CMM 2020-04-12
Minutes of Meeting for Worship with Attention to Business
Concord (NH) Monthly Meeting of
the Religious Society of Friends
Fourth Month 12th, 2020
Eighteen Friends gathered by Zoom connection and entered into quiet worship. We accepted the minutes of Third Month, and of the called meeting that happened two weeks later, as posted on the website.
04.1 Meeting Name: Our Meeting has been doing business in the community as “Concord Friends Meeting”. This practice goes back more than 40 years. Just over eleven years ago, when the Meeting incorporated for the purpose of owning property, the title of the property-owning corporation was “Concord Monthly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends”. Now a banking problem raises the issue that “Concord Friends Meeting” is not registered as a trade name with the New Hampshire Secretary of State. The Meeting authorizes the Finance Committee to spend the required funds and register both “Concord Friends Meeting” and “Concord Quaker Meeting” with the Secretary of State. If one of these were not allowed, we ask the Finance Committee to find a combination of the two names, e.g., “Concord Friends (Quaker) Meeting”.
04.2 Bank Accounts: At the request of our bank (due to a problem with identity theft), the Meeting will close its two accounts with Merrimack County Savings Bank, a checking account and a money market account. We will open new accounts of the same type. Brian Paterson will be removed as a signer. The current bookkeeper, treasurer, and the presiding clerk of the Meeting will be named as authorized signers (currently Gregory B. Heath, Christopher J. Haigh, and Richard Kleinschmidt).
04.3 Finance Committee sent a report electronically (attached) on their proposed budget for the coming fiscal year and the current budget. The budget for this year looks likely to be met comfortably. They explained their desire to step down a little the amount of money going into the replacement reserve and the 2% upward adjustments of our support for other organizations. Friends are encouraged to discuss with the Finance Committee any concerns they have with the proposal before we make a final decision at our May Meeting for Worship with attention to business.
04.4 Ministry and Counsel submitted an electronic report that is attached.
- They have decided not to try to hold Fourth Sunday programs until we can gather again at the Meetinghouse.
- They are expressing our gratitude to James McKim who led our last two programs.
- M&C has set up small group midweek Zoom meetings to help keep Friends connected at this time of ‘social distancing’.
04.5 Zoom Meetings for Worship: M&C is looking for feedback on the process for keeping our Zoom Meeting for Worship secure while continuing to be welcoming to newcomers. Friends noted that using the Zoom waiting room worked well today. Note was made that the password-embedded Zoom link is only going out to Friends on the email list and others would have to make a request to be allowed to join the meeting. There was an extended discussion of whether to post the same link on the Meeting website. For now, we are not all comfortable with public sharing of the Zoom link. Our website has a one-click way to send an email to the M&C greeter to ask for further information which we hope will suffice to connect newcomers in a welcoming way. It was asked that we add a phone number that someone is able to call and that we ensure that someone would know that there would be a response to the email link. M&C is asked to report back on this.
After a brief time of quiet worship, Meeting adjourned, purposing to meet again on the Second Sunday of May.
| Submitted by, | Accepted as the Approved Record, | |
| /s/ Jennifer J. Smith, Recording Clerk | /s/ Richard Kleinschmidt, Presiding Clerk |
| Year | Donation Amount |
|---|---|
| 2015 | $23,676 |
| 2016 | $22,850 |
| 2017 | $24,327 |
| 2018 | $25,234 |
| 2019 | $26,720? |
| Concord Monthly Meeting Budget Comparisons & Proposal | 2019-06-01 – 2020-03-31 | Projection – FY 2020 | Budget – FY 2020 | Proposed Budget – FY 2021 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Income | |||||
| Contributions | $20,017 | $23,760 | $25,150 | $24,415 | 1 |
| Interest Income | $7 | $770 | $680 | $810 | |
| Rental Income | $1,908 | $1,818 | $1,500 | $1,500 | |
| Offset to COVID-19 Expense | $132 | $132 | - | - | 8 |
| Solar Roof Lease | $240 | $240 | $240 | $240 | |
| Total Income | $22,304 | $26,720 | $27,570 | $26,965 | |
| Expenses | |||||
| Program | |||||
| COVID-19 Expense | $132 | $132 | - | - | 8 |
| Finance Committee | - | - | $30 | $30 | 2 |
| Hospitality | $109 | $180 | $180 | $180 | 3 |
| Library | $40 | $100 | $90 | $140 | 2 |
| Ministry & Counsel | $225 | $225 | $225 | $400 | 2 |
| Outreach | |||||
