DOCUMENTS in RETROSPECT Yearly Meeting 2018 7-14 July 2018 Avondale College Campus, Cooranbong NSW
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The Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in Australia Inc. DOCUMENTS in RETROSPECT Yearly Meeting 2018 7-14 July 2018 Avondale College Campus, Cooranbong NSW Photo by Geoff Greeves (SANTRM) Published by Australia Yearly Meeting 119 Devonshire Street, Surry Hills NSW 2010 Contents Abbreviations, Terms and Definitions 5 Yearly Meeting 2018 Epistles 8 Yearly Meeting 2018 Epistle to Friends Everywhere 8 2018 Yearly Meeting Children’s Program Epistle 10 2018 Yearly Meeting Junior Young Friends Epistle 11 Yearly Meeting 2018 Minutes 13 Formal Session 1: 7.30pm Saturday 7 July 13 YM18.1 Opening worship 13 YM18.2 Acknowledgement of Country Minute of Record 13 YM18.3 Clerking of Yearly Meeting 2018 13 YM18.4 Welcome to those participating in Yearly Meeting 13 YM18.5 Appointment of Assistant Co-Clerks 13 YM18.6 Appointments for the duration of YM18 14 YM18.7 Yearly Meeting timetable and agenda 15 YM18.8 Timeframe for Greetings from YM17 16 YM18.9 Letters and media releases sent on behalf of AYM 16 Formal Session 2: 7.15pm Sunday 8 July 18 YM18.10 State of the Society address: Minute of Record 18 YM18.11 Greetings sent to YM18 18 YM18.12 Backhouse Lecturer 2019 18 YM18.13 AYM Presiding Clerk’s Report 18 YM18.14 AYM Secretary’s Report 19 YM18.15 Acceptance of Reports that have no matters for consideration at YM18 19 YM18.16 Friends in Stitches publication launch Minute of Record 19 YM18.17 Nominations Committee Report 19 Formal Session 3: 9.30am Tuesday 10 July 20 YM18.18 Testimonies 20 YM18.19 Summary of Epistles 20 YM18.20 AYM Nominations 20 YM18.21 AYM Treasurer’s Report 21 YM18.22 Report by the AYM representative to A/NZ Yearly Meeting 21 YM18.23 Peace Reports Preparatory Session Report 21 Formal Session 4: 9.30am Wednesday 11 July 21 YM18.24 Meeting for Remembrance Minute of Record 22 YM18.25 Testimony 22 YM18.26 AYM Nominations Report 22 YM18.27 The Friends’ School Appointment of Elective Director 23 YM18.28 Appointments since YM17 as recommended by Standing Committee 23 YM18.29 Child Protection Preparatory Session Report 23 YM18.30 Quaker Narrative Embroidery Committee (Friends in Stitches) Preparatory Session Report 24 Formal Session 5: 9.30am Thursday 12 July 25 YM18.31 Testimony 25 YM18.32 Greetings to YM18 25 YM18.33 Quaker Narrative Embroidery Committee (Friends in Stitches) Preparatory Session Report 25 YM18.34 Earthcare Preparatory Session Report 25 YM18.35 Quaker Service Australia and the Linkages Sub-Committee Preparatory Session Report 25 YM18.36 Backhouse Lecture Minute of Record 26 YM18.37 First Nations Peoples Concerns Committee Preparatory Session Report 26 YM18.38 Handbook Revision Committee Report 27 Formal Session 6: Thursday 13 July 2.00pm 27 YM18.39 Testimony 27 YM18.40 Nominations 27 YM18.41 Winter School Sessions Minute of Record 28 2 YM18.42 Publications Committee Report 28 YM18.43 Special Preparatory Session on the Government’s Arms Export Policy Report 28 YM18.44 FWCC Committee Report 29 YM18.45 Peace Witness Activities Minute of Record 29 Formal Session 7: Friday 14 July 9.30am 30 YM18.46 Junior Young Friends 30 YM18.47 Testimony 30 YM18.48 Penn Friends Minute of Record 30 YM18.49 First Reading of the Epistle from YM18 30 YM18.50 Safe Quaker Community Committee Report 30 YM18.51 Ecumenism, Interfaith and NCCA Reports 31 YM17.52 Young Friends Report 31 YM18.53 Quaker Narrative Embroidery Committee (Friends in Stitches) 31 Formal Session 8: Friday 14 July 2.00pm 32 YM18.54 Testimony 32 YM18.55 The Friends’ School Preparatory Session Report 32 YM18.56 Quaker Learning Australia and Meeting for Learning 32 YM18.57 Children and JYF Committee Report 33 YM18.58 Silver Wattle Quaker Centre Preparatory Session Report 33 Formal Session 9: Saturday 9 July 9.30am 34 YM18.59 Greetings 34 YM18.60 The Second Reading of the YM18 Epistle 34 YM18.61 Children and JYF Committee Preparatory Session Report 34 YM18.62 IT Committee Report 34 YM18.63 Right Holding of Yearly Meeting and Yearly Meeting Planning Support Committee 35 YM18.64 Australian Friends Fellowship of Healing Minute of Record 36 YM18.65 Share and Tell Sessions Minute of Record 37 YM18.74 Closing Minute 37 Appendices to the Minutes 38 Australia Yearly Meeting appointments as at July 2018 38 State of the Society Address 41 Summary of Epistles from other Yearly Meetings 46 PREPARATORY SESSION REPORTS 49 Australian Quaker Narrative Embroidery (Friends in Stitches) Preparatory Session Report 49 Children’s and JYFs Committee Preparatory Session Report 50 Child Protection Preparatory Session Report 51 Earthcare Preparatory Session Report 53 Ecumenism, Interfaith, and NCCA Preparatory Session Report 53 First Nations Peoples’ Concerns Committee Preparatory Session Report 55 The Friends’ School and Quaker Values Committee Presentation Report 56 Friends World Committee for Consultation (FWCC) Preparatory