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Notable Minutes, Process and Policies

Minute on Becoming a Monthly Meeting

Approved – 4/28/2002

Patapsco Friends Meeting hereby requests to be recognized and embraced as a monthly meeting under the care of Chesapeake Quarterly Meeting and Baltimore Yearly Meeting.

A number of Friends were led from the inception of the Howard County Worship Group to form a lasting Quaker presence in this community. In 11th month 1996, we first met as a worship group under the care of Sandy Spring Friends Meeting. In 1st month 1999, we became a preparative meeting under Sandy Spring’s care.

Patapsco Friends have gathered weekly for worship, first day school, and fellowship and monthly for the conduct of business for 5 1/2 years. The meeting has attracted seekers from within and without the Quaker community, offering a sacred space for spiritual sharing, loving labor among the gathered, and moral guidance and direction for our youth. The meeting has forged alliances with local community organizations and has reached out to participate in the wider Quaker fellowship. We have developed a deeply shared sense of identity as a spiritual community. Love, unity, and mutual nurture abide among us. We give thanks for our Quaker community that has taken root and thrived in Howard County.

After a period of reflection, discussion, and spiritual discernment, we have recognized that we have been effectively functioning as an independent meeting. We have considered the responsibilities and implications of becoming a monthly meeting, and we feel clear that we are prepared to embrace them.

We are deeply grateful to Sandy Spring Friends Meeting for encouraging us to start our meeting and for nurturing and supporting us as we grew and developed. We feel we are now ready to release Sandy Spring from this responsibility and to join the community of Quaker fellowship as an independent monthly meeting.

With divine assistance, we look forward to stepping into the Light of our new openings.

Meetings for Listening, Notable Minutes, Process and Policies

Threshing Session on Becoming a Monthly Meeting

First Day-April 21, 2002

Patapsco Preparative Meeting’s Threshing Session on Becoming a Monthly Meeting

(ad hoc Monthly Meeting Committee clerk Ken Stockbridge, Sherri Morgan, Johanna D., Bob Rhudy recording.)

Eleven persons participated in the threshing session, which began at 12:15 pm following the rise of meeting and simple meal.

The queries concerning the spiritual aspects of whether Patapsco Preparative Meeting should become a Monthly Meeting are attached. Ken Stockbridge described the purposes of the threshing session as to gain clarity and to listen to each other. He stated that this is not a decision session. The committee will prepare a minute to present to the business meeting next Sunday pursuant to the responses and leadings presented in this threshing session. He encouraged attenders to be brief, and urged persons to try to speak from their personal experience. He urged presenters to leave space between responses, and wait to be recognized. The recorder will take notes, and will be allowed sufficient time to do so. Attenders were encouraged to speak once, or wait for a second opportunity after everyone has had a chance to speak; to speak to such or all of the queries as they wish; and to read the queries, settle into silence, and speak as led when recognized. Ken indicated that the sub-queries under query number 1 were meant to be mind joggers. He then read the queries, and following a brief silence, responses were raised.

Responses to the queries were expressed as follows:

1. I feel clear about becoming a Monthly Meeting . I feel that we are already, that the pieces are in place, the base is in place, identity is in place; and feel this meeting as a center for our spiritual journey. The change from preparative to Monthly Meeting would be subtle, and would extend our roots a little deeper, and help make the tree a little stronger. I accept responsibility to help maintain the meeting. I feel a sense of accomplishment in what we have done in trying again to establish a meeting in Howard County following two previous efforts, and a sense of celebration that we are at this point.

2. The Friend before me speaks my mind. I also feel clear about our readiness to become a Monthly Meeting . I feel a sense of fulfillment. I would like to be among the first to have my name enrolled as transferring membership from Sandy Spring to the Patapsco Monthly Meeting . I expect and will accept some increase in responsibilities, but do not expect the increase to be too onerous. There may be a couple of changes we may need to anticipate and address: (1) There may not be as much access to financial assistance for our youth to attend Quaker Summer Camp, and our meeting will need to look to ourselves to assist in meeting the cost for our children to have this camp experience, which can be pivotal to some children in their Quaker development. (2) The Sandy Spring newsletter encourages attendance at preparative meetings; and we hope that it will continue to encourage its readership to consider attendance at our Monthly Meeting . We have members who have an affiliation with Sandy Spring, but I believe that we have managed our transition in such a manner that has helped them emotionally transfer over their spiritual affiliation. I would want to be organized under the care of the Baltimore Yearly Meeting. It is important to maintain our participation and affiliation with our other similar meetings with shared identification, experience, and support.

