Permanent Board minutes | January 22, 2011

11-01 Opening Worship: We opened in waiting worship.

11-02 Roll Call: The Recording Clerk called the roll.

Present: Edward Baker, Aimee Belanger, Susan Davies, Jeremiah Dickinson, Sarah Gant, Andrew Grannell, Dorothy Grannell, Galen Hamann, John Humphries, Sandy Isaacs, Allan Kohrman, Rebecca Leuchak, Dwight Lopes, Christopher McCandless, Sarah Sue Pennell, Suzanna Schell, Patricia Shotwell, Carolyn Stone, Philip Stone, Jane Van Landingham, Donn Weinholtz, Rosemary Zimmermann

Regrets: Jennifer Baily (Personnel Committee Clerk), Holly Baldwin, Debbie Block, Judy Goldberger, Beth Gorton, Jan Hoffman, Linda Jenkins (YM Presiding Clerk), Mary Knowlton, Donald Mick, Karen Sanchez-Eppler, Ruah Swennerfelt, Carl Williams

Ex-Officio: Travis Belcher (Finance Committee Clerk), Ed Mair (Treasurer), Jonathan Vogel-Borne (YM Secretary)

Guests: Cynthia Ganung, Ben Guaraldi, Nancy Haines, Clifford Harrison, Jacqueline Stillwell

11-03 Minutes of 11/22/2010 were approved with corrections.

11-04 Purpose and Procedures for Permanent Board: The Clerk asked Friends to consider the current Purpose and Procedures (P&P) document for PB, along with the description of PB in the 1987 Faith and Practice (F&P). Several aspects of these documents were reviewed and discussed, including:

• Role and structure of Coordinating and Advisory Committee (C&A);
• Staff supervision process and structure (C&A supervises YM Secretary, who supervises all other staff);
• Personnel Committee’s role in receiving grievances, reflecting that committee’s belief that it’s important to separate this role from the supervision function of C&A;
• Need to update Purpose and Procedures documents for Personnel Committee and Moses Brown School Board (to be done by those committees, with input from C&A);
• Difference in language used in F&P and P&P to describe PB’s authority to act upon behalf of the YM between Annual Sessions (seems appropriate that P&P is more precise since it is updated more frequently);
• Concern that PB would lose continuity and institutional memory if it were a representative body rather than an appointed body;
• Lack of explicit acknowledgment that PB welcomes the participation of visitors in our meetings and discussions;
• Lack of language highlighting the worshipful nature of our meetings, with consideration of holding one another in prayer and joining one another in worship as we attend to business;
• Concern that we strengthen the structure of support for smaller MMs, recognizing that the health of the MMs is a primary factor in the health of the YM: Which group(s) or individual(s) have or should have specific care for this concern and provide a place for MMs to turn when struggling? Should PB take up this challenge, identifying PB members who will engage in intervisitation and attend to the vitality of the organization?
• Age and geographic diversity of PB membership, with appreciation for Nominating Committee’s continuing efforts to encourage YAF participation; and
• Desire for alternative/more immediate ways for Friends from throughout the YM to communicate with each other, identifying needs and opportunities.

Friends approved removing Office Facilities Oversight from the list of committees under the care of PB and adding Memorial Minutes Committee, changing it from ad hoc status.

PB asks Memorial Minutes Committee to draft a Purpose and Procedures document for the Committee and bring it to PB for review.

PB asks Personnel Committee to review its Purpose and Procedures, incorporating language from the revised Personnel Manual to reflect the new staffing structure

PB requests that Faith and Practice Revision Committee change the word “exceptional” to “appropriate” in the text describing PB’s role in recommending to the YM memorial minutes for publication.

PB reminds Coordinating and Advisory Committee (C&A) of the request (see Minute 10-81) that they bring to PB a report on the various recommendations for restructuring that have been heard and discussed in recent years.

11-05 Minute of Purpose: The Clerk reviewed the Minute of Purpose (printed below; see PB Minute 09-92). Only two MMs have responded to PB’s request that they labor with this minute. One responded that they did not find it useful, while the other MM suggested a small change. Following a lengthy discussion about the potential value of the statement to YM staff and to MMs and about the challenges of engaging MMs in such dialogue, the Clerk agreed to work with the YM Communications Director to communicate to MMs and committee clerks that this question is still open, and that we hope to look at it again at Sessions 2011.

11-06 Report from Sessions Committee: Christopher McCandless reported that Sessions Committee met last weekend for the first time since September.

