Minutes - DRAFT
Meeting for Worship for the Conduct of Business
Second Month, 11, 2007

Opening

The meeting opened with a period of silent worship, with 26 Friends present. The clerk read the queries from Baltimore Yearly Meeting's Faith and Practice, which focused on meeting for worship for the conduct of business:

Current Queries:
Are meetings for business held in the spirit of worship, understanding and forbearance? When direction seems lacking, is it seen as a challenge to a more powerful search for truth? Do we humbly set aside our own preconceived notions as to proper action, seeking instead Divine guidance as the right course? Is the Meeting aware that it speaks not only through its actions but also through its failure to act?

Do you participate regularly in meetings for business, discharged faithfully your committee responsibilities, ands assume your share of financial support for the Meeting?

Proposed Advices and Queries:
Advices: Attendance at meeting for worship with a concern for business is the responsibility of all friends. Come with pen minds, seeking the spirit, ready to listen to others carefully, always trying to discern the truth in what they have to offer. Proceed in the peaceable spirit of the light of Truth, with forbearance and warm affection for each other. If you cannot attend, uphold the Meeting prayerfully.

We do not seek a majority decision or even consensus. As we wait patiently for God's guidance, our experience is that way will open and we shall be led into unity. Do not allow the strength of your convictions to betray you into making statements or allegations that are unfair or untrue. Think it possible that you may be mistaken.

Queries:
Are your Meetings held in the spirit of worship, seeking the guidance of God? In what ways do we each take our share of responsibility in the service of the Meeting?


Agenda Review:
· Add to Informational Items - Finance Monthly Giving report, Worship and Ministry Spiritual State of the Meeting report, correspondence from Sojourners and Hughesville Cemetery.
· Lay over to next month from Items from Deeper Discussion - Ministry and Worship Proposal and House and Grounds proposal re: concerns about uninvited guests on the property and request by FCNL for Adelphi mailing list.

Informational Items - not for extended discussion

Minutes from First Month were approved as amended.
· Finance Committee - Phil Martens
o The 2006 final figures reflect items in red that was income that fell short of expectations/overspent the projected amount. (rest of the bullet remains unchanged).
o Account Summary: The Reserve for Replacement amount is determined by the long-term maintenance requirements of the 2 buildings and the property. (rest of the bullet remains unchanged).

Relevant clerk's mail - Clerk
· Thanks you letters for donations from William Penn House, Jubilee Jobs,
Crossings, and Friends House Retirement Community
· Request for donations from Guilford College was referred to the Finance
Committee
· Request for involvement from individuals to CUCI was referred to Pastoral Care
· BYM Announcements
o Please contact the YM Office or go to the YM Website for further information on local gatherings, education funds and scholarships, BYN Interim Meeting, FCNL internship and William Penn House Strategy for Peace workshop.
o Deadlines quickly approaching for participating in the Young Adult Gathering, a poetry event at Friends Wilderness Center and BYM loan applications.
o Camp Work Weekends are:
· Catoctin - April 14+15, May 5+6
· Opequon - April 28+29, June 2+3
· Shiloh - May 19+20

Finance Committee - Phil Martens
· January giving has been low. Our income last year at this time was $2,300; this year it is $1,800. Continued low giving could result in budget adjustments.
· The Committee will emphasize giving more often in the Newsletter

Memorial Garden - Mosi Harrington
· APPROVED - Appreciation to John Bassert for his work on the new shed.
· The Memorial Garden Committee is ready to accept requests for memorial stones. The paperwork is available from Jamesen Goodman.

Nominating Committee - Clerk
· First reading for:
o Alyssa Watts, Hospitality  07-09
o Rob Solley and Karen Moore, Hospitality  07-09

Ministry and Worship - Ruben Snipper
· First reading of the Spiritual State of the Meeting
· Input from Junior Meeting, Young Friends and Junior Young Friends are not yet included in the report.
· Please send suggestions re: the report to Ministry and Worship

Hughesville Cemetery - Clerk
· Surveyors have requested permission to survey a property line that is shared by the cemetery and an adjacent piece of land.
· Trustees will follow-up on the letter to make sure that the property was formally registered by Pautextent Meeting when we transferred the cemetery to their care.

Items for deeper discussion and/or actions

Nominating Committee - clerk
· APPROVED with thanks, the second reading for:
o Rebecca Roberts, Religious education 07-09
o Karen O'Brien, Pastoral Care 07-09
o Donna Hoffmeister,  Newsletter 07-09
o Sally Rudney, School Board 07-09
o Wendy Eck, Strawberry Festival Coordinator  05-07
o Angela Toda, Strawberry Festival Coordinator 06-07
o Matty Lau, Peace and Social Concerns -07-09

Proposal from Quaker Earthcare Witness - Joan Clement
· APPROVED the request for holding Meeting for Worship outside at the Memorial Garden at 9:00 am on each 2nd First Day.
o The proposal has been seasoned with other committees is in addition to the regular 9:00 am Meeting for Worship.

