Meeting for Sufferings December 2010
At a Meeting for Sufferings
held in London
4 December 2010
S/10/12/ 1: Worship
Section 25.04 (the web of creation) of Quaker faith & practice has been read in our opening worship, and we have remembered former members of this meeting who recently died.
S/10/12/ 2: Reflection on our last meeting
We have reflected on issues considered at our last meeting and those being considered in our meeting today.
S/10/12/ 3: Clerk of BYM Trustees report
Beryl Milner, assistant clerk of Britain Yearly Meeting Trustees, has reported on the meeting of Trustees held on 3 December 2010, and on the work of the Group appointed to carry out the recruitment of a new Recording Clerk.
She has reported that Paul Parker has been appointed as Recording Clerk, and that the appointment will be effective from 1 May 2011. She has introduced Paul Parker to the meeting. Susan Seymour, as a member of the recruitment group, has told us about the process of recruitment and appointment.
Paul has spoken to us about his vision for the Society of Friends and his future hopes as Recording Clerk working with Friends throughout the Yearly Meeting.
Beryl Milner reported on the plans to refurbish the large Meeting House and the setting up of a project board.
Ron Barden, clerk of Quaker Finance and Property, reported on Courtauld House and the proposed sale of a long lease. They received a number of bids and have selected a bidder. Currently there is delay whilst negotiations continue with the current tenant to action the forfeiture order.
We were reminded of the fund raising strategy and commend it to Area and Local Meetings. Katie Frost, of Quaker Communications Department, hopes to be invited to visit local meetings to talk about the Ministry of Giving.
Beryl and Ron have answered our questions. We were advised that the Society of Friends is living within its means. Despite the economic climate Friends have been willing to respond positively to a guideline contribution per head. However, a deficit has only been avoided in 2010 because of a generous legacy. Our investment policy is constantly re-examined with our advisors.
S/10/12/ 4: Meeting for Sufferings dates 2012
Our clerks have introduced a proposed list of meeting dates 2012 for Meeting for Sufferings and we agree these dates as follows:
4 February, 31 March, 7 July, 6 October and 1 December 2012.
S/10/12/ 5: Dates for Britain Yearly Meeting 2013
Further to minute S/10/10/ 7 of 2 October 2010, we have received minute 2010/11/11 of Yearly Meeting Agenda Committee held 26-28 November 2010 concerning Dates for Yearly Meeting 2013 (paper S/10/12/mc ii d).
We have noted and agreed to the proposed dates of 24-27 May 2013.
S/10/12/ 6: Meeting for Sufferings draft Annual Report
We have received the Meeting for Sufferings draft Annual Report, and comments on this should be passed to our assistant clerk.
We will receive and consider the revised draft at our February 2011 meeting.
S/10/12/ 7: Quaker faith & practice chapters 5 & 11
We have received from the Church Government Advisory Group the draft text of chapter 5 of Quaker faith & practice concerning general meetings and other gatherings (paper S/10/12/A), and the draft text of chapter 11 concerning membership (paper S/10/12/B).
We are asked to pass any comments or queries on these draft texts to Michael Hutchinson in the Recording Clerk’s Office by 7 January 2011. The draft texts with any changes made, will be brought back to our meeting on 5 February for endorsement and forwarding to Yearly Meeting 2011 for adoption.
S/10/12/ 8: Minutes & Correspondence:
i Area Meeting Minutes
a) Lancashire Central & North AM: Experiment with Light
We receive minutes 10/70 of Lancashire Central & North Area Meeting held 11 July and 10/88 of meeting held 12 September 2010 together with a paper
concerning Experiment with Light (paper S/10/12/mc i a).
b) Ipswich and Diss AM: Experiment with Light
We receive for information 51/10 of Ipswich and Diss Area Meeting held 20 October 2010 concerning Experiment with Light Groups (paper S/10/12/ mc i e).
We have also received minute 2010/74 of Quaker Life Central Committee held 26-28 November 2010 concerning developments with Experiment with Light Groups (paper S/10/12/ mc ii c).
