OfS1 report
This page links to the OfS1 report of February 2022, and describes progress with the actions from that report. Click to download the OfS1 report (2.1 Mb pdf file). Link also shown to the right or at the foot of the page.
Progress with OfS1 recommendations
Recommendations from the OfS1 report are numbered and shown. Actions implemented are shown in italics. Collated by Zoe Prosser.
1a. Role holder networks - Groups of Friends with similar roles or responsibilities can meet online.
The Local Development Worker has supported networks of Elders and Pastoral Care Friends and has begun a network for Friends involved in Nominations. Future networks may include clerks of local meetings and trustees across Scotland. There is space in the LDW’s workload for two further network meetings. Friends have minuted that these network meetings have been supportive, one Friend said “the network meetings and LDW] make me feel less isolated and alone, that I have support that I can fall back on”.
1b. Role holder networks - Friends from outwith an Area Meeting can be asked to support.
This already happens, but usually only in extraordinary or difficult circumstances (eg a Friend from East Lothian meeting has been brought in to clerk the discernment of West Scotland AM regarding a significant decision).
1c. Role holder networks - Role holders can be invited to attend equivalent meetings in a different Area Meeting.
Not happening so far as we can tell.
2a. Special interest groups - Informal networks of interested Friends can meet on zoom.
This already happened to some extent. Groups involved in all sorts of projects meet by Zoom.This includes spiritual development, such as Experiments with Light, and witness work, such as planning for Fàilte Edinburgh.
2b. Special interest groups - Informal networks of Friends with particular interests can be encouraged to feed into and support the work of the Parliamentary Engagement Working Group.
Not happening
2c. Special interest groups - Each member of the Parliamentary Engagement Working Group can be supported by informal network(s) of Friends interested in a particular field of witness.
Not happening
3. General Meeting appointed groups - General Meeting for Scotland can set up groups with reps from all Area Meetings e.g. Options for Scotland Working Group
This was already happening for specific purposes, e.g. Safeguarding, Options for Scotland Group.
4. Quakers in Scotland programme - General Meeting for Scotland can decide to give greater importance to its work, described in Quaker Faith and Practice 5.03a, as ‘…facilitating contact between Friends of all ages, and providing opportunities for training and mutual support for those with special responsibilities…’
Enquirers events are happening as part of the pre-existing General Meeting programme – this year it is coordinated by West Scotland AM.
5. Residential events - Encourage residential events; Encourage Friends to attend residential weekends across Area Meeting boundaries; Make use of the General Meeting website to promote existing or new events
Some residential weekends have opened themselves more widely to Friends interested in attending.
- The Wiston Weekend is the responsibility of South East Scotland AM (formerly it was run by Portobello and Musselburgh LM) and is open to all.
- Children and Families weekend has always been open to families across all Scotland’s AMs. The last Children and Families weekend hosted Friends from every AM.
Other residential meetings include Western Coastal Friends Gathering, North Scotland Residential AM.
We did mention that it might be useful to host a page on the Quakers in Scotland website which would advertise those residential meetings – so people could know that they were happening. This was not taken forwards.
All of these events cost upwards of £100 for a non subsidised adult, not counting travel costs. Support for these costs can be tricky to identify. In a discussion with Elders and Pastoral Friends, some were uncertain of what support was available and how to apply for it, and that really hampers supporting and encouraging Friends to apply. Also, can we afford to heartily subsidise these events, and if we don’t, are we supporting our testimony to equality.
6. Area Meeting boundaries - Local Meetings can move to neighbouring Area Meetings.
No Local Meeting has sought to do this.
7. Professional support and advice - Increase use of professional input for bookkeeping, property management, HR and employment matters, safeguarding and other trustee responsibilities.
- Some AMs do employ a bookkeeper/accountant to support their treasurer and trustees.
- Ad hoc professionals are approached for support with specific tasks – eg an architect firm to support decision making about a building.
While these may be employed by the AM but they are not generally shared across General Meeting for Scotland.