February 2022 Meeting Minutes
GRASS VALLEY FRIENDS MEETING
Of the Religious Society of Friends of the Truth
College Park Quarterly Meeting, Pacific Yearly Meeting
MINUTES & RECORD
Meeting for Worship on the Occasion of Business
02/13/2022
We met on Zoom.
Present: Dean Olson & Karen Olson (co-clerks),Dianne Marshall, Chamba Cooke, Amy Cooke, Judy Hamilton, Reed Hamilton, Gordon Starr, Doug Hamm, Dorothy Henderson, Kathy McCreery, fosten wilson.
The Meeting opened with silent worship.
Clerks’ Remarks and Query
“It is a time of bona fide worship that brings all into the presence of God. Business is done in the spirit of worship.” Do you recall a time you sensed our conducting business that we were doing this in the context of worship? What practices appeared to support the sense of worship in the meeting?
- A Friend shared that it is a support to not to do handwork during Meeting for Worship for Business – to let her hands rest in Spirit as well as her ears and eyes.
- A Friend queries himself, What do I do to prepare for Meeting for Worship? Finding the center, stilling thoughts, finding receptivity to spirit that allows hearing of messages. Also, not coming to Meeting for Worship for Business with an agenda.
- Another Friend shared that periods of silence are helpful, to lead back into worship.
- Addressing conflicts in worship rather than having conflicts unacknowledged is very valuable.
- It can be very helpful when Friends come to Meeting for Business having done work outside the meeting in addressing others’ potential concerns.
- Everyone is unified in holding the Meeting so that the clerk does not have to “herd cats.”
- To stop, be quiet, let it settle, trust the direction that the Meeting is moving in.
A celebration was made for the hybrid meeting – the Friends and guests in the meetinghouse, and the members and attenders on Zoom.
Gordon Starr shared that next Sunday music will be happening in the meetinghouse and will continue (other than second Sunday).
Action Items and Seasoning:
- From Twelfth Month: The proposed Rental Agreement with SFC: See Stewardship committee report.
- The ad hoc committee to welcome Coleen Hedglin report: See Spirit and Witness report.
- The ad hoc committee on Hybrid Meetings report: See Spirit and Witness report.
- Nominating: Two names were brought forward for the remaining one-year terms on the Welcome Committee, seasoned since 1st Month.
- Don McCormick
- Pat Phillips
COMMITTEE REPORTS (see reports appended, committee clerk is noted in bold)
NOMINATING: Doug Hamm, Patrica Phillips, Karen Olson
Two names were brought forward for one-year terms on the Welcome Committee. These names have seasoned until this Meeting for Business.
- Don McCormick
- Pat Phillips
MINUTE 2022.02.01: Grass Valley Friends Meeting approves the names of Don McCormick and Pat Phillips to serve on the Welcome Committee for the remainder of this year.
STEWARDSHIP: Mary Starr, Gordon Starr, Reed Hamilton, Pat Phillips, Doug Hamm, Fosten Wilson (Treasurer, Ex-officio) Dianne Marshall (ex officio as Librarian and Newsletter Editor), Hailey Wilson, Reed Hamilton
Gordon Starr gave the report, attached. See Spirit and Witness report, below, for more details on the lease with Sierra Friends Center.
SPIRIT & WITNESS: Gordon Starr, Judy Hamilton, Gordon Bishop, Dorothy Henderson, Anita and Don McCormick (ex-officio Co Clerks), Judy Hamilton
Judy Hamilton gave the report, attached.
There was confirmation expressed that Meeting for Business works better on Zoom. It is difficult, however, for those who would travel fair distances on Second Sunday.
A Friend asked how things will be impacted by the county lifting the mask mandate. The rental agreement requires that we adhere to what the county mandates. Organizations can choose to have tighter restrictions. This will now go back to the committee for further discernment.
MINUTE 2022.02.02: Grass Valley Friends Meeting approves the lease with Sierra Friends Center as appended to the 1st Month 2022 Minutes.
