Minutes August 2018 - Called Meeting for Business

Bulls Head –Oswego Monthly Meeting

Called Meeting for Worship with attention to Business

August 19, 2018

Minutes

Present: Leif Anderson, Mary Cadbury, Nettie West, David Kirkpatrick, Mary Anderson, Julia Giordano, Caroline Webster, Larry Underwood, John Perry, Sybil Perry, Margaret Seeley, Scott Daly, Carol Rice, Fred Dettmer, Vonn New; Clerk, Karen Snare; Recording Clerk

Fred Dettmer provided background information about the situation, and answered questions brought by Friends. Friends spoke about their past experiences attending quarterly meetings in Green Haven and Eastern Correctional Facilities. After a period of worshipful discernment, the following minute was approved.

2018-58 MINUTE AUTHORIZING BULLS HEAD – OSWEGO MONTHLY MEETING TO PARTICIPATE IN A LAWSUIT BY GREEN HAVEN PREPARATIVE MEETING TO REQUIRE THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS AND COMMUNITY SUPERVISION TO ACCOMMODATE HOLDING QUARTERLY MEETINGS IN GREEN HAVEN CORRECTIONAL FACILITY

Bulls Head - Oswego Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends unites with the concern of worshipers at Green Haven Preparative Meeting, including our member Yohannes “Knowledge” Johnson that the practice of their faith is being impeded by the continuing unwillingness of the New York Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (“DOCCS”) to permit resumption of quarterly meetings at Green Haven Correctional Facility. Friends in Bulls Head – Oswego Meeting also suffer by being prohibited from worshiping and meeting with worshippers in Green Haven Preparative Meeting in quarterly meeting sessions. Holding quarterly meetings in correctional facilities is an important practice of our faith because, among other things, it enables incarcerated and outside Friends and attenders to worship, share and conduct business together. Our Book of Discipline, Faith and Practice, (March 2018 ed.) counsels (at 102) that:

“Among the more important services quarterly or equivalent meetings perform are the creation of opportunities for social mingling and better acquaintance of Friends from different meetings and the conduct of special meetings for discussion and consideration of the deeper interest of the Religious Society of Friends.”

We regret that DOCCS has not responded to substantial efforts by Green Haven Preparative Meeting, New York Yearly Meeting and its Prisons Committee, and Friends in Nine Partners Quarter to resolve this concern. Nine Partners Quarterly Meeting concludes that, under these circumstances, Friends’ rights can only be vindicated through a lawsuit under the federal Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (“RLUIPA”) for accommodation of Friends’ practice of holding quarterly meetings so that outside and incarcerated Friends and attenders in Nine Partners Quarter can “worship and counsel together and conduct business of common interest and concern.” (Faith and Practice at 91.)

Friends approve having Bulls Head-Oswego Monthly Meeting join as a plaintiff the lawsuit against DOCCS under RLUIPA to be initiated by Green Haven Preparative Meeting and participants in that worship group. Friends name Clerk (President) Vonn New and/or Treasurer Leif Anderson to serve as our representatives in connection with the lawsuit, to take all necessary and appropriate actions on our behalf to further the vindication of Friends’ right to conduct quarterly meetings in Green Haven Correctional Facility, and to report regularly to the Meeting regarding developments in the action.

Julia Giordano also expressed willingness to be named as a plaintiff as an individual.

Minuates July 2018

Bulls Head –Oswego Monthly Meeting

 Monthly Meeting for Worship with attention to Business 

July 9, 2018 Minutes

Present: Mary Anderson, Mary Cadbury, Vonn New (clerk), Solange Muller (recording clerk), Leif Anderson, Bill Leicht, Caroline Webster, Julia Giordano, David Kirkpatrick, Margaret Seely, Robert Martin, “Wolf” Joe Horan.

