State College Friends believe that all members and attenders minister to one another. Without a minister, members and attenders perform the vital work of the meeting by serving on committees. Members come to know each other as they collectively apply the Quaker principles of Simplicity, Integrity, Peace, Community, Equality and Stewardship in our community life.
Welcoming Committee:
Polly Dunn, Clerk
The committee seeks to nurture inquirers and attenders within the meeting community and to reach out to the wider community of residents and students. Committee members take responsibility for greeting visitors prior to meeting for worship and afterwards. Communication is by email as needed.
Peace and Social Concerns:
Sunny Rehler, Clerk
This committee exists to translate the principles of Quakerism into action and inform those in the larger State College community and beyond about our meeting and its activities. The committee coordinates initiatives arising from individuals and from the meeting as a whole that reflect Quaker beliefs in simplicity, peace, integrity, community, equality, and stewardship (SPICES). In particular, we connect with larger Quaker organizations such as the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL), and Baltimore and Philadelphia Yearly Meetings, as well as other groups with similar goals, such as Alternatives to Violence Project (AVP), Right Sharing of Natural Resources, and other peace churches. It meets intermittently, as needed.
Climate Justice Working Group: (please see our page)
Jackie Bonomo & Dorothy Habecker, Clerks
A subcommittee of the Peace & Social Concerns committee, begun in 2019, the Climate Justice Working Group has had 3 highly motivated core members with sense of urgency working on: cutting carbon emissions and sequestering carbon for SCFM building and grounds; education about the Climate Crisis including information about personal choices to decrease individual carbon footprints; information about pulling our financial support away from fossil fuels and direct action campaigns. We'd love for you to join us!
Building and Grounds:
Robert Lumley-Sapanski, Clerk
Responsibilities include: 1. General maintenance and repairs of the building, sometimes on an emergency basis. 2. Maintenance of lawn mowing and snow removal equipment. 3. Maintenance of the grounds, including mowing the grass, removing snow and ice in the winter, weeding in the spring and summer, trimming bushes, ground cover and trees. 4. Participation in special work parties as scheduled. 5. Hand out and collect keys for building use. 6. Maintain Meeting apartment and monitor its use. 7. Long range planning relative to facilities. Meets once a month and as needed. 8. Committee attempts to identify ways in which the Meeting can be environmentally conscious in its stewardship of our building and grounds.
Gardening:
Dorothy Habecker and Jackie Bonomo, Clerks
The gardening committee is a small but sturdy and dedicated group that takes care of the meetinghouse grounds, with the exception of mowing the grass and snow removal. We believe that the State College Friends Meeting property is sacred ground. We are working toward reclaiming and restoring the grounds from a grass desert to a natural oasis that provides crucial food, habitat and beauty for critters and humans. We're doing this by growing native bushes and trees, pollinator gardens, and supporting the community vegetable garden. We also are committed to educating children and adults about gardening and about earth care. All are welcome to participate and no experience or ability level is required.
Finance:
Katy Lumley-Sapanski, Clerk
Following the traditional custom of the Religious Society of Friends, the State College Meeting looks to a small appointed committee to assess and report to Monthly Meeting all matters pertaining to financial needs, including the annual budget, proposals, requests and expenditures. The committee has responsibility for overseeing financial obligations, banking, annual financial reviews, quarterly and annual financial statements, investments, insurance, obligations to other Quaker organizations and solicitation of funds.
Friends School Board:
The Board defines the mission of the school and creates a vision for its future. It establishes policies and provides financial oversight, and strives to ensure that the school operates in accord with Friends’ principles and spiritual values. A majority of members are appointed by the Meeting for up to two three-year terms. Trustees serve on at least one subcommittee. The Board seeks members with a commitment to Friends’ education, an ability to work cooperatively with others, and a willingness to learn about the management of a growing nonprofit institution. It would be especially helpful to include trustees from the Meeting with skills or experience in the following areas: elementary education, financial management, strategic planning, admissions recruitment, fundraising, personnel management, marketing, legal, technology and network connections, and property management. The Nominating Committee works with the Friends School Governance Committee to appoint members to the Board.
Library:
Mardi Frye, Clerk
Committee responsibilities are: 1. Selecting, ordering, processing and shelving books for the Meeting library. 2. Selecting, ordering, processing and shelving Pendle Hill pamphlets for the library and for sale. 3. Reviewing books and periodicals for the newsletter. 4. Posting and making up overdue book lists. 5. Creating book displays. 6. Maintaining orderly shelves and records.
Memorial:
Laurie Jeffreys, Clerk
Members are responsible for coordinating memorial or funeral services for members and attenders and for arranging for the completion of memorial minutes.. (Forms providing guidelines can be completed by persons interested in recording their wishes and the committee maintains a file of these forms at the Meeting House.) Persons interested in serving this committee need to be comfortable helping people under emotional and sensitive circumstances.
Music:
____________, Clerk
This committee arranges for piano accompaniment and singing at the rise of Meeting. The committee maintains the music books, distributes them within the Meeting room and investigates new sources of music. The piano should be watered and tuned when needed.
