M i n u t es

SAYMA

R e p r e s e n t a t i v e M e e t i n g # 1 0 7

Winter

"Representatives" to "Representative Meeting"

Representative Meeting acts in SAYMA's name between sessions.

Any f/Friend may participate; those gathered represent the yearly meeting.

Representatives are important channels of communication

between local f/Friends & SAYMA.

Please note -- two copies of SAYMA minutes go to each meeting and worship group

Clerks/contacts receive one for their use; please tell local f/Friends when the minutes arrive.

SAYMA Reps receive one for their use and the use of local f/Friends; please help this copy

circulate among interested individuals. (If no Rep, this copy is sent to the clerk/contact.)

Thank you!

SAYMA - POB 2191 - Abingdon VA 24212 - AdminAsst@sayma.org - 276-628-5852 in-person Tu & Th 5-7:30 pm

RM_Dec2003_Minutes.wpd

Southern Appalachian Yearly Meeting and Association

Representative Meeting # 107 (Winter)

Decatur, GA -- Atlanta Friends Meeting

Twelfth Month, Sixth Day, 2003 -- 10:00 am

RM_Dec2003_Minutes.wpd

The meeting opened with silent waiting. (List of those in attendance, Appendix A)

The clerk, Sharon Annis, read from "Gospel Order: A Quaker Understanding of Faithful Church Community," by Sandra Cronk (Pendle Hill Pamphlet #297, 1991).

Reclaiming the Importance of Church, pp 14-15.

…One reason for this inability of religious groups, whatever their theological perspective, to manifest a deeper Christian witness is that religious life has become individualistic….

Our individualistic framework means that we tend to see religious life in a bipolar way, divided between inward life and social concerns….

In this bipolar model, the inward life of prayer and worship is seen as the source of strength and sustenance. When the water in this inward well of prayer and worship is deep enough, it flows over its walls to send us to serve and be active in the world. Those with great perceptivity point out that the flow can be in the other direction as well. Our commitment to peace and social concerns will inevitably affect our inward lives. There is truth in this model. Yet we are left wondering why our meetings tend to divide into camps of inward life Friends and social concern Friends. Somehow the power is missing which can witness to the deep transformation God brings to all areas of life.

The bipolar model of religious life sees both the inward life and the work of social concerns in individualistic ways. It is primarily as individuals that we relate to God or experience Christ as savior. Our social and peace concerns often take the form of individually supported programs and projects….

Early Friends' experience of being gathered into gospel order bespeaks another model. In this model the inward life, the work of social concerns, and the life of the meeting-community are fused together into an integrated whole….

107-1 Agenda: The agenda was received and approved with additions.

107-2 Traveling Minute: The clerk read a traveling minute from Swannanoa Valley Friends Meeting for Kim Carlyle:

To Friends Everywhere:

This Traveling Minute is being written to introduce you to a well-known Friend, Kim Carlyle, a beloved member of this Meeting. We share his vision of working to raise awareness of the moral, spiritual, and religious bases of the need for Friends to integrate concern for God's Creation into their personal and institutional beliefs and practices. All Friends' concerns, including peace and justice, exist within the context of the ecological systems that we are part of and dependent upon. We cannot hope for social order without ecological integrity. White le travels among Friends, and worships with you, we have asked him to carry our love and to share with you the vision he holds for ecological concerns.

(For Swannanoa Valley Friends Meeting)

Suzanne Gernandt, Clerk

The clerk asked if Representative Meeting wanted to add an endorsement to the traveling minute and Friends approved.

Kim Carlyle the announced that Friends Committee on Unity with Nature has changed its name to Quaker Earthcare Witness and asked that the yearly meeting and monthly meetings note this change.

