i North Scotland Quaker NOTEBOOK Shetland Westray & Papa Westray Orkney Caithness & Brora Forres Dingwall Skye Inverness Nairn Breakish (Skye LM) Aberdeen Banchory Lochaber & Lorn October 2020 ii Contributions Index STRUCTURES .......................................................................................................................................................... 4 What is Britain Yearly Meeting (BYM)? ......................................................................................................... 4 What is Area Meeting? .................................................................................................................................. 5 What is Meeting for Sufferings? .................................................................................................................... 5 What is General Meeting for Scotland? ........................................................................................................ 7 What is Junior Yearly Meeting? ..................................................................................................................... 8 What is Young Friends General Meeting? ..................................................................................................... 9 What is Quaker Life? ................................................................................................................................... 10 POSTHOLDERS ...................................................................................................................................................... 10 Who does what in Area Meeting? ............................................................................................................... 10 Who are our Area Meeting Trustees and what do they do?....................................................................... 12 What are Elders and Overseers? ................................................................................................................. 13 What is the role of Elders and Overseers? .................................................................................................. 15 What’s the role of the Quaker Parliamentary Engagement Officer? .......................................................... 16 TERMINOLOGY ..................................................................................................................................................... 17 What is Discernment? ................................................................................................................................. 17 What is a Threshing Meeting? ..................................................................................................................... 18 What is Safeguarding? ................................................................................................................................. 18 What is the Peace Testimony? .................................................................................................................... 19 Who, or what, is a birthright Quaker? ......................................................................................................... 20 Where is Pendle Hill and why is it important to Quakers? ......................................................................... 21 What and where is Woodbrooke? .............................................................................................................. 22 What are the Quaker testimonies? ............................................................................................................. 23 COMMITTEES/MEETINGS ..................................................................................................................................... 24 What and where is the ‘Shindig’? ................................................................................................................ 24 Can I go to Area Meeting? ........................................................................................................................... 24 Can anyone go to a Quaker Meeting? ......................................................................................................... 25 How Does Our Area Meeting Work? ........................................................................................................... 25 Quaker Funerals .......................................................................................................................................... 26 What is Quaker Peace and Social Witness? (QPSW) ................................................................................... 27 What is the difference between a Local Meeting and a Worshipping Group? ........................................... 28 What is the Northern Friends Peace Board? ............................................................................................... 29 PUBLICATIONS ...................................................................................................................................................... 30 What Quaker publications are there? ......................................................................................................... 30 How can I find out more about famous Quakers like George Fox and Elizabeth Fry? ................................ 31 Where can I find more information on George Fox, Elizabeth Fry & other early Quakers? ....................... 32 What is the Membership Handbook? ......................................................................................................... 33 What are the Advices and Queries? ............................................................................................................ 34 MONEY ................................................................................................................................................................. 35 How is the Religious Society of Friends financed? ...................................................................................... 35 Is there any financial help for Friends in need? .......................................................................................... 36 GENERAL .............................................................................................................................................................. 37 Is Meeting for Worship the same as meditation? ....................................................................................... 37 Are there different varieties of Quaker? ..................................................................................................... 39 Do Quakers recognise the power of healing? ............................................................................................. 40 Aberdeen Meeting House ........................................................................................................................... 41 Quaker burial grounds ................................................................................................................................. 42 iii Can I bring children to Meeting for Worship? ............................................................................................. 44 Is there such a thing as a Quaker Funeral? ................................................................................................. 45 Why don’t Quakers need a dedicated meeting house for their worship? .................................................. 46 Do Quakers believe in God, Jesus and Christ? ............................................................................................ 47 How can I join the Religious Society of Friends? ......................................................................................... 48 What should I do if I want to become a member of the Society?............................................................... 49 Who can we ask about getting married in a Quaker Meeting? .................................................................. 50 What should I do if I want to get involved in work for the Quaker Society of Friends? ............................. 51 Can we read in Meeting?............................................................................................................................. 52 Do Quakers do anything to help alcohol and drug addicts? ....................................................................... 52 How do I change my Quaker address? ........................................................................................................ 53 What is the Quaker Tapestry? ..................................................................................................................... 54 I’ve never been to a Quaker Meeting … am I allowed to go? ..................................................................... 56 Will my disability prevent me from joining in with Quaker Meetings? ...................................................... 57 THOUGHTS ........................................................................................................................................................... 59 Quakers and other faiths ............................................................................................................................. 59 Quakers, a Secret Society? .......................................................................................................................... 60 Do Quakers baptise or christen their children? .........................................................................................