WINTER 2005Sondra Ball
Mickleton MM
any of you have only a vague notion of what the Steering Committee does. It reports to Quarterly Meeting in session. All of you who go to Quarterly Meeting know that. But its exact purpose, apart from that reporting, may seem a mystery to you. So I've decided to tell you. (Actually, the Steering Committee asked me to tell you, but I'm delighted to do so.)
The Steering Committee serves two major purposes. Its first job (and the job for which it was originally created) is to supervise your coordinator (who is Phil Anthony right now, but has had other names in the past). Its clerk (currently Tom Etherington of Mullica Hill MM) stays in touch with the coordinator's day by day activities, cheering him on whenever possible, correcting him when necessary.
The Steering Committee meets once a month to hear about what the coordinator has done the previous month and intends to do the following month. It keeps track of the coordinator's budget (which includes the budget for Salem Quarter News), negotiates with Yearly Meeting when any misunderstandings about the coordinator or the program arise between the quarterly and yearly meetings, keeps monthly meetings up to date on quarter activities, and evaluates the coordinator and the coordinator program.
The Steering Committee also has a second role, which was given to it by Quarterly Meeting in Session several years ago. It serves as Salem Quarterly Meeting when Salem Quarterly Meeting is not in session: making decisions for quarterly meeting that cannot wait for the next regularly scheduled session, and keeping the day by day (and week by week) activities of the quarter in order. It updates the coordinator on monthly and quarterly meeting activities for the quarter calendar he is in charge of. It periodically reviews the quarter goals and then brings them forward to a regularly scheduled quarterly meeting for acceptance or amending.
The Steering Committee is made up of the clerk of the quarter, the coordinator, and two members of each meeting (appointed by the meetings). At least, ideally, there are two members from each meeting. After all, if a meeting doesn't have any members at Steering Committee, the meeting has no voice in the quarter between quarterly meetings in session. Come to think of it, if no one comes to quarterly meetings and there are no representatives at Steering Committee, the meeting has no voice in the quarter at all. But, in addition to having a voice in the quarter, your representative takes back to you news of what the quarter is doing, what other monthly meetings are doing, and, sometimes, the latest Quaker jokes.
Currently, not all meetings have two members attending Steering Committee. If your meeting does not have two members, I strongly urge anyone at that meeting who is interested to let your meeting know you would like to serve. I personally find the meetings very rewarding – and would love to see you there. If I already know you, I would love another chance to interact with you. If I don't already know you, this would be a great chance for me to meet yet another wonderful Quaker.
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Monday, November 21, 2005 at 04:25 PM
