JD Von Pischke presented the Finance committees proposal for the 2001 budget. The biggest change was in the accounting for Peace and Social Concerns. Two significant P&SC activities--the Pedals for Progress bicycle collection and the Ornament sale for the Medical Care for Children's Partnership have not been included in the budget in the past. The inclusion of these items accounts for most of the "increase" in the budget from 1999 to 2000.

Other changes include an increase in the electricity budget; the budget also includes a $400 line item in M&O for books. There is also a $200 Library allotment, which will be administered by the M&O Committee as well. Next year, when the meeting has incorporated the recommendations of the nominating committee about laying down the Library committee, these lines can be combined.

M&O committee met October 29^th. In addition to planning holiday activities (see calendar), and reviewing the work of the building committee, the M&O committee also received a letter of transfer of membership from Tallahassee Monthly Meeting for Kathryn Fowler and her children, Kristin, Bradley and Marshall. The Meeting united with the committee's approval of this transfer. M&O is beginning work on the Spiritual State of the Meeting Report.

Bonnie Stockslager reported that the Hospitality Committee is planning a welcoming for Diane Norman, and is adding a new photo board.

Harry Tunis reported for the House and Grounds committee. Repairs to the sewer line have been completed. Sixteen Friends attended a Meetinghouse Clean Up day on 11/18. Leaves were raked, sidewalks edged, the sign cleaned, the chairs aired, the carpets cleaned and the walls painted. Harry expressed special appreciation to Carl Taylor for bagging leaves, and Lindley Taylor for washing windows.

A written report from the religious education committee was accepted. There are now four first day school classes. The Elementary 1 and 2, and the Jr/Sr High classes continue to work on Bible study.

The youngest class is working on the Sparklers curriculum. This is a Friends General Conference production with a series of lesson plans that lets a teacher approach the class with confidence in the stories and activities. Kim Glazer is the coordinator for this class.

The Hospitality, Ministry and Oversight, and Religious Education Committee have announced plans for the meeting's Christmas activities.

The annual Christmas Carol Sing a long is scheduled for December 16^th. Friends are invited to bring musical instruments to accompany the carolers. We will gather about 6:30 to begin singing, with an intermission at 7 to 7:30 for potluck dessert and possibly the debut production of the Jr/Sr High First Day School Class play. This is a new, original production. No details have been released (quite possibly because it hasn't been written yet) but it is, by report of the clerk of Religious Education, "less traditional." (Less traditional than what? This reporter did hear the class practicing an old tune: "I'm dreaming of a white multicultural-winter holiday…")

On First Day Dec 17^th, the younger First Day School classes will present a simple Christmas Pageant at rise of meeting for worship.

On Christmas Eve, we will have a potluck after rise of meeting, and Friends are invited to gather again at the Meetinghouse for a Christmas Eve worship sharing at 7:00pm. Instead of taking the children out of meeting for worship after a few minutes of silence, we will instead share the reading of some Christmas stories.

The Nominating committee presented recommendations for clerks and committees for 2001 to meeting for business. The report was accepted.

The clerk of the nominating committee expresses gratitude committee members Gretel Von Pischke and Mary Staley for making phone calls and suggestions, and to the clerks and Friends who responded so positively to the call for service.

In addition to accepting the committee assignments found elsewhere in the newsletter, the meeting united with a suggestion from the nominating committee to lay down the Library committee.

Clerk Ting Yi Oei announced plans to call a clerk's meeting in January to review effective clerking.

Currently we have the picture of the meetinghouse, the calendar, past newsletters, and some minutes on the page. In the future we will put pictures of meeting activities and first day school curricula up as well.

Herndon Friends continue to observe a candlelight vigil on the evenings when the Commonwealth of Virginia executes a prisoner. The next vigil will be December 6^th at 8:30 p.m. when the Commonwealth plans to execute Christopher Goins.

Nothing is more central to the Quaker experience than silent worship, yet what exactly is happening in the silence is impossible to explain fully. But I do know that the silence in a Quaker meeting goes beyond the experiences I've just described. Silence has many connotations that are part of those other experiences: peacefulness, calm, serenity, meditation, prayer. Among Quakers, however, is an inward focus that is more intense than these other words suggest. To be sure, I often find my mind racing through hundreds of thoughts when worship begins. Sometimes I can't shake off all those thoughts at all. But when things are right, I do know what we mean of a gathered silence, of a union of individuals waiting expectantly for the word of God. I also have learned to listen for something I have never heard before and hope that others hear it too.

Evan Lippincott, a Quaker architect has been engaged by the Meeting to conduct a feasibility study of expansion of the meetinghouse. Lippincott made a presentation to the meeting on 11/12/00. He discussed the possibilities of a one or two story addition to the rear of the meetinghouse adding 3 or 4 classrooms and a bathroom. Amenities could include finishing off the front porch to cover the whole front of the meetinghouse. On 11/17, Mr. Lippincott and Don and Priscilla Chamlee met with the Town of Herndon planner and zoning administrator, and a representative of the Herndon Heritage Preservation Review Board.

A 10,000 square foot retail complex is going to be built across Locust street from the meetinghouse, which may complicate parking considerations.

Mr. Lippincott will prepare his feasibility study, including drawings and cost estimates, for review by the meeting, probably after the first of the new year.