Hartford Monthly Meeting Newsletter
April, 2006

Do you love one another as becomes the followers of Christ? Do you share each others' joys and burdens? When conflicts arise, do you seek in mutual forgiveness and tenderness to resolve them speedily? Are you careful of the reputation of others? Do you seek beyond all differences of opinion and circumstance for unity in the divine life? - Fourth Query, New England Faith and Practice

Calendar
March 26 11th hour-Martin Wheeler/Caroline Webster-FUM Personnel Policy
April 2 11th hour-Brent Bill, author of Holy Silence: The Gift of Quaker Silence
2-3 pm Memorial Service for Tom Fox, Quaker Christian Peacemaker
Storrs Meetinghouse
April 6 7 pm Worship and Ministry/Pastoral Care/Religious Ed Meetings
April 9 Fellowship Lunch
April 16 Easter Sunday
April 23 11th hour-Rev. Shelley Copeland, Capitol Region Conf of Churches
April 30 11th hour-John Humphries, "Torture as a Moral Issue"
May 6 Learning to Be Peacemakers-NEYM Workshop in Hartford (see below)

Meeting for Worship is held every First Day at 10 am. First Day School for children begins at 9:50 am. On Fifth Sundays, we have Family Meeting when all children and adults worship together.
Mid-week Worship(retired meeting)--every Thursday at 7 pm in the Williams Room.

SILENT PRAYER VIGIL FOR PEACE SECOND THURSDAYS IN THE MEETINGHOUSE; 7 PM ALL ARE WELCOME

Upcoming 11th hours (discussion hour following worship on Sundays)

March 26: Martin Wheeler and Caroline Webster, HMM's reps on NEYM Ministry and Counsel Committee, will lead a discussion of Friends United Meeting's (FUM) personnel policies that require staff and volunteers to be either celibate or in a heterosexual marriage. This discussion will be part of a year-long process of dialogue within the Yearly Meeting, as we discern how best to engage with FUM around our concerns about this policy.

April 2: J. Brent Bill, Quaker minister and author of "Holy Silence: The Gift of Quaker Silence" will be in town to give a course lecture and an evening public presentation at Hartford Seminary. We haven't clarified the focus of his 11th hour, but the description of the Monday evening event

4/23: Rev. Shelley Copeland, Executive Director for Capitol Region Conference of Churches. HMM has asked Rev. Copeland to come and talk with us about the programs and focus of CRCC as we consider whether or not to continue participating as a member congregation. Rev. Copeland will join us for worship and then answer questions following a brief presentation about the CRCC's work.

4/30: "Torture as a Moral Issue" John Humphries will lead a discussion of the evidence that US military and intelligence personnel have engaged in torture as a systematic policy, implicating senior government officials in war crimes. He will discuss the local efforts of Reclaiming the Prophetic Voice, the new National Religious Campaign Against Torture, and the
upcoming conference at Guilford College sponsored by the Quaker Initiative to end Torture (QUIT). How are Hartford Friends called to participate in these initiatives?

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Learning to be Peacemakers on May 6th at Hartford Meetinghouse
You are cordially invited and encouraged to attend the New England Yearly Meeting Christian Education Committee curriculum workshop, which will take place at the Hartford meetinghouse on Saturday, May 6 from 9-4pm.
Workshops include:
1. Quakers Making Peace: The Quaker Peace Testimony and the American Tradition of Nonviolence
2. Putting Faith into Action: Teaching the Peace Testimony into Action
3. Bringing the Peace Testimony Home: A Panel of Teachers and Parents
4. Teaching Children to Be World Citizens: Brief Presentations from around NEYM

The conference is open to all who are interested and would provide a deep well for parents, teachers and would-be teachers to drink from.
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Do You Have One?
Copies of the newly completed Hartford Monthly Meeting Handbook are available in two forms: a hard copy notebook with a colored photo cover ($5-contact Dianne Warner 521-4606) or a PDF version, which can be e-mail to you ( randalldiane@sbcglobal.net for PDF). Copies will be available after meeting for worship. This compilation of facts and how to's about HMM has answers to all your questions about the building, the activities I the building and everything else you have questioned.

Have You Read It? The real test will come when someone asks you how to operate the sound system or how to get a nametag. Please read the handbook and keep it handy for future reference.

Update Your Contact Info
1. E-mail change: please delete w.r.taylor@att.net from your address book and list both Bobbie Taylor and Bill Taylor as williamtaylor@alum.wpi.edu.

2. Correction to the new Directory listing for John and Beverly Stamm: their correct phone number is 953-4823.

3. Lisa Brennan, Shawn Lang's partner, has returned from Lesotho, Africa where she directed Habitat for Humanity for 3 years. Shawn, Lisa and Corbett live in 151 Maplewood Ave.

Development Committee's March 9th Meeting

The committee reviewed the results of a survey of meeting members and attenders regarding the meeting budget and attitudes toward contributions. Sixty-two people responded from a mailing to 200 households. Following the initial work of several volunteers, Jamie and Kiki had tabulated the data on the multiple choice questions and had compiled a listing of comments regarding the Virginia Hicks bequest. Additional written comments, which were extensive, still need to be listed for the development committee to review. The committee considered how to further engage members and attenders regarding how our financial giving is influenced by the meeting's ministry.

