CMM 2025-05-18

Minutes of Meeting for Worship with Attention to Business

Concord (NH) Monthly Meeting of

the Religious Society of Friends

18^th of Fifth Month 2025 [1]

05.01  Fifteen Friends gathered in person and online for Meeting for Worship with Attention to Business, Fifth Month 18, 2025.

05.02  Minutes from Fourth Month 2025 [2] were approved as presented on the website.

05.03  Peace Pole Celebration [3].  Sharon K reported for the PPC Ad Hoc Committee.  We are setting the date of the celebration for 9/28 following our potluck lunch.

05.04  YRE – The Youth and Religious Education committee asked the Meeting to consider how we should fund our usual contribution of $900 to Kenya Rising in the coming year.  This fundraising activity has rested with the YRE committee as an opportunity for the children to engage with the project, but there is not an expectation there will be children in the First Day School next year.  Given the great need there is around the world, there is a General concern regarding our donations to this and other organizations, Quaker organizations and non-Quaker organizations.  Youth and Religious Ed will continue to consider the Kenya Rising Fundraising project.

05.05  Financial Report.  Treasurer, Chris H, presented the Statement of Operations through April.  Income Year-to-Date was $35,201 and expenses were $30,198 with Year-to-Date net income $5,003.  Additional income and expenses expected for the year ending May 31 will likely leave us with a small net gain.

05.06  Grounds: In anticipation of future work on the grounds, Finance Committee recommends applying the remainder of the unexpended Grounds budget line for this fiscal year, approximately $1,000, to the Meeting’s Building and Grounds Fund on the balance sheet. Meeting approved.

05.07  Bank account.  Bookkeeper, Greg H, reported there have been unauthorized attempts to access our account, and Merrimack County Savings Bank has asked us to close our checking account and open a new one.  They have also asked us to remove our account number from our website where it appears on the donations page.  The Meeting approves the corporate banking resolution provided by the bank, as distributed, for the opening of a new nonprofit checking account with authorizations over the account by the Clerk, Heidi B, the Treasurer, Chris H, and the Recording Clerk, Greg H.  Other questions as to how to best secure our accounts are referred to finance committee.

05.08  Finance budget.  The Meeting approves the attached budget for FY 2026 as presented with income of $35,974 and expenses of $32,434.  Concern for needs external to our Meeting were again raised in response to the net income projected.  Finance committee is asked to look more deeply into these fundamental questions: What are the reasonable savings the Meeting should have?  How should they be invested?  What is a reasonable level of support we should be providing for other organizations?

05.09  Nominating Committee.  Rich K reported for the Nominating Committee.  Their proposed slate of officers, committee members and others to fill key responsibilities was approved with gratitude for their work and those who have offered to serve.  The full report as amended at the Meeting is appended.  Concern for the need for more members of Ministry and Counsel was raised.

05.10  Ministry and Counsel.  Ruth H reported on the public aspects of its work.  Having made progress on contacting inactive members and attenders, they expect to have an updated Contact List for the Meeting before long.  Ministry and Counsel sought input on the usefulness of the third Sunday worship sharing program prior to meeting for worship that had sought to provide solace and spiritual insight with respect to the current national situation.  No opinions were expressed.  A survey could be added to the Newsletter.  Such a meeting could happen as called.  The full report is appended.

05.11  Jubilee Year Controversy Within the Yearly Meeting.  Clerk, Heidi B, reported on a growing controversy within the Yearly Meeting.  Northeast Kingdom Meeting first, and then Midcoast Meeting later, have announced that they are taking a “Jubilee Year” during which time they will not participate in any NEYM activities and will withdraw their regular financial support.  Instead, they are focusing on healing and discerning their next steps.  Two other meetings, Northampton and Mt. Toby have approved minutes calling us to remain united.  We heard that the staff and presiding clerk of our Yearly Meeting have actively sought to work with NEK Meeting and this issue has come before the Permanent Board.  Heidi will provide the cited minutes and excerpts of correspondence in our newsletter so that we can come prepared to our next meeting for further discernment about any steps we might take as a meeting.

Following our closing worship Friends adjourned purposing to meet again on Sixth Month 8, 2025 as way opens.

Ministry & Counsel Report to Meeting for Worship with Attention to Business [5]

1. M&C is making progress in contacting of members and attenders who are on the contact list but whom we have not seen for a while.  We hope to present a cleaned up list in the near future.
2. As announced in this week’s email, Betsy Meyer will be leading May 4^th Sunday on Vocal Ministry.  We are grateful for her sharing her expertise with us on this issue.
3. The 3^rd Sunday Meeting for Healing did not happen this month because of schedule change with M4B.  But the previous month was not as well attended as before.  Does the Meeting wish to continue?  We considered the idea of using an Advice and/or Query as the prompt for worship sharing.
4. Reminder that on 1^st Sunday a query will be read about 5 minutes into worship.  We are testing the Meeting’s reaction to see if this is helpful.
5. We began a discussion on developing written policy on Privacy and Security.
6. Attendance at the 1^st Sunday discussions on Deepening Our Quaker Experience has been decreasing.  Heidi hopes to hear from new and newish attenders when/whether the series should continue, perhaps at another time, and perhaps after a summer rest.

CONCORD MONTHLY MEETING OF FRIENDS

LEADERSHIP ROLES AND COMMITTEE SERVICE 2025 – 2026 [6]

EO = Ex Officio; IC = Initial Convener

Updated version of this list is maintained on the Contacts [7] webpage.