107-3 Correspondence:

Clerk Sharon Annis read a letter received by the yearly meeting form Philadelphia Yearly Meeting sending us a free copy of a newly-published Treasurer's Guide for Religious Organizations. Monthly Meetings may wish to purchase a copy from the Friends General Conference Bookstore: www.Quakerbooks.org, bookstore@fgcquaker.org, or 1-800-466-4556

She read a second letter announcing a conference on Native American issues by the American Friends Service Committee and other Friends to be held in Boulder, Colorado for four days in April 2004. They are looking for names of those interested and ways to publicize the conference. Those interested in this conference should contact Sharon.

107-4 Administrative Concerns

Website -- monthly meetings

SAYMA's website is www.SAYMA.org, Tim Lamm is the current web manager, and his support com-mittee is Ceal Wutka and Kendall Ivie. There is an e-mail link from the website to each monthly meeting, worship group and preparative meeting in SAYMA. Many current links are out-of-date and e-mails sent to the majority of them have recently bounced back. These links are potentially useful for outreach. Representatives are asked to take this issue back to monthly meetings. Monthly meetings who want to be linked from the yearly meeting website should send Tim Lamm a current e-mail address. The website lists as an e-mail address each monthly meeting @ SAYMA.org (example: Atlanta@SAYMA.org) so e-mail contact addresses will not appear on the website. Meetings who do not want to be linked should also let Tim know.

Free Polazzo suggested that meetings also check their listing at www.Quakerfinder.org .

Website -- contacts

The website does not list the names of current yearly meeting officers. Officers can be contacted through e-mail by their title. Our current practice has been not to include on the website the section of the minutes that list the names of those who hold responsibility with the Yearly Meeting. Mary Calhoun, the Administrative Assistant for yearly meeting, raised the question of whether that roster should now be published on the website.

Kitenet

SAYMA@kitenet.net is a list-serve for the yearly meeting. It is an open list-serve, meaning that one does not have to be a member of a SAYMA meeting to subscribe. It was designed to serve two purposes: to facilitate communication from the SAYMA administrative office and officers, and to promote communication among subscribers. Only subscribers are allowed to post to the list. The list currently has about 80 subscribers. Some Friends suggested the possibilities of announcement-only subscriptions, of limiting the subscriptions to SAYMA members, and setting up guidelines for use of the list serve.

Minute -- Friends approved the establishment of an ad hoc committee to consider the use of Kitenet and recommend whether or not any changes are needed in its use. The committee will be asked to report their results to the April Representative Meeting. Sharon Annis will set up this committee. Kathy Burke and Bill Reynolds volunteered to be on the committee and Sharon will also contact the members of the web manager support committee for possible involvement on this committee.

Meeting Reconvened

The meeting reconvened after a time for committee meetings and lunch.

107-5 Yearly Meeting Planning

Tim Lamm reported for the Yearly Meeting Planning Committee. The committee has invited Carolyn Jordan and Judy Guerry to speak at a plenary session on Thursday night. Bob McGahey, Courtney Siceloff and Sara Rose have been invited to be on a panel discussion Friday night. The committee is scheduling what it hopes will be ample time for meeting for worship with attention to business and is planning to include a time for yearly meeting committees to meet. The Saturday night program will be an intergenerational and participatory event and will include an intergenerational meeting for worship. Proposals will be requested soon from those interested in leading a workshop at yearly meeting. Yearly meeting will be held June 10 - 13, 2004, at Warren Wilson College.

107-6 Administrative Concerns

Minutes -- The clerk apologized for the delay in distributing the Fall Representative Meeting Minutes. The delay had multiple causes. Electronic submission of reports is requested whenever possible. The clerk also requests that she be informed in advance of all agenda items. Items that need action will be summarized in a separate section in the minutes and distributed through the Southern Appalachian Friend and the website.

107-7 Treasurer's Report

Davis Ciscel presented the attached report. (Appendix B) An accountant (CPA) is reviewing our accounts and a report will be should be available by April. Please note: All Budget requests for next fiscal year are due before the April Representative Meeting.

107-8 Personnel Committee

Kristi Estes made the following report for the personnel committee:

The personnel committee continues to work on updating job descriptions and evaluation forms for staff. We are also working to clarify, for future decisions, the distinction between contract and employee status, particularly for Junior Yearly Meeting coordinators.

