North Pacific Yearly Meeting
Coordinating Committee
November 7, 2009
Multnomah Meetinghouse, Portland, Oregon
CC 1 1/09.1 Clerk Elee Hadley opened the Meeting with expectant worship responding to the quote from Scott Adams,
“Remember there's no such thing as a small act; every act creates a ripple with no logical end.”
Present were:
Alice Robb (Bellingham)
Lou Landry (Boise Valley)
Chris Cradler ( Bridge City)
Jean Roberts (Eastside)
Michael Williams ( Eugene)
Ted Etter ( Missoula)
Annis Bleeke (Multnomah)
Beth Rodman (Olympia)
Margaret Coahran (Pullman- Moscow)
Keith Kohan (Salem)
Tom Rawson (Salmon Bay and Finance and Legal)
Melody Ashworth (South Mountain)
David Wright (University)
Jonathan Brown (South Seattle)
Rae Lawrence (Walla Walla)
Elee Hadley ( Umpqua Valley Worship Group and Clerk)
Norm Pasche (Spokane and Treasurer)
Janet Jump (Bridge City and Presiding Clerk)
Don Goldstein ( Bellingham and Outreach and Visitation)
Diane Hollister ( Multnomah and Youth)
Jim Hauser (Vashon Island and Peace and Social Concerns)
Jane Snyder ( Multnomah and Recording Clerk)
CC 1 1/09.2 The minutes of July's meeting were approved with two changes: CC7/09.7c delete final clause [with annual statistical reports] and CC7/09. 7i make certain bold 7 appears.
CC 1 1/09.3 Elee Hadley reported several items from the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee has been having two talks between Coordinating Committee meetings to decide matters which need to be decided before the next Coordinating Committee meeting or Annual Meeting, as the case may be. EC decided to put off the discernment process with FLGBTQC (Friends for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered and Questioning Concerns) for one year. Caroline Wildflower is a new correspondent
to this committee. EC also decided to expand Associate Clerk, Annis Bleeke's, job description for one year trial to include editing the NPYM website. Friends are reminded to notify both Annis Bleeke, Associate Clerk and Felix Ostrom, Webkeeper, of items for the website. Friends are urged as well to submit contact information updates. EC examined NPYM financial aid policy, as posted on our website, and found it to adequately describe our policy.
CC 1 1/09.4 Norm Pasche presented financial reports (attached). It was noted that committees underspent the conference call budget. In our financial reports, it was noted that Site Committee should appear with other standing committees. Concern was expressed about the overage in Directory expenses. It was noted that Friends could save money by taking the directory on disk. Friends wondered, in cases of overages, if there is a cap on committee expenses. It was also approved that a summary comparing budgets with expenditure reports for the last five years would be available during the budget process. It was also noted that the allowance for charitable committee travel tax deductions has been raised from .14/mile to .20/mile.
CC1 1/09.5 Pre-nominating committee had no report. Concern was expressed over many empty positions, as well as our lack of a clerk for Nominating Committee.
CC1 1/09.6 We received a written report from Timothy Travis, Clerk of the Faith and Practice Committee, who was not able to be present until later in the meeting.
CC1 1/09.7 Don Goldstein reported for the Outreach and Visitation Committee. Sakre Edson has continued her visitation to isolated Friends, most recently in Idaho and Montana. A new committee member is Madeline Brown, of Richland, Washington, an isolated Friend. The committee is working on an article for Western Friend. Outreach and Visitation is proposing changes to its job description to include addition of an assistant clerk. There were also questions about liaison and/or representation from Ministry and Oversight on the Outreach and Visitation Committee. Coordinating Committee will look into this (see Nom Comm report). Friends are reminded that YM committee clerks have great latitude and may make decisions and recruit additional workers.
CC1 1/09.8 Jim Hauser reported on behalf of the Peace and Social Concerns Committee. Peace and Social Concerns Committee is pleased to welcome Sola Wolff. Committee members are dividing up the 48 groups of NPYM to determine contact people to facilitate communication among Meetings in NPYM. The committee hopes to identify a Friend in each Meeting and worship group to serve as contact with Yearly Meeting Peace and Social Concerns. The committee is also working to deepen and improve coordination with representatives to other organizations. As an example, an NPYM member of the AFSC board could convey the NPYM perspective to AFSC on an issue. Coordinating lobbying efforts can maximize Friends' voices in key issues. As an example, a template letter regarding torture is available from Lou Landry, member of NPYM Peace and Social Concerns Committee.
CC1 1/09.9 Margaret Coahran reported for the Information Technology Committee. The committee is in the process of transferring the database from Microsoft Access format to MySQL. The committee has prepared a prototype of the registration software. Coordinating Committee members are urged to try the system out today and write comments for the IT committee registration software developers to use in their revision process. Margaret reminded Friends that a new clerk for the IT Committee is needed.
