changeset 358:fb8261490a5c

ready for final proofreading
author Henry S. Thompson <ht@inf.ed.ac.uk>
date Mon, 01 Apr 2024 16:34:28 +0100
parents e516458a4f69
children d55fe21333e7
files QiS/What_are_QiS.xml
diffstat 1 files changed, 28 insertions(+), 19 deletions(-) [+]
line wrap: on
line diff
--- a/QiS/What_are_QiS.xml	Mon Apr 01 13:53:50 2024 +0100
+++ b/QiS/What_are_QiS.xml	Mon Apr 01 16:34:28 2024 +0100
@@ -36,15 +36,15 @@
       relationship explicit, following the model of the governing document
       for Britain Yearly Meeting (the charity).</p>
      <p>An updated GD needs to make explicit provision for the possibility
-      of SESAM-the-church continuing <emph>as</emph> an Area Meeting while laying
-      down SESAM-the-charity. There must be clarity on SESAM-the-church's
-      status with respect to <name>QiS-the-church</name> and thus with respect to the
-      trustees of <name>QiS-the-charity</name>.</p>
+      of SESAM (the church) continuing <emph>as</emph> an Area Meeting while laying
+      down SESAM (the charity) <emph>should it decide to do so</emph>. There must be clarity on SESAM (the church)'s
+      status with respect to <name>QiS</name> (the church)</p>
     </blockquote>
     <p>In what follows I'll start by identifying the problems I see with the GD, and go on to
     outline the kind of changes I think would improve it, to the point
-    where SESAM would support the creation of the <name>QiS-the-charity</name> and
-    would participate in <name>QiS-the-church</name>.</p>
+    where SESAM would support the creation of <name>QiS</name>, both church and
+charity, take its place as part of <name>QiS</name> (the church) and consider
+laying down SESAM (the charity) in favour of <name>QiS</name> (the charity).</p>
   </div>
 <div>
 <title>Problems with the GD</title>
@@ -69,13 +69,13 @@
 <p>But <emph>why</emph> are these problems for SESAM, and even granted that they are, why do
 they need to be fixed <emph>now</emph>?</p>
 <p>They are problems because the existing Area Meetings' responsibilities
-and activities as a worshiping body, governed by Meetings for Worship
+and activities as a worshipping body, governed by Meetings for Worship
 for Church Affairs of their membership as set out in Quaker Faith and Practice (QF&amp;P), are largely
 distinct from their responsibilities and activities as a charity,
 governed by trustees.  The former consist of, for example, the spiritual and
 pastoral care of their members and their witness to their communities, grounded in our
 testimonies, whereas the latter focus on
-maitaining the Area Meeting's legal status and financial well-being.
+maintaining the Area Meeting's legal status and financial well-being.
 As for Britain Yearly Meeting, whose succinct self-characterisation
 recently has been "A simple church supported by a simple charity", so
 it should be for Area Meetings.  QF&amp;P has useful
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@
 with its purposes"</item>
  </list>
  <p>A clear separation between the church and the charity is a simple first step towards the necessary clarifications.</p>
- <note class="footnote"><p>* Indeed SESAM-the-charity's own governing document is also based on a
+ <note class="footnote"><p>* Indeed SESAM (the charity)'s own governing document is also based on a
 similar, more recent, template for non-incorporated Area Meetings from
 Quaker Life
 (<link href="https://www.quaker.org.uk/documents/governing-document-for-am-cc-approved-11-2022-final">https://www.quaker.org.uk/documents/governing-document-for-am-cc-approved-11-2022-final</link>),
@@ -116,8 +116,8 @@
   <div>
    <title>A note on terminology</title>
 <p>For clarity, hereafter
-I'll call <name>QiS</name>-the-charity the <name>SCIO</name>, short for the (proposed) "Scottish Charitable
-Incorporated Organisation" and I'll call <name>QiS</name>-the-church the <name>RSFS</name>, short
+I'll call <name>QiS</name> (the charity) the <name>SCIO</name>, short for the (proposed) "Scottish Charitable
+Incorporated Organisation" and I'll call <name>QiS</name> (the church) the <name>RSFS</name>, short
 for the "Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in Scotland".</p>
 </div>  
 <div>
@@ -138,15 +138,19 @@
 <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>
