Permanent Board minutes | July 14, 2012

12-55 Opening Worship: We opened in waiting worship.

12-56 Roll Call: The Recording Clerk called the roll.

Present: Edward Baker, Holly Baldwin, Aimee Belanger, Travis Belcher, Jeremiah Dickinson, Eric Hill Edwards, Sarah Gant, Galen Hamann, Jan Hoffman, Sandy Isaacs, Nancy Isaacs, Dwight Lopes, Christopher McCandless, Robert Murray, Bruce Neumann, Sara Sue Pennell, Karen Sanchez-Eppler, Philip Stone, Donn Weinholtz, Carl Williams

Regrets: Debbie Block, Deana Chase, Ben Guaraldi, John Humphries, Allan Kohrman, Rebecca Leuchak, Elias Sanchez-Eppler, Suzanna Schell, Patricia Shotwell, Carolyn Stone, Ruah Swennerfelt, Jane Van Landingham, Fritz Weiss, Rosemary Zimmermann,

Ex-Officio: Ed Mair (Treasurer), Jacqueline Stillwell (YM Presiding Clerk), Jonathan Vogel-Borne (YM Secretary)

Guests: Hannah Zwirner, Beacon Hill Friends Meeting, Member of the Search Committee; Margaret Cooley, Mt. Toby, Clerk of Ministry and Counsel

12-57 Memorial Minutes: During our opening worship Friends heard memorial minutes read for Arletta Bailey, Nash Bascom, and Don Booth.

Friends approved forwarding the minute for Don Booth to Sessions and requested that the editing committee add his Yearly Meeting involvement.

​​​​​​​12-58 Report from YM Secretary Search Committee: Permanent Board gathered on this day for a special called meeting in order to receive the recommendation of the YM Secretary Search Committee, following completion of the interview process. We heard a report from Bruce Neumann, Clerk of the ad hoc Search Committee. The committee was comprised of a diverse group of eight New England Friends, including a young adult Friend, a Friend from a programmed meeting, and equal numbers of women and men.

The committee received 14 applications, three of which withdrew before the selection process proceeded. Of the eleven remaining applications, three candidates were selected for interviews, and two candidates were selected for second interviews. Bruce described in some detail the process the committee went through in examining the qualifications and the qualities of the final two candidates because they felt that both could fulfill the requirements of the position. The committee brought forward the name of Noah Baker Merrill as their recommended candidate for the position of Yearly Meeting Secretary.

After a period of worship and discernment we joyfully accepted the recommendation of the ad hoc committee, and recommend to Yearly Meeting Sessions that Noah Baker Merrill be appointed as the next Yearly Meeting Secretary starting January 1, 2013. In accordance with our Personnel Policy Manual, Noah would be appointed for a six-month probationary period. After that point, he would receive a letter of continuing employment annually, pending a successful performance appraisal.

We authorized the clerk to contact Noah to inform him of our recommendation to the Yearly Meeting and to ascertain Noah’s willingness to accept the position. In the event that Noah would not accept the appointment by the Yearly Meeting, we authorize the Clerk to bring forward the name of the second candidate at the next meeting of the Permanent Board.

12-59 Support for new YM Secretary: In discussion of the hiring of a new Yearly Meeting Secretary, Friends expressed strong concerns about the amount of work required and the need for support. In order to support the transition of the new Yearly Meeting Secretary, we united on the following measures:

  • We should accept Jonathan Vogel-Borne’s willingness to postpone his departure until the end of January, to allow for a month’s overlap with the new Secretary in January.
  • We recommend that Coordinating and Advisory work with Personnel Committee to look at the question of how best to supervise and support the Yearly Meeting Secretary to ensure a smooth transition as the new Secretary grows into the job.

12-60 Salary for new YM Secretary: We spent some time in discussion regarding the salary for the new Secretary including a review of the salary range for the position, and the amounts budgeted for the position most recently and in the proposed FY2013 budget. We authorized the clerk to discuss starting salary with the candidate so that in his own decision-making he would be clear of what benefits would be offered to the position.

12-61 Closing Worship: We closed in waiting worship, planning to meet again on Saturday, August 4, 2012, at Bryant University at 9:30 AM.

Edward Baker, Clerk
​​​​​​​Holly Baldwin, Substitute Recording Clerk