FMW Newsletter - October 2019

Minutes - Monthly Meeting for Worship with a Concern for Business

September 8, 2019

Meeting began at 12:24 with 20 friends present. We welcomed Guy Martorana and Carla.Salgado

Query for Worship Sharing: What does it mean to build one’s house on stone (not sand)? Friends spoke of hope, community, faith, and that of God as our foundation, and the need to keep building the community and discerning our way forward, following divine guidance.

Clerk’s Report

·         September 2019 In Memoriam - Sidney (Bix) Bixler - former member

·         Deborah Howe - minute being written by Hayden Wetzel. Her memorial service will be held on October 20.

·         Kathy Brandt’s memorial service will be on October 26.

Upcoming Events

-          September 15: Building Inauguration/Community Celebration

-          September 29: Upcoming Committee of Clerks Meeting

Kudos & FMW Community Highlights

 - First Day School has started!

 - September 23 “Shut Down DC” climate protests has rented FMW’s Meeting Room for 4 Wednesday evening organizing meetings, to plan the day and form affinity groups. Over 140 climate activists have attended. Peace & Social Concerns is offering hospitality to out-of-town climate strikers. A Quakers & Friends affinity group is forming. If you want to join, come at 6:30 on Wednesday, Sept 11. Tenant Updates- Activities at our Meeting House

 - Long-time tenant, National Campaign for Peace Tax Fund has completed their long planned move.

 - Renovation Update - Elevator is ready! Moving toward a solution to provide legal emergency exit from back garden.

 Major Business

* Marriage and Family Relations: First presentation of marriage of Guy Martorana and Carla Salgado under the care of the Meeting -Jim Bell   This couple has been attending for a couple of years. A clearness committee has been convened, and M&FR strongly recommends this marriage be taken under our care. This request will be held over for a month, as is our custom.
 *Progress Report on Events Rentals (attached) -Brian Lutenegger, Interim Event and Rental Manager – Reaction to the renovated space has been very positive. We are doing well for the current fiscal year – a bit ahead of where we were last year at this time. A Jewish congregation will be meeting here for the high holidays, an opera company is coming, and a variety of nonprofits are continuing to meet here. He is creating a new website; will let Friends know when it goes live. This is our program—not just the program of the Events Manager or the Property Committee.

 *Report back on Amanda Nadeau and Charles Mayer’s wedding - Debby Churchman, M&FR  It was held in good order.

 *Nominating Committee: presentation of David Miller (M) for FMW Treasurer. Friends APPROVED. Friends hope there will be alternate treasurers nominated as well.

 *Suggestion that Meeting for Business in the future be held in Quaker House Living Room, where acoustics are better. Friends APPROVED this suggestion.

Other Business

-          Child Safety Committee annual report for 2018 (attached) – Virginia Avanesyan  This is actually the committee’s first annual report. The committee oversees the implementation of our child safety policies. We are in compliance with our insurance policy. Our full policy is 26 pages long, but the committee created a one-page summary so that teachers and child caretakers would know what is required. Also created a training slide show, which was shown to teachers and families. The committee supported the policy that no child be left alone and that at least two adult caregivers be present at any child activity. Many thanks to all in the community who have provided enthusiastic support for these policies. Friends expressed appreciation for how well this committee has helped us to change cultures toward child safety. One Friend asked how this should apply to a teen needing to use the restroom? The policy doesn’t make a distinction between children and teens. The committee is laboring with that section of the policy currently, trying to discern what is developmentally appropriate. Friends accepted the report.

-          September 15 Community Celebration plan and outreach – Meg Greene   The celebration will mark the Meeting’s decision to renovate and the large work that is coming to a close on that project. We will hold a single Meeting for Worship, followed by everyone meeting in our new entrance to listen to brief remarks. There will be celebratory music by our new youth choir. The elevator will be inaugurated. There will be a group photo, followed by a number of activities including an inauguration book, the creation of a time capsule, a tour of spaces (including the tenanted spaces), an explanation of finances, an explanation of our environmental work, etc. This will be followed by a potluck lunch. Unfortunately, this is the same weekend that families will be at Catoctin. A number of families will be returning early to attend. Other celebratory events will take place as well—October 19 will be the neighborhood open house. There will be a garden renewal day in November, and perhaps a date to celebrate everyone who has worked on this project (also in November). Event Planners will be invited for another event. -          New Welcomers Needed - Marsha Holliday    Committee currently has five volunteers who work so that at least one of them can serve as a welcomer each week. The welcomers greet new people and answer questions about Quakerism, and perhaps bring a five-minute topic to discuss. Marsha has a curriculum you can use, if needed. If you’re willing to volunteer, please contact Marsha.

-          Report on Art Work (Mobile) for new Lobby: - Merry Pearlstein. Mark Haskell and Elise Storck have volunteered to sponsor the creation of a new mobile, to be created by the First Day School students under the supervision of an artist with experience in doing this kind of thing. Fully supported by Property Committee and Religious Education.

