Minutes of
Baltimore
Yearly Meeting Interim Meeting
Third Month 20, 2004
Bethesda
Monthly Meeting
I2004-1
Opening. Baltimore
Yearly Meeting’s Interim Meeting gathered on
3/20/2004
at the Bethesda Meetinghouse in
Bethesda
,
MD.
The presiding Clerk twice read
excerpts from George Fox’s Letter No.
149, “To Friends, to know one another in the light.”
All
Friends everywhere meet together, and in the measure of God's spirit wait....
And
Friends meet together, knowing one another in the light which was before the
world was....
[I]f
ye turn from this light you grow strange; and so neglecting meetings ye grow
cold....
Therefore,
in the light wait and walk, that ye may have fellowship one with another.
Let
this be read among Friends everywhere.
I2004-2
Friends
United Meeting Concern.
Howard Fullerton and Rick Liversidge, two of BYM’s
representatives to FUM, delivered a lengthy summary of developments related to
FUM policy on homosexuals, especially from 1988 to the present.
Rick Liversidge read aloud to IM requests from Baltimore Monthly Meeting
Stony Run and Gettysburg Monthly Meeting to withhold financial support in
response to FUM’s current policies and procedures with respect to
homosexuality, policies viewed as not in consonance with Friends’ testimonies
on equality.
Minute approved at
Gettysburg
Monthly Meeting for Business
February 8th 2004
For the indefinite
future
Gettysburg
Friends Meeting would like to withhold its portion of the assessment made to
Baltimore Yearly Meeting for the purpose of supporting the programs and
activities of Friends United Meeting. This Meeting has watched patiently for the
response to the Lamar Matthew incident and other concerns that relate to the
relationship between FUM and BYM, with growing disappointment and dismay. Like
any large or small organization, we too, have to make hard decisions about how
best to use our limited resources, time, and energy.
While we recognize that
FUM has accomplished worthwhile achievements over the years, several of its
policies, practices, and attitudes over a considerable span of time, have lead
us to take a position of withdrawing our financial support, as small as it is,
in the hope that a corrective course might be found and taken in the future.
Minute
Approved By
Baltimore
Monthly
Meeting, Stony Run,
March 7,
2004
Withdrawal
of Financial Support to Friends United Meeting
Baltimore Monthly Meeting, Stony Run, is
not in unity with Friends United Meeting (FUM) with respect to its policy toward
gays and lesbians, specifically because it denies the universality of the light
in every person. We recognize the value of FUM’s programs and its importance
to Quakerism; however, we must recommend that Baltimore Yearly Meeting withdraw
all its financial support from FUM while continuing to maintain a dialogue in
the hope of change in FUM’s position.
We had hoped that FUM might change its policy over the
years, but this policy has continued and there is currently little expectation
of change. We regret the need to take this action and, as noted, fully expect
BYM to continue to maintain a dialogue with FUM in the prayerful hope that a
change of policy will occur in the future.
Clerk, Alice Cherbonnier
Many Friends present were not aware of the Stony Run and
Gettysburg Meeting minutes nor fully cognizant of the FUM policies about
homosexuals. One Friend asked for a
period of silent worship to consider the information and the IM rested into a
time of silence.
Friends
United Meeting
Policy
on Marriage
We affirm out
traditional testimonies of peace, simplicity, truth-speaking, gender and racial
equality, personal integrity, fidelity, chastity and community.
We recognize that there is diversity among us on the issues of sexuality.
For the purpose of our corporate life together, we affirm our traditional
testimony that sexual intercourse should be confined to the bonds of marriage,
which we understand to be between one man and one woman.
(FUM General Board, 10/88)
learned that our Yearly
Meeting through its budget contributes $17,400 in unrestricted funds to FUM;
compared to other Yearly Meeting contributions to FUM’s budget, BYM’s is
very small. Despite this relatively small contribution, the question emerged as
to whether we want to support FUM corporately if its policies affecting
employment and program participation continue to exclude many Friends.
We do want to keep open our communications with FUM Friends, its Yearly
Meetings, and the General Board.