Drawing upon the efforts of a working party tasked with identifying a theme for this year’s sessions, the Committee has approved focusing on both the 350^th anniversary of NEYM and environmental concerns embodied in the campaign to reduce the atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration to 350 parts per million (see www.350.org). Five YAFs participated in the recent meeting. While the exact wording of the theme is still under discussion, some elements of the Sessions program and schedule are emerging:

• Plenary speakers that will present ideas and challenges to be addressed within affinity groups;
• An opportunity for a limited number of Friends to travel to the Great Meeting House in Newport, RI, for worship, community service and a public vigil (the number of people in the meeting house is limited by the fire code);
• Meetings to hear God’s call; and a
• Tuesday evening choral production “The Fire & the Hammer,” based on the life of George Fox and conducted by John Sheldon of Britain Yearly Meeting

11-07 Coordinating and Advisory Report: Edward Baker and Jonathan Vogel-Borne reported for the Committee.

• YM Presiding Clerk Linda Jenkins is planning to write an article for New England Friend that addresses concerns about the Minute of Sending Forth approved at 2010 Sessions.
• Linda hopes that PB will bring a recommendation to Sessions regarding the process for providing financial support to Friends United Meeting (see NEYM Minutes 09-54 and 10-12): Should the YM continue the current process or alter it?
• Peace & Social Concerns Committee is helping to coordinate the planning for the “Call to Witness and Day of Discernment,” scheduled for April 22-23. The schedule includes participation in the Good Friday peace vigil on Boston Common organized by Cambridge Friends, a Friday evening program at Beacon Hill Friends House, and an all-day session at the Wellesley meeting house that will involve worship, discussion and possibly a business meeting.

11-08 YM Secretary Report: Jonathan Vogel-Borne, YM Secretary, reported that he is encouraged by the Life that is bubbling up across the YM. He read a note from the Clerk of Providence Friends Meeting. Words celebrating the vitality of the Meeting and the recent use of the Providence meetinghouse for meetings of YM Ministry & Counsel and C&A Committee were followed by an invitation to strengthen the connection between the MM and the YM. Jonathan also spoke of the YAF group at Burlington that serves food at a local park, the recent memorial service for Hattie Forsythe at Putney, and healing that is occurring at Wellesley.

Staff – Smithfield MM has laid down the pastorate, so Marnie Miller-Gutsell (YM Archivist) has been released from her service as pastor and will be preaching her last sermon in February; whether she will continue to serve as YM Archivist is not yet clear. YM Accounts Manager Allie Hersey’s husband has been in the hospital, making her less available for YM work. Kevin Lee & Gretchen Baker- Smith are still doing great work together, coordinating the JYM and JHYM programs. Nia Koch, YF/YAF Coordinator, is doing a tremendous job, as reflected in the waiting list for the last YF retreat. Her six month trial period has ended, and she has accepted the offer of continuing her service. YM Christian Education Coordinator Beth Collea’s recent tour of meetings in Vassalboro Quarter was a fruitful way to build connections and strengthen MM religious education programs. Kevin, Beth and Jonathan will be collaborating on a retreat at Woolman Hill: “Caring for One Another.” YM Communications Director Jeff Hipp is settling in well, and Jonathan is happy that Jeff knows as much about computers as he does (relieving Jonathan of his IT department hat). There have been two all-staff meetings since Sessions, including one attended by the Director of the New England Friends Home, Barbie Rugg.

Wider World – Colin Saxton will begin his work as FUM General Secretary in January 2012. FUM’s General Board continues to struggle with the tensions present within the organization. Following this summer’s Triennial in Wilmington, OH, a new General Board will sit together in the fall. Mary Lord is clerking a 6- person restructure working group that includes Jonathan. Last year they proposed a plan to devolve direct management of FUM’s various institutions (e.g., hospitals, schools and the like) to YMs, hopefully allowing FUM to focus on new things we can do together. The working group is currently moving toward identifying “lead partnerships” to work with the various projects and institutions. One proposal is to move toward an FCNL-type structure with a large annual meeting of representatives, and with a smaller, appointed Board.

Priorities Process Budget – Jonathan reviewed the draft of the Priorities Process Budget that was distributed with the advance documents and responded to questions about the proposed increases embodied in the various priority levels.

Website – Jonathan noted that NEYM will be one of the pilot participants in the new program by Friends General Conference to help YMs and MMs develop or improve their websites. Jeff Hipp will be working with FGC staff on this project.

11-10 Development Committee Report: Nancy Haines, Clerk of the Development Committee, reported for the Committee. Roughly 300 people make donations to NEYM, with about 30 donors giving monthly. The Committee’s focus this year will be on maintaining the current base and expanding the number of donors. Written testimony with photos of individual donors, being published in the New England Friend, will “put a face on” the donors. An improved database will facilitate generating reports and tracking donors.

Nancy reported on the ad hoc Listening Committee, a joint project of the Development Committee and the Finance Committee that is being coordinated by Jerry Sazama and Bruce Hawkins. The ad hoc committee is organizing visits to MMs with the goals of strengthening relationships between MMs and the YM and understanding what MMs want and need from the YM. Nancy presented a proposal that PB assume the care of the ad hoc committee to make it clearer that this process is about relationships and not just about money.

