Ithaca Monthly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends
Meeting for Worship with Attention to Business
January 10, 2021
(The @ signifies that the minute has been read and approved during Meeting. Please note that copies of all annual reports provided during this Meeting are on file with and available from the Clerk or Recording Clerk.)
2021.1.1 Opening Worship
Ithaca Monthly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends met on-line, using Zoom remote conferencing service, for Monthly Meeting for Worship with Attention to Business on January 10, 2021. At 12:35pm, thirty Friends settled into worship.
Clerk shared the agenda and reviewed that the annual meeting of the corporation would precede the regular, monthly Meeting for Worship with Attention to Business.
2021.1.2 Annual Meeting of the IMMRSF Corporation
Tom Brown, Recording Clerk of Trustees and Secretary of the Corporation convened the Annual Meeting of IMMRSF, Inc., and read the President’s Annual Report to Membership followed by the Secretary’s Report to Membership. The President’s report noted the following changes in the membership of trustees: Gina Varrichio, as the Clerk of the Meeting, and Pat Sewell, as the Treasurer of the Meeting, both joined trustees in 2020. Marin Clarkberg was appointed to Trustees beginning January of 2021.
The Secretary’s report reminded friends that trustees approve contracts for expenses exceeding $3000. In 2020, the trustees approved such an expenditure for the floor refinishing.
Pat Sewell, Treasurer of the Meeting and of the Corporation, gave the end of the fiscal year budget report. The annual budget request to membership was nearly $80,000, but donations fell substantially below that number at approximately $69,000. Our actual expenses were also far short of anticipated, however, at closer to $57,000. Thus, our net income was roughly $13,000. Mike Simkin, a prior treasurer, noted that our net income is generally applied to our reserve fund.
Liam Murphy, trustee, noted that Trustees met on January 8, 2021 and nominated Marin Clarkberg and Liam Murphy, as co-conveners of Trustees and co-Presidents of the corporation, and Antonia Saxon, Recording Clerk of Trustees and Secretary of the Corporation. Pat Sewell, Treasurer, serves as Treasurer of the corporation. Other members include Gina Varrichio, in her capacity of the Clerk of the Meeting, and Carolyn Kenyon. Friends approved the officers.
Gina Varrichio adjourned the Annual Meeting of IMMRSF, Inc.
Clerk reviewed the agenda for Monthly Meeting for Worship with Attention to Business and recognized Kris Altucher for holding the Meeting in the Light today.
2021.1.3 Worship Sharing: Reflections on Brokenness, Part II
Clerk read reflections shared at December’s monthly meeting and posed three queries:
- What impact, positive or negative, has this time of brokenness/openness had on our Meeting?
- What pieces of our Meeting should be put back together?
- What pieces should not be?
Friends shared from the Spirit on inclusion, “othering” those with whom we have a lot in common but not everything in common, listening to one another with a sense of curiosity, guilt as a barrier to connecting to Spirit, and the possibility for “radical extroversion” after the pandemic.
2021.1.4 Ministry & Worship Committee
Barbara Chase of M&W shared that M&W proposes:
- In-person Meeting for Worship at the Hector Meetinghouse at 10am on First Days will continue through January. Those most intimately involved with making this available in coordination with Ministry & Worship will make decisions about worship at Hector on a month-by-month basis.
- There will continue to be no in-person worship at TSMH through March 14th. M&W will bring a recommendation to March’s monthly meeting regarding the resumption of in-person worship.
- Zoom worship at 10:30 on First Days will continue for the foreseeable future.
Friends approved these recommendations. @
2021.1.5 Finance Committee: 2021 Budget
Pat Sewell, Treasurer, provided an overview of the 2021 budget, noting that our expenses in 2020 and projected for 2021 reflect the impact of the pandemic. Accordingly, the overall budget request for 2021 of $76,000 is down from nearly $80,000 last year.
Notable changes in the 2021 budget as compared to 2020 pertain to a reduction in expenses associated with in-person activities, reduced income associated with others’ use of our properties, and new technological expenses to support remote activities.
Friends approved the budget for 2021 with gratitude to the Treasurer and the Finance Committee.
2021.1.6 Naming Committee
The Naming Committee brought forward the name of Carolyn Kenyon for the Nominating Committee. Further, the Naming Committee suggested that this iteration of Naming Committee be laid down. Friends approved Carolyn Kenyon’s nomination and the laying down of this iteration of Naming Committee. @
2021.1.7 Annual Reports
Friends presented annual reports and answered questions for committees as follows:
Pat Pingel read the report of Third Street Meetinghouse Committee. Friends asked questions about the TSMC’s intentions for the sound system and intentions relating to the currently gas range.
Jim Finlay read the Hector Meetinghouse Committee. A Friend appreciated the opportunities afforded through the Hector Meetinghouse.
Melanie-Claire Mallison read the report from the New York Yearly Meeting Representative. Friends appreciated Melanie-Claire’s enthusiastic representation and reflected on the observations stemming from New York Yearly Meeting.
Friends received these three reports.@
At 2:55, twenty-eight Friends settled in worship before adjourning. Our next regularly scheduled Meeting for Worship with Attention to Business will be February 14, 2021.
Respectfully submitted,
Marin Clarkberg