I have heard from and spoken to a number of you about our response to the Corona virus. I have heard from Friends concerned about our older Members exposure to germs at the Meetinghouse and also from Friends who would find Meeting for Worship to be a comfort at this time especially. In particular this morning I have spoken to our Recording Clerk and the Clerks or Co-Clerks of the following Committees: Ministry & Counsel, Care & Community, Fellowship, and Building Maintenance. 

While it is not completely clear what the right course of action is at this juncture, my sense from the discussions I have been able to have is that we should proceed as follows at this time and reevaluate this as the situation unfolds:

1. I will be at the Meetinghouse this Sunday for Meeting for Worship for those for whom that would be a comfort, but I would encourage anyone in a high risk category to carefully consider whether they should attend and certainly no one should feel any compulsion to attend because the Meetinghouse will be open. Anyone who is feeling sick or has any symptoms is asked to please stay home to avoid spreading germs within the community.

2. For the time being at rise of Meeting as well as before and after Meeting, Friends are strongly encouraged to avoid shaking hands, hugging, or other close contact until it is clear that this can be done safely.

3. After discussing it with the Co-Clerk of Fellowship, we will not have Fellowship this Sunday or until it is clear that we can do so safely.

4. After discussing it with the Recording Clerk, we have determined that there is no business that must be done this Sunday, so Meeting for Worship with Concern for Business is canceled. We will hold over business from the March MfWwCfB until the April meeting. Please let me know if this creates a problem for you or your Committee, and I will do my best to resolve that in some way.

5. Next Tuesday evening I will plan to join the New England Yearly Meeting call on the Corona virus, and I will share with Meeting whatever I learn there.

In addition to the above steps, the First Day School Committee is discerning how to proceed with the children, and we will probably hear more about that in the near future. I have also made requests of the following Committees:

• Building Maintenance has been asked to consider what we should do to clean and disinfect the Meetinghouse to keep it safe during this time.

• Care & Community has been asked to consider how it can support Friends who are sick or may be feeling anxious or isolated at this time.

I hope that what I have outlined above feels to Friends to be an appropriate,  balanced response to the current situation, but please feel free to contact me or the Clerks of the various Committees if you have concerns.

In the Light,

Morgan Wilson, Clerk