Minutes of Baltimore Yearly Meeting Interim Meeting

Tenth Month 22, 2005

Little Britain Monthly Meeting

I2005-61 Opening: Baltimore Yearly Meeting’s Interim Meeting gathered at Penn Hill Meetinghouse, Little Britain Monthly Meeting, Wakefield, Pennsylvania, on 22 Tenth Month 2005, Michael Cronin (Friends Meeting of Washington), clerk and Maria Bradley (Sandy Spring), recording clerk. The meeting opened at 2:15 with a period of worship.

Out of the silence, the Clerk read words Caroline Stephen wrote in 1908 on silent worship and our intent:

A Friends Meeting, however silent, is …a witness that worship is something other and deeper than words, and it is to the unseen and eternal that we desire to give the first place in our lives.

Quaker Faith & Practice: … Britain Yearly Meeting , 1995 ¶ 2.39

In attendance were over 100 Friends from 30 Monthly Meetings. The Clerk thanked Friends in Nottingham Quarter for their warm hospitality and for accommodating and feeding such a large group on a rainy day.

I2005-62 Presiding Clerk’s Report: Lauri Perman announced the first item in her report was an opportunity to express our thanks to Frank Massey at this, his last Interim Meeting as General Secretary. As Frank and Beth Massey came up to the gallery, Lauri told them her heart was full of conflicting emotions: love and gratitude, sadness and grief. A Friend from Nottingham led us in serenading Beth and Frank with a song from Annual Sessions that goes in part:

How could anyone fail to notice
That your loving is a miracle?
How deeply you’re connected to my soul.

Groups representing past clerks, committee members, the staff, and all the geographic areas of the Yearly Meeting presented Frank and Beth with tangible expressions of our thanks for the Massey family’s 17 years with us. The clerks presented a tall Franklinia tree, asking the Masseys ‘to plant and to nurture it as they have our Yearly Meeting.’ All present at Eastland and at Penn Hill had a chance to sign a certificate which reads:

Three works in progress – books of personal reminiscences, of BYM and Monthly Meeting mastheads, logos and pictures, and of minutes of appreciation from Monthly Meetings – were presented, as well as a donation to help Frank and Beth travel to Haiti or Palestine or wherever they wish to let their light shine. The collections for both will continue over the year. [Contact Sheila Bach (Langley Hill) about a contribution; contact Ellen Johnson Arginteanu (State College) about the books.]

The meeting then settled into a period of open worship. Personal reminiscences and expressions of affection and gratitude followed. A general theme emerged of the witness both Frank and Beth have made in their living among us and the nurturing we have received. Frank has made the struggles and the growth of BYM these seventeen years look easy, just as Beth has somehow managed to accompany Quakers singing together in their various keys, with their various versions of the words. They have led, not by going ahead, but by being at our side, nurturing, strengthening, supporting us. Frank’s example, mentoring, care and encouragement have called gifts from us we may not have known we had. He has quietly kept the faith even in emotional exchanges, challenged and enlarged us, the camping program, new and growing monthly meetings, the office, individuals. They have cared not only for their own children, but for ours, from balloons over Wilson College to the spirit-led camping program which has grown under his care.

The worship period was summed up in a round from the second portion of the earlier song:

Dear Friends, Dear Friends,
Let me tell you how I feel.
You have given me your treasure.
I love you so.

Beth thanked the Yearly Meeting for being her spiritual home, a place to grow.

Frank reminded us that he first came to BYM in 1981 and 1982 as a representative from Friends United Meeting (FUM). In the terms of softball (an important part of annual sessions in those days),‘Classy Massey’ was reluctantly traded back to North Carolina Yearly Meeting at the end of Session. In 1988 he was ‘optioned back’, returning to his spiritual home at BYM.

Frank looked back at the camping program, which had consisted of a few acres and several grocery bags of records. It has grown to almost 1000 acres. BYM’s ministry and witness through our ‘outdoor religious education,’ are providing fresh leadership in wider Quaker circles.

Frank thanked us for welcoming, accepting, listening, and walking with him. “You will go with me. Thanks for keeping me and for setting me free.”

I2005-63 The Presiding Clerk then brought us back to business with updates on on-going activities:

1.      The Ad Hoc Clearness and Support Committee for the adult asked not to attend Yearly Meeting programs where children are present continues its work. In July, the committee responded to concerns raised by the adult’s monthly meeting support committee. Members of both committeesmet at Annual Session for a meeting for worship for healing. Work is ongoing and prayers are still needed.

2.      Four Committees Regarding BYM Budget Contributions to FUM have met twice. [Minutes from the last meeting and a new minute from Little Britain are attached] The committees do not have a new recommendation to bring forward at this time. Two fresh topics under discussion have been (1) returning to the idea of giving meetings a choice whether or not to fund FUM, and (2) forwarding the money to FUM out of love and a concern for mission programs FUM sponsors. We need to ensure that all the different voices of the Yearly Meeting are represented and heard when we meet.

3.      The Ethel Reynolds Fund: The Clerk, the Clerk of the Manual of Procedure Committee and members of Nottingham Meeting met to discuss Ethel Reynolds’ vision and concern for the future of the Religious Society of Friends and her desire to bring Young Friends into the Yearly Meeting. The Manual of Procedure Committee will bring a new proposal to an upcoming Interim Meeting.

4.      Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL): The Clerk mentioned the formal opening of the remodeled ‘green’ building. She noted how involved BYM members were, as is appropriate for FCNL’s geographic ‘host’.

