Durham Monthly Meeting of Friends, September 17, 2017
Durham Monthly Meeting of Friends convened in worship on Sunday, September 17, 2017 with 10 people present. Clerk Sarah Sprogell read a quote from The Lemon Tree, by Sandy Tolan on “the expansion of the heart” helping us to understand others.
1. Ron Turcotte reported for Ministry and Counsel. a) Ministry and Counsel recommends that the meeting continue without a pastor. They also recommend that we create a committee to look into a part-time stipend position to assist the meeting with its needs. They would like these two recommendations to be considered for decision at the October 15th monthly meeting. b) Ron has begun as a member of the NEYM Puente de Amigos committee and wishes a clearness committee regarding traveling to Cuba in January 2018. Recommendations for people on a clearness committee were offered. c) The application for Durham Meeting to participate in the Hope Gateway Church’s 2018 leadership program, “Growing With Hope” is due November 1. Committee clerks have been asked to reach out to their members to see who might be interested in this program.
2. The meeting approved the recommendation of Ministry and Counsel to have the October 15th monthly meeting for business designated primarily to decide the issue of continuing without a pastor and calling for an ad hoc committee to develop a job description for a stipend position. Friends will be informed about it well in advance so there can be a full attendance of people interested.
3. Tess Hartford reported for Christian Education: a) “World Quaker Day” will be observed on October 1 with a special children’s message and Godly Play. This will be followed by brunch-style refreshments after meeting, during which time Friends can view a video of how Quakers around the world worship and celebrate World Quaker Day. World Quaker Day is an activity of Friends World Committee for Consultation. b) Christian Education is working on new ways to welcome new families and children. c) The Adult Sunday school group will begin “The Freedom and Justice Crier” on racial and social justice which comes from New England Yearly Meeting. The meeting has copies available for the study group. d) Christian Education has reviewed the position of Wendy Schlotterbeck as Youth Minister. They consider the role of the Youth Minister to be very important and recommend that Wendy Schlotterbeck continue in the position.
4. The meeting approved the renewal of our employment agreement with Wendy Schlotterbeck as Youth Minister for the contract year of July 1, 2017-June 30, 2018 at $800 per month for all 12 months.
5. Wendy Schlotterbeck said that with new children/families interested, a new youth group may be formed with children from 5th – 8th grade. The youth group will meet monthly with an intergenerational gathering every other month. Wendy reported there were 9 children in Sunday School today. They look forward to holding a Halloween party. Gratitude was given to Wendy and Christian Education for having such a lovely gathering of families and children in worship today.
7. Leslie Manning reported for Trustees.
a) Trustees have reviewed the price structure for the meeting’s three cemeteries. The average yearly cost to the meeting of the cemeteries for maintenance (perpetual care) is approximately $4500/year. (This includes the lawn mowing of the meetinghouse and parsonage property.) The current rates for perpetual care were last determined in 1997. Trustees recommends doubling the cost of purchasing a single plot for non-meeting members from $75 to $150 and the cost of perpetual care (for everyone) from $100 to $200, beginning in 2018. There is no cost for a plot for members. New rates for multiple plots were also assigned as follows: Plot Perpetual Care Total One 4×10 plot $150 $200 $350 Two 200 400 600 Four 350 650 1,000 People who purchase plots before 2018 will get the current rate. Money received for the purchase of a plot goes into the General Fund whereas money for perpetual care goes into the cemetery fund held by Trustees. People should see Eileen Babcock if interested.
b) There remains a significant amount of space in the Lunt Cemetery. Trustees will be walking the boundaries, and identifying plot spaces. They are also considering a memorial garden for cremation urns.
c) Trustees would like to increase the weekly payment for the meetinghouse custodian from $50 to $60. They would also like to pay overtime for emergency “call out” needs at an hourly rate of $12/hour.
d) Durham Monthly Meeting of Friends wishes to express our deep appreciation and sincere thanks to Charlotte Anne Curtis for her faithful service as our custodian and to wish her” Happy Trails” on her future journeys. Charlotte has served with faithfulness, good cheer and creativity and has made our entire meeting family, not just our beloved meetinghouse, more welcoming and inviting to all. “Thank you, Charlotte Anne. We will hold you in the Light of Love as you take your leave.”
e) Trustees recommends that Durham Meeting hire Donna Hutchins as the new custodian for October through December. f) Trustees wish to hire arborist Joel Dunham (Dunham Landscaping of Lisbon) to continue work on tree cutting that is needed right away. Joel will take stumpage wood, and will clear a number of areas for seeding grass. They have agreed on a fee of $2000 for an extensive job.
8. The meeting approved an increase of the custodian fee to $60/week. It also approved $12/hour extra emergency overtime for the trial period of October through December. Friends also approve Donna Hutchins for this position.
