Monthly Meeting Minutes Minneapolis Friends Meeting October 8, 2023
1. Approve Agenda
The Clerk shared the proposed agenda. The agenda was approved.
2. Approve Minutes of September 10, 2023, Meeting for Business
The draft minutes for the September Monthly Meeting were circulated.
The clerk asked if there were any proposed changes to the minutes. No changes were proposed.
The September 10 minutes were approved.
3. Ministry and Counsel Committee Report
a) Update on Singing: Trustees affirmed reinstating singing to our worship after setting it aside due to the pandemic, and we welcome planned speakers and readers to select a hymn for the beginning and / or end of second worship. If hymns are selected, we offer a gentle reminder to notify the meeting office of the hymns, as well as any quote for inclusion in the bulletin, as soon as possible, but no later than noon on Thursday prior to speaking or reading. This allows lead-time to pull the Braille copies, notify the musician to give them time to practice, and also advise the person providing care of the meeting the names and numbers of the hymns for that morning. We noted that we are working on a consistent procedure to ensure that hymns can be viewed by those who are worshipping via Zoom.
b) Update on Sunday Morning Schedule: Ministry and Counsel agreed to revisit the potential for an adjustment in the Sunday Schedule. The revisit was prompted by observations presented to the presiding clerk and clerk of M&C and Steve will help us focus in on this when we reach that item in our agenda today.
c) Focus on Vocal Ministry: In our effort to grow in our understanding and practice of Quaker vocal ministry, over the next several months, we will be inviting members and attenders to share their process for centering down and entering into the silence. After this sharing, we hope to include insights from what has been shared as part of the planned messages for second worship.
d) Clearness Committee Update: The clearness committee convened at the request of a member re: his potential role as a traveling minister to work with Lakota people on the Rosebud Reservation. They are grateful to hear his
e) commitment and have planned a second meeting in continuance of the path to clearness.
f) Update on Accessibility: Ministry and Counsel has discussed creating a process for members and attenders to participate in resolving issues of accessibility in worship, monthly meeting for business and meeting activities. This item also appears late in our agenda today.
Discussion: It was suggested that hymnals be distributed to those who regularly worship from home. A Friend noted that the Friends Hymnal was available on-line.
A member of Care and Counsel committee reflected that there needed to be intentional communication and alignment between Care and Counsel and Ministry and Counsel committees.
The report was accepted by monthly meeting.
4. Revisiting the Meeting Schedule
The clerk has heard from a number of people that there may not have been enough time to consider changing the meeting schedule. The clerk asked if a new proposal should be brought before monthly meeting for consideration in November.
One member reflected that there is not unity on this issue among meeting members. Some have a strong desire that we should all be together to create community. Other Meeting participants prefer to worship in one way or another.
A member reflected that opening up this discussion again may get in the way of moving forward with planning for First Day School. It would make planning easier to move forward with the schedule as it is for this year.
Another Friend noted that if this discussion is going to be opened up again, we should consider the option of continuing the fall and winter schedule through the summer. Can we also consider having two worships throughout the year?
Clerk did not sense unity for considering a proposal for changing the schedule. He will take this back to Ministry and Counsel for further discernment.
A friend brought up the possibility of having a quarterly meeting, bringing together meetings in the surrounding region for meetings for worship and business. This might be useful in building a wider sense of community.
5. Reports
A. Child and Welfare Committee
This committee has not been active given the small number of children. The committee has cleared a few people including the new tech staff, as every employee needs to be cleared.
If we have more children, we will need to have more people cleared to be able to work with children.
The committee will be working to define its relationship with the new Children and Families Committee.
B. Children and Families CommitteeThe schedule for youth programming is still in process. The coordinator has surveyed families. The meeting will be running nursery services regularly during the 9 a.m. worship. Elementary and high school first-day school will be held during the 11:15 worship.
A Feed My Starving Children event has been organized and will be held on a Saturday. We have invited International Friends Church to participate and are in conversation with to Twin Cities Friends Meeting.
A grandparents/grandchild day – is planned for November 5th so that it coincides with a potluck day.
Clerk expressed appreciation for the work.
Building Use Policy Revisions
The technology committee realized that there were significant costs associated with the operation of the technology system and that we needed to charge those who use the system when they use the building. This led to amending the building use policy.