107-9 Ecological Concerns Network

Susan Carlyle presented the following report for the Ecological Concerns Network.

The Ecological Concerns Network met in Atlanta during the Representative Meeting of SAYMA. Present were: Carol Gray, Kathy Johnson, Susan Carlyle, Kim Carlyle, Bill Reynolds, Alice Wald, Marmon Thompson, Roy Taylor.

1. The Faith and Practice Revision Committee has asked ECN to consider writing three paragraphs about an emerging Earthcare testimony. Kim Carlyle, Alice Wald and Bill Reynolds have agreed to work together on this. The queries have already been worked on by another small group (Alice Wald, Bob McGahey, and Joyce Rouse) and have been submitted to F&P revision folks. Thanks to these folks for volunteering their time.

2. Kim Carlyle had a traveling minute from Swannanoa Valley Friends Meeting signed by the Yearly Meeting. He will speak to the Green Friends of Atlanta Meeting on Sunday December 7 about his concern of integrating earthcare with the testimonies of peace, social justice and simplicity. Bill Reynolds will be following up on this by making contacts within SAYMA to see if there is other interest in having Kim speak to other groups.

3. We are seeking a YM representative to Quaker Earthcare Witness to replace Kim Carlyle who is completing his second two year term. If there is anyone in your meeting that has an environmental witness, particularly a young adult Friend, and who would like to function as a YM rep, they can contact Kim Carlyle to learn more about the opportunity.

4. We are seeking a replacement for co-clerk, Kathy Johnson, of ECN to serve for two years. Having co-clerks provides continuity and mentoring because the terms are staggered. Carol Gray will prayerfully consider this opportunity.

5. We presented a recommendation to the Yearly Meeting to work with the Clerk and the Administrative Assistant to begin a transition to the exclusive use of 100% post consumer recycled paper that is chlorine free in its processing, and to look at the general reduction of paper use by the Yearly Meeting.

6. We continue to try to disseminate information about the Earth Charter to meetings and worship groups so that we can present a formal proposal to the Spring Representative meeting and have the YM endorse this statement in June. So far, at least 8 Meetings have had discussions on this topic. What about your Meeting? If you need clues as to how to have a discussion about the Earth Charter, contact Susan Carlyle. She will guide you through this process.

7. YM activities that involve ECN:

* Sale of compact flourescent bulbs at the Bookstore--Bill Reynolds will shepherd this.
* Workshops at YM: so far David Ciscel, Bob McGahey and Susan Carlyle have

expressed interest in leading a workshop with an environmental theme. Join them!
* Cloth napkins--we will spend $200 and purchase organic cotton napkins from Quaker

Earthcare Witness to be given away at YM. Susan Carlyle and Alice Wald will sew the

edges of the napkins. Carol Gray will make table tents for the cafeteria telling people

why then might consider using a cloth napkin and where they can get their free one!

* Susan Carlyle will make sure that the advance materials of YM gathering include infor-

mation about carpooling, simple living, limited copies of state of the meeting reports,

etc. If you have other ideas, let Susan Carlyle know.

* An ECN display table. Any ideas for this?

Thanks for reading and responding to these minutes.

Respectfully submitted,

Susan Carlyle, co-clerk of ECN

Some discussion followed the report about the recommended exclusive use of 100% post-consumer recycled chlorine-free processed paper.

Minute -- Friends approve working to reduce paper use by the yearly meeting and ask that more information be brought to yearly meeting about the use of post-consumer recycled chlorine-free-processed paper by those interested in its use and by those concerned by the use.

107 -10 Ad Hoc Handbook Committee

Barbara Ester made the attached report. (Appendix C)

Minute -- Friends accept the report and ask the nominating committee, the web manager and the ad hoc committee to consider the proposal and bring a final recommendation to the April Representative Meeting.

