CMM 2024-03-10
Minutes of Meeting for Worship with Attention to Business
Concord (NH) Monthly Meeting of
the Religious Society of Friends
10th of Third Month 2024
Thirteen Friends gathered for meeting for worship to attend to business, in person and by Zoom. We opened with a period of quiet Worship and our presiding clerk read from the 1985 version of Faith and Practice.
In meeting for business, Friends are seeking to discover and to implement the will of God. Aware that they meet in the presence of God, Friends try to conduct their business reverently, in the wisdom and peaceable spirit of Jesus. Insofar as a divine-human meeting takes place, there is order, unity, and power.
~ New England Yearly Meeting of Friends. Faith & Practice. (1985), page 76
The Minutes of Second month 2024 were approved as posted on our website.
03.01 Peace Social and Earthcare Concerns Committee. A written PSECC report was received. The report contains the results of the two fundraisers that the committee organized. Currently the committee is assisting with the FCNL priorities process. The Meeting expressed our appreciation for the leadership our PSECC committee is providing us.
03.02 Solar Committee. The Solar Committee reported on discussions with Oxbow Solar LLC, the owner of the solar array on the roof. They are planning to recommend the Meeting acquire the array according to the terms of our power purchase agreement by the end of the summer. They will be providing more information so that the meeting understands the basic terms of our agreements and the rationale for taking this step.
We heard a request that the three other parties involved with the Oxbow Solar LLC net metering be kept informed of the process and educated in how they might be helpful.
03.03 Ministry and Counsel. The committee has no action items for the Meeting today. As charged by Business Meeting, the committee continues to work on the language for a revised COVID policy and will bring that back when the time is ripe. On 4th Sunday, 3/24/2024, we will be hosting Jennifer Newman, director of Beacon Hill Friends House. The committee appreciates the sharing that has gone into recent 4th-Sunday programs and that will inform the State of Society report. They anticipate sharing a draft at our next Business Meeting.
03.04 Youth Religious Education. The committee has invited families of the daycare to come to our meeting house on Saturday, 3/23/2024. A youth member of the committee (age 10) created the invitation (attached). Activities will include peace flags and stories.
The committee is also developing our First Day School curriculum for the rest of the year.
03.05 Property Committee. The committee requests feedback on the recycled paper being used for towels and tissues.
After consulting with an expert on monitoring, the committee decided to invest in better equipment around air monitoring.
The committee is considering a larger carpeted area in the lobby or maybe just an additional carpet.
Acoustic panels in Meeting Room remain on the back burner, but the committee expects to start planning for that this coming fiscal year.
03.06 Nominating Committee. The committee intends to contact all active participants in our Meeting. They will be asking how Friends feel led to participate in the care of the Meeting.
03.07 Finance Committee. The full financial reports are attached. The committee reported three-quarters of the way through our fiscal year, 71% of income received. Total Year-To-Date expenses are $21,209, income is $24,930 for a net gain of $3,721.
Assets and Liabilities are in good shape. One NHCLF loan is not being renewed, pending receipt of the heat pump grant from the Federal Government.
| Total Income: | $24,930 | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Expenses: | $21,209 | |
| Net Income: | $3,721 |
03.08 Hospitality Coordinator. The NEYM Permanent Board requested use of our Meeting House on 2nd Saturday in May, and we have approved that request. We have offered them coffee, tea, and breakfast items such as Danishes and muffins. For lunch, we have offered soup or soups.
With the new fire restrictions on the stovetop use, the coordinator suggests that we acquire some crockpots for hosting events.
03.09 Mother’s Day conflicts with our May Meeting for Business, and this conflicts with the plans of some families. Due to the annual conflict of Business Meeting with Mother’s Day, we decided to move Fifth Month Business Meeting to 3rd Sunday.
We closed with a period of grateful worship, purposing to meet again on the second First Day of April.
