Friends of Adin Ballou
Hopedale Unitarian Parish
13 April 2003

Present: Dick Drinon, Nancy Haines, Lynn Hughes, Peter Hughes, Jeanne Kinney, Liane Speroni, Michael True

The meeting was called to order at 6:20 p.m.

Upcoming Events

We discussed plans for our performance at the April 26 event. We need to explain who Adin Ballou was, what the community was, and what their values were - can't just assume everyone knows about them. Dick will give a short intro, and Liane will read the poem written for Adin's 40th birthday. Peter will deliver a speech by Adin on "Amusements" (adapted from Practical Christian Socialism).

Lynn will speak on "Adin Ballou: American Pacifist" for the Unitarian Universalist Historical Society Spring Lecture.

Peter will speak on "Adin Ballou: Unitarian Universalist" at the UUA's General Assembly in June. In addition, FAB is co-sponsoring at table at GA with the UU Historical Society, at which we will be able to sell and distribute publications and information about Adin Ballou and Hopedale. We were not able to organize a formal tour of Hopedale as part of GA, but we will give the Walking Tour pamphlets to anyone who might be interested in making the trip.

Publications

Recent additions to web site: substantial excerpts (about half) of Christian Non-Resistance; three chapters of Practical Christianity; several pamphlets by Adin Ballou; articles by James Hunt and Lynn Hughes.

Christian Non-Resistance and To Live a Truer Life expected to be available in June.

Works in Progress

Nancy is doing research on Adin Ballou's relations with Quakers.

Liane is working on an oral history projected on labor history in the Milford area.

Michael True comments on the need for a really scholarly study of Ballou's contributions to the theory and practice of nonviolence, especially of Ballou's influence on Gandhi. (It's unclear whether Gandhi actually read Ballou, or just encountered some of his ideas which had been adopted by Tolstoy.)

Discussion of the difficulty of using the Practical Christian and other community archives for research. Would it be possible for the Hopedale Library to get a copy of the Hopedale Collection on microfilm? Could FAB help with grant application for this purpose?

Organizational

Treasurer's report: we have a balance of $70.54 in cash. The Hopedale Cultural Council is supposed to reimburse us $100 for a speaker. Jeanne and Bill diLuca to check on that.

We have a $1000 check from the Unitarian Sunday School Society for a grant toward the printing of Lynn's book, To Live a Truer Life, but can't deposit it because FAB does not have a bank account. Dick to check whether the Hopedale church would serve as temporary treasurer until we can get our own account set up. [Note: later determined that they could not, as mixing their funds with those of an organization which is not an official non-profit could endanger the church's non-profit status.]

Discussion of whether FAB should incorporate as a non-profit. Michael True advises it, as it will make us eligible for more grants, etc. We are agreed that we should be non-profit, but question incorporation - can we afford it? Is there a simpler/cheaper form of organization - perhaps a charitable trust, as Peter Reilly suggested at meeting in December? Nancy to work on sample bylaws.

We need to clarify the relationship between Friends of Adin Ballou, Blackstone Editions, and Lynn & Peter Hughes' personal finances (e.g. we have been selling pamphlets for FAB but all proceeds so far have gone to Lynn & Peter, because they advanced the money for printing; how is the money distributed when Blackstone books are sold on FAB we site; why was the grant for printing of Truer Life paid to FAB?) Lynn to report on this at next meeting.

Plans for upcoming meetings

Liane suggests as a possible future speaker: Jeremy Brecher, author of many books including STRIKE! and GLOBALIZATION FROM BELOW.

Program

Lynn presented a version of her lecture on "Adin Ballou: American Pacifist".

prepared by:
Lynn Gordon Hughes, Secretary