YOUNG FRIENDS GENERAL MEETING (YFGM)
Redland Friends Meeting House, Bristol 21st -23rd February 2003
Minutes
Present:
Co-clerks: Sarah Donaldson Co-convenors of Overseers: Hannah Leavett
Nick Sturge Guy Milner
Treasurer: Jenny Moy Officer of Outreach: Ruth Wood
Convenor of Nominations Committee: Ellie Colyer
Convenor of Officers: Carol Robinson Co-ordinator: Simon Best
Monthly Meeting Representatives:
Balby: Pearl Morris Bromley, Lewisham & Southwark: John Bacon
Colchester & Coggeshall: Mark Grinham Darlington: Alice Elliott
Melody Courtney Guisborough: Tom Lightowler
Hannah Pennock Luton & Leighton: Ellie Colyer
North Wales: Joe Anderson Claire Morris
Northumbria: Sophie Rackham North Somerset & Wilts: Tim Hudson Notts. & Derbys: Paul Sladen Norwich & Lynn: Liam Young North of Scotland: Emma Salt Richy Rushmer
Purley & Sutton: Anna Page Shaftesbury & Sherbourne: Hannah Lynch
South Wales: Becky Herring South East Scotland: Vivian Barty-Taylor Dafydd Harries Hazel Darwin-Edwards
Southampton & Portsmouth: Mark Siddal Warwickshire: Sandy McClure
West Devon: Paddy Uglow
Hannah Jones
Adam Boardman, Adam Boulter, Aidan McCartney, Andrew Rendle, Anne Pommier, Anna Watson, Ben Maher, Bettina White, Bluebell Eikonoklastes, Bronwen Thomas, Cath Sunderland, Clare Lockwood, David Sunderland, Eloise White, Emily Parr, Fran Lane, Heather Rowlands, Harry Kingham, James Barnard, Jane Osborne, Jane Ruell, Jenny Shellens Joe Coffin, Juliette Stoller, Jessica Thatcher, Linda Batten, Leon Spence, Luke Spiers, Nick Rendle, Marie Drouin, Matthew Colyer, Marion Penn, Owen Espley, Paul Levy, Rachel Boyd, Rowan Burrough, Ruth Todhunter, Sarah Freeman, Simon Gray, Simon Shepherd, Will Miles, Zephyr Wood TOTAL: 77
03/01 Opening Minute
We're pleased to be here for this Young Friends General Meeting in Bristol. We look forward to our meetings together and to spending time with friends old and new. We particularly welcome those attending our Enquirers' Gathering with us this weekend, Bronwen Thomas and Owen Espley from the Quaker Council for European Affairs in Brussels, and the various visitors who are joining us today.
03/02 Appointment to Nominations Committee
We appoint Marie Drouin to serve on our Nominations Committee, starting this YFGM, until the end of YFGM in October 2004.
03/03 Woodbrooke and YFGM
Helen Rowlands has introduced us to Woodbrooke Quaker Study Centre in Birmingham.
We are pleased to hear that Woodbrooke wants to continue to support the Young Friends New Year Gathering. We too are keen to see this event continue.
Helen has asked us to consider how Woodbrooke courses could be more helpful and appropriate for Young Friends. We have shared some suggestions. We are encouraged to think about this further and to get in touch with Woodbrooke with any more ideas.
We have heard about plans for a new bursary scheme to mark Woodbrooke's centenary, particularly to assist people who haven't been to Woodbrooke before. We feel enthusiastic about there being new ways of encouraging Young Friends to attend.
We thank Helen for bringing these questions to us and getting us thinking more about Woodbrooke and YFGM.
03/04 Quaker Peace and Social Witness Strategic Review
Hemmy Legg has introduced us to the wide range of issues and work of Quaker Peace and Social Witness (QPSW). We have taken some time thinking about what will be important looking forward, and have written our suggestions on post-it notes which will be looked at further in a Special Interest Group later today. These thoughts will then be fed back into the strategic review QPSW is undertaking.
03/05 Quaker Council for European Affairs
Bronwen Thomas & Owen Espley, Programme Assistants at the Quaker Council for European Affairs (QCEA) in Brussels, have introduced us to the work of QCEA. We are interested to hear about the variety of work done by QCEA under its main headings of peace, human rights and economic justice.
03/06 Budget for 2003
We approve the budget for 2003. A copy is attached. We note that the budget includes a large deficit. This deficit is due both to a fall in income and an increase in expenditure. We have been concerned about the high level of our reserves for some time and are pleased to have found productive ways to spend our money.
03/07 Childcare Policy
Further to minute 02/46, we have heard about a meeting that was held to move towards a childcare policy for YFGM.
Several points have been mentioned. Our crèche co-ordinator hopes to solidify these into a new job description and written guidelines in the future. In particular, we have been asked to consider whether there should be an upper age limit on children attending YFGM - the group suggested an upper limit of 11 year olds not yet attending secondary school. We aren't ready to make a decision on this and hope to consider it more fully at our next meeting.
03/08 Peace Tax
Our co-ordinator Simon Best has asked YFGM, as his employer, to withhold the proportion of his income tax that would be used for military expenditure.
