NEWSLETTER December 2003
Hamilton Monthly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends
(Quakers)
7 Butty Place
Hamilton, Ontario L8S 2R5
www.quaker.ca/hamilton
quakers@hwcn.org
Telephone: 905.523.8383
Point to Ponder
Submitted by Bev Shepard
After Christmas
When the song of the angel is stilled,
When the star in the sky is gone,
When the kings and the princes are home,
When the shepherds are back with their flock,
The work of Christmas begins:
To find the lost, To heal the broken,
To feed the hungry, To release the prisoners,
To rebuild the nations, To bring peace among brothers,
To make music in the heart.
Dates to Remember
- Wed. Dec. 31 New Year's Eve Party
- Thurs. Jan. 8 Meeting for Worship for Business, 7 p.m.
- Thurs. Jan 22 Potluck Supper, 6 pm (topic to be confirmed)
Coffee List
21 Dec Robbie
28 Dec Helen P
4 Jan 2004 Betty P
11 Jan 2004 Bev
18 Jan 2004 Louise
25 Jan 2004 Andy
New Year's Eve Party
Wednesday, December 31, 2003
HMM Meeting House
Our annual welcome to the new year will start at 8 pm with a potluck supper.
After this, those who want to can join in activities like singing and games.
Our tradition is to form a circle close to midnight where we share hopes for
the coming year before we greet it. Bring friends and family. The party is
geared to all ages.
We hope you will drop in for part of the evening if that works with your
plans.
Meeting for Worship for Business - Sunday, December 7, 2003
Minutes can be found here or on the
Newsletters page.
A Message from Nominating Committee
Submitted by committee members Andy Muller, Robbie McGregor and Harriet
Woodside
Hamilton Monthly Meeting (HMM) wishes to encourage the involvement of all
members and attenders, old and new, in the work of the Meeting through its
committees, Meeting for Worship for Business (M4W4B), and activities. We
welcome expressions of interest in the work and positions of HMM, Canadian
Yearly Meeting, and other Quaker bodies. Nominating Committee is asked to
ascertain the interests, abilities and willingness of attenders and members to
serve in the work of the Meeting.
Please take some time to read through the brief descriptions of HMM committees
which follow. The work of most committees is open to all friends and
attenders although there are some crucial committees which are normally
comprised of "seasoned" friends. In January, more detailed information will
be posted in the Meeting House along with an interest profile which you may
wish to fill out. Nominating Committee will be contacting you early in the
new year to discuss committees in which you may have an interest. From this
information, Nominating Committee will compile a list of nominations to
present to M4W4B.
Clerk
The Clerk normally opens and closes Meeting for Worship, presides at M4W4B,
and sees that a faithful record of the proceedings is kept in a minute book.
The Clerk has extensive duties and responsibilities as outlined in the full
terms of reference. These are available from the Nominating Committee. Clerks
should be chosen with special reference to their sound judgment and gift of
discernment and their ability to determine what is the sense of the Meeting.
(adapted from Organization and Procedure)
Supporting Clerk
Duties and responsibilities are to assist the Clerk when necessary (e.g., when
the clerk is overloaded with work); usually to clerk M4W4B if the Clerk is
unable to do so; and to be the Meeting's contact with "The Canadian Friend"
and forward relevant items of news to that publication.
Auditor
Duties and responsibilities are to receive and to examine the accounts of
money in the hands of the Treasurer; to verify these accounts of money by
reference to invoices, receipts, and the records of income and expenditure;
and to make recommendations to M4W4B regarding the Meeting's finances. The
Auditor receives the complete records after May 31 for the previous calendar
year from the Treasurer. When satisfied that the accounts are in order, the
Auditor provides the Treasurer with a signed statement that s/he has examined
the accounts and finds no reason for objection or disallowment.
Recording Clerk
Duties and responsibilities are to listen to the expression of friends in
M4W4B and to represent in writing the sense of the meeting; to type the
written minutes, read them at the next M4W4B and make corrections; to provide
copies of the minutes as required; and to ensure that final drafts of the
minutes are deposited in the Meeting Archives at Pickering College.
