334th
Annual Session
of
Baltimore
Yearly Meeting
Of the
Religious Society of Friends
James Madison University
Harrisonburg, Virginia
Tuesday, August 2,
2005
Y2005—1 The 334th annual session of
the Baltimore Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends convened on
August 2, 2005 at 3 pm. Friends
settled into a period of waiting worship.
We heard a passage from the Ohio Valley Yearly Meeting
epistle, describing the energy generated at their annual sessions by the theme
“Sharing our Stories of Faith.” In
sharing our stories we are “humbled by examples of the courage that faithful
living can require, and strengthened by reports of God’s gifts showering down.”
Y2005—2 Clerk’s
Minutes. Lauri Perman (State College) read the Clerk’s opening minute:
God of Grace and God of Glory. God
of Mercy. Be present with us here
today. Open our ears that we may listen
to thy voice. Give us singleness of eye
that our whole bodies be filled with thy light. Tenderly lift us up in thy care that we may thy faithful servants
be.
Welcome, Friends, to the 334th
session of Baltimore Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends. We are called together from Pennsylvania,
from Maryland, from Virginia, and from the District of Columbia to discern how
the Spirit is calling to us and how truth prospers among us. On every hand, we hear cries for mercy and
we are challenged to discern how we are “called to be merciful.” Our session will be enriched by many
visitors from other yearly meetings, whose presence here with us will help
strengthen bonds of love and understanding within the Religious Society of
Friends. May we grow in faithfulness in
our time together.
Y2005—3 Introductions. The
clerk then introduced the others at the facing table, Deborah Haines (Alexandria),
recording clerk, and Bill Carroll (Williamsburg), reading clerk for the
day. Those holding this session in the
Light are Joan and Rich Liversidge (Sandy Spring).
We welcomed visitors Vickie Cooley, Central Finger Lakes
Meeting, New York Yearly Meeting; Samson and
Edith Wekesa, Kaimosi Village Meeting, East Africa Yearly Meeting,
Kaimosi; and Margery Larrabee, Mt. Holly Meeting, Philadelphia Yearly Meeting.
Y2005—4 Visitors. We
also recognized several members of Baltimore Yearly Meeting representing Quaker
organizations: Andrei Israel
(Washington), Washington Quaker Workcamps; Amy Marie Babcock (Washington),
William Penn House; Jennie Dove-Isbell, Earlham School of Religion; Chuck Fager
(State College), Quaker House in Fayetteville, NC: Liz Hofmeister (Bethesda)
Friends Committee on National Legislation; John Darnell (Frederick), Friends
General Conference and Friends Journal; Rachel Stacy (Gunpowder), World
Gathering of Young Friends; Byron Sandford (Washington), William Penn House and
Friends General Conference; and Anne Buttenheim (Frederick), Pendle Hill. All these Friends would be glad to answer
questions during the week.
Y2005—5 Agenda. The
Clerk reviewed the agenda. We heard an
excerpt from the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting epistle, lifting up how “everyday
differences can fester into misunderstanding, disruption and blame, or blossom
into diversity, depth and versatility.
Philadelphia Friends remind us of the need to deepen our community and “appreciate
the richness of diversity among ourselves and throughout the world.”
Y2005—6 Epistle
Committee. The Clerk proposed the following Friends to serve on the
Epistle Committee for these annual sessions: Linda Wilk (Hopewell Centre), Bill
Carroll (Williamsburg), and Rachel Stacy (Gunpowder). Friends approved this committee.
Y2005—7 Search
Committee. David Hines (Richmond) reported for the Search
Committee. Three names are brought
forward for a second reading:
Recording Clerk of
the Yearly Meeting:
Deborah Haines (Alexandria), for a
second term
Clerk of Interim
Meeting:
Michael Cronin (Washington), for a
second term
Recording Clerk of
Interim Meeting:
Maria Bradley (Sandy Spring), for a
first term
Friends Approved these names.
Y2005—7 Program
Committee. Liz Hofmeister (Bethesda) introduced the Program Committee,
and thanked them for their hard work in preparing for these annual sessions.
Y2005—8 Staff
Introductions. Members of the Baltimore Yearly Meeting
staff were introduced: Frank Massey, general secretary; Jane Megginson, camp
administrative secretary; and David Hunter, camp property manager.
Y2005—9 Camp
Property Manager. David Hunter reported for the Camp Property
Management Committee. New cabins have
been built, using funds raised at last year’s annual session, and a plan has
been developed for installing disinfecting equipment to ensure that the pond at
Catoctin will be open for swimming without interruption next summer. The Committee has become aware that there
will be a need for ongoing fundraising to support needed repairs and
improvements to our camp properties.
The failure of the septic field at Catoctin this summer was a reminder
of the needs of our aging plant. David
reminded us that if we hold to the transforming power that graces us, way will
open and our work will bear good fruit.
Y2005—10 Friends
Peace Testimony. The reading clerk read the York Monthly
Meeting minute on reaffirming our peace testimony endorsed by Baltimore Yearly
Meeting in 2003. Clerk Lauri Perman
asked Friends to enter into an extended period of worship to consider two
queries:
- “How
are we called to witness for peace at this time?”
- “How
are we being called to give life to our reaffirmation of the peace
testimony?”
Out of worship, Friends lifted up the question of how we can
do more as individuals to witness to our beliefs, and even more important, how
we, the Religious Society of Friends, can become a “people of peace.”
Y2005—11 We heard an excerpt from the spiritual
state of the meeting report of Carlisle Meeting, describing how the life of the
meeting and the Quarter has been quickened by the witness of a Colonel from the
nearby Army War College, who came to speak to the meeting on “The Role of the
Military in Peacemaking”, and subsequently asked for the meeting’s help in
pressuring the government “to cease the abuse of prisoners and respect human
rights.” His heartfelt concern that
military people are being pressured to do things that violate their conscience
inspired the meeting to unite around a letter criticizing the treatment of
prisoners by our government.
Y2005—12 Minute
on Torture and Abuse of Prisoners. Chuck Fager, representing the Baltimore
Yearly Meeting Peace Committee, introduced a minute on torture and abuse of
prisoners. This statement was drafted
by the Peace Committee based on minutes approved by Carlisle, Menallen,
Frederick, and York Meetings, and Warrington Quarter. The minute was Approved
with some editorial changes as follows:
Baltimore Yearly Meeting of the
Religious Society of Friends abhors the abuse of prisoners of any
classification, in any place. We call
upon all governments and combatants both to declare their rejection of abuse
and torture and to adhere strictly to the conventions for the humane treatment
of all detainees.
We are also deeply dismayed by
reports that our own government in recent years has acted in ways that
legitimate such practices and make of them an example to others.
We are grateful for the prophetic
voices that have called for an end to these practices, and we regret that there
are not many more. We urge Friends
everywhere to find ways to take up such a witness, by public education and
organized effort. In particular, we
join Friends World Committee for Consultation and other meetings in endorsing
the call by Friend John Calvi of New England Yearly Meeting for a Quaker
conference to seek ways that Friends can work actively for an end to torture
everywhere.
Friends were asked to speak with members of the Peace
Committee about their ideas for how this minute should be disseminated, and how
we can best carry forward this concern.
The meeting closed with a period of silent worship.
Wednesday, August 3,
2005
Y2005—13 Welcome
and Introductions. Friends gathered for worship with
attention to business on August 3, 2005, at 9:30 am. After a period of waiting worship, clerk Lauri Perman introduced
at the facing table: the clerk, recording clerk, reading clerk for the day
Gloria Victor-Dorr (Sandy Spring), and co-assistant clerks for Young Friends
Katie Bellile (Richmond) and Sean Wilner (Langley Hill). Amy Marie Babcock (Washington), David Ross
(Nottingham), and Ruth Flower (Takoma Park)
came forward to hold this session in the Light.