2018-50 Friends approve Solange Muller as Recording Clerk of the Day

2018-51 Treasurer’s Report - Leif Anderson presented the treasurer’s report for the first six months of 2018. Friends accepted the report, as attached. https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2H3uspbj7kAVFZ0VTNLdHRqdFZNVDBNOG5oSW9LM2luQzBv/view?usp=sharing

2018 -52 Trustees - Leif Anderson presented the estimate for the costs of painting the inside of the MH and for refinishing the floors in the MH and the GR. Total estimate is 1920.00. Friends approved this proposal and funds will come from the maintenance fund.

2018 -53 Trustees Report - Leif Anderson presented the Trustees’ report. Friends accepted the report, as attached. https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B2H3uspbj7kAcDctRDFxX2hEU0tOWVpiS2hvT0hmZ1FSLXJF

2018-54 Ministry and Counsel - Solange Muller reported that M&C is not able to make a recommendation to address a childcare plan. Friends recommend that we convene a threshing and information session on August 12th to discern the way forward with welcoming the children who come to our Meeting and where that will lead us in developing a Child Care Proposal. If Friends are led to invite Friends from other Meetings who have children we ask them to do so. Vonn New will clerk find someone to clerk the threshing /information session.

2018 -55 Ministry and Counsel - Solange Muller reported on the event that M and C and Hospitality collaborated on with POK Friends Meeting - Mary Foster Cadbury a Quaker Life. An audio recording of her words will be made public soon.

2018 -56 Naming Committee - Wolf Horan provided the second reading of Sybil Perry for Nominating Committee. Friends approved. Naming Committee is in discernment with a second person.

2018 - 57 Sexual Ethics statement below. Friends approved.

“Our Meeting community is a small part of God’s family. Each of us is precious in God’s sight, and each of us in the meeting, whether gay, lesbian, straight, bisexual, married, unmarried, celibate, sexually active, or polyamorous, has gifts that can benefit the whole.
We want a meeting where each of us is encouraged and helped to be our best, a place where each person, young and old, feels welcome and accepted. Each adult needs to model a respectful caring attitude, with no inappropriate sexual innuendo or harmful behavior.
We affirm the value of covenant relationships such as marriage; however we recognize that healthy relationships can occur in other contexts. Each of us must be governed by how our sexual behavior affects family or others. We see the importance of sexuality in becoming the people we are. As humans, our experience of the Spirit is necessarily embodied. In our sexual experience some of us have felt the same Spirit that covers us in worship. Not all our sexual experiences fit this pattern, but we all aspire to live our whole lives, including our sexuality, in faithfulness to the leadings of the Spirit.
We affirm that sexual relationships should be loving and respectful, non-coercive, between fully consenting adults where one does not exercise significant power over another. “

Minutes June 2018

Bulls Head –Oswego Monthly Meeting
Monthly Meeting for Worship with attention to Business
June 10, 2018
Minutes

Present: Mary Cadbury, Julia Giordano, Denise Sherman, Solange Muller, Nettie West, Bill Leicht, Mary Williams, Ramses, Mary Anderson, Leif Anderson, Rob Dweck, John Perry, Sybil Perry, Wolf Horan (recording clerk of the day), Vonn New (clerk)

Meeting opened with silent worship.

2018-42 Wolf Horan is approved as recording clerk of the day.

2018-43 The state of the meeting report for Greenhaven Preparative Meeting was read, it is attached here: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B2H3uspbj7kAYnpweVYwY2NxV3hsbWtfYmNWVEFCTjhfTHpn The worship group's desire to host Quarterly meeting will require work by Nine Partners Quarterly Meeting and New York Yearly Meeting with DOCS (Department of Corrections) to change the definition that DOCS has of "Quaker".

2018-45 Solange reported for Ministry & Counsel. M & C will be sending money for postage to a member.

2018-46 Wolf Horan reports for the Naming Committee. We bring forward the name of Sybil Perry for first reading the nominating committee. The Naming committee is in discernment with a second person and will report again next month.

