Minutes of Europe and Middle East Young Friends Annual Meeting (19-21 March 1993) Present: Andreas Hu"fner, Anna Helander, Bee Jasko, Bernard Lesser, Bert Tschirner, Bodil Madsen, Bard Olsen, Catrin Davies (Clerk), Dawn Hendon, Edith Mulder, Bth Evens, Erik Corry, Friederike Biermann, Georg Schwerendt, Hanne Hognestad, Jan Jaap Spreij, Jo Grendon, Jonathon Kemp, Louise Abt, Nick Lane, Owen Claxton, Rachel Maskill, Rachel Ramaker, Rob Ingham, Stuart Whittington AM 93/01 Recording Clerk Erik Corry is appointed as Recording Clerk to serve for this Annual Meeting. AM 93/02 National Reports We have received national reports from the following people: Germany: Bert Tschirner Denmark: Bodil Madsen The Netherlands: Rachel Ramaker Norway: Bard Olsen and Hanne Hognestad Sweden and Finland: Anna Helander France: Louise Abt Ireland: Nick Lane Belgium: Catrin Davies We welcome the new National Contact Persons: Eva Ronhaar for the Netherlands, Nick Lane for Northern Ireland, Dawn Hendon for Britain, Bard Olsen for Norway, and Jens Helander who joins Anna Helander as National Contact Persons for Sweden and Finland. Bert Tschirner is now Contact Person for the whole of German Young Friends. We thank the retiring Contact Persons. The written reports are included with the minutes. We urge those Contact Persons who have not yet submitted a written report to write a short summary before the end of the weekend. We will ask Dawn Hendon to make the report for Britain when she arrives. 93/03 Name Change In accordance with European and Near East Young Friends minute AM 92/28, and following the change of name of the European and Near East Section to the European and Middle East Section, we change our name to European and Middle East Young Friends. 93/04 Returement of Franco Perna as EMES Executive Secretary We thank Franco Perna for many years of cheerful work and support of Young Friends. We look forward to continuing cooperation with his new successor. 93/05 Hannah McEwen We thank Hannah McEwen warmly for her workk with EMEYF as Secretary. We are sorry to see her go and wish her all the best with her new job in Britain. 93/06 Nominations Committee The meeting appoints Bard, Hanne, Georg and Jonathan to the Nominations Committee. All of us are encouraged to suggest names, including out own, for consideration by the Nominations Committee. People who are not here can also be suggested. 93/07 EMEYF Report The EMEYF report for 1992 was sent to Annual Meeting particiapants before AM and is included with the minutes. We thank Liz Webster and Hannah McEwen for this report of our work in 1992. 93/08 Communications Committee Report The Communications Committee report of the past year has been read to the meeting and is included with the minutes. Individual points from the report will be discussed later at Annual Meeting. 93/09 European Quaker Peace Consultation Birgit Felleisen's report on the European Quaker Peace Conuncil was published in the EMEYF magazine and is included with the minutes. In accordance with minute AM 92/21, Birgit is appointed to attent the EQPC in 1993. We ask Young Friends with peace concerns to communicate these to Birgit. 93/10 Elders for EMEYF CC minute 92/24(4) was read to the meeting. Bert explained to us the concern about Quaker business methods which arose during the last AM and a concern that more emphasis should be gives to the spiritual side of EMEYF which arose at Spring Gathering 92. It is felt that the spiritual side of Quakerism is the responsibility of all of us. As part of this responsibility, we agree to appoint two Friends to concern themselves especially with this. We would suggest this appointment be made for two AMs to enable the Elders to work in consultation with Spring Gathering Planning Group and other groups, should they wish. We agree to appoint Bard Olsen and Rachel Maskill now, to serve as Elders for this AM and next AM on an experrimental basis. This decision will be reviewed at next AM. 93/11 Spring Gathering 1994 AM recommends The Netherlands as the country for the next Spring Gathering. Nominations Committee should bear this in mind, if possible. 93/12 Summer Gathering 1993 CC minute 92/26(2) on the proposed Summer Gathering was read. Hanne Hognestad reports that the CC has looked into some venues. Due to the short remaining time, we feel it is not practicle to hold a formal summer gathering this summer. 93/13 Summer Gathering 1994 We suggest that a Summer Gathering should be organised by a local group of YFs in 1994. The experience of Norway YFs is that this can be enriching for a local group. It was agreed that a Summer Gathering should have an informal holiday character, while Spring Gathering stays more organised. This does not exclude the possibility of speakers. The CC could offer help with some planning expenses, but not travel grants for the planning group or participants. We have heard of one Friend's enthusiams to organise a YFs holiday in Norway in 1994 to look at combining spiritual life and life in nature. Other YFs have shown enthusiasm for organising a gathering with their local group in another country, possibly on a canal boat. We encourage these and other YFs to discuss these matters with their local groups, and to bring their plans for support to the CC meeting and to publicise them in EMEYF. Should more than one gathering be put forward, we ask the CC to choose which one should be the EMEYF Summer Gathering. 