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December 2023 – Meeting for Worship on the Occasion of Business

ByPeter

We met on Zoom.

Present:  Dorothy Henderson (clerk); Gordon Starr (elder to the clerk), Jennifer Smith (recording co-clerk), Amy Cooke (recording co-clerk), Mary Starr, Don McCormick, Anita McCormick, Reed Hamilton, Doug Hamm, Diane Marshall, Judy Hamilton, Chamba Cooke, Peter O’Rourke, Stuart Smith.

The Meeting opened with silent worship.

Clerks’ Remarks and Query:  

Dorothy Henderson has been practicing calling this Meeting for Worship for Business. From John 3: We don’t know where the wind comes from, and we don’t know where it’s going.  It is the same for Spirit.

Our plans get washed away by life.  What would it be like if we let Spirit come into our Meeting for Worship for Business and let Spirit be the guide.

Have you experienced Spirit coming into the room for Meeting for Worship for Business? What does it mean to you?

Friends shared out of silence:

  • When there is conflict during Meeting for Worship for Business, we can go back into silence and allow Spirit to guide us.
  • A friend shared a wonderful experience of how a contentious meeting could be turned around to a meeting full of worship and awe.
  • Another friend expressed gratitude to the members in Meeting who remember this is a Meeting for Worship.
  • When someone speaks from the Spirit, and through silent waiting, weighty concerns can become clear.
  • One friend hopes to feel the same “quaking” when they speak out of worship, as when they speak during Meeting for Worship for Business. She mentioned the qualities of compassion, confidence, courage, creativity, curiosity, clarity, and calmness (from Internal Family Systems, Richard Schwartz) – indicators of being in the True Self/God.
ITEMS SEASONING or CARRIED OVER (see Committee sections below)
  • Clerks Meeting report
COMMITTEE REPORTS 

(see reports appended, committee clerk is noted in bold)

Spirit and Witness: Amy Cooke, Stuart Smith, Reed Hamilton, Sharon Davisson, Dean Olson, Dorothy Henderson (ex-officio, GVFM Clerk).

Amy Cooke gave the report, as well as the Clerks Meeting report (see appendices)

  • A question was brought up about the Quaker “Seminary.” It will be an educational program about how we are all “ministers,” along with Quaker information and education.  
  • A concern was raised about archival documents going fully digital.  There is a problem relying on digital copies with changing technology.  Paper copies are able to be read without the concern of changing technology.  
  • A proposal was raised to create a committee to discern best practices / create a task force on how to archive paper copies that may be needed in the future.  The committee should report to Stewardship.

MINUTE 2023.12.01: The Meeting approves delegating the issue of how to manage the paper and digital archives to the Stewardship Committee, with the recommendation that a task force be formed to work on best practices. 

Stewardship: Mary Starr, Pat Phillips, Reed Hamilton, Gordon Starr, Doug Hamm, David Bowman. Dianne Marshall (ex-officio, Newsletter editor), Fosten Wilson (ex-officio, Treasurer), Don McCormick (ex-officio, Librarian).

Mary Starr, clerk, gave the report (see appendices).

  • A question about the ongoing costs of the website hosting was raised.  Clarification was needed if the ongoing costs are budgeted.

Minute 2023.12.02: Grass Valley Friends Meeting approves reimbursing Amy Cooke for the $1200 she spent on rebuilding the website, with the admonition that this should not be a precedent for the approval of expenditures.

Welcome Committee: Peter O’Rourke, clerk (ex-officio, Website and Facebook coordinator), Kathy McCreery, Don McCormick, Pat Phillips, Cheryl Hendrickson, Cindy Bliss, Lo Hamm, CJ Patterson, Hailey Wilson (ex-officio, tech support), Judy Hamilton (ex-officio, email coordinator).

Peter O’Rourke, clerk, gave the report, appended. 

  • A question was raised about the Facebook page having the testimonies displayed as the “SPICES” (Stewardship, Peace, Integrity, Community, Equality, and Simplicity) in the logo, including the word “Stewardship.”  Has PacYM approved “Stewardship” as one of the testimonies?  This question will be directed to the Welcome Committee.

