YOUNG FRIENDS GENERAL MEETING (YFGM) Muswell Hill Friends Meeting House 8TH – 10TH February 2002 Minutes Present: Co-clerks: Sarah Donaldson Co-convenors of Overseers: Clare Lockwood Anne Pommier Carolyn Forrest Treasurer: Andy May Officer of Outreach: Ruth Wood Co-ordinator: Simon Best Convenor of Nominations Committee: Mike Stokes Monthly Meeting Representatives: Bristol & Frenchay: Marion Penn Colchester & Coggeshall: Maddie Hurford Cheshire: Tom Parr Maud Grainger Ruth Todhunter Hannah Leavett Jez Smith Dorking & Horsham: Blair Hunwick East of Scotland: Matthew Gee Gloucester & Nailsworth: Nicola Gibberd Hardshaw West: Harry Kingham Hampstead: Rachel Arnold Rachel Howell Lancaster: Philip Davies-Vengocehea Lewes: Sarah Elliott Leicester: Mary Muers Luton & Leighton: Rachael Veazey North Somerset & Wilts: Jessica Thatcher Ellie Colyer Notts. & Derbys: Paul Sladen Norwich & Lynn: Richie Rushmer North of Scotland: Emma Salt Pickering & Hull: Rachel Harkness Pontefract: Anne Pommier Purley & Sutton: Anna Page Settle: Anna Watson Southampton & Portsmouth: Mark Siddal Thaxted: Helen Evans West Somerset: Celine Potts Ben Parker West Devon: Paddy Uglow Wirral & Chester: Sowena Nelson Hannah Jones Worcester & Shropshire: Matilda West York: Emily Ross Ireland YM: Annette Kennedy Tooma MM, Uganda: Alex Gyabi George Adam Boardman, Adam Boulter, Aidan McCartney, Alice Lynch, Anna Sharman, Ben Maher, Bronwen Thomas, Charlotte Allan, Charlotte Stephens, Daisy O’Flynn, David Sunderland, David Ferrard, Daphne Fisher, Ella Kingham Speirs, Ellen Marshall, Frances Hopkins, Frances Peduzzi, Guy Milner, Hannah Pennock, Heather Rowlands, Hester Speirs, Hugh Williams, Hugo Finley, James Barnard, Jane Ruell, Jonti Ruell, Jennifer Brett, Jennifer Moy, Jenny Shellens, John Myers, Juliette Stoller, Juliet Parsons, Katy Turquoise, Klaus Huber, Laura Wirtz, Liz Slade, Linda Batten, Luke Spiers, Nessa Williams, Nick Perks, Nick Sturge, Naomi Fisher, Nic Hemley, Paul Levy, Rachel Phillips, Rachel Ramaker, Rowan Burrough, Ruth Wood, Simon Shepherd, Simon Gray, Tamar Morton-Jones, Tim Hudson, Wil Quick, TOTAL: 98 02/01 Opening Minute We warmly welcome everyone here to Muswell Hill for our February gathering, especially Bronwen Thomas and David Ferrard from the Quaker Council for European Affairs, Annette Kennedy from Ireland YM and Alex Gyabi George from Tooma MM, Uganda. We are also glad to have an enquirers’ event alongside our meeting and wish everyone a rewarding weekend. 02/02 General Fund Treasurer At our last meeting in October we were unable to discern the name of a young Friend to serve as General Fund Treasurer. One of the reasons for this is that the job involves both a heavy time commitment and a knowledge of accounting. The number of weekend meetings that the General Fund Treasurer must attend cannot easily be reduced. However it is possible to remove much of the bookkeeping element from the job. We agree that the day-to-day maintenance of the books should be done by out co-ordinator. Management Group will ensure that current and future co-ordinators receive the training needed to do this. The General Fund Treasurer will still have legal responsibility for our accounts and will keep an overview of or financial policy. We ask Finance Committee and Management Group to monitor these changes and to report back to YFGM in October. Appended to the minutes is a chart giving a rough breakdown of how the roles will be split. 02/03 British Youth Council We have heard from our representatives to the British Youth Council about the aims of this organization and we have considered the value of our involvement. Our representatives feel that in order to contribute more fully they would need our support in clarifying and expressing our position on relevant issues nd perhaps some help in drafting our minutes in motions to be presented. We agree that this would be a worthwhile investment of our time and energy and we will look into ways to support our representatives in their role. We have an effect on those people we come into contact with and being recognized as Quakers in non- Quaker contexts is an important part of our outreach. We encourage Outreach committee to think about other opportunities to engage with the outside world in this way. 02/04 Meeting for Sufferings Report We have heard a report from Adam Boulter, one of our representatives on Meeting for Sufferings. His report provoked a lively response. We thanks both our representatives and support them in their work. 02/05 Description of Young Friends General Meeting for Quaker Faith & Practice YFGM has been asked to provide a short description of our relationship to the structures of Britain Yearly Meeting. These paragraphs are for inclusion in Chapter 5 of Quaker Faith & Practice. We agree the following description: Young Friends General Meeting is a General Meeting with no constituent Monthly Meetings. It draws its membership primarily from Quakers between the ages of 18 and around 30. YFGM, formerly Young Friends Central Committee, chose to be a general meeting because that name most accurately describes its practices and the level at which it communicates with other bodies of Friends, as described in 5.01, 5.02, 5.03. YFGM currently has 2 representatives on Meeting for Sufferings, the Representative Councils, Children & Young People’s Committee and other bodies, including non-Quaker organizations, as is considered appropriate. Young Friends General Meeting normally meets to do business on three residential weekends a year at which a range of other events for Young Friends are organized. We particularly thanks Alice Morning Star for her work in drafting it. 02/06 Woodbrooke Course Development Jennie Levin has spoken to us today about her work developing learning materials for the Society of Friends. She has challenged us to take some of the things we feel we have to offer out into the wider Society, such as our optimism and sense of community and facilitation skills. Her work is leading towards a cohesive vision of all the learning opportunities and resources available to us as Quakers, addressing theological issues and offering a chance to reflect on and evaluate our processes. There are several ways we can feed into this development process and we very much appreciate this opportunity. 