An ad-hoc committee met on 6/11, 6/18, and 6/25 to develop safe plans for a gradual re-opening of the Meetinghouse for in-person worship. Guidelines provided by the State of Delaware, “Guidance for Houses of Worship,” (6/2/20) and Philadelphia Yearly Meeting’s “Advices & Queries for Possibly Reopening Your Meeting House or Church,” (5/28/20) were considered.

We will begin with an outdoor Meeting for Worship (MFW) on June 28th at the usual time 10:45-11:30 a.m. The Meetinghouse will only be open for restroom use. We will not have any on-site activities the First Sunday in July, 7/5.  Business Mtg. and MFW will be via Zoom.  On-site MFW outdoors will continue the second First Day in July, 7/12.

Please stay home if you are sick or have been in contact with anyone who is sick, now or within the last two weeks. We also encourage you to stay home if you are at higher risk:

• Individuals 60 years of age and older.
• Individuals with chronic health conditions, such as diabetes, lung disease, or heart disease.
• Individuals who are immunocompromised or have medical needs.
• Individuals with access or functional needs.
• Individuals who are homeless or experience housing instability.

Here’s what to expect:

• Everyone will be asked to wear masks and bring their own chairs. Also bring your own water, sunscreen, and bug repellant should you require these items to be outdoors. Please Note: We are not making alternative plans for rain. You will have to decide on your own, if you wish to attend depending on weather conditions.
• If you forget your mask or don’t have a chair to bring, masks and chairs will be available.
• Family groups/members of the same household may sit together. Others will be asked to maintain 6-foot “social distancing.” Seating areas will be designated. Masks can be removed while you are seated, but they should be used if you are speaking in Meeting.
• There will be no children’s programming and no food will be served.
• Zoom access to the MFW will continue at the Meeting site. We will announce this at the beginning of the Meeting. Our Zoom Meeting ID is 863-908-9345; the Password is 1. Our link for Zoom Meetings for Worship and Meeting for Business is https://zoom.us/j/8639089345?pwd=ak1XbmprdFBUQnRZOWszWU91VHdyUT09. Friends may also join the Zoom meetings by calling: 1-301-715-8592 and then entering 863-908-9345# (and # to skip participant ID) and then the password 1#.
• By attending, you accept the responsibility of informing the Meeting should you subsequently test positive for Covid-19. An informal attendance will be taken so that we can inform participants should this situation arise in the future.

We hope this conservative “first step” will encourage you to participate. The ad-hoc committee plans to meet weekly to assess the situation, so stay tuned for future notices. If you should have any questions, please direct them to rnbernardjr@hotmail.com.

In friendship,
Richard Bernard, Clerk of the Meeting
For the Ad-Hoc Re-Opening Committee: Anne Cleary, Charlie Jennings, David Kee, Erin Parker Miller, Mark Parker Miller, Rose Rupert