Friends have witnessed to the great benefits of Experiment with Light. We recognise that adding it to centrally managed work is not appropriate. We note the Glenthorne conference next year. We hope that a group of concerned Friends will come forward to continue to support this valuable work.
c) North Somerset & Wiltshire AM: The future of Area Meeting
We receive minute 7 of North Somerset & Wiltshire Area Meeting held
5 September 2010 concerning the process of creating two separate area meetings (paper S/10/12/ mc i b).
We endorse this process in principle and look forward to receiving a further minute clarifying the commencement date of the new arrangements when agreed.
d) London West AM: Friends House concern from Westminster Local Meeting
Further to our minute S/10/10/ 10 of 2 October 2010, we receive for information minute 2010/75 of London West Area Meeting concerning the use of Friends House (paper S/10/12/ mc i c).
ii Committee Minutes
a) Quaker Peace & Social Witness Central Committee: Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (Israel/Palestine)
We receive minute QPSWCC 10/118 of Quaker Peace & Social Witness held 12-14 November 2010 concerning Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (paper S/10/12/ mc ii a) and minute 78/10 of Leicester Area Meeting held
14 November 2010 concerning the situation in Israel/Palestine (paper S/10/12/ mc i d).
We will return to this issue when we have had the opportunity to reflect on the Kairos Palestinian document “A Moment of Truth” and the conclusions of the Quaker Council of European Affairs on this issue.
b) Quaker Peace & Social Witness Central Committee: Meeting for Sufferings minutes S/10/10/ 9 a,b,c & d
We receive minute QPSWCC 10/121 of Quaker Peace & Social Witness held 12-14 November 2010 concerning Meeting for Sufferings minutes S/10/10/ 9 a,b,c & d of 2 October 2010 (paper S/10/12/ mc ii b) about the unequal impact of cuts in public expenditure.
Helen Drewery, General Secretary of QPSW, has explained the uncertainty about how to proceed on this issue given the breadth of our concerns and the wide range of the cuts. We welcome her offer to provide an updated version of the 2004 Social Inclusion Toolkit early next year to help Friends on these issues. The representative of Mid-Thames Area Meeting will take back the suggestion of her meeting being a clearing house for evidence of hardship from other Area Meetings.
We ask QPSW to keep a watching brief on the impact of the cuts and alert us when it is opportune.
S/10/12/ 9: Quaker Housing Trust triennial report
We have received the Quaker Housing Trust triennial report (paper S/10/12/C) which has been introduced by David Burnell, clerk of the Trust.
He has shown how Meeting for Sufferings agreement to extend their funding beyond Quaker bodies three years ago has led to 15 projects so far with no Quaker connection. Lives have been changed by Quaker investment in housing need. At their most recent meeting Quaker Housing Trust trustees reflected on the unique way they relate personally with applicants, meeting them and visiting their projects.
We thank the Quaker Housing Trust for their triennial report, and are grateful for their work.
We take back to our areas their request that more Quaker-run projects take up their offer of environmental assessments.
S/10/12/ 10: Membership and Appointments
a) Membership of Meeting for Sufferings
The following changes to the membership of Meeting for Sufferings are proposed.
Release
Penny Dunn North West London AM
Ingrid Greenhow (8.11.2010) Chilterns AM
Alison Ironside (31.12.10) Central England AM
Christine Knott West Weald AM
Simon Pollitt West Cumbria AM
Jo Reilly York AM
Jeffery Smith North East Thames AM
Heather Wilcox (31.12.2010) Meeting of Friends in Wales
Nomination
Patricia Jagger West Cumbria AM
Jennifer MacLennan (1.1.2011) Lancashire Central & North AM
Roger Pierce York AM
Nick Rendle North West London AM
Rachel Solomon Williams North West London AM
We duly appoint the Friends named and thank the Friends released for their service.
