CMM 2009-12-13

Minutes of Meeting for Worship for Business

Concord (NH) Monthly Meeting of

the Religious Society of Friends

12^th Month 13, 2009

Concord (NH) Monthly Meeting gathered in Meeting for Worship for Business at the Merrimack Valley Day Care Center in Concord, NH. Friends present were: Mark Barker, Greg Heath, Jay Smith, Linda Peters, David Woolpert, Ruth Heath, Alisa Barnard (recording clerk), Sara Smith (clerk).

The meeting began with a period of silent worship.

12.1  The meeting reviewed and approved the minutes of the Meeting for Worship for Business of 11^th Month, 2009.

12.2  Reestablishment of the Ministry and Council Committee.  The Nominating Committee and the Care of the Meeting group met on December 6, 2009 in order to discuss the reformation of the Ministry and Council Committee.  The Nominating Committee made nominations and the following individuals accepted the nomination: Alisa Barnard, Kathy Mercer, Greg Heath, Mark Barker, Grace LeClair, Sara Smith (ex officio as Meeting Clerk), Jay Smith (NEYM Ministry and Council representative), Lois Booth, and Linda Peters.

A question about the charge of the Ministry and Council committee was discussed.

The Committee will discuss their goals and work in their first meetings, with the guidance and support of NEYM Faith and Practice, and possibly a representative from NEYM.  There is a sense that the committee, as it is newly formed, may organically grow into a slightly new role than was held by the Ministry and Council Committee in the past.  The sense of the meeting is that the Ministry and Council Committee should proceed mindful of the charge to be inclusive of all in the meeting community in opportunities for spiritual growth and ministry.

A concern was raised that the size of the committee may be out of balance with the number of regular attenders of CMM.  The point was made that the numbers that consider themselves associated with the meeting and under the care of the meeting is far greater than the number of regular attenders of meeting for worship.

Amongst the first orders of business of the committee will be the appointing of a clerk.  The committee was reminded that foremost in their work will be consideration of who we want to become and how we want to go about that, particularly as we anticipate the potential growth of the meeting that will come with the opening of the new meetinghouse.

12.3  Proposed minute in regard to additional borrowing for the meetinghouse building fund.  Members have pledged the sum of $32,700 that is scheduled to be donated to the Meeting over the next two years.  In the event that these funds are needed to pay for current construction work, the Meeting authorizes the clerk and the Treasurer to borrow against these pledges in an amount up to $32,700.  The clerk and the treasurer will reconfirm with the donors the amount of each pledge (and the anticipated fulfillment date).  Such borrowing is to be short term debt that will be retired upon the fulfillment of the pledges, and it is in addition to borrowing authorized in minute 1.13 of the January 2009 Meeting for Business that authorized borrowing up to $40,000 of long term debt.

The meeting was reminded that once the meeting has borrowed from the trust, interest payments must be paid to the trust.

12.4  Transfer of membership announcement.  The clerk shared that Alisa Barnard has transferred her membership from Willistown (PA) Monthly Meeting to Concord Monthly Meeting.  The meeting warmly welcomed her as a member.