Judy Hamilton gave the organization report on the Friends World Committee on Consultation 

(FWCC) (appended). Friends World Committee for Consultation (FWCC), represents Quakers around the world. 

Children’s Program:  Keely McDonald and Doug Hamm, co-clerks, Dorothy Henderson, Gordon Bishop, Judy Hamilton, Dean Olson, Reed Hamilton, Don McCormick, David Cowan, Lo Hamm.

Amy Cooke, recording co-clerk, gave the report from Keely.

  • Anita McCormick, along with Stuart and Jennifer Smith, offered to help with 5th Sundays.

Nominating Committee: (terms as noted) Judy Hamilton: 2022-2024, Gordon Starr: 2022-2024,  Dean Olson 2023-2025, Sharon Davisson 2023-2025.

There was no report.

OFFICER  REPORTS and REPRESENTATIVE REPORTS
  • Treasurer: fosten wilson.  No report
  • Interfaith Nevada County: Dianne Marshall gave the report, appended. In January the meeting will be hosted by GVFM at Sierra Friends Center.
  • Sierra Friends Center: Gordon Starr. No report given due to Gordon Starr acting as Elder to the Clerk. We are being informed through other ways. 
  • Pacific Yearly Meeting: Doug Hamm gave the report, appended.
  • College Park Quarterly Meeting: Doug Hamm. No report.
ANNOUNCEMENTS 

The Directory is available for use by members and attenders of monthly meetings and worship groups within Pacific Yearly Meeting and by Friends serving on Pacific Yearly Meeting committees. It is not to be shared beyond this community. Dorothy, Doug and Don have the new password for the PacYM Directory.

  • Carl Magruder:  You can follow Carl’s healing journey on the CaringBridge.org website HERE. Friends have also set up a daily Meeting for Healing from 7:30 to 8 am (Pacific) on Zoom here or contact Amy Cooke at amylisette@gmail.com for the link. 
  • Please remember Grass Valley Friends Meeting in your year-end giving. You can give by mailing a check to fosten wilson or through Tithely on the website. 
  • December 24: Birthing the Christ Within: Gordon Starr
  • January 21:  Gordon Starr: Singing from the Center 
  • January  28-June 23 (4th Sundays): Quaker Seminary: Amy Cooke
ITEMS SEASONING or CARRIED OVER
  • There were no items carried over.
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 (outgoing) and Jennifer Smith, recording clerk (incoming).

APPENDICES:

  1. Spirit and Witness Committee report
  2. Stewardship Committee report
  3. Welcome Committee report
    1. FWCC organization report
  4. Interfaith of Nevada County report
  5. Pacific Yearly Meeting Monthly Report
  6. Clerks Meeting Report

————————————————————————-

Spirit and Witness Report

Our committee met on December 2nd of this month, and continues to celebrate our community’s vibrancy as evidenced by active members and attenders, a spirit of camaraderie and fellowship, and many wonderful connections. We held up the work being done on our committees, in our library, and in the community. 

We are also continuing our commitment to practice deep listening to all those who hold concerns with the Woolman land sale. We are grateful that Frank Lawrence will talk to us as a meeting on December 17th. We also hold the uncertainties that the sale brings up for us as a meeting, and trust that we will be able to navigate changes if they arise. 

We were thrilled to receive a letter from Mary Starr requesting membership. We are moving forward in establishing a committee for Mary. 

After many months of discernment, we have come to unity on forming our first Witness Committee. As Friends may remember, we formed these to support people in our Meeting who have a nudge or leading to take action out of spiritual discernment. We formed the “Toward Right Relationship Witness Committee” to support actions bringing us into deeper awareness with the land, the Nisenan, and the other native species that call this region home. Reed Hamilton is the convenor. The committee will begin by drafting a job description and will report back to Spirit and Witness each month. If you are interested in taking part in this work, please contact Reed.

We are also working on the archival and purging of documents from past years. We are working to move all of our files and documents as a Meeting to the Google Drive and begin to divest ourselves of paper copies. 

