Philadelphia Quarterly Meeting for Worship with Attention to Business

Friday, September 26, 2014  

Germantown Monthly Meeting

Members and Attenders present:  Carol Clark, Francis Elling (Unity Monthly Meeting); Paula Cell, Howard Cell, Tom Grabe, (Germantown Monthly Meeting); Pamela Moore, Heath Meyers, Lynne Calamia (Monthly Meeting of Friends of Philadelphia);  Sara Palmer, Viv Hawkins, Aleksander Miszczuk, Bill Sanderson, Buzz Kimball, Rita Varley (Central Philadelphia Monthly Meeting); Meg Mitchell, Phil Anthony, (Chestnut Hill Friends Meeting); Bob Dockhorn (Green Street Monthly Meeting), Joe Hohenstein, Marille Thomas (Frankord Monthly Meeting);  Amy Kietzman, Susan Chast (West Philadelphia Worship Group);  Hollister Knowlton, Margaret Wood (Evergreen Worship Group); Lola Georg (Media Monthly Meeting)

The Meeting opened with silent Worship

1. 1.      Welcome and introductions

Those in attendance introduced themselves. 

1. 2.      Minutes of Record

The Minutes of the May 4th Meeting for Worship with Attention to Business were approved.  The Minutes from the June 1st Program Meeting for Worship Sharing on Gifts were accepted. 

1. 3.      Nominating Committee Report

Paula Cell welcomed Bill Sanderson, who has agreed to be the Assistant Treasurer for Philadelphia Quarter.  Paula reported that she hopes that Bill, Ed Rhoads and Hollister Knowlton will develop a job description for the Assistant Treasurer position.

Paula and Hollister are now the Nominating Committee. She asked for one or two more volunteers to serve.  A Friend asked what the Nominating Committee does. Paula explained that the Nominating Committee fills the officer and committee positions,  and fills some positions on the Historic Fair Hill and Delaware Valley Friends School boards. 

Paula recommended that the Quarter establish a Program Committee to plan the programs and a Youth Program Subcommittee (under the care of the Program Committee) constituted by Friends than the officers.  She also recommended the Quarter establish a Finance Committee to helps with fundraising and financial accountability.  Friends asked questions about the committees.  It was agreed the committees would develop descriptions of what the committees would do.  Bill Sanderson agreed to Clerk the Finance Committee.  Paula asked for ideas and names for people on the committees.

1. 4.      Financial Report

Bill Sanderson reported on the recent audit of the Quarter’s financial records.  He and Dan Evans met with Quarter Treasurer Ted Rhoads and examined and verified all of the balances for the fiscal years 2013 and 2014.  They found the records in good order, although the final report has not yet been submitted. 

The Clerk asked Friends to look at the 2015 budget.  She reported that Chestnut Hill Meeting has just approved a $2000 contribution to the Quarter which would bring the revenues in over budget.  She also asked Friends to look at the line item for occupancy. She asked Friends whether we should increase the rent to $125 per month, per Treasurer and Exec. Comm. recommendations or leave it at $100 per month.  Margaret Wood reported that other Quarters occasionally use the cubicle but they do not currently contribute toward the cost.  Friends agreed to pay the $125 per month ($1500 per year) as an expression of our excitement about sharing with other Quarters,  with the hope that it might be lowered during the year if the other Quarters using it find the way open to contribute. A Friend recommended that we lift this up to the other Quarters. 

A Friend asked if a cost of living increase for the Coordinator had been discussed.  The Clerk responded that it had not been discussed, but expressed that having a Finance Committee would ensure a full discussion of the budget where that topic could be included.  She reported that, with the additional funds from Chestnut Hill and from individual Friends, we could consider a small increase to $10,300 from $10,000 for the Coordinator.

Next, the Clerk reported on fundraising. She reported the number of donors and funds have increased.  She is implementing an improved acknowledgement process to thank donors.  She reported that the Quarter currently has permission from its constituent monthly meetings to email or mail once per year for fundraising purposes.   This will go out in the Fall.  She requested that  Friends go back to their Meetings between now and December to ask for approval for a second fundraising letter in the Spring, which may be via email or U.S. Mail.   The Clerk also mentioned that Friends can contribute by check or via the website.   

1. 5.      Report on Proposed Program for Sunday, October 26 at Green Street Meeting

The Clerk reported that concerns have been raised both for climate change and Friends’ experiences of racism in the Society of Friends.  To incorporate both concerns, the proposed topic for the Quarterly Program is ‘Building Resilience and Community in the face of two Crises: Friends Speak on Racism and Climate Change’.  There will be a panel of speakers, followed by pair and small group discussion

1. Minute of Concern for consideration/endorsement

Central Philadelphia Monthly Meeting requests endorsement of the Life Calls Ministry minute for Viv Hawkins.  The Clerk read the following minute and asked for endorsement. 

