Westport Meeting Newsletter, Oct 21, 2022

Westport Meeting News: 

Monthly Meeting for Business was held this past Sunday morning on Oct 16. Among the discussions that took place, and decisions made, these are of most importance:

Sandwich Quarterly Meeting (SQM) will be held in our Community House this Saturday, Oct 22, beginning at 9:00 AM. Thanks to all who have offered to help with setup, delivery, and clean-up. Our meeting will provide morning pastries and beverages, and Westport Meeting will provide lunch, too. Friends agreed to purchase two kinds of soups, and finger roll sandwich platters from Lee’s Deli. Our Meeting’s Ministry and Counsel Committee will also facilitate a discussion among Friends present on how we arrive at unity as a meeting community to engage in social action, while making sure that such a decision is grounded in worship and spiritual clarity. Regarding the SQM agenda and program, please see the email sent  out specifically at 9:00 AM, Oct 21.

Nominating: Our Meeting clerk, Betty Ann Lee, reminded Friends that committee clerks need to discuss with their respective committee members who will continue serving if their term of service is up in 2023, who wants to rotate off, and if there are new Friends who would like to serve on their particular committee. Members and attenders who may not be serving on a particular committee already are encouraged to consider how they may want to be involved in the life of Westport Meeting, also. To view our current Nominating Slate, please click HERE.

Storm windows: Property Committee wanted to gather a sense from members whether postponing putting up the storm windows in the meetinghouse until January 1, to allow for cracking the windows for additional ventilation, as we did last year, was preferred. Or, should the storms go up at our usual time around November 1? Discussion was held. The anticipated very high cost of heating expenses this year was noted, as were the possibility of installing Hepa Air Purifiers, their cost, and their effectiveness of reducing air-born contagions. Friends decided that the storm windows should be put on at or around November 1. 

Approved previous minutes of Monthly Meeting for Business may be read HERE.

 

MEETING CALENDAR: (All meetings held via Zoom, in person, or hybrid (meaning in-person and via Zoom), as noted)

  • Worship each Sunday in meetinghouse and via Zoom at 10am (hybrid)
  • Midweek Meeting for Worship, Wed, Oct 19, 3:30-4pm. Via Zoom
  • Sandwich Quarterly Meeting at Westport, Saturday, Oct 22, 9 AM – 1:00 PM
  • Seekers Group, Oct 24 at 7pm. (Hybrid) Potter House and Zoom
  • Ministry and Counsel Committee, Wednesday, Oct 26 at 7pm via Zoom (only)
  • NEYM monthly check-in for Friends serving their local meetings, Nov 1, 7pm (See below)
  • Monthly Meeting for Business, Nov 20, at 8am. Zoom only

MIDWEEK WORSHIP, via Zoom, WEDNESDAYS, 3:30-4:00pm. (Kevin sends link day of)

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Yearly Meeting/Wider Quaker News:

 NEYM October 2022 Newsletter, “Making Room” by Sara Huber, may be read HERE.

 

Recurring virtual events

Other events coming soon 

Monthly Check-In for Friends Serving Their Local Meetings

November 1, at 7 PM: An online check-in for Friends serving in leadership roles in their local meetings.

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Sandwich Quarterly Meeting News:

  • SQM October 22 at Westport Meeting)
  • SQM Ministry & Counsel
    -September 24 at Mattapoisett

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Closing:

All the great spiritual leaders in history were people of hope.  Abraham, Moses, Ruth, Mary, Jesus, Rumi, Gandhi, and Dorothy Day all lived with a promise in their hearts that guided them toward the future without the need to know exactly what it would look like.  Let’s live with hope.

– Henri Nouwen