13-61 Opening Worship: Friends gathered in worship at Bryant University in Smithfield, Rhode Island, on Aug. 3, 2013, at the opening of our annual sessions. During opening worship we heard a memorial minute for Richard Sivel.
13-62 Roll Call: The recording clerk called the roll:
Present: Holly Baldwin, Travis Belcher, Deana Chase, Susan Davies, Jeremiah Dickinson, Eric Edwards, Ben Guaraldi, Jan Hoffman, Nancy Isaacs, Sandy Isaacs, Mary Knowlton, Allan Kohrman, Rebecca Leuchak, Christopher McCandless, Bruce Neumann, Elias Sanchez-Eppler, Karen Sanchez-Eppler, Suzanna Schell, Patricia Shotwell, Sara Smith, Carolyn Stone, Philip Stone, Donn Weinholtz, Carl Williams, Rosemary Zimmermann, Hannah Zwirner.
Regrets: Aimee Belanger, Sarah Gant, Galen Hamman, Robert Murray, Jane Van Landingham, Fritz Weiss,
Ex-officio: Edward Baker (Clerk of Personnel), Maria Lamberto (Clerk of Finance), Edward Mair (Treasurer), Noah Baker Merrill (Yearly Meeting Secretary), Jacqueline Stillwell (Presiding Clerk).
Visitors: Rocky Malin (Smithfield), Nancy Haines (Wellesley, Clerk of Development), Rachel Stacy (Beacon Hill), Leslie Manning (Durham), Anne Pomeroy (New Paltz, NYYM); Janet Hough, (Cobscook, Clerk of Structural Review).
13-63 Minutes: The Minutes from our May 11 meeting were considered and Approved.
13-64 Yearly Meeting Secretary Report: Noah Baker Merrill reported on a variety of subjects of import to the Yearly Meeting. Noting that this is a transition year between Yearly Meeting Secretaries, we are asked for patience and prayers, but Noah is excited to be working with such a skilled, loving, and prayerful staff.
Based on concerns raised at previous sessions, we have increased our Sessions insurance by 3x to 3 million, and have medical practitioners on call. Phone numbers for physicians on-call, and for the sessions coordinator are on the back of each name tag.
We heard that Bryant University's dining hall will be closed next summer, providing the impetus to relocate to another part of New England. A group of Friends including youth program staff and members of Sessions Committee toured Castleton State College and were enthusiastic about the site. In consultation with Coordinating and Advisory, the Yearly Meeting Secretary decided to move Sessions to Castleton for 2014. Hearing that previously the decision about location was made by the Field Secretary on the recommendation of Sessions Committee, Friends endorsed this decision.
Archives: taking advantage of unused Archivist salary, the YM has engaged Rocky Malin to oversee and coordinate the process, with Noah and the Archives Committee, of discerning the future of our Archives. (See Minute 13-53) A small group will go on Thursday to the Rhode Island Historical Society, intending to move NEYM's copy of The Bloudy Tenent to a safe deposit box.
We understand that the long-awaited new NEYM website will be launched soon.
Regarding the NEFH, we hear that the bank account will be closed today, leaving the final unresolved item as the state unemployment issue. We have a lawyer working with us and the state to arrange a hearing.
13-65 Treasurer's Report: Ed Mair referred us to his report in the advance documents, adding that he has found it a privilege to work with the staff and the new Yearly Meeting Secretary. The bottom line is that income is insufficient to support expenses. We have been warned! Hearing that the YM has met the limit of our travel expenses budget, we are asked to authorize a 30% overrun. We were informed that an anonymous donor has offered to make up the difference. Friends Approved the treasurer authorizing additional expenditures. Ed informed us that he will be retiring from this role as of the end of 2013 sessions.
13-66 Presiding Clerk Report: Speaking about the imminent agenda, Jackie reports that everyone has done their homework, that "We are ready for God to step in." Considering the Yearly Meeting schedule through the year, seeking to find a rhythm that better supports our work, the Coordinating and Advisory Committee has suggested changes to the Yearly Meeting calendar. Particularly of note is that in recent years, PB has not had a meeting between Sessions and November. Additionally, there is a hope of having Ministry and Counsel and PB meet at the same site, on the same day, with dual goals of allowing more conversation between committees and freeing up a weekend on the calendar. The first such joint meeting will be at Mt Toby MM on Sept 28. The concern was raised that there are folks who are on both committees, who will be required to make a difficult choice.
13-67 Financial Planning: on behalf of the group drawn from C&A, Finance, Personnel, and Development Committees (see minute xxx), Ben Guaraldi and Noah Baker Merrill gave us a preview of the presentation they plan to make at Sessions. Noah began by observing five distinct ways we think about NEYM:
The people of God called Friends
An association of Monthly Meetings
A large gathering which is our annual sessions
A structure of committees, boards, and working groups
An organization with staff, programs and service supporting the other four
Ben presented a chart with lines representing income and expenses, clearly showing the gap between our income and expenses for the last two years. Ben stated that expenses have been cut to the bone, there is no more to cut.
With an estimated deficit of $42k for 2014, we are left with three choices: Keep cutting, which will mean laying down services and staff; do nothing and continue running deficits, which will exhaust our reserves in five years and the legacy gift in 12 more years; or create the capacity to increase income.
The discernment group which we appointed to prepare these recommendations endorses the third choice: committing ourselves to raising income to support our shared ministries. They acknowledge that while working on raising income, we will continue to run a deficit, with the hope of balancing the budget within five years.
