Permanent Board minutes | September 28, 2019

19-69: Roll Call

Present: Leslie Manning, Clerk; Travis Belcher, Darcy Drayton, Christopher Gant, Ian Harrington, Rebecca Leuchak, Edward Mair, Christopher McCandless, Jean McCandless, Gina Nortonsmith, John Reuthe, Sara Smith, Will Taber, Thomas Vargo, William Walkausas, Mary Zwirner

Ex-Officio: Noah Merrill, Yearly Meeting Secretary; Bob Murray, Finance Committee Clerk; Bruce Neumann, Presiding Clerk; Shearman Taber, Treasurer; Fritz Weiss, Former Presiding Clerk

Visitors: Jeremiah Dickinson, Diane Dicranian, Sarah Gant, Phebe McCosker, Louanne McDonald, Em McManamy, Martha Schwope, Jackie Stillwell, Nia Thomas

Regrets: Peter Bishop, Deana Chase, Hannah Zwirner Forsythe, Martin Zwirner Forsythe, Ben Guaraldi, Carole Rein, Elizabeth Reuthe, Rosemary Zimmermann

19-70: Presiding Clerk’s Report

Bruce Neumann, Presiding Clerk, reflected on the difference between being “rising clerk” and actually being presiding clerk and carrying that concern. He finds his attention and concern for the Yearly Meeting coming into sharper focus. He has made a date to visit some meetings to talk about the Friends United Meeting (FUM) withholding minute adopted at Sessions this past summer. The Clerk of the FUM General Board has acknowledged receipt of the letter that was sent to him at the direction of Sessions. Our three representatives to the General Board have also been charged with continuing to work to draft a new sexual ethics policy.

The evaluations from Sessions included many comments expressing support, suggestions for improvement and strong negative reactions to our new practice of noticing patterns of oppression and faithfulness. Four or 5 yearly meetings sent people to New England Yearly Meeting (NEYM) to watch this process. Bruce reported that he knows that someone left Sessions because of macro and micro aggressions. He recommended that each of us needs to become aware of our own internalized patterns and the ways that we speak that hurt. We need to be aware of the effects of both our personal and our corporate practice.

19-71: Secretary’s Report

Noah Merrill, Yearly Meeting Secretary, spoke to his report. He prays that this year will be a year of choices and living into those choices together. Friends traditionally have surrendered to the guidance of the Spirit, giving over our own willing and allowing ourselves to hear the voice of the Guide. There is a potential stumbling block in this yielding and surrendering—abdicating our role in the work we are called to do. Our work lives at the intersection of yielding and and choosing to act with clarity and boldness when we have seen what needs to be done. As a Yearly Meeting, we have been growing in our capacity for self-awareness. This happens through our imperfect work of noticing patterns of oppression and faithfulness, our looking at how we have to change our culture, and our seeking how we can engage in the wider body of Friends, including Friends United Meeting (FUM). He spoke of Friends attending the celebration of 400 years of black resilience and joining in a sense of fellowship with other communions we have not always related to well. The choices we make matter, there are costs to action and costs to inaction. Let us surrender to the Spirit and take bold actions.

Noah provided a number of updates.

The spring Living Faith gathering will be held on April 4, 2020.

The North Fairfield Meeting House survey has been completed and some issues have arisen from that need to be dealt with. One friend noted that none of the Permanent Board activities around North Fairfield have been reported to Vassalboro Quarter which is still holding the people who made up that meeting. We are doing a lot of good work but there is something more that we can be doing.

A few years ago, New England Yearly Meeting (NEYM) received an unsolicited grant of $8000 to deal with concerns about aging. People who were under that concern at the time have used about half of that money but they have since laid down their work. We are exploring affiliating with a program in New York Yearly Meeting. If meetings have concerns about aging or are already doing work in this area, they can consult with the Noah about this to help us consider our options.

Noah's evaluation has been delayed because his supervisor has recently had hip surgery. We expect the review to be completed soon. The results will be conveyed to Coordinating and Advisory committee and a report will be brought to the November Permanent Board Meeting.