Treasurer and Assistant Treasurer
"The Treasurer, and Assistant Treasurer if there is one, shall receive and
disburse funds as directed by the Meeting; keep an accurate account of the
money so received and paid out; and make an annual financial report to the
Meeting or at shorter intervals as required by the Meeting." (adapted from
Organization and Procedure)
Archival Committee
Duties and responsibilities are to preserve all documents, official and
unofficial, pertaining to the meeting; to record interviews with members of
Meeting, as well as other Canadian Friends whose experiences may be of
particular interest to Hamilton Friends; to, from time to time, request
Friends' assistance with their preservation; to explore computer-based
preservation of records; to transcribe audiotapes; and to add materials to the
Meeting website.
Coffee and Housekeeping Committee
Duties and responsibilities are to make up the coffee list and remind
individuals when they will serve coffee; to keep the kitchen in good order;
and to replenish supplies.
Finance Committee
The Finance Committee meets at the request of Meeting or the Treasurer.
Duties and responsibilities may be to review and clarify the annual budget; to
assist in decisions regarding investment planning; to review the auditor's
report; to clarify an item of financial business; and to recommend spending
outside of everyday operations.
First Day School Committee
Duties and responsibilities are to ensure the smooth running of First Day
School; to find and orient First Day School teachers; to review and plan First
Day School activities; and to liaise with other Meetings and the CYM Religious
Education committee as appropriate.
Garden Committee (sometimes known as Meeting for Weeding!)
Duties and responsibilities are to maintain the HMM garden; to check the
progress of the garden; to find proper organic solutions to garden problems;
and to take on special projects related to the garden.
Library Committee
Duties and responsibilities are to be aware of, and order, new library
materials; to pay for new acquisitions; to maintain a cataloguing system for
library materials; to publicize the Meeting library; to maintain a system for
borrowing and returning books; and other duties, as they arise, that relate to
the Meeting library.
Maintenance Committee
Duties and responsibilities are to maintain the general upkeep and improvement
of the Meeting House both inside and out.
Ministry and Counsel
Ministry and Counsel is a small committee made up of seasoned friends
responsible for the oversight of the spiritual life of the Meeting, and of its
members and attenders.
Newsletter Committee
Duties and responsibilities are to oversee the publication of the Meeting
newsletter; to ensure that the newsletter is circulated; and to retain and
submit receipts for expenses to the treasurer.
Nominating Committee and Naming Committee
Duties and responsibilities are to nominate friends and attenders to serve on
Meeting committees. Members of Nominating Committee are nominated by a
special committee, the Naming Committee, which is established by M4W4B.
Outreach Committee
Duties and responsibilities are to be aware of the projects of the Meeting so
that news can be made available and questions answered; to maintain the
website and provide content to the webmaster through a sub-committee of
Outreach Committee; to ensure the accuracy of Meeting contact information in
public sources such as the Yellow Pages; to prepare a budget and plan for each
year by the November M4W4B; to encourage new attendees to feel welcome and
participate to the degree they wish; to seek ways that the resources of the
Meeting can be helpful in the community; and to maintain ongoing contact with
CYM Home Mission and Advancement Committee and be aware of their programs and
priorities that may be relevant for Meeting.
Peace and Social Action Committee
Duties and responsibilities are to sound members and attenders out on their
social concerns; to give form to those concerns; and to assist the Meeting in
taking appropriate action as the way opens.
Statistics Committee
Duties and responsibilities are to keep records, and add, delete, or modify
the records as each person's statistical status changes. The Committee
prepares a statistical report once a year.
Trustees
Trustees are directly appointed by M4W4B. They are responsible for the long
term care of all property owned by the meeting including the Meeting House,
grounds and reserve funds.
Visiting Friends
Duties and responsibilities are to visit friends and attenders who are not
able to get to Meeting on a regular basis.
Meeting of "Faith Leaders" Friday, December 5
Submitted by Beverly Shepard
The Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board convened a meeting of area faith
leaders last Friday morning to clarify the Board's position on religious and
faith-based activities on Board property. I was there as a representative of
Quakers. My year of work both with the school board and on behalf of Quakers,
combined with the very special qualification of being available on Friday
morning, resulted in my being asked by the Clerk to attend this meeting.