We came to unity on changing the name of our after-meeting programs from Spiritual Life Programs to Spirit and Witness programs. Our upcoming programs include:

  1. December 17: Frank Lawrence, CHIRP
  2. December 24: Birthing the Christ Within: Gordon Starr
  3. January 21:  Gordon Starr: Singing from the Center 
  4. January  28-June 23 (4th Sundays)
    1. Quaker Seminary: Amy hold that, Jan-June

Respectfully submitted, 

Amy Cooke, clerk 

Clerks Meeting Report 

Present:

Judy Hamilton: clerk of Nominating Committee

Keely McDonald: co-clerk of Children’s Committee

Doug Hamm: co-clerk of Children’s Committee

Peter O’Rourke: clerk of Welcoming Committee

Mary Starr: clerk of Stewardship Committee

Amy Cooke: clerk of Spirit and Witness

Dorothy Henderson: clerk of GVFM

  1. Check in about your committee – how is it going? What are your goals this year?
    1. Welcome: Peter reported that the participation in the committee has been mixed depending on the month, and there is email exchange. The committee is exploring the Meeting campout, the newspaper announcements, a physical facilities checklist in case the meeting location would have to move. Peter is continuing to monitor Facebook and the website.  There is an idea about reaching out to other Friends Meetings and talk about best practices in Welcome. We noted that it is so wonderful to have so many people! 
    2. Spirit & Witness: The committee has several committees of care under its care, and is exploring hosting Witness Committees for supporting those with a social justice leading. We also are holding the land sale tenderly. We celebrate our meeting’s life and vitality. We check in about our personal spiritual lives each time, and strive to stay grounded in the movement of the Spirit in our Meeting. 
    3. Children’s: Keely talked about the Children’s Committee. Over the last two meetings there has been a transition from Dorothy acting as clerk. The most present goal has been that transition, and understanding the roles and responsibilities. While some key people have left, there are others stepping forward. The committee wants to host four field trips per year, while having to let go of the Fall field trip. The committee has also talked about having guest speakers when Doug and Dorothy are away. Attendance is often dependent on vacations and holidays, but the attendance is steady.  There is a thought about forming a group for adolescents. There are some older kids. Emma Smith is co-clerk for the teens for CPQM! 
    4. Nominating: The committee has met once to choose the clerk, with Judy continuing. They will start their work in January. 
    5. Stewardship:The “stuff” committee! Finances, Buildings and Grounds, Library, the newsletter. The committee meets regularly. They are working on getting a credit card, updating the signers on the bank account, and keep attending to what is happening and what might happen with the sale of the property. 
  2. State of the Meeting Report for 2024: schedule

March 17th: Worship Sharing on the State of the Meeting

April 14th: First Draft 

May 12th: Final Draft

  1. Meeting for Business reports: Dorothy would like an agenda to go out on the Saturday before Meeting for Business. For that to work, please get reports to Amy and Dorothy by Wednesday before the Meeting for Business, and then Amy and Dorothy will meet on Friday so the agenda can come out on Saturday. It is important to hear from the committees if there is anything to share. 
  2. Job Descriptions: please send to Amy and she will upload
  3. Google Drive and documentation: Find a person on each committee to use the google drive. Amy will also write the procedures out. 
  4. Bringing any concerns, ideas, or questions forward
  5. Spring: Naming Committee to meet in time to get the slate included with Nominating’s slate: April 4th at 8 am? We could even meet in person!!!

Minutes to go out via email and presented at the December meeting for worship for business

Stewardship Committee

Minutes from meeting on December 7, 2023.

Present: Mary Starr, clerk, Gordon Starr, recorder, Don McCormick, Pat Phillips, Dianne

Marshall. Reed Hamilton.

Our meeting was diminished by covid and poor internet connection.

Finance. Fosten reported, by email, that expenses this month were $1,542, of which $891 was

for our liability insurance, rent was $620, and newsletter printing was $31. Donations totaled

$1,151, which helped offset the expenses.