I2005-64 Action Item: The meeting approved travel minutes for Laura Nell Obaugh (Hopewell Centre) and for Maria Bradley (Sandy Spring) to travel among Friends facilitating workshops on Nurturing Faithful Ministry in Meeting for Worship. Laura Nell returned her travel minute endorsed at Britain Yearly Meeting this August.

I2005-65 Youth Safety: In order for BYM to develop its own Youth Safety policy, an Ad Hoc Youth Safety Policy Committee has been named: Gretchen Hall (Supervisory Committee), Tasha Walsh (Camping Program), June Confer (Junior Yearly Meeting), Patti Nesbitt (Camp Property Management). A member of the Youth Programs and Religious Education Committees will also be named. This ad hoc committee will develop policies; committees will adapt the procedures to their needs. Trustees will review any proposed policy.

In the meantime, an interim Yearly Meeting policy, based on the Policy on Abuse Prevention developed by Friends General Conference, was proposed. Concerns were raised about the generalities of some of the language: (such as “reasonable” precautions, “appropriate” screening) and the lack of review by the YM attorney and insurance company. The Clerk of the Criminal and Restorative Justice Committee announced their committee is studying the issue with a broader focus, which includes the offender as well.

The Meeting approved the Interim BYM Youth Safety Policy:

Baltimore Yearly Meeting will take all reasonable precautions to insure the safety of the children and youth at our camps, conferences, Annual Sessions, and other programs. To that end, we will provide appropriate screening of all staff and volunteers working with children and young people.

Pat Schenck (Annapolis) asked to be recorded as being uneasy with the term “appropriate screening.”

I2005-66 Trustees: Howard Zuses (Sandy Spring), Clerk, on behalf of Trustees, recommended granting permission to the Friends House Retirement Community to use the BYM mailing list once a year to mail information on its programs and to ask for an annual contribution.

Interim Meeting approved this recommendation.

I2005-67 Criminal and Restorative Justice: Joan Anderson (Carlisle), Clerk, announced this weekend was Amnesty International’s “National Weekend of Faith in Action on the Death Penalty.”

The Meeting approved the following minute:

Baltimore Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends is grateful to the US Conference of Catholic Bishops for their new and ambitious Catholic Campaign to End the Use of the Death Penalty as announced on March 21, 2005. We are encouraged by the new polling information showing that over half of Catholics now oppose the death penalty. We join with the Catholic Bishops in a renewed effort to bring about the abolition of the penalty of death in this country and call on all people of faith to join this renewed campaign.

The committee intends to forward this minute to Supreme Court judges and appropriate government officials, and encourages others to write. The committee intends to forward this minute to Supreme Court judges and appropriate government officials, encourages others to write as well, and to inform Joan if they do. Joan then alerted us that on October 26 the United States Senate Judiciary Committee plans to consider the ‘Streamlined Procedures Act of 2005’ (S 1088, HR 3035). This bill removes from federal courts the jurisdiction to hear death-penalty and other appeals arising from cases in state courts. As a result of this bill, people who have been sentenced because of procedural technicalities or sentencing errors would not have another chance of appeal, and federal courts would be forbidden to hear capital cases altogether. Individuals were asked to contact their Senators, especially if they are members of the Judiciary Committee.

I2005-68 World Gathering of Young Friends, 2005: Andrei Israel (Friends Meeting of Washington) and Jennifer Chapin Harris (Adelphi) brought news of the World Gathering of Young Friends in Lancaster, United Kingdom, 16-24 August, 2005. Andrei read portions of the gathering epistle. “…[We] tried each others’ forms of worship…. We were open, amazed, stretched and blessed. … We were united not so much in the expression of our faith as in our common desire to be unified and by the power of the Spirit amongst us. … We were challenged to put aside the labels we hid behind, programmed, unprogrammed, liberal, evangelical, and come together as Friends of Truth, seeking together for the common truth behind our language.” The complete text is available through www.wgyf.org.

Young Friendswere hurt by the British government’s refusal to grant visas to over 60 participants, mostly from Africa and India. Two representatives from each region, including Rachel Stacy (Gunpowder), were appointed to meet with some of those Friends in Mombasa, Kenya, this very weekend, transforming hurt and exclusion into an opportunity for witness.

Jennifer Chapin Harris (Adelphi) attended as a representative of Friends Committee for National Legislation (FCNL). She shared the story of her unwanted leading to ‘come out’ at the Gathering as a lesbian preparing to marry under the care of her meeting. She spoke of testing the leading with Friends for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Concerns’ Pastoral Care Committee and with her Meeting. Subsequently she and Becka Haines Rosenberg (Alexandria) participated in discussions and worship-sharing for LGBT Friends and allies ("Quakers Queeries"). Jennifer and Becka also organized a discussion on Friends United Meeting's personnel policy, which was attended by Friends from FGC, FUM and unaffiliated yearly meetings. Jennifer held a ‘Faith Stone’, given her by a Friend to remind her to have faith in herself and her leading. Opportunities to extend loving care to others opened, and at the end, released from her leading, she was able to pass the stone on to a gay young Friend.

Friends remarked on the hope and energy Young Friends bring us. We thanked our six Baltimore Yearly Meeting Young Adult Friends, Jennifer Chapin Harris (Adelphi), Annalee Flower-Horn (Takoma Park), Rebecca Haines-Rosenberg (Alexandria), Andrei Israel (Friends Meeting of Washington), Rachel Stacy (Gunpowder), and Sharon Thompson (Friends Meeting of Washington). Especially we recognize Jennifer for her ministry of pastoral care she gave in the moment and in love to those who found love difficult.

