News

Hartford Monthly Meeting Newsletter
December, 2004

"In the moment that we sense in prayer the sweep of God's love, a light is cast upon our own condition revealing us to ourselves as no amount of introspection can do. No amount of considering what we think of ourselves, what our friends think of us, or what our enemies say of us is even faintly comparable to this self revelation that comes from prayer."
Dimensions of Prayer by Douglas Steere

Calendar

Meeting for Worship is held every First Day at 10 am.

Dec 6
Dec 12 Fellowship Lunch
Dec 19 Christmas Pageant
No Meeting for Business
Dec. 24 5 pm Christmas Eve Candlelight Service
Dec 26
Jan 2
Jan 9 Fellowship Lunch
Jan 16 Meeting for Business

Mid-week Worship is held Fifth Day at 7 pm in the Williams Room of the Meetinghouse.

Worship at Pax Educare (56 Arbor Street) is held the second Tuesday of each month at 5:30 pm, followed by a soup supper.

First Day School News
Young Friends gather every first day with adult sponsor David Zevin. Some Young Friends participate in New England Yearly meeting retreats, and they have helped with family meeting. Shelley Peron has completed a study of tolerance with middle school students recently, using Teaching Tolerance curriculum that was donated to the Meeting by Beatrice Coward. Brigid Kennedy and MaryAnn Sniekus are currently teaching the Bible to the middle school class. The 4th and 5th grade classes are studying the Bible with Debbie Humphries, following their unit of study on George Fox with LouAnne McDonald. Jamie Taylor is teaching 1-3rd graders for the month of November, following John Humphries work with that class. The LoveLights class, taught by Lynn Johnson with parents assisting, shared small tokens of their love with the meeting at Family Worship on October 31. This class is growing in number as we welcome new families with young children to our meeting.

The month of December will include preparation for the Christmas Pageant by all classes, as they talk about the birth of Jesus and the meaning of the holiday. The Pageant will be performed at the rise of meeting on December 19. We are looking for teachers to work with classes after the first of the year. If you are interested, please contact Diane Randall, Clerk of Religious Education.

New Year's Eve Reflection
Quiet celebration of the New Year at Woolman Hill, December 30-January 1. "This is an opportunity to revel in a different way, by honoring the seasonal cycles and savoring the eternal now. It is a weekend of paradoxes-to sink into the Seed and to be lifted by it, to settle into that place of Stillness that dances, and to quietly warm one another with the embers that contain all of the fireworks of the Cosmos". Facilitator: Tom Antonik, Woolman Hill board member, member of Portland, ME meeting who is finishing a Master's Degree at Bangor Theological Seminary. Cost: $130.00 scholarships available. For registration information, www.woolmanhill.org or call 413 774-3431.

Pendle Hill Programs, Wallingford, PA.
Re-Thinking Rufus Jones for the Twenty-First Century, January 16-21
with Stephen W. Angell
Cultivating a Deepened Faithfulness in Our Meetings, February 4-6
with Pat McBee and Bob Schmitt
Experiment with Light, February 6-11
With Rex Ambler and Marcelle Martin
Family Life: An Opportunity to Live Our Faith, February 18-20
with Harriet Heath, Danille Beauvais and Larue Evans
Imagination and Spirit: Contemporary Quaker Writing, March 4-6
with J. Brent Bill
Contact registrar@pendlehill.org or 800/742-3150 x142; www.pendlehill.org

Canned Food Collection
Food Share wants to remind us that the need is great for food contributions. They have changed their method of disbursements to a "client choice" food pantry, which allows the clients to personally select their food rather than being given a traditional bag of food which had resulted in larger outlay of more diverse types of food. They suggest smaller boxes of goods rather than the huge "family size" boxes. Place your donations in the box on the landing by the door into the Annex,. These donations are taken regularly to the Food Pantry operated by Center City Churches in Hartford.