Website construction costs. At the direction of Meeting for Business, the committee

reconsidered how to deal with the ($1,200) cost of building the new GVFM website. It was noted

that Amy had made a complete admission of her lack of process in this matter and was ready to

cover the costs herself. It was also noted that the sense of the Meeting for Business was to

reimburse her for this. With the admonition to, please let’s not make this a precedent, 

the committee agreed to reimburse her for this cost. There were questions about what on-going

expenses were involved in this, but with Fosten not present that was not known. And, in any

case, it’s a done deal.

Appeal Letter. The committee accepted the latest (3 rd ) draft of the appeal letter. Thanks to

Dianne and all who contributed to editing it. It will go out by email, in the newsletter, and by

post to everyone. This brought up the on-going efforts to clean up and correct the various contact

lists used by the Meeting: the email tree, the newsletter list and the larger community. Dianne,

Peter and Judy have sent out a survey to everyone asking folks to indicate what level of

communication with the Meeting they prefer: all, some, or none. Please, if you haven’t

responded yet, do so soon!

News Letter. There was discussion around how many paper copies of the newsletter to print.

Currently there are 18 printed, but only 13 are needed. Pat handles this task and sends out 11

copies to folks who have requested them. Of the other two, one goes to the Meeting archives, and

one to Pat, who indicated she also archives them and has copies going back more than 20 years.

Due to the cost of labels, she hand-addresses and stamps each one. It was noted that many of the

costs of producing and delivering the news letter are willingly donated to the Meeting. Thank

you.

Library Don expressed some concern about continuing to add to our library collection, given

that there is some uncertainty concerning our future in our present location. He also raised

questions about the annual cost of a subscription to Friends Journal. They are now on a pay as

led basis, but are suggesting an amount that reflects past payments. We will check with Fosten,

when he feels better.

Next meeting: January 4, 2024 at 3:00PM on zoom.

Welcome Committee

Attendees –

Cindy, Kathy, Pete

Don submitted topics via email for next meeting

Judy had a GVFM meeting conflict

Agenda

Last Meeting Follow-up

1. Greeting Checklist

○ Feedback on user friendliness of checklist continues to be positive

2. Explore outreach ideas

○ “Camp Out” for next year

■ Kathy has started planning possible locations

○ Reinitiate GVFM communication to Union Newspaper

■ Kathy contacted Newspaper and provide new website URL

○ Explore Physical Facilities checklist – Don

○ Utilize Website and Facebook page to improve outreach

■ Pete provided Quaker groups with our update Website URL

■ Changed Website Contact email address from Amy to Grassvalleyfriends.org 

○ Initiate outreach to other Quaker Groups’ Welcome Committees to share best

practices

■ Pete got in touch with Allison Kirkegaard at PacYM in Santa Monica; They

have a “Connections committee” (a combination of our former Welcoming

and Communications committees) 

● They are open to sharing ideas

New Business

○ Explore Physical Facilities checklist – Don

○ Review/discuss Church Growth Literature from (Fusion: Turning First-Time Guests

Into Fully Engaged Members of Your Church by Nelson Searcy – Don

■ sending first-time visitors a follow-up email the next day, and what the

email would say,

■ sending  first-time visitors a one month follow-up email,

■ sending  first-time visitors an event follow-up email. For us an event might

be one of our potlucks or a spiritual life program.

○ Explore welcoming behavior at Gatherings (Parties, Quarterly, Fellowship,

Potlucks) – Don

Friends World Committee on Consultation (organization report)

Mission Statement: Answering God’s call to universal love, FWCC brings Friends

of varying traditions and cultural experiences together in worship, communications,

and consultation, to express our common heritage and our Quaker message to the

world.

In 1937, FWCC was formed to help bring Quakers together across theological and

cultural diversity. At that time, there was no other organization which linked

together yearly meetings and other Quaker bodies around the world,and so the

vision of an organization arose to keep Friends connected and in touch with each

other across the diverse spectrum of the Society.

FWCC operates collaboratively as one organization, comprising of the World Office

and four Section offices. The World Office uniquely represents all Friends at the

global level through its participation with the Quaker United Nations Offices in

Geneva and New York, offering Quakers the chance to contribute to world affairs.

