To Friends Everywhere,

Tënä koutou, tënä koutou, tënä koutou katoa,

Fifty two Young Friends and three Very Young Friends gathered at the Quaker Settlement in Wanganui for six days over Easter. The theme for the camp (YF: The Future) encompassed both our focus on sustainability and discussions about our future within Aotearoa New Zealand Yearly Meeting. A workshop on the second day gave us an introduction to ideas around climate change and we found we had many ways of understanding our relationship with the Earth. Through a further session and time spent in silence, particularly during an epilogue on the last night, we were able to delve deeper into what these concerns mean to us as Quakers. Consideration of the Minute we brought to Yearly Meeting last year and reports from participants at a number of recent international Gatherings furthered our investigation of our place within the wider Quaker community.

Young Friends had further discussion around last year’s decision to become ‘Aotearoa New Zealand Young Friend’s Meeting’. A long and intense Meeting for Business allowed us to make some progress towards clarifying our thoughts and intentions in formalising our structure, but we are aware we have only just begun to explore this issue. We were grateful for the presence of two Australian YFs and several people with links to Britain Young Friends General Meeting who contributed valuable wisdom and information about YF structures in other parts of the world.

Our fantastic Bridget (McKendry) produced some of the most amazing food ever eaten at a YF camp, with particular assistance from Suzanna Remmerswaal, Alex Simpson and Richard Mottram. We enjoyed spending time with the settlers at a shared meal on the first night, and thank them for sharing this special place with us. The service component of this year’s camp was spent working around the Settlement. A great deal of effort went to digging out a giant Pampas as well as weeding, pruning, clearing and cleaning. The collective achievement was satisfying, and joined other traditional activities (such as large-scale sing-a-longs, games of soccer, and wrestling competitors in the kissing game) in helping us re-form our special relationships with people who are geographically spread. We are once again moved by the beauty of meeting together and sharing in so many ways.

Arohanui,

Sarah Tailby, Hannah Newport, Chris Hall, Leith Pugmire, Thomas Owen, Marion Leighton, Anna Dunford, Ria Pugmire and Thomas Watts (YF 2007 Epistle Committee).

Minutes from the Young Friends Meeting For Worship For Business, held at the Quaker Settlement in Wanganui, 9^th April 2007.

Present: Anna Dunford, Avon  Lookmire, Ben Watts, Charlotte Gordon, Chris Hall, Chris Jacques, Craig Scott, Daniel Morris, Dominic Remmerswaal, Grace, Hannah Chapman-Searle, Hannah Newport, James Bradley, Jeremy List, Jesse Watts, Jimmy Green, Joanne Hall, Joe Beautrais, John Graham, Julian Carver, Karl Snowden, Kate Harrison-Price, Leith Pugmire, Marion Leighton, Miriam Tailby, Rhea Lewthwaite, Ria Pugmire, Richard Evens, Richard Motram, Richard Wort, Ross Hebden, Ryan Scott, Sallie Culy, Sarah Tailby, Simon Lookmire, Suzanna Remmerswaal, Thomas Owen, Thomas Watts.

1.      Thomas started by welcoming everybody to the meeting including our international travelers Grace (the Australian YM representative), Hannah Chapman-Searle, also from Australia, and Richard Evens from the UK.

2.      The following people nominated themselves for writing the camp epistle:
They will attempt to capture the workings of the spirit at the camp: Hannah Newport, Sarah Tailby, Chris Hall, Leith Pugmire and Sallie Culy.

3.      We approve of the idea of having a gathering after Summer Gathering on Waiheke at the Friends House for 4 days. The camp will not be an official YF gathering, but will be aimed at Young Friends.    

4.      We discussed the location of the 2008 Young Friends camp. The camp will be organised by Avon Lookmire, Leith Pugmire, Charlotte Gordon, Ben Watts, Jeremy List, Chris Hall, Hannah Newport and Joanne Hall in the region around Palmerston North and Wellington. We ask that the organizers investigate the possible use of local marae and adhere to the proposed camp guidelines on sustainability and simplicity.

5.      We have discussed the possible structures of the Aotearoa Young Friends Meeting. We have agreed that we would envisage the following:

·        A Young Friends bank account and subsequent responsibility for the administration of Young Friends finances through our treasurer and Young Friends committee.  

·        Clear and established communications channels with YM.

·        Service by young Friends on Yearly Meeting committees and the ability to nominate YFs for these roles. We note that Australian Yearly Meeting makes spaces available for Young Friends on YM committees.    

·        Ability to comment as a group on Yearly Meeting documents.

·        For Aotearoa New Zealand Young Friends Meeting to have the same capacity as a monthly meeting to present to Yearly Meeting a list of Young Friend attenders wishing to participate at Yearly Meeting. 

While we are continuing to learn from the Australian and British structures, we are still committed to defining a structure that will work for us as the Aotearoa New Zealand Young Friends Meeting. 

6.      We nominate the following people as possible representatives to attend Australian Yearly Meeting and Young Friends camp in 2008: Hannah Newport, Chris Hall, Joanne Hall, Sallie Culy, Melody Ireland. We will continue to send one YF representative to these events, but encourage other New Zealand YFs to attend.

7.      We approve the nomination of Hannah Newport as YF representative to QPSANZ

8.      We were informed of the intention to organize a young friends gathering in association with the Asia West Pacific Section in Bhopal in 2008.

YF’s were invited to help with organizing of the event, in particular to help with fundraising. We feel that YF representatives nominated to attend this event should have been involved with the organization of the event.

