March Minutes

Bulls Head-Oswego Monthly Meeting for Business

March 9, 2008

Present: Christopher Sammond, Vonn New, Valerie Suter, Carol Rice, Robert West, Nettie West, Janet Carter, Karen Snare.

Minutes are numbered from the beginning of the calendar year.

2008-12 The meeting appoints Karen Snare as Clerk for the day.

2008-13 The Nominating Committee reports that Adam Pinsker has resigned from the committee because of other commitments. The committee will need a replacement. The meeting approves appointing Vonn New and John Perry to a Naming committee.

2008-14 Ministry and Counsel was asked to consider Montclair Monthly Meeting's minute to "establish Montclair Friends Meeting as a safe place for people of all sexual orientations." Ministry and Counsel feels that Bulls Head Monthly Meeting is in fundamental agreement with Montclair Friends' position, and that further discussion of this issue is not necessary at this time. In discussion of this report, it became clear that Friends were called to draw on our spiritual depth to engage in how we interact, as peace-builders, with those we see as “other”. The meeting requests Ministry and Counsel to develop a program to explore the opportunities that this question offers. Vonn New offered to work with the committee on this matter. It is suggested that Nine Partners Quarterly Meeting be invited to engage with us in consideration of this concern.

The clerk is asked to send a copy of this minute to Montclair Monthly Meeting.

2008-15 The Ministry and Counsel Committee presents a draft of the State of the Meeting Report. There are some suggestions, and Friends are encouraged to contact a member of Ministry and Counsel with any other suggestions they may have. The report is returned to Ministry and Counsel for revision, and will be brought back to Meeting for Business in April. THE REPORT IS ATTACHED.

Karen Snare, clerk for the day

February Minutes

Bullshead-Oswego Monthly Meeting for Business

February 10, 2008

Present: Robert West, Nettie West, Janet Carter, Valerie Suter, Henry Muller, Sybil Perry, Carol Rice, Denise Sherman, John Perry, Karen Snare.

Minutes are numbered from the beginning of the calendar year.

2008-08 Karen Snare is approved as Clerk of the day.

2008-09 The final Treasurer’s Report for the year 2007 is given. The report is accepted.

THE REPORT IS ATTACHED.

2008-10 Sybil Perry’s name is again brought before the meeting by Nominating Committee for approval to serve on Ministry and Counsel Committee until 2010. Meeting approves.

2008-11 A question is raised about the status of our offer to Oakwood on the future of the Oswego Meetinghouse. (Minute #2007-46) The meeting directs the Clerk to write to Head of School, Peter Baily, to communicate our offer.

Karen Snare, clerk for the day
Sybil Perry, recording clerk

January Minutes

Bulls Head-Oswego Monthly Meeting for Business

January 13, 2008

Present: Mary Williams, Julia Giordano, Henry Muller, Nettie West, Robert West,

Karen Snare, Mary Foster Cadbury, Christopher Cadbury, John Perry, Sybil Perry.

Minutes are numbered from the beginning of the calendar year.

2008-01 We hold Katherine Suter and her family in the Light as she recovers from a staph infection.

2008-02 Lee Haring is requesting release from service on the Committee on Ministry and Counsel. He will have to be away from home “more often and longer” in the coming months. The meeting releases him from service with thanks for his work.

2008-03 The Nominating Committee submits the name of Sybil Perry for service on the Committee on Ministry and Counsel. Her name will come before the meeting for approval at February business meeting.

2008-04 Mary Williams presents the budget for 2008.

The budget is approved and attached.

2008-05 Our member William S. Leicht applied to the NYYM Witness Coordinating Committee last spring for a grant to help him in his work at the Bronx Peace Dojo, and at our May 13, 2007 Meeting for Business, we approved a minute (#2007-38) supporting his work and his request to WCC for money. Bill now reports in a letter of Jan. 6, 2008 that he has never heard back from the WCC in response to his request (after several queries sent to the committee), and he asks us to be in touch with Witness Coordinating Committee for clarification. The meeting asks the clerk to contact the clerk of WCC and ask what happened to Bill’s request.

2008-06 Our member Christopher Sammond has reported to the clerk that several people have told him they weren’t able to find our meetinghouse, because our sign is not easily

legible from cars. Christopher has volunteered to look into having a new sign painted with larger lettering.

The meeting authorizes Christopher to explore this possibility and report back to us.

2008-07 Vonn New reports that we now have a website: bullshead.quaker.org, linked to nyym.org, quakerfinder.org (run by Friends General Conference), and quaker.org She has posted the minutes of the October, November and December business meetings, and she keeps the calendar up to date.

We adjourn to meet at the appointed time for Meeting for Business on February 10.

Julia Giordana, clerk

Sybil Perry, recording clerk

December Minutes

Bulls Head-Oswego Monthly Meeting for Business
December 9, 2007

Present: Janet Carter, Henry Muller, Julia Giordano, Margaret M. Currie, Mary Williams, Nettie West, Robert West, Sybil Perry, Valerie Suter, Vonn New, Mary Foster Cadbury, Christopher Cadbury.

Minutes are numbered from the beginning of the calendar year.

2007-55 The Epistle from New York Yearly Meeting Fall Sessions is read.

2007-56 Clerk of the Finance Committee, Mary Williams, presents the proposed budget for 2008. She asks committees of the meeting to contact her about any changes they wish to propose. The final draft of the 2008 budget will come before our January Meeting for Business for approval.

