Mohawk Valley Friends Meeting
Sunday, January 5th, 2020
Present: Isabelle Haines, clerk; Ami Corleto-Bales; Elisabeth Prenot; Mark Hemendiger; Mary Ellen Blakey; Liseli Haines; Buffy Curtis; and David Corleto-Bales, recording clerk.
The business meeting began with a gathered silence.
There was an acknowledgement of the original Haudenosaunee ownership of the land where the meeting house sits.
The minutes from the December 1st, 2019 business meeting were read and approved with some corrections.
The treasurer’s report prepared by Alex Haines-Stephan was done in absentia. The money owed to the Peaceweek account, (that was borrowed to pay for the annual Clinton High School peace scholarship) will be paid back after the meeting can cover the last month’s expenses.
a. Checking account, $352.97
b. Savings account, $2,886.59
c. Peaceweek, $3,265.89
Expenses-
a. NYSEG, $19.05
b. Mirabito Propane for pre-pay, $100.00
c. Yearly Meeting Covenant Donation, $800.00
Donations-
a. $638.41
Outstanding annual expenses-
a. Peace Prize, $500, (to be returned to the account).
Building and Grounds Report. Friends were told that the meeting house was used by the Oneida women one time in December, which was the only time the meeting house was used for an event other than Quaker-related.
First Day School Committee. The committee needs to meet. The meeting will be scheduled, but no date has been set yet. Friends were informed that First Day School has had programmed instruction on roughly three out of every four weeks in the last few months, which is up from approximately one week a month a year ago.
Vision Statement. The vision statements are still being worked on and measurable goals identified. Isabelle Haines read the vision statements to remind the meeting of what they were.
Advocacy Team. Friends were informed that the Authorization of Military Force specific for Iraq was not repealed, however, the vote was closer than in the past.
The New York Yearly Meeting asked for a description of our “state of the meeting” and sent us the following query to be discussed: “How has the life and spirit been fresh and visibly at work in your meeting in the last year?” The meeting will discuss the query as worship sharing during the next potluck lunch, which was moved to the fourth Sunday of January, (January 26th) because some members of the meeting will be attending quarterly sessions on the third Sunday of the month, January 19th.
Quarterly Meeting. Will be at the Poolville Community Center in Poolville on Sunday, January 19th from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The agenda and schedule was e-mailed to the meeting.
Clergy Roundtable DIscussion on Anti-Semitism. Will be held at the Jewish Community Center in Utica on Tuesday, January 7th with Rep. Anthony Brindisi.
The next MVFM Business Meeting will be on Sunday, February 2nd.
The meeting ended in a gathered silence.
Approved: February 2, 2020