After worship, the Permanent Board Clerk expressed gratitude for the lives of the Friends remembered in the memorial minutes coming to the Board today, with hope that we will take faith and courage from these messages.
After worship, the Permanent Board Clerk expressed gratitude for the lives of the Friends remembered in the memorial minutes coming to the Board today, with hope that we will take faith and courage from these messages.
PB 26-19 Roll Call
Frances Lightsom (West Falmouth), Recording Clerk for the Permanent Board, read the roll.
Bold is present in the room.
Permanent board members present:
Susan Davies (PB Clerk), Frances Lightsom (PB Recording Clerk), Travis Belcher, Thomas Brenner, Connie Kincaid Brown, Darcy Drayton, Martin Forsythe, Meg Klepack, Edward Mair, LouAnne McDonald, Allison Randall, Liesa Stamm, Willa Taber, Palma Vaccaro, D. Morgan Wilson, Kathleen Wooten
Ex-officio members present:
Phillip Veatch (YM Presiding Clerk), Noah Bishop Merrill (YM Secretary), Marian Dalton (YM Treasurer), Douglas Keith (Clerk of YM Finance Committee), Sadie Forsythe (YM Nominating Committee Clerk), Janet Hough (YM Ministry & Counsel Clerk), Sarah Gant (Clerk of Meeting Accompaniment Group), Jacqueline Stillwell (YM Secretary’s Supervisor)
Members absent:
Kimberly Allen, Elizabeth Hansen, Carolyne Jordan, Rebecca Leuchak (Immediate Past YM Presiding Clerk), Martha Schwope, Newell Isbell Shinn, Mary Zwirner
Visitors present:
John Back, Dulany Bennett (Hanover), Gordon Bugbee (Beacon Hill), Christopher Gant (Beacon Hill), Elizabeth Hacala (Operations Manager), Anna Hopkins (Friends Camp Director), Richard Lindo (Clerk clerk of the Puente de Amigos Committee), Leslie Manning (Durham and Three Rivers), Frederick Martin (Accounts Manager and Beacon Hill), Kathy Olsen (East Sandwich), Karen Reixach (Keene), John Ryder (Mattapoisett), Benigno Sanchez-Eppler (Northampton), Susanna Schell (Beacon Hill), Maille Wooten (Lawrence)
PB 26-20 Nominating Committee Report
Sadie Forsythe (Putney) presented the report from the Nominating Committee, attached.
This meeting is the second reading of the following nomination:
Permanent Board, Dulany Bennett (Hanover Friends Meeting) to begin immediately, class of 2031
Friends approved this nomination and welcomed Dulany to our number.
PB 26-21 Permanent Board Clerk’s Comments
Susan Davies (Vassalboro), clerk of the Permanent Board, reminded Friends of informational advance documents that include reports of travel and writing from ministers:
- Brian Drayton’s report on his full and varied service in the ministry;
- Marian Baker’s travel as invited speaker at Ireland Yearly Meeting and travel adventures in Uganda;
- PB-endorsed travel to Oklahoma Tribes that will be summarized on today’s agenda;
- A brief report on the Quarterly Meeting Visioning Day, including an updated map of local meetings and many worship groups showing membership in quarterly meetings. The clerk thanked Sara Hubner and Nia Thomas for providing the map to share with our local meetings.
Today’s meeting agenda includes opportunities for PB members to hold and thresh concerns that weigh heavily on many hearts:
- The humanitarian and political crisis in Cuba;
- Our response to New England Friends’ misguided promotion of Native American Boarding Schools that harmed generations of Native American families;
- Discerning a faithful response to the harmful actions of our government that threaten Temporary Protective Status for Haitians and cruel immigration policies in general.
PB 26-22 Approval of Minutes.
Friends approved the minutes from the February 28, 2026, meeting with these changes:
Include the Secretary’s report of the topic of his testimony to the New Hampshire House of Representatives.
Correct the identification of Leslie Manning’s home meeting as Durham not Dover.
PB 26-23 Yearly Meeting Secretary’s Report
Noah Bishop Merrill, Yearly Meeting Secretary, gave a spoken report and called attention to his recent Perkins Family Lecture, shared in the advance documents, as an offering for accountability and a report on his activities. He welcomed feedback and conversation on the lecture.
