Patapsco Friends Meeting

Meeting for Worship with a Concern for Business

2nd Day of Eleventh Month 2003

 

The Meeting for Worship with a Concern for Business began at 12:10 p.m. with 6 Friends attending. A Friend read the Queries on Education. Several Friends responded to the queries.

 

Peace and Social Justice Committee

The Peace and Social Justice Committee revised the proposed minute that they presented at last month's meeting for business.

 

Ken Stockbridge read the new minute, entitled Proposed Minute on Civil Rights.

 

"Patapsco Friends Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) expresses its concern about the diminishing respect the United States government has shown for human rights both at home and abroad since September 11, 2001.  We affirm the fundamental equality of all people everywhere, as Quakers have done for 350 years and as the founders of our country did as well.  Such equality implies that all people have the same basic rights to privacy, due process, and equal protection under the law.  Such rights are the very basis of the freedom we hold dear and that our government leaders say they are trying to defend.  Yet in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks of September 2001, our government has curtailed certain Constitutional protections for immigrants and some religious, cultural, and civic groups under the auspices of the USA Patriot Act.  Moreover, according to numerous press reports (cf., for example, The Washington Post, 12/26/2002), our government has used torture in interrogating detainees overseas (and for many years has trained other governments' personnel in torture practices).  In addition to violating the very freedoms we profess to defend, such abuses of human rights subvert the rule of law, undermine the moral authority  our leaders have claimed to justify U.S. actions, exacerbate the threats to our security, and, in the final analysis, diminish the prospects for peace."

 

After discussion, the second sentence was revised into two sentences:

"We affirm the fundamental equality of all people everywhere. Though imperfectly, Quakers have advanced this principle for 350 years and the founders of our country did as well."

 

The minute was approved with the above revision. Here is the minute in final form:

 

"Patapsco Friends Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) expresses its concern about the diminishing respect the United States government has shown for human rights both at home and abroad since September 11, 2001.  We affirm the fundamental equality of all people everywhere. Though imperfectly, Quakers have advanced this principle for 350 years and the founders of our country did as well. Such equality implies that all people have the same basic rights to privacy, due process, and equal protection under the law.  Such rights are the very basis of the freedom we hold dear and that our government leaders say they are trying to defend.  Yet in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks of September 2001, our government has curtailed certain Constitutional protections for immigrants and some religious, cultural, and civic groups under the auspices of the USA Patriot Act.  Moreover, according to numerous press reports (cf., for example, The Washington Post, 12/26/2002), our government has used torture in interrogating detainees overseas (and for many years has trained other governments' personnel in torture practices).  In addition to violating the very freedoms we profess to defend, such abuses of human rights subvert the rule of law, undermine the moral authority  our leaders have claimed to justify U.S. actions, exacerbate the threats to our security, and, in the final analysis, diminish the prospects for peace."

 

Our minute was developed in response to a minute written by Hopewell Meeting on the torture of prisoners.

 

The clerk will distribute copies of the minute to the White House, Congress, the U.S. State Department, the U. S. Defense Department, the press, Quarterly Meeting, Hopewell Meeting, Friends Committee on National Legislation and Baltimore Yearly Meeting.

 

Treasurer's Report

Proposed Budget for 2004

The treasurer distributed copies of the Proposed Budget for 2004. We decided to remove the line item for "Retreat" from the budget. If we decide to have a retreat in 2004, we can add a budget line item at that time. With this revision, we approved the first reading of the proposed budget for 2004.

 

In reviewing the budget, one Friend was disappointed that more scholarship money had not been used this year by meeting members and attenders. He proposed that we consider sponsoring or actively encouraging adults and children to attend larger Quaker gatherings outside our meeting.

 

After discussion, we agreed to ask the Ministry and Care Committee to consider ways to actively sponsor children and adults to attend larger Quaker gatherings. One Friend thought that the best way to do this may be to hold a meeting-wide brainstorming session, instead of exploring the issue only within the Ministry and Care Committee.

 

The clerk reported that he had received information about a subscription to Quaker Life magazine. After discussion, we decided that we did not wish the meeting to subscribe to this magazine. The Treasurer will contact Quaker Life to decline the subscription request.

 

One Friend emailed the clerk to propose that the meeting purchase a Peace Pole. According to the Friend's email, peace poles cost $625 and display the message "May Peace Prevail on Earth" in six languages. There are more than 200,000 Peace Poles all over the world.

 

After discussion, we agreed to forward the request for further consideration to the Advancement and Outreach (A&O) Committee. In general, we approved of the idea. The following questions came up for further consideration by A&O.

 

-- Where would we place the peace pole? In a place where the greatest number of people would see it?

 

-- Would we include the name of our meeting on the peace pole? How?

 

-- Where does the money go for the purchase of the peace pole?

 

-- Would Mt Hebron Presbyterian Church want to participate in our planting a peace pole?

 

-- Can we make our own peace pole? Are there any patent/copyright issues in making our own peace pole?

 

 

Ministry and Care (M & C) Committee

Calendar - Ramona Buck has volunteered to be the Calendar Keeper. The Calendar is posted on the main bulletin board at Mt. Hebron House. Ramona will update the calendar once a month. Others may update the calendar, as needed., e.g., to schedule committee meetings.

 

The M & C Committee is not responsible for keeping the calendar. We have created a new role, Calendar Keeper, to perform this function.

 

Information about the calendar and the Calendar Keeper will be posted in the Silent Announcements.

 

Minutes of the October Meeting for Business

There were no corrections to the October minutes.

 

Other Business

Ken Stockbridge noted that he was in email communication with Tony Prete and that Tony has tentatively agreed to speak at the Quarterly Meeting that we will host next June.

 

Quarterly Meeting meets three times a year on the second Sunday of the third, sixth and ninth months of the year.

 

After discussion, we asked that the A&O and M&C Committees consider the following queries about planning for Quarterly Meeting next June and a possible spring retreat, and bring back their responses to next month's meeting for business.

 

Do we want to invite Tony Prete to present at Quarterly Meeting?

 

Do we want to set up a Quarterly Meeting planning committee?

 

Do we want to plan a spring retreat? Do we want the spring retreat to coincide with Quarterly Meeting? Do we want Tony Prete to lead a workshop during our spring retreat?

 

Do we want to have a Junior Young Friends gathering during Quarterly Meeting?

 

Do we have enough resources/energy to plan both Quarterly Meeting and a spring retreat?

 

Next Meeting

The next business meeting will be held on December 7, 2003 at Noon.

 

The meeting closed in silent worship at 1:40 p.m.