WELCOME: Karen Olson, Kathy McCreery, ex officio Website/Facebook Coordinator (Amy Cooke), ex officio Zoom coordinator (Hailey Wilson and Stuart Smith), ex officio Email Coordinator (Judy Hamilton), Don McCormick, Pat Phillips.
The Welcome Committee gathered the waivers for SFC today at the physical meeting.
Kathy McCreery gave the Organization Report, appended.
CHILDREN’S PROGRAM: Karen Olson, Judy Hamilton, Dorothy Henderson, Gordon Bishop, Anita McCormick, Doug Hamm, Don McCormick
Dorothy Henderson gave the report, appended.
She noted that there is a potential of having 14 children from Meeting families present at Sierra Friends Center. It will be live for 3rd Sundays and 4th Sundays, Zoom for 2nd Sundays, and no program at this time for 1st Sundays.
OFFICER REPORTS
Fosten Wilson gave the Treasurer’s Report, appended
A Friend brought up the issue of having a representative to SFC as we negotiate an agreement regarding the equipment used in the meetinghouse. Is it necessary that we have only one person? It is very helpful to have one person be the point person for clear communication. It is difficult when more than one person acts on behalf of the Meeting.
This will be delegated to the Stewardship Committee for further discernment.
SFC REPRESENTATIVE: Pat Phillips
Updates included:
- The Writing Group has started and all are welcome
- The water lines are being installed
ANNOUNCEMENTS
- If you use Facebook, follow the Grass Valley Friends Meeting page, or join the Facebook Grass Valley Friends Meeting group. If you share a post from the page, your friends will see it! It helps our visibility. Follow this link.
- It’s easy to give to Grass Valley Friends Meeting! Go to gvfriends.org and click on the Give button. This takes you to a secure site for donations. Please consider making your contribution monthly. Your contribution covers our Pacific Yearly Meeting dues and ensures that our activities as a Meeting are sustained. Thank you.
- Tithely now allows the user to change the dollar of their gift without making a new donation request.
- Interfaith Nevada County will be taking part in the March for Peace and Social Justice on May 22, 2022, with some modifications pending. See the newsletter!
- Sierra Friends Center has volunteer opportunities available. See www.woolman.org.
- Stuart Smith has had an article published in this month’s Friends Journal. https://www.friendsjournal.org/issue-category/2022/quaker-heroes-2022/
- Nancy Anderson needs support with Tristan on Mondays 4pm – 8 pm. Please contact her if you can help.
ACTION ITEMS & ITEMS SEASONING
- Representative for SFC: delegated to the Stewardship Committee for further discernment.
Gratitude was expressed at the Dean for his care and attention to the Meeting’s business. Dean expressed his gratitude for all the work and clarity that the committees have done – there is a sense of the Meeting being held with attention and love through so many changes.
READING OF THE RECORD AND MINUTES
The record and the minutes were read, corrected and approved.
If you are giving a report to GVFM, please send the actual report to the recording clerk at grassvalleyfriends@gmail.com THE FRIDAY BEFORE MEETING FOR BUSINESS.
GVFM Newsletter Reminder: Please have items into Diane Marshall by Tuesday at 10 am.
The Meeting closed with silent worship.
Respectfully recorded by Amy Cooke, recording clerk.
APPENDICES:
- Spirit and Witness Report
- Children’s Program Report
- Stewardship Committee Report
- REPORT ON QUAKER ORGANIZATION: FGC
- Treasurer’s Quarterly Report
————————————————————————-
Spirit and Witness Report
Our committee (Dorothy Henderson, Gordon Starr, Gordon Bishop, Amy Cooke and myself) met Saturday February 5th.
