Mercurial > hg > rsof

diff QiS/What_are_QiS.xml @ 354:a47144b6c809

Find changesets by keywords (author, files, the commit message), revision number or hash, or revset expression.
more-or-less complete, but needs restructured
author Henry S. Thompson <ht@inf.ed.ac.uk>
date Mon, 01 Apr 2024 10:33:36 +0100
parents e40a88f7113e
children fb26c48a880a
line wrap: on
line diff
--- a/QiS/What_are_QiS.xml	Sun Mar 31 15:04:08 2024 +0100
+++ b/QiS/What_are_QiS.xml	Mon Apr 01 10:33:36 2024 +0100
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
  <head>
   <title>SESAM and the Quakers in Scotland proposal</title>
   <author>Henry S. Thompson</author>
-  <date>29 Mar 2024</date>
+  <date>1 April 2024</date>
   <style>.alpha {list-style-type: lower-alpha}
   .footnote {width: 100%; font-size: 80%; float: none; clear: none}</style>
  </head>
@@ -107,13 +107,17 @@
    this. However, under Gospel Order, the ultimate authority will
    still lie with the gathered meeting."</p>
 <p>This needs to be fixed <emph>now</emph> because it is laid on Area Meeting
-trustees to manage the assets of the Area Meeting in such a was as to
+trustees to manage the assets of the Area Meeting in such a way as to
 support the charitable objects of the Area Meeting, and without a
 clear understanding of how that will continue to be true once those
 assets are transferred to the <name>SCIO</name>, they would fail in that
 responsibility, which the law expresses as <span>"[they</span> must] seek, in good
 faith, to ensure that the charity acts in a manner which is consistent
 with its purposes".</p>
+ <p>More generally, the current lack of clarity on the governance
+structure of <name>QiS</name> makes it impossible for the members of SESAM to know how and to what
+extent they will have any say in what happens to their assets and property. 
+A clear separation between the <name>RSFS</name> and the <name>SCIO</name> is a simple first step towards the necessary clarification.</p>
  <note class="footnote">* East of Scotland AM
 and North of Scotland AM's governing documents are also based on the
 non-incorporated Area Meeting template.  Stewardship of North of
@@ -124,6 +128,43 @@
 </div>
 <div>
 <title>The future of the Area Meeting(s)</title>
+<p>The GD should make it explicit that in the first instance
+the four Area Meetings, as well as General Meeting for Scotland, will
+continue to exist and function after the creation of the
+<name>SCIO</name> and the RSFS.  These five will constitute the <name>Constituent Meetings</name> of the
+RSFS.</p>
+<p>The GD should specify that transfer from the Constituent Meetings</p>
+ <list>
+  <item>their assets, properties and trusteeship to the <name>SCIO</name></item>
+  <item>their spiritual and pastoral activities and responsibilities to the
+   <name>RSFS</name></item>
+ </list>
+ <p>of will be at their discretion as to both timing and substance.</p>
+<p>We feel strongly that many of our spiritual and pastoral activities
+are best served in smaller constituencies that the <name>RSFS</name>.  We
+understand that some Area Meetings need to unburden themselves quickly
+of some of their responsibilities, but we hope that they will wish to
+retain some of them, particularly membership, pastoral care end
+eldership.</p>
+<p>Accordingly, the GD should make clear that for those things
+<emph>not</emph> transfered to the <name>SCIO</name> and/or the <name>RSFS</name>, Constituent
+Meetings will remain as parts of the Religious Society of Friends
+(Britain), governed by the relevant parts of QF&amp;P.</p>
+</div>
+<div>
+<title>Governance of the <name>RSFS</name></title>
+ <p>The GD should specify how the <name>RSFS</name> operates as a Quaker
+Meeting.  There should be an annual Meeting for Worship for Church Affairs open
+to all members.  At least in the short term the Clerks of the Constituent
+Meetings should serve as the clerking team for this, with one of their number
+actually serving as the Clerk on the day.  Other Meetings could be held when
+required.  At least three representatives of each Constituent Meeting must be
+present for any Meeting of the <name>RSFS</name> to be able to conduct
+business.</p>
+ <p>The above is intended to allow for a structure for the governance of the
+<name>RSFS</name> very like the way in which Yearly Meeting and
+Meeting for Sufferings together provide governance for Britain Yearly Meeting
+(the church).</p>
 </div>
 </div>
 <div>