Subject: Minutes of Management Committee, 24 April 2023
From: David Sterratt <[email-masked]>
To: SESAM EMH Management Committee <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 24 Apr 2023 08:07:52 +0100

Dear Friends,

please find attached the minutes of Management Committee on Thursday.
You should also find them in the Minutes section of the Manamgement
Committee dropbox.

We didn't get time to finish the agenda, but I've tried to update the
fabric and mainteance section and the items 7b and 7c in line with what
has been discussed by email.

I've spoken with David Clarke, who is content for 9.30 meeting not to
happeng while Fringe Central is on.

Re the item on the controversial booking, I'm appending a draft letter
to Richard Ennos as asked for by the minute. Suggestions welcome - I'm
aware that we should probably get in contact soon.

Best wishes,

David

* * *

Dear Richard Ennos,

apologies for the late reply to your previous email. In principle, some
of us may be interested in meeting with members of your group to
discuss vacination in general, but due to our existing committments,
this would have to be in the later part of June.

On a different matter, we have noticed that the meeting you plan for 11
May is entitled “Censorsing Debate - Marie Mamulova & Lisa Randall”
with a description “Lisa and Marie tried to hold a public meeting to
discuss Gender Ideology in Schools. Six months later, with security, it
happened.”

As you may know, Britain Year Meeting of the Religious Society of
Friends (Quakers) seeks to "provide places of worship and community
that are welcoming and supportive to trans and non-binary people who
want to be among us."
(https://www.quaker.org.uk/news-and-events/news/quakers-pledge-to-welcome-trans-and-non-binary-people)
This arises from our long-standing testimony to equality.

The Quaker Meeting House Mangagement Committee discussed whether the
proposed meeting contravenes the spirit of the Quaker testimony of
equality and of the Yearly Meeting minute. We are not yet clear, and it
would be helpful if you could let us know in more detail what the
speakers plan to say at the meeting.

We have now spent a considerable amount of time discussing if two
Common Knowledge events are in conflict with Quaker testimonies, and
the Common Knowledge Twitter feed gives us cause for concern. We are
clear that we cannot continue to spend this much time disucssing
contentious bookings. Therefore, with regret, and regardless of what
happens about the 11 May event, we have agreed that after June we
should not take any further bookings from Common Knowledge.

Best wishes,

David

-- 
David Sterratt
Convener, Edinburgh Meeting House Management Committee
The Religious Society of Friends, South East Scotland Area Meeting
Quaker Meeting House, 7 Victoria Terrace, Edinburgh EH1 2JL
Scottish Charity No. SC019165