We will immediately provide the survey responses to the Finance Committee regarding Virginia Hicks bequest. We agreed that it would be helpful for us to reserve an 11th hour to discuss endowments and other matters concerning giving to the Meeting, and reserved June 4th as the first available 11th hour. We will recommend that Finance Committee consider making envelopes addressed to the assistant treasurer available in a prominent place in the meetinghouse in order to facilitate mailing a contribution.

We are very grateful to the meeting for being so responsive to the survey. We will meet again on 10 April 2006, 7 pm, at Mary Lee Morrison's home.

First Day School News
Thanks to teachers: Lynn Johnson, Eileen McCarthy, Anna Moberly, Diane Randall, Roger Catlin, Marty Donovan, Linda Smith, Debbie Humphries, Dave Thompson who have all worked with our First Day School since January.

Beginning in April, First Day School will begin a unit on Earth Care Witness. Donn Weinholtz and Jeff Russell will teach Young Friends; Cynthia Reik, Middle School class; Carol Shilliday and Shelby Mertes, 4th/5th graders; Paul Bartoo, 1st-3rd grade and Lynn Johnson, 3-5 year olds.
As hosts for the May 6th curriculum workshop at our meeting sponsored by the NEYM Christian Education committee, we need to provide hospitality to Friends traveling from other meetings. If you can host someone, please let Diane Randall or Lynn Johnson know.

Friends General Conference Traveling Ministries
John Humphries, Debbie Humphries, Diane Randall and Carolann Boucher recently participated in a weekend retreat in Kentucky with 54 Friends from throughout the United States who travel in the ministry. Debbie and Diane spoke on a panel Friday night about the formation and process Debbie engages with her support committee to follow her leading to travel among Friends. Friends General Conference (FGC) operates a Traveling Ministries program which looks to the historic practice of Friends who traveled within the Society.

Hartford Monthly Meeting Meeting for Worship for Business 2/19/06

At 11:35 a.m. eighteen Friends gathered in silence to begin the Meeting for Worship for Business.

COMMITTEES

WORSHIP AND MINISTRY: Jamie Taylor reported that the Committee had held a Retreat for Planning, from which had emerged a leading to revise Quakerism 101, perhaps through 11th Hour. They also felt a leading to support a place for Peace so long as the war in Iraq continues. The place will be at the Meetinghouse on Thursday evenings, with a sign to announce the vigil and to make a more public stance. The Committee asked the Meeting's support. This proposal was approved by the Meeting. Worship and Ministry will make sure there is a responsible Friend to oversee the holding of the gathering, and will design a sign to announce it.

PASTORAL CARE Otis Brown announced that Pastoral Care will sponsor a Quaker movie night on Saturday March 4th at 3:30 and 6 p.m. There will be two movies with Quaker themes. In April Pastoral Care will sponsor poetry readings, details to follow.

MAPLEWOOD PRO0PERTIES Ginny Allen noted that Nominating Committee has been seeking a replacement to take over responsibility for tenant relations. Ginny and Michael Taylor are putting together a financial profile of the properties to inform a discussion of the stewardship of the properties by the Meeting, including income, expenses, rental comparisons, etc. Returns from the Development Committee Survey will also be in, in time for the march meeting for Business. Concern was expressed that no Friend has felt led to take on this responsibility.

BUILLDINGS AND GROUNDS Ginny Allen reported that fire safety renovations will be completed soon, and that Stefan has installed a safety railing at the top of the side stairwell.

PEACE AND SOCIAL CONCERNS John Stamm announced the March 19 Peace demonstration. He introduced the work of Marla Ludwig who is raising funds for a school in Ghana. Marla described the project, noting that $50 buys a water filter to provide clean water for 10 people in the village of 10,000. Also needed is construction of a kindergarten room for the school, medical transportation, education support beyond the 6th grade at $30 per child, and she remarked that teachers are paid $50 per month by the government up to grade 6, but expanding the school beyond that would cost roughly $1600 per teacher. Attendance at the school has increased significantly since the library she helped build was completed. Marla is returning to Ghana in April. The committee request earmarked fund for the project be channeled through the Finance Committee, and the suggestion that a support committee for Marla would help build a stronger bridge between the Meeting and the school, and help Marla in discerning need priorities and structure for the project. Jamie Taylor and Beverly Stamm volunteered, and it was suggested that Carol Ann and Ray Boucher, among others, might have meaningful advice. The Meeting celebrated the enthusiasm and initiative Marla has demonstrated.
FIRST DAY SCHOOL, FINANCE and DEVELOPMENT had no reports.

QUARTERLY MEETING had no formal report yet, but it was noted that the suggestion came from that Meeting that Quarterly Meeting be held at Woolman Hill once a year, with shared responsibility for that Meeting.

MEMORIAL MINUTES for Elsa Cullen and Dick Boulding are in process.

CORRRESPONDENCE including notes of thanks from the Catholic worker, and from Pax Educare, as well as an AVP letter addressed to Carol Ann from a participant in the workshops at the women's prison. Permission to reprint it is being sought.

A suggestion was made that publication of the Agenda on e-mail a week before the meetings for Business might help attendance. This would require Clerks of Committees and other Friends' items be communicated to the Clerk before that due date.

The meeting closed in silence at 12:30 p.m.

Eleanor Godway, Clerk David Holdt, Recording Clerk

Financial contributions to the Meeting are always welcome and may be mailed to
Assistant Treasurer, Ruth Alexander, 22 Carpenter Lane, Bloomfield, CT 06002.