FOOD PERSONAL ITEMS
Bags or Boxed Rice ( 2 lbs or more) Shampoo
Canned Potatoes/Yams/Sweet Potatoes Bath Soap
Boxed Instant Hot Cereals Toothbrushes
Cheerios, Trix, Fruit Loops and Raisin Bran Toothpaste
Peanut Butter and Jelly Dishwashing Detergent
Canned Tuna Boxes Laundry Detergent
Beef Stew/Hash Spam Deodorants
Canned Hams/ Canned Chicken (small) Pocket Combs
Canned Vegetables" Green Beans, Carrots, Corn Kleenex Tissues
Instant Dry Milk/ Evaporated Milk Cocoa, Tea Powdered Creamer
Coffee: all kinds jars, boxes, bags

Please bring and leave your groceries in plastic bags for easy carry to the Food Pantry. The bags are used again for distribution so extra bags are always welcome. Contact: Dianne or Steve Warner
Remember, hunger knows no season.

Threshing Session - October 31,2004
1. Stephen reported that the following options have been voiced to him by individuals:
a. Sell the property
b. Tear it down and use the space to improve handicap access
c. Rehab the house and use for:
i. Rental, with a "social justice" tenant in mind
ii. Rent to a Meeting member/attender
iii. Have a resident friend live there who would also do custodial work
iv. Use the house for much needed classroom space
2. Discussion centering around a social justice rental raised the following thoughts:
a. There is a need for affordable housing but the social service needs of these folks, who are often in transition, could be handled by an organization with the resources to provide a case manager, assist with screening, be aware of state money to subsidize rent, etc.
b. We need to be careful not to repeat the previous experience which caused many problems in the neighborhood and for the Meeting.
c. Possible groups to work with are Catholic Worker, West Hartford Interfaith Coalition, Family Matters, CRT.

3. In terms of rehabbing the house, the following points were raised as possibilities:
a. Hire a professional engineer to inspect the house and give a report on what needs to be done to raise it to acceptable standard and the cost involved
b. What are the needs in terms of lead paint and asbestos removal. We have a contractor that we have already used for these issues in the main building, who could give an estimate
c. Would one of the above organizations take over all aspects of this project, i.e. doing the rehab, finding a tenant and managing the lease?
4. Financial concerns:
a. We are behind in contributions. Can we afford this?
b. Consider a home equity loan and factor the cost of repaying it into the rent
c. What would it cost to hire a company that would take over property management and maintenance
d. Analyze the recent figures regarding income (rent) and routine expenses
e. How long would it take, collecting rent, to recover the money spent on repairs
f. How much money was spent on the other house in 2000 for rehab
5. Current and ongoing concerns that the Meeting has to address:
a. Management of these two houses is more than the existing Building and Grounds Committee can handle. A long term solution for building management is needed.
b. What will it cost to rehab the house?
c. Write a guideline which will define frequency of inspections of the houses and by whom, and a method for deciding on appropriate rent increases.
d. Would the Meeting approve a ballpark figure to be spent and then authorize one person to be responsible for making decisions and getting the work done
e. If the house is to be rented to a Meeting individual or family, it would not be appropriate to involve an organization such as Interfaith. We would have to have well established guidelines
Respectfully submitted,
Ginny Allen
Meeting for Worship for Business 11/21/2004

At 11:40 a.m. 26 Friends gathered in silence to begin the Meeting for Business.

Committee Reports

Worship and Ministry Bobbi Taylor thanked Mary Lee Morrison for the revised and beautiful Welcoming Brochure. She announced that we now have a headset system for Friends with hearing aids.

Pastoral Care Kiki Eglinton, Bobbi Taylor and Bill Taylor will pay a welcoming visit on the McCarthy-Reynolds family to meet Sarah Grace.

Religious Education Diane Randall announced that current First Day School teachers include David Zevin, Brigid Kennedy and Mary Ann Sniekus , Debbie Humphries, Jamie Taylor, Lynn Johnson. The Committee is looking for teachers for grades 1-3 and 4-5 in 2005
Peace and Social Concerns John Stamm announced that the Committee is collecting clothing and new toys for the Catholic Workers Christmas Party . The deadline is 12/12.