“Bridges have been built at our Gathering which we call on Friends everywhere to nurture and support.” (WGYF Epistle, 2005)

I2005-69 Youth Programs Staff Report: Hope Braveheart, BYM Youth Secretary, informed us that the Youth Programs Committee has begun work on the youth safety policy and procedures. Currently they are focusing on the Friendly Adult Presence (FAP) application and training known as ‘retreat, renewal, and orientation’ weekends. One will be held in January. All FAPS, new and experienced, need to attend one retreat, renewal, and orientation weekend.

The application form for the Ramallah Work Camp has been approved. Five Young Friends and five Palestinian youth will participate in July, 2006.

The Junior Young Friends (JYF) community will hold four conferences this year. Their coordinator, Audrey Banach (Langley Hill), is looking for more FAPs, especially men, to make the overnights possible.

Young Friends are designing an intergenerational ‘fishbowl’ activity for Annual Session, to foster understanding, dialogue, and transparency between Young Friends and the adult community. They, too, need more FAPs, particularly women.

I2005-70 Nominating Committee: Dorothea Malsbary (Sandy Spring), Clerk, introduced the six members present who are eager to work with all of us. She announced several resignations:

• Camping Program Committee, Class of 2008: Connie Parks (Annapolis)
  
• Manual of Procedure Committee, Class of 2005: Howard Fullerton (Sandy Spring)
  
• Ministry & Pastoral Care Committee, Class of 2006: Howard Fullerton (Sandy Spring) and David Yount (Alexandria)
• Friends General Conference Central Committee, Class of 2007: Ann Martyn (Floyd)
• Friends Committee in Unity with Nature, Class of 2008: Sylvia Olivia (Annapolis)
• Friends House & Nursing Home, Class of 2008: Dorothea Malsbary and Rob McGarrah (Bethesda, Board nomination)
• Sandy Spring Friends School, Class of 2007: Liz Osterman (Sandy Spring nomination)

Two corrections were announced:

• Ministry & Pastoral Care, Class of 2008: Marika Cutler, Friends Meeting of Washington (not Baltimore Stony Run)
• Friends House & Nursing Home, Classof 2006: Deborah Boggs (not Bogg True)

Two names were brought forward for approval:

• Friends World Committee on Consultation: Graham Johnson (Sandy Spring), Class of 2008, second reading

• Baltimore Yearly Meeting representative to the Quaker House (Fayetteville, North Carolina) Board: Betsy Brinson (Richmond), a new affiliation approved at Annual Session. As Betsy is already a member of the Board, no second reading is necessary. The Manual of Procedure Committee will write a description of the new position.

The meeting accepted the resignations and approved the nominations.

I2005-71 Camp Property Manager Staff Report: David Hunter reminded us of our stewardship of the nearly 1000 acres, 56 buildings, numerous pieces of equipment, and miles of paths which comprise our camp properties. We meet our responsibilities through giving our time on the Camping Property Management Committee, at work weekends, during the camping season, and through financial gifts. In exchange we receive the gift of a remarkable camping program. The properties offer as well refuge and renewal to Friends schools, committees, monthly meetings, and individual families. Off-season rentals are possible and encouraged. Check the website (www.baltimoreyearlymeeting.org or www.bym-rsf.org and click on the BYM Camps link.) or call the office.

David told of the rebuilding program which has already produced a cabin each at Catoctin and Shiloh fully compliant with state regulations. He shared the background of the Catoctin Lagoon swimming problems and the workable solution which is now in the state permit process. He is also seeking contractors, volunteers, and funding to complete the plan. Two fifths of the funds necessary for completion of the first stage of the plan are in hand.

I2005-72 Camp Administrative Secretary Staff Report: Jane Megginson directed us to the BYM website for complete statistics from the 2005 camping season.

Over 500 campers came to one or more of the camps this year. More scholarship funds than ever were given, just under $25,000. Although the budgeted enrollment was missed by 40 campers, the camping program broke even. Jane particularly thanked the camp staff for their careful spending and innovative food preparation. This winter careful advertising will be placed to help increase the numbers. Friends were asked to spread the word about the camps to anyone who might be interested, especially 9 – 12 year old girls for Catoctin and Shiloh.

Progress on the commitment to keep the youth safe from sexual predators included criminal background checks on all of the staff. The Camping Program Committee and staff are developing a method to check the 100 volunteers who work at camp each summer, starting in 2006.

In 2006, camp fees will be due in their entirety by May 15th. This will ease cash flow, bookkeeping, and registration at all four camps. Monthly Meetings can help make this transition work by allocating scholarships much earlier. The Yearly Meeting has a new online payment site that will take credit card payments and direct debits, which should help managing camp payments.

I2005-73 Ad Hoc Committee for FUM Intervisitation: Rebecca Richards (Gunpowder) reviewed the committee’s accomplishments in its first year. Official BYM visitors went out to Indiana and New England Yearly Meetings. Intervisitation funds helped bring to BYM Annual Session a pastor and his wife from Iowa YM (FUM) who led Bible study and participated in the workshop co-sponsored by this committee and the Ad Hoc Committee on Gender and Sexual Diversity. For this workshop, aid was given also to three guests from North Carolina YM (FUM), a retired pastor (and his wife, parents of a gay son) and an openly lesbian pastor to share their experiences with issues of sexual diversity. The workshop was well received and conversations with the visitors continue.

Funds were also used to help a Kenyan couple from East Africa YM who, with a BYM couple, co-led a couples enrichment workshop and held an interest group on their experiences with issues of sexual diversity.