After a lengthy period, Friends moved through the loving expression of many
possibilities and approved that the
Ministry and Pastoral Care Committee, in consultation with Stewardship and
Finance Committee and the Ad Hoc Committee on Gender and Sexual Diversity
Concerns, develop for consideration at next Interim Meeting a query, an epistle,
or a minute of response. It was
hoped that way would open for the Monthly Meetings of Baltimore Yearly Meeting
to unite around a loving, humble, worshipful self-examination and approach to
Friends United Meeting on this tender issue.
We plan to send the usual quarterly payment of support to Friends United
Meeting at the end of June, pending decisions made at Interim Meeting about its
disposition.
I2004-3
Long
Range
Property Planning.
Sheila Bach described
the history of the formation of this committee from members of Stewardship and
Finance, Trustees, Camping Program, and Camp Property Management committees.
[See Y2003-46 and Y2002-45. Y2002-45 contains the committee charge
and a list of members.] They sent facilities survey questionnaires to each
Monthly Meeting, and have compiled the results. Each Monthly Meeting should
check the information applicable to themselves for accuracy.
The committee hopes to produce a booklet with the information of each
Monthly Meeting, the camps, and other sites including The Clearing,
Friends
Wilderness
Center
, William Penn House, and the Mark
Brabson house for the possibilities of holding small retreats.
I2004-4
Friends
General Conference. Trudy
Rogers distributed and reviewed the report from Friends General Conference, and
encouraged Friends to take some of the outreach materials she had brought.
She also encouraged Meetings to take advantage of the wonderful
opportunity of the FGC Gathering for individuals and families.
The planning meeting for the 2005 Gathering in
Blacksburg
,
VA
will occur on the third weekend in
April. In 2006, the Gathering will
take place in
Pacific
Lutheran
College
, near
Puget Sound
,
WA
. Three
useful web sites are associated with FGC: the main site, the bookstore, and an
increasingly important one- quakerfinder.org.
Two new developments are the expanded time allowed for Michael Wajda to
visit with individuals and monthly meetings, and the monthly meeting contact
program. Eight Friends rose in
response to her invitation to show their activity on the Central Committee or
Planning Committee for FGC. Trudy
shared informally the current activity of FGC to explore creating a statement of
the experience of the value of GLBT Friends’ service and leadership in our
midst. The Young Friends already
have a minute on some of these issues.
I2004-5
Staff: Youth Secretary: Frank Massey introduced Hope Braveheart, the
new Yearly Meeting Youth Secretary, who will oversee the Junior Young Friends
and Young Friends programs. Hope
mentioned her pleasure in attending
Sandy
Spring
Friends
School
, now attending Sandy Springs Friends
Meeting, and expressed her desire for more Friendly Adult Presence volunteers
for conferences.
I2004-6
Search Committee: An ad hoc committee
of two was needed to name a Friend to the Search Committee.
Sheila Bach and Michael Cronin agreed to serve.
I2004-7
Nominating
Committee: Ruth Flower
presented the report of the Nominating Committee.
Camping
Program Committee
Anna Krome-Lukens
Williamsburg 2005
Faith
& Practice Revision
Mochiko DeSilva
Sandy
Spring
Education
Funding Resources
Deborah James
Adelphi 2005
To replace Ralph
Blankfield, who was given a second term in error
Peace
& Social Concerns Committee
Bill Read
Baltimore
, Stony Run 2005
Friends
House Board
Two vacancies filled
by the Board, to be approved by BYM
Barbara Brown
Sandy Spring 2006
[for Vic Kaufman]
Steve Berry
Sandy Spring 2007
[for Joy Shotts]
Friends approved
the nominations.
I2004-8
Manual
of Procedure: Howard
Fullerton reported for the committee on several items which needed changing to
accurately reflect current practices. The
Committee is exploring less cumbersome ways of changing the Manual of Procedure.
Friends approved the changes
as embodied in the report.
Yearly
Meeting Counseling Service
Since the Yearly Meeting officially laid down the Counseling Service at Annual
Sessions last summer, we need to remove the section that describes it and all
other references to it from the Manual.
The Counseling Service is on page 40 of the current Manual.