2018-47 Wolf Horan reports on Stanfordville Community Day. It will be held on Saturday 9/15/2018. The meeting is invited to place an ad in the program. Friends approve spending $100 or less on an ad. Vonn will provide camera ready copy in collaboration with Wolf.

2018-48 Bill Leicht Reported on AVP and Gaza, attached. https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B2H3uspbj7kAc2hJcHJPaHU4S0pRLVlFR2R3QTNpRHFIdjNR

2018-49. The proposed Bulls Head-Oswego monthly meeting statement of sexual ethics was read and discussed. Some changes in wording were proposed (see below). The revised statement will be reviewed at the next business meeting.

"Our Meeting community is a small part of God’s family. Each of us is precious in God’s sight, and each of us in the meeting, whether gay, lesbian, straight, bisexual, married, unmarried, celibate, sexually active, or polyamorous, has gifts that can benefit the whole.

We want a meeting where each of us is encouraged and helped to be our best, a place where each person, young and old, feels welcome and accepted. Each adult needs to model a respectful caring attitude, with no inappropriate sexual innuendo or harmful behavior.

We affirm the value of covenant relationships, such as marriage and we recognize that healthy relationships can occur in other contexts. Each of us must by guided by how our sexual behavior affects family or others.

We see the importance of sexuality in becoming the people we are. As humans, our experience of the Spirit is necessarily embodied. In our sexual experience some of us have felt the same Spirit that covers us in worship. Not all our sexual experiences fit this pattern, but we all aspire to live our whole lives, including our sexuality, in faithfulness to the leadings of the Spirit.

We affirm that sexual relationships should be loving and respectful, non-coercive, between fully consenting adults where one does not exercise significant power over another."

Minutes February 11, 2018

Present: Lenore Ridgeway, Mary Anderson, Nettie West, Bill Leicht, Lee Haring, Mary Cadbury, Leif Anderson, Solange Muller, Rob Dweck, Marian Love, Vonn New, Clerk, Karen Snare, Recording Clerk

2018-6 Mary Cadbury reported on last week’s Quarterly Meeting. 17-18 Friends attended the afternoon session of worship sharing. The report was accepted.

2018-7 The Clerk encouraged Friends to attend Meeting for Discernment to be held February 17th at 15th Street Meeting. Solange Muller will attend the morning session and serve as our representative.

2018-8 Bulls Head Meeting will host the next session of Nine Partners Quarterly Meeting, to be held May 6. Mary Cadbury, Solange Muller and Vonn New are appointed as a planning committee. Friends are encouraged to suggest program ideas to these Friends.

2018-9 Lenore Ridgeway reported for the Website Committee. They plan to take pictures of Meeting members who consent, and add them to our website and our page on NYYM.org. They also suggest that the Meeting should have a Facebook page. Friends approve asking the committee to create a Facebook page, and to make plans about how it will be administered and maintained. The report was accepted and is attached.

2018-10 Karen Snare reported for Ministry and Counsel. Word has been received of the death of long -time Bulls Head member Harry Hoffman, on December 26, 2017, aged 92. He moved to Maryland a number of years ago, but he still felt a strong connection to our meeting.

2018-11 Karen Snare presented a proposed Travel Minute for Vonn New, which has been approved by Ministry and Counsel. Friends approved the Minute with minor changes.

Bulls Head-Oswego Monthly Meeting is delighted to introduce our beloved member Vonn New. Vonn joined Bulls Head Friends 11 years ago, has served on a variety of committees and is currently clerk of the Meeting. A deeply spiritual person, Vonn’s ministry is most often expressed through music. Ze* experiences the Spirit with zir whole body. Zir gift of hearing the Spirit in unexpected places has helped us to broaden our experience of connecting with the Divine. Vonn has shown us that there are many doorways into worship, beyond the pattern of silence and sequential speaking which has been the path for most of us.