Finance Committee - Phil Martens
· First reading of the Proposal for an Adelphi Reserve for Aid Fund
o Establish a Reserve for Aid fund to cover periodic and unpredictable budget shortfalls for Sharings, Sufferings, Camp Scholarships, and Tuition Assistance for Conferences and Seminars.
o Seed the fund with $5000 from the current unrestricted surplus.
o Continue a Camping Scholarships annual line item in the budget.
o Continue a Conferences & Seminars annual line item in the budget.
o Consolidate Sharings Fund and Sufferings Fund line items into a single budget item.
o If needed, supplement the Reserve for Aid fund with additional money as determined by monthly meeting.
o Retain the current responsibilities for administering these budget items: The treasurer will administer applications for camping scholarships and tuition for conferences and seminars. An ad-hoc committee composed of the clerk of Pastoral Care, the clerk of the meeting, and the treasurer will administer applications for sharings and sufferings.
o Empower the ad hoc committee to draw upon the Reserve for Aid fund as required to meet needs that go beyond the annual budgeted amounts.
o Track the Reserve for Aid fund administratively (though the Treasurer's accounting) rather than establish a separate bank account.
· Background - while many expense items are predictable, these 4 line items fluctuate significantly - from $0 - $10,000 - and make budgeting for the use of these very important line items to care for our community difficult, often requiring approval for changing the budget during the year to make sure that we are meeting our commitment. 

Finance Committee - Phil Martens
· Allocation of camping scholarships requires decisions that are more appropriately made by someone/some entity other than the Treasurer.
o Is setting priorities based on 1st come first served, by percentage of all requests, or by need?
o How to address requests from families with multiple children eligible for scholarships
o What is the guidance for considering late requests?
· These decisions may require a guidance/policy of the Meeting.
· Discussion for Friends' consideration
o Establishing a window of opportunity for submitting requests and making decisions based on the requests has resulted in early applicants missing the application date, resulting in negotiations with BYM to accept Adelphi campers after the due date.
o It is possible for friends to contribute money for camping scholarships if the amount is not sufficient to cover all requests.
o The purpose of the budget is to reflect our expectations for our expenses
o FCS has a separate committee to decide the amounts of scholarships.
o These same concerns apply to requests for Conference scholarships.
· The clerk will research the previous policy
· Suggestions can be given to Martha Gay, Catherine Tall and Phil Martens

Peace and Social Concerns - Matty Lau
· First Reading - in order to align PSC allocations to organizations with the Meeting's fiscal year the committee proposes allocating last years' amounts in two payments to each organization for this year and make decisions about next year's allocations after the Strawberry Festival.
o This applies to the June 2007 check.
o Information about organizations receiving Strawberry Festival money is located in a binder in the white house.
· First Reading - to remove the requirement to give to locally based organizations as a way to restore the connection between the spiritual life of the meeting and giving and increase the focus on peace-building organizations as a Quaker mission to address social concerns.
o Discussion for Friends' consideration
· The meeting prioritizes giving to local efforts because BYM addressed giving to larger organizations and worldwide efforts.
· Local organizations have fewer sources for funds.
· Local organizations reflect the involvement of members of the meeting.
· Our contribution may be the only additional money the organization receives.
· Next Steps
o The committee will report back to business meeting with a shorter, more specific proposal to consider
o Consider whether our current policy of the Finance Committee identifying the Quaker organizations and level of giving and Peace and Social Concerns identifying the non-Quaker organizations and level of giving the best approach
o Schedule a 2nd hour on how we express our spirituality to the larger world
o The clerk will research the decision leading to our current policy of giving to local organizations
· Expressed thanks for the committee for brining their spiritual struggle of how to live out our testimony through giving.


Other business

Request from Sojourners Community - Clerk
· Coinciding with the opening of the film "Amazing Grace", Adelphi will join other local congregations in singing Amazing Grace next First Day to highlight that slavery still exists today.

Announcements
· Vignettes - Deborah James' vignette project will move forward under the guidance of a volunteer from Richmond Meeting. Deborah thanked her support committee for their work. Her next project is to promote a curriculum for high school students that emphasize home room solidarity.
· Film: Search for Peace In the Middle East" will be shown at Greenbelt Community Church at 3:30 pm. The film was produced by a Friend. A DVD of the film is available from our library.   

Closing
Meeting for Worship for the Conduct of Business closed with a period of silent worship.
Friends present - 20