Executive Committee of Ohio Valley Yearly Meeting
Fourth Month 4, 2020
Meeting via Zoom
1. Opening worship. Friends entered into waiting worship.
2. Roll call. The Recording Clerk called the roll of Yearly Meeting officers and administrators, Committee Clerks, Quarterly and Monthly Meeting Representatives, and Yearly Meeting staff:
Yearly Meeting officers and administrators
Presiding Clerk: Martha Viehmann
Assistant Presiding Clerk: Betsy Neale
Recording Clerk: Rex Sprouse
Assistant Recording Clerk: Terre Holada
Treasurer: Wilson Palmer
Assistant Treasurer: Dale Hayes
Committee Clerks
Auditing: not present
Braddock Fund: not present
Budget & Finance: Dales Hayes
Children’s: Susan Hyde
Earthcare: David Duvall
Faith & Practice: Rex Sprouse
Nominating: Rhonda Pfaltzgraff-Carlson
Peace & Social Concerns: Richard Mitchell
Personnel: not present
Records: Susan Hyde
Religious Nurture & Education: Nikki Coffey Tousley
Yearly Meeting Planning: Carol Simmons
Young Adult Friends: Ute Goheen-Brewington
Youth Services: Jason Swank
Quarterly Meeting Clerks
Miami: Peter Hardy
Whitewater: Terre Holada
Monthly Meeting representatives
Bloomington: not present
Campus: not present
Clear Creek: Cathy Habschmidt
Community: Eric Wolff, Deborah Jordan
Dayton: Nikki Coffey Tousley
Eastern Hills: Wilson Palmer
Fall Creek: not present
Fort Wayne: Terre Holada
Lafayette: not present
Lexington: Richard Mitchell
Louisville: Chris Harmer, Cindi Goslee
Miami: not present
North Meadow: not present
Oxford: Cecelia Shore
White Rose: not present
Yellow Springs: Carol Simmons
Yearly Meeting staff
Administrative Secretary: Deborah Jordan
Youth Secretary: Kaia Jackson
3. Planning Committee Report. The written report is appended to these minutes.
Friends approved the recommendation that no face-to-face Annual Sessions would be held in summer 2020, noting their sorrow about the need to forego gatherings at this time due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Friends approved making a one-time donation to Earlham College in recognition of the loss of income the College is likely to experience because of the cancellation of summer events. Budget and Finance Committee is asked to bring a recommendation for the amount of the contribution to Earlham College to Annual Sessions. The amount may be up to $5000.
Friends approved paying our three child care workers $595 each in recognition of our usual commitment to employ them and of their long and faithful service to the Yearly Meeting.
Friends approved empowering the Planning Committee to plan Annual Sessions 2020 in an alternative format that achieves as many of the aims of face-to-face Annual Sessions as possible, while keeping Friends safe. Friends endorsed the request from Planning Committee that its representation be enlarged by recruiting helpers who have significant experience holding online meetings and who have facility with on-line technology.
4. Appointment to Personnel Committee. Friends approved the appointment of Stephen Angell to serve a second two-year term on Personnel Committee, expiring at the rise of Annual Sessions 2022. At the time of this meeting, Friends were not clear whether Stephen is available for this service. The Clerk will verify whether he is available.
5. Nominating Committee report. Rhonda Pfaltzgraff-Carlson presented the report, which is appended to these minutes. Friends approved the following names for service roles at Annual Sessions 2020: Rick Boyce for Epistle Summary; Dale Hayes (facilitator) and David Pfaltzgraff-Carlson (technology) for Memorial Committee; Marti Matthews for Epistle Committee. Nominating Committee is in the process of finding another person for Epistle Committee.
6. Treasurer’s report. Wilson Palmer presented the report, which is appended to these minutes. Friends accepted the report.
7. Youth Secretary’s report. Kaia Jackson presented the report, which is appended to these minutes. Kaia highlighted the Valiant Together website, which at the time of this meeting is accessible at the URL: http://www.quakers4re.org/valiant-together2020. She also highlighted the importance of inviting the Teens to explore alternative service opportunities that can be undertaken from home. Friends accepted the report.
8. Youth Services Committee report. Jason Swank offered a brief report on the work of Youth Services Committee, highlighting the ongoing search for a new Youth Secretary. Friends accepted the report.
9. Religious Nurture and Education Committee report. The written report is appended to these minutes. Nikki Coffey Tousley and Gail Koehler explained that the Quaker Religious Education Collaborative would not be held in person in Summer 2020; however, the Collaborative offers many resources that are available online. Friends accepted the report.
10. Ad Hoc Website Development Committee report. The written report is appended to these minutes. The Committee hopes to have a basic version of the new website up and running in Fifth Month. Friends accepted the report.
11. Sexual Misconduct Task Force report. The written report is appended to these minutes. Betsy Neale and Gail Koehler encouraged monthly meetings to review the draft policy, preferably after some basic education on dealing with sexual misconduct has taken place. Friends should expect resources from the Task Force in the near future. Friends accepted the report.
12. Earthcare Committee report. David Duvall presented a brief report, highlighting the development of queries that might be used during the online Annual Sessions. Friends accepted the report.
13. Support during the COVID-19 crisis and concerns of monthly meetings. Friends entered into a period of worship sharing around the COVID-19 crisis.
14. Update on Monthly Meeting responses on collecting statistics on race/ethnicity. Clerk Martha Viehmann’s update is appended to these minutes. Friends lifted up several individuals among Ohio Valley Yearly Meeting Friends who are equipped to lead discussions about race, racism, and white supremacy. Friends noted that several monthly meetings have had deep discussions about this concern and several had made plans for such discussions that have had to be postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
15. Announcements. Friends were reminded to be sure to submit State of the Meeting reports to the Administrative Secretary in a timely fashion. An announcement from Friend Paula R. Palmer is appended to these minutes.
16. Closing worship. Friends concluded with a period of waiting worship.
