Ithaca Monthly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends
Meeting for Worship with Attention to Business
December 12, 2021
(The @ signifies that the minute has been read and approved during Meeting. Please note that copies of all reports provided during this Meeting have been distributed on the listserv and/or are available from the Clerk or Recording Clerk.)
2021.12.1 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 December 12, 2021. At 12:35pm, fifteen Friends settled into worship.
Gina Varrichio, Clerk, began by reviewing the agenda. Barbara Chase was recognized for holding the Meeting in the Light.
2021.2.2 Memorial Minute for Will White
Ruth Yarrow read a memorial minute for Will White, a lifelong Quaker who began attending Ithaca Monthly Meeting after moving to Ithaca in 2003. Will’s life expressed Friends’ testimonies in deep and meaningful ways. Having known Will only in his later years, Friends shared a wish to have known more about the fullness of his life while he was still with us. Friends received the Minute.
2021.12.3 Clerks Report: Upcoming Memorial Minutes
Clerk noted that Memorial Minutes are expected for five deceased Friends. Compiling a Minute on behalf of someone in the IMM community that has passed away is a way to remember, discover, and celebrate the significance of that person. Memorial Minutes are the responsibility of the entire Monthly Meeting and, ideally, are not authored by those who are closest to the deceased, so as not to burden those most grieving.
Help is needed. The Memorial Minutes pertain to: Tom Brown (whose Memorial Minute is being compiled by Dre Spies, who would like an additional person to help), Beth Jolles (being compiled by Melanie-Claire Mallison), Martin Jolles (compiled by Mike Simkin, who would like an additional person to help, Chuck Mohler (compiled by Dick Crepeau and Melody Johnson), and Esther Darlington (whose Minute is being compiled by Nancy Riffer).
Friends are invited to share remembrances or suggestions for these minutes. Contact the Clerk or the people identified above. Friends received the report.
2021.12.4 Clerks Report: Response from FCRJ
IMM forwarded the minute from the October 2021 Meeting for Worship with Attention to Business expressing a desire to extend the current Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Friend’s Center for Racial Justice (FCRJ) for an additional year to the FCRJ Coordinating Committee. In an email dated November 17, 2021, the Coordinating Committee approved extending the MOU such that the MOU will now run through December 31, 2023.
Friends received the report.@
2021.12.5 Finance Committee: 2022 Budget
Similar to 2020, IMM’s spending this year was strongly shaped by a world adapting to the COVID-19 pandemic. Our spending on “in-person” activities remained low, but we invested heavily in ways to better connect and communicate virtually. Looking forward, our 2022 budget reflects a desire to rebuild our connections among ourselves and in our community.
Pat Sewell, Treasurer, read a report to highlight significant changes in the 2022 budget as compared to 2021. Friends noted a discrepancy in the narrative of the treasurer’s report that did not accurately reflect the Earth Care Committee Distribution line. Clerk highlight that line and the Friendship Donation Network line in the budget spreadsheet where they are accurately represented.
Friends approved the budget for 2022. @
2021.12.6 Earthcare Committee: Donations for Approval
Members of the Earthcare Committee described the work of five organizations that they propose sending $100 each: Fridays for Future, Girl Child Education, La Via Campesina, Our Children’s Trust, and Right Sharing of World Resources. Earthcare seeks Meeting’s approval for allocating these funds.
In addition, Earthcare described using their discretionary funds to give $100 each to Project Abundance, Cayuga Lake Watershed Network, Project Growing Hope Community Gardens, Earthjustice and Indigenous Environmental Network.
Finally, Elizabeth Keokosky gave a synopsis of how the garden boxes adjacent to the Third Street Meetinghouse—a part of Project Abundance—were funded, created, and used. Earthcare hopes that in the next year, these can become a more familiar and well-utilized part of the neighborhood and that we can expand this practice to other religious organizations in Ithaca through Area Congregations Together.
Friends approved the donations for 2022 and received the report from Earthcare.@
2021.12.7 Nominating Committee: Nominations
Nominating Committee is bringing two additional nominations, effective January 2022: Steve Mohlke for Trustees (for a term that runs through 2024), and Barbara Chase for Assistant Clerk (for a one-year term that runs through 2022).
Friends expressed gratitude for restoring the role of Assistant Clerk and enthusiasm for these nominations. Friends approved the nominations. The full slate of Nominations for 2022 is available at the following link: [insert link]
2021.12.7 Naming Committee: Nomination
Naming Committee recommends Kathleen Gale for Nominating Committee for a term that runs through 2024. Friends approved the nominations. @
2021.12.8 COVID Working Group: Laying Down CWG
Carol Clarke read a report from the COVID Working Group. The report described that the COVID guidelines that the group developed have been robust and few changes have been made in them over the last six months—even as pandemic is still with us and COVID cases in our community are higher than they have ever been.
The tasks of the working group—at least as they pertain to meeting at Third Street—will be picked up by the Third Street Meetinghouse Committee.
Friends appreciated that considerable time and effort has been made to listen to Spirit throughout this pandemic. With gratitude and appreciation for the work that has been completed over this difficult time to keep our community together, Friends approved laying down the COVID Working Group. @
2021.12.9 Closing
At 2:25, eighteen Friends settled in worship before adjourning. Our next regularly scheduled Meeting for Worship with Attention to Business will be January 9, 2021.
Respectfully submitted,
Marin Clarkberg