02/07 Quakers and Business Roland Carn of The Quakers and Business Group has led us in an interesting exploration of our relationship to business. We are challenged to think about the implications of the choices we make, even in seemingly mundane situations. We thank him for taking the time to work with us. 02/08 Parshaw Newcomers’ Gathering 2001 – Accounts Pardshaw Committee informed us at Nottingham YFGM that their accounts for the Newcomers Gathering in 2001 had been lost. We have heard that a request was made for the return of expenses receipts; however, owing to a very poor response, an acceptance was made that the accounts for the week were irretrievably lost. As such, Pardshaw Committee have only been able to present a net total expenditure for the event. They have presented us with an approximate breakdown of the accounts for the Newcomers’ gathering. We have approved these accounts which will be sent to the examiner along with a letter from our trustees to explain the circumstances. 02/09 World Gathering of Young Friends The World Gathering of Young Friends Europe-based Committee has now met twice. The gathering is planned for 2005 and the committee is very enthusiastic about it. The Committee invites Young Friends to submit designs for a logo for the gathering – These should be sent to the YFGM office by the end of June. Help is also needed in building a network of Young Friends around the world, and anyone traveling abroad who wishes to help build links with Quakers world-wide is welcome to join in. We agree that the Europe-based Committee of the World Gathering of Young Friends should become an ‘associated group’ of YFGM. The World Gathering Europe-based Committee account could then benefit from YFGM’s charity status. The treasurer of the committee will report to Finance Committee. There will be three signatories to the account and all cheques must be signed by two people. In addition to the money already set aside, We agree to transfer a further £1500 from the General Fund to the World Gathering Europe-based Committee account 02/10 Finance Report and Budget 2002 Our treasurer has reported on our finances which are in a very healthy position and presented a budget for the coming year which reflects this. The previous appeal account has been closed and the funds distributed to the charities supported by that appeal, Supporting Survivors of Sexual Abuse. We approve the budget. We are that we need to look at long term financial and we hope to come back to this at a later date. 02/11 Volunteers We thank the following people for volunteering to help in the following ways at the next YFGM in Edinburgh 31st May – 2nd 2002. Laura Wirtz Hugo Finley Janitors Harry Kingham Matthew Gee Nick Perks Caterers Adam Boulter Rachel Phillips Pan transport to Birmingham Mike Stokes Off-floor Accommodation 02/12 Nominations The following people are appointed to the following posts and we thank those Friends released from service. Position Period Released from service Person Appointed General Fund Treasurer 3 years Andy May Jenny Moy Co-Clerk 3 years Anne Pommier Nick Sturge Employment Treasurer 3 years Klaus Huber Ella Kingham Speirs (until May YFGM) Fundraiser 3 years Dawn Fowler David Sunderland YQ Editor 3 years Stephen Wolfenden Jessica Thatcher Creche Co-ordinator 3 years Harry Kingham Sowena Nelson Outreach Committee 3 years Daisy O’Flynn Laura Wirtz Overseer 2 years Carolyn Forrest Hugh Williams Overseer 2 years Ceri Hillas Emma Salt Quintessential 3 years Nicola Grimes Ben Maher Quintessential 3 years Alice Morning Star Aidan McCartney Northern Friends Peace 3 years Bethan Hillas Maddie Hurford Board Representative Children & Young People’s 3 years Maud Grainger James Barnard Committee Representative Nominations Committee 2 years Hugh Williams Ellie Colyer Nominations Committee 2 years Juliet Stoller Anna Page 02/13 Minute of Record: Changes of Signatories We authorize the following people as signatories to the following accounts General Fund: Nick Sturge, Sarah Donaldson, Jenny Moy Pardshaw Account: Harry Kingham, Paul Sladen, simon gray Events: Marion Penn, Hugh Williams, Jennifer Brett Employment Account: Ella Kingham Speirs, Sarah Donaldson, Nick Sturge WGYF Europe-based Committee: Simon Best, Aidan McCartney, Carolyn Forrest 02/14 New Trustees We have appointed the following people as Officers and Trustees: Nick Sturge 3 years Co-clerk Ruth Wood 3 years Officer of Outreach Guy Milner 2 years Co-convenor of Overseers Jenny Moy 3 years General Fund Treasurer 02/15 Closing Minute We have enjoyed our weekend together in Muswell Hill. It has been especially good to see a number of new faces, including those people attending the Enquirers’ Gathering. 3 of our Officers come to the end of their terms of office this time and we thank them for all their work. Andy May, our General Fund Treasurer, has served more than his allotted time. We are very grateful to him for his clear thinking, and for the huge amount of time he has given up on our behalf. One of our Co- convenors of Overseers, Carolyn Forrest, also finishes this weekend. She has given a great deal over her years as an overseer and we have really valued her energy and commitment. Anne Pommier, one of our Co- clerks, has also finished her period of service. We will miss her sensitivity, her calming presence, and her infectious smile. Thanks too to our caterers, Nick Sturge, Mark Siddal, and Nic Hemley and to our janitors, Celine Potts and Charlotte Allen. We look forward to being together again in Edinburgh in May. Signed in and on behalf of YFGM Sarah Donaldson & Anne Pommier Co-clerks