We - the faith representatives - were presented the relevant parts of
provincial education legislation and Board policies and assured that the Board
wishes to support the rights of all people of faith to pursue their beliefs
and practices, while not showing favouritism or contravening the law. This
becomes a complex matter. The most recent example of unhappiness with an
instance of compliance with the law is the widely-publicized demand that a
Christian club, led by a pastor, no longer take place on school property
during the instructional day. On the other hand, separate permission has been
arranged for Muslim students at five area high schools to attend a half-hour
of Friday prayers each week within the schools. This is an essential element
of Muslim practice; it just happens that their holy day is Friday, which
doesn't fall within the days off in a standard (Christian-based)
work-or-school-week. The difficulty arises because schools are expected to
permit individual students to adhere to required religious practice during the
school day (thus there's no problem letting Muslim students out of class for a
few minutes of daily prayers), but not to allow gatherings of students for a
single-faith meeting with a faith leader (and the Friday prayers require a
sermon).
In addition to a sincere and caring attempt to deal with this tricky
situation, representatives at the meeting made a plea for formal education
about world religions in our schools. This should start early, involve a clear
and comprehensive curriculum, and be given by trained teachers. This is the
best way to begin to overcome the ignorance/misunderstanding/fear/hatred chain
that has led to so much violence in the world.
There will probably be further meetings, most likely of a committee formed
from those who were invited to attend Friday's meeting.
"A Modest Proposal": Friends Money Sharing Club or FMSC*
Submitted by John Milton
*Since all Quaker groups need an acronym, which must start with "F" :-)
I have tried to follow the loans issue from minutes & casual discussions with
folks, and am very sorry that the meeting times have not worked out for me.
What follows is a suggestion of how we might move forward on this issue, it's
just an idea but hopefully it may have some interest to folks.
First, a few observations:
I think that the $1000 PSAC Budget line and the $200 Clerks fund should
remain, this idea is not intended to overlap with them or make use of those
funds and is not addressed further here.
It seems to me that the combination of the restrictions and arcane nature of
the tax laws related to "certified" charities, combined with the "enmeshment"
with HMM Meeting for Worship for Business and Friends' understandable and
reasonable caution in such matters makes the chance of actually making loans
or grants in a timely manner to other than very obvious causes unlikely if
that work is done by HMM. I think these problems could be solved by doing this
work using a structure which is not a part of HMM but which would do business
"in the manner of Friends". Seems to me this might be done using the structure
of a "private club", hence the working title of "Friends Money Sharing Club"
or FMSC.
The only obvious drawback I see to this at this time is that those with money
to share would not get a tax deduction, but I would hope that this would not
stand in the way of the idea at least being considered. What follows is a
draft outline of show such an organization could work How FMSC could work:
A monthly business meeting would be held, which would operate in the manner of
Friends, with the usual roles of Clerk, Recording Clerk, and Treasurer. The
business of the meeting would be restricted to decisions relating to the
sharing of the Club's money. Participation in the meeting would be open,
subject to the consent of the meeting, but would be held "in camera" i.e.
"behind closed doors".
FMSC would establish two bank accounts; one to allow for the incidental
expenses of the club (printing, postage, etc.) called the "General Account"
and another containing the money to be shared, called "The Pot". All cash
flowing into the club would be deposited in The Pot, and transfers from the
Pot to the General Account would be made to top up the General Account as
incidental expenses occurred. The status of the accounts would be tracked and
reported on by the Treasurer. All financial records and account status would
at all times be open to all members.
Transactions
- People wishing to support the work of FMSC would do so by giving it money. This would be in the form of an unrestricted gift. They would not get a tax deduction receipt. This money would be deposited in The Pot. Gifts could be anonymous.
- People needing money for some purpose would come to a monthly business
meeting of the Club, explain their situation and the proposed use of the money as they chose to, and ask the Club to give them money. The meeting would consider the request in the manner of Friends, and decide how they wished to act. If a decision to give money to the person was made it would be taken from The Pot and would, as with donations to The Pot, be in the form of an unrestricted gift. Requests could be of 2 forms, which would correspond to the notions of a "grant" or an "interest free loan". These are expanded on below.
- "Unilateral Gift" (Same effect as a grant)
Very simple; if the person wanting money was not in a position to "repay" it in the foreseeable future then the money would be a simple gift from the club to the person. Example: A person on fixed income needs $100 to cover some unforeseen plumbing repairs, but has no "slack" in their budget. The meeting could decide to give that person some or all of the $100. Should the person's situation change in the future they would of course be free to give any amount of money to the club, just as would anyone else as described in case 1 above.
- "Reciprocal Gift" (Similar to an "interest free loan")
More complicated; this is a request by a person for a gift of money from the Club, but the request is accompanied by a written "statement of intent" that the person intends to give the same amount of money to the Club in the future which would be considered by the club meeting as part of the request.