Y2005—14 Faith
and Practice. We heard the draft section on meeting
for worship with a concern for business prepared by the Faith and Practice
Revision Committee. Clerk Lauri Perman
asked Friends to support the work of this committee and review the advices and
queries that have already been drafted.
Y2005—15 Introductions. We
welcomed visitors Retha McCutcheon, general secretary of Friends United
Meeting; Dorothy Day, on the staff of Friends World Committee for Consultation
(Section of the Americas); and Nancy Craft, Virginia Beach Meeting, North
Carolina (Conservative).
We heard the travel minute carried by Penelope Wright
(Nashville (TN), Southern
Appalachian Yearly Meeting and Association) from the Friends General Conference
Traveling Ministries Committee, introducing her leading to be with us this week
in prayerful presence, with Maria Bradley (Sandy Spring) as her traveling
companion.
Y2005—16 Camping
Program Directors. We heard the report of the Baltimore
Yearly Meeting camp directors.
Linda Garretson is director at Catoctin, where she has
worked for a total of seventeen summers.
She described the preparation the camp staff undergoes, starting with a
week of skills training for all counselors in first aid, wilderness skills, and
boating and swimming skills. This is
followed by a week at each of the camps where the staff can get to know each
other, build community, and talk about what will happen at camp, how to keep
the camping experience spiritually grounded, and how to keep the campers safe
while encouraging them to explore and grow.
Elaine Brigham, director at Opequon, explained how the
camping program addresses diversity issues, both directly in age appropriate
discussions with the campers, and in practice by honoring that of God in
everyone. She noted that there are many
different kinds of diversity represented among our campers and staff, and that
acknowledging our diversity, while lifting up the Quaker witness for justice,
is a source of joy and empowerment.
Whitney Thompson, co-director of Teen Adventure with Melissa
Poole, described the energy that has come out of seeing all four yearly meeting
camping programs as different parts of one big camp. She explained how Catoctin, Shiloh, and Opequon all serve campers
from 4th to 9th grade, but each has their own traditions
and language. Teen adventure brings
together campers from all three camps, allowing all three cultures to
mingle. Teen Adventure graduates often
go on to become counselors at a camp they did not attend, creating a living
flow of experience among all branches of the program.
Dana Foster, director of Shiloh, focused on religious
education. She noted how the camping
program has a ministry not only to the campers, but to counselors and parents
as well. The pre-camp week gives
counselors a chance to build a worship-led and worship-focused community, which
they extend to embrace the campers as they arrive. About 60% of the campers come from Quaker families. The philosophy of the camping program is
“unconditional love.”
“Through a functioning Quaker community that encourages
loving concern, respect, work, silence, and joyful noise…spiritual growth is
developed as campers are gentled through challenges and risk turning toward the
Light.” (quoted from an old camping program postcard)
Dana described the morning outdoor meetings for worship, and
the evening fire circles that begin with a query to help draw vocal ministry
from campers and counselors.
Y2005—17 Camping
Administrative Secretary. On behalf of the camp directors, she
expressed deep appreciation to Jane Megginson who has been wonderfully supportive
in her first year as Baltimore Yearly Meeting camp administrative
secretary. The yearly meeting united in
this expression of gratitude.
Friends expressed their gratitude for the whole camping
program, including the way Opequon has welcomed Navajo children from
Torreon/Starlake, and the profound effect the camping program has had on our
children and our families.
Y2005—18 Friends
General Conference. Byron Sandford (Washington) presented
the report of the Baltimore Yearly Meeting representatives to the Friends
General Conference Central Committee.
He expressed the joy he finds in the mission of FGC to bring together
yearly meetings to strengthen the Religious Society of Friends, and to nurture
our monthly meetings and worship groups.
He highlighted the work of the Traveling Ministries Program, the
QuakerFinder website that helps seekers find nearby meetings, and a new
initiative FGC is involved in to establish a Quaker health insurance consortium
to provide insurance to participating organizations. The next FGC Gathering will be near Takoma, Washington in July
2006, with the theme “Swimming in Living Waters.” FGC is continuing its work on addressing issues of racism and
cultural appropriation within the Religious Society of Friends, and is creating
a new initiative to support youth programs and youth ministry. Byron noted the importance of involving
young Friends in our work, and asked all Friends to be aware of the need to let
Nominating Committee know the names of high school and young adult Friends who
might be asked to serve.
Y2005—19 Friends
United Meeting Triennial. Rosalind Zuses presented the report of
the Baltimore Yearly Meeting delegates to the Friends United Meeting Triennial
in Des Moines, Iowa, held July 13-17, 2005.
There were over 400 attenders from the United States, Kenya, Jamaica and
several other countries, including ten delegates and ten others from Baltimore
Yearly Meeting. Plenary speakers and
Bible study leaders spoke to the theme of the conference: “And the Lamb shall
overcome.” Marcy Seitel convened an
interest group to explain Baltimore Yearly Meeting’s intervisitation program,
which was well attended, especially by those from yearly meetings that share
our concerns about the FUM personnel policy.
Rosalind noted that Retha McCutcheon has submitted her resignation
effective in March 2006, leaving two of the four senior staff positions in FUM
in the interview process. FUM’s new
mission statement stresses four priorities: global partnership, evangelism,
leadership training, and communication.
Friends united with an expression of gratitude to Retha
McCutcheon for her opening address to the FUM Triennial, which included a
thoughtful discussion of the issues of concern to Baltimore Yearly Meeting, and
a courageous and graceful apology for her hurtful decisions at the previous
Triennial. We are grateful for the
healing that has occurred among us.
Y2005—20 Stewardship
and Finance Committee, 2006 Budget and Apportionment. Frannie Taylor (Goose
Creek) of the Stewardship and Finance Committee presented the first reading of
the 2006 Budget. She noted that the
version that appears in the Advance Reports on pp. 88-95 has been slightly
revised. Copies of the revised version
were distributed. Frannie spoke about
the Committee’s efforts to explain the budgeting process more effectively, so
that we can all understand and participate more effectively in budget
decisions. She reviewed the general
administration, camp properties, committee programs, youth programs, annual
sessions, and camp properties budgets, and noted changes that have been made in
how certain expenses are categorized.
She mentioned the proposal to designate $10,000 to help more of our
Young Friends attend the next YouthQuake.
She also noted that $7,000 has again been designated for the Baltimore
Yearly Meeting intervisitation program.
She noted that the budget is balanced, and drew attention to the apportionments
included in the Advance Reports.
Friends are asked to review the proposed budget and bring their concerns
and questions to the Finance and Stewardship Committee. The budget will be brought back for a final
reading on Saturday. We thanked the
Committee for their report.
Y2005—21 Out of worship, we heard an excerpt from
the Alexandria Meeting’s spiritual state of the meeting report, celebrating how
divisions and differences in the meeting have dissolved and healed in the
depths of gathered worship.
Thursday, August 4,
2005
Y2005—21 Gathering
and Worship. Friends gathered for worship with attention
to business on Thursday, August 4, at 9:30 am.
We feel blessed by God’s presence among us, expressed in rich silence
and ministry in word and song.
Y2005—22 Memorial
Minutes. We heard excerpts from memorial minutes for beloved Friends
Felix Wedgwood-Oppenheim (Washington) whose unconquerable spirit taught others
the joy of living (minute prepared by Cotteridge Meeting, Britain Yearly
Meeting); John Brown Newman (Baltimore, Homewood), remembered for his
“kindness, kindness, kindness” and the way he gathered Friends into a circle of
love; and Phyllis Reynolds Luckenbaugh (Bethesda), who was a shining light in
her meeting and her family, showing others the way.
