{"id":19107,"date":"2020-02-15T01:53:37","date_gmt":"2020-02-15T01:53:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.richmondfriendsmeeting.org2019\/?page_id=19107"},"modified":"2026-04-06T13:32:06","modified_gmt":"2026-04-06T13:32:06","slug":"meeting-organization","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/richmondfriendsmeeting.org\/dev\/meeting-organization\/","title":{"rendered":"Meeting Organization"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Attending to Business<\/h4><\/div><\/div>\n\n

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 \u201csense of the committee\u201d to take its work forward. Thus, all committee members are equally essential to the work of the committee.<\/p>\n

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.\u00a0 This Meeting is led by the clerk of the meeting.<\/p>\n

Here is a list and brief description of our committees and individual positions that carry out the work of our meeting:<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Committees:<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n
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Adult Spiritual Education<\/h5>
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The Adult Spiritual Education Committee (ASE)\u00a0both 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 may be members or attenders.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

Buildings and Grounds<\/h5>
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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.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

Care and Counsel<\/h5>

The\u00a0Care and Counsel Committee is\u00a0concerned with the individuals in the Meeting: takes care of \u2018pastoral concerns\u2019 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

Financial Stewardship<\/h5>

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 \u201cPolicies and Practices.\u201d The Treasurer and Assistant Treasurer are members of this committee.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

Hospitality<\/h5>

The\u00a0Hospitality 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.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

Library<\/h5>
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The Library Committee selects, purchases, catalogs and maintains books and other materials in the Meeting library.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

Ministry and Worship<\/h5>
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The Ministry and Worship Committee\u00a0is 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

Nominating<\/h5>
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The 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 business needs of the Meeting. Members serve for three years and must be members of RFM.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

Peace and Social Concerns<\/h5>
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The Peace and Social Concerns\u00a0fosters 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

Religious Education<\/h5>
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The Religious Education Committee\u00a0plans 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

Spring Retreat<\/h5>
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The Spring Retreat Committee plans and directs the annual spring retreat held at The Clearing in May over the Memorial Day weekend.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

Website Committee<\/h5>
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The Web Committee\u00a0designs, 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.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

Clearing Planning and Communications<\/h5>
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The Clearing Planning and Communications Committee oversees strategic planning and budgeting for the Clearing.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

Clearing Buildings and Grounds<\/h5>
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The Building and Grounds Subcommitteeis responsible for coordinating the upkeep and maintenance of the lodge and Clearing land.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

The Clearing Usage and Promotion<\/h5>
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The Usage and Promotion Subcommittee promotes use of the Clearing facilities to Friends and like-minded groups.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Positions:<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n
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Archivist and Historian<\/h5>
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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)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

Building Coordinator<\/h5>
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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\u2019s guidelines for using the building. (Buildings and Grounds)\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

Bullentin Board<\/h5>
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Receives materials and decides about posting on appropriate boards, keeps things neat and discards old notices on a weekly basis.\u00a0(Buildings and Grounds)\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

Clerk<\/h5>
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Serves the Meeting for the execution of its business affairs, convenes regular or special called Meetings for Business, guides deliberations, carries out the meeting\u2019s instructions for actions between business sessions, and works with the Assistant Clerk who becomes acting clerk in the clerk\u2019s absence.\u00a0The Clerk and Assistant Clerk serve for two years and must be members of RFM. With Meeting\u2019s approval, the Assistant Clerk becomes Clerk at the end of the two-year term.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

Facebook Administrator<\/h5>
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Manages the Meeting Facebook page.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

Directory<\/h5>
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Maintains current computerized mailing list to provide labels monthly for newsletter mailings; publishes directory and maintains updates. (Care and Counsel)\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

Interchange Editor<\/h5>
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Compiles and provides\u00a0 Meeting news to Baltimore Yearly Meeting\u2019s Interchange Publication.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

Newsletter Distribution<\/h5>

The Newsletter Distribution person picks up and distributes copies of the newsletter in the meetinghouse.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

Newsletter Editors<\/h5>
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Responsible for collecting, compiling and publication of monthly newsletter. (Clerk of Meeting)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

\"Reading Between the Lines\" Coordinator<\/h5>
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The Reading Between the Lines Coordinator (formerly Bible Workbench Coordinator) schedules (approximately monthly) and typically leads the sessions. (Adult Spiritual Education)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

Recording Clerk<\/h5>
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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)\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

Treasurer<\/h5>

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\u2019s absence. (Financial Stewardship)<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

Trustees<\/h5>
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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.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

Telephone Liaison<\/h5>
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Checks the RFM telephone answering machine for messages and directs them to the appropriate person(s) for reply\/response. (Clerk of Meeting)\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-19107","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/richmondfriendsmeeting.org\/dev\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/19107","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/richmondfriendsmeeting.org\/dev\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/richmondfriendsmeeting.org\/dev\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/richmondfriendsmeeting.org\/dev\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/richmondfriendsmeeting.org\/dev\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19107"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/richmondfriendsmeeting.org\/dev\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/19107\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":29799,"href":"https:\/\/richmondfriendsmeeting.org\/dev\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/19107\/revisions\/29799"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/richmondfriendsmeeting.org\/dev\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19107"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}