October Minutes

Bulls Head-Oswego Monthly Meeting for Business

October 12, 2008

Present: Karen Snare, Valerie Suter, John Perry, Christopher Cadbury, Mary Foster Cadbury, Sybil Perry, Denise Sherman, Kathie Scanlon, Nettie West, Robert West.

Minutes are numbered from the beginning of the calendar year.

The meeting opens in worshipful silence.

2008-43 Karen Snare is approved as Clerk for the day.

2008-44 Kathie Scanlon (as nominated last month) is approved to be our liaison to Powell House.

2008-45 The Treasurer’s Report for the third quarter is presented and accepted.

THE REPORT IS ATTACHED.

2008-46 The Memorial Minute for Curt Beck is read and approved with the expectation that Ministry and Counsel will add information about his family.

ATTACHED.

2008-47 We approve the proposed letter of introduction for Christopher Sammond, who often travels outside his capacity as General Secretary of New York Yearly Meeting. We ask our clerk to send it on to Nine Partners Quarterly Meeting for consideration at their November 1st meeting. THE LETTER IS ATTACHED.

2008-48 Kathie Scanlon introduces us to ARCH: Aging Resources, Consultation, and Help, a program of New York Yearly Meeting. Friends feel this could be a Quarterly Meeting program and direct Kathie to bring it to the Clerk of our Quarter.

Our next Bulls Head Meeting for Business will take place on Sunday, November 23rd to avoid conflict with Fall Sessions.


Karen Snare, Clerk for the day
Sybil Perry, Recording Clerk

September Meeting for Business

Bulls Head-Oswego Monthly Meeting for Business

September 14, 2008


Present: Karen Snare, Vonn New, Valerie Suter, Christopher Sammond, John Perry, Sam Adams, Julia Giordano, Christopher Cadbury, Mary Foster Cadbury, Sybil Perry.


Minutes are numbered from the beginning of the calendar year.


The meeting opens in worshipful silence.


The Clerk reads from the Practice and Procedure section of Faith and Practice on the conduct of Meetings for Business.


2008-39 Nominating Committee presents the name of Kathie Scanlon as our Powell House liaison. Friends consider this nomination, which will come up for approval at our next meeting.


2008-40 Ministry and Counsel presents the following minute, which they have revised as they considered Friend’s responses to previous drafts:


In a predominantly heterosexual world, even where society has become more open to various gender differences, barriers remain for non-straight people. On entering a new group, these people must often test the waters to see if they are truly included.


Bulls Head-Oswego Monthly Meeting affirms the traditional testimony of equality of the Religious Society of Friends, and includes in that testimony people who are bisexual, gay, heterosexual, lesbian, or transgendered. In our Meetings for worship we seek that of God in everyone and extend a welcome to all -- individuals and families-- without regard to sexual orientation, gender identity or expression.


Friends unite with the ideal expressed in this proposed minute and we appreciate our months-long process of considering and revising this minute. We are not yet united in approval, and we ask Ministry and Counsel, with appreciation for all their effort, to work with this minute again.


2008-41 We consider our contribution to New York Yearly Meeting. We approve increasing our contribution for the year 2009 from $11,500. to $12,000.

We commend the Yearly Meeting Financial Services Committee for developing this version of the budget in terms of the programs that we support. The Clerk will email copies of this material to the meeting, and we ask our Finance Committee to schedule time after meeting for us to consider this “programmatic” interpretation of the budget.


2008.42 Julia offers to make flat cushions for the small wooden fold-up chairs in the Meeting room. We will think about this and consider it next month.


We adjourn to meet at the appointed time for Meeting for Business on October 12th.


Julia Giordano, Clerk

Sybil Perry, Recording Clerk

July Minutes

Bulls Head-Oswego Monthly Meeting for Business

July 13, 2008

Present: Vonn New, Valerie Suter, Denise Sherman, Margaret Currie, Carol Rice, Mary Cadbury, Karen Snare, David Cardall, John Perry, Julia Giordano, Henry Muller, Sybil Perry.

Minutes are numbered from the beginning of the calendar year.

The meeting opens in worshipful silence.

2008-34 We accept the annual report of the Trustees. The clerk will contact the convener, Mary Williams, and ask her to re-form the committee.

