We are Christ-centered Friends who equip and encourage all people
to respond to God's love and transforming Spirit.

Minutes of Peace and Social Concerns Meetings

April 6, 2008 April 27, 2008 May 25, 2008 June 29, 2008 July 27, 2008 August 31, 2008 September 28, 2008 October 26, 2008 November 30, 2008 January 11, 2009

February 22, 2009 March 29, 2009 April 26, 2009 May 31, 2009 June 28, 2009 October 31, 2009 February 28, 2010 March 28, 2010 April 25, 2010 May 30, 2010

Minutes Peace and Social Concerns Committee
April 26, 2009
Present were: Faith Marsalli, Kate Murphey, Ken Magee, Shari and Bill Burke, and Tony Swan

The Peace Supper, scheduled for May 1, was first on the agenda. The lawyer from Bend will attend. She is donating her time and asked to be reimbursed only for traveling expenses, so we will give her $100. Faith has provided her with some questions to be addressed during her part of the presentation. Also speaking will be Marshall Staunton, and Steve, the pastor at First United Methodist Church, who has been working in this area for awhile. Callie, the lawyer, is still trying to find someone who has been through the process who would be willing to speak. Faith got good material from the American Friends Service Committee, including a 27-minute DVD, which will be shown to open the presentation. The Peace Supper will be scheduled to run from 5:30-8, with people going downstairs to eat first and then coming upstairs for the presentation. There will be multicultural music downstairs for people to enjoy while they are eating. Faith will do the introduction and emphasize that we're not gathered to put forward any particular agenda, but rather to inform ourselves. Anyone wishing to assist in preparation should arrive at the meetinghouse by 5:15 on the evening of the supper. Bill and Shari will set up tables and chairs in the week before and Shari will submit a blurb to the Herald and News.

Food Bank issues were discussed next. We decided on lunch items as our May theme for food bank donations. Then Faith talked about what is going on as far as the possibility of using the Friends House as a food pantry. She has paperwork that needs to be filled out as a first step. This will determine whether the church would qualify as a potential site. Faith will make a visit to the St. Paul's food pantry to observe and talk to the people there to see what their experience has been and to find out how many people/hours/etc would be needed were the church to decide to move forward with this. At some point in the not-too-distant future, a field trip to the food bank will be arranged. Kate brought up the idea of organizing a gleaning group before harvest time so that extra food, which might otherwise go to waste, can be collected and given to those that need it.

Bread for the World Offering of Letters will be the focus of meeting for worship on Mother's Day-May 10. Shari wrote some sample letters and will do First Words on that day. Faith has some material from Bread for the World that can also be used to encourage people to write letters to our elected representatives urging them to take action in meaningful ways to help people who live in poverty and do not have access to enough food.

Kate has ordered 50 copies of a magazine devoted to Fair Trade issues and resources.

National Religious Campaign Against Torture has declared June to be End Torture Month. We still have the banner we purchased from them last year and will hang it on the meetinghouse again to commemorate this month.

We decided to bring up Quaker Bakers at the next meeting for business to see whether anyone wants to be in charge of this. If not, we will skip it this year.

Kate, Faith, and Jill will be going to a meeting later today about the PALM dinners at the First United Methodist Church in order to find out what is involved. They will then find out whether there is enough interest in the meeting to commit to taking responsibility for one dinner per month.

Sometime this summer, Faith will be organizing a labyrinth activity at St. Paul's Episcopal Church. She has the labyrinth, but it is too large for the room downstairs, so it will be a joint venture with the Episcopal Church.