Opening Worship: Friends gathered in worship following the end of Sessions at Castleton University. Clerk Sarah Gant welcomed Friends and thanked them for their persistence and presence during Sessions.
Present: Sarah Gant, Clerk; Becky Steele, Recording Clerk; Kimberly Allen, Travis Belcher, Deana Chase, Susan Davies, Jeremiah Dickinson, Darcy Drayton, Hannah Zwirner Forsythe, Christopher Gant, Ben Guaraldi, Ian Harrington, Rebecca Leuchak, Christopher McCandless, Jean McCandless, Gina Nortonsmith, Carole Rein, Karen Sanchez-Eppler, Suzanna Schell, Sara Smith, Jackie Stillwell, Philip Stone, Bill Walkauskas, Donn Weinholtz, Rosemary Zimmerman, Mary Zwirner
Regrets: Galen Hamann, Tom Jackson, Leanna Kantt, Anna Radocchia, Elizabeth Szatkowski
Ex Officio: Noah Merrill (YM Secretary), Shearman Taber (Treasurer), Fritz Weiss (Presiding Clerk), Elias Sanchez-Eppler (Finance Committee Clerk), Elizabeth Reuthe (Supervisor, YM Secretary)
Visitors and Guests: Tom Antonik, Rachel Walker Cogbill, Sasha Dubler, Jim Grace, Leslie Manning (Clerk, Sessions Committee), Frederick Martin, Sarah Spencer, Honor Woodrow, Kathleen Wooten
17-48 Presiding Clerk Report: What a week! Clerk Fritz Weiss quoted a phrase from Eden Grace: “We are incarnate evangelists stepping forth into our truth in the world through our presence.” At Sessions this year, Friends accepted the burden of being incarnate evangelists with the love we need is not a fluffy love, but love that holds each other accountable. To move from our places of comfort, we need to be made uncomfortable by friends that call each other out when we’re blind.
The Clerk noted ways in which we experienced growth during Sessions, and also noted places where we can continue to improve. Friends were able to lay aside the form of uniting on a minute regarding white supremacy on Monday night, which opened a space to stay with each other through the sharing of painful truths and deep worship together.
Friends approved a minute from the Sessions Recording Clerks summarizing the presentation on white supremacy presented to Friends on Monday night. Friends also approved allowing the Presiding Clerk to try a new form of minuting—a narrative minute, not a minute of exercise.
17-49 YM Secretary Report: The Secretary thanked the new Sessions Committee for its hard work, especially the committee’s clerk, Leslie Manning. The final count of attenders was 628 (an increase over last year’s 599). There were 84 first-time attenders. NEYM is setting up systems to track data in more sophisticated ways. At Sessions, the Young Friends program experienced challenges with some Young Friends not honoring the expectations andboundaries that had been set. The Secretary discussed how those issues were handled during Sessions, and how the staff intends to continue to work on these issues in the coming year. He also noted the need for pastoral care of Young Friends has been much more intense than in past years. Our programs are important in the lives of our young people, and caring for our youth is vital to building a community of Friends in New England. Friends appreciated the sensitive way in which these issues were handled, and noted the importance of giving staff and volunteers the resources they need to provide youth programs safely and well.
17-50 New Members and Mentors: The Clerk welcomed new PB members, and Friends volunteered to mentor them as follows: Darcy Drayton (mentor: Hannah Zwirner Forsythe); Gina Nortonsmith (mentor: Carol Rein).
17-51 Gratitude to Retiring PB Members: Friends thanked outgoing members Holly Baldwin, Karen Sanchez-Eppler, and Suzanna Schell for sharing their time, wisdom and hard work during their ten-year terms on PB.
17-52 YM Nominating: Friends approved Scott Rhodewalt to represent NEYM on the AFSC.
17-53 Internal Nominating: Friends approved naming Karen Sargeant to the YM Nominating Committee. There currently is no clerk. Penny Wright served as ad hoc co-clerk this year.
Although she does not wish to clerk the committee permanently, she is willing to serve as temporary clerk until a new clerk is found. Friends approved naming Penny Wright as interim clerk of the YM Nominating Committee.
17-54 Sessions, Final Minutes: The Presiding clerk, together with Sessions recording clerks, presented the remaining minutes, not yet approved from Sessions. With some “dots and commas” corrections and direction, Permanent Board approved those minutes.
17-55 Final Worship: Friends closed in worship.