FWCC’s consultation extends to those of other faiths through work with the World

Council of Churches, the Conference of Secretaries of the Christian World

Communions, and participation in global ecumenical and interfaith work.

Some of the current activities that FWCC is involved with are: celebrating the 400th

birthday of George Fox in 2024, holding the World Plenary Meeting in South Africa

(and on line) in August of 2024, and sponsoring World Quaker Day each year in

October. They also support Young Friends with monetary help in travel expenses to

their various programs and offering programs (particularly on sustainability) directed

to that age group. Most recently FWCC joined other Quaker organizations in calling

for a cease fire in the Israeli-Palestine conflict.

I don’t believe anyone in our Meeting is directly involved in this organization but if

inspired their website https://fwcc.world is easy to navigate and offers quite a bit of

information about their activities.

Interfaith of Nevada County

November 16, 2023 Interfaith Meeting

Ananda Village, Temple of Light

Attending: Dianne Marshal, Kevin Tarsa, Shiva Reader, Gitabai Heater, Lani Howard, Julia Robles Scott, Gregory Ingram.

Minister Mailing List Kevin will update the list. Please look over the list and let Kevin know of changes minister@uugrassvalley.org . At the next meeting in January we will discuss doing outreach to other Faith Based Organizations. Gregory will see if he can get the list from Hospice.

A discussion of another Interfaith organization in Nevada County who in the past was not interested in interfacing with us. Maybe we should contact them and see where they are now.

Reevaluate what our goals are as an organization. Kevin suggested that the New Year is a good time to renew why we are here and what we want to accomplish. He suggested we could sponsor an annual “Blue Christmas Service” for people who are grieving, as an example.

Lani suggested the issue of how our Faith Communities are addressing “Climate Change.” For example, alternative energy like solar, community gardens, LEED certification energy efficient buildings, composting and recycling, etc. Gregory attends the Hospice Faith Leaders meeting and they discussed homelessness.

Sharing Apps Gitabai shared her list of the Apps that Ananda Village uses. See attached. She also mentioned a new App she is using that uses Tapping or EFT for self-help. See below.

The Tapping Solution APP https://www.thetappingsolution.com/blog/tapping-solution-app/

The Tapping Solution App features hundreds of Tapping Meditations that you can listen to and download right from your phone! It is about $68/year with two weeks free to try it out. I am doing the “7 day Wellness Reset” which I love. Each tapping session is about 8

minutes long.

Gitabai’s husband, Panduranga, Ananda’s architect, gave a tour of the Temple of Light completed in 2019. He also designed the Moksha Mandir at the Crystal Hermitage where Swami Kriyananda is interred. At our April meeting, I encourage you to visit the Moksha Mandir after our meeting.

Next Meeting January 18th Society of Friends 13075 Woolman Lane, Nevada City at 11:00p.m. to 1:00p.m.

Hot potato soup will be served for lunch if all goes well!!!!

Holiday Celebrations

Unitarian Universalist Community of the Mountains Solstice Celebration Dec 21st 7pm,

Christmas Eve Pageant Dec. 24th 10:00 am, Candlelight Service 8pm.

246 South Church Street, Grass Valley, CA 530-274-1675

Sierra Center for Spiritual Living Thanksgiving Eve Gratitude Nov 22nd

6pm Peace Choir

119 Florence Ave, Grass Valley, CA 95945

Ananda Christmas Concert: Dec 16th Saturday 5:30 pm Temple of Light 1 hour

Ananda Christmas Eve Program Dec 24th 5:30 pm 1⁄2 hour Creche scene

Meal at Expanding Light reserve at Expanding Light

7pm Candlelight Service by the Monks with healing prayers

Society of Friends Community Reading Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Greeting to the Natural World Nov 26th 11:15 am

(530) 273-3183 13075 Woolman Ln, Nevada City, California, 95959, United States ; Phone Number. (530) 273-3183

On Sunday, November 26 our Spiritual Life program will be an interactive reading of the The Thanksgiving Address (the Ohen:ton Karihwatehkwen), the central prayer and invocation for the Haudenosaunee (also known as the Iroquois Confederacy or Six Nations — Mohawk, Oneida, Cayuga, Onondaga, Seneca, and Tuscarora). It reflects their relationship

of giving thanks for life and the world around them. The Haudenosaunee open and close every social and religious meeting with the Thanksgiving Address.

