Minutes, Nurture Coordinating Committee, 07-25-12

Nurture Coordinating Committee Minutes, New York Yearly Meeting Summer Sessions                       

Wednesday, 7/25/2012, 3:15 PM, Silver Bay Auditorium

 

Present:

Deb Wood, Purchase, NCCC Clerk

Samuel Obermayer, Binghamton, visitor

Norma Ellis, Scarsdale, Aging Concerns

Florence McAllister, New Paltz, Resource Library

Ben Frisch, Brooklyn, Oakwood Friends School

John Edminster, Fifteenth Street, FUM General Board

Carol Holmes, Brooklyn, Powell House

Heather Cook, Chatham Summit, NYYM Clerk

Joyce Ketterer, Brooklyn, Young Adult Committee Convener

Mike Clark, Old Chatham/Powell House, FWCC Youth Committee

Cheshire Frager, Flushing, At Large

Chris DeRoller, Old Chatham, Young Friends In Residence

Lissa Wolfe, Brooklyn, At Large

Roseann Press, Housatonic, At Large

Jim Ralston, Saratoga, Finance Committee

Margaret Lew, Fifteenth Street, Youth Committee

Judith Inskeep, Gwynedd (PYM), FWCC

Francis O’Hara, Central Finger Lakes, visitor

Peter Close, Purchase, JYM

Karen Snare, Bullshead-Oswego, FGC

Beatrice Beguin, Saranac Lake, FUM General Board

Christopher Sammond, Poplar Ridge, NYYM staff

Gloria Thompson, Manhattan, visitor

Margaret Mulindi, Manhattan, visitor

Diane Keefe, Wilton, visitor

 

The meeting of Nurture Coordinating Committee opened with silent worship.

Friends introduced themselves and spoke about highlights of the week so far.

The Clerk requested written committee reports.

Handbook Page: 

A draft with revisions was distributed and reviewed.  There are additional committees, institutions and affiliated bodies to be added to the list (such as EarthCare Witness). The Clerk recommended reducing At Large members from nine to six.  The NCC Clerk, Financial Clerk, Assistant Clerk, and Recording Clerk are appointed from At Large members.  The Clerk or another appointee represents NCC on Sessions and Liaison Committees, and Meetings for Discernment Steering Committee.  This year, Deb has done the work of the financial clerk and has requested an assistant clerk but none has yet been appointed.  NYYM nominating Committee will add two new At Large appointees to NCC this year (Andy Haag and Julia Giordano).  There was discussion of the role of the financial clerk, which includes approval of all expenses except from JYM, and YFIR which have their own approval process.  A revised draft of this page will be sent by e-mail to NCC members and approval will be considered at Fall Sessions.

Partnership with Chwele Yearly Meeting:

Christopher, Gloria, Margaret and Diane reviewed the report of the visit to Chwele Yearly Meeting in Kenya on 4/25-28/12.  The recommendation is for NYYM to partner with Chwele YM. This would mean that representative from both YMs would visit each other’s sessions.  The plan calls for two representatives from NYYM to visit Chwele in 2013.  The FUM Triennial will be held in Indiana in 2014, and Friends from Chwele will attend and would be invited to extend their visit and attend NYYM summer sessions.  In 2015, the plan would be reviewed to decide whether to continue.  Monthly and regional meetings from both YMs would be matched to develop relationships.  Shared peace work would continue in AVP and trauma healing through Friends Church Peace Teams.  Friends approved bringing these recommendations to Fall Sessions.  A Task Group to develop the charge for a new committee was appointed consisting of Ben Frisch (convener), Joyce Ketterer, Margaret Lew, and Diane Keefe with assistance from Gloria, Margaret, and Christopher. 

The minutes were read and approved.

The meeting closed in worship.

Submitted by:  Beatrice Beguin, acting Recording Clerk

 

NCC Committee Meeting on Thursday, 7/26/12 at 3:00 PM, Silver Bay Auditorium

 

Present:

Deb Wood, Clerk

Mike Clark, Old Chatham, Youth Committee, FWCC

Karen Snare, Bullshead-Oswego, FGC

Chris DeRoller, Old Chatham, YFIR

Joyce Ketterer, Brooklyn, YAC

Ben Frisch, Brooklyn, Oakwood Friends School

John Edminster, Fifteenth Street, FUM General Board

Cheshire Frager, Flushing, At Large & representative to Sessions

Jim Ralston, Saratoga, Financial Services Committee

Florence McAllister, New Paltz, Resource Library

Carol Holmes, Brooklyn, Powell House

Margaret Lew, Fifteenth Street, Youth Committee

Peter Close, Purchase, JYM

Roseanne Press, Housatonic, At Large

Beatrice Beguin, FUM General Board

 

This session of NCC began with a period of silent worship.  Friends introduced themselves and agreed to continue meeting past 4:00 PM if necessary.

