Thaxted Area Meeting 16 September 2012 Dunmow

Representatives:

Bardfield: Michael Collins, Angela Howard

Dunmow: Margaret Somerville, Gillian Davies

Saffron Walden:Martin and Joan Gibson,

Stansted: Jane Mitchell, Sue Maloney, Ann Brereton

There were 17 present including all the above appointed representatives except Jane Mitchell, who was prevented.

During our opening worship Quaker Faith and Practice 28:02 was read: William Penn, 1677.

Copies of “Being Faithful in Quaker Meetings” were made available and we were reminded of the advice given in it.

12/09/01Membership

a)We have received a report from Karl Gibbs and Angela Howard on their visit to Nik Dadson. We thank these Friends for their report and are pleased to accept Nik into membership; we appoint Angela Pivac to welcome him as a member.

b)We have received a report from Gillian Davies and Ted Jackson on their visit to David Rhoda. We thank these Friends for their report and are pleased to accept David into membership; we appoint Terence Mickle to welcome him as a member.

12/09/02 Nominations and Appointments

Jane Mitchell has asked to be released from her role as Assistant Representative on Quaker Life Representative Council as she is unable to attend weekend meetings at Woodbrooke. We release her and thank her for agreeing to serve.

Nominations committee brings forward the name of Sue Moloney to replace her and serve as Assistant Representative on Quaker Life Representative Council.

Stansted LM brings the names of Katherine Hurford, Jane Mitchell and Anthea Leeto serve as elders and Sue Moloney and Jonathan Morell to serve as Overseers.

These appointments to take place with immediate effect andto the end of the triennium 1.1.2013 to 31.12.2015.

Saffron Walden LM brings the name of Hilary Morrish to serve as Overseer forthe triennium 1.1.2013 to 31.12.2015.

We duly appoint the Friends named to serve as indicated.

Representatives

We agree that Angela Pivac should represent us at the Conference for Registering Officers at Woodbrooke 22-24 March next year.

Since the last Area Meeting Katrina Venables was appointed as our Representative to the QAAD Annual Conference in July, which she attended. Her report has been circulated through our e-mail group and will be in the next edition of Quaker Contacts.

Appointment Still Needed

Representative to Sibford School General Meeting on Saturday November 17.

12/09/03Regional Gatherings

Saturday September 29

The next Regional Gathering will be held on 29 September at Colchester Friends Meeting House. The theme is “Quakers and the Law” with ‘The Chocolate Paradox’ presented by the duo ‘Plain Quakers’.We appoint John Capperas our Representative.

February 2013

In 2013 Thaxted AM is scheduled to host the meeting on Saturday, February 23. We agree that Dunmow LM will host this Gathering with support from Bardfield LM.

12/09/04 Report by Dunmow Local Quaker Meeting

Margaret Somerville gave the Annual Report on Dunmow Local Meeting, which now has 8 Friends and 2 Attenders.

The Meeting House is in a good condition and there have been no significant problems in the past year; the priority now is dealing with the trees.

The Meeting has been presented with two wooden benches. One, in memory of Joyce Woodhouse, is in the back garden and one, presented by the Wrens pre-school nursery, is in the front.

The pre-school nursery continues to bring in a steady income.

We are pleased that a small group of Friends and Attenders continues to keep the meeting going.

We thank Margaret for the report, which is attached.

12/09/05. Area Meeting Records

A paper prepared byJackie Bartlett, our archivist, was considered. She has been consulting various experts about the records kept in our archive in Saffron Walden. It is felt that conditions there are not up to modern standards and the County Record Office would be more appropriate. We feel that the age of the material makes its removal from Saffron Walden a matter of urgency. We agree that, if necessary, we will pay for a consultant to be approached to advise us and to accept any advice given. We look forward to hearing more from our archivist at a future meeting.

We encourage Local Meetings to consider the storage of their records.

12/09/06 The Kindlers

Angela Pivac brought to our attention the work of The Kindlers, who encourage us to develop spiritually and to affirm the sacred in whatever we do. They run Saturday and Worship Workshops and have a list of books to help readers develop Quaker spiritual practices. We agree that the list of the Saturday workshops available should be published in ‘Contacts’. Friends who are interested will be asked to contact Angela Pivac to see if there is likely to be sufficient support to run one,- a minimum of twelve Friends is needed.

12/09/07 Meeting for Sufferings Report

Margaret Somerville reported on Meeting for Sufferings held in July, the first of the new triennium, with reduced numbers as each Area Meeting now has only one representative. The meeting was given an overview of the centrally managed work and learned about the responsibilities of Trustees and their relationship to the meeting. Young Friends General Meeting gave a very good role play on how (not) to run a Quaker Meeting for Worship for business.

Although no Quaker work is being done in Syria Friends are encouraged to write to their MP to encourage the government to continue to press for a non-violent solution.

A new group is being set up to speak on behalf of Quakers in Britain.

A copy of the report is attached.

12/09/08 Area Meetings 2012 and 2013

Our last Area Meeting of 2012 will be held on Sunday December 9 at Stansted during which the Local Meeting will present its Annual report.

The meeting will supply a light lunch at 12:00 noon with the Area Meeting starting at 12:45pm.

Local Meetings are asked to consider whether the present pattern of Meetings, both as regards frequency and timing, should be repeated in 2013 or whether changes should be made. Any comments should be sent to the AM Clerk before our December Meeting at which the dates will need to be agreed.