Dear Friends,
Attached and also below are the draft minutes from this month's Meeting for
Business held in a Spirit of Worship. Please let me know if you see errors or
have suggestions for improvements. I depend on your help to get the minutes
right.
In Friendship,Rebecca
DRAFT
LangleyHill Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends
Meeting for Business held in a Spirit ofWorship
Fourthmonth 19, 2020
Opening: Dueto the coronavirus pandemic, Langley Hill Meeting of the Religious
Society ofFriends changed its usual practice this month for holding its Meeting
forBusiness held in a Spirit of Worship. We met remotely, via Zoom, on April
19,2020, with Meeting for Worship beginning at 10 a. m. and transitioning
toconsideration of our business shortly after 10:30. Clerk Timothy Hunt
presidedover both our unprogrammed worship and our worship with a concern for
business.At the start of worship, he shared this query from Baltimore Yearly
Meeting’s UnityWith Nature Committee: As increasing human-caused carbon
emissions threatenour planet’s health, are we actively engaged in examining and
reducing ourcarbon footprints to a level that can protect the earth’s natural
systems?
Forty households, or about 50 individuals, wereconnected to the meeting as we
transitioned to considering our business. There wereno first-time attenders at
this Meeting for Business. We welcomed Gillian Huntback to worship with us.
2020/4-1:First reading of Spiritual State of the Meeting Report for 2019
Following a period of announcements and sharing ofnews of the community, Kate
English read a draft of the Spiritual State of theMeeting Report, prepared by
the Ministry & Worship Committee. A copy isattached. Several Friends expressed
general support for the report whileoffering suggestions for improvements. A
Friend found the ending abrupt andsuggested we not end talking about our
finances but in a more spiritual vein,possibly with thanksgiving for the
Meeting’s spiritual life. Friends requestedthese topics be added to the report:
-- the weekly Drop-In sessions held before Meeting forWorship;
-- the Meeting’s special effort in 2019 to encourageattendance at Baltimore
Yearly Meeting’s annual session. Anne Hunt, clerk ofthe Scholarship Committee,
agreed to provide information;
-- the changing size and demographics of our community.Our Recorder, Ann
Delorey, offered to provide information;
-- information about our vibrant First Day Schoolprogram
A Friend thought the draft report captured the essenceof where we are as a
community. She noted that the Ministry & WorshipCommittee is comprised
primarily of people who were not on the committee in2019, so this is the first
time most of them have prepared a Spiritual State ofthe Meeting Report. She
commended the committee for its work.
The Clerk sensed broad support that the draft reportspeaks to our condition,
although there are important additions to be made. Heasked Friends with further
suggestions for improvements to send them directlyto Kate. We expect to receive
a revised report next month.
2020/4-2:Report on the Spiritual State of Junior Monthly Meeting
TheClerk noted that our practice is to receive a separate report from our
YoungFriends describing the spiritual state of the Meeting as they experience
it. Wehave not received that report as yet, but he trusted it would come in
duecourse. Chuck Kleymeyer, one of the Friendly Adult Presences who work
withJunior Monthly Meeting, explained that four Young Friends, who between
themcomprised the leadership of the group, graduated from high school in 2019
andleft for college last fall. The group’s membership is now both smaller
andyounger, with some participants in middle school. The group has not
metregularly since the fall, and is not meeting at all during this time of
socialdistancing. The minutes of the group’s activities in 2019 are stored in
the meetinghouse, which is currently closed. It is challenging for the current
YoungFriends to write a report about a time when they were not part of the
group.Chuck asked for help in deciding whether Junior Monthly Meeting might
take ayear off from writing a report on its spiritual state.
AFriend suggested that during this time of virtual meetings, the fact that
mostof last year’s participants are scattered doesn’t need to stop them from
beingpart of a virtual meeting that could prepare this report. Treasurer
JessicaMott supported the idea of a virtual meeting that included former
JuniorMonthly Meeting leaders. She asked that their meeting include
consideration ofwhat the group wants to do with roughly $1,000 in proceeds from
their fundraisingefforts that has not been spent. She also noted that it’s fine
for anindividual to enter the meeting house to pick up minutes stored there.
It’sonly group gatherings that are not permitted.
Chuck willconsider how best to proceed.
2020/4-3:Nominating Committee: Nominations to Ministry & Worship Committee
Committeeclerk Ann Delorey proposed Laurie Wilner and John Frisk to serve on
theMinistry & Worship Committee. Because the committee has expressed a
strongneed for more members, she asked if Friends felt able to approve
thesenominations today, rather than following our usual practice of
havingnominations lie over until our next Meeting for Business.
Friends approved thesenominations.
2020/4-4:2nd Reading of nominations for the Temporary Nominating Committee
TheClerk asked if Friends were ready to approve a Temporary Nominating
Committeeconsisting of Frank Taylor, Naomi Theirs, and himself, as first
presented lastmonth. This committee will identify people to serve on the
NominatingCommittee.
Friends approved thesenominations.
At this point, 34 households were connected to themeeting.
