April 2024 – Meeting for Worship on the Occasion of Business

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

April 14, 2024

We met in a hybrid meeting in person at the meetinghouse and on Zoom.

Present:  Dorothy Henderson, clerk; Amy Cooke, recording clerk; Gordon Starr, elder to the clerk; Chamba Cooke, Doug Hamm, Peter O’Rourke, Sharon Davisson, Nancy Anderson, Mary Starr, Judy Hamilton, Dianne Marshall, Dean Olson, Kathy McCreery, fosten wilson, Reed Hamilton.

The Meeting opened with silent worship.

Clerks’ Remarks and Query

Dorothy Henderson, clerk, gave the remarks as we gathered in worship. She asked, “What would it take for you to come to Meeting for Worship for Business?” If you read an agenda would it help you want to come? She spoke to making a choice to come to Meeting for Worship for Business. There was a time when she would choose to come, or not. Now, it is something that she does without inner debate. Something shifted when she began attending each month.

What happened when you realized that you were going to Meeting for Worship for Business without inner debate?

Friends spoke out of the silence.

• A Friend spoke to a slow evolution from never coming to coming. During the pandemic there was nothing else to do! Handwork helped it be more than just sitting there. Now, there is a camaraderie and listening to others that gives light. tT is still not something that this Friend anticipates with joy and happiness, but it gives a sense of being a part of the Meeting that is nourishing.
• Another Friend spoke to the first Meeting he was part of, and when he started going to Meeting for Worship for Business. He felt it was part of membership. As a child, being part of schools in which the community made rules in a meeting, it was part of being a member of the group.  Work responsibilities got in the way of attending for many years.
• One Friend spoke to accompanying her spouse because he had a role that required his attendance. Now she comes because she feels a part of the Meeting, even though she has no official role.
• The Meeting for Worship for Business was a place where one Friend found out what people were doing, where Spirit was alive and moving. The embodiment of what Spirit was doing was what he comes to experience, the fruit of the Spirit. Involvement in the Meeting naturally leads to participating in Meeting for Worship for Business.
• The value of coming to Meeting for Worship for Business often comes about because of a role. The business meeting is where we as ministers care for the Meeting. Also, the model of the AFSC as a young person gave this Friend a direct experience of being shoulder and shoulder in shared work.
• Another Friend spoke to the terminology of “Meeting for Worship on the Occasion for Business.” The search over many years for a spiritual home where there was an acknowledgement of Spirit being alive in everyone. When we come to decisions from unity we are experiencing that profound sense of Spirit working through each one of us.
• The sense of tending that comes through Meeting for Worship for Business weaves a sense of community and belonging for a Friend who also spoke of us being ministers in the Meeting.

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, appended.

Minute 04.2024.01: Grass Valley Friends Meeting joyfully approves and acknowledges the membership of Mary Starr in the Religious Society of Friends.

State of the Meeting Report: Amy Cooke gave the second reading of the report, attached.

One Friend was not sure if we were noting our struggles adequately. That concern was spoken to as noting that the report does imply our struggles, while also celebrating our strengths.

Minute 04.2024.02: Grass Valley Friends Meeting  approves the 2024 State of the Meeting report, appended.

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, appended.

   Fosten wilson, treasurer, clarified that the decision to take $375 from unbudgeted funds to CHIRP for the land purchase is justified due to the accumulation of funds during COVID which is being kept in the Meeting’s savings account. The funds can be spent from the Unbudgeted Funds line item or pulled from Savings as a one time approved expenditure outside of the budget. It was noted that we would need a minute to approve the expenditure outside of the budget. It was noted that the line item of Unbudgeted Funds is $200.

   It was also noted that other Meetings have donated much more to the fundraising effort. There have been over 2000 donors to the effort. There are Quaker Meetings, not necessarily in California, that  have donated up to $5000. The committee felt compelled to add their voice, as it were, through a donation.