| Submitted by, | Accepted as the Approved Record, | |
| /s/ Richard Kleinschmidt, Recording Clerk pro tem | /s/ Ruth M Heath, Presiding Co-Clerk |
| Concord Monthly Meeting Statement of Operations* | 2023-06-01 – 2024-02-29 | Budget – FY 2023-24 | Budget Remaining | % of Budget Raised |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Income | ||||
| Contributions | $20,046 | $27,400 | $7,354 | 73% |
| Interest Income | $104 | $1,090 | $986 | 10% |
| Rental Income – Child Care | $4,000 | $5,400 | $1,400 | 74% |
| Rental Income – Others | $780 | $1,200 | $420 | 65% |
| Solar Roof Lease | $0 | $240 | $240 | 0% |
| Total Income | $24,930 | $35,330 | $10,400 | 71% |
| Expenses | % of Budget Spent | |||
| 1 Program | ||||
| Finance Committee | $9 | $100 | $91 | 9% |
| Hospitality | $117 | $100 | ($17) | 117% |
| Library | $0 | $140 | $140 | 0% |
| Ministry & Counsel | $0 | $400 | $400 | 0% |
| Outreach Committee | $0 | $175 | $175 | 0% |
| Peace, Social & Earthcare Concerns | $123 | $150 | $27 | 82% |
| Right Relations | $0 | $400 | $400 | 0% |
| Website Expense | $0 | $1,000 | $1,000 | 0% |
| Youth & Religious Education | $78 | $300 | $222 | 26% |
| Total Program | $327 | $2,765 | $2,438 | 12% |
| 2 Property | ||||
| Data Usage | $898 | $1,200 | $302 | 75% |
| Debt Service – Interest, Short Term | $0 | $500 | $500 | 0% |
| Debt Service – Mortgage, P&I | $2,855 | $3,805 | $950 | 75% |
| Depreciation | $2,858 | $3,810 | $953 | 75% |
| Electricity | $749 | $1,000 | $251 | 75% |
| Grounds | $0 | $1,000 | $1,000 | 0% |
| Insurance | $2,129 | $3,072 | $943 | 69% |
| Maintenance | $644 | $1,740 | $1,096 | 37% |
| Miscellaneous Expenses | $0 | $500 | $500 | 0% |
| Snow Removal | $630 | $1,600 | $970 | 39% |
| Supplies - Bldg. & Maintenance | $183 | $250 | $67 | 73% |
| Wood Pellets | $215 | $0 | ($215) | 100% |
| Total Property | $11,160 | $18,477 | $7,317 | 60% |
| 3 Support | ||||
| AFSC | $1,889 | $1,889 | $0 | 100% |
| Dover Quarterly Meeting | $0 | $10 | $10 | 0% |
| FCNL | $0 | $162 | $162 | 0% |
| Friends Camp | $0 | $323 | $323 | 0% |
| Friends General Conference (FGC) | $0 | $159 | $159 | 0% |
| Friends United Meeting | $0 | $159 | $159 | 0% |
| FWCC | $0 | $227 | $227 | 0% |
| Interfaith Council | $0 | $50 | $50 | 0% |
| NEYM - Equalization Fund | $361 | $361 | $0 | 100% |
| NEYM - General Fund | $7,465 | $7,465 | $0 | 100% |
| NH Council of Churches | $0 | $75 | $75 | 0% |
| Woolman Hill | $0 | $248 | $248 | 0% |
| Total Support | $9,715 | $11,128 | $1,413 | 87% |
| Total Expense | $21,209 | $32,370 | $11,161 | 66% |
| Net Income | $3,721 |
* “A budget is a moral document” ~ often attributed to Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929 – 1968)
NB. The Income & Expenses Sheet was created with two decimal points, which were removed for readability, the cents being unimportant to the overall understanding. This can have the effect of throwing off any given sum by a dollar due to compounded rounding. — Prepared by Greg Heath and Chris Haigh.
| Concord Monthly Meeting Balance Sheet | 2nd Month 29, 2024 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| ASSETS | |||
| Current Assets | |||
| Checking/Savings | |||
| Checking MCSB | $16,027 | ||
| Money Market MCSB | $464 | ||
| Savings Granite State Cr Union | $10 | ||
| Total Checking/Savings | $16,502 | ||
| Other Current Assets | |||
| Pledges Receivable | $500 | ||
| Prepaid Electricity | $4,252 | ||
| Prepaid Insurance | $2,854 | ||
| Total Other Current Assets | $7,607 | ||
| Total Current Assets | $24,108 | ||
| Fixed Assets | |||
| Building/Furnishings/Fixtures | $513,629 | ||
| Less Accumulated Depreciation | ($35,930) | ||
| Land (including new lot) | $144,400 | ||
| Total Fixed Assets | $622,099 | ||
| Other Assets | |||
| Granite State Credit Union CD | $3,137 | ||
| Total NH Community Loan Fund | $24,869 | ||
| Total Other Assets | $28,006 | ||
| TOTAL ASSETS | $674,213 | ||
| LIABILITIES & EQUITY | |||
| Liabilities | |||
| Current Liabilities | |||
| Loan - Heating - Fire Safety | $14,000 | ||
| Total Current Liabilities | $14,000 | ||
| Long-term Liabilities | |||
| Mortgage Loan | $6,340 | ||
| Total Long-term Liabilities | $6,340 | ||
| Total Liabilities | $20,340 | ||
| Equity | |||
| General Fund Balance | |||
| Fire Safety Improvements | $34,135 | ||
| Land & Building Fund - Other | $610,855 | ||
| General Fund Balance – Other | $561 | ||
| Total General Fund Balance | $645,551 | ||
| Temp. Restricted Net Assets | |||
| Donor Restricted Funds | |||
| Asylum Seekers Support Fund (ASSF) | $247 | ||
| Kakamega Family Support Fund | $918 | ||
| Mindful Mortality | $975 | ||
| Social Justice Fund | $303 | ||
| Solar Grant Fund | $1,209 | ||
| Total Donor Restricted Funds | $3,652 | ||
| Meeting Temp. Restricted Funds | |||
| Friendly Assistance Fund | $950 | ||
| Total Meeting Temp. Restricted Funds | $950 | ||
| Total Temp. Restricted Net Assets | $4,652 | ||
| Net Income | $3,721 | ||
| Total Equity | $653,873 | ||
| TOTAL LIABILITIES & EQUITY | $674,213 |
Peace, Social, and Earthcare Concerns Committee Report for 3rd month 2024
FCNL priorities
Our current focus is on having a gathering to determine our choice of 5 areas of priority focus for the coming biennium in Congress. We are organizing a meeting following the FCNL process to suggest the five areas that our group would like to see as priorities for the coming biennium.
