MINUTES
Minneapolis Friends Meeting
Meeting for Worship with Attention to Business, June 12, 2011
Attending: [Names redacted for online version]
1) Approve May Minutes
May 2011 minutes were APPROVED.
2) Monthly Report
a) Ministry & Counsel –David Woolley. Written report was submitted; please see attached.
b) Discussion – Ministry and Counsel has asked for direction from monthly meeting on how to witness to our support for marriage equality. Should we explore further taking a similar stand to Twin Cities Friends meeting? Should we consider how we might respond to the upcoming state ballot initiative? Friends discussed the state referendum issue in relation to marriage equality. One Friend encouraged the meeting to engage young people on this issue. Use of rainbow flags as a symbol was mentioned. Concern was expressed that we find ways to respond to the reported support of the amendment by 1600 churches. Another Friend pointed out the financial, legal, and social benefits of marriage that are denied to single people and urged that we remain aware of how our support of those inequities affects young people and single people. Other Friends advocated a threshing session be held, observed that we have worked on the issue of race and white privilege and that a similar privilege operates in the matter of gender equity issues, and stated that we need to confront expressions of hate.
c) The clerk summarized that the discussion in monthly meeting reflected the same sort of discussions that Ministry and Counsel was having. Ministry and Counsel agreed to review this discussion in an upcoming meeting and consider the various ideas suggested.
3) Reports
a) Northern Yearly Meeting – Marilyn Johnson. About half a dozen Minneapolis Meeting members attended. Excerpts from Duluth monthly meeting, Prospect Hill meeting, Cannon Valley Friends Meeting, Rochester Friends Meeting and Menominee Friends meeting were read.
b) Loaves and Fishes Report – Ann Luce. Ann stated that it is good to collaborate with other Friends Meetings in providing this service. Volunteers interact with guests in a positive way—a benefit to the volunteers as well as the guests. A written report was submitted; please see attached.
4) Winds of Change
a) Report on the Core Group activities – Zach White. Zach’s sense is that we remain committed to fostering a sense of collective action in the meeting with respect to racism and white privilege. Several meeting members have participated in door knocking sponsored by Jewish Community Action, in worship on the North Side, and in applying Alternatives to Violence and Non-Violent Communication principles to this matter.
b) Discussion – How have things changed for you or the meeting that were sparked, nudged or inspired by the Winds of Change process? Attenders discussed in small groups. One group expressed uncertainty about what the goal or purpose was and what will come next. Another group found diversity among its members; not all had participated in the Winds of Change events. Some were not sure what the goal was. One group’s members felt personal growth but did not see corporate growth. A Friend has felt powerful emotions over the past year or two around issues of white privilege and was excited about the meeting looking at the issue of white privilege. He feels both hopeful and skeptical, and has heard people of color express great skepticism. This Friend read a poem that he wrote. Another Friend spoke of race and the impending state government shutdown, that the budget that the governor has refused to sign would impact low income people and people of color disproportionately.
c) The Winds of Change Core group has ongoing meetings and activities scheduled. They will be interacting with Meeting committees around further development around the areas of collective action they have identified.
5) Nominating Committee Update
a) Report and approval of new committee appointments – Tom Ward. A written report was submitted; please see attached. Nominating Committee has not completed its business at this point. Friends APPROVED the nominations presented. [Correct the year of Religious Education committee in the submitted report. It is 2011-2012, not 2010-2011.]
b) Discussion – We have more committee slots than we have been able to fill. After discussion, the sense of the meeting was that committees had enough membership to carry on their work and that there is no need to ask the Nominating Committee to continue actively trying to fill all empty committee positions.
6) Decision on Monthly Meeting Schedule and Process – Jeannette Raymond
a) This item was POSTPONED to a later meeting.
7) Communications and Announcements
Another storytelling session will be held on Wednesday, June 29, 2011. Young adults are specially invited to participate.
Metro Friends picnic will be held at Cannon Valley Meeting.
Rachel Ellis-Adams expressed gratitude for nine years of membership in meeting. She will be moving out of the metro area.
A Friend asked if there is a formal means of recording the deposition of cremains on the meetinghouse property. Apparently there is not. This question will be taken to Death and Memorial Committee.
We have a tentative date of November 12th for the initial Quaker Quest session.
Friends closed meeting for worship with attention to business with a brief period of silent worship.
ATTACHMENTS (Not included in online version)
Ministry and Counsel report for June 2011
Loaves and Fishes report
Winds of Change report notes
Nominating Committee report