Minneapolis Friend Meeting

Minutes of Monthly Meeting for Business

April 10, 2022

[Names and some content have been edited for publication on the web]

In Attendance:  John K – presiding clerk, Tom W – recording clerk, Zoom host – Mary B,    24 participants on line,  18 participants in the meeting house

1. Silent Worship
2. Approved Agenda with some additions
3. Approved March Minutes
4. Brief Hybrid Meeting update – Presiding clerk thanked everyone for their patience as we work through the challenges when telecasting the hybrid meetings for worship on Zoom.  Roger and Terry continue to address the sound issues in the meeting house and on Zoom.
5. Ministry and Counsel (M&C) Report – John C  This was John’s first report as clerk of M&C and he expressed thanks to the many Friends who have been helping and guiding him in his first days of clerking.  Phone messages continue to be picked up on days when Carolyn is not in the office. Closers and speakers have been lined up for the month of April, although M&C reminds every one of the shift in focus on how speakers for the second worship are selected. M&C is no longer actively recruiting speakers but sees itself in the role of reaching out to Meeting to connect with, to encourage and to reinforce each of us in our spiritual journeys – hoping we would want to share when moved by the Spirit. There are some technical considerations: A reminder to wait until a speaker has finished if you are entering the meeting for worship. Masks are still required in the meeting house, but they can be removed when speaking into the mic. All speakers, in person and on Zoom, are encouraged to be mindful of speaking clearly, fully and slowly, so everyone can understand what is being said. When a closer is in person in the meeting house they will be the mic carrier. If the closer is on Zoom, a mic carrier will be found in the meeting house. The State of Society report is coming up, soon. Questions for consideration and forums to discuss these issues are being discussed and organized. There was no further discussion.  Friends accepted the report.
6. Care and Counsel Update – Nettie S   Care and Counsel Committee was formed three years ago. They oversee and facilitate pastoral care in the Meeting, which has included requests for meals, rides, care of loved ones, and financial assistance, with many requests coming around the holidays. Fifteen requests have been made for the Covid relief fund, with six coming since August of 2021. They keep a list of those with ongoing needs to make sure individual concerns are being addressed – not specifically by Care and Counsel, but by identified care givers. Seven individuals have stepped forward to volunteer assistance. Care and Counsel has led two mid-morning programs – one on sharing and another on having fun. In response to requests to look for ways to have fun they have supported “light and lively” activities such as a New Year’s Eve program, a retirement celebration for Andy S, and a program for unattached individuals.  They are exploring ways to strengthen programs for children and ways to address interpersonal conflict within and outside of Meeting. They want to identify financial needs that may exist in Meeting that are not specifically COVID related; and they are interested in the various way people network within Meeting.   Discussion: Presiding clerk remarked that Care and Counsel has more than fulfilled the expectations of Meeting when the committee was first established. They have done an awesome job facilitating care when it has been needed. Nettie and the committee are to be thanked for all they have accomplished. Friends Accepted the report.
7. Committee Reports:
   1. Membership and Attendance Report – Carolyn V   Determining Meeting census numbers was particularly challenging this year as it is difficult to quantify who remains active, with COVID restrictions curtailing so many Meeting activities.  Numbers are down a little when compared to last year, but not by much. Last year’s numbers are in ( ).
      1. Number of active adults    93  (99)
      2. Active Members 60  (63)
      3. Active Attenders 33  (36)
      4. Two members were released by death:  S Murray, 10/27/2021   and B Coffin  11/2/2021
      5. We had one new member by transfer, Mary B in 1/2022
      6. With no active youth activities at Minneapolis this past year, it has been difficult to track when our children have participated in Northern Yearly Meetings’ online programs. There are 5 youths who have participated in some activities and remain interested. Ages of these five range from pre-school to high school.
      7. Attendance at semi-programmed worship has averaged 48   (52)
