Meeting for Sufferings October 2010
At a Meeting for Sufferings held in London 2 October 2010
S/10/10/ 1: Worship
Section 10.01 of Quaker faith & practice has been read in our opening worship, and we have remembered former members of this meeting who recently died.
S/10/10/ 2: Reflection on our last meeting and today’s agenda
Further to our minute S/10/07/3 of 3 July 2010, we have received a note of suggested agenda items for Yearly Meeting 2011 which was passed to Yearly Meeting Agenda Committee for their consideration.
Further to our minute S/10/07/9 of 3 July 2010, we have received a guidance paper from Quaker Peace & Social Witness Crime, Community and Justice Group on writing to constituency Members of Parliament, to follow up the letter sent to Kenneth Clarke, Secretary of State for Justice, and an update paper, following our discussion on the criminal justice system.
As there are a number of substantive items requiring attention in plenary session on our agenda today, we will not be meeting in home groups this time, nor taking the Framework for Action priority on Speaking Out.
S/10/10/ 3: Clerk of BYM Trustees report
Jonathan Fox, clerk of Britain Yearly Meeting Trustees, has reported on the meetings of Trustees held on 2 July, 2 August, 2 and 3 September 2010, highlighting the interim arrangements that have been put in place following the resignation of Gillian Ashmore as Recording Clerk and Gillian Palmer as General Secretary Finance and Human Resources, the appointment of Michael Hutchinson as Acting Recording Clerk and of a Group to carry out the recruitment of a new Recording Clerk.
As set out in Chapter 8 of Quaker faith and practice, BYM Trustees have the responsibility for the employment and recruitment of all staff, and specifically the recording clerk, that used to lie with Meeting for Sufferings. The recording clerk’s function is wider than that of the general manager of the centrally managed work: she/he is secretary to yearly meeting and Meeting for Sufferings and advises both, interpreting our church government. Trustees are aware that they have to ensure that the job description reflects the needs of all these roles.
Jonathan Fox provided reassurance that there was no impropriety and stressed that the confidentiality of those employed must be respected. Trustees are still considering whether there are issues, for example on structural change, arising from the resignations which need addressing and will inform Meeting for Sufferings if they need to do so.
We are conscious of the pressures on staff. The trustees’ intention is to minimise disruption and keep up the momentum of the work at a time of uncertainty. We uphold them all, as well as those Friends involved in the process of recruiting the next recording clerk. We hope to have news of an appointment at our next meeting.
S/10/10/ 4: Draft Operational Plan 2011-2013 and Budget 2011
The Acting Recording Clerk has introduced the Operational Plan 2011-2013 (paper S/10/10/A). He explained how the plan has been agreed by trustees as a rolling plan for three years to guide staff and hold them accountable. It shows at a more detailed level how we take forward the leadings that come to us and have been agreed in A Framework for Action. It supports our worship in our meetings so that we can witness in the world.
Ron Barden, the clerk of Quaker Finance & Property Central Committee has introduced the budget for 2011 which identifies a structural deficit, partly because only 21 of 70 Area Meetings met the aim of £150 per member in 2009. Quaker Finance and Property Committee will be revisiting all aspects of the budget in order to try to return to balanced budgets in future. We anticipate returning to this issue which may reflect a disconnect between central work and local Friends.
Britain Yearly Meeting Trustees will forward us for information the final version of the Operational Plan and Budget once they have approved them.
S/10/10/ 5: Review of Meeting for Sufferings and BYM Trustees: Interim Report from the Review Group
Further to our minute S/10/07/11 of 3 July 2010, we have given further detailed consideration to the ideas put forward in the Review Group for Meeting for Sufferings and BYM Trustees’ interim report (paper S/10/07/E). Janet Quilley, a member of our meeting, introduced the main sections of the report and offered her reflections on it.
Eric Rigby, a member of the Review Group, has been present for this consideration, and we trust that our contributions will assist the Group in preparation of their final recommendations. Members of the meeting who wish to feed in other points may still do so in writing to the Recording Clerk’s Office in the next few days.
Although we did not have time for an extended session for discernment, there was a strong sense of dissatisfaction with our current ways of working and a welcome for the more radical proposals in the interim report.
In particular, we welcome Meeting for Sufferings taking responsibility for developing the vision. At present agendas are too full of business more of which could be left to Trustees and some of which is backward-looking.