   We noted that members can write checks to CHIRP through the Meeting or directly. If Friends donate through the Meeting through a temporary restricted fund, then the Meeting’s check to CHIRP could be larger. The donations can be made through Tithely – fosten believes that he can implement that option so that Tithely can be used to designate the donation. It would be easier, however, if Friends donating on Tithely could notify fosten via email that they have donated to the CHIRP fund so that there is a paper trail for the donation. This information will be shared via the newsletter and on the email tree.

   We held the sense of unity in our Meeting community for this support.

Minute 2024.04.03: GVFM approves removing $375 from our Savings Account to add to the $125 already budgeted to make a $500 donation to CHIRP.

Recorder/Archivist: The job description was read to the Meeting.

Minute (seasoning until 5th month): The new job description for the Recorder/Archivist is approved by GVFM.

Friends are invited to give their edits to Mary Starr, clerk of Stewardship Committee, in the next month of seasoning. 

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).

Amy Cooke read the report on behalf of Peter O’Rourke.

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

Judy Hamilton gave the report, appended.

Minute (seasoning): Grass Valley Friends Meeting approves the nomination of Mary Starr for the position of Treasurer for a one year term, 2024-25.

Gratitude was offered to fosten wilson for his  years of service in bringing clarity and depth to the position of Treasurer.

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.

   There was no report.

OFFICER  REPORTS and REPRESENTATIVE REPORTS

• Pacific Yearly Meeting: Doug Hamm gave the report, which will be highlighted in the newsletter.
• College Park Quarterly Meeting: No report
• Interfaith Nevada County: Diane Marshall gave the report.  On April 23, 2024 there will be a Zoom call to review the volunteer spiritual on-call service that the Hospital is launching. During this zoom meeting Brian Stoltey will go over the particulars of what this program will entail, how our community can be involved and sign post their next steps.  If there are questions ahead of time, please feel free to reach out to Brian at brian.stoltey@dignityhealth.org.

There was concern expressed that the Meeting may be committing to providing volunteers for the spiritual on-call service at the hospital with little to no training.  Dianne clarified that the meeting on April 23 is informational only.

• Treasurer: fosten wilson gave the report, attached.

CLERK’S REMARKS

ITEMS SEASONING or CARRIED OVER

Minute (seasoning): The new job description for the Recorder/Archivist, attached, is approved by GVFM.

Minute (seasoning): Grass Valley Friends Meeting approves the nomination of Mary Starr for the position of Treasurer for a one year term.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

• April 21: Spirit and Witness program. Seekers Meeting. Questions and sharing about what it means to be a Quaker. Open to all.
• April 28: Spirit and Witness program. Dorothy Henderson will report on her work at Pendle Hill. Open to all.
• Pacific Yearly Meeting 2024 Annual Session is July 19-24 onsite (in-person) at Whittier College in Whittier, CA + online (virtual) via Zoom.
• June 30-July 6: Friends General Conference Gathering 2024: Rooted in Story in Haverford, PA, Currently open for registration.
• Saturday April 27, 1-3 pm: Citizens Climate Lobby gathering at the St. Canice Community Center.
• Facebook: please 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, and it helps our visibility.  Follow this link.
• The 2023-2024 PacYM General Directory is available. It can be found on the Yearly Meeting Website at: pacificyearlymeeting.org > Resources > PacYM General Directory and Database  > Obtaining the Directory

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.
• Contributions to Grass Valley Friends Meeting are gratefully accepted. You can give by mailing a check to fosten wilson or through Tithely on the website or our newsletter. Our treasurer is asking for additional funds this month as our expenditures exceeded our income.

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. 

Clerk’s Remarks:

Dorothy shared Isaac Pennington’s quote,

“Our life is love, and peace, and tenderness; and bearing one with another, and forgiving one another, and not laying accusations one against another; but praying one for another, and helping one another up with a tender hand.”