When one recites the Thanksgiving Address the Natural World is thanked, and in thanking each life-sustaining force, one becomes spiritually tied to each of the forces of the Natural and Spiritual World. The Thanksgiving Address teaches mutual respect, conservation, love, generosity, and the responsibility to understand that what is done to one part of the

Web of Life, we do to ourselves. The Haudenosaunee people have said that the words of the Thanksgiving Address are their gift to the world and are meant to be shared.

We will hold the reading at 11:30 am, starting with a period of worship and ending with worship sharing until we close at 12:30 pm.

Please also include in your notes with my apology for failing to mention it while we were together:

RUSTIN: Netflix Film On Friday November 17, Netflix will release the movie about the Quaker Gay African-American Activist Bayard Rustin, and how he worked with Martin Luther King to create the March on Washington. The trailer for the movie is at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4lBqMhZ3NBg . Barack and Michelle Obama are the producers.

Lawren Giles and Dianne Marshall are hosting a gathering to watch this film

about Bayard Rustin’s life on Friday, December 1, 2023, from 1:00p.m. to

4:00p.m. at their home. Bayard Rustin, adviser to Martin Luther King Jr.,

dedicates his life to the quest for racial equality, human rights. The film is approximately 1 hour and 36 minutes long. This will allow us time to settle, view the film and discuss it before it gets dark. Seating will be limited (very – 6 seats max). Seats will be taken on a first-come-first serve

basis. If demand is such perhaps another Friend may host. Do let them know if you want to participate by email: dmarshall@pacific.net.

Driving directions will be provided.

Children’s Committee Report 

During the Month of November, First Day School was held on the 5th by Doug and Dorothy , 12th by Don and Reed, 19th by Keely and David and 26th by Judy and Dean.  The main topic of instruction this month was rehearsing the Christmas play which was written by Don McCormick with some editing help from the students and was performed at the Christmas party after meeting on December 3rd. Other topics of conversation that were discussed this month were ethical issues the students either faced or observed and how they responded, holiday traditions- especially as compared to the traditions outlined in Don’s play (set in the 1700s) and plans for the following month of December. Total attendance for the month included: Kirk, Emma, Hailey, and Olivia, as well as a friend of Emma’s on the 5th and a friend of Hailey’s on the 19th. 

Children’s Committee did not meet in person this month, but we did discuss plans for the December Schedule via email. Still to be determined is who will helm the 5th Sunday on December 31st. Another agenda item is figuring out teachers and guest speakers for when Doug and Dorothy are away in February. 

~Keely McDonald

Pacific Yearly Meeting Monthly Report 

1. Pacific Yearly Meeting’s Representative Committee meeting will be happening two consecutive Saturdays online Feb. 24 and Mar. 2

2. PacYM Nominating shares opportunities for service and/or participation

        a. Children’s Program Committee working on programming for ages 0-12

                contact Molly Bishop

        b. Help for Registrar for PYM Annual Session: design and implement forms and processes

                contact Julie Harlow

        c. Tech Talents needed (documents, website, facebook, etc.)     

                contact Julie Harlow

3. Pacific Yearly Meeting, Peace and Social Order Committee shares a minute from Central Coast Monthly Meeting’s Social Concern minute

        making a statement supporting the Chumash Heritage National Maritime Sanctuary efforts

        (PacYM Peace and Social Order Committee is developing a new process for getting information and MM minutes shared.)

4. Scholarship Fund proposed for Post-secondary Education brought by La Jolla MM

5. Friends General Conference, “In These Changing Times, How Is Spirit Moving?”

        online January 18-21, 2024 exploring

                -connection to Spirit

                -becoming an actively anti-racist faith community

                -changing structure for changing times

                -future of Religious Society of Friends

                        register beginning mid-December

See appendices for 12/23 Meeting for Worship for Business for full report from PacYM and to access links.

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