December
2014 Newsletter
(Twelfth Month)
(Twelfth Month)
Meeting
for Worship
&
First Day School
Sundays
at 11:00 a.m.
Midweek
Meeting for Worship, Wednesdays at 6:00 p.m.
The Meeting
Community
Meetings for Worship and Business are the center of our
spiritual community. There, as we come to know each other in the Spirit, we
build the “beloved community.”
Mutual respect and care in the Meeting form the
foundation from which we can test, support, and exercise leadings of the
Spirit. At its best, the Meeting community provides a framework for us to learn
and practice mutual care, which strengthens us as we act in the world.
All members of the Meeting community should share in the
care of one another. While respecting privacy, we must be aware of and
sensitive to each other’s needs. We must also be willing to ask for assistance
when we are in need.
Do I strive to be inclusive in my relationships within the
Meeting?
Do I care for the reputation of others, refraining from
gossip or disparaging remarks?
Am I committed to the difficult work of forgiveness, and
affirming God’s love for the whole community?
How are love and
unity maintained among us?
Do we practice the
art of listening, even beyond words?
How have we been
sensitive to the personal needs and difficulties of members and attenders,
young and old?
Do we visit one
another in our homes and keep in touch with distant members?
Meeting for Business Began at
approximately 1:02 with a period of worship with 18 in attendance.
11-1 Meeting approves the minutes of
October 11, 2014
Clerk’s Message: Clerk Chad Stephenson gave a message that included the
Wordle results from last month on the query on the role of Clerk of the meeting
and will share it in the newsletter. He introduced a new query: “What does good
membership look like?” and asked for people to write one to two words on this
query. He will share the visual representation of these responses next month.
The query was also answered aloud by Friends. One person mentioned how being a
member “just feels ‘different,’” another mentioned how being a member is like
being in a marriage--being stuck together in community no matter how well we
all like each other, “we are called to be together.” Another answered that
“being a member means showing up.”
Property & Finance: Amy Baker, Treasurer presented both the 2014 Q3 balance sheet
and the 2015 projected budget (attached to archived copy of these minutes). She
wanted to note that the total number of donations have gone down and the
total amount has gone down. We pay assessments (approx $8,000 total) for all
members on the roster for people who are not active members of our meeting,
someone asked about how we can address this as a meeting, M&O is working on
this and it will take time to be reflected in these assessments. There was a
question about the line list of “retained earnings” theoretically we want this
to be $0, the Treasurer said she’d look into it and report on that in Q4. A
Friend points out that the fund for leadings has money sitting in it that no
one has applied for and reminds us that it is there to apply for.
The
2015 budget (attached to archived copy of these minutes) was presented for
seasoning until the December Meeting for Business. This budget has a goal to
break even. The donation goal is for 100% participation and that donations in
any amount by members (no matter how small or large) will count toward this. A
friend noted that the Gatherings Fund is meant for attendance at Quaker
gatherings and that members and attenders have not been using it and perhaps we
should advertise that a little more. The Clerk wants to appreciate all the
human work that goes into the Meeting which helps in keeping these numbers lean
and which isn’t easily reflected in a balance sheet.
Rausch Street: Philip Gerrie, Clerk of the committee, reported that work is
progressing at a fast pace, walls are gone, electricians are working, and that
some surprises have been found, particularly in the kitchen where some
additional flues were discovered and in the back of the building which was not
framed properly and that will require unplanned expenses. There were also soft
costs of fees for architect and permits. Due to these unforeseen expenses,
there was a request for a transfer from the deBeers fund as either a loan or a
gift for $40,000. A Friend suggested that we not decide how it is given, but
only decide to allocate the money for use. Another suggestion was to include
the “deferred work” costs into one lump sum to be spent as needed. A committee
member recommended we stick to the number as presented, as Rausch Street is an
on-going project for the Meeting and decisions should come up as required to
the Meeting as a whole.
11-2 Meeting approves the additional
sum of $40,000 for improvements to the Rausch Street Property. Upon completion
of the renovation, Meeting will either recover the $40,000 as part of the refinancing
of the loan or decide whether to leave all or part of that expenditure in
place. The Treasurer will transfer the $40,000 from the deBeers Bequest Fund to
the Rausch Street Fund.
Naming Committee: An e-mailed update from clerk of Naming, Paula Joyce, was
read. Naming will be meeting to find a clerk for the Nominating Committee
along with three new members. The Naming Committee requested the addition of
Rose Medellin to its membership.