3. I agree and am clear that our becoming a Monthly Meeting is a reflection of what we are. It reflects and acknowledges that this is our spiritual home; and that while I may visit other meetings, this is where my spiritual home resides and where I expect to return. I wish to accept that reality and to be named for what we are. I am willing to accept the increased responsibility for the maintenance of our Monthly Meeting , but suggest that we need to be accepting of the different levels of participation and responsibility our members and attenders are able to offer depending upon their needs, leadings, and circumstances. I wish for our Monthly Meeting to be under the care of the Baltimore Yearly Meeting.

4. I agree that we are ready to become a Monthly Meeting . I am not convinced that this will engender only a little more work for our meeting. We could be over-whelmed if we become very involved in the wider community, but this is a risk worth taking. The decision to open ourselves to this wider community is an important one. I don’t know where this decision will lead, but it could be an opening experience.

5. I am not aware of what large differences there will be in going from a preparative to a Monthly Meeting . There may be some from a symbolic perspective, and it could represent a milestone, or a symbol of progress. In terms of practical differences, however, I don’t know one way or another.

6. I am clear that we are ready to become a Monthly Meeting . I am the newest person here, but it seems like we are ready to become a monthly. I identify this as the group that I would like to become a member of, and I do not have such feelings about Sandy Spring. It feels big, and I identify with this meeting and I want to become a member here. I would like to become a Quaker, but I don’t know if I am worthy yet, but it would be at Patapsco. I would like us to be under the care of the Baltimore Yearly Meeting. I believe that an essential part of being a Quaker is being part of a community, and this is our community.

7. I am perfectly clear that we are a Monthly Meeting . This is an outward recognition of a spiritual truth, just as my joining Sandy Spring was previously. From the very beginning, I was welcomed and accepted by attenders in the meetings I attended as a Quaker—I was recognized as a Quaker before I recognized it myself. I feel the same way about our recognizing and accepting the reality that we are a Monthly Meeting . I want us to come under the care of the Baltimore Yearly Meeting, Friends General Conference, FUM, Friends Committee on Consultation—i.e., our being involved with all these meetings grounded in Quakers around the world is very important. I am grounded in this meeting. This gives me greatest confidence in venturing out into other Quaker bodies and meetings and places. I am very happy that we are at this point. We are no longer a “new meeting,” but it is appropriate that we be a new Monthly Meeting . As my other Friend has stated at a previous time, I hope that we will always be a “New Meeting.”

8. Other Friends have spoken my mind, and I have little to add. I will affirm that our becoming a Monthly Meeting recognizes a reality that already exists. I believe that very little would change, that it would be barely noticeable. I have previously said that it would hardly matter. In some places such as England, meetings are preparative for hundreds of years. There was a preparative meeting previously in Howard County for 120 years. I would want to be under the care of the Baltimore Yearly Meeting, which underscores the essential inter-connectedness of the Society of Friends. I feel that I am a member of the Society of Friends, even though I am not a member. I have not joined previously because I do not feel like a member of the Sandy Spring Meeting. One reason that I have not joined is that I have not felt that being a member mattered, but I feel that others may feel it does matter. I believe that becoming a Monthly Meeting can help people with their spiritual journey. Being a preparative meeting under Sandy Spring has provided us with a safety net. We haven’t used or needed the safety net, but there is a psychological value in saying we don’t need the safety net, deepening our commitment to Patapsco. I will encourage our minute asking for Monthly Meeting status to express our deep gratitude to Sandy Spring for their support to our preparative meeting, and that we release them from their responsibilities to us by becoming a Monthly Meeting . I feel that we ought to release them from that responsibility.

9. In the last year we have been recognized as a Monthly Meeting by other Monthly Meeting s such as Sandy Spring and other Monthly Meeting s who attended quarterly meeting here. They have affirmed us as acting as and being ready to be a Monthly Meeting .

10. Elaborating on the work that might accrue to becoming a Monthly Meeting , I am somewhat excited about the work. It is a part of the spiritual journey of our meeting. Many meetings have something called a “Manual of Procedure,” a document of the spiritual journey of the community regarding how it needs to be expressed as a community. Developing a “Manual of Procedure” is not easy, but being a Quaker is not easy.

The threshing session concluded at approximately 1:30 p.m.

Queries for Threshing Session on Becoming a Monthly Meeting

4th Month, 21st day, 2002

  1. Do I have clearness about Patapsco becoming a Monthly Meeting ? Why or why not?
  • How would my experience of Quaker meeting be affected if Patapsco becomes a Monthly Meeting ?
  • How would my perspective on membership in Quaker meeting be affected if Patapsco became a Monthly Meeting ?
  • What would I look forward to if Patapsco were to become a Monthly Meeting ?
  • What is required for me to have clearness in reaching a decision about becoming a Monthly Meeting ?
  1. How can Patapsco becoming a Monthly Meeting aid or hinder seekers on their spiritual journey?
  2. Am I willing to accept the increased responsibilities that may be required of me if we become a Monthly Meeting ?
  3. Would I like our meeting to be organized as a Monthly Meeting under the care of Baltimore Yearly Meeting?
Patapsco

Spiritual State of the Meeting Report, 2001

The year that is passing has brought much growth and new spiritual directions. The new directions and responsibilities are apparent, as our Meeting has risen to several challenges and events. These have brought us closer and deeper into our spiritual community. With each step, we find we are functioning more as a whole Meeting, independent, self-guiding, and growing.

