20-33 Opening Worship
Friends opened with a period of worship.
20-34 Welcoming
Leslie Manning, Clerk, welcomed Friends to our meeting via Zoom and thanked everyone for their service.
20-35 Role Call
The recording clerk called the role.
Present: Leslie Manning, Clerk; Hannah Zwirner Forsythe, Recording Clerk; Travis Belcher, Peter Bishop, Darcy Drayton, Martin Zwirner Forsythe, Chris Gant, Ben Guaraldi, Ian Harrington, Rebecca Leuchak, Ed Mair, Christopher McCandless, Jean McCandless, Anna Raddochia, Carole Rein, John Reuthe, Martha Schwope, Sara Smith, Will Taber, Bill Walkauskas, Tom Vargo, Mary Zwirner
Ex-Officio: Noah Merrill (Yearly Meeting Secretary), Bob Murray (Finance Clerk), Bruce Neumann (Presiding Clerk), Elizabeth Reuthe (Secretary’s Supervisor), Shearman Taber (Treasurer), Fritz Weiss (Former Presiding Clerk)
Visitors: Dulany Bennett, Marian Dalton, Sarah Gant, Anna Hopkins, Janet Hough, Frederick Martin, Phebe McCosker, LouAnne McDonald, Jackie Stillwell, Nia Thomas, Morgan Wilson, Honor Woodrow, Kathleen Wooten, Rod Zwirner
Regrets: Deana Chase, Kim Harvey Garcia, Betsy Kantt, Gina Nortonsmith, Elizabeth Szatkowski
20-36 Minutes
The minutes from our February 15 and April 25 meetings were distributed for Friends to review in advance of our meeting.
Friends approved both sets of minutes.
20-37 Proposal to Extend FUM Withholding Policy
Bruce Neumann, Presiding Clerk, shared plans for corporate discernment about our financial relationship with Friends United Meeting (FUM). Bruce has been discerning how best to proceed given our decision at Sessions last year to extend the end of the withholding policy with FUM to October 1, 2020. Extending the withholding policy was partly done to allow for significant engagement over the year so that Friends would be able to come to Sessions 2020 prepared for corporate discernment and a further decision on the withholding policy. The COVID-19 pandemic has made it difficult to continue meaningful engagement with the issue.
Additionally, Bruce expressed clarity that Zoom is an inadequate tool with which to properly discern how to proceed on the matter of the withholding funds from FUM. He therefore proposed that the end of the withholding policy, scheduled for October 1, 2020, be extended to October 1, 2021.
Friends were in agreement that discerning a faithful response to the withholding policy is not possible while we are unable to be together in person. Friends expressed a deep concern that our extension of the withholding policy should not give us a license to wait until this time next year to do the work. Let us dive deeply into the work with the freedom of a longer timetable. Let us view more time as an opportunity for faithful discussion about being in relationship with people with whom we disagree. It is time to dig into this issue, even if we are allowing ourselves longer to make the decision.
We are reminded that the purpose of the proposed extension is not to extend the withholding policy. Rather it is to prepare, through continued discernment at the monthly Meeting level, for collective discernment during Sessions 2021 on the challenge of our relationship with Friends United Meeting
Friends approved extending the withholding policy for one more year.
20-38 Apology Letter to Native People
Bruce Neumann, Presiding Clerk, presented a proposed letter of apology to be sent to indigenous tribes native to New England; the letter is appended. This letter was written by Peter Bishop, Maggie Edmondson, and Charles Simpson. It was written following guidance from the Permanent Board (PB) in November. Bruce expressed his hope that this letter would come to Sessions to be heard this year and that over the course of the next year monthly meetings would more fully engage with the actions proposed in the letter. The letter would then return to Sessions in August 2021 for approval with the benefit of more engagement over the year.
Friends raised concerns about many pieces of the letter. There were concerns about tone, about content in the apology, and about the actions proposed. Numerous suggestions were made, most substantively that we remove the proposed actions from the letter and send a letter that centers exclusively on an apology.
Friends asked that a revised apology letter be brought to our July meeting. Friends with further thoughts about the content of the letter were asked to send those revisions to the Reparations Working Group.
20-39 Proposed Sessions Business Agenda
Bruce Neumann, Presiding Clerk, shared a proposed agenda for our business meetings at this year’s virtual Sessions. His proposal includes items to be discerned by the Permanent Board, items to be discerned by the full body at Sessions, and updates on items that frequently appear on the Sessions agenda but that will not require our attention this summer. This proposal is part of the Presiding Clerk’s report which is appended. Friends who have concerns or comments about the proposed agenda should be in touch with Bruce.
20-40 Reflections from the Secretary
Noah Merrill, Yearly Meeting Secretary, spoke briefly about how the Yearly Meeting (YM) staff has been prioritizing their work during the COVID-19 pandemic. Support of local meetings, support of YM youth, organizing resources for various leadership positions in the YM, and supporting Friends Camp finances, are among the main priorities for Noah and other staff.
Additionally, Noah acknowledged that the work our YM and its staff are doing is happening in and amongst the fight against white supremacy, racism, and the fight for liberation of Black people.
20-41 IRS Compliance Articles of Association
Noah Merrill, Yearly Meeting Secretary, presented proposed Articles of Association to be provided to the Internal Revenue Service to comply with requirements qualifying the Yearly Meeting as a non-profit organization for Group Exemption status, which would allow each of the local meetings affiliated with the Yearly Meeting to be so listed with the IRS for tax purposes.