Y2005—23 Welcome
and Introductions. Clerk Lauri Perman introduced those at
the facing table: the clerk, recording clerk, David Hines (Richmond), reading
clerk for the day, Rosie Whitney, clerk of Young Friends, and Dani Crane (Sandy
Spring), a Young Friend member of the Youth Programs Committee. Lauri thanked those holding this session
in the Light: Linda Wilk (Hopewell Centre) and Penelope Wright (Nashville (TN),
Southern Appalachian Yearly Meeting and Association.) She also thanked Anita Bower (Nottingham) who began bringing
flowers to her meeting after the death of her mother, and this year has
extended her ministry to our annual sessions.
We welcomed visitors Peta Ikambana of the American Friends
Service Committee, Mid Atlantic Region, Karen and Stan Bauer, Iowa Yearly
Meeting (FUM) who are leading this week’s Bible study; and Jonathon Barton,
general minister of the Virginia Council of Churches. The clerk also offered a special welcome to all first time
attenders at Baltimore Yearly Meeting annual sessions this year.
We reviewed today’s agenda and noted some additions and
changes.
Y2005—24 Nominating
Committee. Ruth Flower (Takoma Park) presented the first reading of the
Nominating Committee report. She
introduced members of the committee and spoke of how much she has enjoyed
getting to know the yearly meeting in depth during her service as clerk. She noted several unfilled positions on the
committee roster, and asked Friends to consider whether they feel called to
serve, or know of Friends they would recommend for these positions. The roster will be brought back for a second
reading at our Saturday session.
Report of the Clerk of Nominating
Committee
Let me introduce the members of the
Nominating Committee who are here this morning, because I’m going to ask you to
speak to us about several things: Ramona Buck (Patapsco), Barbara Thomas
(Annapolis), Dorothea Malsbary (Sandy Spring), and Dorothy Habecker (State
College), who has been working in the Nursery.
Cynthia Power (Charlottesville) will be back again this afternoon.
This is the first reading of the
report of the Nominating Committee. The
committee asks that you consider these names, for these positions.
Please see any of us on the
Nominating Committee if there are corrections to be made, and
Please
see any of us if there are concerns about any of these nominations.
I will describe what you are seeing
on these lists. Let’s look at the
nominations for Advancement and Outreach, for example. The number “9” that appears after the name
of the committee is the number of members that the Manual of Procedures
recommends for that committee. It’s not
necessarily the number that we bring to you.
Names in italics are Friends being nominated for a second term. Names that are underlined are Friends who
are being nominated to this position for the first time.
All in all, we bring you 44 new
nominations, and 24 second-term nominations.
Most of the committees are well staffed, at, near, or over the number of
members recommended by the Manual of Procedure.
We also bring you a revived
committee—one that had been laid down (or aside) while we awaited new
leadership. That is the Committee on
Right Sharing of World Resources. Now
two Friends have come forward who will help to re-establish this function and
this interest in our yearly meeting.
Are there still opportunities to
serve? Of course. One way to find the openings is by doing the
math. Several committees are one or
more members shy of their recommended number.
Friends in Education and Friends in Unity with Nature are especially
shorthanded. But I want to call you
attention to a few areas of special need:
Program
Committee—we need a couple more people who like to help shape our
experience here at the yearly meeting sessions;
Stewardship
and Finance—we need a couple more people to help us find and spend the
money.
There may also be opportunities to
serve as a representative to one of these organizations: Friends House Board;
Friend World Committee on Consultation (Section of the Americas); and Friends
Peace Teams Board. Please let us know
if you feel drawn to this service. And
lastly, we need to find the right person to be a representative to the Friends
United Meeting General Board.
If one of these positions calls out
to you, or if you have an idea that they might call out to someone else, please
let us know. Our committee will be
meeting again tomorrow afternoon at committee time, to gather in all of the
additional information we’ve received from you.
Y2005—25 We heard a letter from Australia Yearly
Meeting expressing support for Baltimore Yearly Meeting as we engage Friends
everywhere in consideration of the Friends United Meeting personnel policy.
Y2005—26 Ad
Hoc Committee on Gender and Sexual Diversity Concerns. Aron Teel (Charlottesville) presented the
report of the Ad Hoc Committee on Gender and Sexual Diversity Concerns. He introduced members of the committee and
described its work, including the program that will be presented during these
annual sessions. He noted that there is
still much work to be done. Since 1993,
the charge of the ad hoc committee has been renewed every two years. Aron explained that the committee is not
asking to become a standing committee, because the members envision a time when
its work will no longer be needed. But
they would like to have their charge as an ad hoc committee renewed for a
four-year period instead of the usual two.
Friends approved
renewing the charge of the Ad Hoc Committee on Gender and Sexual Diversity
Concerns for another four years, with thanks for all its good work.
Y2005—27 Clerk Lauri Perman thanked the Friends
carrying microphones to those who rise to speak, and Jason Eaby (Nottingham)
who is running our sound system during these sessions and enabling us all to
hear one another.
Y2005—28 Friends
United Meeting Concern. We heard excerpts from a letter from
Margaret Hart, director of Beacon Hill Friends House, expressing the joy she
felt at hearing Doug Gwyn’s message to the Friends United Meeting
Triennial. We heard excerpts from the
message as follows:
Bible Study, Saturday
Morning, July 16, 2005
Friends United
Meeting Triennial Sessions,
Des Moines, Iowa
Doug Gwyn, Pastor,
First Friends Church, Richmond, Indiana
“Standing with the
Lamb”
…. Letting the power of God work
through us begins with stopping, with standing
still. Then, as the power comes, it
is standing firm in the place where the power comes…. I have spent a number of
years studying the witness of early Friends, who, as you know, called their
movement the Lamb’s War…. [T]hey became Christian peacemakers, Lamb’s Warriors,
standing with the Lamb….[S]piritual freedom was what the Lamb’s War was really
about…..George Fox, Margaret Fell, and others published powerful justifications
of women’s ministry. They proclaimed
that Christ has freedom to speak through the male or the female as he chooses. So it is Christ’s
freedom. The logic here is that we stand still in order to give Christ the freedom to move within
and among us. So the Quaker defense of
women’s ministry is primarily God-centered, Christ-centered. George Fox wrote to his Puritan attackers,
“Who are you to limit the Holy One of Israel?”
…. I believe that this Quaker
experience of the Lamb’s War has implications for us today in Friends United
Meeting. Regarding the staff policy we
have in effect today, I believe we need to ask: are we limiting the freedom of
Christ? Are we curbing Christ’s
movement and work through whomever he wills:
For myself, I can say that I am grateful for the patient witness of my
gay and lesbian friends, brothers and sisters in Christ, who stand firm in their
personal witness to Christ and to who they are. Many of us have learned and been blessed from that witness. I see the Holy One of Israel working through
their lives and ministries today. To
recognize and respond to this reality is not movement, it’s standing still. It’s
recognizing that Christ has always
loved homosexuals and has been working with and through them in the Church for
centuries—we just didn’t know it. Could it be time we recognized it, and in so
doing, stand closer together around the Lamb?
Y2005—29 Ad
Hoc Intervisitation Committee. Marcy Seitel reported for the Ad Hoc
Intervisitation Committee. This Committee
was named by Interim Meeting in October 2004, drawing on the members of the
Advancement and Outreach Committee, Ministry and Pastoral Care, and the Ad Hoc
Committee on Gender and Sexual Diversity Concerns. The committee has focused on developing a framework for the
particular kind of visiting we feel led to: not traveling in the ministry with
the intention of presenting a concern, not traveling just to be in fellowship,
but traveling “in a season of concern,” with the intention of building
relationships and being available for conversation around our concern as
needed.
In addition to sending Baltimore Yearly Meeting Friends to
the Friends United Meeting Triennial, the committee has sponsored a visit by
Walter Brown (Langley Hill) to Indiana Yearly Meeting (FUM), and is sending
Rebecca Richards (Gunpowder) to New England Yearly Meeting next week. The committee has also received a request
from Winston-Salem meeting in North Carolina (FUM) for ten visitors from
Baltimore Yearly Meeting, and Marcy asked Friends to carefully consider whether
they feel led to undertake this visit, which is tentatively scheduled for late
September.