Noah expressed appreciation for the time and commitment of members of the Living Stream Travel Team, who visit local meetings to share worship and conversation in order to strengthen connections and understanding of NEYM finances, emphasize the essential role of local meetings, and invite Friends to reflect on their experience in their own meetings. Meetings in Westerly, Wellesley, Providence, and Mt Toby have already been visited. Visits to meetings in Hartford, Hanover, and Portland are planned before Sessions. The team has heard reports that local meetings are looking into their level of support for NEYM.
In introducing the report of Friends Camp Director Anna Hopkins, Noah held up the recent collaboration between Anna and Nia Thomas as a good example of strengthening the integration of youth ministry in NEYM.
PB 26-24 Friends Camp Strategic Priorities Informational Update
Anna Hopkins, Friends Camp Director, gave a spoken report on the “Strategic Priorities and Pathways Forward” document provided in the advance documents. In her report she addressed the status of four priorities: strengthen operational resilience and governance; exercise longer-term planning for financial sustainability; deepen programmatic intentionality; and strengthen long-term site planning and management. Among the actions reported is applying for an American Camp Association Character Grant for developing a peacebuilding skills program at Quaker Camp. The new campership endowment fund, which has the long-term goal of providing funding for all the camp’s camperships, is making progress toward a short-term goal of $240,000 in pledges; local Friends meetings are welcome to help with fundraising. A process has been put into action for leadership continuity during parental leave. This summer the camp will host 450 campers, many with full or partial camperships, and 60 staff members, some working for part of the season, including 7 international staff members. Property work includes thinning of aging pine trees and creating a cooling space in the dining hall. A hundred volunteers are coming for work weekend to get the camp ready for kids.
PB 26-25 NEYM FY2027 Budget and Commentary
Doug Keith, Finance Committee Clerk, presented the committee’s proposed budget for FY2027 and an accompanying commentary, both attached. In his spoken report he emphasized that although the budget proposes a tiny surplus, a budget is about future things we cannot control. The committee hopes that an increase in contributions will result from a better sense of connection with NEYM, and that our work with Mount Holyoke College will allow stability and a manageable cost structure for Sessions. The committee cannot recommend restarting NEYM contributions to outside organizations without more confidence that we will have money to donate, but that is a change that is desired. The budget does not fund sabbaticals or paid leave for NEYM staff, an uncomfortable omission when staff has worked to find significant cost reductions. The committee hopes to see our reserves rebuilt so these two expenses can be included in future budgets.
Asked whether the budget’s increases in health care expense have already been experienced or are forecast, the answer was that the increased health care cost has been previously paid from the future uses fund and is being included now in the budget.
Friends thanked Doug for his care in explaining the committee’s budget discernment. Friends also observed that our thinking and speaking of other organizations as “outside” is incorrect: like monthly meetings are part of yearly meeting, NEYM is part of these other organizations. We were reminded that the availability of funds for contributions is a discernment for the Finance Committee, but the criteria for allocation of contributions among the organizations is not the Committee’s responsibility. We could start this discernment before the finances are available for contributions. Friends were reminded that the Board received a report from a working group that summarized NEYM Friends’ insights into the criteria to use in allocating the contributions which can provide a starting point for that discernment.
Friends were reminded that New England Friends continue to contribute in many ways to many other Quaker organizations through individual and local meeting financial contributions as well as volunteering, serving as leaders, and traveling to support their activities.
The conditions that need to be present to consider resuming financial contributions were clarified. (1) We need to deal with deficits we’ve been running for years and then rebuild our reserves to a safe level. Changes are being made to do this. (2) Finance committee will need guidance for allocation of contributions so that the division of available funds is not a finance committee decision.
In considering the challenge of financing the contributions, Friends suggested an active focus on the need for donations. Friends expressed the benefit of work to develop relationships among NEYM and monthly meetings and the availability of visits from the Living Stream Travel Team to continue this work. A desired goal is for local meetings to think of themselves as “NEYM doing business as” their local meeting.
Friends were reminded that waves of newcomers are reported to be arriving in our local meetings, challenging the old perception that Friends would never grow again. This is a time of spiritual opportunity to welcome, encourage, nurture those who are arriving.
Friends expressed a concern to strategically engage with multi-year financial questions – is there a more useful artifact than the annual budget? Is our current NEYM staffing level sustainable, as opposed to welcoming more volunteers to do the work of NEYM, perhaps at the Quarterly Meeting level? We realized that our gathering included many hard-working volunteers.
Friends approved sending the budget and commentary to Sessions.