107-11 Nominating Committee

Penelope Wright made the report for the nominating committee. (Appendix D)

Penelope noted that the position of archivist now filled by Bettina Wolff was accidentally left off the roster of current officers and positions.

Minute -- Friends noted with appreciation the steadfastness and commitment that Bettina Wolff has brought to the creation of a useful, up-to-date handbook.

107-12 Logo Committee

Carol Lamm reported for the Logo Committee. The committee now consists of Carol and Mary Calhoun. They request that the clerk add Susan Phelan and Sallie Prugh to the committee. The clerk agreed. The committee is not yet ready to recommend a final design. The committee originally wanted all black and white but is now leaning to including gray since the logo will be printable from the website and multiple copies will probably no longer have to be made on poor copiers. The committee is also leaning towards the relatively more informal font styles. The committee has also decided to proceed despite the possibility of a name change for the yearly meeting in the future.

Minute -- Friends ask the logo committee to continue its work and make a final logo recommendation.

107-13 Ministry and Nurture

Kathy Burke presented the following report:

We have a workshop in progress for Yearly Meeting. The working title is "The Yearly Meeting theme and the local Ministry And Nurture/Counsel Committee's role in helping their Meeting members stay grounded in Spirit with their outward action." Kathy Burke will be contacting people in the wider Quaker world to bring in a leader for this workshop.

We have decided to coordinate two one-day workshops at Crossville Retreat Center that will be facilitated by members of Yearly Meeting:

2004: Seeker's Workshop

2005: Topic from the subject area of "Friendly Aging, Dying and Afterlife"

We request that SAYMA Nominating Committee take on the responsibility of discerning the person to serve as clerk of Ministry and Nurture beginning in 2004 and going forward from then.

Clerk: Kathy Burke

Recorder: Kit Potter

107-13 Faith and Practice

Geeta McGahey presented the report. (Appendix E)

The committee is meeting on January 23 so needs all suggestions by January 16. The proposed revisions are all available on the SAYMA website.

107-14 Administrative Concerns -- Calendar

The office runs on a cyclical calendar of tasks. This calendar is attached as Appendix F. The procedure is changing on the census. Although this information is requested by Friends World Committee on Consultation, the primary purpose of collecting these data is for our own use and information. The census information will now be collected on a calendar basis so the information should be up-to-date as of December 31. The request for census information will be sent to monthly meetings in January to be submitted to the office by April 30.

107-15 Finance Committee

The Finance Committee recommends that we no longer contribute to Rural Southern Voice for Peace and that we distribute the $800 currently budgeted for that group to other wider Quaker organizations as part of the budgeting process.

107-16 Website Contacts

Minute -- Friends request that the executive committee and the web manager consider the issue of including positions-of-responsibility roster names on the SAYMA website, and bring a recommendation to the April Representative meeting.

107-17 Peace and Social Concerns

The question of the yearly meeting Peace and Social Concerns Committee and two peace and social concerns issues were sent to monthly meetings to consider after the September representative meeting. (See Appendices D and G in the September Representative Meeting Minutes.)

Minute -- Friends agreed to ask monthly meetings to continue to consider these issues and report back to clerk Sharon Annis by March 7. The report should include either specific suggestions or reactions, or the information that a monthly meeting chooses not to consider any of these issues.

107-18 Concerns from the Clerk

Sharon Annis has noticed an up welling among Friends of interest and concern about outreach. She is interested in supporting and fostering an interest in outreach. Another issue of concern is that of addressing racism within the Society of Friends. Most SAYMA meetings do not seem to be addressing the issue of racism but our lack of racial diversity suggests the importance of this issue.

107-19 Announcements

Alice Wald announced hat the Friends General Conference Outreach and Advancement Committee will be meeting in Horry County, South Carolina in February.

Perry Treadwell announced that the Friends General Conference Gathering for 2004 will be held in Amherst, Massachusetts and in 2005 will be held in Blacksburg, Virginia. The 2006 Gathering will be held in Tacoma, Washington and presents the first opportunity to visit West Coast Friends for the Gathering. FGC has committees on both outreach and racism.

