In August 2002, Patapsco Friends Meeting became a “Monthly Meeting.” That’s Quaker jargon referring to the fact that we would hold “meetings for worship with a concern for business” (“business meetings” for short) once a month; we still have meeting for worship every week. It means that we are a self-contained Quaker community, no longer under the care of Sandy Spring Friends Meeting. This page contains a variety of information on our experience that we hope will be helpful to both members of our community and to other meetings.
Minutes
- Pataspso’s Minute on Monthly Meeting Status, 4/28/2002
- Sandy Spring’s minute supporting our minute, 6/2/2002
- Chesapeake Quarterly Meeting’s minute supporting our minute, 6/9/2002, which is attached to:
- Interim Meeting’s minute recommending Yearly Meeting approval, 6/15/2002
- Baltimore Yearly Meeting’s minute recognizing our Monthly Meeting status, 8/2/2002
Information on Membership
- Excerpt from Baltimore Yearly Meeting’s Faith & Practice on membership in a Monthly Meeting
- Note on transferring membership from another Monthly Meeting (6/2002)
- Form for transferring membership
- Note on applying for membership at Patapsco Friends Meeting, upon its becoming a Monthly Meeting (6/2002)
Information on our process for becoming a monthly meeting
- Questions to consider regarding Monthly Meeting status (pdf)
- Report on our question and answer session (3/17/2002)
- Information sheet on incorporating a Quaker meeting
- Report on our threshing session for spiritual discernment about becoming a monthly meeting (4/21/2002)
Information on becoming a preparative meeting in 1999
In 1st month, 1999, Patapsco Friends Meeting became a “preparative meeting” under the care of Sandy Spring Friends Meeting. That’s Quaker jargon which archaically refers to the idea that we prepare business for the monthly meeting. Practically speaking, it means that we held our own business meetings but were still under the care of Sandy Spring monthly meeting. Here are some items from the process of becoming a preparative meeting.