Current Newsletter - New Garden Friends Meeting
Transcription
Current Newsletter - New Garden Friends Meeting
The New Garden Friend Newsletter of New Garden Friends Meeting February 25, 2015 DONATIONS NEEDED > THE SPRING FLEA MARKET Coming soon .... March 13-15 PFF Spring Retreat Saturday, March 21 and 28: The Flea Market A note from Young Friends: It's that time of the year again, and the spring sale is upon us! We're now seeking donations that are in good quality to be sorted and sold by the High School Young Friends to fundraise for their spring trip. We've begun setting up Norvell Hall, with some slight changes to the layout as a result of the recent leak that was in the carpeted area. We can't wait for the sale, so help us make it happen! For more information contact Alyzza at ([email protected]). Piedmont Friends Fellowship’s Spring Retreat/Annual Meeting held at New Garden, Friday March 13 - Sunday March 15. Mary Kay Glazer will present adult programming entitled "Who are You, Who am I: Telling Our Spiritual Stories". Meals, Fellowship, programming for youth and childcare provided; registration fee is $40.00 for adults, youth under 18 are free. See details at the PFF website for details, (piedmontfriendsfellowship.org), or contact Karen Garraputa, ([email protected]), 706-1715. Community ID Drive set for February 27 Are you interested in being a Spiritual Nurturer? The Social Concerns Committee invites New Gardeners to attend the FaithAction International House Community ID drive on February 27, at First Presbyterian Church (706 N. Greene Street) beginning at 9:00 a.m. The FaithAction ID is a community-based identification card which gives new immigrants, homeless citizens, and other members of our community access to a form of identification when traditional government IDs are unavailable or prohibitive. The card is recognized by the Greensboro Police Department as an effective means of creating trust and cooperation in our community; several local congregations have supported and participated in the program as well. Please consider supporting this initiative by attending the drive and purchasing an ID card for $10. Participants must attend a short orientation (held at 10:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.) to receive a card. Information: http://faithaction.org/services/id_initiative/ or contact Scott Gibson at ([email protected]) To learn more about this 2015 – 2017 program, please come to the Testing the Waters Retreat at Jamestown Friends Meeting (Greensboro) Saturday, April 18 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Come meet the core teachers of the “On Being a Spiritual Nurturer” program in a one-day contemplative retreat format. Program includes: - Introduction to ‘spiritual nurture’ and how it serves Quaker meetings. - Reflection on spiritual disciplines, prayer, and cultivating the inward life. - Small group experience to practice close listening and mutual support. - Question & Answer period about the program. Snacks, beverages, and light lunch provided. Free-will donations are gladly accepted to help defray expenses and the travel costs of the core teachers. For information? Call Beckey Phipps, Program Coordinator, Phone: 781-718-9928; email (beckey@schoolofthespirit. Birthdays February 26 27 27 27 27 27 28 March 1 1 3 3 Weekly scheduled meeting calendar Dianne Powel James Clotfelter Grady Howard William Rainwater Edwin White John White Soren Blue Wednesday February 25 6:00 p.m. Choir Rehearsal / Choir Room 6:00 p.m. HSYF “Whine & Cheese” / Qave 6:30 p.m. Mindfulness Meditation 7:00 p.m. Ministry & Counsel / Parlor Monday March 2 12:15 p.m. Poetry Group / Parlor 7:30 p.m. Meditation / Parlor Ken Davis Jo Poole Julia Kimmel Beth Wilson Needed for Kicks for Kids (children) & for Downtown Friends (individuals without housing): clean, gently used gym or walking shoes; hats, scarves, gloves/mittens; socks for shoe sizes 9 & up; backpacks; LED flashlights. Please leave items in "Kicks for Kids" bin in NGFM Connector. Thank you, Barbara Leland ([email protected]) 1 New Garden Friends Meeting Minutes of Monthly Meeting for Business Second Month, First Day, 2015 Clerk Mary Louise Smith opened the Meeting with a reading from Britain’s Quaker Faith and Practice, which was followed by a period of silence. Quaker Relations Piedmont Friends Fellowship’s (PFF) Annual Meeting and the first Annual Meeting of the Piedmont Friends Yearly Meeting (PFYM) will be held during the second weekend of March at New Garden Friends Meeting. There may be hospitality requests in connection with that event. The Friends General Conference (FGC) Annual Meeting will be held at Western Carolina University the first full week of July. There may be a need for up to $2000 for travel assistance, particularly to encourage young friends to attend. In 2009, $5000 from the Blaylock Fund was approved to assist with travel expenses. That allocation is now down to $1500. It is anticipated that an additional $2000 will be needed this summer, although funds could be used beyond this year. The additional funds would also come from the Blaylock Fund. This request was approved. It was reported that three Quaker organizations have held recent meetings: the Quaker House Board, New Garden Quarterly Meeting and Representative Body for PFYM. A question was asked about where PFF gets its money, since it does not receive askings from members. It was noted that PFF does ask for financial support from member Meetings, although it does not assess askings. Members pay an affiliation fee of about $600. Hayes Ratledge reported on several issues being discussed within the North Carolina Yearly Meeting (FUM). The three main issues are: 1) askings, 2) Quaker practice, and 3) other Quaker affiliations. The Yearly Meeting’s Finance and Stewardship Committee has approved a budget for the next three months. Significant reductions in Yearly Meeting expenses have been made already. Askings for member Meetings are being reduced from $118/ member to $93/member. Representative Body will meet on March 7, 2015. There appears to be general agreement that members of Meetings that do not give 100% of askings will not be permitted to serve on Yearly Meeting committees. New Garden continues to review its membership records, an initiative led by Catherine Eagles. Meeting minutes are being reviewed back to 1964. It is expected to be another six to eight weeks before this project is completed. It was noted that New