Ohio Valley YM Executive Committee Meeting, 8/23/2025, 12:00-4:00 PM, Yellow Springs, Ohio
1. Opening Worship. Ohio Valley Yearly Meeting (OVYM) Executive Committee gathered in centering worship at Yellow Springs Friends Meeting. We had to deal with a technical difficulty, but resumed worship
2. Roll Call of Representatives. The recording clerk read the roll call.
Yearly Meeting Officers:
Presiding Clerk: Diann Herzog
Assistant Presiding Clerk: Barry Zalph
Recording Clerk: Terre Holada
Assistant Recording Clerk: Cecilia Shore
Treasurer: Wilson Palmer
Assistant Treasurer: Rick Boyce
Committee Clerks:
Auditing Committee: No representative
Budget and Finance Committee: Rick Boyce
Children’s Program Committee: Diann Herzog
Earthcare Committee: David Duvall
Gatherings Committee: Lisa Cayard
Nominating Committee: Peter Hardy
Personnel Committee: Dinah Duvall
Planning Committee: Martha Viehmann
Religious Nurture and Education Committee: Rex Sprouse
Youth Services Committee: Carol Simmons, David Hyde, and Peggy Spohr sent regrets
Quarterly Meeting Clerks:
Miami: Nikki Coffey Tousley sent regrets
Whitewater: Ellen Hodge
Monthly Meeting Representatives:
Bloomington: Rex Sprouse
Campus: No representative
Clear Creek: David Garman
Community: Lisa Cayard
Dayton: No representative
Eastern Hills: Wilson Palmer and Martha Viehmann
Fall Creek: Ellen Hodge
Fort Wayne: Terre Holada and Mary Anna Feitler
Lafayette:Jill Hutchcroft
Lexington: Peter Hardy
Louisville: Perry Thomas
Miami: Travis Cook
Mississinewa (formerly White Rose): No representative
North Meadow: Dinah Duvall
Oxford: Cecilia Shore
Yellow Springs: Annie Blanchard
Yearly Meeting Staff:
Administrative Assistant: Susan Lee Barton
Youth Secretary: vacant
Social Action Coordinator: Sandy Felt
Administrators:
Statistician: Peter Hardy
Quaker Quill Editor: Cecilia Shore
Registrar: Eric Wolff, also FGC Representative
Technical Person for Yellow Springs: Shreyas Casturi
3. The agenda was read and approved without any additions or corrections.
4. Gatherings Committee, Lisa Cayard. The report is attached. There was a wonderful gathering at Community Friends, August 3rd. There were some suggestions including singing and food labeling for future gatherings. It was appreciated that it was on a Sunday. The committee is working on improving the evaluation form. The next gathering will be at Fall Creek Meeting, September 19 – 21, 2025. A flier will be circulated. The report was accepted.
5. Social Action Coordinator, Sandy Felt. The report is attached. The group chat in Signal is the best way to communicate. Several meetings do not have a person in the group chat. Contact Sandy if you have questions or need help joining the chat. She plans to visit every meeting and has been to about half of them already. The report was accepted.
6. Treasurer’s Report, Wilson Palmer. The report is attached. A Friend asked for clarification on yearly meeting expenses. Some expenses do appear in both fiscal years since the bills are paid near the time that the new fiscal year starts. This requires sessions expenses to be looked at more closely over several years to get a more accurate picture. It is noted that Friends can now use Zelle to send money to OVYM. Information is in the report. The report was accepted with gratitude.
7. Approval of employee contracts. Administrative Assistant Susan Lee Barton’s and Social Action Coordinator
Sandy Felt’s contracts were both approved for the coming year.
8. Request to purchase equipment for hybrid meetings – Barry Zalph reported. Friends have experienced technical issues at several places where gatherings have taken place. It was suggested and discussed among Friends who know the technology, to purchase portable equipment like the Meeting Owl that can be used at these gatherings with little set-up issues since people can be trained. The budget request is $1,700.00, but a Friend suggested increasing that to $2,000.00. A Friend said that the Meeting Owl was not picking up all the voices. The Meeting Owl also adjusts the picture which can cause issues to those with sensitive vision. Another Friend said they have been using the Meeting Owl for quite a while and it has been dependable. She said auxiliary speakers would help. Auxiliary speakers can be added any time. Several questions arose, but the clerk suggested that details can be discussed later. Friends approved the $2,000.00 budget for purchasing equipment.
