R2001-21 Opening: Baltimore Yearly Meeting's Representative Meeting gathered on 6/16/2001 at Tandem Friends School in Charlottesville, Virginia. 37 people from 19 Monthly Meetings signed in:
Adelphi: Ann Marie Moriarty, Arthur David Olson (Takoma Park), Pete Schenck (Takoma Park), Sharon Stout; Alexandria: Howard van Breemen; Annapolis: Nan Elsbree, Dot Waliger; Baltimore, Homewood: Edith Ballard, Miriam Green; Baltimore, Stony Run: Harry Scott, Marjorie F. Scott; Bethesda: Marion Ballard, Lee N. Foster, Katrina Mason; Charlottesville: Linda Goldstein, Frances Preston Schutz, Ted Siedlecki; Deer Creek: Betsy Wollaston; Frederick: Tena Meadows O'Rear; Gettysburg: Margaret Stambaugh; Langley Hill: Sheila N. Bach; Maury River: Katherine Smith; Pipe Creek: C. J. Swet, Emily Swet; Roanoke: Bob Fetter, Susie Fetter; Sandy Spring: Betty Hutchinson, Frank Massey, Jean Snyder; State College: Tom Ryan; Valley: Jeanne Tabscott (Augusta); Washington: J. E. McNeil, Winifred Walker-Jones, Ann Wilcox; York: Lamar Matthew; Other: Arlene Gillespie (Kents Store), John Woolman.
The Presiding Clerk read from a communication from Deborah Haines, Clerk of Friends General Conference's Advancement and Outreach Committee:
In England the birth of Quakerism is traditionally measured from Sunday, June 13, 1652, when George Fox addressed a thousand "Seekers" gathered on Firbank Fell. There is a wonderful account of that event in Elfrida Vipont's George Fox and the Valiant Sixty--I highly recommend it. Most of us are more familiar with Pendle Hill, where a few weeks earlier George Fox had a vision of "a mighty people to be gathered." But the first Quaker Meetings arose out of the gathering on Firbank Fell. I'm thinking that this would be a good way of reminding ourselves and our Meetings that Quakerism was born in outreach. Maybe we should designate June 13 (or the second Sunday in June) as "Quaker Outreach Day" and figure out appropriate ways to celebrate it every year. Meeting open houses? "Bring a friend to Meeting" days? Peace vigils? Press releases? Since it's too late to plan anything for this year, maybe we could just tell those in our Meetings the story of George Fox preaching on Firbank Fell. We do have a message for the seekers of today, and it hasn't changed much since then: "God is always trying to talk to us. We just need to take the time to listen."
The Presiding Clerk thanked Charlottesville Friends and Tandem Friends School for their hospitality.
R2001-22 Peace and Social Concerns: Betty Hutchinson, Clerk of Peace and Social Concerns, reported. The Committee had a successful networking day on 5/19/2001. The Committee has agreed to support a Friends Meeting of Washington initiative on the death penalty. The Committee is preparing a response to concerns about a 3/2001 minute on the situation in the Middle East. The Committee approved and endorsed a minute from the Center for Conscience and War regarding its work and preparation of educational materials.
R2001-23 Ministry and Counsel: Miriam Green, Clerk of Ministry and Counsel, reported. 34 spiritual state reports have been received from Monthly Meetings. Ministry and Counsel has considered the report of the Task Group on the Structure of the Yearly Meeting's Committees and the Role of Staff. The General Secretary undertook to determine whether Monthly Meetings desire copies of spiritual state reports from other Meetings.
R2001-24 Task Group on the Structure of the Yearly Meeting's Committees and the Role of Staff: Howard Fullerton reported on behalf of the Task Group on the Structure of the Yearly Meeting's Committees and the Role of Staff. Howard handed out a proposed committee structure document and diagram:
1. Ministry & Worship Committee
The Ministry and Worship Committee consists of nine members nominated by the Nominating Committee and appointed by the Yearly Meeting. The Nominating Committee designates the Clerk of the Committee. Each Monthly Meeting committee dealing with ministry and pastoral care, or the Monthly Meeting itself, is requested to designate one of its members to participate, or serve as a corresponding member, in the meetings and responsibilities of the Committee.
The Committee is concerned with and active in deepening the spiritual life of the Yearly Meeting and of its constituent Monthly Meetings. It supports the spiritual life through the establishment of working groups such as: Spiritual Formation; Silent Retreats; Advancement; Quaker Institute for Servant Leadership; Embraced Friends; Adult Religious Education; Children Religious Education; Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Concerns; and Counseling Service.
At Yearly Meeting sessions it cooperates with the Program Committee in arranging meetings for worship, inspiration, and discussion of spiritual concerns. The Clerk of Ministry and Worship serves as a member of the Program Committee.
