Early developments in Meeting House use
Quaker use of the building developed well in the early years while Ian and
-Lise were wardens, as did community use. A group, which included Lise and Ian, saw from the beginning the opportunity offered by the August Festival Fringe to develop the use and profile of the building. Lise was an able vegetarian/vegan cook. She and Ian had ‘green’ concerns and it was decided to run the Library as the ‘Rainforest Cafe’ for two weeks during the Fringe, raising money for rainforest charities. The Hall and Meeting Room were offered for exhibition and concert use concurrent with this.
+Lise were wardens, as did community use. A group, which included Lise and Ian, saw from the beginning the opportunity offered by the August Festival Fringe to develop the use and profile of the building. Lise was an able vegetarian/vegan cook. She and Ian had `green' concerns and it was decided to run the Library as the `Rainforest Cafe' for two weeks during the Fringe, raising money for rainforest charities. The Hall and Meeting Room were offered for exhibition and concert use concurrent with this.
After Ian and then Lise left, Mark and Anna Twinam-Cauchi, a student couple, were wardens for a short while. When they left, a rota of volunteer keyholders was set up to open up, service organisations renting rooms and welcome callers. A support group of Friends, which included Archie Campbell and Jennie Nielson was put in place, with the specific purpose of ensuring a Quaker profile for the building. By 1994, they were running a rota to staff the building on Wednesdays to greet visitors, advise any who had problems and explain Quakerism.
@@ -1040,7 +1042,8 @@
Our building’s shop windows make us unusually visible—they encourage people to come in and make it clear what you are getting into. This and our openness to the community are unusual for a religious building and have helped change the attitude of others to Friends. We need to value and develop this.
Building could be more of a focus for Quakers in
-Scotland, perhaps having an office from which Quakers can speak to the Scottish Parliament.
+Scotland
+, perhaps having an office from which Quakers can speak to the Scottish Parliament.
An expression of our responsibility and values—care for the environment, peace etc—a focus for us speaking out from a spiritual base. We have responsibility to use our facilities for the community.
@@ -1109,12 +1112,14 @@
Emphasis on wider vision important. Strong base to enable Friends to cope with all the rapid changes in society and to promote ‘good lives’ within and around the community. Rental decline may not last (cf what has happened at Friends House).
Could worship happily in a very small Meeting but this building has built up a powerful significance for people all over
-Scotland,
+Scotland
+,
Britain
and even the world. This space is very precious and we have a responsibility for it.
I belong to a small Meeting in a rented building—difficult to make one’s presence known. The presence of the Meeting House—there for all of us in
-SE Scotland—helps to take us out of our insularity and remind us we belong to a wider Quaker community. Very important for raising our profile and it is a home to come to.
+SE Scotland
+—helps to take us out of our insularity and remind us we belong to a wider Quaker community. Very important for raising our profile and it is a home to come to.
This Meeting and the meeting house have enriched my life spiritually and helped me strengthen my witness in the world. Vision is to keep strengthening the spiritual life of the community and from here to continue to take it out in witness. This needs to be even more focussed than it is.
diff -r 800752d6ac39 -r a713940dc0d8 7vt/report.xml
--- a/7vt/report.xml Fri Jun 05 19:23:19 2009 -0400
+++ b/7vt/report.xml Fri Jun 05 19:27:27 2009 -0400
@@ -4,11 +4,12 @@
Report to Area Meeting from the Future of Victoria Terrace Working Group
- <emph color="red">DRAFT: contains contributions received through 1/6</emph>
+ <emph color="red">DRAFT: Nearing completion, some appendices still
+missing, as well as remaining red bits to be addressed</emph>
Alison Burnley, Madeleine Harding, Phil Lucas, Brian Mayes,
Laurie Naumann, Rufus Reade,
Eileen Schott, Henry S. Thompson
- 4 June 2009
+ 5 June 2009