      8. Average summer attendance in the combined worship service in 2021 was 55  (61).  Carolyn did not routinely attend early unprogrammed worship and does not have those numbers, noting that it is harder to capture attendance during hybrid services. Discussion:  Bill H indicated average attendance at the early unprogrammed service has been 14 –19.  Clerk indicated that membership and attendance numbers are reported to Northern Yearly Meeting.  It was suggested that we explore creating a routine to capture attendance both on line and in person. Another Friend asked about trends in the numbers – gaining or losing members?  Last year active adult participation was 99 and this year it is 93, so, yes, there has been a little drop. But there was no drop in attendance during the first year of the pandemic; so, overall, the decline has not been that much. And it is challenging to get accurate attendance during Zoom meetings.  Friends Accepted the report.
   2. Liaison and Review Committee Annual Report – Jeannette R, clerk   Committee members are Gayle M, Lolly L, John K, Ex Officio   Liaison and Review (L&R) serves as liaison between MFM and meeting staff, conducts annual performance reviews of the Meeting Coordinator, reports annually to monthly meeting and makes salary recommendations to Stewardship Committee. L&R also provides oversight of general personnel.  They hold regular supervision meetings with the Meeting Coordinator, Carolyn, and completed her performance review in November 2021. They asked if she had the resources, training and tools to accomplish her tasks efficiently, and this resulted in a camera and microphone for the office computer, replacing office lights, seeking assistance to set up an automatic e-mail response and planning for a replacement of the office computer, which is six years old.  L&R has worked with Carolyn to ensure that the meeting house remains a safe work environment during the COVID-19 pandemic. They worked with Stewardship committee to implement time card approval process. Ellen S is assisting Carolyn to ensure the Meeting has an archival and an accessible set of meeting minutes, while Linda C will connect with the MN Historical Society regarding their interest in continuing to archive our Meeting’s minutes in their collection.  L&R has solicited input from committee clerks on the office coordinator’s performance and this has been included in the report.  Discussion: How many hours does the office coordinator work each week? Meeting has budgeted for 25 hours/week, but Carolyn is efficient in getting here work done and usually works 18 hours/week. 
   3. Trustee Annual Report 2021-2022 –  Linda C    Current Trustees are Terry K, Roland B and Linda C (clerk). Trustees serve terms of 3-5 years. They manage MFM’s legal and financial obligations, review and sign legal contracts, make sure that the meetinghouse aligns with our established guidelines, oversee the sections in Lakewood Cemetery that belong to MFM, and manage designated funds that are separate from the annual budget.  [See Attachment One for complete report]
      1. Building Fund: $52,224 (plus $11,200 to be deposited in mid-April).
      2. Mission, Service and Fellowship Fund: $15,676 (plus $1,000 to be deposited mid-April)
      3. Conference Travel: $5,146
      4. History Project: $9,482 
      5. Seed Fund: $3,974 
      6. Nancy Peterson Memorial Fund: $2,900 
      7. Sabbatical Fund: $27,995
      8. Trustees are asking Meeting to consider that the current Building Fund balance and the regular allocation from the annual report may be inadequate to support the needs of the meeting house over the next decade; and we may need to entertain efforts to increase individual giving for this purpose or to consider fundraising for specific projects. The Building Fund addresses long range expenses like roof and furnace replacement.  Smaller repairs are managed via the Property Committee budget.  Undesignated contributions to Meeting go into the Building Fund, and this past year, MFM has received a large number of undesignated memorial donations.  In addition, a substantial number of designated contributions were made for purchasing equipment for hybrid broadcasting of worship services. There may be portions of the designated Trustee funds that could be reallocated to the Building Fund or to other purposes, with Monthly Meeting approval. Specifically, Trustees would like Meeting to consider moving the Sabbatical Fund into the Building Fund, which seems like a more needed and a more appropriate place. Also, Trustees would like to combine the Mission Fund with the Nancy Peterson Fund. Chester M, Nancy’s husband, has given his approval of the idea with the understanding that the newly combined fund would be named the Nancy Peterson Outreach Fund. This would not be a matching grant fund.  Discussion: Friend asked if the meeting coordinator received vacation pay or sabbatical leave because they feel we need to honor her contribution to Meeting.  L&R clerk replied that sabbatical leave has been discussed with the meeting coordinator and she had not felt it was needed since she does receive paid vacation time.     