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
   1. State of the Meeting Report
2. Stewardship Committee report
   1. Recorder/Archivist Job Description
3. Welcome Committee report
   1. Organization Report: Friends General Conference
4. Nominating Committee report
5. Treasurer’s Report
6. Pacific Yearly Meeting Monthly Report
7. Interfaith Nevada County report
8. Information: Organization Representatives by Committee
9. Recorder/Archivist job description

————————————————————————-

Spirit and Witness Report

Our committee continues to hold the transition of the Woolman land being restored to the

settlement of Yulića as a tender and historic time. We remain dedicated to bring a worshipful

orientation to the transition with deep listening. The Toward Right Relationship witness

committee under our care has created a document answering the frequently asked questions

regarding the sale. This document, entitled Ethical Transition of Land: Sale of Woolman

Property by the College Park Friends Education Association (CPFEA) to California Heritage:

Indigenous Research Project (CHIRP), has been reviewed by CHIRP and the CPFEA and is

available by request from Reed Hamilton. It has already been shared with several Friends and

we hope that it will provide clarity as the sale moves forward.

We received a letter this last month from Keith Runyan, who is requesting membership in Grass

Valley Friends Meeting and the Religious Society of Friends. A clearness committee for Keith is

being developed and we look forward to holding their process as they meet with Keith.

Our upcoming Spirit and Witness programs are:

● April 21: Spirit and Witness program. Seekers Meeting. Questions and sharing about

what it means to be a Quaker

● April 28: Spirit and Witness program. Dorothy Henderson will report on her work at

Pendle Hill

● May (date pending): Stuart Smith will report on his work as part of the The University of

Birmingham PhD programme in Theology and Religion under the auspices of the Quaker

Studies Programme.

We continue to be available to support clearness committees in the face of life transitions,

support committees, anchor committees for leadings, and witness committees. We have several

committees and individuals under our care and welcome anyone’s request for support. Please

contact a member of the committee if you would like to explore the options for support in our

Meeting!

In Friendship,

Amy Cooke, clerk

—————————-

Dear Spirit and Witness Committee,

I would like to formally request a clearness committee to be considered for membership at

Grass Valley Friends Meeting and the Religious Society of Friends.

I have felt a strong spiritual connection to Grass Valley MM ever since I was very young, the

meeting and its elders having played a crucial role in my spiritual growth as a young person.

This land raised me, as did this community. Returning to this land and community feels like a

homecoming and one that I hope to sink deeper into in the many years to come.

In the past half decade of my life, I became a Convinced Friend. Though I had been raised a

Quaker, I had a strong sense of skepticism that led me to doubt many traditional conceptions of

God and Spirit – even in the Quaker community. Yet as my spirituality matured, I began to find

myself at home in the society of Friends and felt a powerful calling to return to my roots. Being

Quaker, to me, is now inextricable to my identity and experience. I aspire to live a life of Holy

Devotion – wherein all aspects of my life are placed on the pyre to be refined by the subtlest

motions of the Spirit.

As Nora, Juniper, and I embark on a life together devoted to revitalizing Quakerism in the world

and orienting our tradition to come under the weight of our times to act boldly on behalf of Life, I hope to ground myself within this community, that held me in my youth, to hold me true to my

deepest leadings as I navigate parenthood, Quaker leadership, and living a life of Faith.

With Love and Light,

Keith

State of the Meeting Report

State of the Meeting Report 2024

Grass Valley Friends Meeting

We begin this report somewhat unconventionally, with our Children’s program. Grass

Valley Friends Meeting maintained an active weekly First Day School throughout the

pandemic. We met on zoom and then in person once worship returned to the Meeting

House. We have very few children in regular attendance, and it is not unusual to have

no children on any given Sunday. Nevertheless, our teachers have made a commitment

to prepare a program regardless of whether they are able to deliver it or not. At times

this has meant a program for a new family just arriving. Perhaps more significantly, it

conveys the value we place on our children and on the learning that can benefit us all.

Our children are few, but they are important to our meeting; they participated fully in our

Friendly 8’s discussions and helped to plan (as well as attend!) our fall field trip. They

have expressed appreciation for learning about SPICES and about the Nisenan in the

Children’s Program and when asked, suggested that there might be more attention

given to their spiritual development.

Our hybrid meeting was identified as another major strength of our meeting. We

transitioned relatively smoothly from zoom-only to hybrid when we were able to return to

the Meetinghouse. This has meant that longtime members who are sojourning overseas

are able to be with us, as well as members and attenders whose health conditions do

not allow them to come in person. We have invested in equipment to make the

meetings run more smoothly, such as a new computer and an Owl, which enables

better viewing between the room and those online.