We recognise that this is an expression of Simon's personal witness and a form of conscientious objection. We support his request. The trustees of YFGM have confirmed that they are willing to support Simon in taking this action.
We ask Management Group to take responsibility for the necessary practical arrangements. We ask our clerks to send this minute to Meeting for Sufferings for information, together with a letter explaining our procedure.
03/09 2001 Accounts
Nick Sturge has presented the YFGM Consolidated Accounts for 2001. We accept these as our accounts. They have been submitted to the Charity Commission.
We thank Nick and Finance Committee for the work they undertook in preparing these accounts.
30/10 Young Quaker Magazine Report
Jess Thatcher, one of the editors of Young Quaker magazine, has reported to us on developments in 2003. These included the first colour edition and a themed edition. The YQ editors have created the position of convenor in order to make communication ad organisation easier. We are very pleased that 12 editions of YQ were produced in 2002.
Jess has also presented a financial summary for 2002. Although YQ's finances are currently in a healthy state, an increase in the subscription price will ensure that costs are covered. The price is currently £10 per year and we agree to raise it to £11 per year, with effect from April 2003.
03/11 Manchester Conference January 2003
We have heard a report from the conference held by Cheshire Monthly Meeting exploring ideas relating to established structures and practices within Britain Yearly Meeting. Guy Milner and Sarah Donaldson spoke on behalf of Young Friends, particularly about how Young Friends value the Quaker Business Method. It was a positive event which generated lots of ideas. We thank Guy and Sarah for representing us.
03/12 Volunteers
We thank the following people for volunteering to help in the following ways at the next YFGM in Lancaster, 23rd -26th May:
Emily Parr
Joe Anderson
Becky Herring Caterers
Pearl Morris
Simon Shepherd
Clare Lockwood Janitors
Juliette Stoller
Juliette Stoller & Nick Sturge Pan transport
Claire Morris Off-floor Accommodation
03/13 Mental Health Appeal
We have welcomed John Vallet and Suzanne Heneghan from the committee of the Association for Pastoral Care in Mental Health (APCMH). We are supporting APCMH through our Young Friends Appeal, and we were interested to learn about some of their work. Their emphasis on the relationship between spirituality and mental health fits well with our concern and we look forward to continued links with APCMH.
03/14 World Gathering of Young Friends
We have heard a report from Aidan McCartney and simon gray, members of the Europe-Based Committee, on the progress towards this event. It will be held in 2005 in Britain. There will be a meeting in March to plan fundraising, and they are applying for charitable status. We are pleased to hear that momentum is gathering. For more information we are encouraged to visit the website www.wgyf.org.
03/15 Appointment to Nominations Committee
We release Frances Hopkins and Matthew Gee from service and thank them for their work.
We appoint James Barnard and John Bacon to serve on our Nominations Committee, for a period of two years. See also Minute 03/02
03/16 Nominations
We appoint the following Young Friends to the following posts. We release from service those mentioned below and thank them for all their work on our behalf.
Position Period Released from service Person Appointed
Convenor of Officers 3 years Carol Robinson Vivian Barty-Taylor
YQ Treasurer 3 years Alice Drewery Jess Thatcher
YQ Editor 3 years Hugh Williams Paddy Uglow
Events Treasurer 1 year Marion Penn Marion Penn
reappointed for 1 year*
Pardshaw Committee 3 years simon gray Andrew Rendle
Northern Friends Peace 3 years Maddie Hurford Joe Anderson
Board Representative
Outreach Committee 3 years Maddie Hurford Jane Osborne
Outreach Committee 3 years Ruth Todhunter Claire Morris
Representative to 1year Catrin Allen-Williams
Summer Gathering Accessibility & Support Group
*Marion Penn will not attend the Mental Health and Creativity Gathering and will not handle the cash for this event. Juliette Stoller will do this instead. Marion will keep the books.
03/17 Minute of Record: Changes of Signatory
We authorise the following people as signatories to the following accounts:
Young Quaker Account: Jess Thatcher, Hannah Jones, Paddy Uglow (Paddy subject to consent)
Pardshaw Account: Marion Penn, Harry Kingham, Andrew Rendle
Events Account: Marion Penn, Nick Sturge, Sarah Donaldson
03/18 Minute of Record: New Trustees
Further to Minute 03/16 we have appointed Vivian Barty-Taylor as an Officer and a Trustee for a period of three years.
03/19 Closing Minute
We have enjoyed our time together here in Bristol.
As Quakers we know the importance of letting our lives speak. Our business this weekend has reflected our belief in this principle. Our Appeal is a very visible sign of our beliefs and as we work for more understanding of and openness about mental health issues we are letting our lives speak. By supporting our Co-ordinator in withholding the proportion of his income tax which would go towards military expenditure we are supporting his personal witness. In addition, many of us do not have a chance to do the same and so it is our own witness too.
We have released our Convenor of Officers, Carol Robinson, from service. We will miss her organisation, her concern for others and her ability to work cheerfully despite any problems. We thank her warmly for all her work.
We thank our Caterers simon gray, Marion Penn and Anne Pommier and our Janitors Harry Kingham and Vivian Barty-Taylor
We look forward to meeting again in Lancaster in May
Signed in and on behalf of YFGM
Sarah Donaldson & Nicolas Sturge
Co-Clerks