Friend asked if any thought had been given to applying the Nancy Peterson Fund to dealing with aging in the Meeting and the lack of families with children – a conscious reaching out, a renewed version of Quaker Quest. Presiding clerk – not aware of that specifically.  Linda – Trustees thought that by combining the two funds we would raise awareness of the Mission and Service Fund and make it possible for committees, and Meeting, to aspire to make better use of the funds.  Friend wanted to know how large the Building Fund would be if the Sabbatical Fund were added to it.  The combined total would be approximately $90,000. However, it was noted that replacing the open shaft hoist way (elevator) would probably deplete the Building Fund; and while, presently, the elevator is fully operational, it is living on borrowed time.  Also, the front porch needs to be completely rebuilt since it is pulling away from the building and the floor is unsafe.  Linda said she would develop wording for the parameters to guide the awarding of funds from the Nancy Peterson Outreach Fund and present those parameters for review at next month’s business meeting.  Presiding Clerk questioned if Meeting could decide this issue today and proposed that further discussion wait until next month when we will deliberate on reallocating and combining some of the funds.  He further proposed that we postpone developing language on managing the fund until we have, first, agreed to combine the funds to create the Nancy Peterson Outreach Fund.  Questions arose regarding the Conference Travel Fund. One Friend, who regularly travels on Quaker business, says the amount allocated for traveling is insufficient if we want to encourage people to use the fund to travel. Another Friend inquired if there have been a lot of requests for Conference Travel funds and if we should consider increasing the amounts when there have been few requests. No, there have not been a lot of requests.  Trustees manage the fund and they have been considering an increase in the amount. They will bring the issue forward at another time for our consideration.  Friends Approved the Annual Trustee Report.
8. First Day School and Nursery Volunteers update – [Not given]
9. Volunteer Carbon Tax Recipient – Terry H, John H  [see Attachment Two for organization descriptions]    Peace and Social Concerns Committee (P&SC) is tasked with nominating a recipient (or recipients) for the Meeting’s Annual Voluntary Carbon Tax fund, which totals $1,000 and is in the yearly budget approved by Meeting. The organization(s) nominated to receive the funds must meet four criteria: 1) must promote environmental protection and/or  2) must work to address global warming;  3) the group should preferably be local and 4) should not be one that the Meeting has given to within the last three years.  P&SC is proposing that two organizations, Dream of Wild Health and Friends of the Mississippi River, receive $500 each of MFM’s $1,000 Voluntary Carbon Tax. Dream of Wild Health runs a 30-acre farm outside Minneapolis and was created in 1998 to recover and preserve the traditional Native American relationship between people and plants, especially plants that offered spiritual and physical sustenance to our ancestors. Friends of the Mississippi River is an organization based in St Paul that engages people to protect, restore and enhance the Mississippi River and its watershed in the Twin Cities region.   Friends APPROVED giving $500 to each organization – Dream of Wild Health and Friends of the Mississippi River.
10. Holiday Fair Question – Tom W    Tom said he was speaking as a member of our Meeting, and not as a representative of the Holiday Fair. The Holiday Fair has been at MFM for many years.  Two years ago, during COVID, the Holiday Fair was conducted virtually (with pickup at the meeting house); and last year it was moved to the Friends School in St Paul when our Meeting was unable to decide to open the meeting house for the event.  This year, it is time for MFM to begin considering if we are comfortable having the Holiday Fair return to our building. We need to be able to give them a definite answer in the near future.  We have a closet filled with items used in the Fair and we will have to consider what to do with the balcony, which is now used to operate the electronic equipment during hybrid services. Tom asked if we would be comfortable having the Holiday Fair at our meeting house this year. There were some questions and Presiding Clerk asked that we postpone the decision until next month. Tom agreed to facilitate the question at next business meeting.
11. QVS Update – Ed S  There is a report that the Atlanta QVS program is on sabbatical next year because of low applications. It has been hard to recruit people to QVS during the pandemic.  This is just a heads-up – that there may not be enough applications to operate the program.
12. Correspondence:    Presiding Clerk – Meeting has experienced some issues with email.  We may be receiving more emails from Carolyn’s personal email at Carolyn Sherer instead of from the office.
13. Closing Worship