19-72: Support of Ministry and Spiritual Life

One of the overarching barriers to participating in leadership in the Yearly Meeting is that many of our leadership roles have such vague priorities and parameters that it feels overwhelming and provides a barrier for people stepping into these roles. At the direction of Sessions, Ministry and Counsel has been charged with supporting Permanent Board in creating a working group charged with exploring & naming how New England Yearly Meeting (NEYM) currently supports ministry and spiritual life. Nia Thomas, Quaker Practice and Leadership Facilitator, presented a proposal for the work this group will do. The proposal is appended. Friends approved.

The Clerk of Permanent Board, the Clerk of Ministry and Counsel in consultation with Nia Thomas will name members to this working group. If names occur to you to serve on this working group, give them to Leslie Manning or Honor Woodrow. The working group is encouraged to make progress reports to both Ministry and Counsel and Permanent Board.

​​​​​​​19-73: Gifts

Leslie Manning, Clerk, had us read from cards left over from our intergenerational worship at Sessions containing gifts of ministry and their definitions. We entered into a period of worship out of which Friends lifted up gifts that had life for them.

​​​​​​​19-74: State of Society Report

Fran Brokaw and Richard Lindo read the New England Yearly Meeting (NEYM) State of Society report and Friends held it and its queries in worship.

Anna Hopkins, Friends Camp Director, and John Reuthe, clerk of Friends Camp Committee, presented the Friends Camp Operating budget for Fiscal Year 2020, appended. Friends approved.

​​​​​​​19-76: Friends Camp Capital Budget

Anna Hopkins, Friends Camp Director, and John Reuthe, Clerk of Friends Camp Committee presented the Friends Camp Capital budget for Fiscal Year 2020, appended. Friends approved.

​​​​​​​19-77: Budget Priorities Process

Noah Merrill, Yearly Meeting Secretary, reported that Coordinating and Advisory Committee (C&A) has started working on the budget priorities for next year. They are committed to funding recommendations of the Clerking Structures working group. Other priorities that they are considering include assistance for starting new meetings, training and support for people called to ministry, increased funding for communications support, increased funding for development support, begin setting money aside for 2023 Friends World Committee for Consultation Triennial, new trailer for JYM - JHYM, streamline registration website, increase professional development for staff, rebuild reserves of the Yearly Meeting, adult religious education, outreach consulting and training, and funding for visitors.

This year C&A will start looking at how to make assessments about what programs do not have life in them and might be removed from our funding priorities. Anyone with thoughts on what process might be used, or programs might be laid down should forward them to Noah before October 15, 2019. C&A will use this input to generate a list of tests to use in the discernment of letting go of projects.

​​​​​​​19-78: Inclusive Leadership Development

Nia Thomas, Quaker Practice and Leadership Facilitator, reported on her work on Inclusive Leadership Development. She has been trying to focus her work on committees that are in back to school mode as they start their work for the year. Since her written report she has also met with Internal Nominating Committee. Noah Merrill, Yearly Meeting Secretary, reminded us that her written reports are presented to Coordinating and Advisory Committee as a way to hold that group accountable for their undertakings.

​​​​​​​19-79: Finance Committee Handbook

Robert Murray presented the Finance Committee Handbook for approval. He noted several changes that will be made to the draft presented to us. Friends approved these changes.

This handbook replaces the previous Finance Committee Handbook. This Handbook will be amended in the future when a) errors are discovered, or b) when policies change.

Friends approved the Finance Committee Handbook.

​​​​​​​19-80: Nominating Committee

Jackie Stillwell presented the report of the Nominating Committee, appended.

These nominations were approved.

​​​​​​​19-81: Development Report

Noah Merrill, Yearly Meeting Secretary, reported on the state of development efforts in the Yearly Meeting (YM).  He has had the opportunity to work with four clerks of the Development Committee. He has seen a lot of growth in this work over this time. We have moved into a model where the YM Secretary is coordinating the development work of the YM staff and volunteers. They send separate letters to members who have donated and to those who have never donated. There are appeals at the end of the fiscal year and the end of the calendar year. Give Monthly donors has increased to 101 families. There will be a Money and Spirit event on March 28. Our funding priorities process allows us to more clearly articulate the work of the YM to donors.  He has found blessing in having conversations with individuals and meetings about increasing their contributions to the YM.

This year we will be discerning what is the best model for using volunteers in the development efforts of the YM. This will be carried out as part of the Purposes and Procedures review of the Development Committee.