Updated directories are available for each monthly meeting and SAYMA committee clerks.

Geeta McGahey announced the Celo Meeting's consideration of the Security statement from the Physicians for Social Responsibility.

Bob Keiter encourages Friends staying overnight to eat together and to invite our hosts to join us as away to build community.

107-20 Minute of Appreciation

Friends appreciate the warm hospitality of Atlanta Friends in opening their homes to us on a chilly evening and providing us splendid food and a wonderful and inspiring space for our meeting. The "quakings" that we occasionally felt form the rumblings of the Marta is symbolic of the Spirit present in this meeting. Atlanta provides an inspiring example in their sharing of the meeting space which we were also able to experience on Friday night as we shared the building with the Jewish congregation what worships here. We felt blessed and as though we had received early Christmas presents by our meeting here and the opportunity to reconnect with distant Friends.

107-21 Approval of Minutes

Minutes are approved in the face of the Meeting subject to editing by the Clerk and Recording Clerk.

________________________________ _______________________________

Sharon Lee Annis, Clerk Lee Ann Swarm, Recording Clerk

(archive copy signed) (archive copy signed)

Appendix A

Attenders

(omitted)

Appendix B

Treasurer's Report

Appendix C

Report of the Ad Hoc Handbook Committee for Representative Meeting

12^th Month, 6^th day of 2003

The Committee met on November 1^st, 2003, in the West Knoxville Meetinghouse. We thank West Knoxville Friends for the hospitality and the wonderful atmosphere for our work session. The day was spent reviewing our progress to date, looking at a method for keeping the handbook current, and forming an outline for the table of contents of the handbook.

To review, we are compiling revised job descriptions for the handbook. Many Friends are assisting us by providing current descriptions of the jobs that make our Yearly Meeting so lively. Thank you, Friends. A few descriptions are still awaited. We hope to finish all the descriptions soon. The document, as it was, has been scanned and is on the internet for the committee to revise at that site as we have material ready to be typed in. When the document is ready, it will be accessible to Friends through our web site. Thanks to the web manager, Tim Lamm, for his technical and other support in this matter.

Our new outline for the table of contents is a rearrangement of the old one. There are four main sections: Introduction, SAYMA Organization, Procedures and Policies and Reference. At present, the organization section is composed of monthly meetings and their relationship to the yearly meeting, description of the representatives' duties, and those of the members of the Ministry and Nurture Committee, descriptions of the positions of responsibility, the standing committees and the staff. Policies and Procedures includes things such as calendar making procedures. The reference section is composed of the Governing Articles. An effort was made to organize the material so that our priorities were evident in the outline. For example, the reference material was at the beginning of the document before, whereas, now it is at the end. Staff was listed first in descriptions, whereas, now we have listed the volunteer staff and their contributions first. This is not to belittle the gifts that the staff brings to our yearly meeting, but to recognize that the volunteer work is a strong and abiding body of work that keeps the meeting going.

We hope that the committee's work will be complete and that the information will not only be accessible, but that there will be a method in place for the people leaving positions of responsibility to comment on the match between the current job description and the job they just did. We hope that this will make the handbook current at annual intervals. We suggest that the nominating committee distribute job descriptions or refer possible recruits to the website and that they give a simple questionnaire (with an email form available) to outgoing officers and committee members to get feedback on how the current description matches the job. We suggest that the responses be forwarded to the Administrative Assistant, who will then type the suggested changes for the web manager to post in a responses section of the handbook on line. When there is a question about the appropriateness of the material, the clerk of nominating and the yearly meeting clerk could be consulted. In this way, comments would accumulate for a number of years before the body of the description would be changed. The yearly meeting clerk could discern when a revision or partial revision was necessary. At that point an Ad Hoc Handbook Committee could be appointed. In this system, no contact person would need to be appointed in the interim. We seek the review of the nomina