Description of Friends World Committee
for Consultation (FWCC)
The Committee recommends the expanded description of this body. The current
description of the Section of the
Americas
is on page 51. The new wording describes the world body as well as the Section
of the
Americas
. BYM is a member of FWCC, as it is of FGC and FUM, so it seems appropriate to
group the descriptions of these three organizations together in Section III of
the Manual of Procedure. This change
requires some revision to the introduction to this section.
Introduction
to Section III Affiliation with Membership Organizations
Baltimore Yearly Meeting is affiliated with Friends General Conference, Friends
United Meeting and Friends World Committee for Consultation. Any member of
Baltimore Yearly Meeting may be considered for appointment to the various
agencies of each of these organizations. Appointments of the appropriate number
of persons are made annually to serve three-year terms as members of the Central
Committee of Friends General Conference and as representatives to Friends World
Committee for Consultation, Section of the
Americas
. Appointments of the appropriate number of representatives and alternates to
Friends United Meeting are made every three years at the Yearly Meeting sessions
immediately preceding the Friends United Meeting Triennial sessions.
Appointments to such responsibilities are made by the Yearly Meeting, upon
nomination by the Nominating Committee, in accordance with the procedures and
requests of the respective bodies.
Friends World Committee for Consultation
Friends World Committee for Consultation (FWCC), formed in 1937, is a worldwide
association of Yearly Meetings and affiliated groups. It is a consultative body
whose purpose is to provide links between Friends who may be separated by
geography, culture, or practices that emphasize different aspects of Quakerism.
It aims to facilitate loving understanding of diversity among Friends; to
discover together, with God’s help, our common spiritual ground; and to
facilitate full expression of Friends’ testimonies in the world.
Friends World Committee for Consultation
is organized into four geographical sections. Baltimore Yearly Meeting is in the
Section of the
Americas
, which covers the entire western hemisphere. The Section, in turn, is divided
into smaller geographical regions, of which Baltimore Yearly Meeting is in the
Southeastern region. Some activities
of the Section of the
Americas
are the Quaker Youth Pilgrimage (in collaboration with the
Europe
and Middle East Section), Wider Quaker Fellowship, and Comite de los Amigos
Latin-americanos (Committee of Latin American Friends). The principal function
of the regions within the Section is to provide opportunities for as many
Friends as possible within a
particular geographical region to come to know Friends outside of their own
Yearly Meeting.
Each Yearly Meeting in the Section appoints representatives to the Section based
on a formula of four persons for the first 1000 members of the Yearly Meeting
and one for each additional 2500 members or fraction thereof.
Baltimore Yearly Meeting representatives are nominated by the Nominating
Committee and appointed by the Yearly Meeting for terms of three years, not all
representatives being appointed in the same year. As with other Yearly Meeting
appointments, service as a representative will generally not exceed six
consecutive years. The representatives should be committed to openness and
learning from Friends representing other traditions of worship, theology, and
culture.
These representatives attend Sectional and regional meetings (usually an annual
meeting for each) and are eligible to serve on the various committees of the
Section. All Friends are welcome at Sectional and regional meetings.
The representatives help keep the Yearly Meeting informed about the
activities of the organization.
All Yearly Meetings and groups affiliated with FWCC worldwide meet together once
every three years. In an effort to keep these gatherings to a workable size,
attendance is restricted to Yearly Meeting representatives and other appointed
delegates and observers. Representation of Yearly Meetings at the triennial
sessions is based on a formula of two persons for any Yearly Meeting or group,
three persons for Yearly Meetings with between 1001 and 3000 members, 4
representatives for Yearly Meetings with between 3001 and 5000 members, and one
additional representative for each additional 5000 members or fraction thereof.
The Yearly Meeting's representatives are selected by the Interim Meeting from
among the representatives to the Section of the
Americas
. Those attending the FWCC triennial sessions are encouraged to report to as
many groups within the Yearly Meeting as possible.
Request
from Indian Affairs Committee
We understand that the Indian Affairs Committee wishes for the Yearly Meeting to
end its association with the Associated Committee of Friends on Indian Affairs.
We suggest that the Indian Affairs Committee bring that request to Interim
Meeting. Once the request is approved, we will make the necessary changes to the
committee's description in the Manual and drop the description of ACFIA on page 52.
