Minutes of Meeting for Business Minneapolis Friend Meeting June 14, 2020

John Kraft, Clerk        Stephen Snyder, Recording Clerk  [Some names and content have been edited or removed 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 with the additions of a Care and Counsel question about purchasing iPads and a proposal to create a committee to review various Meeting funds.

4.    Approve Minutes  Minutes of the May 10, 2020 meeting for business were approved.

5.    Ministry and Counsel (M&C) Report Ministry and Counsel meets on the first Thursday of each month to facilitate the worship experience of Friends and care for the spiritual life of the Meeting.  While most Friends miss the experience of worshiping together in person, the meetings for worship on Zoom have felt centered and have been very well attended.  The sharing at the rise of meeting has been especially enriching at times.  While members have enjoyed greeting one another on entering meeting for worship,  Ministry and Counsel is proposing that  everyone observe silence as they enter the meeting and center into worship.  The host will mute everyone entering.  At the close of worship there will be a time for new attenders to introduce themselves and for sharing joys and concerns as well as ministry not shared during worship.  M&C recognizes some Friends are having difficulty with the zoom technology.  Thanks to those Friends who provided assistance with the technology.  The link to Sunday morning worship on Zoom is listed in the Bulletin each week.  Ministry and Counsel will continue to offer Midweek Worship on Zoom on Wednesdays at 7:00 pm at least through June.  The link for this meeting is also listed in the weekly bulletin.  The Friday “drop in” session on Zoom has been discontinued.

6.    Reports 

a.  Mid-Morning Program Committee Annual Report   Mid Morning Committee plans programs for the time between Sunday meetings for worship.  It attempts to respond to the need for ongoing Quaker education, be sensitive to the interests of meeting members, promote spiritual well-being and personal growth, and build community.   During the past year the committee has tried to offer programs for parents, children and new attenders about Quaker faith and practice.  Programming included story sharing, discussion groups on worship, presentations by various committees or individuals about their work and opportunities for singing and fellowship.   Attendance has remained strong with an average of 25 attending the programs and a high of 45 at one program.  Many Friends are volunteering to give presentations.  Seven of thirteen programs have already been schedule for this fall.  The committee has been challenged in gaining clarity on what Meeting is wanting and needing in the way of programs.  About 20 Friends have responded to an electronic survey aimed at identifying program needs and suggestions.   Without knowing how long meeting will need to meet on Zoom, it is also difficult to know what adaptions will be needed to continue programs this fall.  In spite of challenges, Committee members have felt the Spirit’s presence guiding their work as more Friends volunteer to speak and lead discussions.  The programs have been an important contribution to building community and deepening the spiritual life of the Meeting.

b.  Property Committee Annual Report for 2020  The Property Committee is charged with the ongoing maintenance of the meetinghouse.  There were an amazing list of accomplishments over the past year. The humidifier for the piano was replaced, the grease filters in the range hood were cleaned, meeting room light fixtures were re-clamped, a cover was placed over the motion detector switch, a landscaped swale was installed at north sidewalk, a new mini hot water heater was installed in the women’s toilet room, bathroom motion detectors were installed, 2 duplex outlets in the Kitchen were re-energized and the meeting room wood floor was buffed and refinished. Equipment inspections, testing, registrations, and regular maintenance were also performed. David thanked many Friends for their wonderful help with the annual clean up last August, and the Meeting gardener’s for their superb landscaping.  Going forward, the Property Committee anticipates working to repair the pergola, and attending to the balcony stairwell, the lift and the street sign. Discussion:  Friends thanked members of the committee for the incredible amount of work they do, much of which happens in the background until we hear the annual report.  Other Friends expressed as sense of loss at not being able to gather at the meetinghouse for worship and expressed their appreciation for the loving care of the meetinghouse and grounds. There was an inquiry about the state of the front porch which in disrepair and will require considerable capital expenditure.  As such, it falls under the purview of the Trustees rather than the Property Committee.