Session 57 Handbook Revision Committee Preparatory Session Report 59 IT Committee Preparatory Session 62 Peace Reports Preparatory Session 63 Publications Committee Preparatory Session 65 Quaker Learning Australia and Meeting for Learning Preparatory Session 65 Quaker Service Australia and QSA Linkages Sub-Committee Preparatory Session 66 Safe Quaker Community Preparatory Session 67 Silver Wattle Quaker Centre Report Session 68 Arms Exports Policy Preparatory Session (Special Session) 69 REPORTS FROM THE FORMAL SESSIONS 71 Letter from Presiding Clerk to Friends Gathered at Yearly Meeting 2018 (Ref. YM18.11) 71 Greetings from the Friends World Committee for Consultation (FWCC) (Ref: YM18.11) 71 Report from Australia Yearly Meeting 2018 Representative to Aotearoa / New Zealand Yearly Meeting 2018 (Ref: YM18.22) 73 A Letter from Pamela Leach to Friends Gathered for Yearly Meeting 2018, for the launch of From Fear to Hope (Ref: YM18.23) 74 Peace Actions by Regional Meetings (Ref: YM18.23) 75 3 Letter to the Prime Minister regarding the Uluru Statement 80 from the Heart (Ref: YM18.37) 80 NCCA Faith and Unity Commission Report (Ref: YM18.51) 81 Australian Young Friends Report 2018 (Ref: YM18.52) 82 Australian Junior Young Friend Statement (Ref: YM18.57) 83 Report from Joint Meetings of the Right Holding of Yearly Meeting and the Yearly Meeting Planning Support Committees (Ref: YM18.63) 84 OTHER REPORTS 85 Turning Points Winter School Reports: Summary 85 Share and Tell Session Reports: Summary 87 STANDING COMMITTEE MINUTES 89 SC7.18.1 Introductory Matters 90 SC7.18.2 Use of urgent decision-making procedures for AYM appointments 90 Section A: Reports with financial implications 92 SC7.18.3 AYM Treasurer’s Report and Budget report 92 Section B: For decision and recommendation to Yearly Meeting 92 SC7.18.4 Right Holding of Yearly Meeting Committee 92 SC7.18.5 AYM Appointments 92 SC7.18.6 Special Session at Yearly Meeting on increased weapons exports government policy 92 SC7.18.7 Acknowledging new members at Yearly Meeting 93 SC7.18.8 Drafting Letter addressing government rejection of Uluru Statement from the Heart 93 SC7.18.9 Draft Statement of Principles and Procedures from Yearly Meeting Archivist 93 SC7.18.10 Appointments for the duration of Yearly Meeting 93 SC7.18.11 Participation of non-Members at YM18 95 SC7.18.12 Names of Friends who have died since YM17 to be read during the Meeting for Remembrance at YM18 95 SC7.18.13 Changes to the timetable of YM 2018 96 SC7.18.14 Arrangements for reading testimonies at YM18 96 SC7.18.15 Statements on behalf of Australia Yearly Meeting 96 SC7.18.16 Greetings from Yearly Meeting 98 SC7.18.17 Future Mid-Year Standing Committees 98 SC7.18.18 Future Yearly Meetings 98 SC7.18.19 Visitors to Australia Yearly Meeting 2018 98 Part C: For noting 99 SC7.18.20 Appointments 99 SC7.18.21 Yearly Meeting Responsibilities 99 Section D: General Fund Budget 100 Appendix 1 102 Yearly Meeting Archivist Report 102 YEARLY MEETING 2018 REGISTRATION 104 4 Abbreviations, Terms and Definitions AF: The Australian Friend, the journal of Australia Yearly Meeting, is published online and in print in March, June, September and December. The editorial committee is under the care of a Regional Meeting. AFFH: Australian Friends Fellowship of Healing, a national group interested in healing, whose Members are Friends, but which is a separately incorporated body. AVP: Alternatives to Violence Project, begun by Friends, is now a separate organisation. AYM: Australia Yearly Meeting/YM Yearly Meeting. Australia Yearly Meeting is generally used as the abbreviated name of Australia Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in Australia Incorporated. The words ‘Yearly Meeting’ are used to describe the annual meeting of Australian Friends. Regional Meetings host this meeting, on a rotating basis. AYM Committees and Working Groups: A list of all AYM Committees and Working Groups, with the names of all Committee Members, is printed in Documents in Advance, and updated in Documents in Retrospect, and at http://www.quakersaustralia.info/ in the Members’ section. BL: James Backhouse Lecture. This is an annual lecture, which aims to bring fresh insights into truth, often with reference to the needs and aspirations of Australian Quakerism. It is usually presented at the time of Yearly Meeting, and is named after an English Quaker who travelled extensively in Australia from 1832 to 1837. The printed form of the lecture goes on sale at Yearly Meeting immediately after the delivery of the Backhouse Lecture and is available during Yearly Meeting and afterwards from Interactive Publications http://ipoz.biz/Titles/Quakers.htm. DAQB: The Dictionary of Australian Quaker Biography includes Testimonies to the Grace of God in the lives of many Australian Friends and other biographical information. These are available on our web page www.quakersaustralia.info, together with biographies of some prominent Quakers from around the world.