THE REPORT IS ATTACHED.

2008-35 Ministry and Counsel Committee presents us with the following minute, which they ask us to consider:

In a predominantly heterosexual world, even where society has become more open to various gender differences, barriers remain for non-straight people. These people must, on entering a new group, often test the waters to see if they are truly included. Bulls Head-Oswego Monthly Meeting affirms the traditional testimony of equality of the Religious Society of Friends, and includes in that testimony people who are heterosexual, lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgendered. Our meeting recognizes and welcomes the ministry of people of all varieties of sexual orientation. We uphold, and take under our care, individuals and families without regard to sexual orientation, gender identity or expression.

We appreciate the work Ministry and Counsel has done on this minute. We ask them to consider it once more and bring it to September Meeting for Business.

2008-36 Ministry and Counsel ask us to accept the transfer of our friend, Christopher Sammond, currently sojourning with us, from his Twin Cities Meeting in Minnesota. This transfer has already been approved by Twin Cities. We gladly accept this transfer, and we ask the clerk to send a copy of this minute to the clerk of Twin Cities Monthly Meeting. Transfer is approved.

2008-37 Ministry and Counsel ask us to approve the request for transfer of our member Virginia Prenot to Mohawk Valley Monthly Meeting. We approve Ginny’s transfer and ask the clerk to forward a copy of this minute to the clerk of Mohawk Valley Monthly Meeting.

2008-38 We receive the treasurer’s report for the first half of 2008.

THE REPORT IS ATTACHED.

We adjourn to meet at the appointed time for Meeting for Business on September 14^th.

Julia Giordano, Clerk

Sybil Perry, Recording Clerk

June Minutes

Bulls Head-Oswego Monthly Meeting for Business

June 8, 2008

Present: Valerie Suter, Denise Sherman, Vonn New, Nettie West, Robert West, Henry Muller, Julia Giordano, Mary Foster Cadbury, Christopher Cadbury, Carol Rice, Caroline Webster, Sybil Perry, John Perry.

Minutes are numbered from the beginning of the calendar year.

2008-27 At our May meeting the Naming Committee (Vonn New and John Perry) recommended the appointment of Mary Cadbury (2008-2010) and Nettie West (2008-2011) to the Nominating Committee. We approve these nominations and lay down the Naming Committee

2008-28 We approve the slate of appointments (in boldface type on the attached list) brought to us by the Nominating Committee at our May meeting.

2008-29 We read a report from Leif Anderson, our representative to the Meetings for Discernment of New York Yearly Meeting, about the first of these meetings, which he attended in March. Our clerk reads Lee Haring’s report for the Steering Committee about Meetings for Discernment (which replace the former Yearly Meeting on Ministry and Counsel.)

BOTH REPORTS ARE ATTACHED.

Vonn New shares her experience as an elder at the Meetings for Discernment where she says they were there “to hear concerns,” to truly listen to one another. She found it a deep and meaningful experience. One member wonders if our meeting has any questions to bring to the Summer Session Meetings for Discernment? We shall bring any questions to our July Meeting for Business.

2008-30 The Hospitality Committee brings two proposals before us.

First, they want to move from paper plates to real plates for potlucks if there is a volunteer dishwasher, and they ask us to donate our extra plates from home. Whoever is doing hospitality can choose.

Second, they want friends to wear nametags to Meeting for Worship and during social time afterwards, to make our meeting more welcoming to newcomers. We are invited to recycle our nametags from other events and to make a nametag for a newcomer in the course of welcoming him/her to the meeting. We approve these two proposals.

2008-31 Ministry and Counsel has brought two minutes for action.

They propose a minute for us to consider on sexual orientation and gender identity. We unite with their concern, but we ask Ministry and Counsel to reconsider the wording and present a new version to us at July Meeting for Business.

Next, they offer a preliminary draft memorial minute for our member, Hans Janitchek. A final draft will be presented at July Meeting for Business.

2008-32 Ministry and Counsel is planning a retreat for us in the fall to continue our consideration of the issues raised in the State of the Meeting report. Janet Carter, Julia Giordano and Carol Rice have agreed to serve as the planning committee.

