Permanent Board minutes | August 11, 2011

11-72 Opening Worship: We opened in waiting worship.

11-73 Minute of Appreciation: We expressed our appreciation and that of the entire Yearly Meeting to Linda Jenkins for her faithful service as our presiding clerk for the last three years.

11-74 Roll call: The recording clerk called the roll:

Present: Edward Baker, Holly Baldwin, Deana Chase, Susan Davies, Jeremiah Dickinson, Ben Guaraldi, Jan Hoffman, Allan Kohrman, Rebecca Leuchek, Christopher McCandless, Bruce Neumann, Sarah Sue Pennell, Elias Sanchez- Eppler, Karen Sanchez-Eppler, Suzanna Schell, Patricia Shotwell, Carolyn Stone, Philip Stone, Ruah Swennerfelt, Jane Van Landingham, Donn Weinholz, Rosemary Zimmermann

Regrets: Jennifer Baily (Personnel Committee, Clerk), Aimee Belanger, Debbie Block, Eileen Cummings (Finance Committee co-Clerk), Eric Edwards, Sarah Gant, Beth Gorton, John Humphries, Nancy Isaacs, Mary Knowlton, Dwight Lopes, Donald Mick, Robert Murray, Fritz Weiss

Ex-Officio: Travis Belcher (Finance Committee co-Clerk), Linda Jenkins (outgoing YM Presiding Clerk), Ed Mair (Treasurer), Jackie Stillwell (incoming YM Presiding Clerk), Jonathan Vogel-Borne (YM Secretary)

Guests: Dinah Starr, Marcia Mason

The Clerk noted that Judy Goldberger has resigned from Permanent Board and welcomed newly appointed members.

11-75 Minutes of 8/6/2011 will be reviewed at the November meeting.

11-76 Correspondence: The clerk read correspondence from the following Friends and Meetings:

Minga Claggett-Borne: reported on her travels in the ministry, since 2008, under a concern for the conflict among Friends surrounding the FUM personnel policy. She recently asked Friends Meeting at Cambridge to lay down her support committee.
Benigno Sanchez: a travel minute to Cuba Yearly Meeting, where he served as elder for Noah Baker-Merrill and Victoria Rhodin in February 2011, was returned to us with an endorsement from the Clerk of Cuba Yearly Meeting.
Marian Baker: a travel minute from Weare Monthly Meeting to travel among Friends in East Africa. Friends approved endorsing this travel minute.
Betsy Cazden: a travel minute from Providence Monthly Meeting for Betsy Cazden to travel to Cuba Yearly Meeting in 2012 with Puente De Amigos. Friends approved endorsing this travel minute.
Beacon Hill Monthly Meeting: a minute regarding their contribution to FUM for FY 2011 & 2012. The Clerk will forward this minute to the YM Treasurer.
North Sandwich Friends Meeting: a letter responding to the Clerk’s reply to their previous letter (see PB Minute 11-40) addressing the Minute of Purpose.
Yarmouth Preparative Friends Meeting: a letter in response to the 2010 Minute of Sending Forth (see YM Minute 10-30), along with a minute expressing concerns about the “process that created a Minute that engendered such disunity.”

11-77 Yearly Meeting Secretary Report: Jonathan Vogel-Borne, YM Secretary, reflected on how different he felt at the end of Sessions this year, in part due to the decision to engage Richard Frechette to serve as conference coordinator and allow Jonathan to be more present during Sessions. For the first time in 20 years, he “attended” Yearly Meeting. He was able to attend his Anchor Group, as well as other parts of Yearly Meeting, without having to worry about leaks, chairs and other conference details.

11-78 New England Friends Home Update: Jonathan Vogel-Borne presented recommendations from Personnel Committee on how to compensate Betsy Kantt and Alice Schaefer for their service as interim executive directors for the Home since July. The proposed compensation is based on the annual salary that had been budgeted for the executive director.

From the Minutes of Personnel Committee (8/7/11):

Recommendations from Personnel Committee to Permanent Board Regarding New England Friends Home Interim Management

1. We recommend that Alice Schaefer be paid a total of $9,000 (including employer costs) for her work as Interim Co-Manager from late June to August 28, 2011.

2. We recommend that Betsy Kantt be paid a total of $1,380 (including employer costs) for her work as Interim Co-Manager from late June to August 28, 2011.

3. We recommend that Alice Schaefer and Betsy Kantt be reimbursed for any expenses incurred between July 1^st and August 28, 2011 during their service to Friends Home including mileage, childcare, etc.

4. We recommend that Alice Schaefer or whoever fills in as Interim Manager beginning August 29, 2011, until such time as the Friends Home is officially closed, on or before October 23, 2011, be paid at $1,000/week (including employer costs). The Interim Manager will also be reimbursed for expenses incurred during their service to Friends Home, including mileage, childcare, etc.

Friends approved these recommendations.

Edward Baker reported that the entire Home may be vacated by September 1. The last 3 residents are close to finding other accommodations, so it may not be necessary to hire an interim director.

Friends reviewed the authorization from Sessions for PB to move forward with creating an ad hoc committee to oversee disposal of the property:

YM Minute 11-30. Edward Baker then outlined a process for the sale or lease of the property to take place, under the care of an ad hoc Friends Home Property Committee to plan and supervise this transition under the oversight of Permanent Board. Friends approved the creation of the ad hoc committee.