​​​​​​​19-82: Appreciation for Development Committee Clerks

The Permanent Board appreciates the work of Chris Gant, Nancy Haines, Deana Chase, and Sara Smith who have served as clerks of the Development Committee. Their work has helped lead the Yearly Meeting (YM) to a better financial condition. Their work has helped provide opportunities for Friends to see and support the work of the YM.

​​​​​​​19-83: Climate Witness Action

Kathleen Wooten reported on the Climate Witness Action taking place today in Bow, NH, at the last active coal-fired power plant in New England. About 200 people attended. There people entered with buckets and shovels to carry out coal. Others blocked the gate to the plant. Up to 40 people have been arrested. Jay O'Hara was arrested as he got out of his car based on a warrant from a previous action. The NEYM Fund for Sufferings is available to provide funds for bail and fines and other expenses for people undertaking witness at the discretion of the Permanent Board clerk.

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​19-84: Faith and Practice Revision

Fritz Weiss reported on a meeting that he and Sarah Gant had with the Faith and Practice Revision Committee (F&PRC) about their progress. The last time F&PRC got guidance from the Yearly Meeting was 18 years ago. The committee would like to hear if there are priorities on what sections they should be working on next. Fritz and Sarah encouraged F&PRC to trust their discernment on the text since they have looked at the issues they address more deeply than most other people who are reviewing their work. How might the process of writing, feedback, review, and approval be changed? How might people be brought into the process for limited pieces of the work? What is the final product of their work? Should it be a book or something else? Permanent Board will seek guidance to share with the committee at a later meeting.

​​​​​​​19-85: Report from the Challenging White Supremacy Working Group

The Challenging White Supremacy Working Group (CWSWG) has had one meeting since New England Yearly Meeting (NEYM) Sessions. This year at Sessions they chose to work in supportive and collaborative roles, supporting the work of other anti-racism groups, and being available to support members of NEYM community. In particular, we facilitated a series of lunch table conversations working in conjunction with Racial, Social, and Economic Justice (RSEJ) Committee, and attended and supported workshops presented by the Noticing Patterns of Oppression and Faithfulness Working Group (NPOFWG).

The lunch table conversations were productive and engaged many people. Members of both CWS and RSEJ served as facilitators. The topics progressed during the week, and attendance ranged from 15 to 30 people. We heard that many meetings are actively talking about race and racism, particularly regarding implicit bias and internalized white supremacy. Many have book discussion groups; others have invited facilitators from CWSWG and others to host workshops. The lack of racial and ethnic diversity in meetings troubles many people, and some meetings are undertaking welcoming initiatives to work toward making meeting spaces more comfortable for people of color and newcomers. A number of participants expressed desire to bring home the importance of addressing race with members and attenders of their meetings, and welcome support from NEYM in those conversations. The questions used to spark discussions at lunch tables are appended.

As they move into their third year of work as an ad hoc working group of Permanent Board, they see continuing roles for the CWSWG in NEYM, and plan to revisit their charge as a committee. A member of the working group used the metaphor of a group journey or hike to describe anti-racism work in NEYM. Guides leading the way have experience, creativity, and passion, and often are breaking new ground. Along the way, other guides provide assistance to fellow travelers, including feedback, suggestions, and advice. Another set of guides follows in the rear, making sure no one is left behind, inviting new people to join the journey. Members of CWSWG are particularly sensitive to the need in NEYM to have leaders attending to this third category and believe we are well-positioned for this task. We recognize anti-racism is a life-long journey, with multiple entry points along the way. People may not enter into this work until later in life, and that is okay. The goal is to meet people where they are and encourage them to join us. We believe that deeper relationships and collaboration with other groups committed to anti-racism, specifically the RSEJ Committee and the NPOFWG of Ministry and Counsel, will strengthen all our work and help NEYM move forward in a deep commitment toward becoming an anti-racist faith community.

​​​​​​​19-86: Return of Travel Minutes

There were three returned travel minutes from people who have traveled outside of the Yearly Meeting in the past year. What is the proper mechanism for us to complete the loop of sending people out and receiving back the report after the travel? We suggest that we send a document explaining the endorsement process for returning travel minutes with travel minutes endorsed by Permanent Board. We also suggest the Permanent Board Clerk maintain a file of outstanding travel minutes.

​​​​​​​19-87: Policies for Travel to Cuba