Whitewater Quarterly Meeting
First Month (January) 15, 2023
Held at North Meadow Circle of Friends (Indianapolis)
1. The meeting settled in to a time of waiting worship at 12:15 pm.
2. The agenda for today’s meeting was reviewed, additions were made, and it was approved.
3. Roll Call of Monthly Meeting Representatives
Bloomington Friends Meeting, Bloomington, IN: Christine Carver
Clear Creek Friends Meeting, Richmond, IN: Peggy Spohr
Fall Creek Friends Meeting, Pendleton, IN: Diann Herzog
Fort Wayne Friends Meeting, Fort Wayne, IN: not present
Lafayette Friends Meeting, N. Lafayette, IN: Karen Atcheson
North Meadow Circle of Friends, Indianapolis, IN: Dinah Duvall (acting)
White Rose Friends Meeting, Marion, IN: not present
4. Introductions:
David Duvall, North Meadow Circle of Friends (Indianapolis)
Dinah Duvall, North Meadow Circle of Friends (Indianapolis)
Eric Hailperin-Lausch, North Meadow Circle of Friends (Indianapolis)
Amber Alford, North Meadow Circle of Friends (Indianapolis)
Leela Ashford, North Meadow Circle of Friends (Indianapolis)
Georgette Boneham, North Meadow Circle of Friends (Indianapolis)
Anne Reynolds, North Meadow Circle of Friends (Indianapolis)
Lois Kay, North Meadow Circle of Friends (Indianapolis)
Mike Fallahay, North Meadow Circle of Friends (Indianapolis)
Karen Atcheson Lafayette Friends Meeting
Marti Mathews, Fall Creek Friends Meeting (Pendleton)
Diann Herzog Fall Creek Meeting (Pendleton)
Paul Buckley, Clear Creek Friends Meeting (Richmond)
Peggy Spohr, Clear Creek Friends Meeting (Richmond)
Susan Lee Barton, Clear Creek Friends Meeting (Richmond)
Gloria Stearns-Bruner, Bloomington Friends Meeting
Nicholas Hall, Bloomington Friends Meeting
Melanie Hunt, Bloomington Friends Meeting
Marci Ankrom, Bloomington Friends Meeting
Christine Carver, Bloomington Friends Meeting
Rex Sprouse, Bloomington Friends Meeting
5. Treasurer’s Report
The treasurer reported the Quarterly Meeting’s account held $588.54– unchanged since 5th month (April) 2022. Apparently there was an error in the 10th month (October) 2022 Whitewater Quarterly Meeting minutes of $30.00 too much. Monthly meetings are encouraged to contribute $50.00 annually to support Quarterly Meeting activities. Write checks to North Meadow Circle of Friends with “Whitewater Quarter” on the memo line. Mail them to WWQM Treasurer, David Duvall, 7811 Kimlough Drive, Indianapolis, IN 46240. Accepted
6. Announcement from Adam Funck, OVYM Youth Secretary. Overnight Gathering for Middle Youth and Teens. Saturday 1st month (January) 28, 5 pm to Sunday the 29th, 4 pm The event will be held at Dayton Friends Meeting. Location: 345 Wyoming Ave, Dayton OH 45410. Contact Adam (youth@ovym.org) to register and for more details. This will overlap with the Miami Quarterly Meeting. Clerk encouraged all to share with middle youth and teens in their own meetings. Accepted.
7. The clerk read the following minute on Reproductive Health from Oxford Friends. We discussed the minute and we will forward it to monthly meeting clerks for further action. We will only act further, if requested by one of our monthly meetings or by Oxford Friends Meeting. We express our gratitude to Oxford Friends Meeting for sharing their minute. Accepted.
