Friends General Conference

Together we nurture the spiritual vitality of Friends
A Monthly Meeting that is part of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers)

2018 Eighth Month

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Minutes Details: 

Fox Valley Friends Meeting for Business, August 19, 2018

FINAL - APPROVED

 

Present:  Carol C, Jim C, Tina M, Mary K - Clerk

 

Approval of Minutes:  Minutes from the June 10 meeting were approved for posting with no changes.

 

Treasurer's Report:  Our bank balance is $2,900 and all current expenses are paid.  Our treasurer will start paying some of our budgeted donations and will come to our October Meeting for Business with a report on our financial ability to pay all of them by the end of the year.

 

New Business.

 

New Clerk Nominating Committee:  Members approved having Mary K serve for three more years as Clerk of Fox Valley Friends Monthly Meeting while Carol C continues in her role of caring for the weekly Meeting for Worship. 

 

Reports from Coordinators of Work Projects.

 

Ministry and Nurture:  Carol and Jim reported that they visited Hayden at his home.  He may be having back surgery in the near future.  Others are encouraged to also visit Hayden to share the fellowship of our Meeting, but should call him first at 435-7527 to arrange the visit.

 

First Day School:  We are planning to start First Day School again on September 9, the first Sunday after Labor Day.

 

Outreach:  Jim will send special invitations to our new members without children to attend on September 9 so we can have a welcoming celebration for all of our newest members. 

 

We are still looking for a new person to coordinate outreach events for FVFM.

 

Mauthe Center:  Carol is organizing our library in a way that all of us can help discern which materials to keep.  She sent out an e-mail with the information on how to help (basically, look in our bookcase and move books to the ‘keep’ or ‘discard’ shelf).  We are tentatively planning on having Saturday, September 29 as a work day to finish the library work together.

 

Adult Education:  We are keeping a list of potential future topics for Adult Education sessions, but we will wait until fall to schedule them.  Here is the list of topics:

-Report on FGC 2018 – Carol and Jim

-Reawakening:  Return of Lightness and Peace after My Daughter’s Murder by Barb Mangi

-Kathleen’s study of issues with Native blood quantum

-Shane’s letters – a view from the inside of Wisconsin’s correctional system

-WISDOM’s Day of Action reading/video on stories of Solitary Confinement

-Friends Journal article on Quakerism Going Viral

 

Monthly Potluck/Discussion:  The Fall potluck schedule will be Sept 14, Oct 12, Nov 9 and Dec 7.  Mary will ask Dan E if he would like to host one of the potlucks.  All other potlucks will be at 6 pm at the home of Sheila T.  Each discussion will focus on a chapter from the new NYM Faith and Practice.  Attendees will be encouraged to read the chapter before they come, then we will discuss the queries at the end of the chapter.  Chapters are generally 3 to 5 pages long.

-September – Spiritual Beliefs of Friends in NYM

-October – Care for the Earth

-November – Integrity

-December - Peace

 

FCNL:  Mary shared the following minute from Philadelphia Yearly Meeting which was published in the most recent Friends Journal:  “The Religious Society of Friends is a religious organization, not a political one, though many Quakers join together in common political pursuits. . . Many Friends are politically involved and active which we believe is the right and duty of all of us living in a democracy. . . (We) extend a warm welcome to all regardless of political interests and/or party affiliation.”  It is important to keep this openness in mind when we discuss political issues.  We do not support any particular party but seek to bring Quaker values into the political discussion.

 

In this spirit, FCNL is encouraging Meetings to actively express their beliefs between now and the important upcoming mid-term elections in November.  Bob has proposed one way for those from our Meeting who are interested to get involved.  He is organizing a Letter to the Editor campaign.  He is looking for people to write letters on the following topics, or a topic of your choice:

1.  War – Putting Congress on the line in declaring war, not just the President

2.  Immigration – How should we treat foreigners who want to be American citizens?

3.  Gun Control – How can we keep guns out of the hands of those who shouldn’t have them?

4.  Affordable Health Care – How to keep the cost of drugs from going up?

5.  World Order – How do we deal with other countries to avoid war and bring peace?

Suggestions on getting letters in the newspaper:

  1.  Refer to some events already in the news

  2. Make comments brief

  3. Make comments from a faith perspective

  4. Add something personal in the letter, what happened to you or someone you know

Jim volunteered to work with Bob on an Immigration letter.  Anyone else interested should contact Bob at 683-3979.

 

NYM:  FGC will be held at Grinnell College in Iowa in 2019. NYM is looking for a new Middle School Retreat Coordinator.  The Coordinator plans and supervises two weekend retreats per year and receives a $750 stipend for each retreat.

 

WISDOM/RUTH/JOSHUA:  Mary attended the last JOSHUA Board Meeting and was impressed with the organization of their work and the way they ran their meeting.  However, there is an expectation that Board members will have time to participate in their work, so Mary will be unable to fulfill that expectation.  If anyone is interested in representing FVFM on the JOSHUA Board, please contact Mary.  Bob is our representative on the RUTH Board.  Tina is currently representing us on monthly WISDOM calls related to solitary confinement issues.  Jim is serving on the Brown County Board of Health and is working with another JOSHUA member on that Board to improve mental health services.

 

Prison Ministry:  Tina M and Mary K are continuing their Quaker pastoral visits at Green Bay Correctional Institute every two weeks.  They have started using the new NYM Faith and Practice for discussion.  Mary K and Jeanne B visited Shane at Fox Lake in June.  Shane is now an official member of Milwaukee Friends Meeting and receives regular visits from them. 

 

Mary gave an update on John E.  Sadly, John re-offended and is now in Richland Center jail.  It is likely that he will be in prison for the rest of his life.  He suffers from mental illness, including multiple personality disorder that he was receiving treatment for.  Mary will continue to communicate with John as spiritual support, but she will not be helping him with any efforts to get released again.  Please hold John and his victim in the Light.

 

Announcements:

-NYM Newsletter is now a monthly e-mail newsletter.  If you haven’t received it, let Mary K know and she can have you added to the e-mail list.

  

Respectfully submitted,

Mary Klos, Clerk

With support from Tina M

 

 

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