The Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in Australia Inc. DOCUMENTS in RETROSPECT Yearly Meeting 3 - 10 January 2015 Queen’s College, University of Melbourne, Melbourne Photo by Lloyd Godman (VRM) Printed and distributed from Australia Yearly Meeting Office PO Box 556, Kenmore Q 4069 Documents in Retrospect 2015 Contents Abbreviations, Terms and Definitions ...................................................................................................... 4 YEARLY MEETING 2015 EPISTLES ............................................................................. 6 YEARLY MEETING 2015 MINUTES .............................................................................. 9 Formal Session 1: 7.00pm Saturday 3 January ...................................................................................... 9 YM15.1: Acknowledgment of Country ................................................................................................. 9 YM15.2: Opening worship ................................................................................................................... 9 YM15.3: Welcome to those participating in Yearly Meeting ................................................................ 9 YM15.4: Assistant Clerk ...................................................................................................................... 9 YM15.5: Appointments for the duration of YM15 ............................................................................... 10 YM15.6: Timeframe for greetings from Yearly Meeting ..................................................................... 11 YM15.7: Yearly Meeting timetable and agenda ................................................................................. 11 YM15.8: AYM Nominations Committee ............................................................................................. 12 YM15.9: Letters and media releases sent on behalf of AYM ............................................................ 12 YM15.10: The Friends’ School Board appointments ......................................................................... 13 YM15.11: Dictionary of Australian Quaker Biography (DAQB) Online Project .................................. 14 YM15.12: Backhouse Lecturer 2016 ................................................................................................. 14 Formal Session 2: 7.00pm Sunday 4 January ....................................................................................... 14 YM15.13: State of the Society address: minute of record ................................................................. 14 YM15.14: Introductions and greetings to YM15 ................................................................................ 15 YM15.15: AYM Nominations Committee ........................................................................................... 15 YM15.16: Request that Regional Meetings establish and maintain standard registers of all commitment ceremonies, including marriages .................................................................................. 15 YM15.17: Nominating authorities of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) .............................. 16 YM15.18: NATSIEC donations .......................................................................................................... 16 YM15.19: AYM Presiding Clerk’s Report ........................................................................................... 16 YM15.20: AYM Secretary’s Report .................................................................................................... 16 YM15.21: AYM Treasurer’s Report ................................................................................................... 16 YM15.22: Acceptance of reports which have no matters for consideration at YM15 ........................ 17 Formal Session 3: 9.30am Tuesday 6 January ..................................................................................... 17 YM15.23: Testimony .......................................................................................................................... 17 Formal Session 4: 9.30am Wednesday 8 January ................................................................................ 17 YM15.24: Meeting for Remembrance ................................................................................................ 17 YM15.25: Testimony .......................................................................................................................... 18 YM15.26: Summary of Epistles ......................................................................................................... 18 YM15.27: Right holding of Yearly Meeting ........................................................................................ 18 YM15.28: AYM Nominations Committee ........................................................................................... 20 YM15.29: Quaker Peace & Legislation Committee and Peace & Social Justice Fund Committee ... 20 Formal Session 5: 9.30am Thursday 7 January .................................................................................... 21 YM15.30: Testimony .......................................................................................................................... 21 YM15.31: Earthcare ........................................................................................................................... 21 YM15.32: Investment Concern .......................................................................................................... 22 Formal Session 6: Thursday 8 January 2.00pm .................................................................................... 22 YM15.33: Testimony .......................................................................................................................... 22 YM15.34: First reading of the Epistle from YM15 .............................................................................. 22 YM15.35: Proposed new entry in the Handbook for Silver Wattle Quaker Centre ............................ 23 YM15.36: Proposed changes to Handbook sections on Testimonies to the Grace of God (s. 4.8.5) and Dictionary of Australian Quaker Biography (s.5.5.3) .................................................................. 24 YM15.37: The Australian Friend and AYM Publications Committee ................................................. 24 YM15.38: Respectful Relationships ................................................................................................... 25 YM15.39: Quaker Learning Australia (QLA) ...................................................................................... 26 YM15.40: Refugees and asylum seekers .......................................................................................... 26 Formal Session 7: Friday 9 January 9.30am ......................................................................................... 27 2 Documents in Retrospect 2015 YM15.41: Testimony .......................................................................................................................... 27 YM15.42: First Nations Peoples Concerns ........................................................................................ 27 YM15.43: Australian Friends Fellowship of Healing .......................................................................... 30 YM15.44: Australian Quaker Survey: minute of record ..................................................................... 30 Formal Session 8: Friday 9 January 2.00pm ......................................................................................... 31 YM15.45: Second reading of the Epistle from YM15 ......................................................................... 31 YM15.46: Quaker Service Australia (QSA) ....................................................................................... 31 YM15.47: Backhouse Lecture: minute of record ............................................................................... 32 YM15.48: Ecumenism and interfaith .................................................................................................. 32 YM15.49: Recognition of Australia’s Frontier Wars in Anzac Day ceremonies: request for a letter to the Prime Minister and others ............................................................................................................ 33 YM15.50: Nominations ...................................................................................................................... 33 YM15.51: AYM FWCC Committee .................................................................................................... 33 Formal Session 9: Saturday 10 January 9.30am .................................................................................. 34 YM15.52: AYM Children’s and Junior Young Friends Committee ..................................................... 34 YM15.53: Child Protection ................................................................................................................. 34 YM15.54: Friends Peace Teams ....................................................................................................... 35 YM15.55: Information Technology Committee .................................................................................. 36 YM15.56: Friends in Stitches: A snapshot, January 2015 ................................................................. 36 YM15.57: Silver Wattle Quaker Presentation: minute of record .......................................................