Newsletter and Bulletin:
Brosi Bradley, Newsletter, Betsy Gamble (Secretary), Bulletin
This committee gathers news, edits and types it to produce a monthly publication that includes the official minutes of Monthly Meeting for Worship for Business and a monthly calendar. Newsletters are distributed by email, regular mail, or to individuals living at Foxdale Village. Weekly bulletins are prepared by the Meeting secretary and distributed by email and at the meeting house.
Nominating:
This group seeks to fill positions on other Meeting committees through a spiritually based process of careful discernment. Its goal is to match willing representatives' gifts to the tasks and duties of our religious community, while bearing in mind the good of the Meeting, the committees, and the individual. Nominating committee meets as needed. Members serve three years. (The Worship and Ministry Committee appoints two members each year.)
Worship and Ministry committee, Nominating committee, Friends School Board and Foxdale Board, and all clerks of the meeting are either meeting members or “Regular long-term attenders” (defined below):
Regular attendance at Quaker meeting for worship over an extended period of time (at least five years) and at least one of the following:
Prior participation on a committee of a Quaker meeting or organization where decisions are made by Quaker practice.
Specialized training in Quaker business practice or decision making process.
Attendance at a Quaker school or college which included education in Quakerism or Quaker faith and practice.
Pastoral Care Committee:
Kate Lumley-Sapanski, Clerk
The Pastoral Care Committee works to support and encourage a caring meeting community by reaching out and maintaining regular communication with and support for individual members and attenders, as well as families and children. This committee tries to help individuals in their time of need, in whatever way is helpful, including clearness committees for discernment, physical needs, conflict resolution to reconcile differences that may arise between Meeting attenders, and emotional support.
Personnel Committee:
The personnel committee shall be named by the Nominating Committee and shall consist of the following clerks of committees:
Religious Education
Finance
Buildings and Grounds
Worship and Ministry
Each of these clerks may supervise one or more employee of Meeting: childcare workers, janitorial services, RE Coordinator, maintenance workers. These clerks may convene a meeting with one another as needed to address a supervisory issue that is an extraordinary concern.
When hiring, the personnel committee will assign a hiring committee for the position(s) available, posting the job description, interviewing qualified candidates, and offering employment to chosen candidates. Each new hire is referred to the treasurer to complete the necessary paperwork and learn the process to be paid for their services.
Refreshments, Potluck, Kitchen Care:
Darlene Clark, Coordinator
This committee is responsible for both potluck and refreshments. The majority of committee work is conducted by phone or email. We order supplies and coordinate refreshments with Religious Education for First Day School, and refreshments/potlucks following Meeting for Worship for Business. The committee is responsible for cleaning cupboards, stoves, and refrigerators. This is an excellent committee for those who prefer minimal meeting, but members must do their share because the committee’s work is highly visible.
Religious Education:
Kerry Wiessmann, RE Coordinator, Denise DeGeorge, Clerk
This committee is an energetic group of people actively involved in the First Day School program. The majority of committee members teach or assist in classes for various time commitments throughout the school year. Others support special activities throughout the year. There is always a need for more people interested in working with the Meeting’s children. Experience with youth is helpful, enthusiasm is desired and creative ideas are always welcome.
Adult Religious Education organizes presentations to introduce, strengthen and deepen our Quaker spiritual life to Meeting members and attenders and to build community within Meeting and with Foxdale, Friends School, and Friends from Upper Susquehanna Quarter.
Worship and Ministry:
Eliza Bradley, Clerk
The spiritual life of the Meeting is the responsibility of this committee. Members take a personal interest in the spiritual welfare of each member of the Meeting and the Meeting as a whole. The Committee is open to participation of members of all ages, who are in close fellowship with other members of the Meeting and with those who are frequent speakers in Meeting. They need to help with clearness committees for Marriage and Membership and be ready, when necessary, to help those who speak to stay sensitive to divine promptings. The Committee meets monthly. Members are appointed for 3 years and may be reappointed for an additional 3-year term.
Duties of Worship and Ministry Committee:
1. Monitor the spiritual state of the Meeting on an ongoing basis. Provide an annual written report to both Philadelphia Yearly Meeting and Baltimore Yearly Meeting on The Spiritual State of the Meeting, and report other activities to Yearly Meetings as needed.
2. Arrange for clearness committees for membership and marriage.
3. Provide spiritual guidance and centering presence to Meeting for Worship with Attention to Business.
4. Do tasks assigned to the Committee from Meeting for Worship with Attention to Business.
5. Provide guidance for the Religious Education Committee.
6. Make the decision as a committee to speak for the Meeting with a person whose vocal ministry is a matter of concern.
7. Assist the Memorial Committee in arranging memorial meetings for worship.
8. Assist Adult Religious Education in organizing workshops on spiritual and pastoral care topics for the Meeting.
9. Organize any opportunities for Meeting for Worship off-site.
10. Appoint 2 Friends/year to Nominating Committee.
SELECTED OTHER APPOINTMENTS by Friends Meeting Nominating Committee:
Interfaith Human Services (must be a member): The group is dedicated to aiding volunteer organizations in this area financially and actively, e.g., Food Bank, Head Start, Habitat for Humanity, County Prison Volunteers. The representative, Lynne Grutzeck, is expected to attend a monthly Board meeting and report to Monthly Meeting.
Out of the Cold: A Meeting Representative serves on this board.
Park Forest Preschool: A Meeting Representative serves on this board.