2007-57 The Nominating Committee asks us to approve the proposals they brought before us at November Meeting for Business:

1- the release of Mary Cadbury from Hospitality Committee to enable her to compile a monthly calendar of events for the meeting.

2- the appointment of Carol Rice to Hospitality.

3- the appointment of Leif Anderson as our representative to the NYYM Meetings for Discernment. (These meetings will provide an opportunity for Friends to meet in worship at least twice a year to consider how the Spirit is moving in their monthly meetings.)

Meeting approves the two nominations and Mary Cadbury’s release from service.

2007-58 The Nominating Committee asks us to consider approving the names of Valerie Suter for Treasurer and Nancy Angell for Assistant Treasurer for the calendar year, 2008. These names will come before January Meeting for Business for final approval.

2007-59 At their meeting on November 29, 2007, the Ministry and Counsel Committee approved the following travel minute for Vonn New:

“Our beloved member Vonn New proposes to travel under the weight of her concern for a form of worship combining her creativity in music with worshipful silence. Under this leading, Vonn plans to visit Friends meetings and other groups to present workshops and concerts. We recognize her leading to this ministry. We unite in supporting her travel under the weight of this concern, and we commend her to your care.”

The meeting approves this minute and agrees to forward it to Nine Partners Quarter and to New York Yearly Meeting for their endorsement.

2007-60 In a letter of November 12, 2007, Catherine McCabe asks to be released from membership in Bulls Head-Oswego Monthly Meeting. The Ministry and Counsel Committee recommends her release from membership. The meeting approves.

2007-61 The Clerk has received a letter from the New York Yearly Meeting Task Group on Youth asking us to gather and respond to a series of queries about building spiritual community across the generations. We send this communication to Ministry and Counsel Committee for their consideration. Meeting approves.

Announcements:

Nettie West and Vonn New offer to provide musical instruments to go along with hymn singing at 10am on Sunday, December 16^th. The Christmas potluck will then begin at 12:30pm.

We adjourn to meet at the appointed time for Meeting for Business on January 13.

Julia Giordano, Clerk
Sybil Perry, Recording Clerk

November Minutes

Bulls Head-Oswego Monthly Meeting for Business
November 18, 2007


Present: Lee Haring, Julia Giordano, Mary Foster Cadbury, Christopher Cadbury, Nettie West, Robert West, John Perry, Sybil Perry, Henry Muller, Vonn New, Margaret M. Currie, Karen Snare, Denise Sherman, Valerie Suter.

Minutes are numbered from the beginning of the calendar year.

2007-50 The minutes from the October 14, 2007, Meeting for Business were lost and reconstructed from memory by the clerks. The minutes are read and approved.

2007-51 The Nominating Committee asks us to approve the release of Mary Cadbury from Hospitality Committee to enable her to compile a monthly calendar of events for the meeting. They nominate Carol Rice to Hospitality. They also nominate Lief Anderson as our representative to the NYYM Meetings for Discernment, a chance for Friends to meet in worship at least twice a year to consider how the Spirit is moving in their monthly meetings.

2007-52 The Treasurer’s Report, Regular Budget, 2007, is presented and accepted.
THE REPORT WILL BE FORWARDED AS AN EMAIL ATTACHMENT OR A USPS MAILED ENCLOSURE.

2007-53 Vonn New volunteers to design a web site for us and we approve. We suggest to Vonn that she stay in touch with the meeting for input as her work progresses.

2007-54 We receive from Montclair Monthly Meeting an open letter to all monthly meetings of New York Yearly Meeting as well as a three-page statement of their response to the Friends United Meeting hiring policy and general board meeting in Kenya, February, 2007. We send this statement to Ministry and Counsel and ask them to plan a program for us to consider our response to these issues. We approve the minute.
*Julia will attach a copy of the letter to the minutes.
THE LETTER WILL BE FORWARDED AS AN EMAIL ATTACHMENT OR A USPS MAILED ENCLOSURE.

We adjourn to meet at the appointed time for Meeting for Business on December 9.

Julia Giordano, Clerk
Sybil Perry, Recording Clerk

October 2007 Minutes

Bulls Head-Oswego Monthly Meeting for Business

October 14, 2007

Present: Jonathan Boice, Margery Cornwell, Sybil Perry, Carol Rice, Mary Foster Cadbury, Christopher Cadbury, Margaret M. Currie, Denise Sherman, David Cardall, Karen Snare, Adam Pinsker, Valerie Suter, Robert Suter, Julia Giordano.

Minutes are numbered from the beginning of the calendar year.

2007-46 We receive the report of the Ad Hoc Committee to Consider the Future of the Oswego Meeting House (Mary Williams, Bob Suter, Karen Snare, Jonathan Boice, John Perry). It would be good to see the meeting house being used, and we agree to allow Oakwood Friends School to explore the possibility of moving the meeting house to their campus. If this course of action does not prove feasible, we will reconsider at a future date the other three options presented to us by the Ad Hoc Committee.

2007-47 The Trustees ask us to approve spending $2245. for repairs to our meeting house. We agree to these repairs, and we ask the treasurer to transfer money from the General Reserve Fund to the Maintenance Fund as needed to keep the Maintenance balance at $5000.

2007-48 We approve the transfer of our cherished member Greta Mickey to Central Finger Lakes Monthly Meeting. We wish her well.

2007-49 We hear a proposed travel minute for our member Vonn New. The meeting unites with her concern, but we send the minute back to Ministry and Counsel for rewording.

We adjourn to meet at the appointed time for Meeting for Business on November 18.

Julia Giordano, clerk

Sybil Perry, recording clerk