Westport Friends Meeting

MONTHLY MEETING HIGHLIGHTS

Congratulations to Eliza and Mark Miley on the birth of their second child! Aodhagán Drummond Miley, a boy, was born on June 21, 2007, weighing 7 pounds, 4 ounces!

Deana Chase reported that the town bench will be placed on the Meeting’s property sometime this month somewhere near the Paul Cuffe Memorial.

Nominating Committee reported by Kevin Lee. The committee presented the first reading. Discussion followed and Friends agreed to present the report again for a final reading and consideration of approval at the next monthly meeting.

A Friend raised a concern about proper maintenance of Westport Meeting‘s records. Following a period of discussion, Friends agreed that Buddy Baker-Smith, Deana Chase, Drew Lizak and Emily Sutton would be named as an ad-hoc committee to develop a plan to identify and gather Meeting records that should be sent to the Yearly Meeting Archives in Providence.

Another Friend expressed concern about the state of our Meeting’s Library collection. Friends discussed how the lack of an updated, computerized inventory hampers the use of, additions to, and subtractions from our bookshelves. After much discussion Friends agreed to hire one or more young adults at $9.00 per hour for up to 55 hours or $495. The task will begin with our current Meetinghouse and back-room bookshelves and, if there is time, moving on to the archived materials stored in the Meetinghouse balcony.

Meeting approved hiring Katey Baker-Smith with her laptop to immediately begin this project. If there are any other young adults interested in helping inventory our library books please call Deana Chase (508-636-8980) who was designated as the contact person on this project.

Note: Please check if you have books at home that belong to the Meeting and consider returning them so that they can be cataloged. A box marked “Returned Library Books” has been placed in the Meetinghouse foyer. Please don’t return borrowed books to the shelves at this time. Thanks!

In other business Friends approved that the July business meeting be rescheduled to July 22nd in order to allow recovery from the Book Fair which will be held on Saturday, July 14!

Ministry and Counsel: Steven Correia, Clerk, reported that Aliza Correia and Genevieve Athearn-Hess will serve as mike runners during Frankie Kirkaldy’s memorial service on July 8th at 2:00 PM.

Ministry and Counsel is surveying meeting members and attenders for their suggestions on possible topics and times for having a “Second Sunday” discussion group on the traditions and practices of Friends. Survey sheets are available in the meetinghouse. For further information please speak with Steve Correia or Gretchen Baker-Smith.

Finance Committee: (Received apart from business meeting) Greg Marsello, Clerk, reports that Finance Committee continues to work on transitioning the various restricted and unrestricted accounts. A status report will be made at the July Business Meeting. Finances remain stable. After the Book Fair, the Finance Committee will be better able to report on the overall finances of the Meeting. The next Finance Committee Meeting is July 22nd at 8:30 am.

Property Committee: Dave Sutton reported that work on replacing the roof on the meetinghouse will begin on June 25th and will be completed within two to three days. Work on the Resident basement will begin July 16th and shingling for the same dwelling is scheduled for mid-August.

Book Fair Committee: (Received apart from business meeting) Tent-raising for the Book Fair will be on July 5th, with the 6th reserved as a rain date if needed. (Note: The early tent-raising date allows the smaller tent to be used as needed during the memorial service for Frankie Kirkaldy on July 8th.) The larger main tent will go up on Wednesday, July 11th at 5:00 PM. Friends are also encouraged to visit our Meeting’s Web site at www.westportquakers.org for additional Book Fair information.

Religious Ed Committee: (Received apart from business meeting) Betty Ann Lee, clerk reminds Friends that First Day School has ended for the year. A Meeting/FDS picnic is scheduled for September 9th, and FDS classes will begin again on September 16th. The next meeting of the Religious Ed Committee will be on August 26th following worship.

Peace and Social Concerns Committee: Deana Chase reported that the summer conversations series which is sponsored by Allen’s Neck, Smith Neck and our Meeting, will begin on Thursday, June 28th at the Apponegansett Friends Meetinghouse in Dartmouth. Please see Meeting Calendar on reverse side for next Conversation, or visit www.summerconversations.org for detailed information about the program and presentations.

SPECIAL BOOK FAIR NEWS:

Friends are reminded that our annual Book Fair on July 14th will require everyone’s help. We also need help on days before the Book Fair setting up rented tables, hanging signs, general cleaning/sweeping, hauling trash to the dumpster and sorting out cardboard for recycling. On Book Fair day, work begins promptly at 7 AM and continues throughout the day. We need people for hauling boxes to the tents, pickup trucks and people to unpack boxes and set books onto tables. Your baked goodies for the food table are especially needed! Helpers under the food tent are also needed to prepare food and wait on the pubic. Please speak with Betty Ann Lee about baked goods that are needed.

The Book Fair Committee reminds us that the work of our annual fundraising project does not end on July 14th, but continues at various times for the following two weeks until everything is sold and cleaned up. Please speak with Mark Bauer or Deana Chase on ways you can assist before, during and following the Book Fair.

This year Friends who use email will be sent a reminder about tent-raising dates and times, and any last minute preparation changes that need to be made. If your email address has changed recently or is different than what is printed in the Meeting Directory please let Kevin Lee know. Thanks!

Thanks to Steve Correia, Recording Clerk, for sharing his notes for this Newsletter. Thanks also to Alice Mercer-Medeiros for mailing Newsletters each month!

Kevin Lee, editor. 508-994-1638 kevin@jymretreats.org