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+Meeting for Sufferings
+
+4 February 2017
+
+Henry S. Thompson, SE Scotland AM representative
+
+*Headlines*
+
+Two high-profile statements, on foreign policy (that is, Donald Trump)
+and on fracking, were agreed:
+
+  http://www.quaker.org.uk/news-and-events/news/fracking-must-be-banned
+  http://www.quaker.org.uk/news-and-events/news/quakers-stand-alongside-victims-of-racist-policies  
+
+All the papers for the meeting are available online at
+
+  http://www.quaker.org.uk/documents/meeting-for-sufferings-agenda-papers-package-december-2016
+
+where much more detailed information about these and other matters are
+available.
+
+*BYM Sustainability Group*
+
+This group was set up by BYM at 2011 YM, it is now attached to MfS.
+
+They delivered an annual report, after 3 years, "review[ing] progress
+in 2016 and priorities for 2017"
+
+There has been considerable action centrally, particularly with
+respect to Friends House itself, but also by providing help to local
+meetings through a new "project officer providing advice to local
+meetings on property matters, including sustainability".
+
+Much harder to assess what's happening across AMs/LMs, as useful
+information gathering and analysis takes resourcing they don't have.
+
+They've recently tried to focus on "What's _Quaker_ about this
+concern?  Where does it get its spiritual grounding?"  Less guilt,
+more love!
+
+We are asked to feed back to the group on what we think about the
+proposed "a project _Nurturing our Sustainability Ministry_, enabling
+and encouraging Friends to give expression to our sustainability
+commitment in many different forms" If AM is interested in doing so,
+someone should contact Lis Burch, Clerk BYM Sust. Grp..
+
+Do we, as other AMs apparently do, report our annual energy usage (at
+least for 7VT and Kelso) to BYM along with our annual accounts?
+
+An interesting echo of some of the STIR group's observations: The
+Canterbury Commitment was a commitment made by BYM, but has been
+adopted and acted on by AMs to widely varying degrees.  What does it
+mean for a more central body to make a notionally binding commitment
+when the action involved has to be taken 'lower down'?
+
+As the group was established in 2014 for an initial period of three
+years, there will now be a review group established to consider
+whether "this approach is the right way for our concern to be carried
+forward".
+
+*Opposition to Fracking*
+
+(From a meeting of Pendle Hill AM)
+
+   We ask Britain Yearly Meeting to maximise involvement in ecumenical
+   and interfaith structures that allow faith groups to have a strong
+   united environmentalist voice on fracking, and that as Quakers
+   nationally we take a public stance against fracking.
+
+MfS supported this, and the minute [see link at the top] makes a
+specific statement on behalf of Quakers in Britain in support of
+sustainable energy and in opposition to "unconventional approaches" to
+fossil fuel extraction, including fracking (expanded from the original
+to imply worldwide, in response to a mention about the role of
+Grangemouth in processing US shale gas).
+
+There will be some kind of event on Pendle Hill on 6 May...
+
+*Cadet Forces in Scottish State Schools*
+
+QPSWCC has taken up this matter, and broadened it in the area of
+transparency and accountability
+
+Junior Yearly Meeting application deadline is 15 March
+
+*Quaker Housing Trust*
+
+An excellent, detailed, informative report was given.  I recommend it
+highly, see item *MfS 2017 02 10* in
+
+  http://www.quaker.org.uk/documents/meeting-for-sufferings-agenda-papers-2017-02-04
+
+I was hugely impressed: they do outstanding work, with enormous
+almost-all volunteer effort: give them more money!
+
+*Yearly Meeting Gathering*
+
+An 'Anchoring' initiative is in place for this event: making time and
+space to digest, both food and mental/spiritual/emotional inputs,
+meaning, among other things, that there will be no (centrally
+organised) meetings over lunch
+
+Two afternoons with 'all-age activities' (lots of facilities for sport
+at the venue).
+
+Overall theme is 'Movement Building: Working with others to make a
+difference'
+
+*Statement as "Response to the current international situation"*
+
+A good one, see the link at the top.