The Ministry and Worship Committee advises Monthly Meetings on the preparation of the annual Reports on the Spiritual State of the Meetings, receives the approved reports and Quarterly Meeting summaries thereof, and prepares a summary statement on the spiritual state of the Yearly Meeting for incorporation in the Committee's report to the Yearly Meeting.
2. Social Order Committee
The Social Order Committee consists of six members nominated by the Nominating Committee and appointed by the Yearly Meeting. (No co-opting at this level.) The Nominating Committee designates the Clerk of the Committee.
Annually, it reports to Yearly Meeting the State of Social Witness, collecting this information from our Monthly Meetings by means of a questionnaire or queries of its devising. The purpose of the report is to share, inform, stimulate, and to focus our vision on the possible within the limitations of time, staff, energy, and financial support where we proceed as a Yearly Meeting to work cooperatively.
The Committee serves as a clearness committee for those who come forward under leading to renew or create avenues within this focus to further God's work in the world. It may recognize such Working Groups as: Criminal and Restorative Justice; Peace; Right Sharing of World Resources; and Unity with Nature. It brings to Yearly Meeting proposals for new Working Groups. It co-opts (MoP, p. 15) from among volunteers those persons best qualified to further the goals of the group.
The Committee forwards to Yearly Meeting for its approval names of Friends it has selected to represent Baltimore Yearly Meeting by its affiliation with RSWR, PVS, FCUN General Committees.
Presiding Clerks of Yearly and Representative Meeting may refer to the Committee proposals made on the floor with out prior review by the Committee.
3. Indian Affairs Committee
The Indian Affairs Committee consists of approximately 12 members nominated by the Nominating Committee and appointed by the Yearly Meeting.
In 1795 Quakers in the northern Shenandoah Valley, following the model established by William Penn in Pennsylvania, set up a fund to pay American Indians for lands Quakers had settled. Unable to locate survivors of the natives who had previously lived in the valley, these Friends set aside the monies for assistance of American Indians under the care of Baltimore Yearly Meeting. Since that time the Indian Affairs Committee has distributed the interest income from this endowment to organizations which assist and advocate for Native Americans.
This Committee also stimulates interest in and activity for the American Indians, cooperates with other Yearly Meetings and other Friends' organizations in projects for the benefit of American Indians, and concerns itself with pending legislation on the national and local levels involving Native American issues.
This Committee recommends to the Nominating Committee each year one person for appointment by the Yearly Meeting to serve as the Yearly Meeting's representative to the Associated Committee of Friends on Indian Affairs.
4. Youth Programs Committee
The Youth Programs Committee consists of eight to ten adults nominated by the Nominating Committee and appointed by Yearly Meeting and a Young Friend appointed by Young Friends Conference Business Meeting. The adult Co-clerks and the youth Co-clerks of the Young Friends Conference Subcommittee, the Young Friends Yearly Meeting Program Planning Subcommittee, Young Quakes United Subcommittee, and of the regional youth oversight committees serve on this Committee. The regional youth coordinators, the Yearly Meeting YouthQuake representative, and the Associate Youth Secretary are also ex officio members of the Youth Programs Committee.
The Youth Programs Committee oversees and coordinates all Yearly Meeting youth programs-other than camping programs and Junior Yearly Meeting--for junior high/middle school and high school youth, and provides for the various needs and interests of those youth.
By providing retreats, workshops, and consultation, the Youth Programs Committee facilitates the training, nurturing, and support of adults who work with the junior high/middle school and high school youth of Baltimore Yearly Meeting.
The Committee meets twice a year or as necessary. The bulk of its work is done through the Young Friends Conference Subcommittee, the Young Friends Yearly Meeting Program Planning Subcommittee, the Young Quakes United Planning Subcommittee, the Regional Youth Programs Oversight Subcommittee, and other subcommittees as deemed necessary.
The Youth Programs Committee appoints a Baltimore Yearly Meeting high school youth as a representative to the Fund for Conscience Subcommittee of the Peace and Social Concerns Committee. The adult and youth Co-clerks of the Young Friends Yearly Meeting Program Planning Subcommittee serve on the Program Committee.
The Youth Programs Committee names an adult representative to serve on the Coordinating Council for Youth Programs. One adult representative to serve on the Coordinating Council for Youth Programs is also named by each of the following: the Young Friends Conference Subcommittee, the Young Friends Yearly Meeting Program Planning Subcommittee, and the Young Quakes United Planning Subcommittee.
Every three years, according to the YouthQuake cycle, the Youth Programs Committee recommends the name of an adult to the Nominating Committee for appointment by the Yearly Meeting to serve a three-year term as the Yearly Meeting representative to the YouthQuake Planning Committee.
