About 60 friends were present. After an interval of worship we approved minutes from the 5/4 meeting at Plymouth, and approved a minute of appreciation for Mike Mrozinski for his seven-year service as our clerk. Then Tom Rei reported on the Abington Quarter Meeting Fund. Requests for 2014 amount to less than half of this year's 16K available income. Friends are reminded that the AQM Fund is available for projects approved and submitted (w/ application, budgets & timelines) by their monthly meetings.

Programs to promote Abington Quarter would be excellent uses of The Fund. It was noted that Bucks Quarter has a “Quaker in a Box” promotional program, which it presented in a  workshop at Yearly Meeting. A document about how to promote our meetings was mentioned and will be posted on this website as soon as it is available. Information about matching grants from the AQM Fund to monthly meetings that want to run promotional programs can be obtained from tom.peterson.quakertown@gmail.com

Earlier this year Steve Redding volunteered to audit the trees at each meeting; thus far he has audited four meetings' properties. He asks no fee for this service; there is no obligation to hire his own company for any work he recommends; he only asks his travel and printing expenses be reimbursed. These likely would be eligible for coverage by the AQMeeting Fund.

Ending Modern Slavery. Jack Schick, Clerk of Richland Meeting, addressed this concern, originally brought up by Margaret Anderson, also of Richland and then discussed at AQ's representative meeting which approved bringing it forward to the Quarter. Margaret is a member of the Bucks Coalition Against Trafficking. This is the fastest growing invisible criminal activity in the country; it exists in our local communities even though we may not aware of it. While victims typically are immigrants, run-away children and teens also are victimized. Some are compelled to work in cleaning and maintenance services, or factories where they earn less than minimum wage. Others  serve as prostitutes or in illegal drug distribution. Margaret spoke about some recent actions to counteract Human Trafficking and then Jack read Richland Meeting’s minute on the subject and encouraged the Quarter to adopt a similar one. More important than a minute, he said, is raising community awareness of Modern Slavery.

AQM Nominating Committee  We approved  our members Rebecca Cratin, Christine Greenland, Kelly Green and Kathy Singer to serve on this new AQM standing committee.