9. Minutes were approved to this point.
10. Proposal for Training for Recognizing and Preventing Sexual Misconduct in our meetings – Susan Lee Barton and Gail Koehler. The report is attached. Susan Lee and Gail were asked to look into finding professionals to train our response team(s). There are many details that need to be worked out. Susan Lee reminded us that this is just the beginning of what could be a long process. Any Friend is welcome to participate in the training. A Friend asked if trainees can come back to their meetings and train others. They will serve as a resource, but they will not be experts. Into Account was chosen and their staff have requested a programming fee of $4,500.00. It will cost $140.00 per trainee for room and board for the training weekend at Waycross. At the moment, there is not a limit to the number of attendees. A Friend reminded Friends that those who want to attend the training should not be expected to pay for it also. The committee asked the Executive Committee to approve the cost of $4,500.00 to Into Account. To cover room and board, for those whose monthly meetings can not provide support, Religious Nurture and Education (RNE) will be asked to consider using the Eileen Bagus Fund. Friends approved.
11. Religious Nurture and Education asked for 3 Friends to be on the Sexual Misconduct Response Team. The length of a term of service will be one year beginning and ending with the August Executive Committee meeting, for now as this is still an evolving service. There currently is no response team. Ellen Hodge raised her name to serve in this capacity. The RNE committee will offer support to Friends feeling a leading in this role. We were reminded that there are written procedures in place. This is a living document that can and probably will be changed as needed. Those in attendance today are reminded to share this information with their monthly meetings. Friends with a leading should contact Rex Sprouse, Clerk of the Religious Nurture and Education Committee. Friends approved.
12. Proposal for the implementation and dissemination of the “Agreement to Respect Personal Boundaries.” The proposal is attached. Susan Lee Barton will take the actions required for implementing the proposal. Representatives are asked to share this proposal with their Monthly Meetings. Friends approved.
13. Minutes were approved.
14. Announcements and Monthly Meeting updates
- Carol Simmons’ father was taken to the hospital today. Please hold them in the Light.
- Nikki Coffey-Tousley wants you to know that Miami Quarterly Meeting will be October 19th at Dayton Meeting. Community Friends will present a program.
- Thanks to Yellow Springs Friends for hosting us today.
- Whitewater Quarterly Meeting will be October 18th at Fort Wayne Friends.
- Mary Anna Feitler announced the passing of her husband Fred after a long struggle with Alzheimer’s.
- Susan Lee Barton visited Iowa Yearly Meeting Conservative Friends Yearly Meeting. The Clerk read her letter of introduction and Clerk Carol Gilbert’s response.
- Fliers for the camping weekend September 19 – 21st at Fall Creek Meeting were shared.
- Minute books are ready. Those present please take your meeting’s copies.
- Susan Lee made a form for Friends to volunteer with OVYM. There is a survey to fill out. Some requests for volunteers have been unfilled. Volunteer Interest Form: https://form.jotform.com/250754579096066
- The training for Sexual Misconduct Prevention and Response will be Friday evening Nov. 14 and Saturday November 15 at Waycross Retreat Center in Morgantown, Indiana. Everyone is encouraged to attend. This training is for adults. There may be a training for younger people in the future.
- The next Executive Committee will be November 1st at noon. We are looking for a host Meeting.
- Miami Monthly Meeting invites Friends to attend a gathering September 7th at the White Brick Meetinghouse.
- Miami Friends Meeting is concerned about maintaining the historic White Brick Meetinghouse in Waynesville, Ohio and are requesting resources that may help them find financing for repairs or other needs.
- There was a recommendation for a book titled Before the Resurrection written by Emily Provance of the 15th Street Meeting in New York that focuses on transitions meetings experience at the monthly meeting, quarterly meeting, and/or yearly meeting level.
- The yearly Fiesta Indianapolis which celebrates Latino culture has sadly been canceled.
- Friends in Lexington Friends Meeting have translated the 2025 OVYM Epistle into French and Spanish to be shared with speakers of those languages.
- Jade Rockwell, representing Friend’s World Committee for Consultation, shared information about “Quaker Connect” at Yearly Meeting. Lexington Friends plan to pursue this.
- Lexington is working on presenting Quakerism 101 and is willing to share it with other meetings using Zoom.
- Faith and Play 20th Anniversary gathering on September 21st (online and at various hubs across the U.S. including Cincinnati): https://quakerfaithandplay.org/join-the-20th-anniversary-celebration
15. The meeting closed in silent worship.
Respectfully Submitted,
Terre Holada, Recording Clerk
