Special Announcement

The Meeting wishes to express its deepest sympathies to Kate Bowie McGonigle and her entire family upon the recent death of Kate’s father, Rick Bowie. Calling hours will be held at the Wilson Funeral Chapel, located at 479 County Street, New Bedford, MA., from 4-7 PM, Friday, December 6, 2013.  Mr. Bowie’s funeral service will be held the following day, Saturday, December 7, 1:30 PM at the Grace Episcopal Church, located at 422 County Street, New Bedford, MA. Mr. Richard Bowie’s Obituary may be read here. Condolences may be sent to Kate and John McGonigle, 111 Blossom Road, Westport, MA 02790.

Please hold Kate and her family in your thoughts and prayer during this difficult time.

DECEMBER CALENDAR

6-8 – NEYM Junior High Retreat at Woolman Hill, Deerfield, MA. More info
—8 – Second Sunday format. Children and teachers remain in worship and share special music and topic
15 – Meeting Advent Potluck Sunday (Refreshments provided, please see below.) 
——-Monthly Meeting for Business, 8:30 AM
——-Advent Potluck shared by all following worship, 11:30 AM
——-Welcome into Membership Observance for Amy Lee Vieira and Jay Vieira
24 – Christmas Eve Service, 7:00 PM, followed by special treats, punch, piñata, Children’s story
25 – Christmas Day. Worship at 10:00 AM (un-programmed, no FDS or childcare)
27-30 – NEYM Young Friends Retreat, more info here
30 – Please consider a year-end donation to Westport Meeting. Appeal Letter Here

Dates to Save:
Jan 25 – (Saturday) Our Meeting hosts Sandwich Quarterly Meeting, 9 AM – 3:30 PM. Details and program TBA

Jan 26 – Monthly Meeting for Business, 8:30 AM

DECEMBER  BIRTHDAYS
5        Marge Bilodeau
9        Cooper Tatman
15      Elijah McGonigle
19      Jacquelyne Cox
26      Jeff Gonsalves
30      Charlie Bullis

Annual Advent Potluck and Christmas Eve Service

Our annual Advent Potluck will be held at the rise of meeting on Sunday, December 15, at 11:30 AM. All are welcome to attend this joyous celebration of food, song and fellowship. Friends are asked to bring a dish and goodies to share. (An email detailing more on this will go out next week.) After our shared potluck meal, Gretchen will lead us in singing some Christmas carols and especially the “Twelve Days of Christmas! Please come and join us! 

Christmas Eve Service, December 24 at 7:00 PM:  Please join us for our traditional Christmas Eve Worship Service for worship, Christmas Hymns and special readings. Light refreshments and punch will follow in the Community House. And of course our yearly piñata will be there for children to enjoy! (A follow-up email will detail what food donations are needed. We also will need help with setup, and clean-up. (We try to arrange clean-up among Friends so that parents with younger children can head right for home following the piñata activity.)

MONTHLY MEETING HIGHLIGHTS

Following Ministry and Counsel’s recommendation, Friends were in unity to accept Amy Lee Vieira and Jay Vieira into membership within Westport Friends Meeting. A special observance will be held at the rise of worship on December 15, 2013, to recognize and celebrate the membership of these cherished Friends.

Dean Chase updated Friends on the condition and recovery of Stewart Kirkaldy. ( See M and C report below.)

Friends discussed details related to our hosting Sandwich Quarterly Meeting on Saturday, January 25, 2014. In keeping with the tradition of the Quarterly Meeting, our Meeting assumes responsibility, as hosts, for providing refreshments, light lunch and the afternoon program. Details on the program are still being worked out. Monthly Meeting has requested that Hospitality Committee have oversight of providing coffee, tea and pastries, and light lunch options, when our Meeting hosts Sandwich Quarterly Meeting. Contributions of foods and participation by other Friends is also requested The Meeting will cover related expenses as well. Further details will be announced.