 

ATTACHMENT ONE

MFM Trustees Report 2021-2022

10 April 2022

The current Trustees are Terry K, Roland B, and Linda C (clerk). Trustees usually serve 3-5 years, or more, to ensure continuity of oversight. The Trustees’ role is to manage 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 several designated funds that are separate from the annual budget. These designated Trustee funds ensure the integrity of the meetinghouse property and support specific aspects of the life of the Meeting. Trustee funds come from allocations from the annual budget, donations and memorials, building use fees, and rent from Mayim Rabim. We are in regular communication with Mayim Rabim. In recent months, we have focused on use of the building during the COVID-19 quarantine, and use of the new AV system. Their monthly rent was decreased when the building was closed for in-person meetings, but has now been returned to the usual monthly rate. The current Trustee Funds are as follows. Balances as of March 31 are shown in round numbers. These totals do not include annual contributions totaling $12,200 from the general operations budget, which arrived in April.

• Building Fund: $52.224 (plus $11,200 to be deposited in mid-April) 
  • Purpose: The Building Fund is maintained for capital expenditures, including major contracted maintenance projects and building improvements. This is different from the Property Committee budget, which covers short-term maintenance and updates.
  • Funding: The funding stream consists of an allocation of $11,200 from the annual budget, undesignated memorials and contributions, Mayim Rabim rent, and other building use fees. This year, a total of $3,020 was received in memorial contributions in honor of Sue Murray and Barbara Coffin.
  • Outlay: The major outlay for the year was the new AV system. As of the end of March, $23,694 was raised through contributions and $18,464 was spent. There may be some expenses still to come. Any remaining funds will be held in the building fund reserve. There have been no other major outlays this year, mostly because the meetinghouse has not been in active use. Stewardship and Property Committees continue to work with the Trustees to update the Meeting’s asset replacement schedule, based on the timing of estimated needs adjusted for inflation. The most urgent concern is replacement of the front porch (which is rotting and dangerous). The elevator is vital to our guarantee that all can participate in activities on all floors, but it has suffered multiple failures over the past several years and could move beyond reasonable repair at any time. This would be a major expense that would probably wipe out the entire Building Fund.
• Mission, Service and Fellowship Fund: $15,676 (plus $1,000 to be deposited in mid-April)
  • Purpose: This 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) that required extensive fundraising in advance of the projects.
  • Funding: In addition to individual gifts, there is a discretionary contribution of $1,000 from the annual budget if funds are available at the end of the fiscal year.
  • Outlay: The fund has not been used in recent years.
• Conference Travel: $5,146  
  • Purpose: Individual members or frequent attenders can request financial assistance to help facilitate their attendance at Quaker-related conferences, gatherings, or workshops that will benefit the Meeting.
  • Funding: This fund receives individual gifts or Meeting contributions but does not receive a regular allocation in the annual budget.
  • Outlay: Outlays are up to $1,000 annually. Individuals are allowed to request up to $250 per trip.
• History Project: $9,482 
  • Purpose: The fund was established to publish a history of the Meeting and Minnesota Quakers.
  • Funding: There was a one-time gift to establish this fund.
  • Outlay: Outlays have occurred for the research and writing of the history. Linda Coffin will use the remaining funds for publication of the final book.
• Seed Fund: $3,974 
  • Purpose: This fund is intended to aid in the development of the Meeting and enhance its life, ministry and outreach.
  • Funding: A one-time gift established this fund. It operates as a matching grant, so that equal amounts must come in from other sources.
  • Outlay: The fund has been drawn down for Winds of Change, Quaker Quest, and the redevelopment of the Meeting web site.
• Nancy Peterson Memorial Fund: $2,900
  • Purpose: The fund was originally intended to support Quaker Quest or other similar community-building endeavors.
  • Funding: The fund is supported by one-time memorials.
  • Outlay: Since FGC no longer conducts Quaker Quest, future projects need to be determined.
• Sabbatical Fund: $27,995
  • Purpose: This fund was established for costs associated with Director of Ministry sabbaticals, both to cover the expenses of the Director of Ministry and to provide salaries for those hired to fill in for the Director of Ministry in her absence.
  • Funding: Until recently, this fund received an annual allocation from the meeting budget, if funds were available at the end of the fiscal year.
  • Outlay: $4,100 of this fund has been used by the Director of Ministry to assist in the transition related to her role in the life and work of the Meeting. The remaining funds have not been allocated to further expenses for this purpose.

As we look toward the future, we should keep in mind that 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. Efforts toward increased individual giving for this purpose, and perhaps a building fundraiser directed toward specific projects, will be necessary. There may be portions of these designated Trustee funds that could be reallocated to the Building Fund or to other purposes, with Monthly Meeting approval.

— Linda C, for the Trustees

 

 ATTACHMENT TWO

 Peace and Social Concerns Committee: Carbon Tax Fund Criteria 2022 Nominees –

The Peace and Social Concerns Committee is tasked with nominating a recipient (or recipients) of the meeting’s Carbon Tax funds, which total $1,000 and are in the yearly budget approved by the meeting.

The organization(s) nominated to receive the funds must meet four criteria:

• must promote environmental protection and/or
• must work to address global warming.
• the group should preferably be local and
• should not be one that the meeting has given to within the last three years.

 

Two Nominees for 2022 MFM Carbon Tax Fund donation:

Dream of Wild Health    www.dreamofwildhealth.org

Dream of Wild Health was created in 1998 to recover and preserve the traditional Native American relationship between people and plants, especially plants that offered spiritual and physical sustenance to our ancestors. Dream of Wild Health runs a 30-acre farm just outside of Minneapolis, Minnesota. Our Indigenous Food Share CSA program and farmer’s market booths sell produce and products grown by Native Americans. In summer, a Garden Warriors program enables children to learn about seed saving, foraging, farmers market management, and other aspects of food sovereignty. We also host the Indigenous Food Network (IFN), which advocates for local and regional policy changes. The IFN also hosts community food tasting events featuring Indigenous chefs.