Ken Stockbridge (Patapsco) reviewed the clearness, training and travel minute asked of each visitor from BYM. A group of ten visited Winston Salem Monthly Meeting (NCYM-FUM) in early October. At all of these places, the visitors were warmly welcomed and interest shown in BYM’s intervisitation initiative.

Rebecca reminded us of our goal to visit several Yearly Meetings repeatedly. She asked Friends to consider if they were called to visit under the program. Marcy Seitel is clerk of the committee.

I2005-74 Interim Meeting Clerk’s Report: The Presiding Clerk took the Clerk’s chair while Michael Cronin presented first the report from Supervisory Committee concerning the search for the new General Secretary.

The details were available in a communication dated October 18, 2005, attached below. He also announced the appointment of Howard Fullerton as Interim General Secretary. The text of the communication ran: Greetings Friends.

As we announced last month, Frank Massey is leaving his position as General Secretary of Baltimore Yearly Meeting after seventeen years of service. His last day as General Secretary will be October 28, 2005.

The wisdom of the past suggests this is an important time to re-evaluate the needs of the Yearly Meeting. In 1988, before the search for a General Secretary that brought us Frank Massey, BYM Friends spent time together in worship to consider queries about the future of the Yearly Meeting and the role of staff and volunteers in that future. As a result of this discernment, Friends decided on a changed job description and a job title change from Executive Secretary to General Secretary to signal the changes. As we face the future together, we believe we are called once again to listen carefully to one another and to the Spirit to discern the needs of the Yearly Meeting and the relative role of staff and volunteers in meeting those needs.

We hope Friends can come to Fall Interim Meeting, October 22, 2005, at Penn Hill Meeting in Nottingham Quarter, prepared to begin this discernment process.

The purposes of this note are:

·         to share with Friends the Supervisory Committee’s plans for an Interim General Secretary;

·         to provide information to Friends about Baltimore Yearly Meeting’s history and current staffing arrangements;

·         to suggest queries to consider in preparation for October 22 and for the future.

A part-time interim general secretary

It may be several months before a new General Secretary or other staff person is hired. We have foreseen the urgent need to select someone to serve on an interim basis part-time in the coming months -- to assure continuity in the YM office and to provide continued support for the BYM staff.

At its meeting October 6, 2005, Supervisory Committee discussed criteria for selecting an Interim General Secretary. We sought someone with deep experience in the Yearly Meeting, excellent administrative skills, and a respect for Quaker process. We also sought someone who would not be a candidate for a permanent position and agreed that travel would not be a requirement of the interim position, apart from travel to Interim Meeting. We further agreed to ask members of the Ministry and Pastoral Care Committee to assume the pastoral care activities of the current General Secretary during this interim period.

Supervisory Committee concluded that Howard Fullerton, former Interim Meeting Clerk, was an excellent choice to serve as an Interim General Secretary. On Monday, October 10, 2005, Presiding Clerk Lauri Perman and Interim Meeting Clerk Michael Cronin met with Howard to ask him to consider serving as a part-time Interim General Secretary. After asking for and reviewing a written job description for the position of Interim General Secretary, Howard agreed to accept this part-time position. His first day in the office will be Wednesday October 19. He will be able to meet with and learn from Frank Massey before Frank leaves his position.

Members of the Supervisory Committee feel that the Yearly Meeting is extremely fortunate to have someone of Howard Fullerton’s experience willing to assist the Yearly Meeting at this pivotal time. Howard, a long-time member of Sandy Spring meeting, served as Clerk of Representative Meeting for six years in the 1990s. The timing of this opportunity coincides with Howard’s having just rotated off the Friends United Meeting Board and being available to take on another challenging assignment. Friends will be interested to know that Howard and Flossie Fullerton expect to move to Friends House in mid-November so that Howard will be living down the street from the Yearly Meeting office. Howard is clerk of the Yearly Meeting’s Manual of Procedure Committee and has a deep understanding of our committees, cycles of decision-making, and the role of staff.

Howard will be in the office about one day a week until mid-November when he will be available up to 20 hours a week. Supervisory Committee has granted Howard flexibility to take the month of December off for previously scheduled trips to Palestine and Ramallah, and to visit family. This is usually a very light time in the Yearly Meeting office. Staff members have been consulted throughout this process and are happy that someone of Howard’s experience and talents will be available to assist them. During the interim period, Michael Cronin, Clerk of Interim Meeting, will also spend one-half day a week in the office, something he has been doing since mid-September.

Howard has graciously waived compensation for his service to the Yearly Meeting, though he reserves the right to reconsider this decision should the work be more demanding or time-consuming than we have agreed upon.

Undoubtedly, these part-time arrangements mean that some tasks may take longer for the Yearly Meeting office staff to perform. We trust that our Yearly Meeting community will be patient and kind to each other and to our staff during this time of transition. Copies of the part-time Interim General Secretary’s job description are available upon request from the Yearly Meeting office.

BYM history and its current staffing

The Religious Society of Friends began not as a structured organization, but as a fellowship of Friends of Truth. As the need arose for service to members or others, Monthly, Quarterly, and Yearly Meetings were established. Today, Baltimore Yearly Meeting includes 40 Monthly Meetings and 12 Preparative and Indulged Meetings, and Worship Groups in Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and the District of Columbia.

The purpose and functions of Yearly Meeting are many, but above all, Yearly Meeting represents an extension and expansion of Friends’ basic community, the Monthly Meeting. Yearly Meeting offers opportunities for worship, business, social, spiritual, educational and service activities and events that bring us closer together in bonds of love and understanding. To serve this wider community, Baltimore Yearly Meeting employs a small staff and maintains a central office inSandy Spring, Maryland.