PB 26-26 The Cuba crisis and condition of Cuban Friends
Information on the scope and complexity of the situation in Cuba was provided by Richard Lindo, clerk of the Puente de Amigos Committee, Benigno Sanchez-Eppler, who travelled to Cuba in March, Noah Bishop Merrill and Jacqueline Stillwell who have an organizational perspective.
Noah provided framing. Our yearly meeting has had a relationship with a Cuban yearly meeting for more than 30 years. Puente allows us to have a relationship, to know each other. In maintaining our Cuban relationship, we have sister meetings and cooperate with the Quaker Institute for Peace and Friends Committee on National Legislation; FUM and FWCC are also engaged. This is an important moment to celebrate this work of relationship and consider how we can strengthen it. FUM and FWCC are also engaged. How can we better communicate and cooperate with these other organizations to be better partners for Cuban Friends?
Richard spoke of the spiritual relationship created when Puente sponsors visiting delegations. Since COVID, U.S. national rules have changed and the material suffering in Cuba has increased: Cuban people can no longer live normally, even survive, yet they continue to share a sense of community and love and care for each other. NEYM is limited by new restrictions on providing financial and material support. Through close communication with Cuban Yearly Meeting, Puente is aware of ongoing suffering and need. Maintaining the connection is important.
Benigno began by reminding us of the advice to guard against magical thinking. “Puente” is a bridge, a word that makes a reality that did not previously exist. What Cuban Friends most need is love. His gospel ministry began with a call to translate Quaker publications. Benigno told of his calling to travel to Cuba this year, his welcome by Cuban Friends, and the ministry he was led to give. He spoke of the spiritual gifts that he observed as Cuban Friends persist through hardship, caring for each other amid the depth of the horror that they are living through. He shared with us his realization of the full responsibility of our loving covenant with Cuban Friends.
Jackie spoke of questioning her purpose in traveling to Cuba and receiving the answer that Friends are here for spiritual presence with each other and to learn from each other, to embody the spirit and find a way to touch another. She observed that Cuban Friends don’t just help other Quakers, they do everything possible to help everyone in their community. Cuban Friends have experienced growth and learned new ways to work together. A visit by New England Friends is an opportunity for Cuban friends to see each other and feed each other. Jackie reported that her local meeting’s relationship with a Cuban sister meeting has been a growth opportunity, which she hopes we can all have, while also working together on the relationship between the yearly meetings.
Noah cautioned Friends that we need to be responsible in clarifying how we partner with others in extending love and care. In particular, he has learned that destructive conflict can result if Friends fail to recognize the dynamic tension among the different spiritual gifts of ministers, elders, and administrators. The multiple Quaker groups that are concerned for Cuban Friends cannot be good partners if we are not responsible in clarifying how we work together—who is doing what?
Following these reports Friends engaged in discernment about a next step for going forward in supporting Cuban Friends.
Friends expressed the importance of being open to cultural differences, the importance of listening rather than rushing in with assumptions. We live in a secular culture that asks “what is in it for us?” This can create unconscious habits that present challenges when we are in relationship with others who are more in an environment of love for the sake of love. Friends shared their experiences of encountering, and accepting, deep and surprising differences among cultures and national systems.
Friends asked how our wider body can share what we are learning here today. How can we make our Puente a bridge of love rather than just a bridge of Friends? A suggested answer is to continue this conversation in a larger community.
PB 26-27 Announcements
Janet Hough reminded Friends that FGC Gathering will be held in July 7-12 at University of Vermont in Burlington. The theme, A Window and a Door: A Prayer, was inspired by a poem by NEYM Friend LVM Shelton. The poem talks about willingness, grounded connection, and hospitality to strangers.
Elizabeth Hacala reported on a tour of the Mt. Holyoke campus where Sessions will be held. She noted that the dining hall will provide good places for people to gather and converse and is centrally located near spaces for youth programs. There is a good room for holding meeting for business and plenary gatherings. Registration will start about June 1.
PB 26-28 Formal release of the Brentwood Cemetery
Kathleen Wooten presented a request that Permanent Board send a letter of appreciation to the trustees of historical cemeteries in Brentwood NH for their care of a town cemetery with historical Quaker connections. The letter would acknowledge that Friends do not own the cemetery.
Friends approved the clerk to send this letter on behalf of Permanent Board.
PB 26-29 NEYM Presiding Clerk Report
A written report from Phillip Veatch, Presiding Clerk of NEYM, is attached. His spoken report covered the following topics.