The Young Friends Executive Committee is nominated and appointed by the Young Friends Conference Business Meeting and works under the care of the Young Friends Conference Subcommittee to facilitate conferences. To encourage youth to participate actively in the affairs of Yearly Meeting, the Young Friends Executive Committee Clerk is a member of Representative Meeting. Details of the procedures of the Young Friends Executive Committee and Young Friends Conferences can be found in the Young Friends Handbook, available from Baltimore Yearly Meeting.
[Note: The Committee is working a revision to the current MoP description. We should ask them to include oversight of Junior Young Friends and Young Adult Friends in the revised copy.]
5. Camping Program Committee
The Camping Program Committee consists of approximately 18 persons nominated by the Nominating Committee and appointed by the Yearly Meeting, plus the directors of the camping programs, ex officio.
The Camping Program Committee oversees, coordinates, manages, and operates all of Yearly Meeting endeavors in the field of camping: philosophy, constituency, financing, and program emphasis--seeking to provide for all the various ages and interests of our Yearly Meeting through a variety of camping styles. The Committee is responsible for the employment of camp directors, for establishing specific camp staff salaries, and for evaluation of camp staff.
The Clerk or another member of the Camping Program Committee serves as a member of the Camp Property Management Committee. This Committee names an adult representative to serve on the Coordinating Council for Youth Programs.
6. Trustees
The Trustees, like other committees of the Meeting, are selected by the Meeting and are expected to act for the whole Meeting in carrying out their responsibilities under the law. Thus, while trustees must be conscious of their fiduciary obligation to preserve the assets of the Meeting, they must also be continuously sensitive to the spirit of the Meeting and its wish to fulfill the social testimonies of the Society of Friends. The Meeting, in turn, should be sensitive to the legal responsibilities of trustees which can, in certain circumstances, make them personally liable for actions taken in the name of the Meeting.
Faith and Practice, III B, 4b
Trustees and other financial officers should seek to be as responsive as possible, within the limits of legally imposed restrictions, to the considered judgment of the whole Meeting on matters of policy.
Faith and Practice, Appendix 1, 2b
The Yearly Meeting appoints Trustees in accordance with its corporate charter. These are at present nine in number: the current Presiding Clerk and Treasurer of the Yearly Meeting plus seven persons nominated by the Nominating Committee and appointed by the Yearly Meeting to serve for terms of three years, with the possibility of re-appointment for a second three-year term. The Trustees may not co-opt additional members.
The Trustees meet at least annually. They are responsible for title to all real property in the care of the Yearly Meeting, such as burying grounds, and for all matters concerned with the invested funds of the Yearly Meeting. All trust funds will, of course, be administered in accordance with the intentions of the original donors following the policy outlined in Faith and Practice, Appendix I, 3. The Trustees should report annually to the Yearly Meeting.
The Trustees are responsible for making awards of grants from the E. Reynolds Fund and the Sue Thomas Turner Fund, and for making loans from the Educational Funds. The Trustees may bring in advisors or consultants for this process.
The Trustees appoint a representative to the Fund for Conscience Subcommittee of the Peace and Social Concerns Committee. The Clerk, or another designated trustee, serves as a member of the Camp Property Management Committee.
8. Publications
The Publications Committee consists of five persons nominated by the Nominating Committee and appointed by the Yearly Meeting, plus the following members, ex officio: the Presiding Clerk, the Recording Clerks of the Yearly Meeting and the Representative Meeting, the editor of the Baltimore Young Friends Newsletter, and the General Secretary.
The immediate past Presiding Clerk should continue to serve on this Committee for one year. The Publications Committee is responsible for appointing an editor for the Interchange; this editor is not a member of this Committee.
The Publications Committee works with the Yearly Meeting staff to produce and distribute regularly the Advance Reports, the Yearbook, the Interchange, and Baltimore Young Friends Newsletter. It also assists the staff in the production and distribution of revisions to Faith and Practice and of the informational brochure. From time to time the Yearly Meeting or its Representative Meeting authorizes the publication of other documents and publications to be distributed within the Yearly Meeting or to the general public. These materials are produced and distributed by the staff with the assistance of this Committee.
After the annual sessions, the Yearbook volume is produced and distributed promptly. The minutes of the Yearly Meeting sessions are prepared under the care of the Yearly Meeting officers and staff. In the interest of accuracy and clarity, they may correct or annotate errors of nomenclature, fact, or grammar made under the pressure of Yearly Meeting sessions.
Responsibilities of this Committee may range from simple awareness of what is currently authorized for publication to initiation of needed publications, or to the recommendation of reimbursement for a particular task. The Committee may be asked by the Yearly Meeting staff or by the Supervisory Committee to review, prior to publication, reports or studies from committees or other bodies of the Yearly Meeting which are intended for wide distribution within the Yearly Meeting or to the general public. Committees of the Yearly Meeting are encouraged to consult with the Publications Committee as the need arises.