The BYM Supervisory Committee provides care and oversight for the General Secretary and staff of the Yearly Meeting. This committee is composed of the Clerk of Interim Meeting, the Presiding Clerk and the Treasurer of Yearly Meeting, and four additional members of the Yearly Meeting, nominated by Interim Meeting for appointment by Yearly Meeting. Interim Meeting selects, employs, and defines the responsibilities of the General Secretary. In turn, the General Secretary, with guidance from the Supervisory Committee, may employ such staff as allowed in the budget approved by Yearly Meeting in session. Staff selection by the General Secretary is based on possession of appropriate skills and experience and an individual’s recognized commitment to the testimonies, faith and practices of the Religious Society of Friends. Supervisory Committee meets frequently with the staff, and oversees the work and gives guidance to the General Secretary.

Currently, the Yearly Meeting staff consists of the General Secretary, an Administrative Assistant, a Bookkeeper, a Camp Administrative Secretary, a Camp Property Manager, and a Youth Secretary. Their duties and responsibilities are varied. Staff members are often called to help in a variety of ways that have not been anticipated in their written position descriptions. They daily meet the needs of, and provide loving care to, individuals, constituent Meetings, and programs and committees of Baltimore Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends.

Initial steps

The Yearly Meeting, through its Supervisory Committee, is committed to working with all Monthly and Quarterly Meetings to undertake a Friendly discernment process regarding staffing needs for the future. We have consulted with Friends who participated in the last search for a General Secretary, conducted in 1988. The minutes of Interim and Yearly Meeting in the 1988 Yearbook have been an invaluable resource for us and we commend them to your attention.

We plan to begin our collective discernment at Interim Meeting and to continue with a Listening Project within the Yearly Meeting to draw upon all the voices and collective wisdom within the Yearly Meeting as we move forward. We seek volunteers to join us in this Listening Project.

On a parallel but separate track, Friends will be asked to discuss in their Monthly Meetings the queries appearing at the end of this letter, and to send via letter, email, or telephone their input about the queries and thoughts about staffing needs and what to include in a job description for a General Secretary. Monthly Meetings are also invited to suggest prospective names for membership on an ad hoc Search Committee. (See below)

Finally, Supervisory Committee will request that Interim Meeting on October 22 empower Supervisory Committee to appoint an ad hoc Search Committee at its November 14 meeting, recognizing that it will take additional time to contact prospective members and determine their willingness to serve. Supervisory Committee is requesting the early appointment of a Search Committee to ensure broader input into the search process and first draft of any job description. We plan a called Interim Meeting to review a draft job description before the Search Committee begins the major part of its work.

Timing

Supervisory Committee asks that names for the Search Committee be submitted to Michael Cronin, Clerk of Interim Meeting, by November 10, so that they can be considered by members of the committee before its next meeting on November 14.

Supervisory Committee asks that monthly meetings submit feedback about their needs, suggestions for a job description, and reflections on the queries on page five by December 15.

We hope that Supervisory Committee and the ad hoc Search Committee can prepare a draft job description for distribution to monthly meetings in January.

We anticipate a called meeting of Interim Meeting on February 11 (snow date February 25) to consider the draft job description.

Suggestions

We are eager to receive your suggestions, guidance, and prayers at this important time of transition for the Yearly Meeting.

/s/ Michael Cronin, Interim Meeting Clerk Laurie Perman, Presiding Clerk

Preliminary queries

As noted, an important step in our process is to develop queries to guide us in considering our staffing needs for the future. Some preliminary queries are presented below. They may be considered in small groups at Interim Meeting October 22, 2005.

Discerning our calling and our needs:

In the past seventeen years there has been considerable change in the size, character, and programs of Baltimore Yearly Meeting.

·         In your experience, where is God leading us now as a Yearly Meeting? What is Baltimore Yearly Meeting called to do now and in the years to come?

·         How do you and your monthly meeting envision the role(s) of a General Secretary in helping the Yearly Meeting heed the call?

·         What does your Monthly Meeting want and need from the Yearly Meeting? What are the implications for Yearly Meeting staffing?

·         What do you see as the respective roles of staff and volunteers in meeting the administrative and spiritual needs of the Yearly Meeting?

·         What is the Yearly Meeting doing well now? Where does the Yearly Meeting need to make improvements?

·         How do you perceive the relative importance of spiritual, executive, leadership, financial, and administrative skills in a new General Secretary?

Search for a new General Secretary:

·         In addition to geographic representation, what guidance do Monthly Meetings want to give to Supervisory Committee and Interim Meeting for selecting members of an Ad Hoc Search Committee for a new General Secretary?

·         What suggestions do Monthly Meetings have for the process of searching for a new General Secretary?

The meeting empowered the Supervisory Committee to appoint an ad hoc search committee at their November meeting taking into consideration names and criteria received from individuals, monthly meetings, and BYM committees.

Michael Cronin then resumed the Clerk’s chair.

I2005-75 The meeting accepted the return of Elizabeth (Betsy) Meyer’s travel minute and her report as Friends World Committee for Consultation visitor to Indiana Yearly Meeting in 2004. (See attached.)

I2005-76 General Secretary’s Staff Report: Frank Massey announced that it is now possible to made contributions to the Yearly Meeting, and to pay for programs such as camp or retreats, on a secure web site. Credit cards and electronic funds transfer (EFT) are both accepted. Monthly Meetings can also use EFT to pay their apportionments and save the cost of a stamp. Just visit www.bym-rsf.org .