Marcy explained that the committee has set up a process to
help Friends discern whether they are called to participate in the yearly
meeting intervisitation program. The
first step is prayerful personal discernment.
The second is for Friends to initiate a clearness process within their
own monthly meeting. Each Friend
participating in the program will need to be grounded in a clearness and
support process in their own meeting.
Once the monthly meeting has approved a travel minute, it should be
forwarded to the Ad Hoc Intervisitation Committee. After it has been endorsed by the committee, it will be forwarded
to the yearly meeting, either at Interim Meeting or at annual sessions for a
final endorsement. The Intervisitation
Committee will help Friends with travel minutes endorsed by the yearly meeting
to find opportunities for undertaking visits.
We received this report with gratitude.
We heard Walter Brown’s travel minute from Langley Hill
Meeting, endorsed by Indiana (FUM) at the time of his visit. We heard and Endorsed travel minutes for Marcy Seitel (Adelphi) and
Rebecca Richards (Gunpowder)
Travel Minutes Approved to date
Betsy Meyer, Sandy Spring
Marcy Seitel, Adelphi
Rebecca Richards, Gunpowder
Walter Brown, Langley Hill
Rachel Stacy, Gunpowder
Linda Heacock, Richmond
In response to questions, Marcy noted that the process for
preparing for visits is posted on the Baltimore Yearly Meeting website, where
it will be accessible to other yearly meetings, where Friends are looking to us
for leadership.
The Intervisitation Committee is willing to support visits
to meetings in Baltimore Yearly Meeting, but that this is not their primary
focus. We feel there is a real need for
more intervisitation within the yearly meeting. We asked Ministry and Pastoral Care to consider how to encourage
more such visits. We noted that the
Advancement and Outreach Committee and the Ad Hoc Committee on Gender and
Sexual Diversity Concerns are also interested in supporting intervisitation
with the yearly meeting, and might help Ministry and Pastoral Care season this
concern.
We lifted up the importance of responding as quickly as
possible to invitations we receive, and agreed that we should be involving our
Young Friends and Young Adult Friends in the intervisitation program. Marcy explained that the committee is
already under the weight of that concern, and that meetings have already been
held with Young Friends to encourage their
participation.
Y2005—30 World
Gathering of Young Friends. Rachel Stacy (Gunpowder) reported for
the World Gathering of Young Friends, to be held in Lancaster, England, August
16-24, 2005. She quoted from Friends in
Rwanda Yearly Meeting and New England Yearly Meeting, lifting up the vision of
a Religious Society of Friends knitted together in love and understanding,
spreading peace throughout the world.
She spoke of her transforming meeting with a Friend from Bhopal, India
as an example of the network of friendships that is growing as Young Adult Friends
prepare for the World Gathering. The
Gathering is expected to bring together Friends from over forty countries and
more than ninety yearly meetings. Five
Young Adult Friends from Baltimore Yearly Meeting plan to attend, and the
yearly meeting has raised additional funds to provide travel assistance and
scholarships for two Friends from Mexico as well. Rachel expressed her deep appreciation to the yearly meeting for
helping make the vision of the World Gathering a reality, and reminded us that
young Friends need and appreciate the wisdom and support of their elders and
they seek to follow their dreams.
Y2005—31 Agenda. Remaining
items on this morning’s agenda were deferred to a special session scheduled
from 1-1:45 pm this afternoon. After
announcements, the meeting closed with a period of worship.
Afternoon Session,
Thursday, August 4, 2005
Y2005—32 Gathering,
Worship and Introductions. Friends gathered in worship at 1 pm to
attend to the rest of the morning’s agenda.
Peggy Dyson-Cobb (Maury River) joined Linda Wilk (Hopewell Centre) in
holding this session in the Light. Out
of the silence, we heard a poem by Judy Brutz, expressing the longing we feel
for Jesus to be with us on our journey, and the comfort we find in His
presence.
Clerk Lauri Perman introduced those at the facing table, and
welcomed visitor Kerry Day of GuideOne Mutual, the company that provides
insurance to many of our meetings. He
will be available to talk to us about child safety and insurance concerns.
Y2005—33 Ministry
and Pastoral Care Committee. Don Gann and Miriam Green, co-clerks,
presented the report of the Committee on Ministry and Pastoral Care. Don Gann reported that Linda Heacock
(Richmond) is preparing to travel to Africa to work with the Friends Peace Teams
in Kenya, a leading embraced by Richmond Meeting, and by Interim Meeting in
April 2005. Linda looks forward to an
opportunity to speak to Friends about the work she feels called to do.
Don Gann also noted that Ministry and Pastoral Care has come
under the weight of a concern for those small meetings in our yearly meeting
that are declining in membership. The
committee is exploring the possibility of arranging for “inreach/outreach”
workshops through the Traveling Ministries Program of Friends General
Conference to support renewal and new growth in such meetings.
Y2005—34 Spiritual
State of the Yearly Meeting. Miriam Green read the Spiritual State of
the Yearly Meeting report, which weaves together all the annual reports
submitted by meetings in Baltimore Yearly Meeting. Friends received this report in a spirit of worship, and with a
deep sense of gratitude for the work of the Committee in reflecting back to us
our spiritual reality, our shortcomings and our strengths. The clerk was asked to ensure that this
report is distributed to each monthly meeting, along with the yearly meeting
epistle from these sessions.
The meeting closed with a period of worship.
Friday, August 5,
2005
Y2005—35 Worship
and Introductions. Friends gathered for worship with
attention to business on Friday, August 5, at 9:30 am. Out of worship, we heard an epistle from the
Illinois Yearly Meeting 6-10 year olds, who spoke of fun, friendship, and
sharing, and their wish that yearly meeting would never end. We heard an epistle from Britain Yearly
Meeting, which called on us to attend to the children, and rediscover laughter,
play, and a childlike dependence on God.
Clerk Lauri Perman introduced those at the facing table:
clerk, recording clerk, Katherine Smith (Maury River), reading clerk for the
day, Sean Wilner (Langley Hill), co-assistant clerk of Young Friends, and Amrit
Moore (Maury River), BYM planner for Young Friends.
We welcomed visitors Gary Gillespie, of the American Friends
Service Committee, Baltimore office; and Clinton and Katherine Pettus, of Wilmington
(DE) Meeting, Philadelphia Yearly Meeting.
Clinton is the new director of the American Friends Service Committee,
Mid-Atlantic Region. We welcomed Vince
Buscemi, Morningside Meeting, New York Yearly Meeting, who will be giving a
workshop on “The Reality of Racism”; Michael Gibson, Woodbury Meeting,
Philadelphia Yearly Meeting, on the staff of Friends General Conference, and
here at the invitation of the Baltimore Yearly Meeting Religious Education
Committee; and Aurora, of the New Monk Project in Lexington, Virginia.
The clerk thanked all our visitors for coming, and gave them
liberty of the meeting. She also
offered a warm welcome to all first time attenders. She then introduced Hope Braveheart, Baltimore Yearly Meeting
Youth Secretary.
Y2005—36
Roll Call of Meeting. The reading clerk called the roll of
meetings and worship groups in Baltimore Yearly Meeting and asked Friends to
stand as their meeting was named. We
are grateful that so many of our meetings and worship groups are represented here
today, and expect more Friends to arrive over the weekend.
Y2005—37 Junior
Yearly Meeting. Karen Cunnyngham, clerk of Junior Yearly
Meeting thanked the many volunteers who have worked on the junior yearly
meeting program. Junior Yearly meeting
offers activities for children up to 8th grade, and hosts the
traditional “all ages celebration.”
