Formation of a Preparative Meeting

• January 8, 1991: Letter to Friends in Northampton and beyond, at the suggestion of Teddy Milne, asking if there is interest in using the proceeds of property left to Mt Toby to buy a meetinghouse in Northampton.
• February 7, 1991: Meeting at the Hawkins attended by 25 people, which concluded that we were not yet ready to buy property, but we were interested in a meeting in Northampton. Report of Meeting
• March 17, 1991: First Meeting for Worship in Seelye Hall. We found this space very comfortable, although we recognized that the accessibility via a lift is not the most desirable.
• November 3, 1991:Approval of our request to be recognized as a preparative meeting received.
• April 27, 1992: A letter was written to the Northampton YMCA asking them to treat non-traditional families the same as traditional ones, which they began to do shortly thereafter.
• Fall 1992: A series of discussions on issues of gender and sexuality followed a verbal assault by a person who attended worship once; this was a great unifying event in the life of the meeting.
• May 15, 199: Marriage of two women members (under the care of Mt. Toby)
• Summer and Fall, 1993: Discussion over whether to become a sister meeting to Holguin in Cuba. These discussions eventually foundered in 1994 because our ministry to gays and lesbians was unacceptable to Holguin.
• July 30, 1993: Letter to Holguin Meeting in Cuba regarding possible sister meeting status.
• November 14, 1993: Traveling Minute for Benigno Sanchez-Eppler to visit Cuba.

  Aid to Bosnian Refugees and Peace Groups

• February 14, 1993: A minute calling on Northampton faith communities to sponsor Bosnian refugees was approved. Letters to other faith communities and a series of meetings eventually led to sponsorship of Bosnian refugees, a co-operative effort among Northampton faith communities.
• July 9, 1993: Fund-raising letter to assist organizations in the former Yugoslavia opposing war.
• July 21, 1993: $629.25.transmitted to peace groups in Serbia by courier. The money was distributed at the judgment of the courier to support publishing activities.
• September 21, 1993: Letter to the Center for Anti-War Action in Ada, Serbia transmitting funds.The amount eventually sent was $800, as well as $200 to the Center for Peace, Non-Violence and Human Rights in Osijek, Croatia.
• October 4, 1993: Minutes of Bosnia Working group: Fundraising for peace groups, Visit to W. Mass Islamic Society, Sponsoring Refugees. The minute for co-operation with Congregation Bnai Israel was later approved, and this represents the beginning of co-operative sponsorship of Bosnia refugees, and effort which continued for several years.

  Becoming a Monthly Meeting

• July 11, 1993:Minute requesting Connecticut Valley Quarter to recognize us as a Monthly Meeting approved.
• February 6, 1994: Quarterly Meeting approved Northampton Friends meeting as a Monthly Meeting.
• February 13, 1994: The first Monthly Meeting for Worship for Business of Northampton Friends Meeting approved a minute on same-sex marriage
• September 1995: First attempt to purchase property, which fell through.
• June 9, 1996: Adoption of a minute stating our vision of marriage in fuller form.

  The Middle to be filled in

  Acquiring a Home

• September 13, 1996: We purchased a two acre property at 95 Barrett Street, a mile from the center of Northampton, with the intention of building a meetinghouse there.
• November 1, 1998: Property committee recomends Lynn Posner Rice to design the meetinghouse.
• Summer 1999: Friends are dismayed at the cost estimates for the meetinghouse on Barrett Street.
• December 1999: Friends investigate the possibility of locating the meetinghouse in the center of Northampton as part of the renovation of a building once a Methodist Church and now the Elks Club. The renovation will include space for the emergency cot shelter which has been struggling to find a permanent location, and other social agencies.
• February 13, 2000: Meeting approves purchase of condominium property at 43 Center Street in downtown Northampton.
• August 2000: The developer closes the purchase of the 43 Center Street property and begins construction. Everyone is dismayed that the cot shelter will not be able to be there this winter.
• February 7, 2001: Addition to house the worship room is closed in.
• December 2001: Interior plastering of meetinghouse mostly complete. New developer takes over the main building and work is delayed pending the issuance of a new building permit.
• March 2002: Work starts again. Painting of meetinghouse interior begins. Completion is expected to occur in the summer of 2002.
• Summer 2002: Many delays result from discovery of unexpected structural and code problems in the rest of the building result in expectation of a fall completion.
• November 2002: After repeated announcements of an occupany date and then its postponement, we are hoping for December 1! The Interfaith Cot Shelter on the ground floor is able to open on November 1 as planned because of its separate entrance.
• November 29, 2002: The city takes the day after Thanksgiving off, so the building inspector is not available to inspect the building.
• December 8, 2002: With our Certificate of Occupancy in hand, we joyfully hold our first worship at Center Street with 65 people present. We held Meeting for Worship for Business at our old location, Bass Hall, began our worship there, and followed the Clerk on foot to Center Street. We immediately begin receiving requests for the use of the space for meetings.

This page last changed December 19, 2002