Peace and Social Concerns meeting, 4/20/15

Present: Susan C, Beth A (clerking), George M, Dan G, Carol L, Adele S, Roger C, Chris M.

We began with a time of silence and meditating on the Light we find in the darkness.

1.We considered changing the name of our committee but did not agree on a name, and we decided to drop the question, continuing with the current name although it seems imperfect. We agreed that what we do is more important than what we call ourselves. (Susan clerked this section of the meeting.)

2.Susan, Carol, and Roger, who spent time with the Pipeline Pilgrimage (http://pipelinepilgrimage.org/), spoke of the spirit of the walk and of the people on it.  It was organized by the Climate Working Group of Young Adult Young Friends of NEYM.  Mount Toby people involved in walking or other ways included: Susan C, Carol L, Roger C, Alice G, Andy G, Dorrie M, Jane and Kit, Will and Laura and Blue, Stephen C and Suzette S-C, Isaac and Sorrel, Ken and Jan, Ruth H, Ben R, Jennie and Jasper, Melissa P, Fred L, and Margaret C.

3.The talk about the Nonviolent Peace Force, given by co-founder Mel Duncan in Northampton, and cosponsored with our committee, was a great success.  Mel gave a very articulate and inspiring talk.

4.Letter writing on May 11: Chris offered to do it, using FCNL as a source or perhaps on the carbon tax issue. (How to do it is at http://mounttoby.quaker.org/psc/letter-writing_how-to.html)

5.Roger told of the developments around the concert series.  All of the outstanding issues have been solved and we will proceed to go to the May MfB with a request to proceed.

6.Not Bread Alone, at the First Congregational Church in Amherst: Dan will write a newsletter article and make a Sunday announcement offering this opportunity for Friends to volunteer there on second Saturdays, 9:30-2:00.  Dan offers to oversee and manage this arrangement, to find volunteers, and so on.

7.George reported that the Diaper Drive is continuing, that Friends are continuing to contribute diapers, and the drive has been a success.

8.The film series ended for the year with Beth’s big event and was a good series. Ideas are solicited for next year’s series.

9.Shall we arrange a monthly book reading group?  If so, on what topic or what book?  We will leave this for the time being, giving us a month to think about it.

10.Dan led a discussion on Easter, about the Rights of Nature. One consequence of that is a feeling that the Full Moon Group should be restarted, and he will put an article in the Newsletter inviting participation in it, where the Rights of Nature are sure to be a topic.  It seems like this topic will be an appropriate one for a session at the annual retreat, and it is also likely to come up in the discussions that the Land Use Committee is planning about our 100+ acres uphill.

11.The proposed 11:40 with Jeff on AFSC will not be held as initially thought. Adele is working on an AFSC presentation, though not for an 11:40 hour.

12.Chris has been researching the proposals for a carbon tax in Massachusetts and he offered explanations about it. Chris will send information to us about it, and we will put it on our next month’s agenda.

13.FCNL will have a video conference call on the topic of mass incarceration, on Tuesday (tomorrow) at 8pm – email christine@fcnl.org to participate.

14.The Nolumbeka Project (nolumbekaproject.org) and the Nonviolent Peace Force (nonviolentpeaceforce.org), were both raised as possible organizations for the “Friends Organizations: Other Organizations” part of the budget, but time ran out to consider them fully tonight.  They will be considered in a future meeting.

15.Chris will clerk our next meeting, on May 18.

We closed with a time of silence.