Meeting for Business

The Meeting gathers at the appointed time and people attend "with heart and mind prepared”. Meeting commences when the Clerk sits down in silent prayer and ends when the Clerk closes it with a period of silent worship.

Visitors may attend with the Clerk's consent. All non-members may be asked to leave for confidential agenda items such as membership issues.

The Clerk is the servant of the Meeting appointed to conduct the meeting and prepare Minutes, assisted by the co-Clerk or the Minute (Recording ) Clerk .

For the right ordering of the Meeting the Clerk prepares an agenda to cover all the items of business. Those given tasks previously, read and speak to their written reports which are submitted for record purposes. Friends will also have considered any item that was "held over", read any documents given in advance and pondered over any topic previously announced.

Friends wishing to bring matters to the Meeting must do so in good time and in writing so that the item can be placed on the agenda.  Friends are prepared to speak to the concerns they bring to the Meeting with written reports for record purposes.  Where possible that Friend should attend to that matter serving, if appointed, on the group dealing with the issue until it is resolved.

Friends wishing to speak indicate this by standing or raising a hand. They speak only when called on to do so by the Clerk, and stand if possible. Speakers try to be concise and to the point confining themselves to the issue before the Meeting.  Persons should try to speak only once upon one topic considering carefully what they say and not repeating points already made.  Queries and points of clarification should be addressed through the Clerk.

Friends listen to what is being said and allow a "cushion of silence" before there is a further contribution.

A Friends Meeting is not a debating forum or a town meeting where everyone has the right to speak... no one has theright to speak in Meeting - rather Friends have the privilege and the duty to lay before the Meeting what ever relevant insight they may possess.  And whatever has been laid before the Meeting needs to be considered carefully and belongs to the Meeting not the individual.

 Personal chats, whispered comments or alternative discussion are not appropriate. Friends must consider lovingly how to express disagreement. Unkind words or a sharp tone may cause hurt where none was meant. A period of silent prayer may be called for, if the meeting has become heated, has reached an impasse or to draft a difficult Minute.                                                                                

When the Clerk or Minute Clerk senses the meeting has reached unity on an issue s/he prepares a draft Minute of what has been said and presents it to the meeting which may accept it or modify it until Friends consider  it is an accurate reflection of the sense of the meeting . This formulation of a minute which is read back and accepted by the Meeting at the time is the basis of Quaker method. It is very fair and it means that there can be no disputing of the decision;  once agreed, all present are responsible for the decision.  It also means that apart from correcting spelling and grammatical errors the minute cannot be substantively changed. 

Friends do not debate or vote; working carefully and prayerfully to discern the way forward through each agenda item. Those Friends in disagreement with a proposed Minute may choose to stand aside, or may ask that their dissension be minuted but still stand aside so as not to impede Meeting action. In the event of a Friend feeling strongly that he/she cannot agree to let the minute be accepted this must be stated and  the Meeting  will be unable to accept that minuted decision as it is.  Meeting will then need to reassess the minute and have further discussion even if it means that the decision is held over.  

The conduct & outcome of a Meeting for Business depends on all those present. The Meeting consists of its members and all the members are responsible for the meeting. That responsibility needs to be accepted by us all.

If you feel the meeting is not what it might be, it is up to you to help correct the problems.  Decisions taken are as felt to be true at that time and apply to all, whether or not they were present.

It is recognised that Meeting for Business is not a meeting that persons easily attend and that this is a common problem. There are however many decisions that need to be taken, and business that needs attending to, and doing this is the responsibility of the whole Meeting.

Friends may bring concerns to Business meeting, for example relating to poverty, gambling, peace, or the placing of the clock in the Meeting House, in the hope that Meeting will adopt them. After some discussion, Meeting may or may not be moved to make the concern a concern of the meeting.  It may for example decide not to take the issue up but to support the Friend in his or her concern.

(C&SAYM Quaker Handbook,3.2)

Futher reading - Eden Grace on Quaker Business Practice