Bulls Head-Oswego Monthly Meeting has supported Vonn’s leading to travel with zir particular ministry. At the 2017 FGC Gathering, Vonn led Friends in an interactive/intergenerational plenary experience. Ze has travelled with zir workshop “Sounding the Divine” to various FGC Gatherings and to Friends Meetings around the United States. In sharing zir ministry ze has enriched traditional Quaker experience, sometimes stretching us beyond our comfort zones. Ze has helped us to worship with all our senses, shown enormous kindness, empathy and generosity, and honored whatever each person has brought to the experience.

We commend zir to your loving care,

In Peace, Karen Snare, Clerk Ministry & Counsel,
Bulls Head-Oswego Monthly Meeting

*Vonn’s preferred 3rd person singular pronouns are ze & zir.

2018-12 The clerk will not be present for the Meeting for Business in March. In her absence, Karen Snare will serve as presiding Clerk, and Lee Haring as Recording Clerk.

2018-13 Treasurer Lief Anderson requests proper documentation to change the signatures on the bank accounts. Friends approved.

Minutes January 14, 2018

Present: Leif Anderson, Mary Anderson, Mary Cadbury, Derek Dansko, Rob Dwek, Hera, Bill Leicht, Solange Muller, Marina Orlova, Sybil Perry, John Perry, Karen Snare, Denise Sherman, Karen Snare, Nettie West, Mary Williams

2018-1. Friends approve Karen Snare as presiding clerk pro tem, and Denise Sherman as recording clerk pro tem.

2018-2. Mary Williams presented the Treasurer’s report, which is accepted and attached. At February Monthly Meeting the Finance committee will present a reorganization of the current funds.

2018-3 NOMINATING COMMITTEE: The Meeting approves Leif Anderson to serve as the Monthly Meeting Treasurer for 2018

2018-4 FINANCIAL STEWARDSHIP COMMITTEE: Leif Anderson, on behalf of the Financial Stewardship Committee, presented the proposed 2018 budget, which is attached. Friends receive the Report, with the above concerns. The Financial Stewardship committee will report back to a subsequent Monthly Meeting.

2018-5 NINE PARTNERS QUARTERLY MEETING is Feb 4. Friends approve Solange Muller as our representative to that Meeting. The Meeting concluded at 1.30 after a brief period of silent worship.

Karen Snare, clerk pro tem
Denise Sherman, recording clerk pro tem

Minutes December 10, 2017

Present: Mary Anderson, Lee Haring, Leif Anderson, Caroline Webster, Wolf Horan, Bill Leicht, Mary Williams, Denise Sherman, Nettie West, Vonn New, Clerk, Karen Snare, Recording Clerk

2017-76 Leif Anderson reported on the recent session of Nine Partners Quarterly Meeting. Pamela Boyce Simms spoke enthusiastically of recapturing the spirit of early Friends. Friends are invited to view her slideshow at https://buddhistquaker.wordpress.com/quaker-pathways-forward/ and her plenary presentation at FGC Gathering 2017 at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTRo-G2JlxQ.

2017-77 Nominating Committee brought the name of Leif Anderson as a first reading for the office of Treasurer. This is a one-year term to begin January, 2018.

2017-78 Mary Williams presented the Treasurer’s report, as of November 30. She raised the question of whether we will make a donation to Friends United Meeting for this year. Friends approved making the budgeted donations to Dutchess Interfaith Council, and to Friends General Conference, and to hold back the FUM donation as we continue to discern. Friends accepted the report, which is attached. https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B2H3uspbj7kAU2pvOGUyQTIyN0s2WHZlUkRJMGdJUlVXanRr

2017-79 Karen Snare reported for the ad hoc committee on requesting funds from the Meeting, attached. Friends approved combining the Thorne and Ricketson Funds into the Support Fund, and combining the Community Outreach and Memorial Funds into the Community Memorial Fund. The Witness and Ministry Fund would remain unchanged.

2017-80 The ad hoc committee is asked to further season the document that describes the process of requesting money from these funds, and to bring it to Meeting for Business in January.