To note:
Alison Ironside (1.1.2011) Ex officio (as BYM Trustee)
b) Central Nominations Committee
brings forward the names of the following Friends for service or release as indicated:
Bournville Village Trust
To serve from 4 December 2010
David Cockcroft nomination Central England AM
Central Nominations Committee
Ingrid Greenhow release Chilterns AM
Barry Watkins release Norfolk & Waveney AM
Friends Trusts Ltd
To serve from 1.6.2011 until 31.5.2014
Mark Tod renomination North West London AM
(appointed 2008, first renomination)
Meeting for Sufferings Arrangements Group
To serve from 1.1.2011 until 31.12.2013
Geoffrey Braithwaite renomination Luton & Leighton AM
(appointed 2009, first renomination)
Meeting for Sufferings Church Government Advisory Group
To serve from 1.1.2011 until 31.12.2013
Michael Phipps renomination Chilterns AM
(appointed 2008, first renomination)
Northern Friends Summer Youth Events Charitable Trust
To serve from 1.1.2011 until 31.12 2013
Jane Spiers nomination York AM
Quaker Life Central Committee
To serve from 1.1.2011 until 31.12.2013
Judi Brill renomination Bristol AM
(appointed 2008, first renomination)
Meg Hill renomination Kendal & Sedbergh AM
(appointed 2008, first renomination)
Marion Wells-Bruges renomination Bristol AM
(appointed 2008, first renomination)
Barbara Windle renomination York AM
(appointed 2008, first renomination)
Quaker Peace & Social Witness Central Committee
To serve from 1.1.2011 until 31.12.2013
Roger Wilson renomination Hardshaw & Mann AM
(appointed 2008, first renomination)
Margaret Bennett nomination Southern Marches AM
Heather Brunskell-Evans nomination South East London
Rhiannon Rees nomination South London AM
Quaker World Relations Committee
To serve from 1.1.2011 until 31.12.2013
Bridget Dunbar nomination East Cheshire AM
Janet Perry nomination Leicester AM
Judith Thurgood nomination Mid-Thames AM
Representative to Friends World Committee for Consultation
Jez Smith release London West AM
Representative to Ireland Yearly Meeting, 28 April-2 May 2011
Gladstone Providence Luton & Leighton AM
Representative to Sweden Yearly Meeting, 2-5 June 2011
Daphne Sanders Lancashire Central & North AM
The Retreat (Governors)
To serve from 1.1.2011 until 31.12.2013
Monica Cheale renomination Northumbria AM
(appointed 2008, first renomination)
Jill Hetherton renomination Pickering & Hull AM
(appointed 2008, first renomination)
Jacqui Moore renomination East Cheshire AM
(appointed 2008, first renomination)
John Babb nomination Staffordshire AM
Simon Pollitt nomination West Cumbria AM
Catherine Putz nomination Brighouse West Yorkshire
We duly appoint the Friends named and thank the Friends released for their service.
S/10/12/ 11: Framework for Action Priority D: Sustainability – preparation for YMG 2011
Further to our minute S/10/07/ 8, Sunniva Taylor (Quaker Peace & Social Witness) has introduced a paper on living out our statement on climate change (paper S/10/12/D), in the context of wider aspects of sustainability.
We have also received a note from the clerks of Yearly Meeting Gathering putting this item in the context of the wider range of issues and activities which will be included at the gathering.
We considered in our home groups what we think is the priority for corporate action by Britain Yearly Meeting and what we can commit ourselves to, as meetings locally and nationally. We have ranged widely from practical suggestions about greening meeting houses to challenging the inequity of the current economic system. We hold to justice, equality and fairness. For many it is essential for Quakers to be seen as patterns and examples in the way we live and witness in a positive and encouraging spirit. To do so, we know we need to be grounded spiritually, living in right relationship with God, each other and the world.
In plenary session we have heard read minutes agreed in home groups which will be passed to Quaker Peace and Social Witness and circulated to members of Meeting for Sufferings.
We wish the questions in the paper to be shared with Friends in our meetings to stimulate both discussion and action and look forward to the toolkit for greening meeting houses and to sharing good practice together at Yearly Meeting Gathering.
S/10/12/12
We thank Susan Seymour for her work as clerk to Meeting for Sufferings during the last three years.
Susan Seymour
Clerk
