Peace and Social Concerns Committee, 3/7/16

Present: Ka R, George M (clerking), Beth A, Roger C, Daniel G.

We began by settling into a time of silence and a brief ‘checkin.’

1. Daniel will do letter writing on March 13, and Beth will do it on April 10.

2. Beth will clerk our April 4 meeting.

3. We agreed to nominate Miryam E.W. as the MtToby FCNL representative/iaison.

4. On the BDS proposal which Roger brought, proposing that the Meeting participate in the BDS campaign, we decided to ask the meeting to spend a modest amount of time in the Meeting for Business on the spiritual aspect of BDS, and in proposing a way that the meeting can confront the issues involved.  Friends on our committee are encouraged to write up a more specific proposal than the one by NW Quarterly Meeting (on the handout) perhaps for consideration at a later date by the MfB.

5. We agreed to support the Cambodian Water Project and to recommend in the March 13 MfB that it be included in the “Friends Concerns: Other Organizations” section of the budget.

6. Friendly Playground asked our committee, like others, to help with staffing Friendly Playground. We took April: Beth on 4/3, Dan on 4/10, George on 4/24, Ka on 4/17 if she is available that day, and if not another volunteer is needed for 4/17. George will tell the Friendly Playground people.

7. We decided to continue the current fee arrangement for the concert series, with an understanding within MtToby that people without means to pay the suggested donation can attend making a more limited donation, or provide help or refreshments for an concert.

8. Beth suggested the presentation “Renewables are Ready” by Pat H be put on or cosponsored by P&SC and the Climate Witness Committee.  Beth will ask Pat when and where she would prefer for such an event.  Maybe 4/22, Earth Day. Either at MtToby or, if Pat prefers, a more public venue.

9. Beth spoke of the panel at Hampshire on 3/3 on war and refugees in Syria, and on the Saudi Arabia summit, and she may send something around to the listserv about what she learned at these.  Ka commented that there was great interest in the issues, especially by college students attending.

10. The  FCNL process of inviting meetings, every two years, to suggest FCNL’s legislative priorities for the coming session, has come around, and FCNL would like to have our input by April 15. George offered 7pm on Monday 3/21 at his home for an evening meeting to discern priorities.  Roger will see if it is feasible to set up an online poll, as was done by the Adler-Blum committee recently, to solicit suggestions from Friends unable to attend the 3/21 meeting.  Beth and Ka will help filter the poll suggestions.  At our April meeting we will determine what to send to FCNL.

11. We closed after a time of silence.