Gary’s son Jeremy asked that the following note be shared with the Meeting community. It was written earlier this evening:
“Dad, Gary, is ending his time in his body. Multiple organs are beginning to fail, and his body is telling us what his voice can not. It is time to let him go.
We will be removing the paralytic drug that has been allowing the ventilator to be working at such a high pressure, then removing the ventilator a bit later. Given the condition of his lungs, he will probably not last long. The medical staff will be administering whatever drugs are necessary for his comfort.
Please hold Gary in the Light during this time of transition.
Thank you for your love and support. I hope the holiday finds you with
laughter and joy regardless.
peace and blessings,
Jeremy”
Friends, our beloved Gary Briggs passed away from this life just a few hours later. His sons were with him at the time.
May the weight of this loss be tempered by the blessings of the season.
As we near the end of the year, the Finance Committee requests that you turn in any expenses for this year to our treasurer Adrianne Weir as soon as possible. We will be closing the books on calendar year 2009 by Dec 31st, so any expenses incurred this year should be submitted before our next Finance meeting on Dec 28.
Also, as you consider your year-end charitable contributions, please remember Asheville Friends Meeting. We have not received enough contributions this year to cover our budgeted expenses. If you’re in a position to make an additional contribution, it would be greatly appreciated and it would be most helpful if we receive it by Dec 31st. Thanks for your help and consideration.
The Meeting Christmas party will be held on Saturday, December 19th from 3 p.m. until about 6 p.m. We will plan to sing and do fun crafty stuff early and eat the potluck dinner at 5 p.m. Come ready to have fun and share a potluck meal. A great chance to share your favorite holiday recipes!
If you’d like to help decorate and prepare at 2 p.m. or can stay to clean up and get the meetinghouse ready for First Day after the party, please call Barbara Esther at 828 683-4839 or 828 301-4845. Tell your Friends and family about it, too!
Request from the Clerks
That we remember that we are all clerks and that all in the Meeting for Business share in the responsibility for monitoring the process.
That , after being recognized by the clerk, members who can comfortably do so stand to speak.
11th Month Minutes
Report of Finance Committee
Ministry and Counsel
* Recommendations for Meeting for Business Procedure
* Recommendations re nonmembers serving on Ministry and Counsel
Nominating
*Nominations for Communications Committee
* (Provisional) Nomination for M&C
This week after our first hour of worship we will have our monthly
Meeting for Worship for the conduct of our business. Minutes from last
month’s meeting are posted on our website. Our clerk will be posting an
agenda tomorrow, so all reports, action items, and concerns should be in
her hands by now.
As many of you have undoubtedly heard by now, our beloved Friend Gary
Briggs is in the hospital with pneumonia complicated by H1N1 flu. He is
in serious condition, on a respirator, heavily sedated. Margaret Farmer
and Ellen Frerotte went to visit him last Sunday after Meeting and found
him obviously in need of immediate medical attention. They took him to
Urgent Care, and from there he was transported by ambulance to St. Joe’s.
The good news is that the attending physicians have seen fit to begin
reducing the level of his respirator, surely a sign that he has begun to
improve. We have word that he will be on the respirator for at least
several more days.
It is possible to visit him, if you are so moved. He told Margaret on
Sunday that if he was to be in the hospital for any length of time, he
would appreciate seeing a Friendly face or two. You can find out more
about visiting by calling the hospital switchboard at 213-1111.
This week after our first hour of worship we will have our monthly
Meeting for Worship for the conduct of our business. Minutes from last
month’s meeting are posted on our website. Our clerk will be posting an
agenda tomorrow, so all reports, action items, and concerns should be in
her hands by now.
Coming up this week after rise of Meeting is the first installment of
Quakerism 101. In a break from traditional Q101 presentations, we will
begin with modern times and work our way back, rather than starting with
George Fox and Margaret Fell and working forward. This week we will
examine the many different faces of Quakerism in the world today, and
try to digest some Quaker alphabet soup. We will have a “What kind of
Quaker are you?” exercise, and find out which Quaker orgs speak to your
condition.
AFM’s “Orphan’s Thanksgiving” was a great success with upwards of twenty attenders and lots of good food. Much lively discussion took place around the tables while folks sampled the many wonderful dishes. Thanks to all the good cooks who contributed, and especially to Gjeorge for the turkey!