Discussion of Working Groups
The Ad hoc Committee on Restructuring has recommended that the Yearly Meeting
have Working Groups, rather than Special Groups, as currently described in the Manual.
Working Groups are somewhat different from Special Groups. Among other
differences, Working Groups are under the care of specific Committees, although
they may have an entirely separate membership. We
hope to bring proposed wording to Interim Meeting in June. Not only do we have a
Working Group, it appears one or two committees might function better as Working
Groups.
Unity with Nature Committee
Since the North American Quaker body formerly known as Friends Committee on
Unity with Nature has changed its name to Quaker Earthcare Witness, the
description of our Yearly Meeting's committee affiliated with this group will
need to reflect the name-change as will of the description of the national
group.
Unity with Nature
Committee, p. 36, last paragraph, change “Friends Committee on Unity with
Nature” to “Friends Earthcare Witness.” In the section on Representatives
to Other Organizations, p. 50, change “Friends Committee on Unity with
Nature” to “Friends Earthcare Witness.”
The description remains the same.
Because the Manual of Procedure is
also a reference, we notice that the descriptions of the American Friends
Service Committee and Friends Committee on National Legislation in the Manual
do not include statements about the purposes of these organizations. We expect
to bring these changes to Interim Meeting this June.
Streamlining the process of approving
changes to the Manual of Procedure
Committee members have
long felt that sometimes the process of approving changes to the Manual
of Procedure is overly cumbersome. We discussed ways the process might be
streamlined. We identified two categories of changes.
Some changes are substantive. In these cases, by putting something into words in
the Manual, we actually establish or
change the procedures of the Yearly Meeting. An example is the description of a
new committee. In approving such changes, the Yearly Meeting not only approves
the wording but the new procedures as well.
But other changes are not substantive. An example is changing the Manual
to accurately describe a procedural change the Yearly Meeting has already
approved, such as laying down the Counseling Service. An equally non-substantive
change would be changing the description of the Committee on Unity with Nature
because the national body it is affiliated with has changed its name.
We think our current practice of having Manual
of Procedure changes approved first by Interim Meeting and then by the
Yearly Meeting in Annual Sessions is appropriate when the changes are
substantive. And we think all changes to the Manual should be reviewed and approved by some body larger than our
committee. But we think that approval at either Interim Meeting or Annual
Sessions, whichever comes first, is sufficient for Manual changes that do not establish new procedures for the Yearly
Meeting. We are drafting a revision of Section VII of the Manual (“Changes in the Manual
of Procedure”) incorporating these ideas.
I2004-9
Yearly Meeting Clerk: Lamar Matthew reminded Friends of Annual
Sessions, 7/26-8/1. This will be his
last time at the Clerk’s table, and he remarked that it has been a joy to
serve the Yearly Meeting in this way. The
business schedule is set up, and he has four agenda items already.
Materials need to reach Lamar at least two weeks before Annual Sessions
for consideration.
I2004-10
Supervisory Committee: Friends approved
the recommendation of Supervisory Committee that would add the name of the
General Secretary as signator to the primary banking accounts.
Expenses of $2000 and above would require an additional two signatures,
who would be identified as assistant treasurers. Supervisory Committee will
bring forward names for these co-signators to Interim Meeting for approval.
I2004-11
Working
Group on Ending Racism Among Friends: It
was explained that this group works on the same issues as the FGC Committee on
Racism. They announced a showing of
a video at rise of the current session. Diversity
will be the theme of Annual Sessions, and the speakers planned for that time
promise to be enlightening.
I2204-12
Invitation to next Interim Meeting: Betsy Wollaston, of Deer Creek
Meeting, hopes to have information from committee clerks as to which committees
will be meeting. The Meeting is
looking forward to Interim Meeting’s visit.
I2004-13
Closing: Friends minuted
their appreciation for the generous hospitality provided by Bethesda Friends.
Also appreciated were the efforts of the new Interim Meeting Recording
Clerk. The above minutes were read,
corrected, and approved. After
settling into silence, Friends arose to gather next at Deer Creek Meeting in
Darlington
,
MD
6/19/04
Michael Cronin,
presiding
Frances Preston Schutz,
recording
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