In Attendance: Ann Daugherty, Sarah Callbeck, Carlton Gamer, Lisa Lister, Molly Wingate
Started at 11:28 am with Opening silence
Reading from British Yearly Meeting:
Be aware of the spirit of God at work in the originary activities and experience of your daily life. Spiritual learning continues throughout life, and often in unexpected ways. There is inspiration to be found all around us, in the natural world, in the science and arts, in our work and friendships, in our sorrows as as well as in our joys. Are you open to new light, from whatever source it may come? Do you approach new ideas with discernment? (page 6)
Acceptance of Twelfth Month Minutes:
http://coloradospringsquakers.org/meetings/Business/2013/12 Minutes accepted provisionally
Clerk's Report: The clerk asks for your patience and support as she begins this new position in service to the Meeting. She is thankful for Molly's excellent and dedicated work as clerk, which has strengthened our Meeting.
Committee Reports
Finance Committee new meeting time and place, meeting time second 1st day at 11:30 after Meeting for Worship. Following a suggestion by Meeting House committee, a generous bequest from a recently deceased friend that we fully fund the Meeting reserves as :
*. $540 towards reserves for three months of utilities payments
*. $10 towards emergency fund to place it at a fully funded $575 plus monthly dividends
*. $1,430 towards reserves for three months of mortgage payments
The finance committee request the following queries to be considered:
Does the Meeting approve of the Meeting House Committee's suggestion to use some of the bequest for building reserve needs?
Does the Meeting approve of the Finance Committee's proposal as to how to distribute the bequest?
Ann brought up that various Friends travel expenses have increased, that the remaining $3,020 be for some other purpose. Molly expressed her desire to keep the funds together to honor the Friend's bequest. Molly and Carlton to create a new seed funds for the new addition with this money into a new savings account at ENT. Sarah talked about the importance of being a good steward of Friends donations.
After a moment of silence, the meeting approved the finance committee's proposal to fully fund the topping up the reserves and creating a new savings account with the remaining funds as seed money.
Cash flow went down because of our distributions and other expenses not budgeted, utilities expense significantly lower than last year. Sarah went over financial reports from the Meeting. In the Revenue statement, the positive sum in the general fund should be celebrated as it shows that Meeting is operating but the building fund is negative. We do building projects when the money is available from monies received as donations and the negative balance in this building account reflects budgeted projects and does not reflect unbudgeted expenses. In the balance sheet report, total liabilities and net assets of the meeting in 2013 was $106,294.47. The Meeting expressed gratitude for the work done on these reports and accepted the Finance report.
Ministry and Oversight Committee (Minutes attached), February 4th at 11am. Molly suggested that the Meeting minutes to not include names of Friends in the minutes in order to preserve privacy. Carlton was also surprised with the inclusion of personal names in the report that will posted publicly. Friends mentioned the concerns of putting names in the official minutes. The minutes for M&O would not be made publicly.
M&O is requested to clarify the membership of a Friend and if he is officially a member of the meeting.
Next M&O meeting will be on February 4th 2014 at 11am.
The concerns of Friends privacy in M&O report and what should be included in the Meeting public presence on website will be brought to M&O by Jeremy.
First Day School - Molly will be leading a session on ecological justice and requests any Friends to come and assist her.
Adult Education - Committee put down until a Friend feels moved to take the lead.
Peace and Social Concerns Committee - No report.
Library - No report.
Meetinghouse Committee (Minutes attached)
Meeting House has a couple of projects including making the windows fully functionality, looking at a ramp for ADA and a fixed front door. Meeting House committee discussed the addition and looking at ways to fund the new addition.
ADA compliant project Molly will go out and get a bid and Lisa will pursue applying for FGC Meetinghouse Grant.
Report accepted with gratitude.
Old Business
Fall Query: Genie needs to submit a response to IMYM.
Please consider these questions carefully and come to Business Meeting
prepared to share your reflections. You may also email Genie directly at
Durlandwe@gmail.com
As a Yearly Meeting what do we value in providing programming for youth? What does your meeting want to see in youth programming at IMYM? In particular, what suggestions does your meeting have for keeping a vital and loving Junior Young Friends program at IMYM? What are your leadings about support for Middle School youth?
Lisa has already sent her personal thoughts to Genie on these queries. Molly spoke about how her children have benefited enormously in past from IMYM youth programming. Molly is happy to volunteer to run a session slow parenting programming at IMYM. We as a meeting strongly support IMYM youth program with young friends of the meeting having benefit. Friends are encouraged to send any thoughts to Genie.
Would we like to hold a workshop on the Doctrine of Discovery?
Boulder meeting is available to conduct workshops on the Doctrine of Discovery and Indigenous People's rights. Friends should know that there may be a minute about the Doctrine of Discovery proposed for June Gathering and meetings are encouraged to learn about it and schedule time for the powerful workshop Boulder can provide.
Please note: There are 4 attachments dealing with this issue in more detail, along with the proposed minute.
Molly suggests that this program would be of interest to the larger Colorado Springs community groups and religious organizations but she doesn't feel called to organize the session. This idea will be seasoned and brought up at next Meeting for Worship.
New Business
Announcements
Eric Moon will be giving a presentation on April 19th at Boulder Meeting, "Meeting the Testimonies Again for the First Time." See attached announcement.
When would the occasional book group like to meet to discuss Back Bench by Margaret Hope Bacon?
Over the past couple weeks people have found the Meeting through the website.
Reminders
Our website: coloradospringsquakers.org. All business meeting minutes and reports will be available on line. Our calendar of events is there also.
Please put events at the meetinghouse on the paper calendar on the bulletin
board and let Lisa Lister and Bill Werling know.
Bill is the calendar keeper for now and he will enter it on
Google calendar so the event will be listed on our website. You can subscribe
to get reminders and updates automatically.
If you are part of a group or know of a group who would like to use the meeting house, please have them contact Ann Martin who is excited about.
Friends are welcome to use the meetinghouse during the week and to open it for Sunday worship. The key to the building is always available in the lock box on the ladies' room door. We have created a one-sheet set of directions for opening and closing the building. Call Molly, Lisa Lister, Ann Daugherty, Bill Werling, Peter Le Var or the Durlands for the code to open the lock box.
Closed with a moment of silence at 12:50pm.
Respectively submitted in the light
(Acting Recording Clerk for Bill Werling)