CMM 2013-07-14

Minutes of Meeting for Worship for Business

Concord (NH) Monthly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends

Seventh Month 14, 2013

Attending:  9

7.1  The meeting opened with a period of silent worship.  The clerk read a Query:  Are you open to the many ways Spirit may speak to you?  Do you recognize divinely inspired insight?  Can you distinguish between divine leadings and your own needs or desires?  A period of worship sharing on the queries followed.

7.2  Sixth Month Minutes:  The minutes of the 2^nd day, Sixth Month, 2013 were approved with corrections.

7.3  Budget Committee:  The Committee Clerk reported last year’s net income over expense was about $2,900 and explained the significant differences from our budget which resulted in the next gain as well as the details of our balance sheet as of June 30^th.  It was noted that the Youth Religious Education Committee is misnamed on our reports and that the Rent Expense line should now be removed from the report.

7.4  The Doctrine of Discovery:  Having taken the time to learn about the Doctrine of Discovery [1], the Meeting discussed how it should reply to New England Yearly Meeting’s request for input on their proposed minute.  Noting that the Doctrine is the underpinning of land ownership in many parts of the world in addition to the Americas, the minute is incomplete and should be expanded.  Further the repudiation alone is an inadequate action.  Doing what can be done to ameliorate the effects of the Doctrine requires more of us.  The Meeting endorsed the New England Yearly Meeting’s minute recognizing that it is imperfect, but that it represents the spirit in which our work should progress.  Sara Smith will convey this minute to the Permanent Board and to the Clerk of the Yearly Meeting.

7.5  NEYM representatives:  Sara and Jay Smith, Mark and Virginia Barker, and Ruth Heath will represent Concord Monthly Meeting at the Annual Sessions of New England Yearly Meeting.

7.6  AFSC Ad Booklet:  The Clerk asked if the Meeting should take out an ad in the September fundraiser for NH AFSC program [2].  Discussed our budget process, the needs of AFSC as well as our needs for outreach.  The Meeting concluded it will purchase a half page ad and decide at a later time how the funds to support this will be determined.  We may have a special collection, an event such as an Annie Paterson and Peter Blood sing along, reduce other advertising expenditures or a combination of these.  Sara Smith and Ruth Heath will craft a draft of the ad and pass it on to Ministry and Counsel for consideration at their meeting this coming Sunday.

7.7  Community Garden:  The Clerk proposed offering our front yard for use as a community garden for use by refugees and immingrants who are accustiomed to farming and live in this country in apartments with no land access.  Following an initial discussion the Clerk asked interested member to approach her with further thoughts.

7.8  The meeting closed with worship.

Submitted by

Acting Recording Clerk, Gregory Heath

Presiding Clerk, Ruth Mobilia Heath