WINTER 2004
he third quarter of 2004 has been one of some challenges for Salem Quarter. Communications arrived in the Quarter from the Yearly Meeting that seemed terse, and which caused some consternation. Discussions are ongoing with the Yearly Meeting to ameliorate feelings and to try to improve our communication.
These issues seem to stem from a few causes. In some instances it seemed that the Yearly Meeting expected that Salem Quarter had knowledge of their policies when in fact our under standing was incomplete. This may be due to the volunteer nature of the Salem Quarter Steering Committee. Some difficulties have also been caused by Yearly Meeting instituting new policies without taking into account our timelines and regular business procedures, again pointing to the problems inherent in a full-time staff (PYM) trying to direct a volunteer (Salem Quarter Steering Committee) one. Kind of like herding cats, it is not an easy proposition.
The Committee, along with the coordinator, has begun to put together a timeline to help coordinate the functions of the Yearly Meeting with the Quarterly Meeting. This may help to avoid instructions arriving after the decision, and give each other a sense of what we are doing and when we are doing it.
We have spent some time discussing the new liability insurance questions and how they will affect the Quarter and the monthly meetings as well as our programs. It is our intention to appoint a committee to develop protocols in conformance with the new child safety guidelines promulgated by GuideOne. We anticipate representatives attending a meeting with PYM on October 9 and using that information to develop our own protocols. It appears these must be in place by December 1, but will not be brought before the Quarter until the December Quarterly Meeting.
The Steering Committee is very pleased that Seaville Monthly Meeting has named a new representative to the Committee, Lizabeth Shay. It is very important that monthly meetings remain active on the Committee to keep open the lines of communication across the Quarter. A committee has been appointed to name a new clerk for the Steering Committee for 2005. It is hoped that a replacement will be named soon to ensure a smooth transition at the end of the year.
Peace be with you.
Frank Lenik, clerkThe Wise Men brought gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Wise women would have brought diapers and casseroles.
—Thanks to Tom Etherington, Mullica Hill MM, Salem Quarter Steering CommitteeRETURN TO TABLE OF CONTENTS
Last modified:
Sunday, November 14, 2004 at 12:40 AM