Meetings for worship are held with the Inner Light guiding the gathered through the spirit. The spoken messages are met with the silence in a balanced response. We have time for thought and time to face and try to understand the voices of the world. As the members gather, many find peace in the light and have responded as they have felt the need. Even the children are finding the Meeting a settling place and are growing with the silence.

This year has seen an average of 30 people in Meeting for Worship on any given Sunday. We hosted the quarterly meeting in June and provided the attenders our newsletter, the Quaker Heron, full of insightful articles. The meeting was well attended from around the quarter. And with it we saw some new faces that continued meeting with us for the summer.

We are constantly finding new faces in Meeting, and as the year progressed, we have seen three attenders join the Society of Friends. We have welcomed Jim Rose, Nicole Manzanera and Robert Rhudy as members of the Society of Friends. A spiritual baby shower was held for Phyllis Keenan and Scott Wilhelm to welcome their son, Henry Wilhelm, into the world. We look forward to welcoming more of our attenders into the Meeting.

Friends began the process to find clearness to become a Monthly Meeting. It was suggested that Patapsco could be a Monthly Meeting in one month if we could agree that fast. But alas we are Quakers and have much soul searching to do before we can come to such a sense of the meeting in that time frame. The members are looking at what being a Monthly Meeting means, determining if we should take this step and considering if we may already be, in effect, a Monthly Meeting. There are threshing sessions being planned and adult classes to happen in the New Year. As we are finding our way to guide and grow as a meeting, we have a Personal Assistance Committee to be available to help members, attenders, and those who may need financial and other support.

The summer brought a wider exchange of members interacting with our children, as different teachers shared their talents with them in First Day School. Many new attenders and some we had not seen for a while came to Meeting over the summer. But with the summer, we said goodbye to the Wilhelm/Keenans and wished them good luck in their move to New England.

The summer R.E. picnic was held at the home of the D. family and was enjoyed by all who came. A fresh blackberry ice from our clerk’s gardens was the highlight of the meal. The community of children put on a play, William Penn and the Indians, and participated in classes in the study of Quaker ideals and Old Testament. There is a deeper journey that the older kids have started. A Bible study group was formed at the home of Sophie Reynolds where members of the older children’s class have been gathering once a month to read and discuss the Bible. This class was started by Sophie and has been welcomed by the other classmates. An ongoing plan is being developed to plan activities for the children to keep them interested in Quakerism. Balancing the care of the children and the need of the Meeting for silence is an ongoing concern.

The fall has brought us to the realization that we need to express our testimonies and understand our history. A workshop was presented on James Naylor: A Skeleton in Our Closet, with Ria Hawkins leading our retreat. Even in the face of the attacks of September 11th those who gathered learned more about our Quaker heritage. After September 11th our lives were shaken by the tragedy that occurred and the actions of our country through the end of the year. The Meeting responded with letters and a weekly silent peace vigil to show our support for the victims of the attacks in the U.S. and Afghanistan. The vigil has continued as a weekly meeting with signs and growing numbers of people joining us at the corner of Little Patuxent and Broken Land Parkways. In rain, wind and even after a pellet gun incident, the clerk and others are there to stand in silent remembrance of the many victims of the war and to show protest to the actions of our government in this matter. The Peace and Social Justice Committee has held letter writing days for those who wished to express their views to Congress and the President in this and other matters of conscience. The committee provided wording, addresses, letter paper, stamps, etc. Cooking a monthly meal for 12 homeless men and the Bread of Life Food Pantry are ongoing concerns and the children are included in these activities to acquaint them with the value of giving. We have also held a threshing session on whether the Meeting should make financial contributions to peace and social justice organizations. This committee is planning a threshing session on the Peace Testimony in the coming year.

The Meeting has moved into the electronic age and renamed its web site, www.patapscofriends.com, to make it easier to remember. This has been kept up to date with the current happenings of the Meeting and contains current links to a special Peace Testimony page and responses to September 11. We give special thanks to Elizabeth Saria for her enhancements.

