Friday, November 17, 2017

Green Team Meeting Notes 11-16-2017

Green Team Meeting Notes 11/16/2017
Present: Mark Bohrer, Fran Fink, Steve Fink, Bill Schroeder, Susan Johnston
Away: Iric Rex, Terry Ebner, Marty Mason, Candy Dann, Janet Clarke

1)       All-Member Retreat For The Environment – Columbus Day Weekend 2018
               ·         Announcement at church this Sunday to promote signups & reservation
               ·         Steve put together an updated info packet – he will send out a new version after a few tweaks
               ·         Mark & Susan will be at Fellowship hour to promote
2)       Divestment
·   Bill contacted Jan Holden on Social Justice Coalition and Board of World Service
·         Both groups are interested in working together on this
·         Next step: assemble a team, start the process of church discussion of divestment
·         This will start in December
·   Model for this discussion will be to put together series of church meetings
·         Similar to process for solar panels and Lupine road
·         Not known yet whether we bring forward to the Trustees this year
·         Goal is to get church to divest, and also general church membership to divest
·         Related goal for church is to discuss and implement a socially conscious investment policy
3)       Climate News / Activism
               ·         Bill and Susan went to event by medical doctors on climate change effects on public health TODAY.
·   This conflicts with the perception of most Americans that climate change won’t affect them and their families until sometime in the future. But the doctors told how it is affecting people and families NOW.
·   These personal stories are more effective than just the scientific
·   Stories!
4)       Storytelling Event – Janet Clarke talked to Dana
                ·         Possible dates in spring – date not set
Email from Janet:
I met with Dana yesterday to discuss plans for a Storytelling speaker and meal event and to make it a church wide event, not just a Green team event.
Storytelling is what we are about in our Faith journey, sharing the Good News!
Dana is very interested in the idea and suggests partnering with the Deacons and Youth, to build interest from a wider perspective and also for funding.
We also discussed using this as part of writing our Lenten booklet stories, or around Earth Day.  Ash Wed is Feb. 14th, the Lenten book deadline would be late in Jan. We looked at presenting this after worship on a Sunday.
The calendar is full, possible dates:
Jan. 21st-  (is the day after the Chili Cookoff), Best dates- Feb 4th, and
May 6th (would fit with Earth Day)

Other possible scenarios for this would be during the week when youth/confirmation met, pulling in those families and youth, or a Saturday Supper.

Wednesday, October 25, 2017

Green Team Meeting Notes 10-25-2017

Green Team Meeting Notes 10/25/2017
Present: Mark Bohrer, Fran Fink, Steve Fink, Bill Schroeder, Janet Clarke
Away: Iric Rex, Terry Ebner, Marty Mason, Candy Dann, Susan Johnston
Mark to add Marty Mason to Green Team committee mailings!  
Next meeting: Thu Nov 16

1)       Harvest Dinner Recap
·         Great family event, kids and families made scarecrows and pasta
·         Good turnout, although fewer than 2016
                                                   i.      probably around 50 in attendance vs maybe 65 in 2016
                                                  ii.      Next year: focus on the personal invitations, and signup for little jobs
·         Dana spoke about church giving, which matched well with the theme of the Giving Garden
·         Slide show of Giving Garden played during pasta/activities time and dinner
·         Emily spoke about the Giving Garden, and a short green Ted video about Nokia corporate environmental responsibility.
                                                   i.      We did lose > 50% people before the green video

2)       MA Interfaith Power & Light – you’re invited to the Nov 1st annual conference!
·         If you’re interested, contact Bill Schroeder, to carpool from Andover: WESchro721@aol.com
·         Theme: “Paris: We’re Still In!”
·         First Parish in Framingham, Scott Hall, 24 Vernon St., Framingham, Nov 1, 2017, 7 PM – 9PM
Global warming is a moral issue that we are called to address--and soon. Learn how Massachusetts can lead by passing laws that will move us to a clean energy future. Hear what congregations are doing to reduce carbon pollution, engage their communities, and witness publicly.
                                                   i.            Why Massachusetts Needs a Carbon Pricing Law: Senator Mike Barrett
                                                  ii.            Solar Access 4All :
·         Rev. Mariama White-Hammond, Bethel AME, Andrea Nyamekye, Neighbor 2 Neighbor, Joel Wool, Clean Water Action
                                                iii.            Advocating for 100% Renewable Energy for Framingham
·         Larry Decker, First Parish, Framingham & Mike Croci, Sustainable Framingham
                                                  ii.      Living Our Values: Joan Rachlin, Temple Israel, Boston
                                                iii.      A Vision of Carbon Neutrality, Jim Nail, St. Dunstan’s, Dover