This year it has also offered late afternoon activities children and
adults can enjoy together. She invited
the children to come forward, along with Ann Marie Moriarty, to lead us in
singing two songs that express the love and affirmation they have experienced
this week.
Out of worshipful silence, we shared our deep appreciation
for the children, and the joy they bring into our lives. Nurturing our children may be the most
important work we do. They show us how
important it is to come together and be with our friends. We pray that they will grow in love and
peace, and know how beautiful they are.
Y2005—38 The clerk introduced the Friends holding
us in the Light this morning: Don Gann (Baltimore, Stony Run) and Maria Bradley
(Sandy Spring).
Y2005—39 Report
of the General Secretary. Frank Massey presented the General
Secretary’s report. He asked us first
to look around consider our spiritual ancestors and the legacy they left us,
and then to look around to see our spiritual descendants and ask ourselves what
our legacy to them will be. Baltimore
Yearly Meeting is growing because of the spiritual vitality that draws families
and young people to our meetings.
Frank thanked members of the staff who have not been
introduced because they have been so busy in the office: Gene Klinger,
administrative assistant, and Linda Ricci, bookkeeper. He also expressed thanks to Jim Rose
(Patapsco) our new volunteer web master.
He mentioned that the yearly meeting will soon be able to accept
payments by credit card over the web, which may help ease some cash flow
problems.
He spoke of visiting the Quaker Memorial Presbyterian Church
in Lynchburg, Virginia, where a Presbyterian congregation is lovingly
preserving a piece of Quaker history.
He was impressed with how interested they were in Quaker
spirituality. He described a workshop
he led at Pendle Hill on nurturing our relationship with God. Being silent in God’s presence is the heart
of what we do as Quakers. Our past has
been rocky this past year as we have struggled to stay in relationship around
difficult issues. Being in relationship
with God will keep us on the right path, however rocky it may be.
After a break, we gathered again in worship. The clerk invited Friends from Frederick and
Hopewell Centre to hold us in the Light during the remainder of this session.
Y2005—40 Care
of the Meeting Community. We heard again the spiritual state of
the meeting report from Hopewell Centre Meeting, received by Baltimore Yearly
Meeting in 2004 and read at our last annual sessions. It describes the meeting’s struggles to deal with the discovery
that one of their attenders was a convicted child molester. The difficult questions raised in this
report have weighed on the heart of the Yearly Meeting.
We heard an excerpt from the Frederick Meeting spiritual
state of the society report for 2005, describing their own experience of
finding that an attender has a history of sexual misconduct.
Peg McMahon (Bethesda), a clinical social worker trained in
issues related to sexual abuse, spoke to us about the nature of sexual
predators. She explained that sexual
predators seek out safe environments, like churches, and are careful to appear
to be good, caring, friendly, and trustworthy people. They feel no sense of guilt about abusing children. They seek out children who are vulnerable
and needy, and befriend them. Children
who are abused rarely tell their parents.
Parents are usually unable to believe that such a person would do such a
thing. Most sexual predators go
unnoticed and unknown, except by their victims, and victimize many children,
not just one. Peg McMahon advised
Friends that they may want to try to appeal to that of God in abusers, but
abusers should never be allowed near children again.
We heard a travel minute for Penelope Wright from Nashville
Meeting, lifting up her gifts and leadings.
Penelope spoke out of worship about Nashville’s experience of welcoming
a young man who soon identified himself as someone on parole as a convicted
sexual offender. The meeting met with
him, set up a care committee for him, and designed guidelines to keep him from
contact with the children, as required by his parole. Some members felt unable to worship with him, knowing what he had
done. After long discernment and an
extended threshing session, the meeting approved a minute and plan of action
affirming both the possibility of recovery, and the meeting’s absolute
commitment to ensuring the safety of their children.
Penelope drew attention to today’s query: “Ask and ye shall
receive….” She said she has come to see
that spiritual gifts are bestowed on individuals in order to carry forward the
work a meeting has been called to, and shared how Nashville found itself
unexpectedly blessed with just the gifts it needed to respond to this difficult
challenge. She noted that the meeting was greatly helped by a minute from
Rochester (NY) Meeting addressing a similar issue, and that Friends in
Nashville are eager to share their experience in hopes of assisting others in
the same way. She explained that the
offender is now back in prison, and that the meeting continues to minister to
him.
She asked Friends to consider the plan developed by
Nashville, and to recognize that challenging and difficult situations may offer
wonderful opportunities to go deeper into love and listening, and strengthen
our communities.
Nashville Monthly Meeting
Working Paper on Sexual Abuse Offender
Presence in Meeting
After a deeply moving
threshing session on 5th
Day, Sixth Month 2004, at the regularly scheduled meeting for worship with
attention to business, 20th Day, Sixth Month 2004, Nashville Monthly
Meeting approved a minute on our response to the presence of child sexual abuse
offenders. The minute follows:
“Members and attenders of the Nashville Monthly
Meeting deeply value the rights, safety and loving guidance of all in the
meeting, recognizing that the nurture of everyone in our community is our sacred
responsibility. At the same time, we recognize that of God in everyone and
uphold Friends’ testimony of community by undertaking the general mutual care
of each other and of the children in a spirit of truth, love and forgiveness.
Our
witness to the testimony above has been challenged by the presence of an
attender who has been convicted of child rape. We are further challenged by the
tension created by our commitment to provide a safe environment for our
children and to be faithful in affirming that of God in the attender. We
believe that seemingly irreconcilable differences can be resolved through
peaceful, compassionate means in the spirit of seeking truth and forgiveness.
Nashville
Monthly Meeting recognizes the trauma experienced by survivors of child sexual
abuse and seeks to provide ongoing opportunities for healing and spiritual
growth. Although we are not a substitute for professional therapy, we can
affirm that survivors can recover. The Meting can provide a spiritual framework
for recovery through worship, listening, truth, love, and the transforming
power of the Light.
Committed
listening to survivors and offenders is crucial. For survivors, it can be seen
as a development of the Quaker tradition of bearing witness to suffering and
oppression. Behind the witness is faith that strength, wisdom and compassion
can arise from the experience of un-chosen and undeserved suffering. For the
offender, true listening allows us to learn to know the complex person behind
the actions, to recognize his/her strengths as well as weaknesses, and to value
her/his efforts toward recovery.
Because
child sexual abuse is so threatening on so many levels, we (attenders,
survivors and offenders) may need to express our fears and emotions, and may
not be able to truly listen or worship until we have worked through our
feelings.
We
need to feel we will be heard and that we will be held in the Light. Yet, in
the process of speaking out our fears, we may hurt another. We need to practice
giving and receiving such messages in an attentive spirit of love and
forgiveness.
We affirm
that the adults of the meeting have the responsibility for the safety of all,
but especially the children in our meeting. That responsibility includes
monitoring and holding each other accountable for being faithful to what we
have agreed upon as being necessary for sustaining a loving and caring faith
community.
In order to be prepared for the presence of a known
child sexual abuse offender in the meeting, we acknowledge the need for a plan
that addresses several areas.
1.
The naming of
individuals in the meeting who can be
contacted should concerns arise relating to child
sexual abuse.
2.
The safety of those who
might be preyed upon.
3.
The safety of those who
are survivors of such abuse.
4.
When an individual with
a history of sexual abuse offense comes into
the meeting, we will identify a Friend who serves as
the designated
contact person with the offenders parole/probation
authorities in order
to know the terms of the offender’s parole/probation.
5.
A committee will be
formed that seeks to guide Meeting in providing
spiritual nurture of the offender within the terms of
his/her parole/probation.
We recognize that as we each hold our individual
experiences and concepts in Divine Light and listen to each other, more Light
is given and a greater Truth and Wisdom emerges as an unfolding gift. We are
thankful for the gift of this opportunity to go deeper with each other – to
bring into the Light that which is painful and difficult and to strengthen our
beloved faith community through love and listening.