Budget Allocations for 2013:

Two committees had submitted written requests and the discussion continued about allocations for all the budget lines.  These were written on a chart for the Clerk.  Appointee expenses for FGC and FUM representatives are not sufficient to cover the actual costs of the work.  Friends expressed concern that those appointed cannot be fully reimbursed, and this makes it difficult to nominate new representatives.   One creative solution was to request donations of frequent flyer miles for this travel and this suggestion will be forwarded to the Development Committee.  There was discussion of the work being done at FGC and FUM.  The representatives were asked to prepare reports explaining our relationship with these organizations to educate NYYM Friends about this work.

In 2016, FWCC International Representatives will meet.  Travel funds will be requested in the budget allocations each year through 2016.  Jim Ralston said that Financial Services encourages NCC to request reasonable amounts with the understanding that revenue information is not yet available.

Resource Library:

Florence explained the need for an assistant coordinator for the coming years who will be able to eventually take over managing the Library.  The budget allocation is used for travel and mailing expenses to bring the books to summer sessions each year, and sometimes to spring and fall sessions.  The Clerk will seek candidates for this position.

JYM Budget:  Peter gave a summary of budget activity and requested allocation of an additional $1,500. 

There has been a change in the NYYM reimbursement voucher deadlines as follows:

Expenditure through summer sessions:  October 1; expenditures through October 30:  November 30; expenditures through December 31:  January 5. If there are difficulties that will delay submission of a voucher by the deadline, Friends are asked to discuss this with the NCC Clerk in a timely manner.

Youth Committee report:

Deb read the following minute from the Committee’s meeting on July 24, 2012:

The youth committee realizes that ambiguous language in our advanced report has caused miscommunication and consternation.  We apologize for that.  In response to the request for clarification from the Nurture Coordinating Clerk, the youth committee is revising the sixth paragraph of its advance report for summer sessions 2012 to the following:

Our work planning and implementing the youth programs at fall and spring sessions has absorbed all of our time, effort and energy.  We affirm the importance and value of these programs to the youth involved as well as to yearly meeting, but request that the primary responsibility for them be given to another committee or group.  (Our Handbook page states, “The Youth Committee will offer help and assistance in the planning and executing of the Spring/Fall Sessions youth programs but will not be responsible for their creation.”)

The Youth Committee will then return its focus, time and energy to fulfilling the main charges in the Handbook:

• facilitate communication and exchange of resources and information among youth, youth workers, and the committees and groups with a concern for youth within New York Yearly Meeting,
•  support Spirit-led, intergenerational youth work in monthly meetings and worship groups, regional meetings, and Yearly Meeting,
• articulate to the YM as a whole the comprehensive needs and goals concerning youth.

Forty Days of Prayer, FUM report:

[Insert report prepared by John Edminster].

A devotional booklet is being prepared by FUM and will be distributed electronically.  Paper copies will be available for purchase ($5 each or $2.50 per copy for ten or more) and the proceeds will be used to send the booklet to Friends outside North America.  At the end of the forty days, on 11/18/12, all Friends will be invited to meet together and answer the queries in the booklet.  These responses will be submitted to FUM in Richmond, Indiana, to guide discernment of priorities.

Committee on Aging Concerns report:

The proposal to hire a third ARCH Coordinator has been approved by NYYM, and will increase the reach of this program.

Internal appointments:

NCC will be represented on Sessions Committee by Cheshire Frager. The clerk will ask Irene Goodman to continue representing NCC on the Meetings for Discernment Steering Committee.

Nominations are needed for NCC Recording Clerk and Assistant Clerk.   NCC does not have a nominating committee and a naming committee was approved consisting of Cheshire and Beatrice.

Nominations for the Youth Committee will be put forward at Fall Sessions.

The clerk requests written reports from committees and requests for agenda items prior to Fall Sessions, which will be held in Somerset, NJ from 11/9-11/2012.

The minutes were read and approved.

The meeting closed with worship.

Beatrice Beguin, acting Recording Clerk