Central Philadelphia Monthly Meeting is blessed to accompany our member Viv Hawkins as she testifies that, with Divine assistance, we can manifest heaven on earth. Viv works and prays to inspire, encourage, and empower people, individually and corporately, to live into our greatest sacredness in harmony with creation. Crossing various boundaries, her Friends Ministry (now including ReleasingMinistry.org), Sabbath-jubilee, and India Connections projects invite us all to: 

• kindle covenant community,
•  faithfully follow our Guide, and
• liberate for the common good the spiritual and material gifts we steward

Central Philadelphia Monthly Meeting finds Viv clear to engage this ministry which we have supported, spiritually and materially, since 2005. We commend her to everyone she visits, sending our love for Viv and for you who receive her. We ask you to receive Viv with tenderness and to join with her in listening for and following the guidance of the Spirit.

Friends approved the endorsement of this minute.

1. Viv Hawkins also presented to the Quarter a new project, Releasing Ministries.org.   It is an online vehicle (website and other social media) where people can go to see Quaker ministries that they might want to help and support.   She asked if Friends think this is a good idea. If so, she asks whether Friends would approve forwarding the following minute to  the monthly meetings of the Quarter, with the hope that  a quarterly meeting minute of support for Releasing Ministries.org would be considered at a future meeting for business.

A report regarding ReleasingMinistry.org, a project to publicize and ‘crowd-fund’ Quaker ministries, was received at Philadelphia Quarterly Meeting’s (PQM) September 26, 2014 meeting for business.  We agree, with Divine assistance, this project can help nurture Quakerism and the wider world. 

We extend our gratitude to Central Philadelphia Monthly Meeting for the care it provides to this project, including an on-going spiritual accountability group to ensure faithfulness and fiscal stewardship. 

We ask our member meetings to consider if we can unite in supporting this endeavor conceptually and encourage others to do so, also.  We encourage PQM members and meetings to learn more about this project either: at www.releasingministry.org, via a Friends Journal article at http://www.friendsjournal.org/releasing-friends/, at a called session of PQM in January, or in direct communication with Viv Hawkins (friendviv@gmail.com).

We are aware the project requires prayer and start-up funding.  We encourage our membership and others to support it, as led.  (Tax-deductible contributions designated for LifeCalls Ministry can be sent to CPMM, 1515 Cherry St, Philadelphia, PA  19102.)

Friends asked clarifying questions about the nature of the project, such as its scope, definition of ‘crowd-funding’ and tax implications.   Friends accepted Viv’s report and released the Clerk and others to prepare a packet of information to be given to Monthly Meetings along with the minute .  

1. 8.      Organizations Under the Care of the Quarter

Paula Cell reported that the Quaker Voluntary Service (QVS) volunteers have moved in to their shared house and are under the care of Green Street Meeting. The QVS board has approved a second year volunteer program to start in 2015 in Philadelphia. A second house is also planned for 2015 in Cambridge, MA.  

Tom Grabe reported for Historic Fair Hill.  The annual fundraiser was held last Sunday; it was well attended. Fair Hill has a youth group that does the garden and has a small CSA. 

1. 9.      Evidence of Life and Vitality in our Meetings

One of the QVS graduates and a Friend lead a workshop mutual spiritual accountability at Central Philadelphia Monthly Meeting, and there are now two such groups formed.

Frankford Friends welcomed a new family and has two other families attending as well.  The Meeting has received title to the empty lot across from the Meetinghouse, which can be used for a community garden and possibly playground.  There is a building on the grounds, which is not usable now, and plans are being made to fund its repair.

Unity Meeting has an active after school program with programs in team building,  life skills and cooking. One of the children, who has been coming since he was eight years old and is now 18, has applied for membership in the Meeting.   He is a mentor to the youth program.  Francis Elling was also welcomed into Unity Meeting.

Friends in Northwest Philadelphia are participating in a rally in Vernon Park for voter registration, especially for returning citizens on September 27th.  

A QVS volunteer has applied to join Germantown Meeting

A celebration of William Penn’s birthday will be held at the Arch Street Meetinghouse the weekend of October 24-26.  There is a fundraiser on Friday and celebration open to the public on Saturday.

Chestnut Hill Meeting has been able to host the Interfaith Hospitality Network for two months now that it has sufficient Meetinghouse space.  The meeting is also planning several programs open to all. 

1. 10.  Announcements

Philadelphia Quarter events can be publicized on the PYM community calendar.

The Principal of Frankford Friends, Penny Colgan-Davis, is retiring next Spring and a celebration will be held in April.

Extended workshop will be held on December 6 at Central Philadelphia Monthly Meeting.

The Friends World Committee for Consultation is sponsoring World Quaker Day is October 5; it can be celebrated by Meetings in any way they want.  

1. Closing worship

The Meeting closed with silent worship.