CMM 2018-04-15, -22, -29

Minutes of Meeting for Worship for Business

Concord (NH) Monthly Meeting of

the Religious Society of Friends

Fourth Month 15, 2018

Attending: 8

4.1  Meeting began with worship and reading of a reflection from George Selleck’s “Principles of the Quaker Business Meeting”.

4.2  Budget Committee presented the current Income/Expense statement.  They projected a small surplus for 2017-18.  The Meeting has made a payment of $10,000 to the Oxbow Solar LLC as prepayment for 10 years of electricity.  They have also made the extra $10,000 in laddered investments into the NH Community Loan Fund as instructed by March Meeting for Business, bringing our total investment there to $20,000.  This money is largely our building replacement reserve.  These two investments represent a significant change in our liquid bank account balances.

4.3  2018-19 Proposed Budget:  The Budget Committee presented their 2018-19 proposed budget, incorporating the changes suggested at March Business Meeting.  The Meeting approved this budget.

4.4  Donations:  The question was raised about the possibility of making Meeting donations to other organizations not currently in our budget, for example a capital campaign upcoming for Woolman Hill.  The Meeting has struggled with the thorny question of how much to give as a Meeting, rather than simply encouraging members to make individual contributions to worthy causes.  No decision was made, but this is an discussion we might take up in the future.

4.5  State of Society 2017:  We significantly threshed the State of Society report brought to us by Ministry and Counsel.  Many changes were agreed to.  Heidi agreed to edit the format further and it will be forwarded to the Contact List by Web Clerk early in the week to solicit any further input.  We agreed to have a Called Meeting for Worship to consider the revision at 9:30 a.m., Sunday, April 22.   

We closed with worship.

Submitted by,		Accepted as the Approved Record,
/s/ Ruth Heath, Acting Recording Clerk		/s/ Mark Barker, Presiding Co-Clerk

Minutes of Specially Called Meeting for Worship for Business

Fourth Month 22, 2018

Attending: 11

Meeting began with worship.

4.6  State of Society 2017 (further discernment): The Meeting was in general agreement that the draft of the State of Society report for 2017 is an accurate representation; however, there was the sense that the tone did not express the faithful underpinnings of our activities in their fullness.  A specific change to note that the “2017 Bible Half Hours” should be referred to as the “NEYM 2017 Bible Half Hours” was approved.  The Co-Clerks and interested parties are asked to bring a revised draft to another specially called meeting to be held on April 29^th at 9:30 a.m.

Submitted by,		Accepted as the Approved Record,
/s/ Greg Heath, Acting Recording Clerk		/s/ Mark Barker, Presiding Co-Clerk

Minutes of Specially Called Meeting for Worship for Business

Fourth Month 29, 2018

Attending: 5

Meeting began with worship.

4.7  State of Society 2017 (still further discernment): The Meeting approved the draft of the State of Society report for 2017 as presented.

Submitted by,		Accepted as the Approved Record,
/s/ Greg Heath, Acting Recording Clerk		/s/ Mark Barker, Presiding Co-Clerk