The Committee is responsible in seeing that the Manual of Procedure is revised and edited in a timely fashion, and for assembling a Web Site Working Group.
9. Finance & Property
The Stewardship and Finance Committee consists of 14 members nominated by the Nominating Committee and appointed by the Yearly Meeting, with careful attention to the special need of this Committee to be knowledgeable about the situation of all Monthly Meetings. Each Quarterly Meeting should be represented. In addition, the Treasurer and Assistant Treasurer are ex officio members of this Committee, and either the Treasurer or the Clerk of the Stewardship and Finance Committee from each local Meeting is a corresponding member.
The Committee each year prepares for Yearly Meeting consideration a budget and a plan of apportionment of the budget to the Monthly Meetings. At least every three years and whenever the Treasurer changes, it should arrange for a certified public accountant to audit the Treasurer's books and records, and those of any other group or individual having charge of the expenditure of funds. It has oversight of the accounting methods used and the adequacy of the financial reports given by the Treasurer, and it should make adequate provision for preservation of all assets of the Yearly Meeting not specifically managed by the Trustees.
The Committee is also responsible to establish a Camp Property Working Group (and Site Committees) that will develop a camp property operating budget and a camp capital budget for development and improvements of the properties.
This Committee also should keep all Monthly Meetings informed of the financial needs of the Yearly Meeting and aware of their responsibility to support adequately the activities of the Religious Society of Friends, including any special appeals from Friends General Conference and Friends United Meeting.
The Clerk or another member of the Stewardship and Finance Committee serves as a member of the Camp Property Management Committee.
10. Nominating
The Nominating Committee is composed of 21 persons, with at least one from each Quarterly Meeting. One-third of the Committee is nominated each year by the Representative Meeting for appointment by the Yearly Meeting. Quarterly Meetings may suggest the names of suitable persons from their membership to serve on the Nominating Committee.
The Committee recommends to the Yearly Meeting in session the names of persons to serve on committees and in other offices for which no other means of nomination has been herein provided. Unless otherwise specified, a three-year term is suggested for all committee members, one-third of the membership of a committee being appointed each year to serve from the close of the Yearly Meeting sessions at which they were appointed. Persons may be appointed to an office or committee for no more than six consecutive years, unless longer terms are specified.
Nominations may arise in the Nominating Committee, or may be suggested to the Committee by Quarterly or Monthly Meetings, by clerks or members of established committees, or by any member of the Yearly Meeting. Normally, persons eligible for nomination are members of Baltimore Yearly Meeting. However, the Nominating Committee may nominate Friends from other Yearly Meetings who are sojourning among us. On the recommendation of a Monthly Meeting, the Committee may nominate an active attender, except that appointments to other Friends' organizations must be limited to members of the Society of Friends if the applicable bylaws so specify.
In general, committees charged with a nominating function do not nominate any of their own members; in general, Friends should attempt to serve the Yearly Meeting on no more than one standing committee at a time. However, these principles should not prevent the nomination of a particularly well qualified Friend as a representative to an outside body or as a member of an ad hoc committee, after the Nominating Committee has given due consideration to other qualified Friends. Nothing in this Manual should be interpreted as barring any Friend from serving in a specific capacity when special circumstances warrant.
11. Program Committee
The Program Committee consists of nine persons nominated by the Nominating Committee and appointed by the Yearly Meeting, plus the following, ex. officio: the Presiding Clerk of the Yearly Meeting, the Clerk of Ministry and Counsel Committee, the General Secretary and Associate Secretary of the Yearly Meeting, the adult and youth Co-clerks of the Young Friends Yearly Meeting Program Planning Subcommittee, the clerk of Junior Yearly Meeting staff, and a registrar appointed by the Committee.
The Program Committee has oversight of all program plans for Yearly Meeting sessions, including Junior Yearly Meeting, the planning of the time schedule in detail, assigning places for all meetings, selecting guest speakers and special program events or delegating the selection to appropriate groups, and caring for the book room.
12. Friends in Education
Committees of Interim Meeting
- Search
- Ad Hoc Search
- Supervisory
Records Committee--replaced with an Archivist--approved by Interim Meeting, serves the Monthly Meetings and BYM office staff
Ad Hoc
Epistle--appointed by the Clerk at Yearly Meeting
Faith & Practice Revision--approved by the Yearly Meeting at the time of a significant revision to the F&P.
Howard shared the sense that we must not overburden our Nominating Committee, that we have in our current structure some vestiges of the consolidation of the two Baltimore Yearly Meetings, and that we have a number of Committees of limited scope that have been formed in response to specific concerns. The Task Group's proposed new committee structure was prepared with these points in mind.