3)       Divestment - Report from Bill Schroeder
·         Candy and I met with Kate Jagger last Thursday to talk about ways to approach the fossil fuel divestment/socially responsible investing discussion in the congregation.  Kate had a number of good suggestions, including:
                                                   i.      Make it a conversation and not a specific proposal.  If you start out with a proposal, then the proponents are on the defensive.  And other valuable suggestions aren't gathered easily.
                                                  ii.      There is money available from the Science and Faith fund that could be used to facilitate the discussion.  Maybe pay for guest speakers.  Maybe pay for child care at discussion sessions
                                                iii.      The church is about to roll out a Planned Giving Drive.  Would be good to not draw attention away from that.
·         We agreed that the next steps should be:
                                                   i.      Get team of proponents together.  See if Board of World Service or Social Justice Coalition want to engage on the fossil fuel divestment. This can become a church movement.
                                                  ii.      Go to council - ask for them to endorse the conversation
                                                iii.      If endorsed, make an initial plan for how to hold the conversation.

4)       Retreat Planning - Green Retreat for the Future 2.0
-          Highland Center Date set: Oct 5th – 7th – Columbus Day weekend 2018
-          Steve making progress on organizing a retreat committee
-          In discussion: lead in program: storytelling seminar in Spring 2018
o    Storytelling seminar
§  ACTION: Janet – write up a short promo summary of story telling seminar
·         Talk to Dana and Alex, who are interested in idea of story telling
§  Connect to Earth Day? Invite confirmands ?
-          Retreat - Similar format & structure, Explore area, Science projects, Guest speaker
o    Steve presented the Why/How/What for the retreat (include)
-          Market as Family Christmas gift December 2017
o    Retreat theme: Successes, inspiration, stories!
-          Storytelling: start with a family environmental project, what is the story?
-          Everything good that’s happening that we don’t always think about
o    For example: Candy talked about how acid rain was solved
o    For example: Steve presents about his house, with pictures
o    For example: kids show what they’ve done, what they care about << this is powerful
§  kids especially have moral authority
o    For example: Bill tell the story of MIPL, what, why, who
-          Have readout afterwards on the stories at church, at a service

5)       Two funds at church could support Green Team activities, if money needed for anything - Seeds of Faith Fund and Science Fund

Parking Lot
Plans for Earth Day 2018
-       have a green/solar house tour.
-       invite North Parish, Christ Church, many congregations
-       See if there is a local solar tour
-       ACTION (Mark): contact staff – date for Earth Sunday in Spring

Church Greening
Creeping non-environmentalism
 Was is there a mini-kitchen in library? Refrigerator, microwave, coffee makers...when kitchen is not so far!  Steve will talk to Alex.

Sunday, September 24, 2017

Green Retreat - Environmental storytelling "seed crystals"

Green Retreat - Env'l storytelling "seed crystals"   
Sunday, September 24, 2017

Hi all,
As you know, Steve has encouraged me to keep a running list of "seed crystals" or ideas for stories that could be the starting point for someone to use in their env'l storytelling. It has been SUCH A FUN exercise.  The list keeps growing.  I just added the last four of them based on a Garden Club "Envl Sustainability Course" that I was lucky enough to be part of.  I listened to three other presenters and gathered these seed crystals from them.  Happy reading.  I would love to learn more about each of these and hope someone will dig it and give us more on each one:
1.       Austin, TX’s Freetail bat population recovers thanks to a bridge that invites bat nests, eats insects (Prassede Calabi)
2.       Mystic River Herring ladder – River used to be a herring run, then dammed up and herring would die trying to get over the dam between the Mystic Lakes (bucket brigades tried to help), then in 2012 put in a herring ladder.  Now herring population has more than doubled, eagles and osprey, herons all back in area.  (Prassede Calabi)
3.       Ethiopia had massive famines in 1980s.  Then, government focused on food production system and irrigation.  Population has since doubled but now is a new food exporter. (Farmer Dave)
4.       LED lighting in greenhouses has made them economically feasible and is extending the growing season.  In the Republic of Georgia, their greenhouses are heated by geothermal energy and powered by solar panels and lit with LED lights.  (Farmer Dave)



