| Photo: The Clearing in Autumn by Dave Clark |
Operations
| Business Meetings |
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Quakers believe that business meetings should be conducted in the
same spirit and following the same principles of a worship meeting.
Consequently, the full title of the business meetings are 'Meeting
for Worship for Business'. Quaker meetings are also distinguished by how often they hold business meetings. The foundation organization of Quakers is a monthly meeting, named because it holds business meetings at least monthly. Monthly meetings are sometimes part of quarterly or half-yearly meetings, but are almost always part of a yearly meeting. Midlothian Friends Meeting is a monthly meeting that is part of Virginia Half-Yearly Meeting and Baltimore Yearly Meeting. The business meeting attends to the operational, financial, and spiritual aspects of the meeting. It is clerked by the Clerk of Meeting, who acts as a facilitator and guide. There are no votes in Quaker business meetings. Individual friends are welcome to contribute their opinions, experience, and knowledge of the issues. Decisions are made not by majority rule, but after the 'sense' of the meeting is discerned. The sense of the meeting means that the group attending has discerned that they way proposed is most in accordance with divine leadings. Friends who agree with a decision will occasionally state that they 'unite' behind a decision or another individual. Sometimes friends feel strongly opposed on an issue or a decision, and usually business meeting will labor with those friends to understand and explore their feelings in order to discern if there is some aspect of that opposition that might lead to a greater understanding of the truth. Many business meetings have been enriched because individual friends expressed sentiments that led to an eventually deeper and more satisfying outcome. Sometimes friends who cannot agree with a decision may choose to 'stand aside', which means that in good conscience they cannot agree with the decision, but that they will not oppose the decision. Sometimes decisions made in this manner can take longer to make, but Quakers feel that it is worthwhile to follow the process. |
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Operations |
Financial |
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Midlothian Friends Meeting relies on the donations of friends to
operate. We do not receive any money from parent organizations,
except for unusual and specific purposes like our new Meetinghouse
Fund. Our major expenses are on the mortgage of our meetinghouse, and the annual apportionment we pay to Baltimore Yearly Meeting. We also maintain balances in several funds designated for specific purposes, such as the Scholarship Fund and the Fund for Suffering. The Treasurer of Meeting is responsible for the daily financial operations of Meeting: paying bills, depositing donations, etc. There is also a Financial Stewardship Committee that oversees the financial state of Meeting, and prepares annual reports and a budget. |
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Operations |
Making
Contributions |
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Donations can be made by check payable to Midlothian Friends
Meeting, or by cash. There is a small brown box outside the entrance
to the meeting room every Sunday in which donations can be placed. Donations can also be mailed to: Treasurer Midlothian Friends Meeting PO Box 1003 Midlothian, VA 23113 Some friends find it convenient to make regular donations to meeting through an automatic debit plan, or through on-line banking services offered by Quicken or your local bank. |
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| Midlothian Friends Meeting P.O. Box 1003, Midlothian, VA 23113 (804) 598-1676 |