Presented to the Meeting for Business on 7 June 2009

2008-2009 Review

During the 2008-09 season, the Friendly Eights Committee continued to offer informal gathering opportunities for small groups of Bethesda Friends Meeting members and attenders to enjoy dinner and fellowship.

As in the past, two separate programs were offered: one for adults and one for families with children. Potluck dinners for adults were held during the months of October, November, January, March and April on the third Sunday of the month. Those interested had two opportunities to sign-up for any or all of the dinnersÑfirst during the month of September and again in January. Families met on the third Saturday of those months for either a picnic or a traditional potluck. Families were invited to sign up through an email 'evite' invitation. In addition to in-person sign-ups after meeting, participants could sign up through the BFM website or by email. At the time of registration participants indicated their ability and willingness to host dinners in their homes.

Participants were randomly assigned to adult dinners with the help of a computer program. The Friendly Eights Committee mailed participant lists and contact information in advance of the dinners to all parties and asked the hosts to contact their guests to confirm attendance and coordinate menus. A committee member was assigned to each monthÕs dinners to send out the evites, to liaison with hosts and to help troubleshoot cancellations/ issues.

The Friendly Eights Committee provided back-up child-care on all Sundays in October, as well as organizing hospitality in June.

Plans for the 2009-2010 Year

In 2009-2010, Friendly Eights dinners are being set up as in 2008-2009. Adults and families will hold separate gatherings: adults on Sunday nights and families on Saturday nights. The first set of gatherings are going to held in October, November, and January; the second set in February, March, and April.

Adults sign up for dinners in early Fall and Winter. They sign up for three dinners at the same time. The committee then forms dinner groupsÑtrying to prevent guests from having dinner with the same people on different occasions. An updated computer program is being developed to simplify guest assignment.

Families sign up for dinners by accepting evite invitations sent out prior to each dinner. The committee then forms dinner groups trying to prevent guests from having dinner with the same people from previous dinners. Anyone new to Bethesda Friends Meeting provides the Friendly Eights Committee with their email address at the same time the Adult groups sign up for dinners (in early Fall and Winter). Their email is then added to the evite invitation list.

Dinner gathering typically are potlucks in a member or attenders home. The October gathering is an exception as it is scheduled to be a picnic.

The Friendly Eights Committee will provide back-up child-care on all Sundays in October, as well as organizing hospitality in June.

Friendly Eights Spiritual Impact

The Friendly Eights committee continues our mission of bringing members and attenders together in an informal atmosphere where we can join each other in a spiritual way as well as in conversation. Of particular importance is showing new attenders our practices and explaining our beliefs. Our goal is to foster acceptance where all feel comfortable attending.

Requests

The Friendly Eights committee requests an electronic version of the Bethesda Friends Meeting directory in order to facilitate adding members and attenders to the Evite invitation list.

Final Comment

The Friendly Eights Committee is enthusiastic about continuing to enhance the F8s experience in order to continue to fulfill its mission of building relationships among members and attenders of BFM. The Committee welcomes comments and suggestions from all members and attenders.

As clerk of this committee, I would like to thank all the members for their hard work.