Burlington Quarter Steering Committee Minutes February 2007

Burlington Quarterly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends
Steering Committee Meeting
Second Month 17th 2007
Woolman Memorial Mount Holly New Jersey

Friends of the Burlington Quarter Steering Committee gathered for fellowship at half past nine in the morning of Second Month 17th 2007 at the Woolman Memorial in Mount Holly, New Jersey.

Present were: Pat Fowler (Mount Holly – clerk of Steering Committee and presiding), Harold Jernigan (Little Egg Harbor), Tad LaFountain (Princeton and clerk of Quarter), Margery Larrabee (Mount Holly), Louis LeFevre (Trenton), Gary Nisley (Little Egg Harbor) Charlotte Spillane (Little Egg Harbor), Allan White (Princeton), Jack Walz (Mt. Holly), Susan White (Princeton and recording) .

Minute No. 1. Opening Minute Burlington Quarter Steering Committee gathered at Woolman Memorial Second Month 17th 2007 near the stated hour of ten in the morning and settled into opening worship with11 Friends present.

Minute No. 2. Treasurer's Report. Bill Robbins, our new Treasurer of Quarter, presented a Treasurer's Report which had been prepared by Frank Smith. This reported General Fund $12,475.42, School Fund $19,127.88, Shrewsbury Fund : $1,172.49. Mansfield Property Accounts were Checking Account: $405.48, Savings $1,123.98, and Stock Portfolio $19,374.92. We owe Philadelphia Yearly Meeting the Third Quarter 2006-2007 Covenant of $15,252.50, which has not yet been paid since only one Meeting has paid the 3 rd Quarter Covenant.

Bill reported that he had recently had a good visit with Frank, who is making a good recovery after his recent heart surgery. The transition from Frank to Bill as Treasurer is going smoothly, and Frank asked that the books should be reviewed before being passed to Bill. Friends asked Tad LaFountain to do this review, and he agreed to do so.

Minute No. 3. Mansfield Meetinghouse . A Friend asked whether paying for Mansfield utilities needed to be approved. Clerk reminded us that Mansfield utilities are included in our approved budget for Quarter. Other matters of the finances for Mansfield were raised. For example, what is the status of liability insurance for the Mansfield Meetinghouse, which would be under the Quarter's insurance.

A Friend with experience in the financial world lifted up a concern that we put our understanding of Mansfield into a coherent and simplified system. Treasurer reminded us that at last Steering Committee meeting, and ad hoc committee was designated to begin this process. Members are Clerk of Quarter, Treasurer of Quarter, Clerk of Steering Committee, outgoing Clerk of Quarter, and outgoing Treasurer of Quarter. Committee will work on crating a financial pattern and also explore long term uses of the Mansfield Meetinghouse. Burlington Quarter Trustees hold the deed and funds for Mansfield .

Minute No 4. Coordinator's Report and Oversight Committee. Allan White, clerk of Coordinator's Oversight Committee distributed the Second Month Coordinator's Report, (See Appendix below.). He also lifted up as a highlight the dinner hosted February 2 by the Oversight Committee for Clerks of Meetings or their representatives. Friends spoke of a sense of the value of sharing a meal as part of our being in community together as Friends. Traditionally, Friends traveled by relatively slow means and long distances to attend Quarterly Meetings, then shared a meal as an important part of fellowship. .Allan also reported that the evaluation process for the Coordinator began with the clerk's dinner just held, and will go on over the next few months. Clerk of Quarter lifted up that any questions about the evaluation can be asked of the Oversight Committee.

Minute No. 5. Location of March Quarterly Meeting. Friends considered moving the upcoming Quarterly Meeting in Third Month from Little Egg Harbor, and then having Sixth Month at Mt. Holly , instead of the reverse which is on our schedule. This suggestion was made since Little Egg Harbor has central air conditioning, and Sixth Month can be overly warm. After discussion, Friends declined to switch the locations for these two months, but approved switching June 21 2008 to Little Egg Harbor and March 21 2009 to Mt Holly.

Minute No. 6. Organization of Quarter Clerk of Quarter offered a sense that the Quarter would be well served by having additional Friends involved in meetings and events of our Quarter. Also, there should be a document which outlines roles and functions of all groups and appointed persons in our Quarter. Harold Jernigan brought forward several heritage documents on vision and job descriptions for the Quarter. Clerk of Quarter lifted up that it not reightly ordered to have the Steering Committee recreate its own function. Instead, it should be considered by Quarterly Meeting itself. This could be included on the agenda for Third Month Quarterly Meeting. Clerk asked that documents be dated and approvals noted.

Minute No. 6. Quarterly Meeting Programs . Margery Larrabee lifted up a concern and interest for Quarterly Meeting programs. Various possibilities for programs were brought forward by Margery and other Friends.

