Current Newsletter - New Garden Friends Meeting

The New Garden Friend
Newsletter of New Garden Friends Meeting
February 25, 2015
DONATIONS NEEDED > THE SPRING FLEA MARKET
Coming soon .... March 13-15 PFF Spring Retreat
Saturday, March 21 and 28: The Flea Market
A note from Young Friends:
It's that time of the year again, and the spring sale is upon
us! We're now seeking donations that are in good quality to
be sorted and sold by the High School Young Friends to fundraise for their spring trip. We've begun setting up Norvell
Hall, with some slight changes to the layout as a result of the
recent leak that was in the carpeted area. We can't wait for
the sale, so help us make it happen! For more information
contact Alyzza at (newgardenyouth@gmail.com).
Piedmont Friends Fellowship’s Spring Retreat/Annual Meeting
held at New Garden, Friday March 13 - Sunday March 15.
Mary Kay Glazer will present adult programming entitled
"Who are You, Who am I: Telling Our Spiritual Stories".
Meals, Fellowship, programming for youth and childcare
provided; registration fee is $40.00 for adults, youth under
18 are free. See details at the PFF website for details,
(piedmontfriendsfellowship.org), or contact Karen Garraputa,
(kgarraputa1985@gmail.com), 706-1715.
Community ID Drive set for February 27
Are you interested in being a Spiritual Nurturer?
The Social Concerns Committee invites New Gardeners
to attend the FaithAction International House Community
ID drive on February 27, at First Presbyterian Church (706 N.
Greene Street) beginning at 9:00 a.m.
The FaithAction ID is a community-based identification
card which gives new immigrants, homeless citizens,
and other members of our community access to a form
of identification when traditional government IDs are
unavailable or prohibitive. The card is recognized by the
Greensboro Police Department as an effective means of
creating trust and cooperation in our community; several
local congregations have supported and participated in the
program as well.
Please consider supporting this initiative by attending
the drive and purchasing an ID card for $10. Participants
must attend a short orientation (held at 10:00 a.m. and
1:00 p.m.) to receive a card.
Information: http://faithaction.org/services/id_initiative/
or contact Scott Gibson at (stgibson@gmail.com)
To learn more about this 2015 – 2017 program, please
come to the Testing the Waters Retreat at Jamestown
Friends Meeting (Greensboro) Saturday, April 18 9:00 a.m.
to 3:30 p.m.
Come meet the core teachers of the “On Being a Spiritual
Nurturer” program in a one-day contemplative retreat
format.
Program includes:
- Introduction to ‘spiritual nurture’ and how it serves
Quaker meetings.
- Reflection on spiritual disciplines, prayer, and cultivating
the inward life.
- Small group experience to practice close listening and
mutual support.
- Question & Answer period about the program.
Snacks, beverages, and light lunch provided. Free-will
donations are gladly accepted to help defray expenses and
the travel costs of the core teachers.
For information? Call Beckey Phipps, Program
Coordinator,
Phone: 781-718-9928; email (beckey@schoolofthespirit.
Birthdays
February
26
27
27
27
27
27
28
March
1
1
3
3
Weekly scheduled meeting calendar
Dianne Powel
James Clotfelter
Grady Howard
William Rainwater
Edwin White
John White
Soren Blue
Wednesday February 25
6:00 p.m. Choir Rehearsal / Choir Room
6:00 p.m. HSYF “Whine & Cheese” / Qave
6:30 p.m. Mindfulness Meditation
7:00 p.m. Ministry & Counsel / Parlor
Monday March 2
12:15 p.m. Poetry Group / Parlor
7:30 p.m. Meditation / Parlor
Ken Davis
Jo Poole
Julia Kimmel
Beth Wilson
Needed for Kicks for Kids (children) & for Downtown
Friends (individuals without housing): clean, gently used
gym or walking shoes; hats, scarves, gloves/mittens; socks
for shoe sizes 9 & up; backpacks; LED flashlights. Please
leave items in "Kicks for Kids" bin in NGFM Connector. Thank you, Barbara Leland (schoolssafe@yahoo.com)
1
New Garden Friends Meeting
Minutes of Monthly Meeting for Business
Second Month, First Day, 2015
Clerk Mary Louise Smith opened the Meeting with a
reading from Britain’s Quaker Faith and Practice, which was
followed by a period of silence.