The hybrid setup does have challenges. Many of our members and attenders have

some hearing difficulty and the sound transmission is far from perfect. Our efforts to

adjust to this technology and feel worshipful continue with some success and some

disappointment. We remain undaunted by the challenges and are grateful for the

technology that allows us all to be together on First Days.

A third strength of our Meeting is the weekly hour of music ministry offered by two of our

members. When Meeting begins at 10:00 am, spirit has already been present and

moving in the Meetinghouse for an hour. Hybrid also benefits the singing hour as

several attenders are members of other meetings and come online to GVFM just for the

Music.

These three strengths are not the only ones that were noted in our gathering. We

continue to appreciate our committee structure which was streamlined several years ago.

Our committees seem to function more smoothly, thus allowing our Meetings for

Worship for Business more opportunity to sink down into spirit for the work that the

committees bring for discernment and decision.

Our membership is small compared to years past and at times that means we must limit

what we take on. At the same time, it also means we know each other well and have

become a closer community. We have several long-term care committees that are

deeply appreciated. In another effort to care for each other, we have taken care to allow

our newer attenders to settle in before serving on committees. This has meant that two

of our more recent attenders (within the past 2 years) have taken on leadership roles

after serving as members on committees for a period. This has taught us the value of

mentoring and we are practicing the same with our new Recording Clerk. She partnered

with the outgoing Recording Clerk for six months before stepping fully into the role.

Our fourth Sunday spiritual life programs have shown us the importance of coming

together in education and worship separate from our weekly Meeting for Worship; we

long for more continuity among the offerings to deepen us. Transformational spiritual

experiences have happened in our meeting and we long for more discussion about our

spiritual lives and experiences.

Over the past several years, members and attenders have come together to work with

each other challenging unconscious cultural biases including racism and sexism. This

has been hard and valued work. Eyes and hearts have been opened. A commitment to

taking actions to counter these issues has grown in our meeting.

All these strengths have flowed into a vital and beloved community. One member’s

description seemed to capture it: “We have done careful, deliberate, loving tending. We

have dedicated our hearts, minds and hands to building this meeting. The fruits of our

labors have bloomed.”

These fruits, these strengths, have been called on this past year. Sierra Friends Center

and its board, College Park Friends Educational Association (CPFEA) have been going

through a major transition with profound implications for our Meeting. At this writing,

CPFEA is in escrow with the California Heritage Indigenous Research Project (CHIRP),

a tribally guided 501-C3 with legal status to purchase the property. It is presumed that

when successfully completed, the 232 acres of Sierra Friends Center will again become

the home of the Nevada City Rancheria Nisenan Tribe.

These transactions have not been without deep divisions and discord within the larger

community. Our Meeting has been called on to hold all involved with calm and caring.

We have also been called to take special care of our own community as we step into

the unknown in terms of what these changes will bring about for our Meeting.

In Grass Valley Friends Meeting we have been educating ourselves about the Nisenan

and their experience as the people of this land. For over a year we have been speaking

the Nisenan Land acknowledgment at the beginning of our Meeting for Worship. We

have been preparing to go beyond the land acknowledgment.

We enter the coming year with humility and hope as we prepare to take that step.

Stewardship Committee

Notes from meeting on April 4, 2024

Present: Mary Starr, clerk, Gordon Starr, recorder, Fosten Wilson, treasurer, Dianne Marshall,

newsletter editor, Don McCormick, recorder/archivist, Reed Hamilton, Pat Phillips.

Finance. Fosten reported expenses for the month of March as $782. And, in response to his pleas for donations, he reported total donations of $2,946, enough to pay for our PYM annual membership dues!

After reviewing what other Meetings had donated to CHIRP toward the purchase of the

Woolman campus, we felt moved to contribute as well. This led to a lengthy discussion of how

much, how to pay for it, would Meeting be in unity for this, and does it need to be seasoned. The

committee finally came to unity to recommend to Meeting:

1. That we start with the $125 yearly donation to CHIRP listed in the budget, which is usually

not made until the end of the fiscal year.

