SPRING 200612 Third Month 2006
alem Quarterly Meeting met 12 Third Month 2006, at Woodstown. During worship, Friends were asked to hold in the Light Christian Peacemaker Team member Tom Fox and loved ones; hostages; hostage takers; the Iraqi people; our troops; and all people in that situation who are in danger. Clerk Sondra Ball (Mickleton) then convened the meeting.
Friends offered a minute of thanks to Woodstown Meeting for the wonderful soup, bread, and desserts that nourished us in body and spirit. Friends also offered a minute of appreciation to Rabbi Marcia Prager for her inspiring program, which brought a deepening of spirit to all.
The minutes of the last quarterly meeting were approved as they appeared in Salem Quarter News.
Patti Burns (Woodstown) spoke about Friends School Mullica Hill (see p. 13). She announced some dates, touched on the current service projects, and shared some poems from the Poetry Club. Friends suggested that perhaps some of the poems might be submitted to Autumn Leaves, Sondra Ball and Mario Cavallini's online publication. Friends asked that upcoming Poetry Slams (live poetry readings at a local coffee house) be announced via e-mail when possible.
Mario Cavallini (Mickleton) presented the Worship & Ministry report (see p. 12). In worship sharing and discussion, they explored how they have each personally experienced God. Meeting accepted the report and thanked the committee for their efforts.
There was no finance committee report made in meeting, but it is to be published in Salem Quarter News. Jeffrey Summerton, clerk of Mullica Hill, spoke regarding the relationship between the quota and the number of members. He expressed Mullica Hill's concern regarding the difference between the number of reported members and the number of members that share in the financial stewardship of the meeting. He questioned the source of the numbers and the timing of the reporting and payment of the quarterly quota. Friends offered methods that other meetings have used with regards to the handling of those members who do not make monetary contributions.
Tom Etherington (Mullica Hill) reported for the Steering Committee. He shared some encouraging movement in the growth of the Quarter's monthly meetings and announced the beginning of the annual evaluation process as undertaken by the Steering Committee. Meeting accepted the report.
Mike Ayars (Woodstown) reported on Friends Village. Things are going well there. They have completed the State Health Survey. The new facility is yielding good results, with accompanying good energy levels in the newly formed resident association, which has three representatives to the Friends Home Board. The new wood shop and fitness room are open in the basement of the Fenwick Commons building. Friends Village is looking for the right opportunity to host a quarter event. A Spring Fair is planned; there will be details to follow in the mail and other events as well. Meeting thanked Mike for the report and his accomplished efforts to keep us informed.
George Crispin (Woodbury) gave an unofficial report from the Trustees. Conditions at the Port Elizabeth and Lower Alloways Creek properties remain stable. The Trustees will be appointing a new clerk soon, as Woody Gross is moving out of the area and will be stepping down.
Peggy Warner (Mullica Hill) presented the quarter nominating report. Positions filled include Assistant Clerk, and one term each for Auditors, Trustees, and the Education Fund Committee. Nominations for the Friends Village Board of Managers were included in the report (see pp. 14-16).
Quarterly Meeting approved the list of nominations as presented by the Nominating Committee.
Some discussion was held regarding the child safety policy and the GuideOne questionnaire, which must be completed. Questions 2, 3, and 12 are considered to be critical. Meeting completed the questionnaire and approved the following minutes. The questionnaire is to be sent to Guide One via certified mail.
Questions two and three of the Guide One sexual misconduct liability questionnaire were given a no response based on the definition of employee as provided by Guide One. Under their definition our coordinator is an employee of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting, despite the fact that we, Salem Quarterly Meeting, consider the coordinator to be our employee. Paid childcare workers are defined as independent or childcare contractors and thus not employees of Salem Quarterly Meeting.
E-mails between Bob Horvay (Mickleton), a Quarter Child Safety Committee member, and various GuideOne representatives have answers to questions and definitions of terms. Copies of them are to be made and kept in the Child Safety Committee files and in the Steering Committee files, as those e-mails support the answers given by Salem Quarterly Meeting in response to the sexual misconduct liability questionnaire.
Patti Burns (Woodstown) shared her vision for a children's quarterly service and social gathering (see p. 12). She sees this gathering as a low key program meeting four times a year where our school age children from Salem Quarter could come together at each other's meetinghouses. The purpose would be to create a small service project at each gathering and to get to know each other. Although there are many options about dates and times, the idea of a Friday evening stems from discussions with some parents at Woodstown Meeting.
The vision involves simple service projects such as making soup for a soup kitchen or shelter, dog biscuits for the pound, and/or birthday cards for residents of Friends Village; projects that would be simple and meaningful, but would not require excessive coordination to busy schedules of the adult members or our already over programmed children; and projects that might provide older children with some leadership opportunity, and younger children with mentors. Meeting approved the project under the leadership of Patti and those others that she can recruit to work on it.
The question of Gretchen Castle's continuing as clerk of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting is before the PYM Nominating Committee. Friends were given the opportunity to share their thoughts regarding the continued service of the PYM's clerk, assistant clerk, and the recording clerks.
Judy Scott, clerk of Woodbury Meeting, presented a minute from Woodbury regarding the content and size of Salem Quarter News. They feel the need to communicate the faith lives of individual Friends and felt that Salem Quarter News has been lacking in this area. A discussion ensued with regards to these concerns.
Several points were made surrounding the idea that Salem Quarter News is the voice of the community and that spiritual nurture may also be found in business writings. The coordinator explained that mechanics of size with regards to publication and expressed a need for increased submissions, both artistic and literary. An over-all increase in size up to 20 pages results in an annual increase of cost around $500. It was suggested that a direct fundraising campaign might generate the funds necessary for this purpose from monthly meetings or from individuals. Based on this discussion, Friends approved the following minute.
Out of a concern raised by Woodbury Monthly Meeting regarding the limited space available for spiritually motivated artwork, poems, and essays, Salem Quarterly Meeting approved raising the number of pages in Salem Quarter News from sixteen to twenty or twenty four pages, provided that donations from monthly meetings or individuals reach $500 to support the four additional pages for each of the four issues per year; or $1,000 for eight additional pages for each of the four issues per year. Checks may be sent to the clerk of the Steering Committee, Tom Etherington, and made payable to Salem Quarterly Meeting with Salem Quarter News noted in the memo.
Due to the late hour, only brief announcements of upcoming activities were made. There being no further business, meeting was closed with further worship.
Rebecca Shapiro, assistant clerkRETURN TO TABLE OF CONTENTS
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Monday, May 08, 2006 at 07:24 PM
