12-98 Opening Worship: Friends gathered for worship in the sunny and peaceful meeting room of Midcoast Meeting. We heard a Memorial Minute for Bernice Simpson Douglas.
12-99 Roll Call: The Recording Clerk called the roll:
Present: Holly Baldwin, Travis Belcher, Susan Davies, Jeremiah Dickinson, Sarah Gant, Jan Hoffman, Nancy Isaacs, Sandy Isaacs, Mary Knowlton, Allan Kohrman, Christopher McCandless, Robert Murray, Bruce Neumann, Karen Sanchez-Eppler, Suzanna Schell, Patricia Shotwell, Sara Smith, Caroline Stone, Phillip Stone, Fritz Weiss, Rosemary Zimmerman, Hannah Zwirner
Regrets: Edward Baker (Clerk of Personnel), Aimee Belanger, Debbie Block (resigned), Deana Chase, Eric Edwards, Ben Guaraldi, Galen Hamman, John Humphries, Rebecca Leuchak, Elias Sanchez-Eppler, Jane Van Landingham, Donn Weinholtz, Carl Williams, Maria Lamberto (clerk of Finance)
Ex-officio: Edward Mair (Treasurer), Jacqueline Stillwell (Presiding Clerk), Jonathan Vogel-Borne (Yearly Meeting Secretary), Noah Baker Merrill (YM Secretary designate), Nat Shed (Friends Camp Director)
Guests: Suzanne Hallett (Midcoast), Richard Bullock (Acadia), Kathleen Wooten (Lawrence), Leslie Manning (Durham), Carmen Lavertu (Midcoast), Peter Nutting (Vassalboro), Benigno Sanchez-Eppler (Northampton), Beth Collea (Wellesley), Susan Brew (Vassalboro), Kristna Evans (North Shore), Carole Beal (Acadia)
12-100 Minutes: The minutes from our August 9 meeting were considered and approved.
12-101 Yearly Meeting Secretary Report: Jonathan Vogel-Borne (outgoing secretary) and Noah Baker Merrill (secretary designate) rose together to report on events and issues in the Yearly Meeting. Noah reflected that he is grateful for the lead time between his selection and the start of his tenure. This has allowed him to spend time with Jonathan and others learning about issues and processes, and time in prayer, looking for wisdom on where God is leading us.
Jonathan explained the latest evolution of the minute book: the Minutes of our Annual Sessions will be printed in an 8 ½ x 11 format and mailed to every Monthly Meeting. The Minutes will also be available on-line at neym.org. The Directory, which will include Meeting information, committee information, financial information, and contact information, will be available in a spiral bound volume the size of our current Minute Book.
Jonathan spoke about the staff, noting that Noah will inherit a wonderful Yearly Meeting staff. We heard that Jody Goodman, our Archivist, has left, and that Kevin Lee will be retiring this fall from his many years of leading youth retreats.
Gretchen Baker Smith, who has been sharing a full-time position with Kevin, will take over his responsibilities.
Noah and Jonathan led us in a brief exercise from FUM’s Forty Days of Prayer, noting that a number of monthly meetings have groups who have engaged in this discipline. We considered the query: “As you consider all of the world’s needs, and opportunities for ministry in the world, where and how do you sense God is calling FUM to be most involved?”
12-102 Memorial Minute: We approved forwarding Bernice Simpson Douglas’s Memorial Minute to Sessions.
12-103 Mentor: Recognizing that Noah will be a new (ex-officio) member of Permanent Board beginning in January, we appointed Jan Hoffman as his mentor.
12-104 Legacy Discernment Committee: Suzanna Schell, reporting for the Legacy Discernment Committee which also includes Allan Kohrman and Nancy Haines, reviewed their proposal, which includes a letter to be sent to monthly meetings and other groups within the Yearly Meeting, requesting that Friends spend time considering the query: “This money is a gift from the past to the future. How could this money help Friends answer God’s call?” A suggested timeline looks towards PB reviewing submitted proposals in time to consider them and bring a final proposal to Sessions. Accepting the timeline as a guide, not a rule, we agreed that proper seasoning was more important than rapid resolution. The ad-hoc committee’s proposal also includes offering intervisitation to facilitate these discussions, but the named committee declines to travel and requests more members, who would be available and willing to travel in addition to assisting with discernment. Suzanna noted that a variety of materials would be made available on the website, to assist groups in their discernment process. Two suggestions were made about the letter, one to emphasize the corporate nature of the discernment, the other to include a set of queries which Mt. Toby Meeting used in some financial discernment a few years ago.
