Omaha Friends Meeting
Meeting for Business
20 April 2008
Present: Debbie, Frank, Carol, Nancy, Marshall, Curtis, and Lynda
Minutes from March 16 were approved.
Query: Query 4 youth response was shared.
Harmony within the Meeting
This advice is fluffy. The Bible verse was sufficient.
Relationships are a hole in the ground. We dig it deeper with the shovel of love, not the steam shovel of discord and pollution that contaminates the hole in the ground.
Woman is the neck. Man is the head. They are connected by vertebrae, spinal chord, and esophagus. They have many connections, yet they are separate. Both have aspects that are useful. Both are equally important. They must work together for the Meeting to go in the right direction.
When being honest, balance it with kind words and a smile.
Avoiding topics for the sake of unity is jumping out of the way of a speeding car. We will not name these topics for the sake of foiling the queries intent to run us over.
The pesticides and herbicides of unity help extinguish pests of conflict as we cultivate a forgiving spirit.
Looking to that of God in ourselves and addressing that of God in those with whom we disagree is writing a campaign speech. Candidates who know their own campaign platform write the speech that addresses others’ campaign platforms. The platform is the place to address both needs and disagreements.
Harmony in our Meeting is half the people singing C and others F-sharp, while Max sings a quarter tone because he is tone deaf. To resolve this, those singing an F-sharp should sing a G. Those singing an F-sharp are the following: Debbie, Marshall, Pam, Curtis, Frank, Carol (adults upstairs today). (Just joking.)
The youth queries will be placed in a notebook in the youths' meeting space.
Calendar:
First Day:
April 27 - ESR workshop - Curtis, 10 – 4
May 4 - Query 5 - CONTACT _Con-4006B6B71 \c \s \l Debbie
May 11 - Quakerism 101 – Curtis
May 18 - Business Meeting
Other:
June 1 - Ian’s graduation open house, 2-7
June 5-8 - Great Plains YM (formerly NE YM)
In Central City. Speakers: Paul
Lacey (FCNL), Sylvia Graves
(FUM), Mary Ellen McNish
(AFSC), and Margaret Fraser
(FWCC)
July 29 – August 3 – Yearly Meeting
Treasurer:
The treasurer's report was approved.
Ministry and Oversight
The seeker pamphlet and contact information will be worked on by the committee before the Expo this coming weekend.
Peace and Social Concerns:
The Peace and Justice Expo schedule was distributed. Curtis, Carol, Frank, Lynda, Denny, and Denise will share the time for being at our table. Lynda will get pamphlets to Curtis. Carol will offer a Penn Valley Friend hospitality Friday night. There will be an AFSC representative giving a workshop on Iraq that the committee recommends.
Finance Committee:
The bylaws and articles of incorporation copies were received from the attorney and given to the committee to peruse and determine our progress with this process. The clerk will hold the originals once copies are made. The clerk will send a thank you note with an approved $100 gift to the attorney. The suggestion will be made that the attorney may give the gift to one of his favorite charities if he prefers to not keep the gift himself.
Religious Education:
Curtis will scan each section of the Quakerism 101 curriculum and distribute it electronically.
The clerk will work with Curtis regarding the ESR speaker's hospitality. People are to bring a sack lunch.
Other:
The clerk has contacted committee conveners about preparing reports for Yearly Meeting. Drafts of these reports will be shared at the May Business Meeting. Final approval will occur at the June Business Meeting.