Quaker Relations
Piedmont Friends Fellowship’s (PFF) Annual Meeting and
the first Annual Meeting of the Piedmont Friends Yearly
Meeting (PFYM) will be held during the second weekend
of March at New Garden Friends Meeting. There may be
hospitality requests in connection with that event.
The Friends General Conference (FGC) Annual Meeting
will be held at Western Carolina University the first full
week of July. There may be a need for up to $2000 for
travel assistance, particularly to encourage young friends
to attend. In 2009, $5000 from the Blaylock Fund was
approved to assist with travel expenses. That allocation
is now down to $1500. It is anticipated that an additional
$2000 will be needed this summer, although funds could
be used beyond this year. The additional funds would also
come from the Blaylock Fund. This request was approved.
It was reported that three Quaker organizations have
held recent meetings: the Quaker House Board, New
Garden Quarterly Meeting and Representative Body for
PFYM.
A question was asked about where PFF gets its money,
since it does not receive askings from members. It was
noted that PFF does ask for financial support from member
Meetings, although it does not assess askings. Members
pay an affiliation fee of about $600.
Hayes Ratledge reported on several issues being
discussed within the North Carolina Yearly Meeting (FUM).
The three main issues are: 1) askings, 2) Quaker practice,
and 3) other Quaker affiliations. The Yearly Meeting’s
Finance and Stewardship Committee has approved a
budget for the next three months. Significant reductions in
Yearly Meeting expenses have been made already. Askings
for member Meetings are being reduced from $118/
member to $93/member. Representative Body will meet on
March 7, 2015. There appears to be general agreement that
members of Meetings that do not give 100% of askings will
not be permitted to serve on Yearly Meeting committees.
New Garden continues to review its membership
records, an initiative led by Catherine Eagles. Meeting
minutes are being reviewed back to 1964. It is expected
to be another six to eight weeks before this project is
completed. It was noted that New Garden has gone
through this exercise a number of times in the past.
Minutes from the January Monthly Meeting were
approved with corrections.
Ministry and Counsel
Debbie Parvin has requested that her membership be
transferred from New Garden Friends Meeting to Fancy Gap
Friends Meeting, since Fancy Gap is more convenient to her
current residence. Sarah Hart has called the Meeting’s office
to request a transfer of her membership to First Friends
Meeting. She would like that transfer to take place before
her marriage in June. Letters will be sent to both Debbi and
Sarah confirming those changes.
The transition team is meeting regularly and making
good progress. The first listening session was well
attended. The goal is to have a time-limited process while
giving everyone interested an opportunity to participate.
An advertisement has been placed in Quaker Life and in the
next edition of Friends Journal. Ads will also be placed in
many other places.
First Friends Meeting has issued an invitation to a third
threshing session to discuss North Carolina Yearly Meeting
(FUM) issues. The previous sessions have been affirming
for those who have attended. The Yearly Meeting’s New
Committee will be making its recommendations soon.
Finance and Stewardship
The Committee provided a report on the 2014 year-end
results. A copy of the summary of income and expenses is
attached as Attachment 1. Income for the year, cash and
stock, exceeded the budget by $10,000-12,000. Investment
income was about as expected. Total income was in excess
of the budgeted amount. Expenses for the year were
greater than budgeted expenses, primarily because of the
work on the air conditioning in the worship room. Total
income exceeded expenses by about $50,000 for the year.
Religious Education
It was noted that the First Day Forum begins at 9:45.
A packet of information about Little Friends has been
sent out along with registration forms. Enrollment is open
to the public this month. This publicity may result in more
participation in A Child’s Garden as well.