The following people have indicated willingness to help organize the event: Ben Watts, Charlotte Gordon, Suzanna Remmerswaal, Kate Harrison Price, Chris Jacques, Chris Hall, Jeremy List, Jimmy Green, Ria Pugmire, Joanne Hall, Hannah Newport, Thomas Watts, Anna Fay, Thomas Owen

The following people have expressed interest in attending the event: Ben Watts, Charlotte Gordon, Suzanna Remmerswaal, Chris Jacques, Chris Hall, Jeremy List, Jimmy Green, Ria Pugmire, Joanne Hall, Thomas Watts, Anna Fay

We would also like to financially support young friends from other nations in our section to attend this event. More information will be circulated in the future about the event and opportunities for YFs to help.

9.      We discussed the term of office for the Young Friends committee. Positions on the YF committee will be held for two years. Two of the current office holders will stay on for an extra year to ensure continuity.

Julian Carver has indicated that he intends to step down from the committee and the communications role following YF camp 2008.

The current committee roles are:

Thomas Watts (YF clerk)

Ben Watts (Co-clerk)

Julian Carver (YF communications and outreach, YF camp coordinator)

Jimmy Green (Treasurer)

10.  To facilitate closer ties with the international quaker community, we establish the position of international liaison officer. This involves gathering communications from international young friends and sharing them with Young Friends in New Zealand . It also involves informing Young Friends from New Zealand traveling abroad.of opportunities to attend Quaker events on their travels. Thomas Owen has agreed to take on this role for two years.

11.  We considered the nominations process for YF roles including those on the YF committee, representatives to international events, and YF representatives on YM committees. We agree to retain the status quo where the YF committee facilitates the YF nominations process. In addition, where there are potential conflicts of interest in nominations, those people will be replaced in that nominations discussion by another YF.

We support Julian Carver in accepting his recent nomination to Yearly Meeting nominations committee.

12.  We had lengthy discussions on climate change and sustainability. We have established conveners to carry this issue forward. These are Thomas Owen and Thomas Watts. We have established sustainability guidelines for future YF camps.  We ask the clerk to send the following minute to the Yearly Meeting Clerk.

13.  To Yearly Meeting, we strongly advocate for, and offer our assistance to the formation of an Aoteoroa NZ Testimony to Sustainability and the Earth. We also call for the development of YM policies on sustainable codes and practices in Quaker building, gatherings and events.  We ask that time be allocated to these issues at Yearly Meeting 2007.  

14.  Simon and Avon Lookmire spoke of their experiences as the New Zealand Yearly Meeting representatives to Australian YM and YF. They were supported by Grace and Hannah from Australian YM.

15.  Jimmy Green gave us report from his time on the board of WEST and Thomas Owen spoke about his new position on STAC, the     for the money, and opportunities for YFs

16.  YFs were informed that Yearly Meeting dates are 6-8th of July in Whanganui and were encouraged to attend.

17.  YFs were informed that Junior Young Friends Camp dates are 24-30th September in Christchurch.and YFs were encouraged to attend as leaders. 

18.  YFs were informed that Summer Gathering dates are 29th December to 5th January at Chosen Valley in Auckland and were encouraged to attend.

Reports: (to be held Friday night 6^th) 

• Simon, Avon and Rowan Lookmire: Australian Young Friends Camp and Australian Yearly Meeting.
• Jimmy Green: WEST.
• Thomas Owen: STAC
• YF Committee: Report back on Yearly Meeting 2006.

 'The Minute': (to be held Saturday morning 7th) 

1. Reading of 'The Minute'.
2. Reading of the Yearly Meeting YF minute.
3. Structure of Aotearoa Young Friends Meeting (discussion).
4. Elders and/or Overseers within YFs (discussion).
5. Finance - fund raising, managing the money, spending the money (discussion)

NB. This session will involve discussions in small groups, and as a whole group rather than being done as a Meeting for Worship for Business. The object is to prepare us for the business meeting rather than to make any decisions on the above.  

Main business meeting: (to held Monday morning 9th) 

1. Housekeeping: 

• Inform YFs that Yearly Meeting dates are 6-8^th of July in Whanganui. Encourage attendance.
• Inform YFs that Junior Young Friends Camp dates are 24-30^th September in Christchurch. Encourage attendance of YFs as leaders. 
• Inform YFs that Summer Gathering dates are 29^th December to 5^th January at Chosen Valley in Auckland. Encourage attendance.
• Possibility of after gathering on Waiheke Island: needs to be discussed.
• YF Camp 2008: Where will it be?

2. Aotearoa Young Friends Meeting: 

1. Structure of Aotearoa Young Friends Meeting
2. Whether to have Elders and/or Overseers within YFs.
3. Finance:
   1. fund raising
   2. how to manage the money (i.e having our own bank account)
   3. what we should spend our money on
4. Nominations – how we do nominations, e.g. YF Committee acting as the YF nominations committee, or doing it separately
5. Reporting to Yearly Meeting on YF Structure

 3. Nominations for 2007/2008 : 

1. Invite nominations for YF representative to Australian Young Friends Camp and Yearly Meeting.
2. Approve nomination of Hannah Newport as YF representative to QPSANZ
3. YF Committee:
   1. Proposal that YF committee will remain the same. Positions will be reviewed next YF camp where we will encourage two people to step down and two new people to replace them. The remaining two members will have their positions reviewed again at YF 2009, thus retaining institutional knowledge.
   2. Nominations for any new roles (International Liaison, Overseers etc)