Richmond Friends Meeting
Meeting for Worship with Attention to Business
Third Month 15, 2015
Meeting began with silence at 11:00 am. Forty-four (44) members and attenders were present. Mary Graham-Landau was greeter. Michael Pierce from Ministry and Worship sat on the facing bench to hold Meeting in the Light. Kyle Ginraick and Cheron Constance were welcomed as first time attenders to MWB. Randee Humphrey read the Baltimore Yearly Meeting (BYM) proposed Queries and Voices on Listening.
Peace and Social Concerns: Clerk Denna Joy announced: (1) The committee is a joint sponsor with Richmonders for Peace in Israel and Palestine and the Richmond Peace Education Center of a discussion of the book “The Lemon Tree” at the downtown Richmond Public Library on Tuesday, March 24, 2015, from 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm. Snacks will be provided. The discussion will be meaningful even if you haven’t yet read the book. (2) On March 15 and 22, 2015, “gently used” items will be collected for donation to The Thrifty Quaker to benefit Quaker House. (3) March is the food drive month for the Fan Free Clinic. Food items will be accepted each Sunday. Friends are encouraged to donate.
Nominating Committee: Brooke Davis announced the nomination of Bob Alexander to the Care and Counsel committee. Friends approved. Bob explained that he was led to join the committee after a discussion at a Men’s Retreat when it was noted that some committees have few or no men as members.
Recorder’s Report: Recorder Mary Julia Street recently submitted the annual Recorder’s Report to BYM. She presented some of the key information. In 2014, we added three new members and lost one member. Twenty letters were sent to junior associate members who were turning 25 years of age to see if they wanted to become members. Two requested membership; the others were dropped from the members list. Currently, the Meeting has 168 adult members and 25 junior associate members.
Adult Spiritual Education: Howard Garner announced the following: (1) On March 22, 2015, Bible Workbench will be held from 9:30 am to 10:45 am. It will focus on Jeremiah 31: 31-34. (2) On April 12, 2015, from 9:30 am to 10:45 am, as part of the series Spirit and the Environment, Buddhist scholar Joanna Macy will present and lead a discussion of an essay “The Greening of the Self.” Copies will be made available before the event. All are encouraged to attend. (3) The committee is in the process of rescheduling the programs on the James River and conscientious objection as soon as possible.
Elizabeth Smith spoke on a topic related to conscientious objection. For a number of years, a notebook with statements by Meeting members in opposition to war and military service was kept in the library. She wondered whether having the notebook available again, with the opportunity for additional statements, might be helpful. The Clerk asked Elizabeth and representatives from Adult Spiritual Education, Peace and Social Concerns, and Religious Education to meet and discuss this.
Dan Shaw announced that registration for the 2015 Friends General Conference sessions opens on April 1, 2015.
Care and Counsel: Margaret Edds made two announcements: (1) The committee is still accepting applications to Quaker camps. Since the available funds exceed what is likely to be used by members of the Meeting community, she asked Friends to think about other young people who might be interested in attending with a scholarship. A Friend suggested that scholarships be made available through the Friends Association for Children. (2) There will be a New Member and New Baby welcome on Sunday, May 3, 2015, at rise of Meeting.
Ministry and Worship: Tracey Cain distributed copies and read the first draft of the 2014 Spiritual State of the Meeting report. Several Friends expressed their appreciation of both the content and the writing of the report. The committee invites Friends to submit comments and suggestions to clerk Tracey Cain, who will share them with the committee as they consider revisions. Several Friends commented that having an opportunity to talk about the Spiritual State of the Meeting on a Sunday would be helpful and might engage more people. The Clerk suggested that Ministry and Worship consider additional ways for Friends to meet to give input to the committee in the future.
Second Month 2015 MWB Minutes: Approved. A suggestion was made about usage and capitalization of the names of days of the week in minutes (e.g. Sunday vs. First Day). The Clerk and Recording Clerk will consider the suggestion.
Clerk’s Business: (1) The Clerk read the travel minute for Rita Willett. Friends approved. The letter will be attached to the minutes. (2) The Clerk described several recent activities related to the zoning complaint and building usage. Recently, two hostile phone messages were left on the answering machine, which were reported to the police. Having heard the messages, it was the judgment of the police that the individual who left the messages is not dangerous. (A Friend noted that while the situation was being evaluated, the BYM Junior Young Friends conference scheduled to be held at RFM was moved to Midlothian Meeting.) The Clerk has formed an ad hoc Building Use Committee including the Trustees, the Building Coordinator, the Clerk, Margaret Edds, Randee Humphrey, Steve Humphrey, and Rita Willett. The committee’s charge is to address our building use policies and to find ways to engage the neighborhood to ensure that we are being respectful of our neighbors and remaining true to our values. The committee is hoping to resolve the complaint before a formal letter of zoning violation is issued.
A question was raised about the FCNL “War Is Not the Answer” sign, which was taken down after a zoning officer who came to the building said that it had to be removed. While informal legal advice has said that RFM has the right to replace the sign, there was not unity among the Trustees, the Building Coordinator and the Clerk as to whether it was appropriate to replace it.
Representatives from the ad hoc committee will be meeting with City Councilman Jonathan Baliles to explore ways to engage the community. The Clerk encouraged Friends to consider our responsibilities in the neighborhood and discern what we should be doing, not simply react to what we can do. The Clerk asked Friends with concerns and suggestions to contact her, the Trustees, or members of the ad hoc committee. In response to several suggestions and comments, she stated that they were examples of the kinds of questioning and consideration we need to do as a Meeting community. Friends were clear that they supported the work of the ad hoc committee and also that they were eager to be engaged at the level of deep and spiritual dialogue. A desire for sharing about our values and our spiritual response to the issues being raised, in addition to whatever legal concerns need to be addressed, was made clear. (3) The next potluck lunch will be March 22, 2015, at rise of Meeting. Please bring food to share.
All business being concluded we settled into silence until the rise of meeting was signaled from the facing bench.
Barbara Hulburt, Clerk
James Thoroman, Recording Clerk