Howard stated that Indian Affairs Committee is, in the proposal, separate from Social Order Committee because of the desire of those within the current Indian Affairs Committee to remain separate. Howard stated that the proposal would be presented at a Yearly Meeting Session no earlier than a year from now.
We heard a concern that the proposed Finance and Property Committee description lacks material on its stewardship function. We heard a sense that work on gay, lesbian, and bisexual concerns might more appropriately be carried out under the Social Order Committee. We heard a concern that the proposal lacks material on embraced Friends. We heard that the "property" entry under "Finance and Property" denotes an oversight responsibility; work centered on specific camps would, as now, be carried out by groups dedicated to those camps.
Howard noted that the diagram should include "Manual of Procedure" under "Publications."
We learned that the Task Group's sense is that Nominating Committee would be responsible only for finding people with interest in the general work of Committees such as Ministry and Oversight or Social Order, not with finding people to address all the specific concerns listed under such Committees. Howard stated the sense that all Committees have their Clerks designated by Nominating Committee, not just those Committees so shown in the proposed committee structure document.
We heard that the Task Group has received communication regarding and is aware of restructuring that has occurred in Philadelphia Yearly Meeting; the Task Group is not attempting to do what Philadelphia Yearly Meeting did, since the circumstances of the two Yearly Meetings are very different. (In particular, Philadelphia Yearly Meeting has Friends mostly from a single state while we have Friends from three states and the District of Columbia.)
We heard a sense that we need not make all proposed changes at once. We heard a concern that oversight committees such as Ministry and Worship or Social Order would need to make Nominating Committee aware of who was carrying out specific work.
We DIRECTED the Task Group to present an interest group on proposed committee structure at our upcoming annual session. The Task Group foresees small group discussion of proposed committee structure at our 10/2001 Yearly Meeting Day.
We FORWARDED to our upcoming annual session the Task Group's recommendation to change the name of Representative Meeting to Interim Meeting and to direct Manual of Procedure Committee to eliminate language limiting who is part of Representative Meeting.
R2001-25 Stewardship and Finance: Marion Ballard, Clerk of Stewardship and Finance, reported. The Committee is to present an interest group at our upcoming annual session.
R2001-26 Ad Hoc Search Committee: Winifred Walker-Jones reported on behalf of the Ad Hoc Search Committee. At the Committee's recommendation, we NAMED Ann Marie Moriarty and Carolyn Unger to continue service on Search Committee of Representative Meeting through 2004.
R2001-27 Camping Exchange: Katrina Mason reported on behalf of a group focused on a camping exchange between Baltimore Yearly Meeting and Torreon/Star Lake Chapter. Baltimore Yearly Meeting Friends (including Ann Maliterno, Michael Hawes, Faith Funkhauser, Ben Murphy-Grenoble, and Peter Brown) are to travel to Torreon/Star Lake one week from our meeting today; people from Torreon/Star Lake will then be traveling here. The group is seeking to raise an additional $4,000 to fund the exchange; it has already received welcome grants and gifts in kind from a number of sources.
R2001-28 Friends in Education Committee: Ann Wilcox reported on behalf of the Friends in Education Committee. Ann handed out a draft charge for the Friends in Education Committee:
The Friends in Education Committee consists of a minimum of nine members nominated by the Nominating Committee and appointed by the Yearly Meeting for staggered three-year terms. In addition, individuals may be coopted to serve on the committee.
The Charge to the Committee: To support and nurture the schooling of young people consistent with the beliefs and practices of the Religious Society of Friends. The Committee promotes outreach and networking among the Friends schools in the Baltimore Yearly Meeting, and serves as a resource on Quaker values in the educational setting. The Committee also supports Friends who are home schooling or involved in public schools. We cooperate with the Friends Council on Education and other organizations providing support to Friends schools and Friends involved in educational endeavors.
Committee Objectives:
- To support Friends who have an interest in education, including Friends schools, public schools and home schooling;
- To facilitate and support periodic gatherings of Friends in educational endeavors;
- To serve as a network between schools and the local Quaker community, to foster relationships between schools and Yearly Meeting committees, Monthly Meetings, and Friends working in educational settings;
- To conduct a visitation program in which BYM members visit Friends schools to support and nurture the Quaker character of the schools;
- To offer resources and support to individuals or groups interested in starting a Friends school within Baltimore Yearly Meeting;
- To provide information about available financial aid sources;
- To encourage young Friends to consider education as a career, and to encourage Friends to take leadership roles in education;
- To report annually to Baltimore Yearly Meeting.
We FORWARDED this proposed Manual of Procedure addition to our upcoming annual session.
R2001-29 Nurture and Recognition of Ministry: Sharon Stout, Co-Clerk of Nurture and Recognition of Ministry, reported. After their use since our most recent annual session as working guidelines, the Committee has prepared revised guidelines on embracing the ministry of Friends. Sharon handed out copies of the revised guidelines, which are to appear in the advance reports for our upcoming annual session. We THANKED the Committee for its work on the guidelines. We heard a sense that material in the guidelines has general usefulness.