2020/4-5:Building Use: Minute on Use of the Meeting House by Quaker and other
Groups
Onbehalf of the Communications, Outreach, and Building Use Committee,
co-clerkRick Post presented the attached minute. The minute authorizes the
calendarkeeper and a member of the Communications, Outreach, and Building Use
Committee(called the Building Use Point of Contact) to approve certain uses of
ourmeeting house without having to bring the request before the Meeting
forapproval. They would also determine fees or suggested contributions for
theseuses. The uses that would not need approval by the business meeting fall
in totwo broad categories: 1) Quaker groups of less than 50 people for
one-timeshort events, and 2) use by members of the Langley Hill community to
serve ourcommunity or to serve others in ways consistent with our outreach
goals. Theminute is a revision of one first offered last month (see Minute
2020/3-4). Thepurpose of the minute is to streamline approval of use of the
building bysmaller groups in ways that don’t impact its use by our community as
well as toincrease use of the building.
AFriend suggested that use of the building by the Country Day School should be
athird category that can be negotiated by the calendar keeper and the
BuildingUse Point of Contact without having to come to Business Meeting for
approval. Friendsagreed that this third category should be added to the minute.
AFriend suggested that we consider paying the Building Use Point of Contact
asmall stipend for this work, possibly also asking that person to work
topromote more use of the building. Rick replied that for the moment, he
iswilling to serve in this role as a member of the Communications, Outreach,
andBuilding Use Committee without a stipend.
TheClerk asked if Friends were willing to approve the minute, with
theunderstanding that he would work with the committee to add a third category
tocover use by the Country Day School.
Friends approved theminute understanding it will be revised as the Clerk
proposed.
2020/4-6:Request for a large group to use the meeting house July 16-18, 2020
RickPost, co-clerk of the Communications, Outreach, and Building Use
Committee,presented a request from Francesca Constantino for a group she works
with touse the meeting house for the weekend of July 16-18. She anticipates 40
to 80college students who are part of a national organization for
internationaldevelopment would attend the event. They would be in the meeting
house on Fridayevening, Saturday, and Sunday, including during our time of
Meeting for Worshipon Sunday. During our worship, they would remain quietly
downstairs.
Friendsexpressed concern about whether our septic system could handle
weekendhospitality for so large a group. Keith Oberg, clerk of the House &
GroundsCommittee, reported that that committee has not made progress during
thecurrent pandemic on analyzing the issues surrounding our septic system. He
expressedconcern for our ability to accommodate a group as large as 80,
although wecould likely handle a group of 50 or fewer. Another Friends
questioned whetherthe coronavirus pandemic will have abated by July to the
extent that we wouldfeel safe inviting 40 to 80 people coming from many
locations into ourbuilding. At this time, we don’t know whether we will be able
to use the buildingourselves in such numbers by July. Another Friend thought
such a large numberof people in the basement likely would disturb our worship,
despite their bestefforts to be quiet.
The Clerk sensed that we were notready to approve the proposed use of the
meeting house.
He will inform Francesca of the reasons we areuncomfortable approving her
request. If circumstances change regarding theimpact of the coronavirus and the
condition of our septic system, we mightreconsider the request in the future.
Use of the meeting house by the group onSunday morning, however, is not likely
to be feasible.
2020/4-7:Peace & International Outreach Committee Biennial Report
Committeeclerk Donna Williams read the attached report. A Friend noted that
theMeeting’s support of a Peace Award program for students at a local high
schoolwas not mentioned in the report. Donna confirmed that the Meeting does
stillsupport this project financially, along with many other programs
notspecifically listed in the report.
AFriend raised a concern about the financial support we offer to
organizationsto support their work, not just in the areas of peace or
internationaloutreach, but in all the areas we support. She thought it
important for us todecide whether we are providing charity or are about
transformation.Transformation, she said, is about building a relationship. If
that is ourintention, we need to limit the number of organizations to which we
contributeso that we only make contributions to organizations where someone
from theMeeting actively participates. Our contributions would then be fewer,
butlarger. Donna replied that this is an issue the committee has talked about,
butthe committee hasn’t embraced a total change in this direction. The
Friendthought the decision should be made by the Meeting as a whole, not just
by thecommittee.
AFriend who serves on the Peace & International Outreach Committee saidthat, in
principle, transformation is what we seek. The problem is that inareas like
international development or climate change, there are continuallynew groups
arising that offer opportunities to address issues of concern to us.It’s easy
to become entrenched in supporting a few known groups. We need to beopen to
evolving opportunities, but we need to be careful to strike the rightbalance.
The Clerk affirmed that the Friend was asking theMeeting as a whole to consider
broadly the issue of how we choose theorganizations we support financially. He
will look into how we might addressthis issue.
2020/4-8: Request for comments abouttoday’s Meeting for Business
The time having reached noon, the Clerk deferred ourremaining business to
another time. He had hoped to have time to hear fromFriends how they felt about
this modified practice for conducting our business.He noted that attendance had
remained high at this Meeting for Business. Otheroptions are possible,
including changing the time when we gather virtually toconduct our business. He
asked Friends to be in touch with him with theirthoughts about today’s
experience.
Closing: After a period of announcements,the Meeting settled into closing
worship at 12:09 p.m., with 28 householdsconnected, purposing to meet again on
May 10, 2020, or as Way opens.
______________________________
______________________________
Timothy Hunt, Clerk Rebecca
Rawls, RecordingClerk
Approved:
Attachment:
4-19-20 draft minutes.docx
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