Interim Meeting - February 13, 2010
Philadelphia Yearly Meeting
Interim Meeting Minutes-Approved
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Arch Street Meetinghouse
- 1. Opening Worship
Friends gathered on the above date at the appointed hour of 9:30 a.m. and settled into worship.
- 2. Welcome
Out of worship the Clerk welcomed those in attendance introduced those on the Clerks table: Clerk: Thomas Swain (Middletown MM, Concord Quarter) Alternate Clerk: Jada Jackson (Trenton MM and Burlington Worship Group), Dana Kester-McCabe (Wicomico River MM), Recording Clerk: David Rose (Lehigh Valley MM). New Representatives appointed to Interim Meeting introduced themselves. Clerks of PYM Standing Committees introduced themselves. Staff of PYM introduced themselves.
The Clerk reviewed the agenda and expressed the hope that we could complete the business before the next snow storm.
- 3. General Secretary’s Report
Arthur Larrabee (Central Philadelphia MM), General Secretary, introduced Lou Ann Merkle as the new PYM Sessions Coordinator. Lou Ann expressed appreciation for support she has so far received. Arthur made Friends aware of an information sheet in the packet which lists the nine items of unfinished Business before Interim Meeting and the Yearly Meeting. He promised to continue to provide this service. Current job openings were noted, which are listed on the PYM website: www.pym.org.
Stories of growth and vitality were invited. 1) Reading MM held a program called “Meet the Franklins” which drew one hundred and fifty people. 2) Green Street MM has Breakfast with a Friend which is a continuing success. They also have Monthly Meeting Lunch once a month and attendance is growing. Children pageant growing, new families are coming at an increasing rate. 3) Some members of Princeton MM participated in a workshop jointly sponsored by PYM and a NYC Episcopal Church on an Ethical Economy. Monthly Meeting First Day School received a portion of MM Budget and set up a process to determine allocation.
Arthur read his report about his trip to Israel/Palestine, February 1 to February 8, 2010 as part of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Philadelphia delegation. Complete written report available. After receiving report, the Clerk asked Friends to settle into worship to consider how it might move in their hearts.
- 4. Personnel Services Committee
Jacqueline Bowers (Fallsington MM) started the report by providing the background to the work of the committee in making revisions to the staff manual. The revisions presented (Staff Serving on Committees or Working Groups) started as a concern about conflict of interest. It was seen that the role of staff is to support the work of Yearly Meeting and the role of volunteers is to provide policy and oversee finances. Input of staff to the revision was requested as part of the work of the committee. She stated that the policy being presented is a reflection of the current practice which arose out of the reorganization that took place around fifteen years ago and was created for the benefit of staff. The committee recognized that while there are many wonderful reasons for committees to want to use skills, availability and knowledge of staff there are also important reasons for the roles of staff to be separate from committee membership. It was also felt important to provide as many opportunities for members to be involved.
At the conclusion of the report, the Clerk provided opportunity for questions and responses. Issues raised included the following: Are there any committees that do not oversee the work of staff? Response: Priority Process Standing Committee was the only one that came to mind. Spiritual needs of Friends who are employed by Yearly Meeting is a concern, was this concern addressed? Response was that policy was limited to staff involvement with Yearly Meeting committees and did not exclude their work on Monthly or Quarterly Committees. Gratitude expressed for report. [Sorrow expressed to be losing a valuable member of a committee who was a staff person but clear as to the reason.] The Upper Susquehanna representative to Nominating Committee is in a unique situation in that it would be unlikely that anyone other than a staff member could provide input to the Nominating Committee regarding the Upper Susquehanna Quarter. Flexibility and allowing exemptions to policy could be considered. Perhaps we could use a description of what staff can do to support committee. A Friend noted what we are not called to conflicting roles and that there is already a prohibition against Working Committee Members serving on Standing Committees. An experience was recounted of being on committee where the staff person directed the meeting. One Friend stated that this report recognized the pressures that are part of our actual experience. Another stated that we need to recognize that there are situations that should allow for exceptions.
The Clerk proposed the following minute to express the sense of the meeting.
Minute 1: Friends received the reported changes to the Staff Manual by the Personal Services Working Group as presented at February Interim Meeting with the recommendation that the spiritual life of staff persons be taken into account, to recognize the need for flexibility, and that there be a job description created for staff in relation to committee membership. Minute Approved (Report from Personnel Services Working Group attached.)
- 5. Worship and Care Standing Committee: Therese Miller (Lewisburg MM) John Shufford (Centre Meeting)
PYM will be starting the 2010 Census of Meeting Attendance. The attendance census is done every 3 years. The last report showed 52 meetings were actually shrinking, 20 were growing, the rest were staying the same. The draft report “Growing Meetings Report” is available and attempts to extract what growing meetings are doing. Friends were advised that they need to get 100% attendance census response for the four Sundays in April for the information to be complete. Report was received with the suggestion that in the future we might get some data about participation in Business Meeting.