Volunteers are needed to serve on the Property Committee and those interested are invited to speak to any member of the Permanent Board. It is expected that the Yearly Meeting Treasurer and Yearly Meeting Secretary will serve on it ex officio, and that 3-5 additional members will be needed. This committee would create a request for proposals for the property, distribute the Request for Proposals to companies managing retirement homes or communities and other interested parties, supervise at least one showing of the property, receive proposals, and share the proposals with their recommendation for the most advantageous course of action with the Permanent Board.

YM Minute 11-31. We authorize the Permanent Board to select the most appropriate proposal for sale or lease of the Friends Home property and to take all necessary actions to transfer the property to a new owner, or lessee, as the case may be, and to report to Sessions next year on the matter. We authorize the Permanent Board to determine the “best use” for the property, and not necessarily be bound to take the highest offer, in their discernment.

Friends approved the appointment of an Ad Hoc Friends Home Property Committee, consisting of the YM Secretary, YM Treasurer and PB Clerk as ex-officio members, along with Trish Hogan, Travis Belcher, and Chris Doehlert, who have agreed to serve on the committee. Betsy Kantt, Judith Shea, and possibly other Friends, will also be asked to serve on the Committee. Phil Stone, who has experience with closing down facilities, has offered his services as a resource.

Friends approved authorizing the ex-officio members of the committee (Jonathan Vogel-Borne, Ed Mair and Edward Baker) to make decisions with regard to issues that arise that cannot wait for an initial meeting of the full ad hoc committee.

Friends approved the hiring of Kopelman and Paige LLC (the law firm which Jeanne McKnight works with) to provide legal services for the sale of the Friends Home property, including review of any responses to a Request for Proposal, and disposal of antiques or other property. The firm has offered their services at $165/hr (their lowest rate).

In response to a suggestion from one Friend, Friends approved allowing Dinah Starr and her family to enter the building to identify and remove any heirlooms and paintings that originally belonged to her family. Dinah will provide a detailed list of items that have been removed from the home.

11-79 Report from Internal Nominating Committee: Donn Weinholtz and Karen Sanchez-Eppler reported the following recommendations:

Permanent Board: Edward Baker has agreed to serve one more year as Clerk of PB. The Committee has begun discernment for identifying the next clerk.
YM Nominating: Peter Colby (Framingham), at-large member, class of 2014
Personnel: Dwight Lopes (New Haven), class of 2014; Karen Sanchez-Eppler (Northampton), class of 2013; and Fritz Weiss (Hanover), class of 2014
Internal Nominating: Suzanna Schell (Beacon Hill), class of 2012, extending her current appointment for one additional year

Friends approved these appointments.

Donn and Karen also reported that Judy Goldberger has resigned from Internal Nominating Committee, as well as from PB. People are still needed to serve as at-large members of YM Nominating Committee for the class of 2014. Several Friends are considering.

11-80 Clerks Nominating Committee Report: Jan Hoffman reported that the Committee met and agreed to accept responsibility for discerning what kind of support would be most helpful to Jackie Stillwell, incoming YM Presiding Clerk. Bruce Neumann and Ann Kriebel have agreed to serve on a support committee for Jackie, and the Committee will also seek someone from Jackie’s monthly meeting (Monadnock) to serve on her support committee.

11-81 Puente de Amigos: Edward Baker read a letter from the Puente de Amigos Committee recommending that Elizabeth Cazden (Providence) be approved for travel in the ministry to Cuba Yearly Meeting (CYM) as a representative of NEYM during the winter of 2012, dates to be arranged with Cuban Friends.

The Committee also recommends the following Friends from Monadnock Monthly Meeting for travel in the ministry as representatives of NEYM to attend CYM’s annual gathering and to visit some of the Cuban monthly meetings during February 2012: Eleanor Cappa, Doreen Cawley, Marisa Cawley, Margaret Hawthorn, Elizabeth Stillwell, and Jaqueline Stillwell.

Friends approved these recommendations.

11-82 Session on Governance Structure: Edward Baker reported on the session he held yesterday regarding possible changes in YM governance structure (see PB Minute 11-41). He reported that about 20 Friends attended, but they did not see a major problem with the current structure. While transparency and trust are key, those attending the discussion suggested that increased outreach from PB and regular reporting as possible solutions to those issues.

11-83 YM Presiding Clerk’s Report: Linda Jenkins, outgoing YM Presiding Clerk, expressed feeling very blessed with the way Sessions went this year. We have begun to reap the benefits of the risks taken last year in “clearing the decks” by resolving some longstanding business items. We need to stay engaged with each other and not return to “business as usual”.

Linda is grateful for the leadership of the Young Adult Friends and prays that we continue to sit with them and listen. She closed by saying, “I love you all. I have learned a lot.”

11-84 Approval of Sessions' Final Minutes: YM Recording Clerk Rebecca Leuchak read those minutes from the just completed YM Sessions which had not been approved by the Sessions due to time constraints. Friends approved the minutes.

11-85 Closing worship: We closed with waiting worship planning to meet again on November 19, 2011 at a location to be determined.

Edward Baker, clerk

Suzanna Schell, substitute recording clerk