YOUNG FRIENDS GENERAL MEETING (YFGM) Nottingham Friends Meeting House, 17th – 19th February 2006
Minutes
Present:
Co-Clerks: Nessa Grimes & Guy Milner
Treasurer: Huw Still
Co-Convenors of Overseers: Majk Stokes & Tom Rowlands
Management Officer: Ruth Wood
Coordinator: Ellie Colyer
Monthly Meeting Representatives:
Banbury & Evesham: Ruth White Bangor: Rowan Burrough
Cambridge & Peterborough: Katharine McIntosh Cheshire: Darrel Spence
Colchester & Coggeshall: Maud Grainger Darlington: Sally Nicholls
Jez Smith Emzy Wisker
Dundee: Paul Dodwell Hardshaw East: Sarah Donaldson
Kingston & Wandsworth: Annabella Krol Luton & Leighton: Hereward Mills
North Somerset & Wiltshire: Jenn Batten Notts & Derbys: Marie Drouin
Purley & Sutton: Luke Waterfield Ratcliff & Barking: Rachel Thompson
Reading: Rob Osborne South East Scotland: Ericka Smith
Southwark, Lewisham & Bromley: John Bacon Warwickshire: Ed Blann
Westminster: Ellen Marshall Edd Ullathorne
Witney: Alyn Still York: Hannah Spiers
Twin Cities Friends Meeting, Minneapolis, USA: Thanael Flynn
Adam Boardman, Adam Lee, Andrew Rendle, Beca Parker, Ben Jarman, Bob Maycock, Chris Hanning, Chris Lane, David Bebbington, Dawn Filtness, Emily Maddison, Hannah Leavett, Heather Rowlands, Helen Percy, Hilary Topp, Hugh Williams, Hugo Finley, Imogen Smith, James Barnard, Jessica Metheringham, Jessica Thatcher, Joe Anderson, Julia Callan, Justine Squire, Kris Turner, Lailah Peel, Laura Wirtz, Luke Spiers, Maresa Mackeith, Mark Russ, Mary Estall, Niel Ryan, Peter Parr, Pip Marshall, Plog Morris, Rachel Xerri, Sam Walton, Simon Latham, Siobhan Haire, Tom Harris
Total: 72
06/01 Opening Minute We welcome each other to YFGM in Nottingham, and look forward to the chance to spend time with each other. We especially welcome Thanael Flynn from Twin Cities Friends Meeting in the USA to our gathering.
06/02 Planning Weekend Katharine McIntosh and Hannah Spiers have given a report from our January Planning Weekend in Watford.
06/03 Funding our Co-ordinator post The Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust currently provides funding to enable us to employ a Co-ordinator. The current funding will end in December 2006. We value the essential work that our Co-ordinator carries out on our behalf, and wish to continue to employ one. We ask our Fundraiser to apply to JRCT, and/or other bodies, to seek funding for this post to continue. If no funding can be found, we agree to fund the post out of our reserves for one year to allow us to either secure alternative funding or to wind up the post. Over the years the post of Co-ordinator has developed, and we wish this development to continue. We would like to add an extra day a month to the Co-ordinator’s post which would be ear-marked for specific
project work as decided by Management Group. Such projects could include, but need not be limited to, outreach work or work supporting a YFGM committee. This extra day would commence in January 2007, provided funding to continue the post is secured.
06/04 Becoming a Fairtrade ‘Church’ We have heard from Huw Still about the ideas behind Fairtrade products. We are already committed to using Fairtrade products, as is reflected in our current Finance Policy which allows caterers to increase their budget if they buy Fairtrade products for YFGMs.
A strong commitment to using Fairtrade products is something we feel proud to be part of, as it reflects our testimony to equality. We would like to become a Fairtrade ‘church’ and commit to:
1. Using Fairtrade tea and coffee at all our events where possible 2. Moving forward on using other Fairtrade products 3. Promoting events happening in Fairtrade Fortnight and to promoting the Fairtrade mark during our gatherings.
We also are committed to using locally sourced and organic products where possible. We will review our position as a Fairtrade ‘church’ in two years time, at our February 2008 meeting.
06/05 Pardshaw Young Friends Centre We have heard from Pardshaw Committee about Pardshaw Young Friends Centre, its history and how it is currently used. It can be a valuable resource for outreach and to extend our community, and has introduced new people to YFGM.
Dawn Filtness and Maud Grainger have explained some of the issues that have arisen around our use of Pardshaw. In the past there have been a series of minutes in which YFGM has re-affirmed Pardshaw as a concern; however these have not been followed by a significant increase in usage by Young Friends. A great deal of energy has been devoted in the past to discerning what the best use of Pardshaw would be.
We do not feel that Pardshaw is currently a concern of YFGM corporately, and we are not comfortable with the present situation continuing. We must try to think creatively about who should manage Pardshaw, and how it can be maintained as a resource, harnessing the passion that does exist for it constructively.
We agree to explore at our March Planning Weekend if and how another body could manage Pardshaw, and encourage those interested to attend to engage in this discussion.
We ask our clerks to contact Pardshaw Monthly Meeting to clarify our position and update them on the outcomes of our discussions.
06/06 Young Quaker Magazine Our Financial Policy states that Young Quaker should normally break even with the exception of travel expenses of the Editors and the costs of any complimentary copies.
Jez Smith has talked to us about why the Young Quaker magazine has a forecast loss for 2006 of £248. He has explained how the increase in articles written for YQ has produced a better quality magazine, whilst pushing up the production costs. Jez has outlined some ways that this shortfall might still be met.