We heard voices suggesting that the money would be best used as a resource for nurturing monthly meetings, and that discernment should focus on that subject.
Recognizing that nurture of meetings will always be a concern, while the gift is a resource very much in the present, we were clear not to limit discernment or proposals. We did suggest that the committee, in its communication with meetings and other groups, encourage them to keep their focus on the MM/QM/YM.
Friends suggested a few more names for this committee. Holly will work with Suzanna, Allan, and Nancy to explore who is willing to participate.
In closing this conversation, we were encouraged to carry our membership in Permanent Board into our own meetings, and facilitate these conversations.
12-105 Presiding Clerk Report: Jacqueline Stillwell reported on various developments around the Yearly Meeting. We heard that a draft of the Organizational Manual has been posted at neym.org. The manual is “a tool to help us understand our roles within NEYM and to describe the procedures and practices that provide continuity in the operation of the Yearly Meeting.” We are encouraged to review it and offer thoughts and feedback to Jonathan.
Coordinating and Advisory, together with Personnel Committee, has been considering what the right structure might be to support the Yearly Meeting Secretary, and what would be useful to Noah in his transition. Edward Baker will provide immediate support for this transition, until other structures are set up.
Sessions Committee has picked the theme for next year: “Live up to the light thou hast, and more will be granted to thee.” Plans are moving forward for a mid- year gathering on March 23 in Portland. Two Irish Friends, Simon Lamb and John Fitzgerald will be presenters. We also heard that Sessions Committee has set up a new site-selection committee to explore future locations.
12-106 Yearly Meeting Structure: Continuing a discussion initiated by a minute from Nominating Committee (PB Minute 12-49), and continued at our Aug. 4th and Aug. 9th meetings (PB minutes 12-68 and 12-91), we considered how to move forward with the concern. Jan Hoffman presented a summary (Proposed Charge for ad hoc Structural Review Committee, attached) that she, Christopher McCandless, and Holly Baldwin had prepared. The charge encourages this committee to consider multiple areas of concern which have arisen including: Nominating’s concern about their work and the committee structure; Permanent Boards’ composition and relationship to MM’s; staff structure and work load; and a more general concern about the relationships of Monthly, Quarterly, and Yearly Meetings. We had previously found ourselves moving in the direction of a broader look at YM structure, rather than limiting ourselves to considering the nominating system. Friends reinforced this view, encouraging the ad-hoc committee to “start with a clean sheet of paper, considering what God wants us to do, and how we should structure that work.”
Friends familiar with the urgency of the Nominating issues expressed concerns about the process taking a long time. We were reminded that it is possible for such work to happen relatively quickly, and that any new system will itself evolve as new understandings are revealed.
Friends also pointed out that parts of our structure do work well, including Permanent Board.
The Clerk offered a minute of summary and charge, which we approved:
Noting that there may be points of common exploration and discovery, between the work of the Legacy Gift Committee and the Yearly Meeting Structure Committee, we suggest they have regular communication.
In closing, we were asked, “How do we enhance the ministry in each of us, and create structures so that we can be the light in the world?”
12-107 Yearly Meeting Structure Committee: We considered what gifts will be needed on this committee, noting that it will need a balance of linear thinkers and global thinkers; Friends who are appreciative of history, but not bound by it; and those who have a radical trust in Divine guidance.
The clerk read the names of Friends who have previously expressed interest in service on this committee and Friends raised up a few more. We approved delegating final composition of this committee to C&A. Bruce Neumann agreed to convene the first meeting.
12-108 Friends Camp: Nat Shed opened his remarks by expressing his appreciation for his recent sabbatical. He continued by noting that the remove from daily business which this allowed provided an opportunity for reflection on the structure and the future of the Camp. In light of recent history of the New England Friends Home, he feels that there is work to be done to ensure the long-term viability of the Camp. While the Friends Camp Committee is in practice the primary advisory group for the Camp, the nominating process does not always provide a balance of necessary skills, including legal, financial, personnel, development, and insurance. In fact, he reminded us, ultimately Permanent Board has the legal oversight of the Friends Camp. He is asking the Permanent Board for help in considering what structure might be useful in providing the necessary advice, oversight, and fiduciary responsibility.
In considering this request, Friends suggested that some advisory positions should be based on specific skill or function, rather than open nomination. We also heard, again reflecting on the recent history of NEFH, that the camp should engage in periodic review of the relevance and vitality of its ministry.