R2001-30 Presiding Clerk of Yearly Meeting: Lamar Matthew, Presiding Clerk of Baltimore Yearly Meeting, reported. Lamar asked Friends to register early for our upcoming annual session and to have matters of business to be considered in Lamar's hands by 7/12/2001.
R2001-31 Manual of Procedure: Winifred Walker-Jones, on behalf of Manual of Procedure Committee, reported. Winnie handed out proposed changes to the Manual of Procedure:
Key: Underline = Addition
Strikeout = Removed
Italic = Manual of Procedure's Committee Recommendation
ADVANCEMENT AND OUTREACH COMMITTEE
The Advancement and Outreach Committee consists of approximately 24 nine members nominated by the Nominating Committee and appointed by the Yearly Meeting with careful consideration of the special need of this Committee to be knowledgeable about the situation of all Monthly Meetings care to name Friends who are familiar with Monthly Meetings throughout the Yearly Meeting.
This Committee is concerned with and active in the nurture and strengthening of local Meetings, in the development of new Meetings, and in taking the message of Friends to those outside our membership. This may be done through visitation, correspondence, conferences, retreats, and other appropriate means. provides tools and resources to local Meetings looking for outreach ideas, for help starting new meetings and for ways to help those new to Friends learn about the Religious Society of Friends. The Committee works with the Publications Committee to assure that useful information about Baltimore Yearly Meeting, its local Meetings and the Religious Society of Friends is available from the Yearly Meeting website and other Yearly Meeting publications.
The Committee appoints two of its members to serve on the Ethel Reynolds Fund Committee for one-year terms. It also names one member to serve on the Sue Thomas Turner Quaker Education Fund Committee for a two-year term.
RIGHT SHARING OF WORLD RESOURCES COMMITTEE
--revisions approved by Committee 3/23/01
The Right Sharing of World Resources Committee is composed of 15 members nominated by the Nominating Committee and appointed by the Yearly Meeting. In addition, individuals may be co-opted to serve on the Committee, particularly from those local Meetings not otherwise represented.
This Committee should keep alive throughout the Yearly Meeting membership the challenge to simplify our lives and to share with people in the developing countries our financial resources and our own lives and experiences. This Committee, with the guidance of and in cooperation with works with the independent Quaker organization Right Sharing of World Resources, Inc. and facilitates the coordination and exchange of information to meet these concerns. It provides support for community development and self-help programs throughout the world. The Committee raises funds for these programs though activities such as simple meals.
The Committee also works with Monthly Meetings to address these concerns. It may also bring to the attention of the Yearly Meeting other international concerns which affect relationships between the economically developed and less-developed countries.
PEACE AND SOCIAL CONCERNS COMMITTEE
(At the recommendation of the Trustees and the Peace and Social Concerns Committee, Representative Meeting approved laying down the Fund for Conscience Subcommittee and transferring the balance in the Fund to the Fund for Education and Training. The following changes to the last two paragraphs of the Peace and Social Concerns Committee description are recommended.)
A Fund for Conscience was established by Baltimore Yearly Meeting in 1986. The purpose of the Fund is was to support those members and regular attenders of Meetings within Baltimore Yearly Meeting who may might be punished or denied government assistance in areas including, but not limited to, education because of a decision of conscience, such as not to register for Selective Service, not to pay taxes for military purposes, or to participate non-violently in a peace and justice protest. In 2001 the balance in this Fund was transferred to the independent Fund for Education and Training where the monies are still available for use as above.
The Fund for Conscience Subcommittee oversees the Fund, publicizing it, making appropriate referrals, and making loans or grants consistent with its purpose. The Subcommittee is convened by the Clerk of the Peace mid Social Concerns Committee. The members include the Clerk and one additional member of the Peace and Social Concerns Committee, a high school youth representing the Youth Programs Committee, and representatives of Young Adult Friends and of Trustees.
PUBLICATIONS COMMITTEE
(We recommend placing the following paragraphs at the end of the section to include the Web publishing responsibilities in the Publications Committee section)
The Publications Committee has oversight of publishing on the Internet and the Yearly Meeting web site, which has been active since April 20, 1997. It selects a Web Site Coordinator who meets with the Committee as appropriate. Responsibilities include assisting Yearly Meeting committees, Monthly Meetings, and Quaker schools to establish and maintain a web presence. As with other Yearly Meeting publications, materials on the Yearly Meeting web site will be reviewed by the Publications Committee.
The Website Coordinator is responsible for:
- making sure that the web server is running properly
- designing the web site
- creating and updating web pages
- replying to user feedback
- monitoring traffic through the site.
