Takoma Park Friends Meeting-Preparative gathered on 5/28/2017 at the Dance Exchange in Takoma Park, Maryland. We heard queries and advices from the 2013 draft Baltimore Yearly Meeting Faith and Practice on social concerns. We heard a concern that the queries separate prisoners from non-prisoners, despite the fact that we are all one; similarly, we are all disadvantaged in some ways and had best not think of ourselves as noble when sharing with others. We heard of how even if we don’t think of ourselves as religious people of faith, we can ground our social action in our values. We heard of how social action may be more effective if we try to relate our concerns to those of others.

Tricia Crocker, treasurer, handed out copies of a budget-year-to-date income and expense report (attached). Tricia noted that the second quarter of our share of the yearly meeting apportionment has been paid. We accepted the report.
Erik Hanson, as festival coordinator, reported having reserved and paid for space at the Takoma Park street festival; Erik is attempting to secure space at the impending jazz festival. Erik has contacted organizers of the folk festival and has yet to receive a reply.

Erik, as Adelphi liaison, plans to attend Adelphi’s 6/11/2017 meeting or worship for the conduct of business to extend our offer of a gift for their meeting renovation project.

We heard a note from Craig O’Brien on options for a meeting web site: continuing our current free (but low quality) site, spending $15 per year on a relatively hard-to-maintain site, or spending $135 per year on a relatively easy-to-maintain site. We united in authorizing spending $135 per year for a web site, to be charged against our outreach budget category.

Tricia reported that Mary Jane Muchui has learned that the second week of the month is open to us to do Farmers Market gleaning; Mary Jane has advised Shepherd’s Table that there may be a need to cover fourth weeks if we switch from fourth weeks to second weeks. We will switch from fourth to second weeks, starting next month.

We heard and approved these minutes. We adjourned, to gather next 6/25/2017 at the rise of meeting, or at the call of the presiding clerk.

Erik Hanson, presiding; Arthur David Olson, recording