In order to accomplish this goal, they recognize that we have already begun this work by undertaking the following: shifting 10% of the YM Secretary's time to development work; increasing the Development Committee budget to an amount which actually supports this work; and making concrete steps to improve infrastructure, including communication and database. One example of this is making equalization needs more clear on the registration form, which has already increased income which will help to offset the usual equalization deficit.
The presentation also recommends that we commit to replenishing the reserves, with interest for the period those funds were not available.
Friends endorsed both the commitment to raising income and to replenishing funds with interest.
The financial planning group also raised the concern about the relationships between monthly meetings and the YM, noting that declining MM contributions point towards concerns abut these relationships—perhaps a declining understanding of, and commitment to the YM ministries. In the recent past, responsibility for communication with MMs regarding their contributions has fallen on the Finance Committee. Recognizing that this communication has not been pursued as much as it might, and that perhaps fuller nurturing of these relationships is beyond the duties of the Finance Committee, the financial planning group asked PB to season the idea of taking under its care communication with MMs.
Noah noted that he has asked Sessions Committee for a review of equalization policy and practices. He further explained that the 10% of his time he will spend on development will be made possible by making the sessions coordinator a year round position. The FY'14 budget includes $5000 to extend this position, which is currently limited to on-site work.
One friend noted that if this year's fundraising process does not work as well as we expect, the plan will need to be revisited. Noah explained that year by year, budgets will be adjusted according to actual income.
Recognizing that increased MM contributions will be essential to our future, Friends Approved taking under our care the shepherding of communications and relationship building with Monthly Meetings. We hope that addressing the relationships with MM will build vitality and greater relevancy, perhaps leading to greater financial commitment.
13-68 Finance Committee: Maria Lamberto reports that the Finance Committee will bring the name of Ben Guaraldi to sessions, for approval as Treasurer. Echoing Ed Mair, she reminded us that recent budgets support our goals, but there is not enough income. Finance committee considers it a blessing that the Development Committee is stepping forward, hoping to close the gap. With the likely appointment of Ben Guaraldi as Treasurer, the Committee will be looking for a new Assistant Treasurer.
Budget: In May we approved forwarding budget "A," with no cuts, to sessions. The one change since then is an increase of $6300 to the travel budget (see above). Having seen and endorsed the financial planning proposal, Friends approved forwarding this budget to sessions.
13-69 Development Committee: For the Development Committee, Nancy Haines expressed their sense that closing the budget gap is “doable.” Modest contributions from every Friend involved in Sessions or Yearly Meeting committees would erase our deficit. We have received an anonymous gift of $10,000 from someone who has been giving monthly. The donor hopes that their stretch gift will encourage others to stretch. Eighty percent of Permanent Board members have donated. Nancy would love to be able to communicate, with prospective donors, that 100% of Permanent Board has donated. The committee is also looking for more members, particularly from outside of Salem quarter.
13-70 Personnel Committee: Edward Baker informed us that Personnel Committee has been assisting with the transition of Yearly Meeting Secretaries. They have also been working on revisions to the Personnel Policy Manual. They are considering language that assures that we will provide the tools the staff needs to do their jobs. The committee recognizes that we have sometimes fallen down in this regard.
Edward informed us that both Personnel Committee and C&A recommend rehiring Noah Baker Merrill for YM Secretary. Friends approved forwarding this recommendation to Sessions.
Edward also informed us that the Friends Camp Committee recommends rehiring Nat Shed as Friends Camp Director. Friends approved forwarding this recommendation to Sessions.
13-71 Legacy Discernment Committee: Suzanna Schell reported that the committee has met four times plus once by phone conference. They have prepared a display for Sessions, with an overview of the work and the input they have received. Other than minuting their support for using the interest from the Legacy Gift towards the general budget for this year only, they are making no recommendations to Sessions at this time. In the coming year they plan to collaborate with the Structural Review Committee and the financial planning group. They are considering organizing regional gatherings to continue the process of gathering input.
13-72 Structural Review Committee: For the Structural Review Committee, Janet Hough informed us that the committee is still in the exploratory phase. A set of questions has been composed with the hope of instigating conversations at Sessions and perhaps beyond. The group intends to hold an interest group during Sessions. They are still exploring what the structure is, and what it encompasses.
The Permanent Board Clerk expressed her appreciation that Legacy Discernment and Structural Review committees are seeking widely for input.
Another Friend encouraged these committees, in their travels, to spend time in intervisitation with local Friends.
13-73 Internal Nominating: Donn Weinholz presented the following names for our consideration:
- Internal Nominating: Sarah Smith, '16
- Personnel Committee: Bob Murray, '16
- Personnel Committee: Jan Hoffman, '16
Friends Approved these nominations. Donn pointed out that they are still seeking Friends to serve in the at-large positions on Yearly Meeting Nominating.
13-74 Memorial Minute: Friends Approved forwarding the memorial minute for Richard Sivel to sessions.
13-75 Travel Minute: The clerk spoke briefly about a travel minute for Marian Baker. Initiated by Weare MM, and endorsed by Dover Quarter, the minute endorses Marian's travels to east Africa. Friends Approved the clerk endorsing this minute.
13-76 Closing Worship: Friends closed in worship, filled with anticipation for the possibilities inherent in our Annual sessions.
Holly Baldwin, clerk
Bruce Neumann, recording clerk.