Frank then thanked the Meeting, noting he has attended 17 x three Interim Meetings and a few extra. He has visited every monthly meeting with the exception of Maury River. ‘You are my spiritual family and will be for years to come.’ He plans to keep his membership in Baltimore Yearly Meeting for a while, and will be in touch.

The Clerk suggested we need only to look at the evidence of the staff. Frank has plowed ground in the whole Yearly Meeting, pulling out unexpected gifts from us all. We have been well prepared and nourished, and can keep on going.

I2005-77 Conscientious Objector Letters: J. E. McNeil, Clerk of Peace and Social Concerns Committee, read a letter from the Clerk of Adelphi Monthly Meeting, enclosing statements from eight Young Friends affirming their unwillingness to participate in war, and asserting their status as conscientious objectors.

The Meeting accepted the letters from Thomas Bassert, Jennifer Chapin Harris, Chike Bascom Waugh Croslin, Brian Adrian Flowers, Felicia S. Flowers, Robyn Jones, Mary Lane, and Emma Skallerup. We minuted that the Adelphi Young Friends’ letters will be kept on file in the Baltimore Yearly Meeting office.

I2005-78 Closing: The minutes were read and corrected. The Meeting closed with a short period of worship, to meet again at a called Interim Meeting, 11 Second Month, 2006 [at Bethesda Friends Meeting].

Report of the Joint Meetings of Four Committees Regarding BYM Budget Contributions to FUM. A meeting of the Four Committees was held at Friends Meeting of Washington, October 8, 2005.  Present: Lauri Perman (State College) clerk; Maria Bradley (Sandy Spring, Gender and Sexual Diversity Concerns); Georgia Fuller (Langley Hill, Ministry and Pastoral Care); Howard Fullerton (Sandy Spring, Ministry and Pastoral Care); Neil Froemming (Friends Meeting of Washington, Advancement and Outreach); Don Gann (Baltimore-Stony Run, Ministry and Pastoral Care); Deborah Haines (Alexandria, Advancement and Outreach); Joe Izzo (Friends Meeting of Washington, Gender and Sexual Diversity Concerns); Lamar Matthew (Baltimore-Stony Run, Gender and Sexual Diversity Concerns, Ministry and Pastoral Care); Laura Nell Obaugh (Hopewell Centre, Ministry and Pastoral Care).

The meeting opened with a time for gathering in worship. Clerk Lauri Perman read letter published in the Southeastern Yearly Meeting newsletter in which Phoebe Anderson describes her experience of bringing to the recent Friends United Meeting (FUM) Triennial her concern for the “universality of marriage as a commitment solely between a couple and God.” Raising this concern was at first difficult, but in a period of centered worship she found the ability to stand aside and simply let God’s love flow through her. She expressed her longing that we all may become willing vessels of God’s overflowing love. . . and let that love build bridges across all that divides us. . . .

Lauri Perman noted that only three of the four committees are represented here today. She will ask Stewardship and Finance to make sure that one of their members can attend any future meetings that may be scheduled.

We reviewed the agenda. We heard a minute from Little Britain Monthly Meeting raising concerns about Baltimore Yearly Meeting’s decision-making regarding funding for FUM (copy attached). We prayerfully considered some of the issues raised in this letter. It troubles us that some of our meetings feel that they have not been listened to, and have been effectively left out of our corporate decision making on this issue. We understand and deeply regret the hurt and anger this has caused. We agreed that we need to find ways to make our committees more representative of the yearly meeting as a whole, so all voices will be heard.

Lauri Perman reported that West Branch has not yet considered the FUM funding issue as a meeting because of the great difficulties such a discussion would entail.

Lauri Perman asked Friends to report on highlights of the meeting held Saturday morning during Baltimore Yearly Meeting annual sessions, when members of the four committees met for a preliminary discussion of FUM funding options. One Friend recalled that the highlight for her was the proposal that we earmark our contribution to FUM to support the construction of a well at the Turkana mission in northern Kenya, or for medicines for the hospital in Lugulu. This idea seemed acceptable to Friends from Little Britain and might bring the yearly meeting together. Other Friends expressed the feeling that the yearly meeting seems arrayed along a continuum, with those at both ends firmly anchored in their positions and unwilling to yield. We may have to reconsider our efforts to reach unity about how to move forward, and allow our meetings to make their own decisions about whether or not to contribute to Friends United Meeting.

Georgia Fuller presented a report from the Intervisitation Committee, which met at Homewood Meeting on September 11. Rebecca Richards (Gunpowder) attended New England Yearly Meeting, which shares our concern, but is too deeply involved in Friends United Meeting mission work to consider withholding funds. Walter Brown (Langley Hill) visited Indiana Yearly Meeting, but had few opportunities for conversation about our concerns. This weekend, a group of ten or eleven Friends from BYM are visiting Winston-Salem Friends Church in North Carolina, at their invitation. Prior to this visit, Howard Fullerton and Sharon Stout offered a reprise of their training workshop for visitors. There is considerable interest in arranging more monthly meeting visits, as these seem to offer very fruitful opportunities for sharing. The Intervisitation Committee has developed a standard description of our intervisitation program for use in traveling minutes and elsewhere, and a reporting form for yearly meeting visitors. The committee is also working on making its web page more accessible, and is preparing an article for the next issue of the BYM Interchange. . . .

After a break, we entered into a period of silent worship. Lauri Perman read a section from Virginia Schurman’s leaflet on “Prayer”, reminding us that centered prayer is the necessary foundation of all our work together.

