Minneapolis Friend Meeting

Minutes of the Monthly Meeting

November 10, 2019 

Attendance: John Kraft—Presiding Clerk,   Stephen Snyder—Recording Clerk [Names and some content have been edited for publication on the web]

1.   Silent Worship

2.  Requests – Leave time in between each speaker. Take time to let emotions settle and the Light’s message form before speaking. Speak from the Light instead of simply responding to another’s message, unless you want to clarify what’s been said. We are seeking a common understanding of what the Light is telling us as a community, not just trying to get our individual point across. Wait for the microphone.

3.  Approve Agenda:   The Agenda was approved as distributed.

4.  Approve Minutes: Minutes of the October 13, 2019 meeting for business were approved.

5.  Ministry and Counsel (M&C) Report – S. Olson

At its November meeting M&C heard a brief report about the Quaker parenting discussion held during the November potluck. It seemed to be helpful to persons who were able to attend. Friends who would like to participate in additional discussions on this topic are invited to contact C. VandenDolder or other members of M&C. At its November meeting Ministry and Counsel formed one clearness committee and, as usual, considered how persons have reached out to attenders and members of the meeting. M&C would like to be contacted when others in meeting are providing care for someone so that it has a better idea of the scope of care being offered for others. Persons who know of someone in need of care, but are unable to respond themselves, are asked to contact any member of M&C so the committee can facilitate a response. The committee continues in deep discussion about potential next steps concerning the re-structuring of Ministry and Counsel and hopes to bring a proposal to meeting for business in January or February of 2020. M&C will offer a mid-morning program November 17^th on “What We Seek in Worship.” Three queries will be considered. What experiences do you seek when you come to worship? Do current meeting for worship practices help you open yourself to having these experiences? Are there practices that shut you down spiritually? A follow-up program on how friends prepare for meeting for worship will be offered January 5, 2020.  Discussion: Questions were raised about the visioning session held November 9^th. Friends reported there was a lively discussion and number of common themes emerged. A full report will be given at the December meeting or business. Clerk thanked the committee for its report.

6.  Reports a. Social Committee Annual Report – R. Cornelius

Members of the Social Committee are the “Martha’s” of the meeting. Their charge is to organize, serve, and clean up after the twelve Meeting potlucks on the first Sunday of the month with the hope of creating a relaxing, positive atmosphere for conversation and fellowship. The committee also supports other occasional meeting events, organizes the kitchen, purchases necessary kitchen supplies and arranges the annual kitchen cleaning.  Members of the committee continue to work together with humor and camaraderie out of a spirit of love.   But they are also grateful for the other volunteers who frequently help with clean up after potlucks. It is helpful to the committee when Friends cook their food at home, bring a card listing the ingredients in their offering and take leftovers home after the potluck. Donations of cream and good quality coffee are welcomed. One challenge for committee members is to finish cleaning up tables while some people are still in fellowship or committee meetings. Members of the Social Committee enjoy fellowship with each other and try to create an experience where the spirit flows from one to another.  Discussion: One Friends suggested new labels for the drawers in the kitchen. Another offered to bring a supply of tent cards to label ingredients. Clerk noted the importance of potlucks and table fellowship and thanked the committee for its work and generous spirit. This was greeted by hearty Quaker “applause” by members present.

b.  Child Welfare Committee (CWC) Annual Report – R. Cornelius

The Child Welfare Committee is charged with protecting the welfare of all children and youth participating in Meeting sponsored events and activities. It clears adult volunteers for work with children and educates them on the policies and procedures for assuring child safety.  A major challenge this past year was insuring that Meeting has current list of members cleared to work with children and youth. To meet this challenge, committee members

• reviewed and updated the old list of members cleared to work with children to insure proper documentation of interviews and verify criminal background checks by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) and took steps to provide documentation where inadequate.
• removed those cleared members no longer active in the Meeting or those choosing no longer to work with children.
• interviewed, conducted criminal background checks and cleared seven additional members of the Meeting, to work with children.
• created a database of all members cleared to work with children, including phone numbers, date of interview and BCA verification.
• continued to keep organized the CWC file in the blue box in the Meeting House, ensuring that all forms are current and in supply for members of the meeting.