Submission of these Articles of Association completes a commitment made to local meetings to clarify our organizational relationship for tax-exemption status.
Friends had the opportunity to provide comments and ask questions. Friends approved the articles of association.
We are also asked to add this document as a discrete appendix to our Faith & Practice, both the 1985 version and the approved interim Faith & Practice. These articles are an amendment to our bylaws.
Friends approved.
20-42 Mosher Book and Tract Fund Recommendation
Noah Merrill, Yearly Meeting Secretary, shared a recommendation for use of money from the Mosher Book and Tract Fund. This recommendation would provide funding to translate into Spanish Brian Drayton’s book On Living With a Concern for Gospel Ministry. The recommendation is appended.
Friends approved this recommendation.
In order to disburse funds for the approved recommendation, the Permanent Board (PB) needs to approve a one-time exception to distribute a second time this year because the funds that PB approved disbursing for a project at Sessions last year were not actually paid out until this fiscal year.
Friends approved the one-time exception to disburse money a second time this year.
20-43 Treasurer’s Report
Shearman Taber, Treasurer, submitted a written report which is appended. We will get a more full report in July. Questions and concerns in the meantime can be directed to Shearman.
20-44 Proposal to Transfer Funds to Friends Camp
Bob Murray, Finance Committee Clerk, presented a proposal from the Finance Committee requesting approval to transfer $20,000 from the reserves of the Yearly Meeting (YM) to Friends Camp (FC), to be used as unrestricted operating reserves. The background and details on this proposed transfer are appended.
Bob reminded Friends that the YM has received two loans from the federal government, potentially eligible for forgiveness, for up to approximately $123,000. These loans were applied for jointly with FC because FC is part of the YM organization. Thus the transfer of funds is a transfer of the loan and shouldn’t be considered a draw down on our reserves. Bob mentioned that we should anticipate another request for funds transfer in the fall.
Friends approved this funds transfer.
20-45 Draft Budget for Comments and Suggestions
Bob Murray, Finance Committee Clerk, brought the draft FY2021 budget to the Permanent Board for our consideration and commentary. The budget will go to Sessions for approval in August.
The Finance Committee recognizes that this budget is a plan and that there will likely be changes as the economic situation prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic clarifies itself. The Finance Committee will review the budget as more information is available and will bring updated drafts as necessary.
Friends had an opportunity to ask questions and provide commentary.
20-46 Friends Camp FY2020 Budget Revision
Anna Hopkins, Friends Camp Director, shared a written report about how plans for the summer have evolved over the course of the pandemic. Public health concerns have required the cancellation of summer sessions at Friends Camp (FC). Consequently, the approved FC budget for FY2020 requires revision. Anna’s written report and the revised operating and capital budgets are appended.
Friends approved the revised FY2020 budget for Friends Camp.
20-47 Proposed Israel/Palestine Working Group
Leslie Manning, Clerk, submitted a proposal that the Permanent Board form a working group to address the conflict between Israel and Palestine and how our Yearly Meeting might engage with the issue. The proposal is appended. This proposal to address the conflict was based on minute 2019-36 from Northwest Quarter, approved at Sessions 2017 and reaffirmed in 2019.
Friends were asked to carefully review the proposal prior to our July meeting. We will discuss the formation of a working group then.
20-48 Recommendations for Personnel Management
Elizabeth Reuthe, Supervisor for the Yearly Meeting Secretary, presented a recommendation to lay down the Personnel Committee and form a Personnel Resource Group. Background on this recommendation and a proposed Purposes, Procedures, and Composition for the Personnel Resource Group are appended.
The Yearly Meeting Secretary is currently responsible for most of the duties that were previously assigned to the Personnel Committee and thus it is unnecessary to have a personnel committee as it was previously structured. The proposed Personnel Resource Group would serve to advise leaders about how they can better respond to personnel issues.
We will take this up again in July after review of the conversation and recommendations.
20-49 Internal Nominating Report
The following nominations were brought forward from Internal Nominating Committee:
- Judy Goldberger and Fritz Weiss for Clerks’ Table Nominating, Class of 2021 Anna Radocchia for Clerks’ Table Nominating, Class of 2022
- Edward Mair and Karen Sanchez-Eppler for Clerk’s Table Nominating, Class of 2023
- Cat Chapin-Bishop, LouAnne McDonald, and Karen Sargent for Yearly Meeting Nominating at Large, Class of 2023
Friends approved these nominations.
The following resignations were brought forward from Internal Nominating Committee:
- James Golden and Susan Davies have resigned from the Faith and Practice Revision Committee
20-50 Clerks Table Nominating Report
The following nominations were brought forward from Clerk’s Table Nominating Committee:
- Marian Dalton for Recording Clerk to fill out the term ending at close of Sessions 2020.
Because this role must be filled in advance of Sessions it was brought to the Permanent Board for approval. Friends approved.
- Kathy Malin for Recording Clerk to begin at Sessions 2021
Friends approved forwarding this nomination to Sessions.
20-51 Memorial Minutes
Throughout our meeting he heard excerpts from the memorial minutes for Alexander W. Banks, Stella Penzer, and Jean Elmer Robinson. Their full memorial minutes are appended. We will hear more memorial minutes at our July meeting.
20-52 Closing Worship
Friends closed with a period of worship.