Ministry and Counsel:
Friends expressed concern for Stewart Kirkaldy, who is recovering from a fall recently at his home in Middlebuy, VT. Notes and get-well cards may be sent to his home at 402 Buttolph Drive, Middlebury, VT, 05753.

Friends are also encouraged to hold Blair Tatman in our thoughts and prayers as he undergoes a second surgery to increase circulation and heart health on December 10 of this month. Notes and cards may be sent to his home at 1132 Main Road, Westport, MA, 02790-4414. Email Blair here.

Ministry and Counsel will also provide oversight of our Meeting’s Advent Potluck on Dec 15 and our Christmas Eve Service on Dec 24. Hospitality Committee will coordinate refreshments.

Finance Committee:
Greg Marsello, Clerk of Finance, submitted a report detailing the following:

• The Meeting’s Annual Appeal for Donations was mailed out to members and attenders in early November.
• The Committee thanked Deana Chase for her many years of steadfast service to the Meeting as our Treasurer and for her stewardship and care as the person who deposited donations to the Meeting’s bank account over the years.
• Finance Committee recommended that Gretchen Baker-Smith, as our Meeting’s Property Coordinator, take over the task of depositing donations and notifying the Meeting’s Bookkeeper when deposits are made. Friends approved this recommendation.
• A new  (draft) Five-Year Capitol Improvement Plan is being developed by Finance and Property Committees and will be presented to business meeting for consideration in the near future.
• Finance Committee recommends that proceeds from the sale of the parsonage be deposited with the NEYM Pooled Funds. Friends approved, with the understanding that the final amount to be deposited with the Pooled Funds to be approved at the December business meeting.
• The Committee presented a list of organizations and programs that our Meeting has supported financially over the past year. Finance requests that Friends review the recipients and the amounts and suggest changes, additions and/or deletions, etc. Friends will also be able to have input on this when Finance presents it’s preliminary 2014 Budget at our December business meeting. Final approval of next year’s budget will take place at our January 26, 2014, business meeting.
• Finance Committee also reminds Friends that if we have not done so already, that donations to the Meeting’s Annual Appeal are still being sought and are greatly appreciated. Please read the Annual Appeal Letter Here.

Property Coordinator Report:
Gretchen’s December report contains important information regarding the following;  scheduled maintenance within the Community House; Fire Alarm info; parking lot regrading;

headstone repairs in our cemetery; recent stone wall repairs; important thermostat information; and, a list of groups renting the Community House. Friends are urged to read the December 2013 Property Coordinator’s Report HERE. Doing so will help everyone to understand what’s happening and why at Meeting. Gretchen is also asking us to think about how we might use our bulletin boards more effectively to communicate our message to the wider community. December Property Coordinator Report

Hospitality Committee:
Members of the committee are pleased to welcome Susanna Sylvia to the Hospitality Committee!

Hospitality will also coordinate foods and refreshments for our Advent Potluck and and Christmas Eve programs.

New England Yearly Meeting News

The New England Friend is a publication of New England Yearly Meeting  (NEYM) which is available in hard copy (in our meetinghouse) and online HERE.

NEYM.org: An excellent resource for Friends and attenders to learn about New England Yearly Meeting of Friends, the structural organization to which Westport Friends Meeting belongs. Here, you can learn about the ongoing work of various standing committees, revisions to our book of Faith and Practice, Retreat Programs, NEYM Staff, Sessions reports,  the NEYM Finance Committee, etc.

 Meeting Contacts

Clerk of Meeting, Betty Ann Lee,  508-994-1638 | EMAIL 
Ministry and Counsel Clerk: Melinda Foley-Marsello, 401-624-9840 | EMAIL
Finance Committee Clerk, Greg Marsello, 401-624-9840 | EMAIL
Property Coordinator, Gretchen Baker-Smith 508-636-4963 | EMAIL
Meeting Newsletter Editor, Kevin Lee, 508-994-1638 | EMAIL