Finance Jim Reik noted that reminders have been mailed out regarding contributions.
Treasurer Tim Allen reported that we have $108,000 in the bank, including the reserve fund. We have about $80,000 budgeted for memberships and contributions, and about $40,000 in contributions has come in. $48,000 is the more normal level expected at this point. Major Repairs of $22,976 have been expended to date, vs. a budgeted figure of $4,000. We will draw from reserves. Some of our larger donors wait until the end of the year historically. We sent mailings to over 200 Members and Attenders, and have received contributions from 80. Tim also noted that at least one check seems to have gone missing from the box, and that checks should be sent to Ruth Alexander, Assistant Treasurer.
Questions were raised regarding what happens to our commitments and contributions to other organizations if we do not receive sufficient individual donations. Do we draw from reserves for them? The Finance Committee will be meeting on 12/2 to review the status and address these questions. The New England Yearly Meeting dues have already been paid. Discussion centered around whether institutions were counting on our contributions for their budgets. There are three categories of donations: Dues and Memberships, Contributions to Quaker Concerns, and the Wider Concerns group. Some Meeting Committees will not have expended their budgets. Finance Committee can make recommendations. The sense of the meeting seemed to be that we should pay dues, memberships and obligations, and wait until the January Meeting for Business to assess the situation regarding other donations, if the shortfall continues. If it is made up, we can follow the budget. There will be no Meeting for Business in December.

Buildings and Grounds Stephen Haynes reported that two work days have been held, that two mailboxes have been installed by the Nursery School. We need to ascertain who is to lay the fire and fill the wood box. Cynthia Reik will contact Young Friends about this. Thanks to Chris Robison who oversaw the installation of window wells to help alleviate the drainage problems.

The Threshing session produced three results: that Friends are not ready to give up the property, nor to tear down the property, which means we must consider uses of the property. Stephen has been meeting with engineers to determine the costs for restoration of the Maplewood house. The Finance Committee has recommended the expenditure of up to $5000 for repairs, and a loan will be required beyond that. The West Hartford Interfaith Housing Coalition has been giving advice and support to our questions, and may be interested in managing the property if we go the "social justice" route in restoring it. They may present an 11th hour about their work-we have loaned them $30,000 in the past, which they have repaid according to schedule.

Nominating Committee No report. Ginny Allen has volunteered to join the committee.
New Business Martin Wheeler presented a framed copy of the Minute on Racism from the New England Yearly Meeting Ministry and Counsel Working Group. Placement was recommended to be the task of the Ad Hoc Design Committee. There was later discussion on the reading level of the Minute and the accessibility of it to people we hope to welcome to meeting. It was pointed out that the Minute was intended for all of us. Several Friends will attempt a more concise and readable version, perhaps to be hung as well. The message sent by all our photographs and wall decorations might also be considered as representations of our Meeting.

The 12/24 Christmas Eve Program is in need of a coordinator. Roger Catlin will help find one, and will consult with the Young Friends who organized it last year.
Carolyn Flint will bring soup for the January Meeting for Business.
Elizabeth Carpenter has requested a letter of transfer to Downingtown Meeting (PA), which Cynthia Reik will write.
The Meeting concluded with silence and rose at 1 p.m.

Cynthia Reik, Clerk David Holdt, Recording Clerk

Do you enjoy Social Hour?
Consider helping out by volunteering to bring crackers and juice. We need snacks on December 19 following the Christmas Pageant. Sign up on the table under the window by the snack table or call Marla Ludwig, Social Hour coordinator.

David Brown's daughter, Kelly (Brown) Silliman has given birth at home in Charlottesville, VA to her second daughter. Arissa Kathleen was born November 12, 2004, weighing 10 pounds.

Christmas Eve Candlelight Service at 5PM
If you would like to help in some way, contact MaryAnn Sniekus or Roger Catlin.

YOUR FINANCIAL SUPPORT NEEDED

Please consider making a donation to Hartford Monthly Meeting in 2004. Your financial contributions pay for expenses like: operating the meetinghouse, memberships in a variety of Quaker organizations and local peace and justice organizations; meeting operations such as mailing the newsletter and buying books for the Library.

Financial contributions should be mailed to the Assistant Treasurer: Ruth Alexander, 22 Carpenter Lane, Bloomfield, CT 06002. Checks should be made out to Hartford Monthly Meeting. If you have questions about meeting finances, contact Jim Reik, Clerk of Finance Committee, 289-4566. (See Minutes of November meeting for Business for update on current budget situation.)