Another major accomplishment was the drafting of an updated set of policies and procedures for assuring child safety. It was challenging to bring together in a cohesive fashion the guidelines developed by Friends General Conference, the Small Churches of America, the Brotherhood Mutual Insurance Company and Minneapolis Friends Meeting’s previous Child Welfare Guideline and Policies from 1993. A draft of this policy was presented to meeting for business earlier this year and is now offered for approval. Looking forward to 2020, it is crucial that Meeting provides in-service training on the Child Welfare Policy especially for members of the Meeting working with children, as well as for the meeting broadly. It will also be important to clearly identify a point person to receive and respond to concerns about the welfare of the children and youth. Meeting might also consider whether the functions of the Child Welfare Committee could be incorporated in some manner into the Religious Education Committee.  Discussion: Friend applauded the work of the committee but noted that there have been problems finding someone cleared by CWC to provide child care during special events. As long as one person in room is cleared others not approved can be present.  Clerk thanked committee for the excellent report.  Clerk noted that the Child Welfare Policy has been presented to meeting for business and available on the web site for some time and asked if Friends were ready to approve it.  Friend noted that the Child Welfare Policy will be a legal document. It will become the legal standard by which Meeting and its members will be judged should a law suit be brought against meeting. It is important that all members become familiar with these policies and procedures and follow them. Friend wondered if printed copies of the policy will be available to members. Copies will be made available to teachers, the RE Committee, Mayim Rabim and other organizations using the building. Copies can also be downloaded from the web site.  Friends approved the Child Welfare Policy with heartfelt thanks to the committee for its very thoughtful and hard work.

c.  Fall Together – A. Gibas for W. Mortenson Fall Camp Committee’s charge is to plan, promote, and carry out Fall Together–a Friendly retreat for the entire meeting community. This year’s flexible format seemed to work well with 36 people, including 2 young children, attending some time during the day at the Fish Lake pavilion. Since attenders brought their own lunch and food for the evening potluck the main cost for the camp was the $350 rental fee for the use of the Fish Lake pavilion. Attenders enjoyed nice weather, walking, visiting, games, singing around the fireplace and eating together. After lunch everyone gathered in a circle to listen to a story about the “cellist of Sarajevo” followed by music and worship sharing. The variety show in the evening was a very special time with a variety of emotions being expressed—love, sympathy, sorrow, surprise/fright, and frivolity. Fall Together has become a fun and caring way to spend a day together. In looking forward, meeting will need to decide whether to hold the camp again next year and reserve a site soon. In addition to the announcements about the camp, it might be helpful to extend more personal invitations so everyone is aware of the camp. A special invitation might be extended to families and children to encourage more youth participation. If the camp is held next year there will be a need for volunteers to work on the committee to plan and implement the program.  Discussion: Friends expressed gratitude for the Fall Together experience, for the work of the committee and identified some concerns about the preferred date for a future camp and lack of lighting in the parking lot at Fish Lake. Others suggested the meeting consider organizing a “spring together” day which might simply be a potluck at Minnehaha Park. Friends approved holding a camp again next year on the second Saturday of October at a location chosen by the Camp Committee.   

7.   Peace and Social Concerns Committee Winter Envelope Gift Proposals – R. Barret Gender justice and well-being is the focus of Peace and Social Concerns this year. In keeping with his theme, the committee recommends that the Winter Envelope Gift be divided equally between two non-profit organizations addressing these concerns. Out Front Minnesota’s mission is to create a state where lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people are free to be who they are, love who they love, and live without fear of violence, harassment or discrimination. Mending the Sacred Hoop works to end violence against Native women and children while restoring the safety, sovereignty, and sacredness of Native women. Friends approved the recommendation. Clerk explained the Winter Envelope Gift process and encouraged friends to make donations now through the end of the year. Friend thanked the committee for its work and choice of organizations.

8.  Religious Education (RE) Committee schedule update – J. Reimer The RE Committee is recommending the following program for children and youth as an experiment beginning in January 2020. **9:00 am -10:00 am Nursery will be staffed but there will be no program for other children. **10:15am-11:00 am Nursery plus First Day school program for all children and youth. **11:15am – 12:15pm All First Day School –aged children and youth will be in semi-programmed worship with their parents. Activities for children 12 and under will be available downstairs following the planned speaker (or at 11:45) until the rise of worship.  Discussion: Friend wondered if there will be enough people to work with children. The RE committee will be working on this. Another Friend noted that scheduling the First Day program during mid-morning hour opens the possibility of having more intergenerational programming during this time.  Clerk noted that programming for children is one of top priorities for meeting and thanked the committee for its work.

9.  Friends for Non-Violent World (FNVW) Holiday Fair Clerk noted that the FNVW Holiday Fair will be held December 6th and 7^th at the meetinghouse. Organizations using the meetinghouse are given a copy of the building use guidelines developed by the Trustees and Property Committee. Those guidelines set the parameters and expectations of building care by outside organizations. Clerk reminded friends that the head of an organization such as FNVW has agreed to follow the building use guidelines and their direction should not be over-ruled or ignored by Meeting members who think they know better. Clerk also asked for volunteers to serve as an ad hoc committee to come at 7 pm on Saturday evening to make sure the building is ready for Sunday morning worship and three persons agreed to serve.

10.  Meeting closed with silence as it transitioned to Semi-Programmed worship.