During the discussion that followed, Friends clarified the differences between the goals of this process and the intervisitation effort happening under the care of YM Ministry & Counsel. The latter is focused more on traditional travel in the ministry, to “know and be known”, while the Listening Committee process is focused on the long-term relationship and communication between MMs and the YM. The Listening Committee has a specific set of questions that they are asking MMs to respond to, with a form used to report back on the discussion.

Friends approved taking the ad hoc Listening Committee process under our care. The report on this experience will come back to us, and PB will have a role in determining how the findings should be used.

11-11 Finance Committee Report: Travis Belcher, Clerk of the Finance Committee, reported that the Committee has not met since the last PB meeting. They are preparing for the “Funding Our Vision” gathering on April 2 at Concord (NH) Meeting. Like last year’s gathering, the focus is on bringing together MM treasurers and finance committee members to learn from each other, sharing ideas about how to resolve common issues.

11-12 Report from Puente de Amigos Committee: Cynthia Ganung reported on behalf of the Committee.

The clearness process for Victoria Hollingsworth Rhodin, who was previously approved by PB as a representative to Cuba YM (see Minute 10-85), has been completed, and Hanover MM has written a letter of introduction. The Clerk read the letter. Friends approved uniting with this letter.

The Committee is pleased to recommend that Benigno Sanchez-Eppler (Northampton) be approved for travel in the ministry as an additional representative of NEYM to Cuba YM. Friends approved this recommendation.

Cynthia also reported the good news that NEYM has once again been granted a license to travel to Cuba as a “church” under U.S. law. This change in status will allow larger groups to travel to Cuba and may facilitate the process of securing visas for Cuban visitors to NEYM.

11-13 Travel Minute for Benigno Sanchez-Eppler: The Clerk presented a travel minute for Benigno Sanchez-Eppler (Northampton) (born Benigno Ramon Sanchez Ulloa), previously approved by Northampton Monthly Meeting. The minute describes way opening for Benigno to travel to Cuba Yearly Meeting in February 2011, serving in the role of elder for Noah Baker Merrill and Victoria Hollingsworth Rhodin.

Friends approved endorsing this travel minute. It will be considered by Connecticut Valley Quarterly Meeting at its meeting on February 6, 2010.

​​​​​​​11-14 Travel Minute for Ruah Swennerfelt: The Clerk presented a travel minute for Ruah Swennerfelt (Burlington), previously approved by Burlington Monthly Meeting and endorsed by Northwest Quarter. The minute describes Ruah’s travel to visit, “Sustainable Cities, and ‘green’ initiatives in Europe, Israel, the Palestine Territories and North America,” for the purpose of strengthening the relationships of those working for the sustainability of the earth around the world. Friends approved endorsing this travel minute.

11-15 Report of Internal Nominating Committee: Donn Weinholtz, Clerk of Internal Nominating Committee, reported the following recommendations:

• Clerks Nominating: Debbie Humphries (Hartford), class of 2014
• Internal Nominating: Judy Goldberger (Beacon Hill), class of 2014
• Memorial Minutes: Patsy Shotwell (Wellesley), class of 2013; and Sarah Spencer (Beacon Hill), class of 2014

Friends approved these recommendations.

Donn also reported that Carl Williams has resigned from the Memorial Minutes Review Committee.

​​​​​​​11-16 Report of YM Nominating Committee: Christopher McCandless, co-convener of the YM Nominating Committee, reported the following recommendation:

• Permanent Board: Ben Guaraldi (Beacon Hill), class of 2015

Friends approved this recommendation.

Christopher also noted that Jessica Hipp’s name was inadvertently omitted from the Minute Book’s list for Christian Peacemaker Teams, but she was included in the list approved by PB at its August 12, 2010, meeting.

​​​​​​​11-17 Other items:

• Nancy Haines announced that the Friends General Conference Annual Gathering will be held at the University of Rhode Island in July 2012. Nancy and David Haines are serving as co-clerks of the Gathering Planning Committee, and they are recruiting other interested Friends who wish to serve on the committee.
• Jeanne McKnight has written the Clerk that, as required by law, she is informing YM of a potential conflict of interest. Her firm represents the Town of Mattapoisett, and there is a pending case involving Mattapoisett MM and the Town. The Clerk accepted the finding that should this case move forward, she would be representing the Town and not the YM.
• Jeanne McKnight also asked to be relieved soon of her service as legal advisor to the YM. Phil Stone shared his perspective that the YM needs someone in a Massachusetts law firm large enough to have easy access to the advice of colleagues on questions outside her/his specific expertise.