Garden has gone through this exercise a number of times in the past. Minutes from the January Monthly Meeting were approved with corrections. Ministry and Counsel Debbie Parvin has requested that her membership be transferred from New Garden Friends Meeting to Fancy Gap Friends Meeting, since Fancy Gap is more convenient to her current residence. Sarah Hart has called the Meeting’s office to request a transfer of her membership to First Friends Meeting. She would like that transfer to take place before her marriage in June. Letters will be sent to both Debbi and Sarah confirming those changes. The transition team is meeting regularly and making good progress. The first listening session was well attended. The goal is to have a time-limited process while giving everyone interested an opportunity to participate. An advertisement has been placed in Quaker Life and in the next edition of Friends Journal. Ads will also be placed in many other places. First Friends Meeting has issued an invitation to a third threshing session to discuss North Carolina Yearly Meeting (FUM) issues. The previous sessions have been affirming for those who have attended. The Yearly Meeting’s New Committee will be making its recommendations soon. Finance and Stewardship The Committee provided a report on the 2014 year-end results. A copy of the summary of income and expenses is attached as Attachment 1. Income for the year, cash and stock, exceeded the budget by $10,000-12,000. Investment income was about as expected. Total income was in excess of the budgeted amount. Expenses for the year were greater than budgeted expenses, primarily because of the work on the air conditioning in the worship room. Total income exceeded expenses by about $50,000 for the year. Religious Education It was noted that the First Day Forum begins at 9:45. A packet of information about Little Friends has been sent out along with registration forms. Enrollment is open to the public this month. This publicity may result in more participation in A Child’s Garden as well. A format has been developed for First Day classes, including the Brotherhood Class. This will be an aid to First Day teachers and may encourage new teachers to volunteer. Appreciation was expressed for the end of the week comments that are being sent out. House Quotes have been received from Carpet Supermart for new carpet in the meetinghouse. The Committee proposes to re-carpet Norville Hall from the fireplace hearth to within 1½ feet of the doors, leaving room to put the bookcases against the wall. Installing a remnant was considered, but it would be expensive to finish the edges. Volunteers can 2 help to take up the existing carpet and glue and to polish the floor. Carpet Supermart will honor a prior quote for commercial grade carpet with no pad for $790, which includes removal of the old carpet. The price with a pad would be $1050. They are prepared to install the new carpet within a week after the order is placed. The proposal to replace the Norville Hall carpet with no pad was approved. Next month, the Committee will provide estimates for costs to add or replace carpeting in various parts of the meetinghouse, including the hallway, the library, the office and various classrooms. The old carpet in some of these rooms is both a safety hazard and esthetically unpleasing. There followed a discussion about the possibility of using vinyl planking or of using carpet tiles. There was also discussion about carpeting the crib room and whether there is a safety justification, given that there are not currently any toddlers using it. The current quote for that room, with the best padding available, is about $1300. If carpet in stock is used, that price could be $1000-$1180. Carpet Supermart is still honoring the quotes it provided last summer. Suggestions were made to use stain master carpeting in the crib room and to implement a no shoes rule. Karin Honeycutt and Janet Inmon agreed to help determine the specifics of the carpet needed. After further discussions, the Committee will come back to the Meeting with additional recommendations. mostly out of town. He reported that Jane Ballus is moving on Tuesday to assisted living, where he intends to visit her in the next couple of weeks. In response to a question about Barbara Walker, Bill reported that she is in assisted living at Friends Homes. Other Business Friends should hold Ava Houston in the light. Her husband’s uncle died recently, her aunt was hospitalized the next day and her step-son, who suffers from epilepsy, has also been hospitalized. A concern was raised about security cameras in the hall of the meetinghouse and whether they are needed or appropriate? The cameras allow CPI to see who sets off a motion detector. CPI also has the ability to speak to people in the building. Following some discussion, it was decided to revisit the need for these security features at a future meeting. Following a moment of silence, Meeting for business was closed to be reconvened on March 1, 2015. Mary Louise Smith Presiding Clerk Seekers’ Group Friends were reminded that the Seekers’ Group begins today from 3:00-5:00, the first of four First Day meetings. Anyone interested is encouraged to attend; it is not just for newcomers. Friends were asked to invite people they know who have been attending Meeting for worship who might be interested. Rockingham Monthly Meeting Dot Mason reported on her recent visit with Rockingham Monthly Meeting in Wentworth, NC on January 2, 2015. The Meeting meets for free in an old hotel, next to the tavern where they used to meet. The Meeting is getting smaller due to the age and declining health of its members. There were five members, plus Dot, at Meeting for worship that day. The Meeting has a budget of about $5000 and provides over $4000 in outreach, since it has no staff and no building. Outreach funds go to a number of Quaker organizations, but the bulk is for Rockingham County needs. The Meeting has withdrawn from NCYM (FUM), but is still a member of PFF. It is interested in PFYM, but does not have enough members to send as representatives. Dot noted that Ron and Jane Norwood are dealing with significant health problems. Meeting members feel isolated from the greater Quaker community and the Meeting is grateful for visitors. Pastoral Minister Report Bill Hamilton reported that he continues to enjoy his pastoral visits. He has participated in a number of funerals, 3 Carl Semmler Recording Clerk 4