11-3
Meeting approves Rose Medellin for Naming Committee
Nominating Committee: Anne Hitch Collins reported for Nominating Committee.
Nominating brought forward Stephen Matchett for Property and Finance, and Lydia
Cohen for Hospitality, both to serve through April 30, 2016. Nominating is
actively seeking a new clerk for Children’s Religious Education.
11-4
Meeting approves Kate Frankel to step down as clerk from Children’s Religious
Education.
11-5
Meeting approves Chad Stephenson for News Committee through April 30, 2016 and
Eli Bishop is being released from the committee
Meeting closed at 3:18 after a period
of worship with 16 people present.
Respectfully submitted,
Ann Marie Snell, Recording Clerk
Ann Marie Snell, Recording Clerk
Chad Stephenson, Clerk of Meeting
AVP Basic workshop coming up in January
Been wanting to take an Alternatives to Violence Project (AVP) workshop but don't want to give up a whole weekend? Here's your chance: AVP/BayBridge is offering a Basic on two consecutive Saturdays, 1/10 and 1/17/2015 from 8:30 am to 6pm, at Berkeley Friends Church (Cedar and Sacramento, near the North Berkeley BART). Get a boost of positive energy and community, learn new communication and conflict resolution skills, and experience the transforming power of nonviolence--all that and it's a lot of fun as well.
To register, e-mail avpbaybridge@gmail.com, call 510-394-2622, or talk to Stephen Matchett at Meeting. Cost is sliding scale $35-$100; no one turned away for lack of funds.
AVP is a 35-year-old international non-profit that is working in communities, hundreds of U.S. prisons and in many challenging parts of the world. Facilitation and training opportunities exist in the Bay Area and throughout California. Come find out what all the excitement's about.
Been wanting to take an Alternatives to Violence Project (AVP) workshop but don't want to give up a whole weekend? Here's your chance: AVP/BayBridge is offering a Basic on two consecutive Saturdays, 1/10 and 1/17/2015 from 8:30 am to 6pm, at Berkeley Friends Church (Cedar and Sacramento, near the North Berkeley BART). Get a boost of positive energy and community, learn new communication and conflict resolution skills, and experience the transforming power of nonviolence--all that and it's a lot of fun as well.
To register, e-mail avpbaybridge@gmail.com, call 510-394-2622, or talk to Stephen Matchett at Meeting. Cost is sliding scale $35-$100; no one turned away for lack of funds.
AVP is a 35-year-old international non-profit that is working in communities, hundreds of U.S. prisons and in many challenging parts of the world. Facilitation and training opportunities exist in the Bay Area and throughout California. Come find out what all the excitement's about.
Clerk’s Message
As I considered the clerkship of San Francisco Meeting, I found myself asking what the model of the clerk has been since I’ve attended. I realized I did not meet the pattern set by Meeting in many ways: I was not raised as a Quaker, I am married and live in a “mixed” family with non-Quakers, I have a day job, and it seems I tilt toward the younger end of the clerk spectrum. All of this felt daunting and the clerkship seemed to me as something beyond my capacity at this time of my life.
My feeling
of a clerk is someone who is always present, able to attend to all the areas of
the Meeting with care, in constant (phone) communication both within Meeting
and to Meetings we are connected to, forever in attendance and in service, and
the “outward expression” of San Francisco Friends Meeting Quakers. Challenging
to say the least; impossible felt more like it.
In my
clearness committee, it was felt that Meeting would be ready for this type of
change, for the clerk to become more integral to Meeting as a member who serves
to clerk the Meeting for Business, not to “be everywhere,” as I had sensed it.
And I have seen some change to this effect: a variety of people rising at the
end of Meeting for Worship, serving business meeting, and stepping in where the
Clerk once stood. My style of clerking will necessitate a change, or several,
from the past, with a greater reliance on other clerks who serve, on using new
tools and ways to communicate and work together, and in moving forward with
care, insightfulness, and purpose.
At October’s Meeting for Business, I asked people to share,
in three or more single words, what good clerking looks like, sounds like,
feels like. I took these responses and put them into Wordle, a pictograph
generator, which creates an image out of groups of words. Here is what
“good clerking” looks like to our Meeting:
[Note: image cannot be uploaded at this time. -Ed.]
All of this seems so hopeful, so possible. It is within reach of many of us to serve in this way. My hope is to be a good servant leader to our Meeting, but also to be simply one among us who serves. Will you join in?