c.  Trustees Annual Report

The Trustees’ role is to manage certain aspects of the Minneapolis Friends Meeting’s legal and financial obligations. The Trustees review and sign legal contracts on behalf of the Meeting, make sure that use of the meetinghouse aligns with guidelines that have been established, keep track of the sections of Lakewood Cemetery that belong to the Meeting, and manage seven designated funds that are separate from the annual budget.  Trustees continue to stay in touch with the Mayim Rabim congregation regarding issues of security and safety, as well as communications about use of the building during the COVID-19 quarantine.  The Trustees administer seven different funds.  The Building Fund is maintained for capital expenditures and major contracted maintenance projects.  Outlays this past year include major sidewalk repair, chair racks for the community room, and refinishing the meeting room floor.  Funds come from annual contributions from the Meeting budget, rent and undesignated memorials and contributions.  Trustees regularly update the Meeting’s asset replacement schedule to insure funds are available for anticipated expenses.  Current concerns include replacement of the front porch (which is rotting and dangerous), possibly updating the kitchen, and most significantly having adequate funds to replace the elevator should it fail.  The Mission, Service and Fellowship Fund is a designated fund to be used by the Meeting to assist Meeting groups working on service projects outside the Meeting. The fund was originally established as seed money for youth projects (such as work in Cuba and El Salvador, and on Indian reservations.  The Conference Travel Fund can provide members and frequent attenders with up to $250 in assistance to attend Quaker-related conferences and activities that will benefit the Meeting.  Funds come from individual gifts or Meeting contributions if needed.  The History Project was established through a one-time gift to publish a history of the Meeting and Minnesota Quakers.  It funded the research and writing and the balance of  will be used for publication of the final book.  The Seed Fund was funded by a one-time gift to provide matching grants for projects designed to enhance the life, ministry and outreach of Meeting.  It helped fund Winds of Change and Quaker Quest. The Nancy Peterson  Memorial Fund is funded by one-time memorials to support community building endeavors such as Quaker Quest.  The Sabbatical Fund was intended to support sabbatical leaves for the former Director of Ministry and to provide salaries for those hired in her absence.  The current Building Fund balance and the regular allocation from the annual budget may not be adequate to maintain the meetinghouse over the next decade. Increased individual giving for this purpose, and perhaps a building fundraiser directed toward specific projects, will be necessary.  With Monthly Meeting approval it may also be possible to reallocate some portion of other Trustee’s funds to the building fund.  Discussion:  Friend noted the high cost of travel to conferences and suggested raising the amount of support from $250 to $500 per trip.  Friend asked if there funds to support people who work outside Meeting on racial justice.  That might be possible if Meeting approves such a project.    There was an offer by a Friend with fund-raising experience to help with a capital campaign to raise money for the building. Starting the campaign before the need for outlays occurs would be wise.  Friends could also consider making a special annual contribution to the building fund in addition to their regular contributions.  The question funding sabbatical activities for the current Meeting Coordinator is under consideration by the Liaison and Review Committee.   Clerk thanked the Trustees for their excellent work over the years in shepherding Meeting funds.

7.    Peace and Social Concerns requests   Three items needing approval were brought before the Meeting.   Item One:  Approval for donation of the Meeting’s $1,000 carbon tax to the Shared Ground Farmer’s Cooperative, a marketing and distribution cooperative with seven member and 15 partner producers of organic food.  It markets sustainably grown produce directly to consumers through a Community Supported Agriculture program to restaurants and wholesale accounts, and to Farm to School programs including the St Paul, Roseville and Minneapolis programs.  Discussion: Friend noted that low income families often don’t have access to this quality of food and felt the Cooperative was a great choice for use of the carbon tax fund.  Meeting approved the donation of $1,000 to the Cooperative.  Item 2:  Approval of the focus for the Peace and Social Concerns Committee this year.  The Committee proposes focusing on the ramifications of the Covid-10 pandemic for issues such as race and inequality, health and wellbeing, economic justice (jobs, income, food, shelter), community disintegration, mental health and loneliness to name a few.  There was some concern that the proposed focus lacked the specificity needed to guide Friends responses.  Clerk noted that the time remaining was not sufficient for further consideration of this request and invited Friends to send questions and comments to the Committee before it is brought back to the July meeting for business.  Item 3:  Approval to hold a Peace and Social Concerns Committee meeting on zoom on June 24th at 8 pm to consider possible Meeting response to the issues being raised by the local and nationwide protests following the killing of unarmed Afro-Americans by the police.  Clerk noted that this is part of the purpose of the Committee and did not feel the request required meeting approval.

8.   Establishment of an ongoing Care Fund  A member of the Budget and Finance Committee asked for Meeting approval to establish an Ad Hoc committee to consider and develop a proposal for an ongoing designated fund to assist those facing hardships.  Several persons from Care and Counsel, the Trustees and Budget and Finance have been discussing this idea through email and Zoom and are willing to serve on such a committee.   If the committee is formed, it will draw up an operational plan for a Designated Fund for Hardships, with enough structure to make its administration and funding smooth.  The plan will then be brought to meeting for business for further consideration.  Clerk sensed approval for the proposal and asked the committee to come with a more detailed proposal for the function and practice of the committee.

9.   Planning for New Normal  Clerk indicated that he will create an ad hoc committee to consider this matter.

10.    Correspondence  Clerk reported that Quaker Voluntary Service wants to hold the orientation for new QVS fellows at meetinghouse this fall.  This is matter for Trustees and no decision is needed now.

11.   Meeting closed with a period of silent worship.