Minneapolis Friends Meeting

Minutes of Monthly Meeting for Business 

October 9, 2022 

[Names and some material edited for posting on the web]

In attendance:  John K – presiding clerk, Tom W – recording clerk,   Marilyn J – Zoom host,  19 attended in person and 17 were on Zoom

1. Silent Worship – extended worship in memory of Mary Jean Port, who died this week.
2. Agenda – Approved with an addition
3. September Monthly Meeting for Business Minutes were APPROVED
4. Proposal for Children and Families Coordinator – Presiding Clerk/Allen G  The job description was shared on Zoom and was read aloud. Allen provided additional background. The proposal came from an ad hoc committee consisting of:   Judith J, Andrea S, Evelyn R, Rae C. Katherine W, Tom W, and Allen G  with John K facilitating. The committee addressed the absence of new families in the Meeting and the decline of First Day School from a lack of children attending.  Madison Monthly Meeting had the same problem and gave a report to Northern Yearly Meeting under the title “ Laying Down First Day School”. They discovered their problem originated in the way their Meeting provided support to families who had children. He thinks it is good that the title for our position reflects both families and children.
   1. Discussion: Bill H is very pleased with the proposal. It is well thought out; and the ad hoc committee had been created by Monthly Meeting following concerns raised by Care and Counsel Committee and by Ministry and Counsel. Bill suggested that the salary be a minimum of $25 to reflect a more professional position, even though it is part time.   Friend – we have been talking and talking about families and children in meeting since Quaker Quest 10 years ago.  We have moved slowly in addressing this, and this is the result – we don’t have as many families as we did before. She is willing to help with the process but does not want to be in charge, and she felt more would volunteer to help if there is a coordinator. $25/hour should be considered a minimum wage.     Jeannette R – this proposal has been a long time coming and we ought to make a decision. It is part of our vision statement.  When we laid down the director of ministry position this was discussed. She is fully supportive of the proposal; however, if the salary goes above $25/hour, Liaison and Review Committee needs to be involved since they are responsible for establishing salaries for paid positions in the Meeting.    Another Friend spoke in support of the proposal and, as a product of our First Day school, she feels she has greatly benefited from the devotion and care of Meeting through the First Day program. She sees it as foundational and life changing.    It was mentioned that the director of ministry, when we had one, attended to the needs of First Day school. Perhaps this is a responsibility that Meeting cannot do without, and warrants adding a new salary to the budget.   Clerk – at 10-hours a week, that works out to about $1000/month or $12,000 a year.    It was pointed out that money has never been a problem when Meeting addresses a need in the community; and we already have the money included in this year’s budget to cover the position.    Another suggested the salary range of $25-$30/hour be based on applicant’s experience and on our expectations for the position. The role of Liaison and Review to establish the salary was re-affirmed.    Another Friend mentioned that there will be additional expenses, relative to the position, beyond just the salary.    Question was asked about who will be in charge of the coordinator position, since Religious Education committee is not currently active.   Clerk – we may have to re-jigger our committees. Liaison and Review will do the hiring. Oversight of the position would fall to Religious Education and some others.    Allen – first step is to approve the proposal.  Then we can decide how to supervise and select someone for the position.   Friend mentioned a recent published article that stated it will soon be important, for equality in hiring, to state a range in salary.  Again, this concern was referred to Liaison and Review.    Friend asked if the ad hoc committee had input from any families when putting the proposal together.   Yes.  Three family members were on the ad hoc committee and their wishes are included in the proposal.
   2. Clerk put the proposal before the Meeting: Can Meeting approve moving forward with the Children and Family Coordinator Position as described in the job description, with openness to minor changes, as needed, with regard to salary and supervision?  Friends APPROVED.
