Peace and Social Concerns Committee, 3/28/2019

Present: Ka R, Diane C, Jane J, Roger C

1.We reviewed our handbook description and found that on the whole it fits us fairly well, though some sections are obsolete and a description of the concert series is missing.

2.Letter writing in May: Diane will contact Sara Webber to ask if the Immigrant Solidarity Group would be willing to arrange the letter writing on May 15..

3. We considered asking the Meeting to allow the Committee to give occasional small grants, up to $50, to organizations or events clearly consistent with Quaker and Mount Toby values, in cases where there is not time to get approval by the meeting for business. The Committee would require the approval of the Meeting Clerk for such grants. We agreed that this would be a good idea, though nothing specific, like proposal wording, was considered. This will be a future agenda item.

4. Another matter having to do with timely action is that sometimes an event, such as the recent attack on a synagogue, calls for a response from the Meeting. Sometimes an event, such as the Frances Crowe celebration, requests Meeting co-sponsorship. We propose that P&SC be authorized, if the Meeting Clerk agrees, to formulate responses, including co-sponsorship by the Meeting and not just our committee, when it seems appropriate. This would be done only in special circumstances. This too was agreed, but with no specifics as to wording a proposal for Meeting. This will be a future agenda item.

5. The Communications Committee is considering allowing committees to have meetings over electronic media, such as Zoom which provides a Skype-like forum for these meetings. There was some talk about contacting the ComCom about this but some thought it would be best to wait until the ComCom gets Meeting approval of the scheme.

6. We looked at our roster of membership and noted that George M has left our committee. Ka R intends to leave our committee also. She also feels that it would be good for us to find a replacement for her as the FCNL representative. She will advertise this opportunity among Mount Toby.

7. We have an 11:40 hour on April 7, with a focus on the Resistance Center for Peace and Justice. Avery is taking charge of the arrangements and expects to have one or more people from the Center in attendance at the 11:40. Diane will check with Avery to offer our help.

8. A discussion ensued about discontent with the Meeting’s response (or lack of it) to the recent attack on the Tree of Life synagogue. Ka will talk with Ben Wiener of the JCA about some way we might proceed with the Jewish issue, for example by having him come here to meet with Friends. How can we support the Jewish community?

9. Flag and seal: we approve the Cambridge statement, suitably modified, such as by moving the third paragraph to the top and replacing “Cambridge” with Mount Toby. Roger will contact Ruth about this. The Race and Class group will arrange an 11:40 on it.

We closed as we had begun, with silence.