Discernment is difficult given the size of the meeting and the time available. We need to see one another’s faces and know one another better.
We touched on issues which need further thought by the Review Group:-
- If a smaller Meeting for Sufferings no longer represents all Area Meetings what would the consequences be?
- If Meeting for Sufferings does less detailed oversight of Trustees, to whom would Trustees report, and how would they communicate with meetings?
- How will we balance a vision changing as circumstances change with long term planning and the need for staff to have stability to carry out their work?
- If restructured, how would Meeting for Sufferings carry out its role of acting for Yearly Meeting between sessions?
- Can we work with looser agendas and what does this mean for the clerks, deciding what issues to bring forward and how to frame them?
We look forward to the final report of the review group.
S/10/10/ 6: Membership and Appointments
a) Membership of Meeting for Sufferings
The following changes to the membership of Meeting for Sufferings are proposed.
Release
Jane Beaton North Wales AM
Paul Casey North West London AM
Judith Catty Northumbria AM
Mo Kelly (with effect from 31.12.10) Lancashire Central & North AM
Nomination
Jeff Beatty Southern Marches AM
Dorothy Clark Pendle Hill AM
Janet Harland Oxford & Swindon AM
Peter Jackson Ipswich & Diss AM
Michael Still North Wales AM
Charlotte Wright West Scotland AM
We duly appoint the Friends named and thank the Friends released for their service.
b) Yearly Meeting Committee on Clerks
Assistant Clerk of Meeting for Sufferings
Yearly Meeting Committee on Clerks brings forward the name of the following Friend to serve as follows:
To serve from 1 January 2011 until 31 December 2011
Assistant Clerk and by virtue of this position, as a Britain Yearly Meeting Trustee for the same period
Jeffrey Dean nomination Manchester & Warrington AM
We duly appoint the Friend named.
c) Central Nominations Committee rings forward the names of the following Friends for service or release as indicated:
Central Nominations Committee
Paul Casey release North West London AM
Representatives to Friends World Committee for Consultation
To serve from 1.1.2011 until 31.12.2013
Jez Smith renomination London West AM
(appointed 2008, first renomination)
Barbara Windle nomination York AM
Quaker Finance & Property Central Committee
(already notified and agreed by Clerk of Meeting for Sufferings)
To serve from 1.9.2010 until 31.8.2013
Simon Bond nomination Mid-Thames AM
Quaker Life Central Committee
Dorothy Carson (formerly Colwill) release Gloucestershire AM
Quaker World Relations Committee
To serve from 1.1.2011 until 31.12.2013
John Miles renomination Gloucestershire AM
Lancaster University Court
(already notified and agreed by Clerk of Meeting for Sufferings)
Elizabeth Roberts renomination Lancashire Central & North AM
(appointed 2007, first renomination)
Loughborough University Court
(already notified and agreed by Clerk of Meeting for Sufferings)
Janet Stevenson renomination Leicester AM
(appointed 2004, second renomination)
Yearly Meeting Agenda Committee
Meeting for Sufferings Appointment
Philip Hills release Kingston & Wandsworth AM
We duly appoint the Friends named and thank the Friends released for their service.
S/10/10/ 7: Dates for Britain Yearly Meeting 2013
We received minute 2010/07/18 of Yearly Meeting Agenda Committee held 10 July 2010 concerning dates for Yearly Meeting 2013 (paper S/10/10/B).
We ask Yearly Meeting Agenda Committee to consider the implications for children’s and young people’s activities and bring the proposed dates for 2013 back to us.
S/10/10/ 8: Quaker Marriage
Further to our minute S/10/07/4 of 3 July 2010, minute 23 of Yearly Meeting 2009, and our minutes S/09/10/4 of 3 October 2009 and S/10/01/2 of 15-17 January 2010, Michael Phipps of the Church Government Advisory Group has introduced a paper (paper S/10/10/ C) on the further revision of chapter 16 (marriage process) of Quaker faith & practice.
We have noted the responses in the paper to our points raised last time and have considered further the full draft of chapter 16. Points have arisen including some related to our testimony to equality with respect to disabilities, standing to make the declaration, use of Welsh and English language, and the term “opposite sex” which have been noted and will be considered by Church Government Advisory Group.
