Minutes of Meeting for Worship for Business

4 April 2004

Present: Ian Graham, Beverly Shepard, Tamara Fleming, Rick McCutcheon, Mona Callin, Helen Paulin, Andy Muller, Jean Johnson, Robbie McGregor, Rex Barger, Denise Barron, Dick Preston, Betty Preston, Helen Brink, Don Woodside (Clerk), Harriet Woodside, Susan Wortman (Recording Clerk)

1. Meeting began with open worship.
2. The minutes of March 4, 2004, M4W4B were read and accepted with the following addition: 4.1 Ruth and Reuven Kitai were the primary authors of the Statistical Report.
3. Matters Arising
   1. Committee of Clearness for Ian Graham (Rick): The Committee of Clearness for Ian, regarding his leading to do chaplaincy work, (February M4W4B, 3.2) has been formed.
   2. Caucus of Clerks (Ian) Ian proposed that a way be found for the first named of committees to meet for support and stimulation of creativity. There was some concern expressed at the idea of establishing a formal structure to do this, but there was support for an informal process that could be initiated by any committee clerk, at any time, and that included any interested Friends. Dick and Betty Preston have offered to host the first of such events.
   3. Potlucks The following potluck suppers will be held. The time: gather at 6 to eat at 6:30pm.
      • Thursday, April 15 - (note change in date from previous posting) Report from our Ottawa Delegation on the March meeting with the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, concerning the publication, The Responsibility to Protect. Copies of this report are available from Dick Preston.
      • Thursday, May 20 - 'Show and Tell' gathering to learn more about our outside activities, skills, interests and talents. Children and adults of the Meeting are encouraged to share a little about themselves.
      • Friday, June 18 - The Archives Committee would like to inform us of their activities, and enlist our help in identifying photographs.
   4. Young Friends' Retreat (Ian): We thank the two seasoned Friends who have agreed to be overnight Friendly Adult Presences for the Young Friends' Retreat: Ian Graham and Laura Vasquez from Sparta Meeting. We remind the YFR organizers that signed parental permission forms and medical release forms with OHIP numbers are required for all participants under the age of 18, and must be on site for the Retreat. We also set a maximum of 40 participants for the Retreat.
   5. Pendle Hill Scholarships (Mona): Mona reported that given that this scholarship is Canada wide, and both she and Carol Leigh Wehking were interested from HMM, she is withdrawing her application. She wishes to thank HMM for its support, and let us know that she may apply at some time in the future.
4. Reports
   1. State of Society Report - 2003 (Jean): The State of Society Report (see attached) was presented by Jean, from Ministry and Council, for final approval. It was warmly received, and approved by Meeting. Thanks to all those who have participated in creating this complete and caring document.
   2. Nominating Committee Report for 2004-2005 (Andy): Andy presented several groups of nominations for Meeting's approval.

      We first approved our recommendation of Christina Edwards' nomination for membership on the Canadian Friends Service Committee. This separate approval is required when an attender, rather than a member of HMM is recommended to a Canadian Yearly Meeting (CYM) committee.

      We also approved the recommendations to CYM Nominating Committee (see attached) for various CYM committee positions. We have since been informed that Dick Preston is ineligible for the Camp NeeKauNis Committee, having served a number of terms already. We are pleased to support the change from Dick to Betty Preston, for this position.

      We received the list of nominations for HMM for 2004-5. Some discussion was held concerning how to integrate new Friends into the business life of the Meeting. We were also reminded of the spirit-lead process of nominations, and of the need for seasoning of Friends who take on positions requiring more Quaker experience. We thank Nominating Committee for their extensive efforts in preparing this list, including those efforts to include new attenders. We ask Nominating Committee to reconsider this issue, and receive any new information that may arise that would lead to any additions to this list, and present it to the May M4W4B.

      We would also like to acknowledge the contribution of many Friends that work informally for the Meeting, in various capacities.

   3. Canadian Yearly Meeting Finance Committee Report (Bev): Bev presented this report (see attached) which will go to Representative Meeting for discussion. The report addresses issues of funding for travel and attendance at CYM, readjustments to the 2004 budget and approaches to balanced and deficit budgets. We are happy to understand that CYM's financial situation is improved over what was anticipated for 2004. We received this report with brief discussion and encourage Friends to speak to our representative to Representative Meeting, Dick Preston, with their input.
5. New Business-- laid over
6. Correspondence-- laid over
7. Next M4W4B will be held on Thursday night, 7 pm, May 6, 2004.
8. The meeting closed with open worship.

State of Society Report, 2003

First Day School meets on alternate weeks and is divided into two classes. Numbers are small but steady. On two or three occasions during the year, the children have been invited to stay in Meeting for the full hour, playing with soft toys, reading or using art materials, joined sometimes by adults participating in their activities. This is called "Meeting of the Whole" and occurs on the fifth Sunday of months in which there are five Sundays. We are continuing with this practice because we find its inclusivity rewarding. Meetings for Worship for Business have been held regularly. We have begun alternating between a Sunday afternoon after a potluck lunch, and a weekday evening. They have been consistently long, no matter what the agenda. We attempt to discipline ourselves to avoid unnecessarily extending discussion but with limited success. Contentious issues have been faced and resolved without alienating Friends. In our struggle with long agendas, we have sometimes needed called meetings, but now refer many issues to committees or individuals for deliberation, thus avoiding having any called meetings this year. Donations to Meeting this year have been below expectations. We have laboured over a plan for a loan fund for members/attenders in need.