Friends in Different Cultures . One idea Margery offered was to have a panel of Friends from different cultures who could speak about being a Friend in their home culture.
Quaker Ques t. A British Quaker outreach called “Quaker Quest”. A program reporting on Quaker Quest was planned for Trenton Meeting, but had to be cancelled due to extreme weather. It will now be held on February 20 at Medford Meetinghouse. A Friend from Trenton reported that this particular program is very organized, almost scripted. There is literature and a spectrum of Friend's thought on various issues. Also, advertising to reach out to non-Quakers in the neighborhood of Friend's Meetings. They use a series of pamphlets whose titles begin “Twelve Quakers Talk About…” And then the title is completed with one or another of Quaker testimonies or practices.
Education – both Religious Education and Quaker Schools
Peace and Social Concerns – What does the Peace Testimony mean to Friends today?
Friends Retirement Care Communities – Where are they, Who are they right for?
Burlington Meetinghouse Conference Center Today
Quarter Worship and Ministry Committee. This has been proposed, and has been responsible for program sin the past.
Monthly Meeting Challenges and Opportunities. Individual Monthly Meetings could report on challenges and opportunities of special concern to that Meeting. This has been discussed at Trenton Month Meeting with interest. Clerk offered that we probably need to build trust among our Meetings before we can ask them to discuss their challenges and concerns. Beginning with other topics could lay the groundwork for doing this at a later time.

After discussion, Friends asked Margery to explore having a presentation on “Quaker Quest” at a future Quarterly Meeting.

Minute No. 7. Quarter Directory. Clerk asked to have a new directory for our Quarter prepared since there have been several changes. Recording Clerk will work with Coordinator to do this.

Minute No. 9. Minutes and Closing. Minutes of today's meeting were considered, revised, and approved. After a period of silent worship, meeting rose near the noon hour, to meet again in Quarterly Meeting Third Month 17 th , at Little Egg Harbor, and in Steering Committee Fourth Month 21 st , 2007, according to Divine will

Burlington Quarterly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends
Steering Committee Meeting 17 February 2007
Coordinators Report

Oversight Dinner The Coordinator's Oversight Committee hosted a dinner for the clerk or representative of each Meeting in our Quarter on February 2. I organized the event for the Committee.

Rancocas Friends An Appreciation Dinner was held last month for Nora Dunfee, Head of Rancocas Friends Preschool. Prior to the event, Curtis Aubrey contacted me for support notifying individuals who would be able to further publicize the event; I was able to connect him with Tom Hoopes and Friends Council on Education. I later attended the celebration along with over 100 other people.

Monthly Meeting Visit I visited Trenton Meeting on January 14, 2007, where I was invited to participate in the afternoon program. The topic was Quaker Quest, an Outreach Program founded in England . For 8-12 weeks, the Meetinghouses in England that participate in Quaker Quest are open to the public, providing an opportunity for anyone to learn more about a variety of topics involving Quakerism, such as the Peace Testimony and Children's First Day School. Those who attend can also participate in a 30 minute Meeting for Worship. While one has the opportunity to learn more about the history of Quakers, the focus of the program is what Quakers are doing today. Read more about Quaker Quest at http://www.quakerquest.org/.

Tri-Quarter Gathering for 2007 will be held September 28-30..
I attended the Committee Gathering on January 28, 2007 at Mt. Laurel Meeting House and worked with Ventina Hershey (Mount Holly Meeting) and the Clerk of the Committee, Kandy Lippincott (Moorestown Meeting) to create an Excel spreadsheet to manage information regarding expenses (costs and scholarships), ages of the participants, whether they are first-time attenders, their Monthly and Quarterly Meetings, funding from Friends Institute, meals, workshop leaders, and other information vital to the running of the Gathering.
We also discussed ideas for the theme of the upcoming Gathering. This years theme will be “Sharing our Spiritual Life Through the Arts.”
The Tri-Quarter Committee has sent a letter to the Clerks of the three Quarters asking that the Quarterly Nominating Committees nominate people to fill positions of Treasurer and Registrar.

Mansfield Meeting I continue to work on the applications for grant funding for the Mansfield Meetinghouse.

I have requested items to be shared from contacts from each Monthly Meeting, but have only heard back from Barnegat Meeting. Please encourage your own Meeting to contact me before the extended deadline of February 22, 2007.
Over 400 copies of the spring edition will be mailed to members and attenders of Burlington Quarter, members of Support and Development Standing Committee, PYM General Secretary, Allen Reeder for PYM News, Rita Varley for PYM Library, all Regional Staff, and the clerk of Haddonfield Quarter.

Religious Society of Friends - The Quakers
Burlington Quarterly Meeting in Central New Jersey

Burlington Quarter Steering Committee
Minutes of Meeting February 17th, 2007

Religious Society of Friends - The Quakers Burlington Quarterly Meeting in Central New Jersey

Burlington Quarter Steering Committee Minutes of Meeting February 17th, 2007

Religious Society of Friends - The Quakers
Burlington Quarterly Meeting in Central New Jersey

Burlington Quarter Steering Committee
Minutes of Meeting February 17th, 2007