A format has been developed for First Day classes,
including the Brotherhood Class. This will be an aid to
First Day teachers and may encourage new teachers to
volunteer.
Appreciation was expressed for the end of the week
comments that are being sent out.
House
Quotes have been received from Carpet Supermart for new
carpet in the meetinghouse. The Committee proposes to
re-carpet Norville Hall from the fireplace hearth to within
1½ feet of the doors, leaving room to put the bookcases
against the wall. Installing a remnant was considered, but it
would be expensive to finish the edges. Volunteers can
2
help to take up the existing carpet and glue and to polish
the floor. Carpet Supermart will honor a prior quote for
commercial grade carpet with no pad for $790, which
includes removal of the old carpet. The price with a pad
would be $1050. They are prepared to install the new carpet
within a week after the order is placed. The proposal to
replace the Norville Hall carpet with no pad was approved.
Next month, the Committee will provide estimates for
costs to add or replace carpeting in various parts of the
meetinghouse, including the hallway, the library, the office
and various classrooms. The old carpet in some of these
rooms is both a safety hazard and esthetically unpleasing.
There followed a discussion about the possibility of using
vinyl planking or of using carpet tiles. There was also
discussion about carpeting the crib room and whether there
is a safety justification, given that there are not currently any
toddlers using it. The current quote for that room, with the
best padding available, is about $1300. If carpet in stock is
used, that price could be $1000-$1180. Carpet Supermart is
still honoring the quotes it provided last summer. Suggestions
were made to use stain master carpeting in the crib room and
to implement a no shoes rule.
Karin Honeycutt and Janet Inmon agreed to help
determine the specifics of the carpet needed. After further
discussions, the Committee will come back to the Meeting
with additional recommendations.
mostly out of town. He reported that Jane Ballus is moving
on Tuesday to assisted living, where he intends to visit her in
the next couple of weeks. In response to a question about
Barbara Walker, Bill reported that she is in assisted living at
Friends Homes.
Other Business
Friends should hold Ava Houston in the light. Her
husband’s uncle died recently, her aunt was hospitalized the
next day and her step-son, who suffers from epilepsy, has also
been hospitalized.
A concern was raised about security cameras in the
hall of the meetinghouse and whether they are needed or
appropriate? The cameras allow CPI to see who sets off a
motion detector. CPI also has the ability to speak to people in
the building. Following some discussion, it was decided to revisit the need for these security features at a future meeting.
Following a moment of silence, Meeting for business was
closed to be reconvened on March 1, 2015.
Mary Louise Smith
Presiding Clerk
Seekers’ Group
Friends were reminded that the Seekers’ Group begins
today from 3:00-5:00, the first of four First Day meetings.
Anyone interested is encouraged to attend; it is not just for
newcomers. Friends were asked to invite people they know
who have been attending Meeting for worship who might be
interested.
Rockingham Monthly Meeting
Dot Mason reported on her recent visit with Rockingham
Monthly Meeting in Wentworth, NC on January 2, 2015. The
Meeting meets for free in an old hotel, next to the tavern
where they used to meet. The Meeting is getting smaller
due to the age and declining health of its members. There
were five members, plus Dot, at Meeting for worship that
day. The Meeting has a budget of about $5000 and provides
over $4000 in outreach, since it has no staff and no building.
Outreach funds go to a number of Quaker organizations,
but the bulk is for Rockingham County needs. The Meeting
has withdrawn from NCYM (FUM), but is still a member of
PFF. It is interested in PFYM, but does not have enough
members to send as representatives. Dot noted that Ron and
Jane Norwood are dealing with significant health problems.
Meeting members feel isolated from the greater Quaker
community and the Meeting is grateful for visitors.
Pastoral Minister Report
Bill Hamilton reported that he continues to enjoy his
pastoral visits. He has participated in a number of funerals,
3
Carl Semmler
Recording Clerk
4