Sierra Friends Center: We discussed the lease that still needs to be signed. Gordon and I reported on our meeting with Shannon Boling who is the SFC representative handling this. We all agreed that since the work in the Meeting House was not completed in January, we would pay ½ months rent for that month. One of the concerns in signing the lease is the requirement that all attenders must sign a waiver. This is something non-negotiable that is required by SFC’s insurer. We strategized on different ways this could be done, i.e. approach newcomers after Meeting and /or have waivers on the welcome table at the front door. It was also proposed that this be taken on by the Welcoming Committee.
The library is now fully installed including an area for children within the library. There are still decisions that need to be made such as what posters to keep and where, cleaning issues and use of Meeting’s Wi-fi equipment by others. There is a concern on who exactly is the point person working on this with SFC.
The meeting with Coleen Hedgelin, executive director of SFC and Shannon Boling, Retreats Manager and our committee clerks went very well. Coleen shared her passion for dialog and her vision of SFC’s future and the clerks present shared their past experience(s) at SFC.
We have 5 or 6 committees of care ongoing and they all seem to be meeting the needs of those involved.
We have begun the process of contacting our Quaker Buddies. Many are finding this not an easy task. Dorothy gave us some motivating tips and on the importance this can be for all involved.
Ad-hoc hybrid committee: We are pretty much doing a hybrid Meeting for Worship except for second Sundays when we have Meeting for Business. When Meeting for Business is on Zoom, there are challenges with seeing and hearing people in the Meeting House when they wish to speak. If the clerk
and M4B was centered in the Meeting House then the challenge is divided attention between the TV and the people in the room. It is likely that the clerk will need an assistant to help with this issue. We hope to obtain additional hand held microphones that may resolved the issue of hearing everyone. We decided that this month we will meet on Zoom only for Meeting for Business.
Spiritual Life programs (4th Sundays) are as follows:
Feb. – Don on the process of discernment and vocal ministry
March – Amy and Chamba on Quakers in France.
April – Gordon on Forgiveness
May –Dorothy and Judy on the Nisenan presence on the land. Walk to the grinding rock
Other – Dianne on the Doctrine of Discovery?
WUTR Dorothy reported the group was coming to the end of their current (4th) book and are looking to see what might be next. They are examining living on Nisenan land and what implications that presents. She asked that we hold them in the light in this discernment.
Respectfully submitted,
Judy Hamilton, clerk, Spirit and Witness
Children’s Program Report
As previously reported, the Children’s program is expecting to go live as soon as the decision to fully launch the hybrid meeting is made. Until that happens, there are several questions that remain unanswered for our program. As noted in the December 2021 report, at present we do not have teachers for First Sunday, Doug teaches second Sunday, Gordon, third Sunday and Karen, fourth Sunday as well as Fifth Sunday family meeting. If live, we will need an adult to accompany the teacher each Sunday. At present, Dorothy will cover the second Sunday with Doug and Judy will cover the fourth Sunday with Karen. And Dorothy and Judy will rotate covering the third Sunday with Gordon, until we find an adult who feels called to this service.
In addition, we will be considering as a committee how to provide a program for the first Sunday.
The “children’s corner” in the Meetinghouse library area has been set up to provide a welcoming and cozy place for any children who want to be there for the first minutes of Meeting before leaving for the program or for parents who want to retreat there with a small child during or after meeting.
We are looking forward to being live again and contacting all the parents to let them know we are eager to see the full children’s program back in operation! In the meantime we are deeply grateful for Hailey and until recently, Grace and Alice for their faithful participation. And we rejoiced in having Lily return to us even as we recognize sadly that we have not found a way to include her when we are no longer on zoom.
We are, as always, inspired by the abundant gifts we receive by serving on the Children’s Program Committee of Grass Valley Friends Meeting.
Respectfully submitted,
Dorothy Hendersoon,
Clerk, Children’s Program Committee
Stewardship Committee
Notes from meeting on February 3, 2022
Present: Mary Starr, clerk, Gordon Starr, recorder, Dianne Marshall, Reed Hamilton, Dianne Marshall
Library. Dianne reported the Meeting library has been fully reinstalled in the new bookshelf arrangement and is ready to resume service. She will be sending out a notice to all folks who have a book checked out asking that it be returned. In case it can’t be found she will include the cost of replacement. Folks can either order it themselves or contribute the cost to the library.