| Outreach - Other | $80 | $100 | $355 | $475 | 4 |
| Website Expenses | $64 | $280 | $280 | $300 | |
| Total Outreach | $144 | $380 | $635 | $775 | |
| Peace, Social & Earthcare Concerns | - | - | $600 | $300 | 2 |
| Youth & Religious Education | $133 | $250 | $300 | $300 | 2 |
| Total Program | $783 | $1,267 | $2,060 | $2,125 | |
| Property | |||||
| Building Maintenance | $308 | $308 | $600 | $500 | 3 |
| Debt Service | $2,855 | $3,805 | $3,805 | $3,805 | 3 |
| Donation in Lieu of Taxes | $0 | $500 | $500 | $500 | |
| Electricity | $833 | $1,000 | $1,000 | $1,000 | 6 |
| Grounds | $0 | $100 | $100 | $100 | |
| Insurance | $1,617 | $1,960 | $2,000 | $2,155 | |
| Replacement Reserve Expense | $4,000 | $4,800 | $4,800 | $3,810 | 5 |
| Snow Removal | $1,380 | $1,900 | $2,000 | $2,000 | 3 |
| Supplies - Bldg. & Maintenance | $374 | $250 | $250 | $300 | 3 |
| Wood Pellets | $1,680 | $1,680 | $1,680 | $1,680 | |
| Total Property | $13,047 | $16,304 | $16,685 | $15,850 | |
| Support | |||||
| AFSC | $1,304 | $1,565 | $1,565 | $1,600 | 7 |
| Dover Quarterly Meeting | $0 | $10 | $10 | $10 | |
| FCNL | $0 | $140 | $140 | $150 | |
| Friends Camp | $0 | $280 | $280 | $300 | |
| FWCC | $0 | $60 | $60 | $65 | |
| Interfaith Council | $0 | $50 | $50 | $50 | |
| NEYM - Equalization Fund | $0 | $290 | $290 | $300 | 7 |
| NEYM - General Fund | $5,075 | $6,090 | $6,090 | $6,210 | 7 |
| NH Council of Churches | $0 | $75 | $75 | $75 | |
| Woolman Hill | $0 | $230 | $230 | $230 | |
| Total Support | $6,379 | $8,825 | $8,825 | $8,990 | |
| Total Expense | $20,209 | $26,396 | $27,570 | $26,965 | |
| Net Income | $2,095 | $324 | - | - |
- Projection assumes only donations from regular monthly donors.
- Budget 2021 amount requested by committee.
- Budget 2021 is simply our best guess at what may be needed.
- Outreach requested $355. Added $10/month to continue NEYM provided ZOOM meeting hosting.
- Replacement Reserve: $3,000 plus anticipated interest income.
- Electricity based on Prepaid Purchase Agreement.
- AFSC and NEYM at roughly 2% increase.
- COVID-19 Expense comes from prior year funds on hand. Income reflected simply to offset the expense for gloves.
Ministry and Counsel Committee Report, April 8th, 2020
Ministry and Counsel CMM
Report and Announcements
April 2020
- Fourth Sunday Programs: We decided that proceeding with a regular Fourth Sunday program would be too hard to process at this time of “social distancing.” We recognize that we are all experiencing some degree of trauma as we process what is happening in the world with the coronavirus and COVID-19. Processing this trauma requires time and energy, leaving less for dealing with new programs that might be presented. We will resume them at a time when we feel appropriate.
- Anti-Racism Work: We are grateful for the leadership of James McKim in our two programs on anti-racism work. We would like to continue at some future date, hopefully the fall, with more direct work in dealing with these needs. Since this might involve role plays, or something like that, it seems we would really benefit by having it be in person. We hope to develop something like that in the future.
- COVID-19 Response: We recognize the need for social connection while we keep physically distant, something we normally do at our fellowship time and during greeting, etc. We are forming small groups that will meet virtually once a week. After gathering on a Zoom call, we suggest you begin with some centering worship (5-10 minutes) and then share. A member of Ministry and Counsel will facilitate starting worship and the sharing. We suggest this first week be a general check-in around the COVID crisis; e.g., how you are coping; how it is affecting you personally; what gives you strength; what support you need. The leadership may then rotate or continue with the original person. Times may change by the consensus of the group. The format can also change by agreement. Initially the length will be 45 minutes to one hour.
- Zoom Meetings: We are working on ways to make our Zoom meetings welcoming and safe. We are aware that there are often privacy issues with online meetings and continue to investigate best practices. Right now, the public is only able to find this link by going to our website and following a link to the announcements, then clicking on another link. People are then directed to room where they can be welcomed and then sent to the worship room. If they are new, they will be oriented to the practices of the meeting. Other screening may occur. We wish to still be available to the public, but still safe. We would like the meeting to consider whether we should continue this practice or remove public access to Zoom on our website and require an additional orientation or screening before getting the Zoom address link.