YOUTH PROGRAMS COMMITTEE
The Youth Programs Committee consists of eight to ten adults nominated by the Nominating Committee and appointed by Yearly Meeting and a two Young Friends appointed by Young Friends Conference Business Meeting, the Young Friends Conference Clerks and the. Young Friends Yearly Meeting Program Planners. The adult Co-clerks and the youth Co-clerks of the Young Friends Conference Subcommittee, the Young Friends Yearly Meeting Program Planning Subcommittee, Young Quakes United Subcommittee, and of the regional youth oversight committees server on this Committee. The regional youth coordinators, the Yearly Meeting YouthQuake representative, and the Associate Youth Secretary are also ex officio members of the Youth Programs Committee.
The Youth Programs Committee oversees and coordinates all Yearly Meeting youth programs other than camping programs and junior Yearly Meeting for junior high/middle school and high school youth, with the exception of the Camping Program and Junior Yearly Meeting. and provides for the various needs of those youth. It provides advice and support for the Youth Secretary. To do these things the Committee will:
- Recruit, in conjunction with the Young Friends, and mentor adults in Baltimore Yearly Meeting who have a leading to work with Young Friends in the Yearly Meeting.
- Support the Youth Secretary in the coordinating and communicating with Junior Yearly Meeting and other Yearly Meeting Committees involved in youth programs.
- Review and revise as needed the health and safety standards for Baltimore Yearly Meeting youth events and procedures for dealing with physical, verbal and sexual abuse or harassment which have been brought to the Young Friends Executive Committee or the Youth Programs Committee. Revisions will be approved by a Young Friends Conference Business Meeting.
By providing retreats, workshops, and consultation, the Youth Programs Committee facilitates the training, nurturing, mid support of adults who work with the junior high/middle school and high school youth of Baltimore Yearly Meeting.
The Committee meets twice a year or as necessary. The bulk of its work is done through the Young Friends Conference Subcommittee, the Young Friends Yearly Meeting Program Planning Subcommittee, the Young Quakes United Planning Subcommittee, the Regional Youth Programs Oversight Subcommittee, and other subcommittees as deemed necessary.
The Youth Programs Committee appoints a Baltimore Yearly Meeting high school youth as a representative to the Fund for Conscience Subcommittee of the Peace and Social Concerns Committee. The adult and youth Co-clerks of the Young Friends Yearly Meeting Program Planning Subcommittee. The Young Friends Yearly Meeting Planners serve on the Program Committee.
The Youth Programs Committee names an adult representative to serve on the Coordinating Council for Youth Programs. One adult representative to serve on the Coordinating Council for Youth Programs is also named by each of the following: the Young Friends Conference Subcommittee, the Young Friends Yearly Meeting Program Planning Subcommittee, and the Young Quakes United Planning Subcommittee.
Every three years, according to the YouthQuake cycle, the Youth Programs Committee recommends the name of an adult to the Nominating Committee for appointment by the Yearly Meeting to serve a three-year-term as the Yearly Meeting representative to the YouthQuake Planning Committee.
The Young Friends Executive Committee is nominated and appointed by the Young Friends Conference Business Meeting and works under the care of the Young Friends Conference Subcommittee to facilitate conferences. To encourage youth to participate actively in the affairs of Yearly Meeting, the Young Friends Executive Committee Clerk is a member of Representative Meeting. Details of the procedures of the Young Friends Executive Committee and Young Friends Conferences can be found in the Young Friends Handbook, available from Baltimore Yearly Meeting.
PROGRAM COMMITTEE (p.34)
The Program Committee consists of nine persons nominated by the Nominating Committee and appointed by the Yearly Meeting, plus the following, ex officio: the Presiding Clerk of the Yearly Meeting, the Clerk of Ministry and Counsel Committee, the General Secretary and Associate Youth Secretary of the Yearly Meeting, the adult and youth Co-clerks of the Young Friends Yearly Meeting Program Planning Subcommittee the Young Friends Yearly Meeting Program Planners, the clerk of Junior Yearly Meeting staff, and a registrar appointed by the Committee.
YOUNG ADULT FRIENDS, page 48
(The last paragraph of the description for this Special Group lists other groups with a representative from Young Adult Friends.)
Young Adult Friends appoints a representative to the Fund for Conscience Sub-committee of the Peace and Social Concerns Committee. It also names a representative to serve on the Coordinating Council for Youth Programs. Young Adult Friends suggests names each year to the Nominating Committee for appointment by the Yearly Meeting of a young adult representative to Young Friends of North America's regional meetings and annual conference. Travel support for this representative is included in the Yearly Meeting budget.
FAMILIES OF DIVERSITY--Special Group, page 47
(This group has been inactive for several years. We recommend removing it from the Manual. The only other references to this group to be removed are in the lists of Special Groups and in the index.)
