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.