-          Report on BYM Annual Meeting, including the Anti-Racism Declaration -Debby Churchman  - Discussed how BYM came up with a set of queries that help us to be intentional about how our decisions support or tear down the structures of racism within our community. This had an impact on the BYM budget. A Friend asked that we be mindful of this, going forward, and that we not do such work at the expense of our anti-racism work outside of BYM.

   Another Friend discussed one of workshops he attended on the Guttenberg Project and the 20 books on Quakerism that have already been scanned in.

   Annual Sessions are still free for children up to grade eight. BYM is considering a “pay what you can” policy.

   A Friend urged us to read the Spiritual State of the Meeting report from BYM. It focused on worship as a strong support to Friends during these difficult times.

 Meeting closed at 1:59 with 18 Friends present, to reconvene on 10.13.2019 in Quaker House Living Room, as way opens.

ADDENDA: ATTACHED COMMITTEE REPORTS

September 2019, Marsha Holliday

This fall, the Ministry and Worship Committee is continuing its “Welcome to the Quaker Experience” program as a weekly event, except for First Days when all-meeting programs, such as the Shoe Box Project or the Mary Jane Simpson Scholarship Fund luncheon, are held, to which all newcomers are invited.

We currently have five volunteers for this program, and ask if there are others who might like to participate? Each month, volunteers would be sent a sign-up request, and each volunteer would designate his or her availability for a particular First Day that month. If the volunteer is not available, he or she just does not need to respond.

The purpose of this program is to help visitors to our meeting feel welcomed, learn something about Quakerism, have an opportunity to ask questions, and meet other members, attenders, and visitors. Marsha Holliday has prepared a curriculum for this purpose. Each session in this curriculum is self-contained. The presenter could use the information in this curriculum or develop a talk of her or his own making about an aspect of Quakerism—such as Quaker simplicity, the history of early Friends, the Peace Testimony, social activism, and so forth.

Experience suggests that offering a 4- or 5-minute topic seems to help visitors assemble. The presenter’s presentation should be brief and informative, so as not to overwhelm visitors; although, of course, the presenter can continue to talk with individual attenders afterwards. Announcing a topic seems to attract newcomers, who may not feel comfortable about asking questions concerning a religion of which they may feel they know little about.

During announcements following meeting for worship, the presenter would announce the topic for that day. A typical announcement could be: “Good morning! My name is ___________.  Today at rise of meeting, I will speak for 4-5 minutes about ___________ and then answer questions about Quakerism. Please get a snack and a cup of tea or coffee from the Assembly Room, which is downstairs, and then go to North Room, which is just on the other side of the Assembly Room. All are welcome!”

Immediately after rise of meeting, the presenter sets up about 5 chairs in a circle in the North Room. When few come, a big circle of chairs feels empty. If more chairs are needed, attenders can grab one and join the circle. To help attenders find you, the presenter might sit in a chair where he or she can be seen from the Assembly Room, leaving the door open.

In the past, we have had from 1 to 14 attenders. As attenders leave, the presenter can give them a handout with info about meeting activities, which we will provide, and copies of the session from the curriculum could also be passed out.
 

FMW Child Safety Committee Annual Report, 2018

In 2018, The Child Safety Committee continued to oversee the implementation  of the Child Safety Policy at FMW by disseminating information and ensuring practices to maintain an environment for children at FMW that accords with both Quaker practice and the Guide One insurance policy recommendations, conveyed through their ‘Safechurc.org’ website. To do that, we provided liaison with the Religious Education Committee and the Youth Programs Coordinator, and we provided resources for  training and information for First Day Program teachers and Meeting attenders and members about the FMW Child Safety Policy. 

As the Religious Education Clerk changed hands, we found that the 26 page-long child safety document was cumbersome, so we created two alternate ways of disseminating information: 

a. A one-page summary of the Child Safety Policy that could be easily read by parents and First Day teachers and,

b. A slide presentation that summarizes the Child Safety principles to be viewed by First Day Program teachers.

We communicated with the RE Clerk about getting teachers together for child safety training. The focus of the Religious Education committee seemed to be maintaining coverage in First Day classrooms, so fulfill our mandate to inform teachers about the Child Safety principles, we then disseminated the slide presentation via email and worked with the Youth Programs Coordinator to show that presentation at First Day Program potluck gatherings, which were held at the home of the Youth Program Coordinator. 

While our spaces changed during construction, we worked with the RE Committee to ensure access classroom spaces and pathways that supported the concept that no child would be left alone or with only one adult at Friends Meeting of Washington.When there were challenges to implementing the Child Safety Policy, they usually related to the number of adults available to teach and presence of support teachers in First Day Programs. In particular, the attendance patterns of our teens creates uncertainty about staffing a teen program, we supported provision of adult supervision and programs for the teens.

 Due to the enthusiasm and effort of the Youth programs coordinators, volunteer teachers and the clerk of Religious Education, these challenges were met with the health and safety of the children of FMW in mind. A strong First Day Program is always a work in progress, and the members of the Child Safety Committee applaud the tireless efforts of the parents, children, teachers and FMW employees who create an environment where children can grow up in a community of Friends.