CC1 1/09.10 Diane Hollister reported on behalf of the Youth Committee. The Youth Opportunity Fund has spent all of its available funds. The possibility of fund raising was discussed. The Youth Committee is working on youth safety policies as their first priority and will connect with a liaison on NPYM M&O concerning youth membership concerns.
CC1 1/09.11 Ministry and Oversight is working on an e-mail exchange (Friends Teaching Friends) that functions as a communication link among our Meetings and Worship Groups. One Meeting may be able to share resources with another on a topic for a threshing session or an adult education activity.
CC1 1/09.12 Ted Etter reported from Annual Session General Arrangements. One concern about our 2009-2010 Missoula site is that the food service protocol made it hard for self catering Friends to participate in committee meetings during meals.
CC1 1/09.13 Tom Rawson reported for Finance and Legal Committee. There have been requests for money from Youth Comm, from Reps to Orgs and from Western Friend. The Committee is exploring the value to NPYM of representatives to other Friends organizations and will bring CC a recommendation.
CC1 1/09.14 Friends approved Ad Hoc Committee to explore affiliation with Quaker Earthcare Witness members: Steve Shreiner, Bridge City, convener; Audrey Metcalf, Multnomah; Doris Ferm, Bellingham; and Neal Hadley, Umpqua Valley Worship Group. It is unclear whether or not NPYM has sufficient interest at this time to form an Ad Hoc committee to explore affiliation with FGC.
CC1 1/09.15 The Nominating Committee is currently functioning without a clerk. They suggest Kristina Smucker, Missoula, for Assistant General Arrangements; Bev Young and Carol Bellin (both from Missoula) for co-clerks of Physical Arrangements. For Assistant Registrar, Judith Clarke (Sandpoint) is recommended. Iris Graville (Lopez Island) is recommended as Clerk or the Epistle Committee. These nominations were approved. Nominating Committee has further recommendations to Coordinating Committee regarding the size of Outreach and Visitation, folding the three Quarterly Meeting members in, making the committee size 5. The Outreach and Visitation Committee would prefer consisting of 8 Friends. These questions will require additional work by Coordinating Committee, and will be further discussed in April.
CC1 1/09.16 Friends clarified that the travel minute procedure will follow what is written in Faith and Practice.
CC1 1/09.17 Elee Hadley reviewed our Directory Use Policy (attached) It was suggested to place the third item first and other suggestions were made. Elee will revise and distribute it to Executive Committee before sending it to Coordinating Committee.
CC1 1/09.18 A discussion followed on the concern from Eastside Meeting on youth membership. It was suggested that Yearly Meeting Committee on Ministry and Oversight look into how other Yearly Meetings support the integration of young people into membership as young adults. M&O will work with Youth Committee on this issue. This discussion will continue in April.
CC1 1/09.19 Pullman-Moscow Meeting encourages other meetings to donate a self-tax of 10% of petroleum expenditures to Right Sharing of World Resources. They also suggest advocacy of increased gas taxes for public transit development. The Pullman Moscow minute will be circulated with Coordinating Committee minutes.
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Coordinating Committee divided into two groups; one: Meeting members and the other, Committee Clerks. Annis Bleeke met with the Meeting members of Coordinating Committee and Elee, with the Committee Clerk members. These groups met to explore our various roles and how we do them. The reports from these two smaller group sessions are attached.
CC1 1/09.20 A reminder was given to Friends to request Annual Session attention through Janet Jump and Elee Hadley.
CC1 1/09.21 NPYM contact person with the insurance company will be Norm Pasche.
CC1 1/09.22 Helping Nominating Committee...The Coordinating Committee spent quite some time generating names that might help the Clerk fill spots in an ad hoc Committee to Consider Affiliation with FGC, to assist Pre-Nominating Committee and to fill Clerk positions on several of our standing committees, particularly IT, Discipline and Nominating. Friends are asked to make these needs known to their individual meetings.
CC1 1/09.23 General Announcements included:
Please suggest names to Nominating Committee.
John Calvi will be presenting on the Initiative to end Torture September 24-26 2010 at Ben Lomond.
Alice Robb will continue as contact person from CC for Billings. Don Goldstein will be the contact person for Lopez Island PM; Margaret Coahran, for Sandpoint; Ted Etter, for Heartland; and Michael Williams, for Youth. Friends approved these liaisons.
CC1 1/09.24 Coordinating Committee will meet April 10, 2010, at Olympia Meeting, and continue the 9am to 9pm format. Printed reports are needed more than one week prior. (March 28) The Coordinating Committee clerk will use discretion if a Coordinating Committee member is unable to attend and wishes to send a substitute.
CC1 1/09.25 Coordinating Committee concluded its work with a period of expectant silent worship.
Respectfully Submitted
Jane Snyder
Recording Clerk