Permanent Board minutes | February 18, 2017

17-02 Roll Call:

• Present: Sarah Gant, Clerk; Becky Steele, Recording Clerk; Travis Belcher, Deana Chase, Susan Davies, Jeremiah Dickinson, Christopher Gant, Ian Harrington, Christopher McCandless, Jean McCandless, Anna Radocchia, Carole Rein, Karen Sanchez-Eppler, Suzanna Schell, Sara Smith, Bill Walkauskas, Donn Weinholtz, Rosemary Zimmerman, Mary Zwirner
• Regrets: Kimberly Allen, Holly Baldwin, Justice Erikson, Hannah Zwirner Forsythe, Ben Guaraldi, Galen Hamann, Elias Sanchez-Eppler, Philip Stone, Elizabeth Szatkowski
• Absent: Tom Jackson, Leana Kantt, Rebecca Leuchak
• Ex Officio: Noah Merrill (YM Secretary), Shearman Taber (Treasurer), Fritz Weiss (Presiding Clerk), Edward Baker (Supervisor for YM Secretary)
• Guests: Tracy Blanford (New Haven), Jane Coppock (New Haven); Darcy Drayton (Skowhegan Allowed Meeting), Lisa Graustein (Beacon Hill), Dwight Lopes (New Haven), Maureen Lopes (New Haven), Linda Miller (New Haven), Jennie Isbell Shinn (Mt. Toby), Kathleen Wooten (Fresh Pond and YM Staff)

17-03 Minutes: Friends approved minutes from the Permanent Board meetings of September 24, 2016 and November 19, 2016.

17-04 Presiding Clerk’s report (attached):

• Friends approved Christopher Gant as rising clerk of the Development Committee, and also approved naming Ben Guaraldi as clerk of the Ad Hoc Financial Planning Committee.
• At the request of the Committee for Nurturing Friends Education at Moses Brown, Friends approved a change in the nominating process. NEYM will appoint at least 6 members to the Moses Brown committee; in addition, either the NEYM Presiding Clerk or the PB Clerk will serve ex officio. More details on the committee structure and nominating procedures can be found at the committee’s proposal (attached).
• To deepen its relationship with the YM, the Moses Brown School extended an invitation to host the PB May meetings in the future.

17-05 Yearly Meeting Secretary’s report (attached): The Secretary shared the following:

• The Secretary noted that a recent bout of severe flu gave him time for extended introspection while laid low. He found himself reflecting on the changes that have occurred during his 4-year term with the YM. He shared a fortuitous message from a recent fortune cookie: “May the warm winds of heaven blow softly on your sprint.” The past 4 years have felt like a sprint.
• Renewal of the YM: New partnership between NEYM and Woolman Hill will present a year-long workshop with Philadelphia Friend Marcelle Martin to strengthen spiritual formation.

• Other work:
  • Ongoing work on addressing white supremacy;
  • Living Faith gathering in April 2017 (14 workshops, including one on “Beyond Diversity 101”);
  • A Shoemaker-supported partnership allowing NY, NEYM, and now Baltimore YM to work together on outreach, diversity and inclusion, including young adults;
  • QuakerSpeak video coming soon;
  • Living with a Concern podcast coming soon, thanks to the Legacy Gift Fund and Fresh Pond Meeting.
  • Vital work offering youth programs.
  • Semi-programmed worship in Boston.
• The Secretary noted this is a challenging time in our communities and the wider world, leaving many exhausted. A lot of weight is being carried. Friends are willing to do that work in hope, but can’t keep going at a sprint pace forever. NEYM must free up energy to focus on what’s important. He noted that NEYM’s purpose is to support the thriving of local meetings and worship groups under our care. We need to focus on that, and free up energy used to support structures that no longer serve. Moving slowly carries invisible costs. We need to move nimbly through restructuring and reorganization so that we’re not bogged down. The point of reorganization and change is to free us to do the work that God is calling us to do.
• A working group formed to help the YM Secretary look at statistical information in the Directory for the YM: Ian Harrington, Sara Smith.

17-06 Report from the Supervisor of the Yearly Meeting Secretary: Due to health concerns, Edward Baker will be released from active service as Supervisor for the YM Secretary. He is willing to continue to offer guidance and support. Sarah Gant will serve as interim supervisor until a replacement is named by the Internal Nominating Committee. Friends rose to name the many ways Edward enriched their experience, expressing deep gratitude to Edward Baker for his long service to the NEYM community, and for the power of his light and wisdom that continues to shine.

17-07 Treasurer’s report (attached).