Although our meeting family is aging, we have welcomed several new attenders, of different ages. The Outreach Committee has helped to bring this about with a web site and by publicizing our existence at the university. Our membership has increased by two, one who grew up in Meeting and wished to join as an adult, and one new to our meeting. Age, nonetheless, has deprived us of the presence in meeting of a number of valued Friends. We try to keep in touch through visiting and especially through a Christmastime gift of cookies delivered by a group of carolling Friends. Several Committees of Care and Clearness have been established or have been ongoing during the year. We all need to be aware of our own and of others' needs and to develop our abilities to give and receive counsel graciously. Our precious home has been well utilized this year. Hamilton has hosted a number of Quaker and other activities in the Meeting House, as is customary: we hosted Home Mission and Advancement committee in October, and such groups as the Hamilton Interfaith Group, the Self-Realization Fellowship, and Blue Heron Buddhist meditation group, as well as the Consort of Friends, (a renaissance singing group), the Spiritskins Drumming circle, and evenings of sacred chant have enjoyed our space. Although our interests are diverse, and many Friends are very busy with their deeply felt concerns, we have tried to maintain our spirit of belonging together by a painting bee, a retreat in April overseen by Ministry and Counsel, monthly potluck suppers, a swap fest, our shared Thanksgiving feast, and an intergenerational New Year's Eve gathering. Throughout the year groups have met for study and discussion, some specifically designed for new attenders, others as part of a series with a broader focus. Peace and Social Action committee also held a series of discussions on the origins of violence in child abuse. There has been a concern that the resources of our library are not utilized to the fullest extent and a major renewal is under way. An 'ecology corner' with current journals has been added to the library. The fabric of our Meeting House and its garden have been lovingly cared for by a small but dedicated group of Friends. Late in the year we were delighted that a long-term intention of insulating the Meeting House to make it more energy efficient will now be possible due to a generous grant from the Rogers Trust. There has been an ongoing concern that our Meeting should try to influence Canada's foreign policy to reduce the tensions that lead to violence. A second meeting of a delegation of three Hamilton Monthly Meeting Friends with representatives of the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade has been in the planning phase throughout the year. Peace and Social Action committee has been concerned with how violence arises, with how tensions can be reduced in our community and with how peace research and peace education can be fostered. Individual Friends have taken active parts in various efforts to build peace at both local and wider levels, and, for two months, the Meeting held a peace vigil downtown after the war in Iraq.

Request from Nominating Committee

The Nominating List was presented to Meeting for Worship for Business (M4W4B) on April 3, 2004. It was laid over to the May M4W4B. This was done to allow time for each of us to think again about participating on a committee or in a position starting in September, 2004.

We encourage you to look over the list below and consider whether there is a way, or another way, you would like to participate in the life of our Meeting. If you want more information or feel a leaning to put your name forward please contact one of us by April 23rd.

Hamilton Monthly Meeting Nominations List: 2004-2005

Clerk: Beverly Shepard

Supporting Clerk: Carol Leigh Wehking

Recording Clerk: Rick McCutcheon

Treasurer:

Auditor: Grace Inglis

Trustees: Helen Brink, Betty Preston, Beverly Shepard, Don Woodside

Finance Committee: Ian Graham, Andy Muller, Blair Greer

Ministry and Counsel: Jean Johnson (3), Carol Leigh Wehking (3), Helen Brink (2), Rex Barger(1)

Visiting Friends: Betty Preston, Mona Callin, Suzanne Goshko, Jesse Husk, Louise Trepanier

Outreach: Ian Graham, Dave King, Emily Shepard

First Day School: Co-clerks: Sian Baker and Janis Muller; Martha Stephens, Shirley Shellenberg, Nancy Cooper-Hay

Nominating: Harriet Woodside (3), Robbie McGregor (2)

Coffee and Housekeeping: Christina Edwards; Dawn Lepard

Maintenance: Co-clerks: Reuven Kitai and Betty Preston; Betty Flynn, John Milton, John Andrew Muller, Gary Peters

Garden: Jean Johnson, Betty Flynn, Glenna Janzen, Louise Trepanier

PSAC: Dick Preston, Rex Barger, Helen Brink, Ray Cunnington, Tamara Fleming, Suzanne Goshko, Jesse Husk, Hanna Newcombe, Helen Paulin

Newsletter: Don Woodside

Library: Ian Graham, Tom Edge

Statistics: Reuven Kitai, Ruth Kitai

Archives: Robbie McGregor, Robbie Shepard, Diana Shepard

Telephone Tree: Betty Flynn, Helen Paulin, Louise Trepanier

Ecumenical Committee on Refugees: Darlene James

Yonge St. Half Yearly Meeting: Dawn Lepard

Representative Meeting: Dick Preston