PB 23-37: Opening Worship Friends opened with a period of worship
PB 23-38: The Recording Clerk called the roll:
Note: Technical difficulties interfered with the functionality of Zoom access to the meeting, preventing some Friends from participating fully.
Bold = present in the room; regular type = present on Zoom
Susan Davies, PB Clerk and Recording Clerk; Kimberly Allen, Darcy Drayton, Martin Forsythe, Christopher Gant, Beth Hansen, Ian Harrington, Newell Isbell Shinn, Meg Klepak, Frances Lightsom, Leslie Manning, Christopher McCandless, Bob O’Connor; Allison Randall, Carole Rein, John Reuthe, Diane Weinholtz, Donn Weinholtz, Mary Zwirner
Ex-Officio: Scott Drysdale (Finance Clerk), Rebecca Leuchak (Presiding Clerk), Noah Merrill (YM Secretary) Elizabeth Reuthe (Secretary’s Supervisor, Sarah Gant, (Meeting Accompaniment)
Regrets: Tom Brenner, Robert Murray (past Treasurer), Deana Chase, Joyce Gibson, Roger Jasaitis, Carolyne Lamar Jordan, Ed Mair, Christopher McCandless, Anna Radocchia, Martha Schwope, Liesa Stamm, Willa Taber, Eleanor Warnock, Morgan Wilson, Kathleen Wooten
Visitors: Susanna McCandless (YM Recording Clerk), Megan Jansen (YM Recording Clerk), Michelle Wright (YM Reading Clerk), Jean McCandless, Ruby Allen-Harvey, Alice Allen-Harvey, Janet Hough, Mey Hasbrook, Marian Baker, Adam Kohrman, Jackie Stillwell, Travis Belcher, Marian Dalton, LVM Shelton, Hannah Zwirner, Sophie Zwirner
PB 23-39: Concern for Youth and Youth Ministries
At the close of Sessions 2023 Friends heard epistles and messages from Young Adult Friends (YAFs) and young adults who serve as youth program Sessions staff. Each, in their own way, voiced a plea for greater understanding of their faithfulness, and exhaustion throughout Sessions, helping to sustain youth programs and ministries during NEYM Sessions, and their personal grief over loss of a robust, restorative spiritual community of their peers.
Permanent Board Friends were deeply moved by their messages. Though minute PB 23-35: Youth Ministries Committee Purpose, Procedures, and Composition document was approved at the August 5, 2023 Permanent Board meeting (and subsequently approved by Sessions 2023), the Youth Ministries Committee is not yet seated, thus the work is not yet fully underway. Rebecca Leuchak, NEYM Presiding Clerk, and clerk of the Coordinating and Advisory Committee (C&A), proposed to the Permanent Board that the C&A committee bring recommendations to PB to be heard at the September 30th PB meeting.
Friends affirmed this plan and noted that care of youth and youth ministries is clearly a part of the charge of the Permanent Board.
PB 23-40: Approval of Sessions Minutes, clerked by Rebecca Leuchak, Presiding Clerk
Rebecca Leuchak, Presiding Clerk, introduced each of the remaining minutes from Sessions 2023 requiring approval by PB. Final edited and approved Sessions 2023 minutes will be posted on the NEYM website, pending final formatting and copy editing.