On the farm, staff and volunteers raise and care for fruits and vegetables, wild plants, a berry orchard, and a two acre pollinator meadow.

All of our food is raised with loving care in an organic environment. We teach our kids to treat each other and the earth with reverence and respect. We offer prayers of thanks with tobacco before each harvest. And we believe in reciprocity, giving back to the earth with gratitude for the gifts we receive.

Dream of Wild Health is a place for Native and non-Native people to gather and rebuild a relationship with the land. It is a place of learning, a place of celebration, a place of belonging and community. The farm is a model of cultural recovery put into practice. The farm is a safe place for children. It is a place where we cherish and protect the seeds as our ancestors. It is a place where we keep our values alive.

From humble beginnings our farm continues to grow and diversify. In recent years, we have served more than 3,000 Native and non-Native people through tours, workshops, community feasts, school visits, and summer children and youth programs.

Dream of Wild Health in recent news:

• October 4, 2021 – https://www.startribune.com/dream-of-wild-health-teaches-native-youth-to-grow-cookand-eat-healthy-food-from-its-hugo-area-farm/600103495 by Kevyn Burger, StarTribune
• September-October 2021 – https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/mcvmagazine/issues/2021/sep-oct/editor.html by Chris Clayton, Minnesota Conservation Volunteer
• July 5, 2021 – https://thecirclenews.org/urban-news/auger-was-a-fierce-advocate-for-those-in-need/ by Cat Whipple, The Circle
• May 26, 2021 – https://www.longfellownokomismessenger.com/stories/dream-of-wild-health-from-farm-tomarket,2639 by Margie O’Loughlin, Longellow Nokomis Messenger
• Many more citations may be found at https://dreamofwildhealth.org/contact-us/news-media

 

FRIENDS OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER

 Friends of the Mississippi River | 101 East Fifth Street, Suite 2000 | Saint Paul, Minnesota 55101
https://fmr.org/fmrs-mission-vision-and-core-values   Our work takes place on Dakota homelands.

FMR’s Mission, Vision and Core Values

Our Mission –  Friends of the Mississippi River engages people to protect, restore and enhance the Mississippi River and its watershed in the Twin Cities region.

Our Vision – Friends of the Mississippi River envisions a river that is recognized and celebrated for its intrinsic values. Imagine with us a river where the water is clear and clean and safe to swim in, where fish and wildlife are healthy and abundant, and where scenic bluffs and cultural treasures are protected.

This is a river where residents and visitors can escape the rush of daily life to find solitude in a hidden backwater, mystery beside ancient mounds, and the wonder of paddling past towering bluffs.

Here you can catch fish that are healthy to eat. You can stroll through oak savannas and sand prairies alive with the diversity of our natural heritage. Here historic sites speak to the timeless connection between people and the river.

Envision a river accessible to all and a community that actively embraces this river ethic and welcomes its role as the Mississippi River’s steward for current and future generations.

Core Values:

Stewardship: We believe all of us are accountable for the health of the Mississippi River, its creatures and the communities that live along its banks and rely upon its waters.

Sustainability: We believe that our society must meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

Leadership: Through thoughtful and decisive action, we inspire and engage others to protect the Mississippi River.

Collaboration: We cannot succeed alone. We work with others because our outcomes are better and more lasting when driven by strong and diverse partnerships.

Expertise: We pursue our mission with professionalism, bringing to bear deep understanding, creativity and technical proficiency.

Integrity: We do what is right for the Mississippi River. Our decisions and actions are clearly and proudly aligned with our mission and values.

Equity: The Mississippi River belongs to all of us and its gifts should flow equally to everyone in our community. We strive to be culturally competent, welcoming and inclusive of all people and are committed to using our resources and influence to redress structural inequality where it intersects with the health and vitality of the Mississippi River.

John H reports: Friends of the Mississippi is working to restore the Mississippi River corridor from St. Cloud to Hastings and they sponsor numerous community events like the annual river gorge cleanup, stenciling storm drains, pulling garlic mustard and other invasive weeks.  They engage with local, state and federal organizations, have 1400 members and have improved over 1,000 acres bordering the river. They provide classroom tools, teacher’s guides and programs for youth educators which would be available to the Friends school as well as other schools. They have a youth council and run a program for high school age youth to earn money working on environmental issues. There is also a six-week stewardship program in a STEM program. They underscore the need for systemic change and legislative action and recognize that BIPOC peoples are often uncomfortable in the outdoors. And they acknowledge the rich indigenous Dakota history of the region.