Trustees page 6-7
(We have now come to the time when all Trustees appointed for 7 year terms have completed their service, therefore we need to remove the paragraph about their terms of service.)
Last paragraph on p. 6: Trustees serving at the time of adoption of this change (August 1 995) will each serve out the full seven-year term for which appointed. All new appointments will be for three years.
Last paragraph on p. 7: The trustees appoint a representative to the Fund for Conscience Subcommittee of the Peace and Social Concerns Committee. The clerk, or another designated trustee, serves as a member of the Camp Property Management Committee.
COORDINATING COUNCIL YOUTH PROGRAMS [p.49]
(This special Group has not been functioning for some time and should be removed from the Manual of Procedures. We recommend removing page 49 of the present Manual where this group is described, and removing references to the CCYP from the rest of the Manual.)
(The main references include:)
Page 4: Officers--Presiding Clerk: paragraph 2, sentence 3: The Clerk also serves as a member of the Supervisory Committee, the Program Committee, the Trustees, the Publications Committee, and the Coordinating Council for Youth Programs, and, in accordance with the provision of Friends General Conference, is a member of the Central Committee of that body.
Page 4: Officers--Clerk of Representative Meeting: last paragraph, remove the last sentence: The Clerk of Representative Meeting serves as a member of the Coordinating Council for Youth Programs.
Page 20: Camping Program Committee: last paragraph, remove the last sentence: This Committee names an adult representative to serve on the Coordinating Council for Youth Programs.
Page 32: Peace and Social Concerns Committee, section on Voluntary Service Subcommittee: third paragraph, last sentence: The Subcommittee names an adult representative to serve on Coordinating Council for Youth Programs.
Page 38: Religious Education Committee, last paragraph should read: The Committee names an adult representative to serve on the coordinating Council for Youth Programs, appoints two persons to serve on the Ethel Reynolds Fund Committee for one-year terms, and names a member to serve on the Sue Thomas Turner Quaker Education Fund Committee for a two-year term.
Page 48: Young Adult Friends: last paragraph, second sentence: It also names a representative to serve on the Coordinating Council for Youth Programs.
(Also remove CCYP from the list of Special Groups in the Table of Contents, the list on page 45 and from the index (page 73).)
We FORWARDED the proposed changes on Advancement and Outreach Committee to our upcoming annual session. We RETURNED the proposed changes on Right Sharing of World Resources to that Committee and to Manual of Procedure Committee, asking them to consider the size of the Committee and language regarding less-developed countries (in particular, how such language might include less-developed areas within our own country). We RETURNED the proposed change on Peace and Social Concerns Committee to Manual of Procedure Committee, to determine whether material on laid-down funds should appear in the Manual of Procedure.
On behalf of the Yearly Meeting, we LAID DOWN the Fund for Conscience Subcommittee.
We FORWARDED to our upcoming annual session the proposed changes regarding Publications Committee. We RETURNED the proposed changes on Youth Programs Committee and Program Committee to Manual of Procedure Committee, asking for clearer language on who makes up Youth Programs Committee and on recruiting and mentoring responsibilities of the Youth Programs Committee. We FORWARDED to our upcoming annual session the proposed changes on Young Adult Friends, Families of Diversity, Trustees, and the Coordinating Council for Youth Programs.
We THANKED the Committee for its work.
R2001-32 General Secretary: Frank Massey, Baltimore Yearly Meeting's General Secretary, reported. Frank urged Friends to register early for our upcoming annual session. Camping activities for this year are underway. Frank reported that about 14 Meetings, three schools, and William Penn House are participating in a master insurance policy; other Meetings can join.
Frank handed out a sketch of proposed changes to the Yearly Meeting Office. The major elements are conversion of the current conference room to two offices and removal of the wall between the kitchen and work room. The changes do not address the need for additional space for records. If the proposed changes were made, Yearly Meeting religious education materials in the library would be offered to small Meetings; Committee meetings would need to moved to other locations, with means for reserving these locations publicized. We RECOMMENDED to our upcoming annual session that up to $8,000 be expended from our operating surplus for Yearly Meeting Office renovations. The Clerk of Stewardship and Finance Committee undertook to have that Committee consider the matter of how to approve non-budgeted expenditures.
We EMPOWERED the General Secretary to make Yearly Meeting communications available by electronic means to those who want them in that form.
R2001-33 Closing: We heard of the 6/3/2001 meeting marking the expansion of Deer Creek Meeting House. We heard, corrected, and APPROVED these minutes, along with the attachment of written versions of reports given. We ADJOURNED, to gather next on 10/20/2001 at the Sandy Spring Meeting House in Sandy Spring, Maryland, or at the call of the Presiding Clerk.
Marjorie F. Scott, presiding Arthur David Olson, recording