   3. Discussion continued:  Allen- expressed the opinion that First Day program has not been languishing for 10 years. Covid has impacted everything in Meeting, First Day program is but one aspect of Meeting life that has been impacted.    Friend expressed what she felt was obvious – that families are under pressure these days and we need to keep this front and center in our discussions.     Allen – Madison Meeting discovered that the whole meeting prospered as they addressed the concerns of families and children in their meeting.  It was a win -win situation.     Friend recounted her years of involvement with religious education, in Friends General Conference, at Minneapolis Friends and elsewhere. She is committed to working with young children in the Meeting and looks forward to having a coordinator, but wants the coordinator to have experience with early childhood education as well as with families.  She remains active in the religious education life of Meeting and wants Meeting to understand that there is still an ongoing program serving our youngsters, but she feels that many of us in Meeting do not support, sufficiently, the program that we have right now in spite of repeated requests for assistance.  MFM needs to support religious education, if it is to thrive, and we should address our commitment to do so, or accept that we cannot sustain such a program.    Clerk acknowledged that the ongoing work of Mary S and Betsy S has not been recognized in the context of the current discussion and apologized for the omission.    Another Friend reminded us that there has been participation by families on digital platforms, like Zoom, in Meeting activities, and we should be cognizant of remote participation by families, children and young adults.
   4. Next steps?  Clerk indicated these things do not proceed quickly.  The current ad hoc committee will work with Nominating committee to move forward with the next stages of the process.  Then, an official interview process will be undertaken.
5. Ministry and Counsel (M&C) Report –   Jane F    This month M&C wanted to provide an update on bringing back music into our semi-programmed worship, primarily by way of a prelude.  This practice was discontinued while we gathered for worship solely via Zoom.  With an affirmation from Trustees on COVID protocols for musicians, a prelude was reintroduced last month, but there were some technical issues with Zoom.  Jane expressed gratitude to Jacque W, Roger M and Terry K for guiding this practice back into life. The mics and Zoom links have been calibrated now for piano, guitar, voice and tuba and tested multiple times on Zoom, so now we just have to leap in again and try this out.  If you are called to share your gift of music with Meeting, please contact Jacque W who is coordinating musicians.   M&C will provide a second session on Quaker Practice during the Mid-morning Program on November 20^th.  If you are interested in speaking at semi-programmed worship in November, contact Mary B. For December, contact Lolly L.
   1. A request for membership was received from Christopher M. A clearness committee comprised of John K, Jane F and Lolly L met with him, with Lolly convening.  Christopher shared his spiritual background and his journey to Minneapolis Friends Meeting.  M&C supports the recommendation of the clearness committee to approve Christopher M for membership in Minneapolis Friends Meeting and forwards the request to Monthly Meeting.  Meeting APPROVED the membership request of Christopher M. Friends accepted the report of M&C and noted that a welcoming celebration for Christopher will take place in the near future, but a specific time has not been set.
6. Committee Reports –  none this month
7. Welcoming and Outreach – Pride Sticker for the door – Clerk/Jane D   This was first presented last month, and questions arose about which flag, the newer one being proposed or an older flag, would be most appropriate for Meeting to display. Everyone is now in agreement that the newer flag is most appropriate – its design, with additional colors, represents greater inclusiveness.  Mayim Rabim also agrees on this model of the flag. An image of the flag was displayed on Zoom. The flag decal is small – about 2” x 3”. Discussion: Friend asked where it will be displayed, adding that it needed to be seen from the street. It has been suggested that the decal be placed close to the main door to be seen by people entering the building. It was also agreed that displaying a larger sign would be a separate issue. Clerk asked for approval to display the Pride Flag decal, with Property Committee overseeing its placement.  Friends APPROVED.  Friend added that it is not about the flag per se., where it is located or how large it is, but about how people are treated when they walk through our door. Friends agreed with this statement.
8. Social Committee – Rae C   The Social Committee recently met and did a thorough cleaning of the kitchen. They wanted to know when Meeting can return to having potlucks. Is this a decision for Monthly Meeting?  Welcoming and Outreach Committee has been asking the same question.  Presiding Clerk: major changes like this would most likely come before monthly meeting, but the Trustees have to act on it, first. He has approached the Trustees regarding this. Linda C, a Trustee, said they have contacted Twin Cities Meeting regarding how they are managing changes in Covid precautions, and they are having similar discussions. They are considering making masks optional. Twin Cities Friends has a Covid task force with two doctors as members; and she believes we might benefit from the recommendations their task force makes. They, too, want to strike a balance between those who want to open up and those who are still desiring some restrictions.
9. There was no correspondence.
10. Monthly Meeting closed with a period of worship