We now endorse the revised draft chapter 16 (subject to any technical corrections, reflecting potential statutory regulation, or other points of detail, which may need to be brought to a future Meeting for confirmation) and agree to forward it to Yearly Meeting 2011 for adoption.
S/10/10/ 9: Minutes & Correspondence:
i Area Meeting Minutes
a) Mid-Thames AM: Effect of Government Cuts
We receive minute 10/07/10 of Mid-Thames Area Meeting held 19 July 2010 concerning the effect of government cuts (paper S/10/10/ mc i a) and a draft letter prepared from the AM to politicians (paper S/10/10/ mc i a draft letter).
b) Bournemouth Coastal AM: Effect of Government Cuts
We receive minute 6 of Bournemouth Coastal Area Meeting held 21 August 2010 endorsing the Mid-Thames AM minute concerning the effect of government cuts (paper S/10/10/ mc i b).
c) Thaxted AM: Government Spending Review
We receive minute 10/09/07 of Thaxted Area Meeting held 12 September
2010 concerning the government spending review (paper S/10/10/ mc i c).
d) Oxford & Swindon AM: Effect of Government Cuts
We receive minute 72/2010 of Oxford & Swindon Area Meeting held 11
September 2010 in response to the Mid-Thames AM minute concerning the
Effect of government cuts (paper S/10/10/ mc i g).
These minutes have been passed to the Quaker Peace & Social Witness Economic y Issues Group and to the Parliamentary Liaison Officer for their consideration and advice.
We share these concerns. Helen Drewery, General Secretary of QPSW, has provided some initial advice which is for Friends to write to their MPs as soon as possible. Points to make might include:
- Cancel Trident
- Use fewer prisons
- Introduce a tax on financial transactions and devote half the proceeds to the domestic deficit
- Ensure overseas aid really is ring-fenced.
e) North Scotland AM: End of Life Assistance (Scotland) Bill
We receive for information minute 9 of North Scotland Area Meeting held 4 September 2010 concerning the End Of Life Assistance (Scotland) Bill.
(paper S/10/10/ mc i d).
f) Young Friends General Meeting: Accessible Language
We receive minute 10/08 of Young Friends General Meeting held February 2010 concerning accessible language (paper S/10/10/ mc i e).
Toby Gibbons, Young Friends General Meeting representative on Meeting for Sufferings has brought this concern to life by giving some examples of the high reading age required to understand our documents.
This has been passed to the Yearly Meeting Publications Group for Quaker
faith and practice and other publications with our endorsement.
g) Young Friends General Meeting: Minute of Record
We receive for information minute 10/11 of Young Friends General Meeting held February 2010 together with responses gathered during a session on committed relationships held in October 2009 (paper S/10/10/ mc i f).
ii Committee Minutes
a) Yearly Meeting Gathering 2011 Planning Committee: Articulating the vision
We receive for information minute YMGPC/2010 06/8 of Yearly Meeting Gathering 2011 Planning Committee held 25-27 June 2010 concerning Articulating the vision (paper S/10/10/ mc ii a).
S/10/10/ 10: Friends House Lettings Policy
Paul Grey (Head of Hospitality and Facilities) has introduced a paper prepared with Anne van Staveren (Quaker Media Relations Officer), received together with minute BYMT/10/05/7 of BYM Trustees held 13 May 2010 and a paper produced by Gillian Ashmore dated April 15 2010 (paper S/10/10/D).
Paul has answered our questions on issues arising from this.
We consider that the current policy is appropriate as it stands. We wish to extend the hand of friendship. We acknowledge the risk of occasional mistakes. We are pleased that we have developed interfaith contacts who advise on some applicants to use our space.
We minute our strong support for the staff involved in making difficult decisions in applying the policy. Meetings may seek advice on their lettings policies from Friends House.
S/10/10/ 11: Quaker World Relations Committee
Mary Waldemeyer, a member of our meeting, has introduced a report from Quaker World Relations Committee together with a report and epistle from the annual meeting of the Europe and Middle East Section (EMES) of Friends World Committee for Consultation (paper S/10/10/E).
She has conveyed the excitement of getting to know Quakers from around the world, of whom we are a small part. She has drawn our attention to the next World Conference of Friends in Kenya in 2012 and the preparatory work on global change.
We are very grateful for the work of Quaker World Relations Committee.
Susan Seymour
Clerk
