CMM 2019-05-12

Minutes of Meeting for Worship for Conduct of Business

Concord (NH) Monthly Meeting of

the Religious Society of Friends

Fifth Month 12, 2019

Ten Friends gathered on the 12^th day of Fifth month to pay worshipful attendance to Meeting affairs.  The clerk read an advice regarding the conduct of Friends’ Meeting for business [1].  Minutes from Fourth month [2] as posted to the website were accepted.

05.1  Budget Committee.  A verbal report for the budget committee was given by our bookkeeper in the absence of the treasurer.  The shortfall in contributions (relative to our proposed budget for the fiscal year that will end in about 3 weeks) previously announced has now been made up.  Discussion ensued around ideas for how committees that have spent or wish to spend above their budget line could have approval for those expenditures.  The Meeting empowered the budget committee to approve additional expense reimbursement requested by a committee as long as the expenses in the total budget are within the original budget for the year.  [The Income and Expenses Report and Balance Sheet are attached.]

05.2  Nominating committee presented recommendations for the coming year.  We are transitioning from a co-clerk arrangement to a single presiding clerk.  We are also naming a small clerk’s consultation committee to provide guidance to the clerk when that seems useful.  M&C clerk expressed a concern that the committee is smaller this year.  M&C can consult with nominating committee during the year about adding members.  We approved the nominations and expressed our gratitude for the service of those who have filled roles so ably over prior years and are now stepping out of those roles.

05.3  The 2018 State of Society [3] report was approved as it has been posted on our website.

05.4  Memorial Tree.  The clerk read a request for planting a memorial tree on our property for the recently deceased daughter of a Meeting member.  We agreed that landscape committee would work with this member on finding an appropriate space and the right tree.

05.5  ‘Solarize’ Campaign.  A Meeting member who is chair of the Canterbury Energy Committee would like to be able to post a sign for the next few months on our property near the road to encourage other Canterbury residents to join in the ‘Solarize’ campaign that the town has begun.  Meeting members were favorable with some thoughts expressed about whether a sign should name a particular company and where it should be placed relative to our own welcome sign.  We decided that such a sign should not reference a particular company.

05.6  Committee Reports.  PSECC read its written report which is appended.  YRE Committee also reported and will forward its written report to be appended to these minutes when posted to our website.  The M&C report was given by its clerk.  That written report is appended to the minutes.  Outreach Committee is working on a trifold leaflet about the Meeting that will be available for giving to outside people using our meeting space.  They sent a written report on this that is also appended.

There was no report this month from the Property Committee.

NB. The Income & Expenses Sheet was created with two decimal points, which were removed for readability, the cents being unimportant to the overall understanding.  This can have the effect of throwing off any given sum by a dollar due to compounded rounding.  —  Prepared by Greg Heath and Chris Haigh.

NB. The Balance Sheet was created with two decimal points, which were removed for readability, the cents being unimportant to the overall understanding.  This can have the effect of throwing off any given sum by a dollar due to compounded rounding.

Do we have the resources to support our obligations? YES

Variable Assets Less Current Liabilities and Replacement Reserve = $3,806

Approved by Meeting for Worship with attention to Business Fifth Month 12, 2019.  [NB. For completeness, some non-Nominating Committee appointments are listed as well.]

Committee appointments may be adjusted during the year.  Contact members of the committee to express an interest.

1. Romans 12:3-8 (NRSV) [28]
2. 1^st Corinthians 12:4-31 (NRSV) [29]
3. Isaac Penington in Quaker Faith & Practice of Britain Yearly Meeting, passage 10.27 [30]
4. Beatrice Saxon Snell in Quaker Faith & Practice of Britain Yearly Meeting, passage 12.08 [31]

Peace, Social, and Earthcare Concerns Committee (PSECC) Report, May 8^th, 2019

The committee provided post cards, suggested script, and help, to find the information, about which legislator to contact and their addresses, for sending requests that the legislators vote to override a veto by the governor, of the abolition of the death penalty.  

Next meeting is Saturday, June 1^st, at 9 a.m. at the Meetinghouse.

Youth Religious Education (YRE) Committee report

YRE met May 12 and made final plans for Spring Party on June 2.  We will not use lots of colored paper, just green cutup paper added to some cracked corn (for color and to feed the birds).  We will ask people to bring own plates and silver.

We will be purchasing 4 to 6 new chairs as some of the current ones are breaking.  Last class will be mid June and then child care begins.  However, we hope to gather materials for and make some fairy houses over the summer in order to have a September outreach event of a Fairy Garden walk.  We will continue planning this next meeting, June 16.

Ministry and Counsel Committee Report, May 10^th, 2019

Ministry and Counsel

Report to Meeting for Business

May 2019

Ministry and Counsel met on Monday May 6, 2019 and report the following:

1. We hope those people with copies of Elizabeth Meyer’s pamphlet will make them available to others to read before the May Fourth Sunday program.  [Pendle Hill Pamphlet (PHP 453 [32], “A Practical Mysticism : How Quaker Process Opens Us to the Promptings of the Divine” [ISBN:  978-0-87574-453-7 [33] / 0-87574-453-2], which is in our Meeting’s library [34]].  See link for purchase. https://pendlehill.org/product/a-practical-mysticism-how-quaker-process-opens-us-to-the-promptings-of-the-divine/ [32]
2. We plan on only having potluck meals for fellowship in July and August on fourth Sundays.  Enjoy Summer!
3. We are looking at programs on The Right Sharing of World Resources, and a report from Puente De Los Amigos in the future.
4. We will continue to have a Meeting for Learning on First Sundays after Meeting for Worship and first and third Thursday evenings at 6:30 p.m.  All are at the meetinghouse.
5. We have moved Mid-Week Worship to second and fourth Wednesdays at 7:00 p.m.  This will allow us to offer a mid-week opportunity on separate weeks.
6. We have begun the process of contacting and checking in with those on our contact list who have not been contacted by Nominating Committee this year.  They will be given the option of having their names removed from the list if they wish.
7. The State of Society Report has been available for review and comment and will be presented at the May Meeting for Business for approval.

Outreach Committee Report, Fifth Month 11^th, 2019

The Outreach Committee met to work on a small pocket size piece for use when the Meetinghouse is used by outside groups.  It will be a 1/3 letter-size paper, folded into thirds with a brief description of our values, worship, and witness in the world, inviting them to worship with us.