Oxford Monthly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends affirms our unity with Ohio Valley Yearly Meeting’s Faith and Practice, which states that:
The Ohio Valley Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends holds as the basis of its faith the belief that divine truth and the gift of God’s presence are available to all people in all ages. The indwelling presence of God implies the equal worth of all members of the human family and the capacity in all to discern spiritual truth and to hold direct communion with the Divine Spirit…. What binds us together as a spiritual community is not uniformity of belief, but rather our sense of a common journey on a shared path, seeking the guidance of the Light. Our diversity strengthens us as we walk this path of love, compassion, and justice.
We recognize that diversity exists among Friends on the issue of legal limits or bans on abortion. In order to preserve the freedom of individual conscience and the responsibility to discern our choices with the guidance of the Inner Light, we stand with those who hold that bodily autonomy and reproductive choice is a human right. Although we hold with respect and compassion those who oppose abortion, we believe that it is unjust to impose their beliefs upon others, and we uphold the separation of church and state. We are especially aware of the unequal impact of abortion limits and bans upon those who are racially marginalized and economically disadvantaged, and believe that this inequality is incongruent with our vision of a society free of discrimination.
Now that the right to provide and receive reproductive health care is under widespread attack, it is more important than ever our nation take steps to protect equal access to health care and well-being for all pregnant people and families and to ensure that health care providers have the freedom to treat patients as medically appropriate.
These beliefs lead us to consider actions including the following:
1. Advocate with Friends Committee on National Legislation to: ensure access to quality, affordable childcare; close the Medicaid coverage gap; provide access to prenatal and postpartum health care; ensure paid family and medical leave; protect people who are pregnant in the workplace; and guarantee more assistance to families.
2. Ally with faith group(s) that support reproductive health care as a human right
3. Encourage individuals to act as led in supporting organizations and individuals that support reproductive choice.
8. Friends enthusiastically endorsed a traveling minute for Paul Buckley, brought forward from Clear Creek Friends Meeting(Richmond) and read by Peggy Spohr.
Clear Creek Monthly Meeting
Religious Society of Friends
Earlham College
801 West National Road
Richmond, IN 47374Paul Buckley has a ministry of writing for and traveling among Friends. Paul is the author of many books, articles, and book reviews. He travels (both physically and virtually) among Friends to share from his study of Quaker history, faith and practice, to work for the renewal of the Religious Society of Friends, and to hear the concerns of Friends everywhere.
Paul is a member of Clear Creek Monthly Meeting in Richmond, Indiana, and he travels with our loving support. He brings with him our greetings to all of you and our hope for a deepened sense of the motion, workings, and action of the Spirit in your meeting. We commend him to your care and ask you to acknowledge his time among you by adding a quick note to this traveling minute, if possible.
We trust that you will be blessed by Paul’s presence among you, as we have been here at Clear Creek.
Erica Pearson
Gwen Halsted
Co-clerks, Clear Creek Monthly Meeting
9. Consider organizational Change to OVYM: The idea has been floated to merge the two Quarters and have one Half Yearly Meeting in addition to the Yearly Meeting. This discussion was held over to allow the Yearly Meeting Reorganization Committee to gather more information.
10. Update on Diann Herzog’s Travel Minute: Diann explained the difference between intervisitation and traveling in the ministry. She gave an inspiring description of the process and her experience including visiting Clear Creek Friends Meeting. We feel great joy and gratitude hearing her personal story. This meeting accepted her report.
11. State of the Meeting Reports for 2022 will be presented to Quarterly Meeting on Fourth Month (April) 16, 2023. Send the paper or electronic file to the Susan Lee Barton at OVYM as well as to Christine Carver, WWQM Clerk and Eric Hailperin-Lausch, WWQM Recording Clerk, by April 15 at the latest. Procrastination is not required so it is allowed to send them months in advance.
12. The next Quarterly Meeting will be held on the Fourth Month (April) 16, 2023 The host will be Fall Creek Meeting. Approved
13. The meeting concluded in a time of waiting worship about 2:00 pm.
Respectfully submitted by Recording Clerk, Eric Hailperin-Lausch
Presiding Clerk Christine Carver