Caring for Quarterly Meetings
Over 40 people recently attended a Quarterly Meeting Visioning Day held in Haverhill, Massachusetts. The morning was spent sharing and discussing the history and purposes of Quarterly Meetings in New England. In the afternoon there were workshops on corporate discernment, care for local meetings, ministry and eldership, and innovation and leadership. Two of the ideas that emerged from the Visioning Day were to create a mechanism that makes it easier for quarterly meetings to talk with each other and, at Sessions, to discern if there are common topics that the quarterly meetings wish to consider throughout the following year.
Haitian Temporary Protected Status (TPS)
Mattapoisett Monthly Meeting approved a minute expressing their support for continuing Temporary Protected Status for Haitians who have come to the United States and for whom it is not yet safe to return to Haiti. This minute was considered and endorsed by Sandwich Quarterly Meeting (see attached documents). Sandwich Quarterly Meeting sent the minute to the Permanent Board although they did not explicitly say what they wanted the Board to do with it. In recent action, the U.S. House of Representatives has passed a bill extending Haitian TPS for three years, which is now waiting for action in the Senate. In the spirit of continuing the work of the minute, the Phil requested the Permanent Board to endorse the action of the presiding clerk sending a letter of support for this bill to each of our New England Senators.
Friends approved the clerk sending this letter.
PB 26-30 Report from Coordinating and Advisory Committee
A written report is attached from Phillip Veatch, Clerk of Coordinating and Advisory Committee. His spoken report focused on the Committee’s role in drafting and proposing documents that define the purpose, procedures, and composition of NEYM committees, working groups, and resource groups. These documents are frequently referred to as “PPCs.” Phil brought the following items to the Permanent Board.
Minor change to the Indigenous Relations Resource Group PPC
PB recently approved a purpose, procedures, and composition document (PPC) for the Indigenous Relations Resource Group. The Nominating Committee, while working on helping the former temporary working group transform into a longer-term resource group, requested that this PPC be modified to note that members of the group will serve three-year overlapping terms so there can be continuity within the group. Nominating Committee can ask members of the group to serve more than one term. Permanent Board is asked to approve this minor change to the PPC.
Friends approved this change to the Indigenous Relations Resource Group composition.
Process for implementing new or modified PPCs
While working groups can be created by the Permanent Board, the creation of committees and resource groups requires the approval of the yearly meeting at Sessions. This leaves a slightly gray area regarding who needs to approve new or modified purpose, procedures, and composition documents (PPCs) for committees and resource groups. C&A suggests that Permanent Board adopt the process whereby new or modified PPCs for committees and resource groups can take effect as soon as Permanent Board has approved them but that these PPCs must come to Sessions for final approval. This means Board-approved PPCs can be used, but they are understood to have a temporary status until final approval at Sessions.
Friends approved adopting this process for organizing committees and resource groups.
First Reading of a PPC for Retrospective Justice Working Group
At its last meeting, the Permanent Board asked the C&A Committee to draft a purpose, procedures, and composition document for a new working group, to be called the Retrospective Justice Working Group. A draft of this PPC was distributed in the advance documents. C&A suggests the following process for moving forward with creation of the new working group. (1) PB consider the draft PPC document now and, if it is generally acceptable, allow Nominating Committee to begin finding names that can be approved at Sessions. (2) Hold a called meeting of PB in July for approval of a final PPC document. (3) If approved at the called meeting, include the PPC on the unity agenda at Sessions for final approval.
Friends suggested that the PPC also explain why a working group is the appropriate structure for this purpose, and to clarify that a working group is not a suitable structure for maintaining long term relationships. Friends expressed concern that the working group name would be confused with the indigenous relations resource group or confusing to contacts. Friends suggested that “reparation” would be more direct term to use in the working group title.
Friends approved the PPC for the Retrospective Justice Working Group as a draft.
Revision of PPC for Board of Managers
C&A is considering a revision of the purpose, procedures, and composition document for the Board of Managers of Investment and Permanent Funds. Phil reviewed the purpose and role of that board, which is responsible for management and investment, consonant with Friends principles, of Yearly Meeting funds and funds entrusted to it by meetings, schools, and other Friends organizations for the purpose of maintaining a source of continuing income and growth.
Friends raised the question whether this organization is still necessary.
PB 26-31 PPC for Israel-Palestine Resource Group
The Permanent Board Clerk introduced a revised purpose, procedures, and composition document for the Israel-Palestine Resource Group, attached.
Friends approved the purpose, procedures, and composition document for the Israel-Palestine Resource Group.