• We add to that $375 from unbudgeted funds to total $500, and,
• We invite all who wish to contribute further to this, to write a check to GVFM. A temporary restricted fund for receiving contributions to CHIRP will be created for these funds. All contributions are tax deductible.

Website building and maintenance. Peter O’Rourke, Amy Cooke, Don McCormick and Mary

Starr and Gordon Starr, met on Zoom to discuss options of which platform to use for the Meeting’s website. Currently we are on WordPress but have had difficulties keeping it running due the need for on-going maintenance and upgrades. It is cheaper but requires paying a person or company to keep it running; like the $1,200 we recently spent for someone to rebuild it from scratch. SquareSpace costs more per month but includes this service. In the end, since we have already invested a lot in it and it has worked well in the past, we decided to continue with WordPress for the time being. Also, using SquareSpace we would need to start from scratch building the website – and no one felt skilled enough for that. We may reconsider this in the future if problems arise.

Recorder/Archivist job description. Don and Gordon, as current co-Recorder/Archivists have

been going through, cleaning up and organizing the various parts of Meeting’s records to bring

them up to date. They have written a new job description for the position, attached, which the

committee brings to Meeting for seasoning. We will ask Judy to send it out to Meeting for prior

consideration.

Our next meeting will be on May 2, 2024 at 3:00 PM.

Job Description for Recorder/Archivist 2024

Much of the information we want to keep is on the GVFM Google Drive in the digital

version of the newsletters.

This includes:

• Monthly committee reports
• Quarterly and year-end financial reports
• State of the Meeting Reports

The Recorder Archivist will make sure that there are digital copies of the newsletters on

the GVFM Google Drive. They will also collect paper copies of the newsletter

The Recorder/Archivist will collect paper copies of the State of the Meeting Reports,

Threshing Sessions, and year-end financial reports.

The Recorder/Archivist:

• Creates files for new Attenders, in consultation with the Attender. They give the attender the appropriate forms (for example, Attender Profile, Final Affairs, , etc.).
• Creates a new Member file when an Attender becomes a Member, or if the person transfers their membership from another meeting to GVFM. They give the new Member the appropriate forms (for example, Membership Record, Final Affairs, Transfer of Membership (if applicable), etc.).
• No longer combines the files of both partners in a marriage. There will be individual files for each partner.
• Keeps other important records of the Meeting (such as important correspondence and legal papers, such as deeds, conveyances, and trusts) in
• the file cabinet.
• Keeps public documents of interest, such as newspaper articles, letters to the
• editor, participation at events documented by the Meeting, or other events of
• interest.  These are kept in three-ring binders in the Grass Valley Friends Meeting
• section of the library.
• Maintains a file for various documents for each year, such as the yearly slate
• from the Nominating Committee. Any other documents that aren’t mentioned
• elsewhere in this document and that the Recorder/Archivist believes is worth
• keeping for reasons of historical import, will go into the file for the year.

Each year, the Recorder/Archivist:

• Collects the State of the Meeting Report, Meeting Directory, and PacYM Statistical Report, and places them in the appropriate paper folder in the file cabinet. Separate folders are kept so members and attenders can easily find these items.
• Answers the questionnaire from the Statistical Clerk of Pacific Yearly Meeting.
  • They keep a copy of this report for the GVFM archive. Before May 31, the current PacYM Recorder will send an email that describes the information they need and that includes the GVFM report from the previous year.  The membership list provided to PacYM should be accurate as of May 31. The form and accompanying information should be returned to PacYM June 30.

Twice a year (preferably May and October), the GVFM Recorder/Archivist makes an announcement that the Final Affairs forms exist, explains what they are, and gives copies of the form to people who want one to fill out and have the meeting store.

When a member or attender dies, the GVFM Recorder/Archivist will see if there was a

Final Affairs form in their file. If there are things on the form that the meeting should attend to, like a memorial service, they will bring it to the attention of the appropriate person or committee. If it is information that the next of kin or family should know, they will pass it on to them. The GVFM Recorder/Archivist will then place the person’s file in the ”Former Attenders” or “Former Members” section of the paper files.