The Advancement and Outreach Committee has been working to keep us together and Friendly. The Friendly Bunches were a big hit again as we met in small family groups for fun and social times away from the Meeting. A Quaker 101 class was also given by old and new members to help explain our faith. The Meeting has its own listing in the phone book and advertising is being placed in the local papers. We have a newcomer packet to help first time attenders feel welcome, and displays of literature hang on the doors and stairs. There is a “Quaker in the corner” to answer questions about the Quaker faith and we also send cards to the new attenders to let them know we appreciate their presence. There are guidelines for greeters to help any visitor feel welcome. In the coming year we will continue these activities and are considering other outreach activities for the 12-24 age group, the greater Quaker community, and the non-Quaker community who may be interested in Friendly topics.

As we begin a New Year, there is much to grow and much to do: giving our members a better understanding of our spiritual roots and testimonies; holding classes and threshing sessions; looking toward becoming independent; acting as part of the community of Howard County in our actions, peace vigils, and presence; and providing intergenerational and fun activities for our young people to grow into our community. We will continue the constant search for truth and guidance in our lives and with regard to the actions of our government. We shall go forward in the light.

Respectfully submitted
Joe Morrissey
Clerk of Ministry and Oversight
Patapsco Preparative Friends Meeting

Notable Minutes, Process and Policies

Report of the Question & Answer Session on Becoming a Monthly Meeting

Held 17 March 2002 at Patapsco Preparative Meeting
Hebron House, Ellicott City, MD

There were 15 Friends in attendance, including BYM General Secretary Frank Massey.

Clerk of the Ad Hoc Monthly Meeting Committee Ken Stockbridge opened the session after a brief period of silence.  The process for discernment and decision making were laid out, materials prepared by the committee were presented and questions were invited.  This report highlights only those items not clearly answered in the materials presented.

What is the role of trustees if the meeting were to incorporate?  Can trustees be limited by language in the Articles of Incorporation that states the trustees must act according to decisions reached in Meeting for Business according to Quaker “sense of the meeting”?  It was generally thought that in fact the trustees could be so limited.

It is important for the trustees to be clear about their role in relation to the meeting and in relation to the state.

Insurance Coverage:  Who is covered?  How does membership affect insurance coverage, if at all?  When we have regular attenders charged to act for the meeting, are they covered when acting in that capacity?

Burial Grounds:  Is more information available about who owns title to the Ellicott City Quaker cemetery?  Not really.  Friends Ron Mattson and Lamar Matthews are Quaker historians who might have some information about this.  Frank Massey asked Friends to seriously consider whether we want to take responsibility for the graveyard, given the financial and legal responsibility required for the upkeep of such property.

One Friend mentioned Joetta Graham, Howard County historian and member of the Mt. Hebron Presbyterian Church, as a possible source of information about the graveyard.

The meeting should negotiate/discuss clearly with Sandy Spring Friends Meeting about burial rights, but to what extent do Patapsco Friends care about this issue?  This could easily delay the process of becoming a monthly meeting for months.

Timing of Incorporation and Becoming a Monthly Meeting:  Who can we appoint trustees and have members for the new corporation when it doesn’t exist until approved by BYM?  How do we set up the timing of incorporation and becoming a monthly meeting so that there are not lapses in liability protection.  It was pointed out that insurance coverage will continue with the same protections regardless of our status (provided appropriate notice of changes is given).  There is some difference in the liability protection available due to incorporation and that afforded by insurance.  Friends could approve the decision to request monthly meeting status with the understanding that incorporation would be pursued as soon as it can be accomplished.

Frank Massey encouraged the meeting to have a conversation with Sandy Spring Clerk Betsy Meyer as soon as possible if we are seeking to bring this item to their business meeting in the next month or two.

Friends requested that the committee make specific recommendations for the meeting as to how best to proceed with the various matters involved.

A Friend asked about the value of a Quaker meeting organizing under the auspices of BYM.  Frank Massey shared the following:

  • BYM is affiliated with both FGC and FUM.  Members of individual Friends Meetings who do not wish to be counted toward the payments made to FUM and FGC by BYM can specifically request not to be included and the payment to those organizations will be reduced by that amount.
  • Some of the benefits of organizing a meeting under BYM:
    • Being a part of the Quaker faith community process & in connection with other Friends.  You can’t be a Quaker in isolation.
    • Financial support available for attendance at Quaker schools and camps.
    • Being “part of the family;” “taking the good with the bad.”
    • BYM needs Patapsco as much as Patapsco needs BYM.
  • The BYM apportionment for monthly meetings is based on:
    • Amount of contributions
    • # of contributing households
    • Investment income
  • BYM funds go to:
    • Friends organizations
    • Administration of BYM Committees
    • BYM Camping Program
    • BYM office and staff
    • R.E. Library
    • Youth Programs
    • Young Friends Conferences

Submitted by:  Sherri Morgan, Recording Clerk for Ad Hoc Monthly Meeting Committee
3/17/02