--- a/Sufferings/2018-04-07/notes.txt	Sun Apr 08 06:34:56 2018 -0400
+++ b/Sufferings/2018-04-07/notes.txt	Wed Apr 11 14:33:28 2018 -0400
@@ -140,5 +140,8 @@
    meeting schedules to accommodate individual trustees."
 
 Although filling jobs is hard enough without adding additional
-constraints, but it might be a good idea for SESAM to look to its own
-structures in this regard.
+constraints, it's worth reminding ourselves that AMs have been asked
+to look to their own structures in this regard and report back to the
+centre, and at AM in November we agreed to consider this.  As MfS
+intends to take this up later in the year we should not delay too much
+longer in doing so if our input is to be available in time.

--- a/Sufferings/2018-04-07/report.txt	Sun Apr 08 06:34:56 2018 -0400
+++ b/Sufferings/2018-04-07/report.txt	Wed Apr 11 14:33:28 2018 -0400
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-Meeting for Sufferings
+*Meeting for Sufferings*
 
 7 April 2018
 
@@ -10,7 +10,155 @@
 
 This includes, in particular, the two Review Group reports discussed below.
 
-The minutes and other follow-up material will also appear sometime
-soon linked from
+The minutes and other follow-up material are available from
+
+  http://www.quaker.org.uk/documents/mfs-april-2018-follow-up-package
+
+*Meeting for Sufferings Appeal Review Group final report*
+
+QF&P provides for an process of appeal to MfS with respect to
+decisions of an Area Meeting and disputes between Area Meeting.
+Experience with this process has been less than wholly positive, and
+MfS commissioned a review.  The Review Group reported with
+recommendations for a narrowed and simplified process, including a
+preference for a "conflict transformation" approach (as opposed to
+"conflict resolution") and an explicit place for mediation before
+things get to Sufferings.
+
+We approved these recommendations, and specific changes to QF&P will
+be forthcoming.
+
+We called Area Meetings' attention to the recommendation in QF&P that
+they should have a "conciliation group".
+
+There as some questioning of the value of the phrases "conflict
+resolution" _or_ "conflict transformation" _or_ any other language
+which raises expectations of success which cannot be met and sometimes
+leads to a fear of coercion on the part of the appelant.
+
+In this context Friends are reminded that Quaker Life can provide help
+and guidance to Meetings which are taken by surprise/taken aback by
+apparently irresolvable internal conflict, and that asking for help
+_early_ is essential to avoid exacerbating aspects of a situation
+through ignorance.
+
+The Review Group also suggested that beyond the narrow matter of an
+appeals procedure, the larger question of how we deal with conflict as
+a Society, as Meetings and as individuals needs to be considered.
+
+In this context we were reminded that difficulties around Membership
+often arise from "lack of familiarity with Quaker ... processes" and
+that accordingly care for a Ministry of Teaching in our meetings is
+necessary to help promote this familiarity.
+
+*Report of BYM Sustainability Group Review Group*
+
+The Review Group reminded us of the Canterbury Commitment:
+
+  http://www.quaker.org.uk/documents/minute-36-leaflet-2011
+
+The Sustainability Group was established by Sufferings to lead/guide
+BYM in taking the Commitment forward.
+
+The situation is complex, the Sustainability Group has achieved much,
+but also struggled much.  The Review Group recommended laying the
+Sustainability Group down, probably soon after the next Sustainability
+Gathering, in favour of mandating coordination between the different
+areas at the Central level which can and do support sustainability.
+Concern was expressed by myself and others that giving responsibility
+for overseeing this coordination to Sufferings without any detail on
+how this to be carried out leaves a very significant gap and risks
+simply recreating the Sustainability Group under another name.
+
+Actually deciding to lay the Sustainability Group down without a clear
+picture of what's going to take it place seems premature, and was in
+the end not supported by MfS, which _did_ support the recommendation
+for "a specially convened meeting/meetings of the clerks of
+BYMSustainability Group, QPSWCC, ESP sub-committee, QLCC, QSC, BYM
+Trustees, the Board of Friends House Hospitality, MfS and all members
+of Management Meeting," after which we will need to come back to the
+question of the future for the Sustainability Group and/or the form of
+its replacement.
+
+The need for a clearer articulation of the largely unspoken spiritual
+basis for the Commitment was raised.
 
-  http://www.quaker.org.uk/our-organisation/meeting-for-sufferings/papers-and-minutes
+The oft-remarked tension resurfaced between a feeling on the part of
+many that we ought to put sustainability at the centre of our efforts
+and a recognition that many others don't seem to be interested in
+doing so.
+
+Some quotes from the floor:
+
+  "It's not surprising that we struggle, and blame each other, and get
+   stuck." (Laurie Michaelis)
+
+  "This is the biggest thing we've ever tried to deal with." (Laurie Michaelis)
+
+  "Giving responsibility but no authority to working groups [such as
+   Sustainability Group] is Kafkaesque, not Quakerly" (Lis Burch)
+
+  "The major problem has been in how we connect a YM concern with the
+   existing BYM workplan." (Lis Burch)
+
+  "What is it that has caused us to try to do this and fail 5 times?"
+   (Peter Morris)
+
+*Restoring Integrity to the Public Sphere*
+
+We were asked to consider a concern from an AM on this topic, which
+asked whether BYM should be a "public champion of truth"?
+
+We've had a testimony to truth since the 17th century, but the
+complex, history to our more recent engagement with this issue begins
+in 1990 with a concern which created a central "Truth and Integrity in
+Public Affairs" programme.  This was laid down in 2004.
+
+We agreed to ask for input on this from Area Meetings, regarding both
+difficulties experienced and actions being taken.
+
+*Trustees Report*
+
+There's a _lot_ of work that Trustees do for us, it's quite amazing.
+
+Here are just two points of particular interest:
+
+The first is expressed in a single 3-line paragraph in the middle of a
+10-page report:
+
+  "We agree that trustees, with the support of Management Meeting,
+   should prepare a multi-year strategic plan. This should be done in
+   careful consultation with committees and Meeting for Sufferings."
+
+This is explained as
+
+  "We acknowledge that there is a lack of an overall strategic
+   framework below the very high level _Our Faith in the Future_ and
+   above the operational plan, which makes prioritising difficult and
+   which we now need to address."
+
+The second was a reflection about diversity:
+
+  "[Trustees] are diverse in gender and geographical spread, do not
+   know on sexuality, and are not diverse on ethnicity."
+
+  "In terms of age, we are better than many Quaker committees and
+   half of us are in paid employment, but we do need younger Friends.
+   We recognise that time constraints can be a problem for younger
+   Friends who have less flexibility in their work schedules and often
+   have family commitments.
+
+  "At present only 15 of the 400 places in the BYM committee
+   structure are occupied by under-35s."
+
+  "We need to be radical as BYM trustees and experiment. Young
+   Friends will bring themselves and bright thinking to being a
+   trustee and learn in the process.  We can and will adjust our
+   meeting schedules to accommodate individual trustees."
+
+Although filling jobs is hard enough without adding additional
+constraints, it's worth reminding ourselves that AMs have been asked
+to look to their own structures in this regard and report back to the
+centre, and at AM in November we agreed to consider this.  As MfS
+intends to take this up later in the year we should not delay too much
+longer in doing so if our input is to be available in time.