93/14 Community Project The Community Project met last summer at the Bamford Community. Another meeting was held recently in Ru"ber, Germany where concrete minutes were decided upon. We encourage the group to send a copy of their Epistle to the EMEYF Secretary for circulation among YFs. 93/15 Spring Gathering 1993 The Planning Group for SG 1993 reports that the planning is going well. The theme is Faith into Action. There are still two places free, but as yet no YFs from the Netherlands or Scandanavis have applied. Due to the new UK Childrens Act the Planning Committee have obtained medical consent forms from the parents of all under 18 year olds. All responsible persons organising have signed forms confirming that they have not been convicted of sex offences. AM supports CC in their decision to continue to allow under 18s to come to this Spring Gathering. 93/16 The meeting approves in principle sending up to 750UKP to help Shafea El-Gamal from Istael to come to Spring Gathering. Shafeo could not otherwise come to Spring Gathering. The Treasurer will make effrorts to get at last some of the money back from trusts. We recognise that this will be a financial risk for EMEYF, but are reminded that the theme of the gathering is Faith into Action, and also of EMEYF's past in enabling YFs from the GDR to join us at gatherings. We have found the decision difficult, because of time pressure and the fact that Shafea El-Gamal has not yet contact with his nearest meeting, Ramallah. We ask him to obtain a letter of recommendation from the Clerk of Ramallah meeting. We are pleased that he has applied to Spring Gathering, and hope this will lead to more active links with the Middle East. We ask the Planning Group Coordinator to phone the Clerk of Ramallah meeting, and to take her advice on the situation in general. We give the Planning Group Coordinator discretion to act on this advice. 93/17 Role of Communications Committee In general CC is delegated by Annual Meeting, can represent Am and is encouraged to sensitively and flexibly make the decisions that need to be made between AMs. Though we are reluctant to set fixed cash limits, the CC should recognise that decisions involving large amounts of money are particularly difficult. We suggest that the CC consult National Contact Persons where possible on difficult cases. 93/18 The Magazine We welcome CCs initiative in starting the magazine, and thank Bert for his efforts. We find the magazine worthwhile and want it to continue in broadly its present form. We are all encouraged to send more material to the magazine. We have been informed that European Yearly Meetings showed considerable interest in this publication, and agree to advertise it occasionally in European Quaker magazines. We would like to keep te magazine free to Young Friends, but welcome donations towards costs. 93/19 Language Project Jan Va'clav Caspers' Report on behalf of the language project was read to us and is included with the minutes. We thank Jan for his frank report. We welcome the intention to improve progress, communications within the committee and communications between the committee and EMEYF. We agree that the finances of the committee should be managed by the EMEYF treasurer. The language project is funded by a grant from the European Youth Foundation. We are mindful of the extra responsibility when we receive money from external bodies. 93/20 British Young Friends Dawn Hendon reported to us on Young Friend activity in Britain, and her report is included with the minutes. We thank Dawn for her report. We welcome Dawn as the new National Contact Person for Britain. We note that YFCC has changed its name to Young Friends General Meeting. 93/22 Treasurers Report Edith Mulder has presented the audited accounts for 1992. A copy is attached. We note that they are in a healthy state with an overall closing balance of BF214,081.24. This may be affected in the future by the drop in Sterling. Jonathon Kemp reported on the Charitable Trust Account. He will be making applications to trust funds on our behalf in the next month. We note that for easier administration, Jonathon Kemp will become Administrator of the UK account and Bernard Lesser its auditor for the next two years. 93/23 EMEYF Leaflet Progress Report Further to AM minutes 92/16 and 92/17, Bernard Lesser has reported on progress with the leaflet. The English, Dutch and French versions are finished. Any translations still outstanding at the end of this week will not be printed. The illustration for the front page is on its way to Bernard. We ask Bernard to print the leaflet in the numbers suggested by the National Contact Persons. We thank Bernard for for his patience. 93/24 Appointments Nomincations Committee has presented their report. AM appoints the following people: Spring Gathering 1994 Planning Group: Jan Jaap Spreij Rachel Ramaker EMES Section Meeting 1993: Edith Mulder EMES Section Meeting 1994: Rachel Maskill (reserve) Bodil Madsen Young Friends column in Among Friends: Rob Ingham (until arrival of a new Secretary) Recording Clerk 1994 Erik Corry Editor of EMEYF Magazine Bert Tschirner The new EMEYF Secretary will accompany Rachel Maskill to the EMES Meeting in 1994. We thank the Nominations Committee for their work. 93/25 Spring Gathering 1994 Further to minute 93/11, Spring Gathering will be held from 26 March - 3 April 1994, in the Netherlands. 93/26 Timing of Annual Meeting 1994 We have discussed the date of the Annual Meeting. We ask the Communications Committee to consider moving the Annual Meeting to the Autumn, and to present us with their considerations next AM, in March 1994. Annual Meeting 1994 will be held from 4-6 March in Brussels (subject to consent from Quaker House). 93/27 We thank the Quaker Council for European Affairs for their generous hospitality at Quaker House Brussels. 93/28 We thank Catrin and Erik for clerking this meeting. 93/29 We thank the Communications Committee for their work, enthusiasm and energy throughout the year. 93/30 We wish everyone a good journey home and a good new year.