Friends thanked Nat for suggesting ways we can move toward more sound governance of the Camp, and approved forming an ad-hoc committee to explore ways of strengthening the governance of the Camp, consisting of Travis Belcher, Mary Knowlton, and Carolyn Stone. Invitations will also be extended to Finance, Personnel, and Nominating Committees, to send representatives. Travis will convene the first meeting. Friends also approved asking Nat and the Camp Committee to explore accreditation for the Camp.
12-109 Treasurer’s Report: Ed Mair, NEYM Treasurer, presented a few items for our consideration:
- Ed would like to set up two accounts for the receipt of stock donations to the Yearly Meeting. The stock could then be liquidated and the resulting funds transferred to the Pooled Funds. One such account would be in Amesbury, convenient for the current Treasurer and Communications Director who would be signatories. The other account would be at a bank convenient for the DeBurlo Group, managers of the Pooled Funds, where the Yearly Meeting Secretary and Permanent Board Clerk would be signatories. Friends approved the creation of two such accounts, and naming the Treasurer, Communications Director, Yearly Meeting Secretary and Clerk of Permanent Board as signatories.
- Ed reported that NEYM had a $58K deficit last year, due to a combination of factors including a Sessions deficit, lower than expected Monthly Meeting and individual income, and a change of bookkeeping practice. While our reserves are sufficient to carry us through similar deficits for several years, Sessions approval of our FY13 budget, which includes a challenge of $38K, cannot be taken lightly. Ed pointed at extreme measures taken in Philadelphia Yearly Meeting (PYM) in recent years, due to a series of financial shortfalls. He expressed concern that some in PYM blamed the treasurer for not warning the YM, and stated clearly “The Permanent Board should consider itself warned!” Some Friends expressed regret about Finance Committee’s 2012-13 budget proposal, and Sessions approval of the challenge budget.
- Friends approved the Treasurer’s and the Finance Committee’s recommendation to liquidate the Hill-Hanson fund. Approximately $30K will be transferred to operating reserves. The Hill-Hanson fund was previously dedicated to the operation of the NEFH.
12-110 Student Loan Committee: Christopher McCandless reported that the ad-hoc committee consisting of himself, Travis Belcher, and Allan Kohrman, has begun to consider the value and the structure of the Student Loan program, which has been inactive for several years. Christopher asked for PB authorization to contact individuals with outstanding loans, totaling approximately $130K. Friends approved. The ad-hoc committee will bring a proposal to PB at a later date, concerning the future of the Student Loan program.
12-111 Nominating: For Yearly Meeting Nominating Committee, Christopher McCandless presented the following names. Friends approved:
- Archives: Donna McDaniel (Framingham) class of 2015
- Ministry and Counsel: Jerry Sazama (Storrs) class of 2015
- FWCC: Sheila Garrett (Monadnock) class of 2015
- FWCC: Judy Goldberger (Beacon Hill) class of 2015
- Racial, Social, and Economic Justice: Nur Shoop (Dover) class of 2015
- Faith and Practice Revision: Susan Davies
12-112 Puente: The clerk read a letter from Puente Committee, requesting approval for Benigno Sanchez-Eppler to travel in the ministry as representative of New England Yearly Meeting, to visit Cuba Yearly Meeting; as well as a letter of introduction from Northampton Meeting. Friends approved this travel.
12-113 Intervisitation: The clerk reported that she met with Susan Davies, John Humphries, Rebecca Leuchak, and Ben Guaraldi, to consider ways to do intervisitation in conjunction with Permanent Board meetings. The group proposes arranging Saturday evening potluck and discussion groups after our meetings.
Supportive of the concept, Friends offered a few thoughts: perhaps Friday evening we would be fresher and more light-filled, perhaps we might have a longer lunch period on Saturday, or perhaps the Permanent Board could meet on Sunday.
Understanding that this proposal is a concept in development, and that some choices will depend on the interest and availability at the host meeting, we asked Susan Davies, Ed Mair, Holly Baldwin, and Patsy Shotwell to shepherd this process with Framingham Meeting, location of our January meeting.
PB members who had stayed with local Friends reminded us of the value of building relationships with others around the yearly meeting.
12-114 Closing Worship: We closed in worship, purposing to meet again, God willing, on January 19, 2013, at Framingham Meeting.
Holly Baldwin, Clerk
Bruce Neumann, Recording Clerk