AGATE PASSAGE MEETING FOR WORSHIP
WITH ATTENTION TO BUSINESS
Seabold Hall, Bainbridge
Island
Sept. 18, 2005
The Meeting for Business
opened with silence at 11:20 a.m. Judy Brown,Clerk
PRESENT: Judith Brown, Wil
Hamm, Virginia Hoyte, Craig Jacobrown, Paul Larsen, Roger Lauen, Bob
Major, Michael Moore, Ed Sheridan, Lee Watson, Roberta Wilson, Barbara
Wolf.
THE MINUTES OF THE LAST
MEETING WERE APPROVED with no corrections.
ROGER LAUEN REPORTED ON THE,
“LET JUSTICE ROLL CAMPAIGN,” a subject he feels strongly about.
This campaign is a national coalition of church groups and community
organizations deeply concerned with the very large inequalities in our
present economic system. It strives to mandate that employers
throughout the land pay a living wage. Roger presented figures about
some of the more glaring differences in earnings between the highest
paid CEOs and the lowest paid workers along with the fact that these
are growing shockingly worse by the year, if not the month.
Discussion then followed about the need to raise the minimum wage for
each employee annually related possibly to a local cost of living
index and allowing for a different differential rate for teenagers or
other apprentices. Will Hamm pointed out the difficulties with the
minimum wage from a business owner’s point of view. If labor becomes
too expensive here, he said, the work will be shipped to Mexico or
another country Judith Brown asked Roger if he would be willing to
bring a complete minute on this subject to the Meeting for Business
next month, and also to bring some other written explanation of his
elaborated ideas about what he considers would be more economically
just, rather than the same minimum wage for all. Roger promised to do
this.
The group, however, did agree to
a minute at this stage that stated,
Agate Passage
Friends Meeting supports the, “Let Justice Roll Campaign,” which is
proposing to support Senator Kennedy’s Federal legislation entitled,
“2005 Fair Minimum Wage Act.”
SHARED SACRED SEASONS
GATHERING, FILIPINO HALL, Sat. October 22nd, late
afternoon and evening. Judith Brown, filling in for Leyla Welkin,
went over plans for this ecumenical celebration with the group. Agate
Passage Meeting is one of the co-sponsors, and folks will be needed to
help set up the interior of the hall around 3:00 p.m. that afternoon.
Chauvarat Shir Hayam (Song of the Sea in Hebrew) will be in charge of
setting up outside and leading for all, “Sukkot,” the Jewish festival
of the harvest about 3:30. Many of us have committed to fast that
Saturday until the potluck dinner that evening. Judith asked those of
us who can attend to bring a dish to share for the potluck meal after
a breaking of the fast..
WIL HAMM, OUR TREASURER, GAVE
A BRIEF REPORT ON FINANCES.(“All is well.”) , followed by
discussion of the advisability of continuing our paid listings in the
local phone books, or other advertising to let people know we are
here. Wil assured us that finances were fine at present, and he also
agreed to investigate options and costs of advertising for the next
business meeting, so that we could make informed choices. Judith
Brown also agreed to investigate further the possibility of signs
outside on a few of our roads, to be put up and taken down on Sundays
only.
CROP WALK ANNOUNCEMENT.
Judy Brown, Craig Jacobrown and others from our Meeting will be
walking in the “Crop Walk” on Sunday, September 25th. They
will be drawing attention to hunger issues locally to internationally
and raising money to help alleviate this pressing problem. As it
turned out, $410. was contributed to the Crop Walk by Agate Passage
Friends.
CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTION
COUNSELING: Craig Jacobrown has been counseling young people on
their rights and options regarding military recruiting for over a year
now. He makes printed materials available to those considering opting
for being a Conscientious Objector. Craig asked if the Meeting
would help with the cost of his copying these and the “Opt Out”
materials through the end of this year in the amount of $100.00
The Meeting agreed. Craig also asked for help to man the
“alternative booth” at Bainbridge High School on “Career Days.”
He could use two or three more volunteers, particularly for next
Spring. Some training would be available.
INTERFAITH COUNCIL
CELEBRATION FOR WORSHIP THE WEEKEND BEFORE THANKSGIVING IN SEATTLE.
Leyla Welkin will be representing our Meeting and Quakers at this
gathering, but she is hoping that other Friends might be involved. A
brief discussion followed and the sense of the Meeting was that we
should encourage individuals from our Meeting to participate, but also
to suggest that Seattle and Bellevue Meetings alert their members to
this event, as they are much closer geographically.. It did not seem
appropriate to those present that we on Bainbridge be formally
committed as a group to help sponsor this celebration.
ED SHERIDAN REPORTED ON
MINISTRY AND COUNCIL COMMITTEE’S CONCERNS ABOUT ACCESSIBILITY FOR
HANDICAPPED FOLKS AND THE INADEQUACY OF THE SPACE IN THE KITCHEN FOR
CHILDREN.. Sound carries easily into the silence of the Meeting
for Worship, the area is very small, and children of all ages need to
be put together……. A lively discussion evolved from Ed’s comments.
Accessibility: The group
felt there should be more study of possible solutions, such as a ramp
and new doors on the north side of the building. The owners need to
be brought in on the concerns. Judith Brown agreed to speak with
Joan Binkerton, the representative of the administrators of Seabold
Community Center that we deal with on this matter. She will give a
report at the October 16th Meeting for Business.
Space(s) for Children and/or
More Multi-generational activities. Roberta Wilson brought
up the value of a different way of thinking about the issues. She
suggested the Meeting might explore more multi-generational activities
that would involve all ages together. She pointed out that, “Our
culture tends to think we all need our own rooms,” so we gravitate
towards real estate solutions.”. “Children need elders,” she also
emphasized. Could we do a project together once a month, or have an
ending story perhaps regularly that all would enjoy? Another idea
that the Meeting for Worship might conclude regularly with 15 minutes
or so of singing each week, as some other meetings apparently do, was
also discussed and met with considerable enthusiasm. It was agreed
that we would look into the possibility of concluding Meeting for
Worship with music, and particularly on Sundays when we invite
children. The group felt that this discussion had been very
important and that the issues and ideas brought out deserved continued
consideration, both at Ministry and Council and with more people from
the Meeting…... The group asked that on Oct. 2nd, next
Sunday, when the children are here, we experiment with an activity
that includes all ages. Michael Moore was then enlisted to plan a
presentation sharing some of his long-time interest in, and knowledge
of, Jewish high holy holidays with both children and adults..
The group was very pleased that Michael felt this could be done, and
that he was willing to put together a program.
The Meeting concluded with a few
moments of silence close to 1:00 p.m.
Virginia Hoyte, Recording Clerk
vhoyte@bainbridge.net