CMM 2022-12-11

Minutes of Meeting for Worship with Concern for Business

Concord (NH) Monthly Meeting of

the Religious Society of Friends

Twelfth Month 11^th, 2022

Nineteen Friends gathered in worship to attend to business, in person and by Zoom.  We opened with a brief period of Worship.

Minutes of Eleventh month [1] were approved as posted on the Meeting website.

12.01  Finance Committee reported on the first six months of the fiscal year.  They noted that many of our expenses come toward the end of the Fiscal Year in May.

They sent these additional notes:

1. Contributions are above budget but that is good because some annual contributions come in the early part of the fiscal year.
2. Rental Income is above budget.  It seems as though people have adjusted to group gatherings and COVID.  Having the internet and hybrid meeting set up is a plus for rentals.
3. Maintenance is above budget due to the acoustical panel placements [2] in the fellowship room.
4. Contributions to AFSC and NEYM are below budget due to a miscalculation and will be made up gradually through the balance of the year.

Full financial report is attached.  Friends received it with gratitude for the committee’s work and explanations.

12.02  Possible Land Purchase: James F reported on some answers from his research on concerns that had been raised at our threshing session on the possibility of Meeting buying the parcel of land directly across the street from our Meetinghouse.  He reported that there are pledges of about $32,000 in donations at this point.  Finance committee has recommended that Meeting itself not take on servicing of a loan to make up the additional amount needed for purchase unless there are Friends willing to commit to donate annually to cover this expense.

A concern was also raised about whether this project is what Meeting would feel is the best use of  its ability to raise funds for a special use not previously envisioned.  Several Friends contributed their current thoughts about these issues.  We thanked the ad hoc committee for their work on finding out various aspects of the feasibility of this project.

We decided that we are not ready at this time to make a commitment to purchase that land.  Further discernment will wait on more Friends becoming moved by the Spirit to do more to bring our community to the point where we feel right with this proposed purchase.

A new ad hoc committee was formed to investigate this.  It will be convened by Kathi C and Jonah S.

12.03  Outreach Committee: Kathi C reported that Outreach committee is meeting regularly and working diligently to move forward with their work.

After a brief time of quiet worship, Meeting adjourned, purposing to meet again on the Second Sunday of the First Month of 2023.

NB. The Income & Expenses Sheet was created with two decimal points, which were removed for readability, the cents being unimportant to the overall understanding.  This can have the effect of throwing off any given sum by a dollar due to compounded rounding.  —  Prepared by Greg Heath and Chris Haigh.