2008-33 Ministry and Counsel is working on concerns arising from FUM, issues from the State of the Meeting Report, and communication within the meeting. We agree to invite the Quarterly Meeting to Bulls Head for our scheduled potluck August 3^rd and talk by Vonn New on Quaker Quest. Approved.

We adjourn to meet at the appointed time for Meeting for Business on July 13^th.

Julia Giordano, Clerk

Sybil Perry, Recording Clerk

FCNL action on Climate Change

Please contact your senators. Urge them to strengthen the Lieberman-Warner Climate Security Act of 2008 (S. 3036) by

• cutting emissions deeper and faster;
• making polluters pay more, sooner for greenhouse gas pollution allowances;
• ensuring adequate aid to low- and middle-income households to help them advance in the carbon neutral economy of the future; and
• providing more assistance, sooner to people in the poorest developing countries to help them adapt to the harmful effects of climate change that many are already experiencing.

Read commentaries on the Senate debate on FCNL's new blog "Green Light on Washington."

May Minutes

Bulls Head-Oswego Monthly Meeting for Business

May 11, 2008

Present: Nettie West, Robert West, Carol Rice, Mary Foster Cadbury, Christopher Cadbury, Henry Muller, Julia Giordano, Sybil Perry, Mary Williams.

Minutes are numbered from the beginning of the calendar year.

24. The Naming Committee (Vonn New and John Perry) recommend the appointment of Mary Cadbury to the Nominating committee (2008-2010) to replace Adam Pinsker, who resigned earlier this year. And the appointment of Nettie West (2008-2011) to replace Henry Muller, whose term is up. We will consider the approval of these appointments at June Meeting for Business.

24. The Nominating Committee brings their recommended slate of appointments (in boldface type on the attached list). We will consider the approval of these appointments at our June Meeting for business.

One Friend said she’d like to hear reports from committees so she can hear what they are doing. There is the question, “ Just how important are these positions and committees to the Meeting?”

The Clerk will make a schedule for formal reports from officers and committees.

THE SLATE IS ATTACHED.

2008-26 The Clerk has received the following Minute from Oakwood Friends School’s Board of Managers, approved at their meeting April 26:

“Oakwood Friends School has received with gratitude Bulls Head/Oswego Meeting’s permission to explore the possibility of moving the Oswego Meeting House to Oakwood’s campus. With this minute, we affirm the school’s intention to explore the costs and logistical feasibility of moving the meeting house to our campus, for use as part of our educational and spiritual community. Our intention is to pursue these questions in a timely fashion and to communicate our progress to the Clerk of Bulls Head/Oswego Meeting regularly.”

We adjourn to meet at the appointed time for Meeting for Business on June 8^th.

Julia Giordano, Clerk

Sybil Perry, Recording Clerk

2008 Appointments

We name the first person listed in each committee as convenor.

BULLS HEAD-OSWEGO

APPOINTMENTS 5/08

Position Name Since Class

Clerk Julia Giordano 05

Recording Clerk Sybil Perry 06

Recorder Henry Muller 03

Treasurer Valerie Suter 1/05

Asst. Treasurer Nancy Angell 1/03

Auditor Walter Beebe 99

Historian Nancy Sorel 00

Asst. Historian

Librarian Mary Cadbury 99

Asst. Librarian John D. Perry 05

Newsletter/Calendar Mary Cadbury 07

Reps to YM Sessions Karen Snare 97, Vonn New 08

Rep to NYYM Discernment Leif Anderson 08

Dutchess Interf. Council Vonn New 07

Trustees

Mary Williams 05 11

Jonathan Boice 05 11

Nettie West 06 09

Richard Collins 04 10

Bob Suter 08 11

Finance and Funds

Robert West 04 10

Nancy Angell (exo) 04

Valerie Suter (exo) 05

Mary Williams 06 09

Nominating

Henry Muller 04 07

Julia Giordano,clerk 06 08

Bill Leicht 06 08

Ministry and Counsel

Janet Carter 04 10

Denise Sherman 04 10

Karen Snare 06 09

Adam Pinsker 07 10

Sybil Perry 08 11

Religious Education

Val Suter 08 11

Peace & Social Action Coordinator Incl FCNL

Vonn New 07 10

Hospitality

Vonn New, clerk 06 09

Carol Rice 08 11