Minute on Israel Palestine
The meeting met and found unity in the Spirit with the following minute ( date ):
Concord Friends Meeting statement on Israel and Palestine - January 2024.
In holding to our longstanding Quaker testimony against all forms of war and the need to address the root causes of war and other conflicts especially through diplomatic means, we endorse the following statement from the Friends Committee on National Legislation:
We are heartbroken by the violence in Israel and Palestine. As Quakers, we deeply mourn the loss of all lives and pray for those who have lost loved ones due to this latest escalation. We unequivocally condemn Hamas’ attacks and inhumane treatment of civilians and call for the release of all hostages. We also condemn Israel’s indiscriminate bombing of Gaza that has claimed thousands of civilian lives. More war and weapons won’t bring peace. In the face of growing violence, lawmakers must push for a permanent ceasefire and address the root causes underlying this explosion of violence.
We urge the US government and the parties in conflict to diplomatically work for an immediate and permanent ceasefire that respects the human rights of both sides equally and that would include the release of hostages and immediate medical care for the same.
In addition, the Meeting decided to help organize a weekly ceasefire now vigil in Concord. As we had minuted the need for justice for both Israel and Palestine, so the vigil seeks that both sides have a just and lasting peace.
ASSF fundraisers results
On December 2nd 2023, we held a fundraiser for our Asylum Seekers Support Fund. The fundraiser was a concert featuring Steve Schuch. Steve graciously agreed to accept half of the ticket sales instead of his usual fixed price. The concert was sold out at 80 tickets. We had a table of cookies and drinks for additional donations, which raised our total amount by $199.
This fundraiser enables us to pay off the legal bills ($1,250) for asylum seeker “Y” and give support ($100) to another seeker.
AFSC Fundraiser
We hosted an event for the New Hampshire program of AFSC for which they provided a showcase of local talent, and food from local immigrant food entrepreneurs. The audience was of new and longtime friends of AFSC and we filled to hall with about 75 people.
Some ideas we are discussing for future action
Peace pole and garden
Researching purchasing a peace pole for our garden. We are considering having the following languages for the peace message: English, Abenaki, Hebrew, Arabic.
Hannah Dustin
We are considering organizing a gathering with local Abenaki to pray for a better outcome for the Hannah Dustin memorial. We hope to have a community wide gathering to bring awareness and focus to this issue.
Ministry & Counsel Report for 3rd month 2024
On 4th Sunday, we will be hosting Jennifer Newman from Beacon Hill Friends House.
We continue to work on the language for a revised COVID policy as charged by Business Meeting and will bring that back when the time is ripe.
We appreciate the sharing that has gone into recent 4th-Sunday programs and led into the State of Society report, and anticipate sharing a draft with Business Meeting at the next Meeting.
Best,
Jonah
Youth Religious Education Report for 3rd month 2024
We have met and issued an invitation to the parents of Pathfinders Outdoor Learning Center for a Saturday, March 23rd 10-11 a.m., event for their children. While the children hear a story and do a simple craft, the parents can ask questions about the Quaker Way and our Meeting. We are very grateful to ET (youth member, age 10) for her help with the invitation and ideas for activities. (Look for the flyer posted in the Fellowship room.)
Property Committee Report for 3rd month 2024
The Property Committee would like to get feedback on the recycled toilet tissue and paper towels. Note that half the profits of the company go toward 3rd-world sanitation projects. Not enough reason to continue using them if the product doesn't meet our needs or expectations. (One can always donate to such projects directly.)
After consulting with a New Hampshire expert on monitoring (ASHRAE chair), we decided to invest in better equipment around air monitoring. He suggested air monitoring not just CO2 for air exchange but also particle monitoring (sensitive to viral particles).
We are considering a larger carpeted area in the lobby. Maybe just an additional carpet.
The adding of acoustic panels in Meeting Room remains on the back burner but we expect to start planning for that this coming fiscal year.