PB 26-32 Report and query from delegation to Oklahoma Tribes
At the invitation of the Permanent Board Clerk, Friends received a written report, attached, from Mary Zwirner, Suzanna Schell, and Gordon Bugbee of their visit with indigenous tribes in Oklahoma. In his spoken report, Gordon shared the history of the relationship of New England Quakers with indigenous people in Oklahoma, including settling and assimilation. The present effort began in 2020 with a research group that articulated the importance of relationship as a basis of reparations. The work of developing relationships for meaningful reparation has started with travel to meet with the tribes and learn their situations. Suzanna emphasized the relationships NEYM visitors are building and offered a suggestion that one tribe could use assistance in reclaiming the tribe’s language. She presented Friends with a query: How can NEYM move ahead with reparations that respond to tribes’ insights into what would be helpful?
In a time of worship sharing, Friends responded to many facets of right relationship and reparations.
About the opportunity to assist a tribe with language reclamation, Friends expressed personal willingness to contribute to meeting the tribe’s request. Friends need personal understanding of the meaning of language restoration. Some remember hearing native persons express the harm of losing their language. Our response to expressed needs will affect the trust we hope to build. There is a need for healing from oppression within tribal communities and revitalizing languages can contribute to healing.
Friends expressed the need for personal, as well as organizational relationships and reparations. Individual spirit-led actions can have large effects. A Friend noted that he inherited tribal items without information on how they were obtained from a tribe, and he doesn’t know what to do with them. Our meeting members need understanding and an opportunity to contribute. How can we share this information with local meetings? As individuals we can elevate these concerns in our meetings. Do our reparation actions need to be coordinated?
Friends expressed thoughts on corporate reparations. A gift is different from a grant in that we don’t expect to know what will be done with a gift. We would trust the recipients, instead of just asking them to trust us. We are shifting our thinking to think in generations: what has been done by past generations, how can we prepare for future generations. What small step can we take today and see what comes of it? Relationships shed a different light on actions that are being considered, on seeing what may come from the actions. It would be hard for New England Yearly Meeting Friends to authentically build individual relationships with tribe members in Oklahoma. Be tender, open our hearts, to receive these requests. Friends expressed concern that the Indigenous Relations Resource Group might be bringing a proposal for reparations to Sessions without its being seasoned in monthly and quarterly meetings. In generations past, the corporate body of New England Yearly Meeting did harm to Tribal members and families now living in Oklahoma. Friends in the present-day New England Yearly Meeting now need to come under the weight of this concern, as a spiritual body, to repair the harm.
PB 26-33 Memorial Minutes
For approval at this meeting, Friends received twelve memorial minutes that received a first reading in February. These are memorial minutes from Friends Meeting Cambridge for Hugh Barbour, David Bonner, Robert Carter, Elisabeth Cotton, Russell de Burlo, Jr., Malcolm Forbes, Walter Lenk, Everett Mendelsohn, Lita Newdick, William Watson, Marilee Wheeler, and Charles Woodbury.
Friends received twelve additional memorial minutes for Alan Eccleston (Mt. Toby Friends Meeting and Connecticut Valley QM), Frank Gatti (Mt. Toby Friends Meeting and Connecticut Valley QM), Jan Hoffman (Mt. Toby Friends Meeting and Connecticut Valley QM), Ken Hoffman (Mt. Toby Friends Meeting and Connecticut Valley QM), Kate Kerman (Monadnock MM and Northwest QM), Don Noel (Hartford MM and Connecticut Valley QM), Richard Schmitt (Worcester MM and Southeast QM), LVM Shelton (Plainfield MM and Northwest QM), Alan Tschetter (Mt. Toby Friends Meeting and Connecticut Valley QM), William Walkauskas (New Haven Friends Meeting and Connecticut Valley QM), Diana White (Portland and Durham Friends Meeting, Falmouth QM), Hal White (Mt. Toby Friends Meeting and Connecticut Valley QM).
Friends accepted for Yearly Meeting Sessions the memorial minutes for Hugh Barbour, David Bonner, Robert Carter, Elisabeth Cotton, Russell de Burlo, Jr., Alan Eccleston, Malcolm Forbes, Frank Gatti, Jan Hoffman, Ken Hoffman, Kate Kerman, Walter Lenk, Everett Mendelsohn, Lita Newdick, Don Noel, Richard Schmitt, LVM Shelton, Alan Tschetter, William Walkauskas, William Watson, Marilee Wheeler, Diana White, Hal White, Charles Woodbury.
Respectfully Submitted,
Frances Lightsom, Recording Clerk