11-52 Opening Worship: We opened in waiting worship.
11-53 Roll Call: The Recording Clerk called the roll.
Present: Edward Baker, Holly Baldwin, Aimee Belanger, Sarah Gant, Ben Guaraldi, John Humphries, Sandy Isaacs, Allan Kohrman, Christopher McCandless, Sarah Sue Pennell, Suzanna Schell, Patricia Shotwell, Carolyn Stone, Donn Weinholtz
Regrets: Jennifer Baily (Personnel Committee Clerk), Debbie Block, Eileen Cummings (Finance Committee co-Clerk), Susan Davies, Jeremiah Dickinson, Eric Hill Edwards, Beth Gorton, Galen Hamann, Jan Hoffman, Mary Knowlton, Rebecca Leuchak, Dwight Lopes, Donald Mick, Karen Sanchez-Eppler, Philip Stone, Ruah Swennerfelt, Jane Van Landingham, Carl Williams, Rosemary Zimmermann
Ex-Officio: Travis Belcher (Finance Committee co-Clerk), Linda Jenkins (YM Presiding Clerk), Ed Mair (Treasurer), Jonathan Vogel-Borne (YM Secretary)
Guests: Warren Atkinson, John Bach, David Baxter, Bill Churchill, Chris Doehlert, Paul Hood, Betsy Kantt, Alda Kirsis, Anne Kriebel, Ted Moore, Alice Schaefer, Dinah Starr, Dody Waring
11-54 New England Friends Home: Permanent Board gathered on this day for a special called meeting in order to receive the recommendation of the New England Friends Home Committee that the Yearly Meeting should cease its operation of the Friends Home and to discern appropriate means for the Yearly Meeting to proceed. The realities of the situation were such that waiting until August to meet would add to the financial burden and potential liability.
We reviewed the report from the Ad Hoc New England Friends Home Care Committee, in which the Care Committee fully supported the following recommendation of the Friends Home Committee:
After hearing reports from members of the Home Committee and engaging in lengthy discussion about various details and options, including realities concerning constraints due to size of facility, market and location, and inability to pay sufficient salary to hire and keep professional staff, Friends united with the Friends Home Committee’s recommendation. Friends approved, with deep regret, laying down this ministry of elder care and agreed to initiate proceedings to cease operation of the Friends Home as quickly as can be accomplished with grace and care.
Friends authorized the Home Committee to take necessary steps, including the hiring of the Atlantic Retirement Group and interim staff, to carry out the orderly and timely closure of the facility. We trust that they will provide support for resident and staff transitions in a way that limits anxiety and disruption of services during the transition.
11-55 Disposing of the New England Friends Home Committee property: Friends discussed the need to move expeditiously to plan for disposal of the property, once the operations of the assisted living facility have ceased, given the monthly costs associated with maintaining the property. Friends approved the creation of an ad hoc planning committee to work with consultants to develop alternatives for disposal of the property, including sale or lease.
We will ask Sessions to authorize PB to move decisively to implement the plan for the property, following recommendations from this planning committee. Such authorization would include entering into necessary legal contracts, on behalf of NEYM, to effect the decisions.
11-56 Closing Worship: We closed in waiting worship, planning to meet again on Saturday, August 6, 2011, at 9:30 AM at Bryant University in Smithfield, RI.
Edward Baker, Clerk
John Humphries, Recording Clerk