Forms. Each form will have one master paper copy that will have a post—it note on it indicating this. This will be used to make copies of the form. A copy of each form will also be in the GVFM Google Drive, so this could also be used. The Recorder/Archivist makes sure that there are digital copies of each of the blank forms mentioned below. They will date any revisions to the form on the form.

The records needed from each Member and Attender are:

• Attender Profile (for Attenders)
• Membership Record (for Members)
• Final Affairs form and/or Five Wishes pamphlet
• If applicable, the Member or Attender folder should also contain the:
• Transfer of Membership form
• Certificate of Transfer form
• Marriage form (especially if they are married care of the meeting)
• Application for membership (this is a letter, not a form)
• Minute of membership (a copy from the newsletter)
• Memorial Minute
• Miscellaneous Items (Clippings, historical records, Memorial Program for
• Members and Member’s Family)

Records Kept in the Paper Archive

The items in a boldface font are the ones that have the black-divider-with-white-writing

dividers.

• Current Members
• Current Attenders
• Miscellaneous

o Business Meeting Minutes

o Chico Preparation Meeting

o Correspondence

o Information for Newcomers

o Mailing Lists

o Meeting Directories

o Memorials

o Misc.\Procedures

o Miscellaneous Files

o Miscellaneous Historical

Documents

o Notes from Threshing Sessions

or Called Meetings

o Outreach Documents

o Portraits & Biographies

o Releasing Members & Attenders

o Spiritual Life / Adult Education

o State of the Meeting Reports

o Statistical Reports and

• Membership Rolls

o Transfer Minutes

o Travel Minutes

• Former Members & Attenders
• Forms (Blank)
• Yearly Files
• Notes and Drafts of GVFM History
• Recorder/Archivist Files
• Reference Materials (Readings for the Clerk and Others)

Archival Paper

Many sources recommend using archival quality paper and file folders for particularly important documents. This can be very expensive. The Pacific Yearly Meeting Archivist uses 8 ½ x 11 Permalife Bond Paper, which can be purchased from Amazon.

Further advice about Recorder duties are covered in Faith and Practice, in the Appendix, “Recommendations for Monthly Meeting Records.”

Welcome Committee

Welcoming Committee April Report

Meeting for Worship –

Welcome Committee

08 April 2024 / 7:00PM / Zoom

Opening Worship

Attendees – Judy, Kathy, Nancy, Pete

New Business

1. Greeting Checklist

a. Continues to be a good process

2. Meeting directory

a. Nancy has updated GVFM directory; will email directory in the coming days

3. Monthly potluck

a. Targeting every other month

b. Announce Potlucks at Worship

i. Judy targeting first weekend in June

ii. Judy working with group for July and August

4. How to select attendees for events update

a. All GVFM friends are invited

b. Other participants invited unless otherwise noted by event coordinator

5. Intro to Quakerism update

a. Will get update next month

6. “Joyful scheduling of Mary Starr party to celebrate her membership”

a. Targeting early June potluck if Mary available

7. Volunteer to clerk May Welcome Committee meeting & attend Business meeting

a. Judy and Kathy will team up to hold and present May Welcome Committee

meeting

Next Meeting

1. Next meeting will be determined by volunteer

Closing Worship

Organization Report: Friends General Conference (FGC)