We agree to make an exception to the Financial Policy this year, accepting this forecast loss. We applaud all the hard work the YQ editors are investing in our magazine and recognise the high quality of the issues at present.
06/07 2006 Budget Huw Still, our treasurer, has presented a budget for 2006, a copy of which is attached to these minutes. We approve this budget and thank Huw and Finance Committee for their work in preparing this on our behalf.
06/08 Our impact on climate change We have spent some time talking about the impact we have both individually and corporately on the world around us, facilitated and lead by Laurie Michaelis from the Living Witness project.
We have been challenged to think about what we might do collectively and individually to bring about positive change.
We can draw strength from the community we have here to make these changes, and encourage those attending the Special Interest Group with Laurie to begin thinking about what we can do. We will then revisit these ideas at the next Planning Weekend to consider how we can support and encourage each other to make such changes within our YFGM community.
The notes made in this session are attached to these minutes.
06/09 World Gathering of Young Friends Spiritual Communication We have been led together in a variety of activities and games to explore the language that we use to communicate our faith. Through beginning these in a less formal context we have been lead into some deeper consideration of the diversity of our beliefs as a community.
06/10 Nominations We appoint the following people to serve in the following posts for the periods mentioned. We release from service those mentioned, warmly thanking them for all their work on our behalf.
Position Length of Service Person Appointed Released from Service
Quintessential 3 years Ed Ullathorne Jennifer Brett
Mark Russ Eudora Pascall
Overseer 2 years Mary Estall Dorothy Lovell
Siobhan Haire Hannah Jones
Employment Treasurer - - Dawn Filtness
Pardshaw Financial Overseer - - Marion Penn
Pardshaw Committee 3 years Andrew Rendle reappointed
Young Quaker Editor 3 years Rob Osborne Paddy Uglow
Jessica Metheringham Amanda Headley-White
Young Quaker Financial Overseer Until Feb ’08 Jez Smith reappointed
Northern Friends Peace Board 3 years Hilary Topp Jez Smith
Representative
Iona Conference representative - - Ellie Colyer
WGYF Legalities and - - Jennifer Brett
Logistics group Peggy Brett
Bluebell Eikonoklastes El Field Andrew Rendle
Britain Yearly Meeting - - Richie Rushmer
WGYF reps Jenny Moy
YFGM Meeting for Sufferings Until BYM 2009 Laura Wirtz Simon Best
Representative Rachel Arnold
Planning Weekend Until May 2006 Rachel Xerri Ellen Elliott
Newcomers Ed Blann Andrew Williams
Jessica Metheringham Katharine McIntosh
Living Witness Project links 2 years Joe Anderson reappointed
Justine Squire reappointed
YFGM representative on - - Jenny Moy
RECAST
Outreach committee 1 year Mark Russ -
Interchurch/faith Secretary - - Mark Russ
Yearly Meeting Quaker - - Eudora Pascall
Faith & Practice Drafting
Group
06/11 Minute of Record – Examiner of Accounts
We appoint Nick Perks to examine our 2005 consolidated accounts.
06/12 Volunteers We thank the following people for volunteering to help in the following ways at the next YFGM in Norwich in April/May:
Pan Transport: Darrel Spence
Caterers: Simon Best
Hannah Leavett
Dawn Filtness
06/13 Closing Minute This YFGM in Nottingham we have enjoyed getting to know one another better both socially and spiritually.
An Enquirers’ Gathering has run alongside the regular business sessions, which has allowed those attending to spend time discussing what it is to be a Quaker.
Whilst thinking about the complexities of addressing the issue of climate change, we were struck by how often in our lives we find that we don’t know how to work with one another, and how this is an essential first step in making positive changes to our world.
As a community this weekend we found the spiritual exercises from the World Gathering of Young Friends brought us together and gave us a chance to share our faith and our beliefs.
We hope that the community we create at YFGM will allow us all to feel empowered to make positive changes in our own lives and the other communities we are part of.
Signed in and on behalf of YFGM
Nessa Grimes Guy Milner
Co-clerks
Living Witness Project Notes ‘What Can YFGM Do?’
Group 1
- Campaigning; minute to TB /idea for letters to government, business, the media. – this is linked with a group to take
up the issue and run with it
- Use recycled paper at YFGM
- Shop for food locally, organically and fair-trade
- Pardshaw could also
- Pan transport best (only) reason for car travel to YFGM
- Invite local Friends to suggest and share ideas
Group 2
- Lift sharing
- E-groups
- National Gathering on the Environment
- Directions for walking to YFGM (from station?!)
- Pardshaw Eco-Centre
- Local /seasonal veg – catering
- Recycling YFGM’s waste (volunteer position)
Group 3
- set up a committee
- more email less printed out
- raise awareness within the organisation
- swap shops clothes /books
Group 4
- Contact other organisations
- Appoint a waste & compost person (eg a volunteer)
- Revisitng subject to see what can be done
- Car share email list
- Spread ideas to MM, BYM, our homes etc – send the minute to MM
- Ensure paper reduced
- Green audit eg waste energy & resources
Group 5
- Zero waste – less paper in the office, eco computer, talk to Woodbrooke?
- Composting
- Recycling
- Active buying policy – less packaging, less food miles
- Travel; car pools, public transport
- Message to others – local meetings
- We’re doing OK at something that’s hard
Group 6
- Permanent centre, recycling set up, local, organic, fair trade food
- Education and outreach
- Special interest groups
- Environment committee
Group 7
- Use less paper
- Reuse and recycle
- Car pools / minibus to YFGM from B’ham / London
- Better organisation of logistics (re environment)