes Recorded Minister Kevin Lee)
Steven Correia 05-07, June Correia 04-09, Mark Bauer 04-09, Marion Athearn 05-08, Jo Devlin 04-07, Gretchen Baker-Smith 06-09,
Gail Nixdorf 06-09

Nominating Committee:
Beth Bauer 05-08, Deana Chase 06-09, Kevin Lee 05-08, Frank Lepreau 04-07, Amy Lee-Vieira 06-09, Gail Nixdorf 06-09

Peace and Social Concerns Committee:
Recommendation: That the committee be laid down with Deana Chase acting as contact person for peace and social concerns. Monthly meeting will consider this recommendation at the October business meeting.

Property Committee: (includes Friends in Residence, David and Emily Sutton)
Howard Baker-Smith 06-09, Stuart MacGregor 06-09, Martyn Little 00-07, Jennifer Lee Moura 04-07, Jay Vieira 06-09, Barbara Wicks 05-08, Joseph Bossom 06-09, Blair Tatman 04-07

Religious Education Committee: (includes First Day Infant and Toddler Teacher-Sara Mercer-Medeiros)
Elizabeth Lee 05-08, Amy Lee-Vieira 06-09, Beth Bauer 04-07, Alice Mercer-Medeiros 06-09, Gretchen Baker-Smith 06-09,
Lee MacGregor 06-09, Phyllis Brightman 06-09

Library Committee:
Drew Lizak, Barbara Wicks, Joseph Bossom, Phyllis Brightman (consultant)

Hospitality:
Marjorie Bilodeau, Alice Mercer-Medeiros, Melinda Foley-Marsello,

Web Site Committee:
Kevin Lee, Howard Baker-Smith, Steven Correia, Greg Stone, Tristan Athearn-Hess

Return to where report was first mentioned.

Posted by Greg Stone at November 29, 2006 07:53 PM