Queries:
1.
Do we recognize that of
God in one another?
2.
Are we grounded in the
spirit of true listening that arises from peace, faith and love?
3.
Do we affirm that we
will use Quaker practices to resolve conflicts and to express concerns
regarding child sexual abuse?
4.
Do we place a high value
on the rights, safety and loving guidance of children in the Meeting? How do we
structure our communal life to best ensure the well being of the children?
5.
Do we affirm the dignity
of survivors and provide effective witness and ministry to them?
6.
Do we affirm the dignity
of offenders and provide effective witness and ministry to them?
7.
Are we open to the Light
that can be found in the testimony of offenders and survivors?”
Since
Meeting approved this minute, Ministry and Counsel Committee has been laboring
to fulfill the terms listed. This report brings you the fruit of our labors.
From the minute:
We affirm
that the adults of the meeting have the responsibility for the safety of all,
but especially the children in our meeting. That responsibility includes
monitoring and holding each other accountable for being faithful to what we
have agreed upon as being necessary for sustaining a loving and caring faith
community.
1.
Persons in the meeting
who can hear and immediately pass along to Ministry and Counsel
Committee concerns arising related to child sexual abuse:
Clerk
of Children’s Education Committee
Clerk
of Ministry and Counsel
2.
We are grateful for the
work of Annie Livingston-Garrett and Sita Diehl in identifying and donating
curriculum and resource materials for use by the pre-teen and teen First Day
School classes.
Sexual Abuse Prevention: A Study for
Teenagers, Marie M. Fortune
Nobody Told Me It Was Rape, Caren Adams and Jennifer Fay
Changing Bodies, Changing Lives, Ruth Bell et al.
A Touching Book…for little people and
big people, Jan Hindman
Addressing Sexual Abuse in Friends
Meetings, New England Yearly Meeting
These resources have been forwarded to the Children’s Education
Committee to develop an implementation plan. Further we ask them to discern
with parents of First Day School participants what type of curriculum/awareness
program will be offered.
3.
We would make it known
to survivors of sexual abuse that upon their request, Ministry and Counsel will
ensure that clearness committees and/or worship sharing opportunities will be
available.
4.
Each time we know of the presence in Meeting of an individual
with a history of sexual abuse Ministry and Counsel will immediately accept
the responsibility for identifying a Friend who will serve as the designated
contact person with the offender’s parole/probation authorities so we will be
apprised in writing of the terms of the offender’s parole/probation.
5.
Ministry and Counsel
also accepts the responsibility for this item, we further acknowledge the need
for there to be full disclosure to the meeting of the presence of a convicted
child sexual abuser. We ask Meeting to assist us in discerning how this
disclosure it to be made.
Approved
in Meeting for Worship with Attention to Business, 10th Day, Fourth
Month, 2005
Y2005—41 Clerk Lauri Perman pointed to the
resources available to us as we struggle with these issues. The first are human resources: Friends like our speakers, and those from
Frederick and Hopewell Centre, and also counselors and therapists who are
available at this annual session to speak to us individually. There are also some written resources. A useful bibliography is included in a
reprint from the FGConnections issue on child safety (Summer 2005) available on
the resource table. The Circles of Care
and Accountability program, which is in place in Canada and Britain, may also
be a useful model.
Y2005—42
Child Safety Policy Committee. The clerk announced that six committees
of Baltimore Yearly Meeting (Camping Program, Camp Property Management, Junior
Yearly Meeting, Religious Education, Supervisory, and Youth Programs) have been
asked to name representatives to an ad-hoc Youth Safety Policy Committee to
develop youth safety guidelines for Baltimore Yearly Meeting. The yearly meeting may choose to adopt the
guidelines in place in FGC as an interim policy, while this committee completes
its work.
The meeting closed with a period of worship.
Saturday, August 6,
2005
Y2005—43 Worship
and Introductions. Friends gathered
for worship with attention to business on Saturday, August 6, at 9:30 am. Out of worship, we heard a letter from Jean
Zaru, presiding clerk of Ramallah Monthly Meeting, Palestine. She shared with us the joyful news that
renovation of the Ramallah Meetinghouse has been completed, and work has begun
to establish the Friends International Center in Ramallah, to nurture a culture
of peace among “all the peoples in this land called Holy.” She thanked Baltimore Yearly Meeting for our
prayerful and sustaining support over the years, and concluded, “Dear Friends,
it is a privilege and a blessing to affirm all that is possible when we link
hands and hearts and ministries.”
Clerk Lauri Perman introduced those at the facing table: the
clerk, recording clerk, and David Ross (Nottingham) reading clerk for the
day. She also introduced those holding
this meeting in the Light: Lamar Matthew (Baltimore, Stony Run), Penelope
Wright (Nashville Meeting, TN, SAYMA) and Maria Bradley (Sandy Spring).
We welcomed Kathryn Liss, national director of the American
Friends Service Committee’s Help Increase the Peace Project, who will be
leading a workshop this afternoon.
The clerk reviewed the agenda and noted changes.
Y2005—44 American
Friends Service Committee. We heard from Clinton Pettus, the new
director of the Middle Atlantic Region of the American Friends Service
Committee. He introduced himself as a
native Virginian, the son of a sharecropper parents who believed passionately
in education. He became committed to
peace as a result of his experience in the Army in Viet Nam after graduating
from Virginia State College. He first
came in contact with Quakers when his career in college administration brought
him to Cheyney University. He and his
wife Katherine are now attenders at Wilmington (DE) Friends Meeting. After retiring as president of Cheyney
University, his deep interest in peace brought him to the American Friends
Service Committee. He hopes to bring to
the Middle Atlantic Region both new stability and new vigor, by keeping close
to Quaker faith and truly seeing what love can do. He would welcome invitations to speak to Friends meetings and
gatherings about the work of the AFSC, and looks forward with joy to the
journey ahead.
Y2005—45 World
Gathering of Young Friends. We heard a travel minute for Rebecca
Haines Rosenberg (Alexandria) who will be representing Baltimore Yearly Meeting
at the World Gathering of Young Friends later this month. Friends approved and endorsed the minute,
and look forward to hearing Rebecca’s report on her travels.
Y2005—46 Young
Adult Friends. Rebecca Haines Rosenberg, co-clerk of
Young Adult Friends, presented a statement of purpose approved by the Young
Adult Friends at their business sessions:
A Minute of Purpose,
approved 5 August 2005
Young Adult Friends is a spirit-led
community created to provide mutual support, caring, and spiritual
refreshment. We are mindful of our
unique voice and responsibility to each other and to the larger Baltimore
Yearly Meeting community. We recognize
that we are a group of people in transition, and therefore that keeping in
touch can be difficult; however, we feel that maintaining an up to date mailing
list, having at least two conferences a year and offering a program of social
and spiritual activities at Baltimore Yearly Meeting annual sessions will allow
us to form a strong and stable community.
Our community strives to serve former BYM Young Friends, and Friends who
have come to Baltimore Yearly Meeting or Quakerism as adults.
Young Adult Friends welcome all
individuals 18 or older led by the spirit to join our group. We are mindful of sensitive issues such as
alcohol consumption, smoking and the scheduling of events, as these affect the
comfort of our community members. YAFs
are asked to be aware of others as they make personal choices at YAF
events. We also recognize that our
community is based across several states, and so we must be careful to give
sufficient notice of events and locations.
Let it be known that we also intend
to have fun.
Several Friends expressed an interest in connecting young
adults in their Meetings with the Yearly Meeting group. We approved this statement with gratitude
and a feeling of joy in the new growth evident in our Young Adult Friends
community. The Manual of Procedure
Committee will work with Young Adult Friends to make any changes needed in the
manual of procedure to reflect this new statement of purpose.