We considered the main agenda item before us: what to do with the $25,000 returned to us by Friends United Meeting. We were reminded that Baltimore Yearly Meeting is a “consolidated” yearly meeting, not a united yearly meeting. Our meetings used to be allowed to choose whether their membership would be counted as belonging to Friends United Meeting or Friends General Conference. The decision to count all members as both FUM and FGC was made by the Finance Committee for the sake of simplicity, without monthly meeting review. We may need to ask our meetings whether they would prefer to have the choice of identifying themselves with FGC or FUM, or with both. We considered whether monthly meetings could be offered the choice of contributing to FUM or FGC without raising the issue of how many of their members are members of one or the other.

We were challenged to consider whether God is calling us to be truly present within FUM, so that we are in a position to reach out to gays and lesbians in those meetings. We considered how our leadings come from a deeper place than mind or conscience, and that trying to be true to those leadings can make us appear stubborn and unyielding. We were reminded of the story of the prodigal son, and the Father’s unconditional love, which we are called to emulate. We considered whether we can give to Friends United Meeting in a way that reveals both love and brokenness. . . .

The meeting closed with a period of waiting worship.

Little Britain Minute

Dear Friends of Baltimore Yearly Meeting of Religious Society of Friends,

Little Britain Monthly Meeting continues to labor under the concern of Financial Support for FUM. We cannot unite with the FUM Board in their policy regarding the restriction of Staff and Volunteers in their programs to those only in celibate or traditional marriage lifestyles. We agree that this is discriminatory and restricting to the Life of the Spirit as it moves within the Religious Society of Friends.

However, we continue to be concerned with the decisions within BYM regarding the withholding of funds to FUM and the use of funds collected in 2004 and 2005. As a small meeting with very limited resources, we feel that our contributions to FUM support important and necessary ministries. We find concerns that the "small" donation of BYM may be equal to the salary of someone working in Ramallah, Africa or any number of other outreach programs. The administration of FUM will continue, but the effects of this boycott may affect programs sorely in need of funding.

We support establishment of an intervisitation program and a fund for this purpose. Funds for intervisitation should be collected as for any other special concern, from specifically earmarked donations. It is of concern to us that funds originally collected for one concern are being moved to other areas of our budget as if they are regular operating funds and did not have an original destination.

We are concerned about the decision to remove FUM program support as a line item and assign those funds elsewhere in the 2006 budget, noting that funding to FGC, which we understood to be loosely associated with FUM percentages, has continued to increase on a regular basis while FUM funding has decreased and is not even in the budget this year.

We recognize that other Monthly Meetings do not want to support FUM at this time and they should have the right to redirect their funds as they feel led; we do not feel they have the right to stop our funds from going to FUM.

Perhaps BYM needs to revisit the decision to change Monthly Meeting input regarding FUM and FGC contributions. Our Meeting has considered withholding funds to BYM and contributing directly to FUM, FGC and other programs so that we can be assured that our contributions go where they are intended, but continue to see this as standing in the way of open dialogue and would prefer to work together with the rest of BYM as we search for the True Way.

Approved Little Britain Monthly Meeting 9-18-05  Suzanne P. Lamborn, Clerk

Camping Program Statistics 2005

Enrollment - totals

·         587 people applied to camp and 516 attended. Last year, 586 people applied to camp and 528 attended. About 88% of applicants attended, down from 90% last year.

·         Overall, the campers are 57% BYM Quakers, 8% Other Quakers, and 35% Non-Quakers.

Opequon

·         156 campers attended this year, up from 149 last year.

·         84 (54%) of the campers were female, 72 (46%) male. Last year it was 59%/41%.

·         Overall religious affiliation was: 88 BYM Quakers, 11 Other Quakers, and 57 Non-Quakers. That’s 56% BYM Quakers, 7% Other Quakers, and 36.5% Non-Quakers.

Catoctin

·         There were 166 total campers, up from 156 last year.

·         74 (45%) female, 92 (55%) male. Last year it was 46%/54%.

·         Overall religious affiliation was: 106 BYM Quakers, 14 Other Quakers, and 45 Non-Quakers. That’s 63% BYM Quakers, 8% Other Quakers, and 27% Non-Quakers.

Shiloh

·         There were 123 total campers, down from 142 last year.

·         47 (38%) female, 76 (62%) male. Last year it was 50%/50%.

·         Overall religious affiliation was: 57 BYM Quakers, 9 Other Quakers, and 57 Non-Quakers. That’s 46% BYM Quakers, 7% Other Quakers, and 46% Non-Quakers.

Teen Adventure

·         There were a total of 72 campers: 48 in the first year program, and 24 in the second year, Leadership Training program.

·         37 female, 35 male. Last year it was 46% /54%.

·         Of the TAP campers (first year) 11 (23%) came from Opequon, 13 (27%) from Catoctin and 24 (50%) from Shiloh.

·         Overall religious affiliation was: 43 BYM Quakers, 9 Other Quakers, and 20 Non-Quakers. That’s 60% BYM Quakers, 12% Other Quakers, and 28% Non-Quakers.

TA Waiting list: 16 kids were left on the waiting list. 9 were returning campers. 2 were BYM Quakers, one who applied late and one who had no history as a BYM camper.

o        There were 105 campers graduating from our residential camps in 2004, in 2005, there were 95. The next class, which may grow as we work on enrollment, was only 84 campers strong in 2004. This suggests that the issues with campers on the waitlist for TA this year may ease a bit in the next two years.

Camperships and Financial Aid

·         85 Campers received a total of $30,341 in Monthly Meeting Camperships averaging $357 each.

·         $34,188 in Work Grants were distributedto 90 campers (67 of whom were BYM Quakers).

