CMM 2004-03-14

Concord (NH) Monthly Meeting

Religious Society of Friends

Minutes of Meeting for Worship for Business

3^rd Month 14, 2004

Concord (NH) Monthly Meeting gathered in a regularly called Meeting for Worship for Business, on the date above stated, at the Merrimack Valley Day Care Center, Concord, NH.  Members, Junior Members, Members of Other Meetings and Attenders present were:  Don Booth (M), Lois Booth (M), Susan Chambers (M), Graham P. Chynoweth (M), David Freeman-Woolpert (M), Ruth Heath (M), Rich Kleinschmidt (M), Zane Knoy (A), Ann Saunders (A), Sarah Smith (M), Louise Spencer (M), Rob Spencer (M), and Kathy Urie (A).

Presiding Clerk, Graham Chynoweth, at 12:54 p.m., opened the meeting with a reading from part of Spirit-Led Decision-making: Arriving at the Sense of the Meeting, as published by Friends General Conference

Announcements:

A  Spring Party:  The Meeting’s Spring party will be held on 6^th month 6, 2004 at the Sutcliffe’s home in Sanbornton.

B  Nominating Committee:  The Nominating Committee is calling every member and attender to learn their sense of connection with the Meeting, how the Meeting is feeding their spiritual life, and in what ways they would like to share their gifts and talents with the Meeting.

Minute 2004.¹

3.1  Previous Minutes:  The 2^nd Month 2004, business meeting minutes had been approved at that meeting.

3.2  Treasurer’s Report:  Treasurer Ruth Heath reported that 82% of the fiscal year has gone by and 81% of the year’s budgeted contributions had been received to date, excluding the carry over amount from the previous year.

Old Business

3.3  Hearing System:  Ruth reported on the Housing Committee’s review of the cost of the hearing system used temporarily over the last two months.  Since four receiver sets and one transmitter would cost $1,030, she requested the Housing Committee be authorized to buy that equipment and increase the Committee’s budget by $700 to $1,200 for the current fiscal.  ACTION: Friends approved.

3.4  Increased Housing Committee Budget:  Rob Spencer reported on behalf of the Finance Committee that it recommended adding $700 to the amounts to be requested for the current fiscal year through general contributions to cover the increased Housing Committee needs.  ACTION: Friends approved.

3.5  New Meeting Location:  Dave F-W reported on the Housing Committee’s discussions with The Children’s Place, a non-profit organization on the Heights in Concord (near Loudon Road) about adding a wing for the Meeting’s worship gatherings.  After questions were raised about some of the specifics, ACTION:  Friends approved the Committee’s continuing their exploring of this site on Concord Heights.

New Business:

3.6  Emergency Assistance Program:  Rachel Goldman reported that the Greater Concord Interfaith Council is proposing to start an Emergency Assistance Program. This would serve to reduce the work of the many faith communities in the Concord area that are offering individual assistance to those in need by coordinating their separate efforts to help those persons, thus reducing those persons’ need to go to many faith communities seeking assistance. The member faith communities of the Council are being asked:

• Would they be willing to be a “participating member”?
• How much money could they make available for both annual staff costs and donations to needy individuals?
• Do they have willing members or attenders to be on an oversight committee?

Rachel described her concerns about the program’s funding over time, which the Council had initially expected to cover with grants.  After a discussion of many issues, ACTION:  Friends decided to indicate the Meeting’s support of the concept of a faith community-run emergency assistance program in the Concord area, but not to make a financial commitment until the proposed program's specifics and manner of oversight are made more clear.  Further, the Meeting noted that local, state and federal governments have a responsibility to those in need and that these responsibilities are not being fulfilled.

3.7  New Annual Retreat Location:  Louise Spencer reported on behalf of the Adult Education and Community Building Committee regarding this year’s fall retreat that it recommends the Meeting change to another site instead of Camp Wilmot for this Fall’s retreat.  The Committee offered as an alternative the Greek Orthodox Camp in Contoocook. ACTION: The Meeting approved the Committee’s proposal for scheduling the Greek Orthodox Camp for the retreat this fall.

3.8  Possible Annual Retreat Subsidy: In such approval, it was recognized that this change in retreat facility might cause the Meeting to incur a cost of up to $500 during the coming fiscal year due to food being prepared by staff instead of by Meeting members. ACTION:  The Finance Committee was asked to consider ways to cover this cost in the upcoming budget.

The meeting closed at 2:30 p.m. with a period of worshipful silence and hopeful expectation of meeting again next month, second first day.

1  Underlined captions, references to previous Minutes (e.g. “See also Minute 2001.1.1”), “Recording Clerk’s Notes” and the word “ACTION” (with action to be taken in bold type) are inserted by the Recording Clerk for convenience of reader in identifying Minute topics, minuted history of an issue and expectation of action and are not a part of the Minute as approved.