2017-81 Leif Anderson brought a report from Ad Hoc Committee on how to spend our budget line item for Prison Ministry. (The ad-hoc committee was comprised of Mary Cadbury, Leif Anderson and Yohannes ‘Knowledge’ Johnson.) The committee recommends sending the budgeted $200 to the Exodus Program. This money would support a house Exodus is renovating at 97 Cannon Street, Poughkeepsie to house newly released people.

MONTHLY MEETING FOR BUSINESS APRIL 10, 2011

Present: Mary Cadbury, Vonn New, Julia Giordano, Kathie Scanlon, Denise Sherman, Karen
Snare, Val Suter, Bob West, Nettie West.

Monthly Meeting began with a brief period of silent worship.

2011-12 Julia Giordano presents Ministry & Counsel’s recommendation that Bulls Head Monthly
Meeting ask the Quarter to sponsor a weeknight Meeting for Worship in the name of Jesus on a
monthly basis. They also recommend that Bulls Head serve as host for some of these meetings.

Friends are not prepared at this time to make this recommendation to the Quarter. Friends return
the recommendation to Ministry & Counsel for further seasoning, and ask them to bring forward
a recommendation at May Monthly Meeting. We ask Ministry & Counsel to labor with various
concerns that are brought to light by this recommendation. Some of the concerns voiced include:
the unspoken constraint against Christ centered ministry that some Friends have expressed, the
concern of exclusivity (in various ways) that some Friends have expressed, a general concern
about the nature of Jesus/Christ on which Friends have varying perspectives, the need for mid-
week Meeting for Worship in some form.

2011-13 Val Suter report as follows for Ministry & Counsel: Friends thank those who worked
closely with this issue and accept the report.

Report on our attempts at Restorative Justice with our teenage neighbor.

Following a session at the Dutchess Mediation Center between two
representatives from our Meeting and the neighbor who admitted to stealing the
Meeting’s Cell phone, that neighbor agreed to perform 12 hours of community
service at our Bulls Head site by March 31. The young man completed two hours of
community service on January 21, 2011. He did not fulfill his agreement to complete
more shoveling by Feb. 21, nor did he respond to several phone messages and a
card delivered to the family’s mailbox.

After clarifying with Dutchess Mediation that the report should go directly
to the Assistant District Attorney, our representatives, Kathie Scanlon and William
Leicht, in consultation with Valerie Suter, clerk of Ministry and Counsel and with
Karen Snare, Monthly Meeting Clerk, sent a letter to the Assistant District Attorney
reporting the outcome.

2011-14. NOMINATING COMMITTEE: Nettie West presents the attached list of 2011
nominations for a first reading: (see attached)

Friends receive the report, and ask Nominating to confirm that all the dates of service are correct,
and to fill in blank dates. The final report will be presented at May Monthly Meeting.

2011-15. Kathie Scanlon has requested release from service on the Committee for Ministry and
Counsel. Friends approve releasing Kathie from this service.

2011-16. At this time our cell phone has run out of minutes. Friends direct the Treasurer to
purchase more minutes for the time being.

2011-17. MINISTRY & COUNSEL Upcoming events:
April potluck – April 24 - Easter breakfast, a potluck at 9 am hosted by the hospitality
committee
May & June potlucks – May 15 we will formally welcome the Connolly family;
June 19 – program on the meaning of membership.
Spiritual Nurture – May 22 at 9 am; Julia Giordano will facilitate a session on the
Passion Narrative as set out in Mark 8 – 16. At the May meeting Julia will
work with others to ensure the continuation of this important group.

2011-18. TREASURER’S REPORT: Val Suter submitted the following report:

(see attached)

Friends accept the report.

2011-19. Friends accept Karen Snare’s determination that, due to her involvement with the
issue, she should not clerk the 4/17 threshing session about Oswego Meeting house. She is
directed to attempt to find someone to take on this duty.

Meeting closed with a brief period of worship, to adjourn again on May 8, 2011 at 12.30.

Respectfully submitted,

Karen Snare,
Clerk

Denise Sherman
recording clerk