News from Friends
2014 December News from Ben Lomond
Quaker Center
Please join us from Dec. 5-7th for our Music and Dance Retreat, a low-cost,
participant produced program with a sliding
scale of only $60-$140 per person for
a weekend filled with a variety of singing and playing punctuated by a few
dancing opportunities. Bring your kids and grandkids or just yourselves for a few days of fun making food,
music, and song together with a professionally called community dance on
Saturday night. Get more information and register online at http://www.quakercenter.org/music-and-dance-retreat/.
We invite Friends of all branches of Quakerism to come to the well of
our faith, to share the sweet waters of waiting worship and fellowship. This
year end retreat from December
27th to January 1st will call on us to seek replenishment
by opening ourselves to God and the inward Christ, deepening our connections
and enlivening our spirits. Join us for Spring
Forth a Well: What Are We Waiting For? which will be facilitated by Dorothy Henderson. Learn more and register before
December 15th at http://www.quakercenter.org/spring-forth-a-well/.
Job Opening: Maintenance Manager beginning February 1, 2015. The Maintenance Manager is responsible
for performing routine and periodic maintenance tasks, making improvements to
Quaker Center buildings and grounds, and implementing the preventive
maintenance program. This is a full-time residential position. Please see http://www.quakercenter.org/about-us/employment-opportunities/for
more information and to apply.
College Park Quarterly Meeting
The upcoming College Park Quarterly Meeting
will be January 17th, 2015 at Friends House, Santa Rosa (Redwood Forest Meeting)
Pacific Yearly Meeting
The upcoming Pacific Yearly Meeting session will be 7/13 – 7/18 at Walker Creek Ranch, Petaluma CA
Google Groups for
SF Quakers
The group named "San Francisco Monthly
Meeting" is for sharing announcements or other news with the meeting community.
If you wish to be added to the group, please send a request to clerk@sfquakers.org . You will also need to create a free
Google user ID and password, if you don’t already have one, you can create one at
https://accounts.google.com/signup?service=mail . The address of the group is sfquakers@googlegroups.com
A Google group for Bay Area Quakers is now
available at http://groups.google.com/group/bayareaquakers.
The group is for Bay Area Quaker meetings, churches, and organizations, as well
as individual Friends, to share news of events and activities that would be of
interest to Quakers and the general public. Events do not need to be strictly
Quaker. For more information, contact Tom Yamaguchi, tomyamaguchi@mac.com
Help on using Google Groups is also
available at: http://groups.google.com/support
Submissions to the newsletter are due by the
next-to-last First Day (Sunday) of each month in the News Committee mailbox at
the meetinghouse, or by e-mail to news@sfquakers.org. This newsletter is also available for reading or
downloading on our website at http://www.sfquakers.org/news.html.
Members of the News Committee are Kate
McCarley (clerk, editor), Chad Stephenson (web servant), and Catherine Fox
(production)
(all events at 65 9th
St., unless noted; *see details elsewhere in newsletter)
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Sunday
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Monday
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Tuesday
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Wednesday
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Thursday
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Friday
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Saturday
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30
9a Extended Meeting for Worship
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1
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2
7p Property & Finance Mtg
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3
1:10p SFFS Meeting for Worship†
6p Meeting for Worship 7p Ministry & Oversight Mtg |
4
12p Peace Vigil‡
7p Potluck & Quaker Study
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5
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6
10:30a-1p Food Pantry
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7
9:30a Bible Study
11a Meeting for Worship, Community Potluck
following
1p Meeting for Business
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8
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9
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10
6p Meeting for Worship |
11
12p Peace Vigil‡
7p Potluck & Quaker Study
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12
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13
10:30a-1p Food Pantry
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14
11a Meeting for Worship
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15
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16
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17
6p Meeting for Worship |
18
12p Peace Vigil‡
7p Potluck & Quaker Study |
19
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20
10:30a-1p Food Pantry
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21
9:30a Bible Study
11a Meeting for Worship
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22
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23
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24
6p Meeting for Worship
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25
12p Peace Vigil‡
7p Potluck & Quaker Study |
26
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27
10:30a-1p Food Pantry
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28
9:15a Non-Violent Comm.
Practice Group
11a Meeting for Worship
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29
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30
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31
6p Meeting for Worship |
1
12p Peace
Vigil‡
7p Potluck & Quaker Study |
2
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3
10:30a-1p Food
Pantry
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†San Francisco Friends School, 250 Valencia
St. ‡Federal Building, Golden Gate Ave.
and Larkin St.