17-08 Finance Committee Reports (attached). Friends acted on the following committee recommendations:

• For the current fiscal year, Friends approved a $40,000 overage for salaries and benefits, as well as a $2,700 overage in payroll services. These increases result from changes that Friends approved in payroll practices last fall. Friends also clarified that, going forward, the payroll adjustment will apply to the grant-funded temporary position of Outreach and Inclusivity Coordinator, in addition to NEYM’s regular staff positions.
• In light of the significant raises that many employees received as a result of the new personnel policy, and the resulting impact on NEYM finances, Friends approved that for positions incurring raises, no cost-of-living adjustments be reflected in the budgets for FY 2018 and 2019. Friends approved referring to the Personnel Committee the propriety of future cost-of-living salary adjustments in light of the recent salary increases
• Historically, NEYM budgeting assumptions for using endowment funds were calculated using 5% of the three-year average. In light of changing economic conditions, Friends approved changing the percentage used for budgeting purposes to 4%.

17-09 Development Committee: Consultant Jennie Isbell Shinn presented the fruits of the Development Committee’s discernment at its recent retreat - a draft development plan to be seasoned and brought back to the May PB meeting (attached). The committee invited feedback on the following highlights:

• Difference between philanthropy and fundraising: Philanthropy is a culture of giving; fundraising the structure for raising funds.
• Fundamental questions:
   
  • What does development look like when done by Quakers?
  • What, in addition to funds, can we develop?
• Other questions --
  • What seems to be missing from the draft development plan?
  • What needs more emphasis? Less emphasis?
  • Where are we likely to uncover hidden differences of opinion or preference among our constituents and donors?
• Steps to building a development plan:
  • Internal assessment
  • External assessment
  • Determine development program goals and measures (what does success look like?)
• Bring plan to life:
  • Allocate staff time and additional financial resources
  • Consider risks of action/inaction
  • Build measures of success and progress, and mechanisms for assessing how we’re doing

Friends shared feelings and insights, including viewing fundraising not as begging but as sharing ministry; also the importance of seeing this as strengthening monthly meetings, not competing with them. Friends approved the Development Committee’s request to continue work on the development plan and bring it back to the PB May meeting.

17-10 White Supremacy:

• Lisa Graustein led Friends through a “Beyond Diversity 101” exercise, using the image of a flowering plant to explore our core beliefs (the roots), our “being” (the stem) (in other words, what we say), and our “doing” (the flower) (what we really do). After unpacking some of these assumptions and behaviors, Friends were invited to think about what interventions might fruitfully follow. Those interested in pursuing this endeavor further may be interested in the “Beyond Diversity 101” workshop at the next Living Faith event.
• Susan Davies reported on the activities of the ad hoc working group formed to respond to the White Supremacy minute from last year’s Sessions. Other members of the group include Mary Zwirner, Julie De Sherbinin, Lisa Graustein, and Fran Brokaw. Some members of the group attended Amanda Kemp’s “Say the Wrong Thing” retreat at Woolman Hill. The quote “Their souls being as a watered garden” recognizes the disconnect between our core values -- what our souls are calling us to -- and our actions. In keeping with the “transformation” theme of our next Sessions, the working group hopes to introduce ways to live into the interrupting white supremacy minute. She noted that white people need to call to other white people to do this work so we can all get free. The working group is actively recruiting Friends of color, and inviting broader participation. They are hosting Google doc resources on the NEYM website so that meetings can share what they’re doing and learning. She noted we need to be free to say the wrong thing, do the right thing, just dive in and get started.

17-11 Purposes, Procedures and Composition:

The Presiding Clerk discussed the YM committees’ triennial review of their purposes, procedures and composition. Since the Structural Review Committee began its work, the YM has gone from 27 committees to 21. Two committees—Racial, Social and Economic Justice and Earthcare Witness—will conduct their review process later, given the work they’re undertaking as the result of Sessions. The other committees have all completed their review process. Friends approved forming a subcommittee to review the committees’ reports (attached), edit them for consistency and clarity, and prepare a report for PB’s discernment at the May meeting. This subcommittee will consist of the Presiding Clerk, the Clerk of Permanent Board, the rising clerk of the Development Committee, Lisa Graustein (former clerk of Structural Review), the rising clerk of M&C, the YM Secretary, and Rosemary Zimmerman.

17-12 Ad Hoc Working Group on Minutes (attached): Friends approved guidelines, allowing room for dots-and-commas corrections as needed. After those edits are completed, the guidelines will be uploaded to the NEYM website and distributed to the Faith & Practice Revision Committee and to NEYM recording clerks. They will also be sent to monthly meeting recording clerks (not as binding documents, but as they may serve as helpful guidelines). Friends also expressed appreciation to Clerk Rosemary Zimmerman and the other group members who did such excellent work.

17-13 Ad hoc Working Group (joint with M&C) on Traveling Minutes: Karen Sanchez-Eppler reported on the group’s work, still underway, to discern how traveling ministry can be furthered.

17-14 Nominations:  Friends approved the following nominations:

• Personnel Committee Class of 2020: Dulany Bennett (Hanover), Elizabeth Szatkowski (Portland).
• Internal Nominating Committee Class of 2020: Minga Claggett-Borne (Cambridge).
• YM Nominating at Large Class of 2020: LouAnne McDonald (Hanover).
• Tom Antonik (Portland) as Clerk of the Friends Camp Committee.