The Friends Journal and Western Friends archive has been trimmed to the last five years. All past issues are available on line.
Appreciation was expressed for Don McCormick who agreed to go through the many books that were removed from the library to see if they might be of use to others or for recycling. Also to Dorothy Henderson who went through the children’s books. There is some concern as it appears she has set up a children’s corner in the previous area, since this is now not included in our designated space. Appreciation was also expressed for Reed Hamilton, Gordon and Mary Starr, Judy Hamilton, and Lawren Giles.
Hybrid Meeting Equipment. Most of the equipment we are now using for our hybrid meetings has been supplied by folks in the Meeting. Only the camera was supplied by Quietech. There are some questions about the two wireless mics: were they supplied by Quietech and can they be adapted to our equipment? All this bears on how much of the equipment cost Meeting is committed to share.
Finance. January contributions were $2,068. Fosten is uncertain how much of this is due to the appeal letter sent out in December but there have been some very generous contributions and we are financially in very good shape.
As of now no payments have been made covering either the Wifi equipment or our share of the internet service. Currently our share of the internet service is approximately $45, more than was initially approved by Meeting for Business. It has become apparent we need a higher level of service than that initially proposed. There are also questions about what equipment supplied by Quietech we need for our hybrid meetings. We are in conversations with SFC about this.
REPORT ON QUAKER ORGANIZATION (from Welcome Committee; next month the Spirit and Witness will make a report on another Quaker organization)
Friends General Conference:
The Friends General Conference’s logo is a dandelion going to seed. The floating seeds represent the wishes, work, and faithfulness of Friends in their pursuit of Peace in the World.
FGC Vision Statement: “We envision a vital and growing Religious Society of Friends- a faith that deepens spiritually, welcomes newcomers, builds supportive and inclusive community, and provides loving service and witness in the world. Through Friends General Conference, we see Quakers led by the spirit joining together in ministry to offer services that help Friends, meetings and seekers explore, deepen, connect, serve and witness within the context of our living faith.”
Friends General Conference (FGC) is an association of local and regional Quaker organizations. They hold conferences and consultations, provide religious education and opportunities, host programs and Initiatives for and on behalf of members. It was started in 1900. They have a number of services and resources, some of them being the Quaker Cloud, Resources for adults and children, loans for Meeting Houses, among others.
My experience with FGC is their bookstore and hearing about their yearly gathering. The FGC bookstore offers neat books, available online. People from our Meeting have felt enriched by attending the annual gathering. Distance from our homes is an impediment for us to be really active with FGC gatherings.
This year they are hosting and in person gathering and a virtual option as well. It is at Radford University in Virginia July 3-9, 2022. It is a week of Quaker Worship, workshops, and community for all people. For this year’s event early registration starts April 11th-April 21st. Standard registration starts April 29th. Their website is fgcquaker.org.
Treasurer’s Quarterly Report
2/11/2022
summary = better now.
This report covers four months, October thru January. The contributions you provided in those months ($6,659) exceeded spending from our General Fund ($5,956), thank you.
Our Meetings for Worship are now combined, both in-person and participation via Zoom. We have paid rent to Sierra Friends Center (SFC) for January & February. And the internet access at the Meeting House is now functioning reasonably well. So we are paying for the internet also, starting with January.
The “Fund Balances” & the “Actual Spending vs Budget” reports are available in the Meeting House and by contacting me. Our annual dues to Pacific Yearly Meeting ($3,136) were paid in full last month. That is a relief. Our Sharing Fund & our Placer County Worship Group fund have each increased. The other Restricted Funds are unchanged.
Thank you for your help. All gifts, both in service to the Meeting & financial are deeply appreciated.
Fosten Wilson
Treasurer
(new email = fwkm at protonmail dot com)