The VAFSC has been a fairly active part of the peace movement for as long as I’ve been in Vermont (and, most likely, considerably longer).  I’ve done a few projects in coordination with them, and I’m a bit floored to find out that we’ll no longer have a Vermont chapter of the AFSC.  The group’s website has been replaced by just the following message, before new contact information and an announcement of a Nov 20th memorial service of sorts for the organization

(I really wish they’d spelled “regrettably” correctly, but that’s beside the point).

I don’t have a lot to say about this.  Joseph Gainza was interviewed over this and thinks that the fact that Obama won actually hurt their efforts to keep the organization financially, with people thinking that we no longer need to support a peace group.  He’s probably right.  Combine that with the economy the way it is at this moment in time, and it’s a recipe for shutting down a group which was never really rolling in cash.

But I do just want to say that the VAFSC was a good group which did some really good work.  I’m sorry to see them go.