+<name>SCIO</name> and the <name>RSFS</name>.  These five will constitute the <name>Constituent Meetings</name> of the
+<name>RSFS</name>.  Initially membership of the <name>RSFS</name> will be defined as
+membership of any of the Constituent Area Meetings.</p>
+<p>The GD should specify that transfer from the Constituent Meetings of</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>will be at their discretion as to both timing and substance.  Membership
+matters should not be transferred to the <name>RSFS</name> until such time as
+QF&amp;P recognises the <name>RSFS</name> as a body that can carry out the relevant
+procedures per QF&amp;P chapter 11.</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
@@ -172,6 +176,9 @@
 <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>
+ <p>The appointment of trustees, of a Treasurer who is <emph>ex officio</emph>
+a Trustee, of a Nominations Committee and amending the GD should all be
+identified in the GD as matters reserved to the <name>RSFS</name> in session.</p>
 </div></div>
 
 <div>
@@ -207,7 +214,7 @@
    about here."</p>
 <p>In fact the document laid before us in the special Area Meeting on
 15 January (Draft of 2023 12 29c.docx) had a lot to say about the
-body.  Or did it?  As I read it at the time it did't clearly
+body.  Or did it?  As I read it at the time it didn't clearly
 distinguish between the charity and the body, using the phrase
 "Quakers in Scotland" in what I found to be confusing ways.</p>
 <p>A new draft (Draft of 2024 03 21.docx) has just been made available,
@@ -264,7 +271,7 @@
    Quaker Life
    (<link href="https://www.quaker.org.uk/documents/governing-document-for-am-cc-approved-11-2022-final">https://www.quaker.org.uk/documents/governing-document-for-am-cc-approved-11-2022-final</link>).
    The template does not make any overt distinction between the church
-   and the charity, to my embarassment.  However the phrases "(East
+   and the charity.  However the phrases "(East
    Scotland) Area Meeting in session" clearly refer to the church, and
    in "3. Object The object of East Scotland Area Meeting" it is
    evidently the charity.</p>
@@ -287,7 +294,8 @@
    (Quakers) in Britain: South East Scotland Area Meeting [referred to
    below as South East Scotland Area Meeting or the area meeting and
    formerly known as South East Scotland Monthly Meeting] likewise is
-   based on the Quaker Life template.  "Subject to the matters set out
+   based on the Quaker Life template, sharing its lack of clarity on church
+versus charity, to my embarrassment.  "Subject to the matters set out
    below the resources of the area meeting shall be administered in
    accordance with this governing document by the trustees..." is
    clearly talking about the charity, whereas "Amendments to this
@@ -322,7 +330,8 @@
    <p>"General Meeting acts on behalf of Britain Yearly Meeting in such procedures as may be required by the Scottish Parliament and Scottish legal affairs."</p>
    <p><link href="https://www.quakerscotland.org/general-meeting">https://www.quakerscotland.org/general-meeting</link></p>
   </blockquote>
-    <p>GM's governing document is here: <link href="https://www.quakerscotland.org/sites/quakerscotland.org/files/documents/Governing%20Document%20amended%202021.pdf">https://www.quakerscotland.org/sites/quakerscotland.org/files/documents/Governing%20Document%20amended%202021.pdf</link>.  It appears to be based on the Quaker Life template for Area Meetings.  Section <name>12. Constituent Meetings</name> says "i) General Meeting for Scotland consists of all the local Meetings in Scotland."</p>
+    <p>GM's governing document is here: <link href="https://www.quakerscotland.org/sites/quakerscotland.org/files/documents/Governing%20Document%20amended%202021.pdf">https://www.quakerscotland.org/sites/quakerscotland.org/files/documents/Governing%20Document%20amended%202021.pdf</link>.  It appears to be based on the Quaker Life template for Area Meetings.</p>
+  <p>Section <name>12. Constituent Meetings</name> says "i) General Meeting for Scotland consists of all the local Meetings in Scotland."</p>
 <p>QF&amp;P (13.54) gives area meetings responsibility for appointing prison
 chaplains and "General Meeting for Scotland is responsible for
 providing [their names] to the governors of all prison establishments