Minutes of the Peace and Social Concerns Committee, September 21, 2015

Present: Diane C (clerking), David G, Roger C, Frank G, Jane J, Beth A, George M, Dan G, Ruth H

We opened with a time of silence to center.

1.Beth agreed to handle letter-writing on October 11.

2. Roger agreed to handle the Friends Concerns:Other Organizations matter this year.

3. FCNL liaison: Beth has laid it down and we need to nominate a replacement. Kit J has expressed interest.  We will recommend Kit provided that after checking with him, he agrees.

4. Dan’s email address is now danggrubbs@gmail.com.

5. We read through the draft Annual Report and approved it after some changes, and conditional on some wording that Roger will work on with Beth here and there.

6. Ruth spoke about work going on in the community on racial justice and she suggested placing a “Black Lives Matter” lawn sign as an expression of our concern about the injustice and violence experienced by black people in our country. This was raised by the Race and Class group for us to consider.  We approved mounting the sign and will propose that to the meeting although some reservations were expressed, some having to do with the reality that there are other groups also experiencing discrimination.  Ruth will look into the regulations about signage in Leverett, with which a sign would have to conform.  She has been attending local meetings of SURJ (Showing up for Racial Justice.) The national organization has a website: http://www.showingupforracialjustice.org/ Western Mass SURJ does not have a website but gives this email contact: westernmasssurj@gmail.com

7. “Coming Together” at the Jones Library is a film series focused on the race and class issue. Oct 8 is the next showing.  Frank said that ION is willing to help publicize it.  Frank is our representative to ION, the Interfaith Opportunities Network ( http://www.interfaithamherst.org/)

8. Roger will take charge of the film series with cooperation by Beth and Dan.  Roger was given approval to buy a film about Thurgood Marshall for the first showing, probably in November.

9. The concert series began very well indeed, with 80 people attending for the concert by Charlie King, and a gate of $1014, of which 90% went to Charlie. Frank mentioned that YFs may want to be involved in some way, technically or with hospitality, etc.

10. Service projects: Dan has placed a reminder in the upcoming newsletter to remind people about the second Saturdays Bread Not Alone service project.

11. 11:40 hour: Some time ago, Beth requested an 11:40 hour for our committee, but her inquiry did not result in anything definite.  Roger checked with Kathy D, the current clerk of the 11:40 Hour Committee, and found that there were open dates; of these he will request Feb 28.

12. We will continue the clerking arrangement of last year, with Roger as “The Clerk” and committee members/attenders rotating the responsibility of clerking the meetings.  Dan agreed to clerk our meeting on the first Monday of October: 10/5.  This manner of rotating clerking responsibilities has advantages – providing experience in clerking to all – but also has disadvantages, for example of continuity.  We will try it for one more year, and then reevaluate or change it.

13. We agreed to change our meeting dates to FIRST Mondays this year.  So our next meeting will be on Monday October 5.

14. Beth will assist George in taking charge of the bulletin board this year.

15. Dan will remind people about the need for donations of food for the shelter.

16. Frank mentioned “Songs for Syria: A Concert for Humanitarian Relief” at 1^st Churches Northampton, 3-4:30 on Sunday 9/27. He mentioned that a singer he knows might be appropriate for our concert series.  He noted that ION asks that people pray for them on October 4^th, as the Peace Pagoda does also on that day.  ION is one of the organizations supporting events around the Pope’s visit to the country.  17. The issue of Syrian refugees was raised, and it was suggested that we see if there are Friends in the meeting willing to work with others on this matter, perhaps even a settlement project such as the meeting did years ago.  Roger will raise this at the meeting for business.

18. Jane continues to be interested in future use of the Nelson place and will tell us more at our October 5 meeting.

We closed with a time of silence.