1. Meeting opened with worship
2. The minutes of M4W4B, March 3, 2003, were read and accepted with the following correction:

4.1.2 Rick McCutcheon is being nominated for Co-clerk, not Assistant Clerk, of CYM.

3. Matters arising
The item “3.1 Quaker banner at demonstrations” was moved to 5.4.

4. Reports

4.1. Nominating Committee (Andy Muller): The updated report (see attached) was circulated. At the request of Meeting for Worship for Business (M4W4B), the Committee considered the need for including the number of years on a committee after a person’s name. These numbers have now been removed except where committee members are required to rotate out of a position. Use of these numbers is explained at the top of the Report. Several misspelled names will be corrected and Rick’s CYM nomination will be changed from Assistant Clerk to Co-clerk.

A concern was raised regarding having a position for an assistant clerk. This can be seen as creating a hierarchy, a bureaucracy, or using a patriarchal model. It may also set up a system where people are expected to have one position as a requirement for another. An alternative is to nominate co-clerks and/or ask the clerk to seek a co-clerk if the clerk feels this is needed.

Because this is a new issue, and one that is very important, we preferred to have a threshing session rather than trying to resolve it this evening. After upcoming Meetings for Worship (M4W), the Clerk will announce informal threshing sessions on April 20th and 27th. We will set aside time to move toward unity on this issue at the next M4W4B.

At this point, the Clerk suggested that we move to agenda item 5.5 (Roles of CYM clerks). He has received a request to thresh some questions about the roles of CYM clerks and felt this connected to the discussion about co-clerking. However, the sense of the Meeting was that this is a matter needing separate discussion.

4.2. Treasurer (Andy Muller): At the March, 2003, M4W4B, Andy was asked if the 2003 budget line of $2,000 includes the 2002 payment from the general account to the Trustee’s account for capital expenditures. Andy explained that there is provision in the current budget for paying the unmet commitment of last year.

4.3. Ministry and Counsel: State of Society Report; Statistical Report: The final version of the State of Society Report (see attached) was read. We accept this wonderful report and appreciate the detail and work that went into its preparation. We thank Ministry and Counsel for their care in seeing this task to completion.

The 2002 Statistical Report (see attached) was also presented. This report goes to Canadian Yearly Meeting and is a record of statistical information from HMM. At a future M4W4B we wish to consider how we want to define “active member” which is a category in the Report. We accept the Statistical Report with thanks for all the work it required.

4.4. HMM Retreat: The retreat scheduled for April 5th was cancelled due to poor weather. It is rescheduled April 12th.

4.5. Peace and Social Action Committee (PSAC): PSAC recommends that our social justice funds in the 2003 budget ($1000) be divided equally between the John Howard Society, the Elizabeth Fry Society, and the West Hamilton Interfaith Committee on Child Poverty. We are in unity with this recommendation

5.1.1. We received a letter from Susan Preston (see attached) asking to have her membership withdrawn from HMM of the Religious Society of Friends. A certificate of removal will be prepared.

5.1.2. We are happy to accept the recommendation (see attached) to receive Diana Shepard into membership of the HMM of the Religious Society of Friends. Because of Diana’s imminent departure, M4W4B nominated a Welcoming Committee of Betty Preston, and, subject to consent, two members not present. If neither is able to be on the Welcoming Committee, Betty is asked to select another member.

5.1.3. We are concerned that the Welcoming Committees for Robin Lucy and Dawn Lepard may be constrained by HMM’s request that there be one welcome for both new members. We suggest that they welcome these members separately as soon as is possible.

5.2. Naming Committee for Nominating Committee: The Naming Committee to nominate one new member for the Nominating Committee will be Helen Brink, Tamara Fleming and Helen Paulin (who was called during the meeting and agreed to participate).

5.3 Quaker Vigil: Tamara Fleming feels moved to hold a regular vigil as a witness for peace regarding events in Iraq. We as a Meeting decided to undertake a vigil for peace. Possibly its theme would be reconciliation. It is important that the message of the vigil be positive and convey Friends’ essential message regarding peace and healing in Iraq. We are planning a vigil on Tuesdays from 5pm-6pm and Fridays from noon-1pm to start on April 15. We ask Tamara to circulate specific information to members and attenders. The Clerk will announce after M4W this Sunday that there will be an informal discussion about the Meeting’s vigil.

5.4 Quaker banner at demonstrations: As a Meeting, we endorse the use of our banner at events where we wish that the Quaker message for peace be present. At another time, we will explore the question of whether the banner should also be used for social justice purposes.

Due to the late hour, other agenda items were deferred. These are Roles of CYM clerks, Insulation fund, Day of healing and reconciliation, Chuck Fager visit, FWCC issue, MCC Iraq kits, Website proposal, Yonge Street Half-Yearly Meeting, and Correspondence.

6. The next Meeting for Worship for Business is first day, May 4th following Meeting for Worship.

7. Meeting closed with open worship.