Candy Dann

Thursday, September 21, 2017

SC Green Team Meeting Notes 9-21-2017

SC Green Team Meeting Notes 9/21/2017
Present: Mark Bohrer, Candy Dann, Susan Johnston, Fran Fink, Steve Fink, Kate Jagger
Away: Iric Rex, Terry Ebner, Bill Schroeder, Janet Clarke, Marty Mason
Mark to add Marty Mason to Green Team committee mailings!
Next meeting: Possibly Oct 1st at Bohrer’s?

1)      Kate Jagger special guest - representing Giving Committee (and Trustees too)
·         She requested us to include Nora in all minutes and key information communications so that Nora is up to date with our activities, and can help with our communication
·         Kate asked about budget needs – we should keep this in mind
                                                               i.      for example – does the Green Team ever have a child care budget need?
·         Giving Committee requested to have the minister(s) deliver the giving message
·         Two funds in church could support Green Team activities, if money is an issue:
                                                               i.      Seeds of Faith Fund and Science Fund
2)      Harvest Dinner
·         Same format as last year - Mark – send out program draft to group
·         Advance prep – Fran, Susan to make and bring pesto
·         ACTION: Mark – contact Dana – request announcement about Harvest Dinner on 9/30, talk with her about speaking, and Giving group announcement, need pasta makers!
                                                               i.      Talk with her about Earth Day Service spring 2018
                                                             ii.      Talk with her about Green Retreat plans for Oct 2018
·         Action: Mark – need guitarist to play song before dinner – TBD – Martin M or Steve L?
·         ACTION: Mark – make and post posters for Sunday 9/30
                                                               i.      IF YOU HAVE A PASTA MAKER – call Steve
·         ACTION: Fran / Emily – make a Giving Garden picture slide show
·         ACTION: Steve: sign up past makers
                                                               i.      Heather Abourjailly has one
                                                             ii.      last year: Finks, Rex, Danns, Shaws, Audes,
·         ACTION: Steve – find a Ted Talk or other content. Neil deGrasse Tyson video?
·         ACTION: Mark – See if a rehearsal dinner on Sun 10/1  5:30PM?

3)      Retreat Planning - Green Retreat for the Future 2.0
-          Highland Center Date set: Oct 5th – 7th – Columbus Day weekend 2018
-          Steve to organize retreat committee, and to have flyer for Harvest Dinner
-          Retreat - Similar format & structure, Explore area, Science projects, Guest speaker
o   Steve presented the Why/How/What for the retreat (include)
-          Market as Family Christmas gift December 2017
o   Retreat theme: Successes, inspiration, stories!
o   start with a family environmental project, what is the story?
-          Everything good that’s happening that we don’t always think about
-          For example: Candy talked about how acid rain was solved
-          For example: Steve presents about his house, with pictures
-          For example: kids show what they’ve done, what they care about << this is powerful
o   kids especially have moral authority
-          For example: Bill tell the story of MIPL, what, why, who
-          Have readout afterwards on the stories at church, at a service

Parking Lot
Plans for Earth Day 2018
-       have a green/solar house tour.
-       invite North Parish, Christ Church, many congregations
-       See if there is a local solar tour
-       ACTION (Mark): contact staff – date for Earth Sunday in Spring

Church Greening
· Creeping non-environmentalism
 Was is there a mini-kitchen in library? Refrigerator, microwave, coffee makers...when kitchen is not so far!  Steve will talk to Alex.

Church Divestment (last updated June 2017)
-       Trustees of the Trust Funds are receptive to the topic, if there were funds with low overhead expenses that were fossil free
 There are a number of fossil free ETF funds run by State Street Funds
-       How should we move this forward this year?
 Can we advance this with the church year, to get the membership onboard, to lay the groundwork for a church vote?
 Candy’s Recommendation: Ask Ron Hill (an investment advisor), to get him onboard early
-       What’s the ask of the TOTTF? Is this an action done over time (say 5 years)? Like the UCC General Synod
-       Put together a handout about how the church might do this (options)
-       Dialogue about church members personal portfolios