'The recent "interesting" year had been a chance to reflect on how MfS manages its work.'

Meeting for Sufferings: Arrangements group

'The recent "interesting" year had been a chance to reflect on how MfS manages its work.'

by Joseph Jones & Harry Albright 12th February 2021

Introducing the report on Arrangements Group, one of its authors, Jane Mace, reminded Friends that the task had not been to review MfS itself, but its arrangements. The recent ‘interesting’ year had been a chance to reflect on how MfS manages its work. Arrangement Group members were the ‘servants of the servants’, she said, having come to realise how much work is done, often by BYM staff.

The report had three key recommendations: membership of the group should be increased to four; appointments should move to a rolling pattern; and there should be explicit mention of electronic means of meeting. In all this, good communication was essential.

A former member of Arrangements Group found the report ‘thoughtful’ and ‘sensitive’, while another Friend wanted some clarification on communication. She felt that minutes sent to MfS from Area Meetings (AMs) were not presented in enough detail. ‘What filtering goes on?’, she asked. A representative from the east of England asked whether AMs could add their own short summary, while one from the north of England thought the subject of communication could be the focus of a future meeting. Could representatives see minutes as they arrived? Representatives should be asked whether they wanted that detail, she went on: ‘What do we need to know, to be able to do our discernment?’ A Friend from Scotland noted that, with Stewardship Committee being laid down, MfS was getting more responsibility, particularly with regard to acting for BYM when it is not in session. ‘How we understand our role does need to be reconsidered.’

The resulting minute noted that ‘Friends would like the opportunity to know more about the process of planning our business’. It asked Arrangements Group to consider how this might be brought back to a future agenda. Could ‘soon’ be added, asked the Friend from the east of England? It could.


Comments


Please login to add a comment