Richmond (VA) Friends Meeting

RFM Committees and Positions

by WebPost | Sep 20, 2023 | Current, Nominating

ichmond 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.
There are 15 standing committees and more than 22 distinct positions. The work of staffing committees and positions is done by the Nominating Committee, whose members are appointed by the Clerk of Meeting. The committee develops and proposes a full slate by the December business meeting. Upon approval, the new slate starts its work in January.
Nominating Committee recruits Committee and Position volunteers each fall for the following year. Please review the summary descriptions that follow, and contact any member of Nominating Committee to express your leadings for service..
The members of the committee are Joe Ball, co-clerk; Margaret Edds, co-clerk; Denna Joy; Anna-Marie Bolin; Diane Bowden; and Don Miller.
Committee/position summaries are also available on the Meeting website. Start at the About Us page, click Attending to Business, and scroll down.

RFM COMMITTEES
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.
Building and Grounds Committee (B&G) 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; provides oversight for the Bulletin Board and Telephone Liaison positions.

Care and Counsel Committee (C&C) is concerned with the needs of 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 Editor; 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 Committee (FSC) 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 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 Committee selects, purchases, catalogs and maintains books and other materials in the Meeting library and lets the meeting community know about new books and materials that have arrived.
Ministry and Worship Committee (M&W) 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 a co-sponsor with ASE for the Fall Retreat. Members serve for three years and must be members of RFM.

Nominating Committee is appointed by the Clerk of Meeting. This committee is responsible for matching the talents and gifts of RFM members and attenders with the committee and position needs of the Meeting. Members serve for three years and must be members of RFM.

Peace and Social Concerns (P&SC) 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 Committee (RE) plans and implements programs of Quaker ideas/values and experiences for children of meeting during First Day school; considers ways to incorporate children into the life of the Meeting and to deepen relationships among generations. A new RE committee was formed in 2019. RE activities and childcare are provided for children from infancy to high school.

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

Website 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.

Clearing Oversight Committee oversees the two subcommittees: Building and Grounds subcommittee and Usage and Promotion subcommittee and the Clearing Scheduler. 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 and the scheduler.
Clearing Building and Grounds Subcommittee is responsible for coordinating the upkeep and maintenance of the lodge and Clearing land.
Clearing Usage and Promotion Subcommittee promotes use of the Clearing facilities to Friends and like minded groups.
Clearing Scheduler is the contact person for scheduling usage of the Clearing facilities.

RFM POSITIONS
Some positions may also have an assistant or back-up support (committee affiliations listed in parentheses).
Historian/Archivist): collects information and responds to correspondence about the history of the Meeting; periodically sends hard copies of most RFM records to the Library of Virginia, who sends microfilm copies to Haverford College. (Clerk of Meeting)
Recorder keeps records for members of births, deaths, marriages, marital status, and membership; annually forwards this information to Baltimore Yearly Meeting. (Clerk of Meeting)

Bible Workbench Coordinator (Adult Spiritual Education)

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

Building Coordinator schedules the use of the meetinghouse 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. + Assistant Building Coordinator (Clerk of Meeting).

Clerk of Meeting and Assistant Clerk of Meeting. The 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 years.

Directory Editor. Maintains current computerized mailing list to provide labels monthly for newsletter mailings; publishes directory and maintains updates. (Care and Counsel)

Interchange Editor. Compiles and provides Meeting news to Baltimore Yearly Meeting's Interchange Publication. (Clerk of Meeting)

Newsletter Editor: Responsible for collecting, compiling and publication of the monthly newsletter. (Clerk of Meeting)

Newsletter Mailing. 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, mailing the newsletters 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. (Clerk of Meeting)

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 and Assistant 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 and must be members. (Clerk of Meeting)

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

RFM REPRESENTATIVES TO QUAKER AND LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS (AND COMMITTEES THAT OVERSEE THEM)
American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) (P&SC) Baltimore Yearly Meeting (BYM) Representative (M&W) Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL) (P&SC) Friends General Conference Liaison (FGC) (M&W)
Friends House Liaison (Clerk)
Quaker House Board (P&SC)
Va Interfaith Center for Public Policy (VICPP) P&SC)