Attending: Bill and Genie Durland, Deb Chitwood, Jeremy Nelson, Joyce Doyle Molly Wingate (recording clerk), Carlton Gamer (clerk), Ginger Morgan, Lisa Lister
Opening Reading:
For Friends the most important consideration is not the right action in itself but a right inward state out of which right action will arise. Given the right inward state, right action is inevitable. Inward state and outward action are component parts of a single whole.
Approval of November Minutes
Approved as written.
Cash Flow Report
All of our bank accounts are now with ENT Credit Union; we are cleared out of Wells Fargo Bank. There is a full report attached.
Committee Reports:
a. Finance Committee - Lisa Lister presented the final budget for 2012.
Since the proposed budget was presented, we have gotten more
pledges, and we now can fully fund the proposed budget. Thank
you, Friends, for supporting the Meeting. We are urged to
remember that the travel budget line is not fixed. We can
always rearrange the budget and find more, if needed. The 2012
budget was approved.
Local donations: Suggestions were made for Mesa House, Justice
and Peace Commission, Mountain Friends Camp. It was decided to
give \$100 to each.
b. Nominating Committee - Genie Durland presented the nominations.
- [Ginger Morgan](/Friends/GingerMorgan/) Clerk
- [Molly Wingate](/Friends/MollyWingate/) and [Jonathan
McPhee](/Friends/JonathanMcPhee/) Nominating
- [Carlton Gamer](/friends/CarltonGamer/) Meeting Home
Committee
Discussion ensued about the former Religious Education and
Action Committee that has de facto withered.
[Ginger](/Friends/GingerMorgan/) mentioned that [Ministry and
Oversight](/committees/MinistryAndOversight/) has talked about
the spiritual health of the meeting and suggested that we
discuss the ideas for religious education and action in a
potluck. [Joyce](/Friends/JoyceDoyle/) added that she would
welcome a focused action from Friends that would be part of
our community. We discussed reinstituting the name of the
[Religious Education and Action](/committees/REA/) Committee
and adding the members and a charge later.
We gratefully accepted the nominations as presented and we ask
each committee to reflect on their configuration and what is
needed to complete their charge. The [nomination
committee](/committees/Nominating/) will work each committee
to ensure that committee have what the personnel they need.
[Ministry and Oversight](/committees/MinistryAndOversight/)
will season the idea of Religious Education and Action
Committee and bring that deliberation back to the meeting for
consideration.
We also approved [John Gallagher](/Friends/John%20Gallagher)
to serve as our representative to the Colorado Regional
Meeting's Continuing Committee.
[M&O](/committees/MinistryAndOversight/) contacts all members in
inquire as to their affiliation with the meeting. There are some
who are, for better or worse, missing in action.
[Ginger](/Friends/GingerMorgan/) asked for feedback about some
people. We may not have good contact information for Hal and Deb
Gimpelson in New Zealand. IN the case of Deneen Crandall, we
have lost track of where she is and haven't had any contact with
her, but we have gotten assessment money from her. Charles Stoy
was grateful for contact the meeting some years ago, but
[Ginger](/Friends/GingerMorgan/) has not gotten any response
from contacts him recently. [Ginger](/Friends/GingerMorgan/)
expressed that she is unclear about keeping Charles on the list
of members. We are concerned to proceed carefully and
thoughtfully. We urged [M&O](/committees/MinistryAndOversight/)
to continue to try make contact, get updates from Deneen and
Charlie, and to get good contact information for Hal and Deb.
[Connie Williams](/Friends/ConnieWilliams/) wishes to stay
affiliated with our meeting, even though Buena Vista Worship
Group has been laid down. We approved the following minute.
After communication with Connie Williams, we have learned that
the Buena Vista Worship Groups is no longer meeting. [Colorado
Springs Meeting](/) therefore lays down our care for that
workshop group and retains [Connie](/Friends/ConnieWilliams/)
as a member.
We are thankful that [Jeremy Nelson](/Friends/JeremyNelson/) has
offered to help with [First Day School](/committees/Education/),
and we welcome anyone who wishes to join the ranks of teachers,
occasionally or on a regular basis.
We will be holding a special session to discuss lessons learned
from the process regarding 15 S. Wahsatch and to give the
[Meeting Home Committee](/committees/MeetingHome) direction on
Wednesday, December 14th from 5-7 PM at the Women's Club
building, 20 Mesa Road. We hope for a very good attendance.
f. Library -
Circulation has improved as [Joyce](/Friends/JoyceDoyle/) has
put out books in combination with hospitality time. [Bill
Durland](/Friends/BillDurland/)'s recently updated book about
the Israeli/Palestine conflict is available in the library.
Old business
a. Yearly Meeting Queries/Discussion topics. We were asked to forward any comments to Continuing Committee concerning recommendations from the IMYM Structure Task Force and from the FCNL group; we need not come to unity on any of them. Below are the recommendations followed by our response to them.
1. Recommendations concerning the structure of IMYM from the
Structure Task Force.
**Recommendation 1.** IMYM 2011.06 Intermountain Yearly
Meeting should continue to provide funds for travel when the
representatives need assistance. The criteria for
appointment should not include ability to pay for travel.
Representatives should be able to request reimbursement for
their actual travel expenses (rather than according to a
schedule).
We think this is a great idea. Absolutely essential.
**Recommendation 2.** The Yearly Meeting should continue to
appoint the current number of representatives to Western
Friend (3) and Friends Peace Teams (1). FWCC, FCNL, AFSC,
and FGC should be limited to no more than 3 representatives,
and the representatives should be at large rather than
representing the regions. Rather than simply attempting to
fill all positions, the Yearly Meeting should instead
appoint only representatives who feel a real leading to
serve, leaving representative positions vacant if no one
with such a leading can be found.
We think the recommendation to have only at-large members
may be too diffuse. We suggest that the committee ask for
specific feedback from the current representatives to each
organization and try again to reduce the costs. We also hope
that we seek clarity about the financial responsibility of
who supports this external travel, IMYM or the group to
which we are sending representatives.
**Recommendation 3.** To fund the growing need for financial
aid to attend Annual Gathering, the Yearly Meeting should
provide financial aid from the general fund by increasing
Monthly Meeting assessments rather than increasing the cost
of attending the Annual Gathering.
We think that this is a good idea. The cost of IMYM should
be kept within reach.
**Recommendation 4.** The Yearly Meeting's operating budget
is entirely funded by assessments from Monthly Meetings, and
the Yearly Meeting is not organized to manage or oversee
projects. In almost all cases, financial support for
specific causes and donations to other organizations should
continue to be a Monthly Meeting responsibility. However,
the Yearly Meeting should also provide an orderly
way, "preferably with full involvement by Monthly Meetings" for
discerning whether the Yearly Meeting should support a
specific concern or make a donation to another organization.
We support that the Yearly Meeting seek a way forward to
create an orderly method to consider financial support of
causes and donations. We are also concerned, however, that
the yearly meeting has an obligation to provide service and
support to causes. We wish that IMYM structure itself in
such a way that it will be able to extend itself.
We would welcome the opportunity to consider these
recommendations in light of recommendations from the
Stewardship and Service Committees.
They are most certainly going to impact each other.
2. Number of representative from IMYM to FCNL.
The Structure Task Force suggested that the number be
reduced from 6 to 3. We are to weigh the attached comments
and pass our comments on to IMYM. Please see our comments on
recommendation 2.
New Business
Bill reported that AFSC that is still in flux and sorting out its structure.
Grateful for service from Carlton Gamer and Molly Wingate as outgoing Clerk and Recording Clerk.
Closed with silence at 1:10 PM