Y2005—47 Embraced
Ministry, Linda Heacock. We heard a travel minute for Linda
Heacock (Richmond) who will be traveling to Kenya in ninth and tenth month to
work with Friends Peace Teams. Her
ministry has been embraced both by Richmond Meeting and by Baltimore Yearly
Meeting at Interim Meeting. A few
additional Friends are being sought to serve on the committee that will guide
her embraced ministry. Linda Heacock
spoke simply and tenderly about the additional concern that has been laid on
her for intervisitation with Friends United Meeting Friends while she is in
Kenya. We joyfully approve and endorse
her traveling minute.
Y2005—48 Ministry and Pastoral Care is asked to
reconsider the name used to describe committees supporting the work of embraced
Friends, given growing uneasiness with the term “oversight”.
Y2005—49 Manual
of Procedure Committee. Howard Fullerton presented a second
reading of the Manual of Procedure
changes approved at April and June Interim Meetings. He thanked the members of the Manual of Procedures Committee, and
introduced those who are present. He
explained the changes being proposed with regard to the responsibilities of the
Camp Property Management Committee and the Camping Program Committee. Most of these changes are to reflect the
fact that we now have a full-time Camp Property Manager. We Approved
the recommended changes with minor corrections.
Camp Property Management Committee
The
Camp Property Management Committee consists of six members nominated by the
Nominating Committee and appointed by the Yearly Meeting. In addition, either
the clerk or another member of the Trustees, Camping Program Committee, and
Stewardship and Finance Committee, and the Camp Property Manager are ex officio
members. The Committee may appoint subcommittees as needed, which may include
members from outside the Committee. The
‘Committee will normally meet at least twice a year.
The Committee is a
governing committee that oversees the managementof the present and any
future properties of the Yearly Meeting uses for Camping Programs, Retreats,
and other similar activities. The
Committee’s purpose is threefold: to plan ahead for the long term needs of the
camp properties; to oversee the content and direction of the Camp Property
Manager’s work; and to support the Camp Property Manager with specific projects
as needed. While the committee has full
authority to carry out its tasks, the fiduciary responsibility for the Yearly
Meeting Properties rests with the Trustees.
The
Committee will manage the camp properties as one financial entity and will
prepare operating and capital budgets which will be listed separately within
the Yearly Meeting budget. For this
purpose, appropriate accounts will be
established, including a capital reserve account. The Committee will be
responsible for setting the fees for the use of the properties. All income
generated by the camp properties, including timber sales, will be available for
the operation and development of the camp properties. Gifts and bequests may be
received into the Committee’s accounts.
Financial statements will be prepared annually at the same time as the
Yearly Meeting accounts, of which they will form a part.
Y2005—50 Friends
Meeting of Washington. After a break, we again settled into
worship. We heard a reading from a
statement of vision for the new Washington Friends Meeting, founded 75 years
ago this year, as “a house of prayer for all people.” Friends Meeting of Washington was an independent, united meeting,
not affiliated with either of the two Baltimore Yearly Meetings, Hicksite and
Orthodox. It called on Friends to
embrace a vision of Christian unity grounded in the simple and direct
experience of God.
Y2005—51 Search
Committee. David Hines (Richmond)
presented the report of the Search Committee, and thanked the members of
the committee for their hard work.
These names are brought for a first reading:
Treasurer: Kevin Caughlin (Sandy Spring) (03)
(for a second term)
Assistant Treasurer:
Marion Ballard (Bethesda) (05)
Supervisory Committee:
Lamar Matthew
(Baltimore-Stony Run) (05)
Elaine Bell
(Charlottesville) (05)
Nominating Committee: Ramona
Buck (Patapsco) (02) (for a second term)
Jason
Eaby (Nottingham) (05)
Linda
Wilk (Hopewell Centre) (05)
Bronna
Zlochiver (Sandy Spring) (05)
David Hines also asked the meeting to accept the
resignations of three current members of the Nominating Committee: John Mason
(Alexandria); Cariadne Burchard (Stony Run); and Dorothy Habecker (State
College).
The meeting accepted these resignations. The rest of the report will be brought back
for a second reading tomorrow.
Y2005—51 Nominating
Committee. Ruth Flower (Takoma Park), clerk of the Nominating Committee,
thanked Friends for their help in suggesting additional names of those who
might be called into service. She
brought forward seven names for a first reading:
Friends in Education: Linda
Uberseder, Nottingham
Program Committee Bette
Hoover, Sandy Spring
Friends House Rachel Messenger, Alexandria
FUM General Board Rachel
Stacy, Gunpowder
Friends Peace Teams Linda
Heacock, Richmond
David Etheridge, Washington
She presented the remainder of the roster for a second
reading, with corrections in some of the stated terms and classes. Friends approved these nominations with
gratitude, both for the work of the Nominating Committee, and for all of those
Friends willing to give their light and energy to the work of the yearly
meeting.
Y2005—52 Yearly
Meeting Epistle. The Clerk introduced the Epistle
Committee: Linda Wilk (Hopewell Centre), Bill Carroll (Williamsburg), and
Rachel Stacy (Gunpowder). They
expressed their appreciation to Lamar Matthew for his help in drafting the
epistle for these annual sessions.
Linda Wilk presented a first reading of the epistle. Friends are encouraged to speak with members
of the committee if they have suggestions for additions or improvements.
Y2005—53 Stewardship
and Finance Committee, Second Reading of the 2006 Budget. Frannie
Taylor (Goose Creek) reported for the Stewardship and Finance Committee with a
second reading of the 2006 Budget. She
urged Friends to consider service on the committee, which can be more exciting
then they might think. She noted that
the budget calls for a substantial increase in individual contributions. The committee is looking at ways to
encourage such giving, which is needed to fund all our approved projects while
keeping increases in apportionments at no more than about 3%. Friends are asked to remember the needs of
the yearly meeting, and how much it enriches our lives, as they think about
their charitable contributions.
In response to questions, it was noted that we have reserve
funds that could be used to send a contribution to Friends United Meeting if we
decide we are clear to do so, and to fund an expanded intervisitation program. With this understanding, Friends approved
the 2006 Budget and Apportionments as presented.
Clerk Lauri Perman announced that we will reconvene at 1 pm
this afternoon to consider the remainder of this morning’s agenda.
Saturday Afternoon
Session
Y2005—54 Worship
and Introductions. Friends gathered in worship at 1
pm. Reading clerk David Ross
(Nottingham) read an excerpt from the Charlottesville spiritual state of the
meeting report, lifting up the importance of tending and attending with patience
and focus, not only to Friendly business, but to each other, and to the Holy
Spirit which is “the ground tone holding all pitches in balance.”
Y2005—55 Peace
and Social Concerns Committee. J.E. McNeil (Washington), clerk of the
Peace Committee, presented the committee’s report. She noted that discerning how we are called to act as peacemakers
is not a quick and easy decision. We
need to give it the time and attention it deserves.
She described the plan the committee has developed for
disseminating our minute on torture and the abuse of prisoners. There is a sample press release, explaining
who Quakers are and our testimony on torture.
There is also a sample letter in support of Senator John McCain’s
amendment to the Defense Appropriations bill that would set standards for the
humane treatment of prisoners. This has
now been set apart as aseparate bill, which
will probably come up for a vote in September, giving Friends a good
opportunity to make their feeling known.
Friends are urged to take these samples home, and use them to carry out
a publicity and letter writing campaign in their local meetings.
J.E. McNeil then presented the Peace Committee’s
recommendation that Baltimore Yearly Meeting appoint a representative to the
board of Quaker House in Fayetteville, NC.
She briefly explained the witness of Quaker House, and how it
reverberates far beyond the bounds of North Carolina. It was noted that Richmond Meeting already has a representative
on the Quaker House board.