1216 Arch St, #2B

Philadelphia, PA 19107

Questions/queries

1. What’s Going On at FGC
   1. Young adult and youth ministries
      1. FGC is piloting a Spiritual Mentorship Program for youth and young adults interested in developing their spiritual gifts of clerking, discernment, and community leadership.
   1. Ministry on Racism
      1. The Ministry on Racism Program offers assistance/support to meetings that want to develop racial/ethnic awareness, increase diversity, address impact of institution of racism on our Society
2. What is the mission of FGC?
   1. 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.
   1. 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.
3. What’s exciting about what FGC is doing?
   1. Strong and Courageous: A Panel on Quaker Public Ministry
      1. In cooperation with Friends General Conference, Powell House is offering a fishbowl-style panel on the call and challenges to public ministry. Join more than a dozen Quaker public ministers in the testimonial experience of serving Friends in the capacities of traveling minister, educator, pastor, advocate, healer, or prophet.
      1. Event Date: Thursday, April 18, 2024
4. Are there any concerns?
   1. No concerns noted
5. How can Friends get involved?
   1. Complete Volunteer Skills and Interest Survey on FGC website: www.fgcquaker.org
   1. Attend the FGC Gathering at Haverford this summer.

Nominating Committee Report

Nominating April 2024

We met March 13th, 2024.

Present were: Dean Olsen, Sharon Davisson, Gordon Starr and Judy Hamilton.

While we will be bring the entire slate forward to Meeting for Business in May, we would like to bring

forth the name of our choice of treasurer today. This is so that it can be seasoned for this month and she

can start working with fosten (current treasurer) to insure a smooth transition. We would like to put forth

the name of Mary Starr for this position.

We have been asked to consider creating a new position of Assistant to the Clerk. We considered this and all came to the conclusion that this is not possible or needed at this time. We are working with a limited amount of folks to serve in various committees and positions and do not feel that we have the people to fill another position.

We discussed the terms of service for the Spirit and Witness committee and agreed a term of three years

worked best on a staggered basis. We recommend that people serve a maximum of 2 consecutive terms.

We agreed that all other positions (including Clerk of the Meeting) be one year term except for

Nominating which is 2 years staggered.

Treasurer’s Report

summary = A good beginning month & strong close – thank you all.

This report covers January thru March 2024. The contributions you provided in those months

($5,385) were welcome and appreciated. Our spending ($3,023) was mostly as expected and

includes the additional $1,200 cost to repair our Meeting website.

The “Fund Balances” & the “Actual Spending vs Budget” reports are available in the Meeting

House — near the library — and by contacting me. The Restricted Funds are unchanged.

By the end of March we had enough contributions to be able to pay our P.Y.M dues ($3,360) this

April. This is an annual hurdle & good to have paid.

Thank you for your help. All gifts, both in service to the Meeting & financial are deeply

appreciated. Money contributions to GVFM can be in-person, mailed to my address below, or

online by using the “give” button at grassvalleyfriends.org

Fosten Wilson, Treasurer,

15719 American Hill Rd

Nevada City, Calif. 95959

email = fwkm at protonmail dot com

Children’s Committee Report

No report given.

Pacific Yearly Meeting Monthly Report

No written report given.

InterFaith Nevada County Report

No written report given.

Information: Organization Representatives by Committee

Welcome Committee holds the “connect with Quakers” organizations: Ben Lomond Quaker Center (BLQC), College Park Quarterly Meeting (CPQM), Friends General Conference (FGC), Friends World Committee on Consultation (FWCC), Pacific Yearly Meeting (Pac YM), and Sierra Friends Center (SFC).

Spirit and Witness holds the “Faith and Practice” organizations:  American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), Friends Committee for Legislation (FCNL/FCL-CA), Interfaith of Nevada County, Quaker United Nations Organization (QUNO), and Right Sharing of World Resources (RSWR) The Nisenan have been added to Spirit and Witness. 

Each month, a member of one of the two committees prepares a report on one of their committee’s organizations based on the queries below.  The committees alternate months, with odd months going to one committee and even months the other one.  That gives many people the opportunity to “discover” Quaker organizations, and to hear from different people so that we all get to hear from each other.   The reports are structured around the following queries:

• What is this organization’s mission statement?
• What are their current activities or plans?
• What is exciting? 
• Are there any concerns?
• How can Friends get involved if they feel inspired?
• Is anyone in our meeting particularly involved?  How?

Four organizations continue to have a representative (PYM, CPQM, SFC, and Interfaith) who will report to the meeting as needed. However, these organizations  will also be included in the once-a-year report to business meeting from either Welcome (PYM, CPQM, SFC) or Spirit and Witness (Interfaith).