Attending to Business

Richmond Friends Meeting has no pastor and no paid staff. The work of operating the meeting is done by its members and attenders. Service in a particular position or on a committee is rewarding and is one of the ways that one becomes integrated into the Meeting community. Committees operate in the Quaker way, requiring a “sense of the committee” to take its work forward. Thus, all committee members are equally essential to the work of the committee.

On each 3rd Sunday of the month, we gather at 11am for Meeting for Worship with Attention to Business. Committees and individuals bring items of business for Meeting to consider. We make our decisions and conduct our business as a community. We seek to be led by spirit in our decision making. This Meeting is led by the clerk of the meeting.

Here is a list and brief description of our committees and individual positions that carry out the work of our meeting:

Committees

Adult Spiritual Education

The Adult Spiritual Education Committee (ASE) both organizes and supports activities such as forums, retreats, and study groups concerning spirituality and Quakerism. Current responsibilities include Quakerism 101, oversight of the Bible Workbench and Spiritual Formation programs and co-sponsorship of Fall Retreat. Funds designated as adult scholarships to Quaker educational events area administered by ASE. Members serve for three years and must be members of RFM.

Buildings and Grounds

The Buildings and Grounds Committee oversees the maintenance and the physical improvements of the meetinghouse; organizes biannual workdays; hires the caretaker; contracts for repairs; takes care of emergency maintenance; and supervises landscaping, restoration of furniture, stocking paper products, and soap for the bathrooms and kitchen.

Care and Counsel

The Care and Counsel Committee is concerned with the individuals in the Meeting: takes care of ‘pastoral concerns’ such as giving care and aid in time of illness, personal problems or material needs; arranges clearness committees for persons applying for membership or marriage; assists with changes of memberships; maintains periodic contact with absent or non-resident members; provides address updates to the Directory Manager; administers funds for relief of sufferings and distributes camp and Mary Hulburt scholarships. Care and Counsel is responsible for greeting at 11:00 AM worship each First Day. Members serve for three years and must be members of RFM.

Financial Stewardship

The Financial Stewardship Committee prepares and proposes the annual budget; considers requests for exceptions to budget; recommends fees for use of the meetinghouse; assumes responsibility for all other policy matters pertaining to finance. Maintains “Policies and Practices.” The Treasurer and Assistant Treasurer are members of this committee.

Hospitality

The Hospitality Committee directs the preparation of monthly potluck at the Rise of Meeting on the fourth First Day and refreshments on other designated occasions. Members are responsible for a big kitchen cleanup twice a year and monthly monitoring of the contents of the refrigerator. This committee ensures that basic foods like tea, coffee, sugar, etc. are stocked and available in the kitchen.

Library

The Library Committee selects, purchases, catalogs and maintains books and other materials in the Meeting library.

Ministry and Worship

The Ministry and Worship Committee is responsible for holding Meetings for Worship in good order; for nurturing the spiritual life of members and attenders; for Meetings for marriage and memorial services; and for the yearly spiritual state of the Meeting report. Members of M&W sit on facing bench during worship and facilitate worship, introductions and announcements. M&W is also responsible for the Fall Retreat. Members serve for three years and must be members of RFM.

Nominating

Peace and Social Concerns

The Peace and Social Concerns fosters greater personal understanding of peace in the lives of members and attenders; focuses on activities that promote understanding of wider (local, national, and international) peace concerns. It embodies and reflects the social conscience of the Meeting through direct action; proposes RFM budgetary contributions to like-minded organizations; and informs the Meeting of current issues and events.

Religious Education

The Religious Education Committee plans and implements a program of religious thought and experience for children during First Day school; considers ways to incorporate children into the life of the Meeting and to deepen relationships among generations. This committee runs according to the school year from Ninth Month to Sixth Month.

Spring Retreat

The Spring Retreat Committee plans and directs the annual spring retreat held at The Clearing, usually during May.

Web Committee

The Web Committee designs, monitors and updates website for RFM, as well as our information on the BYM website; creates and moderates the list serve; and informs f/Friends of how to post information on RFM website.

The Clearing Oversight

The Clearing Oversight Committee oversees the appointment of two subcommittees: Building and Grounds, and Usage and Promotion. They are responsible for (1) leadership on Clearing-related issues and (2) developing an overall plan for the coordination and accountability of the work of its subcommittees.

The Clearing Building and Grounds

The Building and Grounds Subcommitteeis responsible for coordinating the upkeep and maintenance of the lodge and Clearing land.

The Clearing Usage and Promotion

The Usage and Promotion Subcommittee promotes use of the Clearing facilities to Friends and like-minded groups.

Positions

Archivist and Historian

The Historian collects information and responds to correspondence about the history of the Meeting; compiles written or oral history; and informs Meeting of current activities. The Archivist keeps records for members of births, deaths, marriages, marital status, and membership; forwards this information annually to Baltimore Yearly Meeting. (Clerk of Meeting)

Building Coordinator

Schedules the use of the building by Friends and other groups, receives and monitors building use payments, distributes keys to the building, and communicates the Meeting’s guidelines for using the building. (Buildings and Grounds)

Bullentin Board

Receives materials and decides about posting on appropriate boards, keeps things neat and discards old notices on a weekly basis. (Buildings and Grounds)

Clerk

Serves the Meeting for the execution of its business affairs, convenes regular or special called Meetings for Business, guides deliberations, carries out the meeting’s instructions for actions between business sessions, and works with the Assistant Clerk who becomes acting clerk in the clerk’s absence. The Clerk and Assistant Clerk serve for two years and must be members of RFM. With Meeting’s approval, the Assistant Clerk becomes Clerk at the end of the two-year term.

Facebook Administrator

Manages the Meeting Facebook page.

Interchange Editor

Compiles and provides Meeting news to Baltimore Yearly Meeting’s Interchange Publication.

Newsletter Mailing

Is responsible for checking the guest books to obtain names and addresses of guests who want to receive a printed copy of the newsletter for three months, printing labels, picking up the newsletters from the printer, folding, attaching mailing labels and mailing the newsletters at the post office and putting out copies in the foyer and vestibule. Collaborates and coordinates with other committees/positions on managing the distribution of the RFM newsletter and collaborates with the RFM Directory Manager.

Newsletter Editors

Responsible for collecting, compiling and publication of monthly newsletter. (Clerk of Meeting)

"Reading Between the Lines" Coordinator

The Reading Between the Lines Coordinator (formerly Bible Workbench Coordinator) schedules (approximately monthly) and typically leads the sessions.

Recording Clerk

Takes notes during monthly meeting for business, prepares minutes and conveys them to the Newsletter Editor, presents minutes for approval or correction at the following monthly business meeting. (Clerk of Meeting)

Treasurer

Receives, records, and deposits income for the meeting and its committees; maintains and updates financial records; pays meeting expenses: presents monthly, annual and special financial reports; submits books for annual review; treasurer and assistant treasurer work closely together and the assistant treasurer becomes treasurer in the treasurer’s absence. (Financial Stewardship)

Trustees

Hold titles and execute legal business pertaining to property and securities held by Meeting. Trustees serve three-year terms each and must be members of RFM.

Telephone Liaison

Checks the RFM telephone answering machine for messages and directs them to the appropriate person(s) for reply/response. (Buildings and Grounds)