Chuck Fager gave a brief sketch of the history of Quaker
House and the services it provides. It
offers counseling to those in the military seeking to get out; it organizes peace
rallies and events; and it serves as a peace resource to Friends meetings and
other groups. Quaker House is under
increasing pressure from those hostile to its mission, and is very much in need
of the spiritual and practical support of Friends as it faces these challenges.
It was suggested that we could affiliate with Quaker House
instead of just sending a representative to the board, as a way of affirming a
broader sense of community. It was
noted that it will be up to Quaker House to define just what that affiliation
means. Friends Approved the recommendation that Baltimore Yearly Meeting
affiliate with Quaker House, and send a representative to the board.
The meeting closed with a period of worship.
Sunday, August 7, 2005
Y2005—56 Worship
and Introductions. Friends gathered for worship with
attention to business at 9 am. Out of
worship we heard a New England Yearly Meeting minute on racism, noting that
“our well-intentioned attempts at color-blindness can have the unfortunate
result of blinding us to the system of racism in which we unwittingly
participate.” New England Friends
called on all Friends to examine our individual and corporate complicity in
racism, aspiring to clarity of vision, and “a more perfect union with the
Author of all, who shows no partiality in the diversity of creation.”
Clerk Lauri Perman welcomed Friends to our closing business
session. She introduced those at the
facing table, including clerk, recording clerk, and Tim Kline (Washington)
reading clerk for the day. She also
introduced those holding this session in the Light: Michael Boardman (Baltimore,
Stony Run),and Michael Gibson (Woodbury, (NJ) Philadelphia Yearly
Meeting). Amrit Moore (Maury River)
subsequently joined those holding the meeting in the Light and was also
recognized
Y2005—57 Search
Committee. David Hines presented the second reading of the Search
Committee report. The report was Approved as follows:
Treasurer: Kevin Caughlin, Sandy Spring (03)
(for a second term)
Assistant Treasurer:
Marion Ballard, Bethesda (05)
Supervisory Committee:
Lamar Matthew,
Baltimore, Stony Run (05)
Elaine Bell,
Charlottesville (05)
Nominating Committee: Ramona
Buck, Patapsco (02) (for a second term)
Jason
Eaby, Nottingham (05)
Linda
Wilk, Hopewell Centre (05)
Bronna
Zlochiver, Sandy Spring (05)
The Clerk expressed our gratitude for the vital work of the
Search Committee.
Y2005—57 Nominating
Committee. Ruth Flower, clerk, presented the report of the Nominating
Committee. The clerk expressed our
appreciation to Ruth Flower who will be stepping down from Nominating Committee
after six years of service. The
following names were presented for a second reading:
Friends in Education: Linda
Uberseder, Nottingham
Program Committee Bette
Hoover, Sandy Spring
Friends House Rachel Messenger, Alexandria
FUM General Board Rachel
Stacy, Gunpowder
Friends Peace Teams Linda
Heacock, Richmond
David Etheridge, Washington
One Friend expressed a concern about one of the nominations,
leading to a protracted consideration of the nominations process and the
substance of the objections in this case.
Ruth Flower explained that the Nominating Committee had met with the
individual expressing the concern and had carefully considered his reservations
before bringing the nomination back for a second reading. She noted that youth and a busy schedule,
two of the objections, cannot be considered bars to service in the yearly
meeting. The body felt wounded both by the discussion of an individual member
on the floor of the meeting, and by efforts to limit that discussion. Unable to reach unity, we set the report of the
Nominating Committee aside for later consideration.
Y2005—58 Young
Friends Epistle. We received the epistle from the high
school Young Friends, presented in word and pantomime by Sean Wilner,
co-assistant clerk (Langley Hill), and Margaret Dorr, treasurer (Sandy Spring). [See Epistle section that follows.]
Y2005—59 Junior
Young Friends Epistle. Jacob Grampaolo Keener, clerk,
(Batlimore, Stony Run), and Dylan Phillips (Baltimore, Stony Run) read the
epistle from the Junior Young Friends, describing their intense and fun-filled
week. [See Epistle section that follows.]
Y2005—60 Young
Adult Friends Epistle. We received the epistle from the Young
Adult Friends, presented by Leslie Keffer-King (Valley), Rebecca Haines
Rosenberg, co-clerk (Alexandria), and Jemma Mayer, assistant clerk (Maury
River), celebrating the joyous news of the revitalization of their program. . [See Epistle section that follows.]
The meeting expressed our joy and gratitude for all three
epistles. We agreed that all three will
be included in the epistles sent out to all yearly meetings.
Y2005—61 Yearly
Meeting Epistle. We heard the epistle of these annual
sessions, presented by Rachel Stacy (Gunpowder) for the Epistle Committee. We approved the epistle, with minor corrections
and additions, in a spirit of joy and gladness. [See Epistle section that follows.]
Y2005—62 Committee
Clerks. We heard a roll call of committee clerks as follows:
Trustees: Howard
Zuses, Sandy Spring
Advancement and Outreach: Deborah
Haines, Alexandria
Camp Property Management: Greg Tobin, Frederick
Steve Gilbert,
Sandy Spring, co-clerks until 9/05
Criminal & Restorative Justice:Joan Anderson, Carlisle
Jack Fogarty, Sandy Spring
Faith and Practice Revision Sheila
Bach, Langley Hill
Manual of Procedure: Howard Fullerton, Sandy Spring
Ministry &Pastoral Care Don
Gann, Baltimore, Stony Run
Peace and Social Concerns J.E.
McNeil, Washington
Religious Education Chuck Fager, State College
Josh
Humphries, Roanoke
Program Liz
Hofmeister, Bethesda
Right Sharing of World Resources Karen Grisez, Washington
Unity With Nature Mark Brabson, Little Britain
Sarah
Kuzmanoff, Langley Hill
Youth Programs: Betsy Tobin, Frederick
Ted
Heck, Richmond
Committees that have not yet identified a clerk are asked to
do so as soon as possible.
Y2005—63 Nominating
Committee. We returned to consideration of the Nominating Committee
report. The clerk asked for approval of
all the nominations brought forward for a second
reading except that of Rachel Stacy.
Friends approved.
Out of worship, the clerk asked that we all hold the Young
Adult Friends community in the Light and recognize the pain they have been
experiencing this week and also their faithfulness in continuing to witness to
each other and to the rest of the yearly meeting. When the Friend who had
objected to the nomination renewed his offer to stand aside and prayed for
healing to begin, we felt released to move forward. Friends approved the nomination of Rachel Stacy to serve on the
Friends United Meeting Board, with the following Friends standing aside: Josh
Humphries (Roanoke), Pat Kutzner (Washington), and Charles Vickert (Sandy
Spring).
Y2005—64 Closing. Out
of worship, we heard an excerpt from the Pipe Creek spiritual state of the
meeting report, celebrating new growth in the meeting. This growth in attendance began with an
invitational yule get-together in December, but has been sustained by powerful,
centered worship and loving, welcoming community.
Clerk Lauri Perman spoke about the many examples of faithful
service we have been blessed with during the week, and prayed that those
blessings would light our way throughout the year.
Friends thanked Lauri Perman for the patience, humor and good
will with which she has guided us through the business of these annual
sessions.
Respectfully submitted,
Deborah Haines, recording clerk
BYM Bookstore Report, 2005
Nancy Coleman (Dunnings Creek)
Received
Tuesday: $1,341.11
Wednesday: 2,076.31
Thursday:
1,790.13
Friday:
2,510.43
Saturday:
2,913.61
Subtotal: $10,631.59
Cash in drawer at beginning of week 150.00
TOTAL $10,481.59
Net on booksales approx* $1129
Net on vendor sales 627
TOTAL NET approx* $1756
*Discrepancies occurred on bookstore invoices, e.g:
QuakerBooks of FGC sent almost two dozen books that were not on their
inventory. Final net figure will derive
from the amount they invoice us.