The tech committee created the changes, and the trustees reviewed and approved the changes.
A summary of changes was presented to Monthly Meeting.
The current building use policy allows any Quaker group to use the meeting house free of charge. A question arose whether this includes the provision of tech support free of charge? The kind of requests might be for memorial services or Northern Yearly Meeting events. While we have not had multiple requests, it may lead to budget concerns.
The updated charges were based on the hourly rate for a technician and expenses related to keeping the system running. Friends were reminded that there is no guarantee that we will have an technician for special events.
It was recommended that we move forward with this. The technology committee has done a lot of work and these changes addresses a gap in our current policy. The clerk noted there is an option for folks to talk to trustees if the fees are too burdensome.
Friends approved moving forward with a change in this policy.
Peace and Social Concerns
Peace and Social concerns committee is planning a gathering focused on asylum seekers
Update from Technology Committee
Tech Committee was formed in October of 2021. Its charge is to oversee implementation and operation of the technology needed to offer hybrid meetings for worship. This includes arranging for Zoom Hosts and A/V Techs, providing support for those participating in hybrid events, and planning for on-going maintenance, support and related funding for the hybrid meeting technology.
For each hybrid meeting we have A/V Tech and a Zoom Host. Our current A/V Tech, started in August. They are doing well. They are learning more, taking on more responsibilities as we ask more of them. Committee members are still working as mentors. Much gratitude to all including the zoom hosts.
Hybrid meetings are going pretty well, but new complications and new expectations arise, and we all have to learn how to deal with them so that meetings go smoothly.
“Request” Our meeting community seemingly is asking all of us to do more. For us most recently the request was to make a video of Families and Children festival. We have some process and communication issues as we grow.
In order to help the tech support people, we are asking us – committee clerks and anyone planning an event which uses the hybrid system – to change our behavior. So that we can support the work that the Meeting wants us to do.
It takes time to develop new habits. We don’t expect perfection, from presenters or from Zoom Hosts and A/V Techs.
The coordination between the A/V Techs and the musicians seems to be going very well. However, use of slides, music and breakout groups need more timely communication between presenters and Zoom Hosts.
The Tech Committee and all those volunteers mentioned above, want to create the expectation that if there are slides or recorded music, they are sent to the Tech Committee Clerk or Zoom Host 48 hours ahead of time, for example by Friday noon for a Sunday event. Also, Zoom hosts need to know the details for breakout groups ahead of time.
We plan to develop a short form with questions or a checklist to make sure the tech needs of any event are communicated well before the event to the tech people. We may also amend the Mid-Morning Program planning form. Presenters of non-meeting events would need to answer these questions, too.
We want to get everyone on board to make our hybrid meetings run smoothly and allow the greatest participation as possible, by as many as possible.
Clerk reaffirmed that the tech committee needs advance notice for its work.
The meeting accepted the committee’s report.
Monthly meeting took a couple of minutes to center before moving on.
Ad hoc committee on accessibility
The clerk reflected on the care of the future of the meeting statement and asked the following questions: Are we taking the time to ensure that people with disabilities have a sense of belonging? As a meeting community, how do we address those concerns? Do we take these needs into consideration? Do we put ourselves in others’ shoes?
The clerk proposed that we all become more aware of these questions as we plan meeting activities and events.
The clerk asked for volunteers for an ad hoc committee on accessibility to consider these questions. This committee could also propose new processes or standards that the meeting could adopt.
A small group volunteered for membership on the ad hoc committee to ensure that people with disabilities have a sense of belonging.
Clerk will get it started. It was suggested that this ad hoc committee review the ADA legislation.
Correspondence
The clerk received a letter from an ISAIAH organizer. He offered an invitation for a coffee meeting. One member has already met with him. If others would like to do this, get in touch with the clerk.
Announcements – Clerk
• Friends were reminded that next week a service of remembrance will be held on Sunday afternoon at 1:30 p.m. at the meeting house.
• Fall camp is coming up next Saturday.
• A conflict soirée is happening on October 30th.
• A friend reminded the meeting that this week is the 25th anniversary of Matthew Shepard death. Please hold his family and the LGBTQIA community in the light.
Monthly Meeting closed with a period of silent worship.