“Appendix A” and “Summary of Information in Relation to Attendance at Worship. Philadelphia YM [2007]
Break
- 6. Minutes of January 9, 2010
The Minutes were approved with the following changes:
In Section 5: Financial the first paragraph should read as follows: TylaAnn Burger (Green Street MM), PYM Treasurer, and Jack Mahon (Woodstown MM), Clerk of Financial Stewardship Committee, reported for the committee. Our income is shrinking in relation to our need and desire for what we want to do. The audit reports that the record keeping and finances are clean. YM administrative and fund raising expenses are low relative to other organizations. The Committee analyzed how long PYM could operate at the current level with no income coming in. With both Liquid and Non Liquid Reserves, our reserved would have covered 2.25 years of expenses in 2007. This had dropped to 1.65 years in 2009. Using just liquid reserves, in 2007 we had .88 of a year of reserves and .34 of a year in 2009---roughly three months. We are currently using money in restricted funds to support our cash flow for expenses because our income from investments is paid only twice a year, at the end of each six-month period. These funds are replaced as new unrestricted income is received.
After Section 5, insert new Section 6: Development Report: Jan Hatchard (West Chester MM), Director of Development, reported on the status of current fund raising. We are behind last year’s record in contributions.
End of Minutes, add Richard Ailes, Recording Clerk. (this in addition to Alison Levie)
- 7. March Sessions: Amy Brimmer (Fallsington MM), Bill Heinemann (Newtown MM) and Lou Ann Merkle
The theme for the March Sessions is “We make the Road by Walking: Prophetic Witness”. Reviewed the structure of the sessions and programming schedule. A Friend asked why is there only one day business meeting session in March and three days during the Summer Session. The answer given is that the issue of scheduling sessions is an ongoing issue, all of our sessions lift up business concerns of the yearly meeting, and that there is future opportunity for Friends to provide input. Friends were advised that the decision was made by the Arch Street Facility to limit displays at March Sessions.
- 8. Development Update Not available
- 9. Elders Recommendation for Job Description
Job Description read by Tom Armstrong (Plymouth MM). Complete report available. The Clerk invited comments: One Friend commented that he experienced it as being well written and filled with love. Another requested clarification on sentence about nurturing. There were fears about eldering, and the need had also been expressed for eldering, especially from young adult friends. Suggestions were made that “meet together as needed” should be changed to “regular meeting”. There was a discussion regarding the use of staff as elders. A Friend noted that we need to build structures that support us beyond the present. There was no unity on accepting staff as elders.
The Clerk suggested the following minute:
Minute 2: Elders are to meet and bring back a report in April with a suggestion for a way to resolve the conflict of staff serving as Elders. Minute approved (“Recommendation from Yearly Meeting Elders” attached.)
- 11. Nominating Committee
Suzanne Day (Westfield MM) presented the following for Approval:
Education Standing Committee
Name Monthly Meeting Quarterly Meeting Term Expires
George Crispin Woodbury 2012
National Council of Churches
Name Monthly Meeting Quarterly Meeting Term Expires
Therese Miller Lewisburg Upper Susquehanna 2013
Friends Center Board
Name Monthly Meeting Quarterly Meeting Term Expires
Constance Brooks Haddonfield Haddonfield 2013
Friends Fiduciary Corporation
Name Monthly Meeting Quarterly Meeting Term Expires
Samuel Allen Moorestown Haddonfield 2013
John Coleman Moorestown Haddonfield 2013
Arthur Larrabee Central Philadelphia Philadelphia 2013
John Shaw Providence Chester 2013
Charles Ufford Princeton Burlington 2013
United Nations
Name Monthly Meeting Quarterly Meeting Term Expires
Phil Furnas State College Upper Susquehanna 2013
Nominations approved as presented.
12. Treasurer’s Report
TylaAnn Burger (Green Street MM), treasurer, referred those present to the green sheet which had a balance sheet side and an activity sheet side. Financial trends were illustrated by charts on the screen for all to see which illustrated how far the fund balance has gone down. Investment income is going down while health insurance and pension costs are going up. This year we need to make our goal for our Annual Fund but it does not look good at present. Copies of audits were available. The process of Budget preparation was described by Jack Mahon (Woodstown MM), Clerk of the Financial Stewardship Committee. He noted that there is great difference between what Standing Committees would like to do and the monies that are available to do it. The policy on what can be posted on the web site is being review to allow interested Friends to get information about Yearly Meeting finances. “Statement of Financial Position” attached.
13. National Council of Churches
Due to the limitation on time, this report will be given in April.
14. General Secretary Evaluation and Oversight Committee
Jada Jackson reported that the process is underway and that the committee is open for comments until April 19th. This is the year for the full, in depth evaluation. Final evaluation report to be presented in June.
15. Clerk’s Correspondence
Thomas Swain reported on Haverford Quarter. Two sessions ago there was a committee authorized to visit and assist the Quarter. Those on the committee are:
Rick Dow (Lehigh Valley MM), Francis Dreisbach (Lehigh Valley MM) and Doug Meaker (Quakertown NJ MM) They, along with the Clerk and General Secretary, met with Haverford Quarter on January 24th. Fellowship was wonderful and they will continue to work with this group. The General Secretary spoke of the vision of a Quarter being an affirmation of a faith community. The Quarterly Meeting agreed they could continue meeting quarterly with a rotation clerk.
- 16. Advisory Committee Notes
Advisory Committee notes were made available but were not read. There were no questions.
- 17. Adjournment
Friends settled into worship prior to adjourning at 1:45 p.m., agreeing to meet again on Saturday, April 10, 2010 after gathering at Annual Sessions March 26-29 in Philadelphia.
Thomas Swain, Clerk
David Rose, Recording Clerk.