Example: A student needs $250 for tuition for a university course. They ask the Club to give them the $250. Along with the request is a "statement of intent" which could read as follows: "Based on my present circumstances I intend to freely give FMSC $25 on the last day of every month, for ten months, starting at the end of January, 2004" Should the student's financial situation change in the future (i.e. they get a job) they would, of course, be free to give any additional amount of money to the club, just as in case1 given above but this would in no way be tied to the original Reciprocal Gift request.
On the other hand, if they are unable to meet the terms of the original statement of intent they are free to come back to the club meeting at any time with a different statement of intent that they feel they would be able to fulfill. The particulars of the degree to which the terms of statements of intent were met would be tracked by the Treasurer, public to members of the club meeting, but confidential outside of the club meeting. The club would not, and legally could not, ever take steps to "force" a gift of money to the club in order to comply with a statement of intent (i.e. involving a collection agency) . It is just that, a statement of intent to freely give, not a legally enforceable repayment contract.
Should the club meeting decide at some point to dissolve the club the money
they had in their possession at the time would be donated, without
restriction, to Hamilton Monthly Meeting, and all outstanding statements of
intent to give to the club would be considered to have been fulfilled. Those
who had made those commitments would of course still be free to make donations
to HMM or any other organization as they so chose.
Some advantages of the FMSC proposal as I have outlined it:
- FMSC would have no legal, administrative, or fiscal ties to HMM.:
This would put the minds of donors to HMM at ease in that they would not need to worry that their donation would wind up as a "bad debt" or supporting things they did not agree with. The process of FMSC would not be part of HMM Meeting for Worship for Business thus not adding to already full HMM agendas. The work of FMSC would not imperil HMM's government charitable status.
- FMSC would not be a government registered charity: It work would not be restricted to the types of work approved of by the government as "charitable". It would not have to concern its self with the mass of paperwork being an official charity entails.
- FMSC would do its work "in the manner of Friends": We already know how to conduct a "Meeting for business", at least in theory :). This is a structure we have a high degree of ethical acceptance of, and which has a "track record" of success in being able to do this sort of work.
- FMSC would respond to specific requests as they arose, rather than "seeking out worthy causes". This should keep its meetings of manageable length and complexity.
- FMSC would be free to respond to requests from outside HMM, or from people or organizations who are not members of the Society of Friends, if it chose to do so.
- FMSC process, as described, would provide a reasonable, though admittedly not absolute, degree of protection for the privacy of all concerned.
- By never resorting to compulsory attempts to extract money from people such as the use of collection agencies, or the threat of damage to someone's credit rating, FMSC would seem to me to operate in accord with a conservative interpretation of Friends Peace Testimony.
- The concept of a "statement of intent to freely give" as described, seems to me to be consistent with Friends Testimony on a single standard of Truthfulness, as well as with the biblical concepts of Jubilee, Sabbath, and the prohibitions of Usury and Enslavement of members of the community, as read in the contemporary context.
I welcome critique or suggestions for improvement of this proposal.
In Friendship:
John Milton
Corrections and Additions to the Directory (Yet Again :)!)
(Submitted by various helpful Friends who struggle to keep the newsletter
editor on her toes)
Alas, some of the following entries were featured incorrectly in last month's
newsletter (ed. note: these were my typo errors - apologies for the mix-up and
thanks for your patience in this matter); others are new.
Corrections to November 2003 Newsletter Corrections
Aziz-Zamisa, Mona (Lindi, Sakhile, Nathi)
maziz_zamisa (at) yahoo.com
Birkett, Hilda
h.birkett (at) sympatico.ca
Shepard, Emily
emilemony (at) yahoo.ca
New Additions to the Directory
Christine Edwards
64 Wellington St
Cambridge, ON N1R 3Y7
cmee (at) cyg.net
Matt Reeves
mattreeves220 (at) hotmail.com
Linda Campos
bubblingfreiya (at) hotmail.com
Beth Bradshaw
24 Firelane 11a
Niagara on the Lake, ON L0S 1J0
drgnfly@istar.ca
Doreen Dixon
904 Montclair Ave
Hamilton, ON L8M 2B1
Barry Jeffries
402 - 95 Hess St S
Hamilton, ON L8P 3N4