Durham Monthly Meeting of Friends Minutes, October 20, 2024 /DRAFT
Meeting for Worship with Attention to Business
Durham Monthly Meeting of Friends met for the conduct of business on Sunday, October 20, 2024 with 7 people in attendance at the Meetinghouse and 1 attending by Zoom.
- Meeting Opening
Clerk Tess Hartford opened the meeting with a quote from Harriet Beecher Stowe: “Let us all resolve: First to attain the grace of silence; Second to deem all fault-finding that does no good a sin…Third to practice the grace and virtue of praise.” From Prayers for Healing.
- Approval of Recording Clerk pro tem
Meeting approved Sarah Sprogell as Recording Clerk Pro Tem.
- Approval of Minutes of September 15, 2024
Meeting approved the minutes as written.
- Ministry and Counsel – Renee Cote, report attached.
Renee reported that M&C has carefully considered the feedback from the listening session held in September on the use of Zoom during meeting for worship. Notes from the session were distributed to those present for review. One additional idea was suggested, that some churches use YouTube for people who cannot attend in person. Additional discussion ensued.
We found unity in agreeing that the Tech Team can experiment with projecting the screen in other locations or in other ways, such as tv screen, as they feel able.
Regarding the use of Zoom in general, M&C recommends that we continue with our current practice of turning off the projector after the first hymn, and turning it on for joys and concerns through the end of worship. They also recommend that we continue with no Zoom on the fourth and fifth Sundays, unless there are extenuating circumstances.
- Trustees – Sarah Sprogell, report attached
Sarah read the Trustee report that included updates on building maintenance, next steps on the Babcock Estate, an abatement to our property tax bill, and planned work for the Lunt Cemetery.
Trustees will be holding a Love Your Meetinghouse clean-up day on Saturday November 2 from 9-12. There will be indoor and outdoor tasks.
- Finance Committee – Dorothy Curtis, report attached.
The Cuba dinner raised $430 so far, with additional donations sent directly to Mimi Marstaller. The additional donations will be added to the total. All donations will go to the Sister Meeting Account, to be given to Cuba Yearly Meeting for assistance to support their Monthly Meetings as needed.
There was a second reading of the request for $100 a month for 12 months from the Charity Fund to support the Friends missions in Turkana and Samburu through Friends United Meeting.
Meeting approved this request.
The Women’s Society asks that we give $500 from the Charity Fund for the Girl Education Program in Kenya, which would also go through Friends United Meeting. There was a general feeling of approval for this, and it will be brought back in November for a second reading.
Women’s Society wants to hold a silent auction fundraiser for Tedford Housing, for several weeks in November and possibly into December.
Meeting approved this request.
7. Outreach Proposal – Kim Bolshaw, report attached
Kim read four requests being made by an ad hoc group that wants to hold monthly “Quaker Maker Sessions” starting in 2025. There was an overall sense of approval for this project. It was noted that this proposal is different from the work of the Special Events Committee which is more focused on specific Meeting related activities.
The current planning group requests that they be recognized as an ad hoc committee of the Meeting.
Meeting approved the group as an ad-hoc Outreach Committee. Current members are Craig Freshley, Leslie Manning, Kim Bolshaw, Ellen Bennett, Doug Bennett, and Ezra Smith.
The ad hoc committee also requests that the Meeting provide $1000 for seed money for the next 18 months to organize and carry out events and activities; an additional $200 for a new, larger outdoor sign to advertise events at the Meetinghouse; and they ask that the Meeting sponsor their activities and events.
There was a general feeling of support and appreciation for the work and requests of this group. The financial and sponsorship requests will be seasoned for the coming month and taken up at the November Meeting for Business. This will also allow time for the Finance Committee to discern how to include these items in the 2025 budget.
8. Other Business
The Clerk asked us to think about planning a Thanksgiving event at the Meetinghouse in November.
9. Approval of Clerk for November and December Meetings for Business
The Meeting approved Ingrid Chalufour as Presiding Clerk in November and December.
Business meeting was adjourned after a brief period of waiting worship and appreciation for those present.
Respectfully Submitted by Sarah Sprogell, recording clerk pro tem.
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