·         We gave $24,767 in Camperships to 50 campers. Of the camperships distributed, $10,790 went to 25 BYM Quakers averaging $431 each; $13,977 went to 25 non-BYM Quakers averaging $559 each.

·         17 BYM Quakers get scholarship both from the Camping Program and their Monthly Meeting.

Travel Minute for Elizabeth F. (Betsy) Meyer:

Sandy Spring Monthly Meeting of Friends

Sixth Month 6, 2004

Elizabeth F. (“Betsy”) Meyer, a beloved member of this Meeting, has opened her leading to travel to the annual sessions of Indiana Yearly Meeting in Seventh Month 2004 as a visitor on behalf of Friends World Committee for Consultation Section of the Americas.

This Meeting unites with Betsy’s leading. We trust that you will benefit as we have from sharing her insights and faith. We commend her to your Christian care and hospitality.

Approved and minuted at our meeting for business held Sixth Month 6, 2004.

Steven Colgate, Clerk. Endorsed at Baltimore Yearly Meeting Interim Meeting held Sixth Month 19, 2004. Michael Cronin, Clerk of Interim Meeting

Endorsement: Our Friend Elizabeth Meyer acceptably attended our yearly meeting, to, we believe, the comfort of her mind and in the discharge of perceived duty.

Thomas D. Hamm, Recording Clerk, Indiana Yearly Meeting, 7^th Mo. 23, 2004

Report of FWCC Visitor to Indiana Yearly Meeting – 2004

Indiana Yearly Meeting (“IYM”) held its 184^th annual sessions at Earlham College in Richmond, Indiana, from July 22-25, 2004. The theme, from Hosea 14:9, was Listen Carefully, Walk Righteously. In three devotional talks, the keynote speaker, Irv Brendlinger, from George Fox University, invited us to listen to Jesus through scripture, through our own stories which are laced with grace, and through human need. Jay Marshall, Indiana Yearly Meeting Presiding Clerk, shared his vision for the sessions as a time to listen for God’s guidance in order to reclaim the tradition of a meeting for worship for business.

3508 members in 66 monthly meetings now make up IYM, down from 13,631 members in 99 monthly meetings in 1950. Over the past year and ad hoc Visioning Committee studied the decline in membership and brought a recommendation to this Yearly Meeting sessions. The committee noted that though IYM membership dramatically declined, actual attendance at worship services has not declined nearly as much. Based on the Visioning Committee’s recommendations, IYM agreed to focus on the following areas: (1) building strong, healthy local meetings; (2) discipleship of new and existing members and attenders; and (3) leadership development. In addition, IYM agreed to develop a program-based budget. The IYM Trustees, charged with the responsibility for disposing of property from monthly meetings that have been laid down, expressed their desire to see IYM invest in growth rather than selling off its meeting properties.

This is a time of leadership transition in IYM. Over the past year, IYM churches have had changes in their pastoral leadership, and Yearly Meeting Superintendent Alan Weinacht announced his intention to leave his position within the next year. The death of the IYM Treasurer (an accountant who died on April 15) was another leadership loss for IYM.

In this time of transition, the IYM Executive Committee suggested that the time may have come to begin exploring the possibility of reuniting Indiana and Western Yearly Meetings. The two Yearly Meetings divided due to the difficulty of travel within the geographic area at the time. Modern means of transportation and communication make this less of a problem. In addition, the two Yearly Meetings share concern for Quaker Haven Camp, and other programs. IYM authorized the Clerk to begin exploring the possibility of reuniting with Western Yearly Meeting.

Recently, Friends in some IYM meetings have felt led to practice outward sacraments such as water baptism or bread and grape juice communion. The practices have caused deep concern among other Friends who consider outward forms of sacraments to fall outside of the IYM Faith and Practice. The IYM Ministry and Oversight Committee led a session of open worship devoted to listening for God’s guidance on this concern. The issue was seen as a sign of disunity, of lack of community, and of lack of trust within IYM. At the same time, IYM is united in a common desire for spiritual encounter. The Ministry and Oversight Committee invited Friends to refocus on the deeper question of spiritual renewal within IYM. What would a spiritually revived and renewed Friends Church look like?

Julie Owen, IYM representative to FWCC, presented a lovely report about the work of FWCC. The IYM Mission Committee did not receive FWCC’s request for support, and did not include a contribution to FWCC in the draft mission budget it presented. At the urging of the IYM FWCC representatives, IYM agreed to include a $3000 contribution to FWCC in its missions budget.

Friends Fellowship Community, a 264 resident continuing-care retirement community, presented a slide show about its 6 levels of care. Students from White’s Residential & Family Service performed for IYM. Quaker Haven Camp showed slides of the construction of a new activity center. The Quaker Haven presentation was interrupted by Billy Bob from Texas (John Owen), who made a humorous appeal for private contributions to the camp. Patrick Nugent, of Friends Theological College in Kenya, delivered the Quaker Lecture in which he contrasted the currently popular prayer of Jabez with the prayer of Jesus. The prayer of Jabez is about asking God to accommodate our will, but the prayer of Jesus is about accepting God’s will for us. Christian prayer is about changing ourselves according to God’s will. The IYM sessions closed with worship at West Richmond Friends Meeting.

IYM warmly welcomed me as an FWCC visitor. I felt blessed to be among IYM Friends as they listened carefully for Divine guidance in honestly facing their challenges and in seeking to walk righteously as they sought to envision God’s will for their future. I left with a sense that all Friends are part of the same body of Christ.

Respectfully submitted, Elizabeth F. Meyer, Baltimore Yearly Meeting