Arrangements Committee and Clerk

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Last Updated on 2 years by IMYM Tech Lead

(12/29/18)

Purpose: The Arrangements Committee, a standing committee of the Yearly Meeting, has the charge to plan and supervise the annual gathering. It arranges for the facilities and all the programming for both the adults and the youth. This Committee works closely with the Clerk of the Yearly Meeting to make sure the gathering proceeds smoothly. The Committee reports its progress and any concerns to the Representatives Committee. The Working Groups will function throughout the year, and the Arrangements Committee serves a coordinating/monitoring function. Working Group Clerks should expect to attend the face-to-face Arrangements Committee meeting.

Membership: The members of the Arrangements Committee include:

  • Arrangements Committee Clerk
    • Facilities Working Group
      • Facilities Working Group Clerk
      • Operations Coordinators
      • Ombudsman for Persons of Differing Abilities
      • Kitchen Liaison
      • Registrars
      • Bookstore Coordinator
      • Volunteer Coordinator
    • Youth Working Group
      • Youth Working Group Clerk
      • CYM Coordinators
      • JYF Clerks
      • JYF Coordinators
      • JYF Regional Representatives
      • SYF Clerks
      • SYF Friendly Adult Presences (FAPs)
      • SYF Regional Representatives
      • YAF Clerk  
    • Program Working Group
      • Program Working Group Clerks
      • Youth Working Group Clerks
      • Interest Group/Seminar Coordinator
      • Worship Sharing Group Coordinator
      • Regional Meeting representatives
    • Peace & Service Committee Clerk
    • IMYM Presiding Clerk
    • Representatives Committee Clerk
    • Other members, as needed

Responsibilities of the Yearly Meeting Arrangements Committee include:

  1. To evaluate the Yearly Meeting annual gathering just past, using the reports of the outgoing members and the attender surveys.
  2. To make plans for the upcoming annual gathering, using conference calls, e-mail, or other forms of electronic communication if possible.
  3. To attend the annual gathering of the Yearly Meeting. Each member of the Arrangements Committee should make a serious effort to attend the Yearly Meeting annual gathering.
  4. To establish working groups and delegate work to them, including, but not limited to, the following:

Facilities Working Group

Youth Working Group

Program Working Group

  1. Working groups work throughout the year, as needed, often by phone or by e-mail, keeping the Arrangements Committee Clerk informed (for example, by e-mail courtesy copy) of their ongoing work and correspondence.
    1. Working groups should complete their work in a timely fashion, and send progress reports to the Arrangements Committee Clerk, especially in time for consideration at the Committee’s January meeting. Reports may include recommendations for consideration at the next annual session of the Yearly Meeting.
    1. Working groups established by the Arrangements Committee stay active at the annual gathering, making coordination decisions as needed and overseeing the functioning of the gathering in general.
  2. To meet face-to-face in January. Only those Coordinators whose work requires it need attend. During this meeting the Junior and Senior Young Friends Clerks and Regional Meeting representatives will meet to plan their programs.

Arrangements Committee Clerk’s Responsibilities

Among other useful guides, ageneral description of clerking duties and responsibilities, and over-all work and attitudes begins on page 57 of IMYM’s Faith and Practice. In addition, the following expectations pertain to the Arrangements Committee Clerk:

  1. To establish target dates for working group and coordinator reports, and communicate these as needed (usually for the January AC Meeting and for June Annual Gathering, if needed).
  2. To post all requested reports and minutes from Arrangements Committee meetings on the imym.org site
  3. To keep task coordinators on track during the year and during Annual Gathering. To oversee and help resolve AC issues that may come up during Annual Gathering, with the help of the Presiding Clerk and RC Clerk, if needed.
  4. To report a summary of the Committee’s activities and concerns to the meetings of the Representatives Committee both in Feb/Mar and in June. The June report would become part of the Documents in Advance.
  5. To serve on the Clerk’s Advisory Committee, and assist the Presiding Clerk, as needed, on site during the annual gathering.
  6. The Clerk serves a 3-year term beginning at the rise of the annual session.

Financial Arrangements: Upon request of the members of the committee, the Treasurer will reimburse their expenses for travel to the January meeting of the Arrangements Committee. In the rare circumstance that the Arrangements Committee Clerk and Representative Committee Clerk agree on the need for a member of a working group to attend the Representatives Committee meeting, the Treasurer may issue reimbursement for travel expense.

Regional Meetings or Monthly Meetings should reimburse the expenses of their Junior and/or Senior Young Friends representatives to Arrangements Committee for the cost of their travel to the winter meetings.

The Treasurer may issue reimbursement for incidental operating expenditures such as stationery, software, and communications. The Clerk should consult the Treasurer before incurring unusual expenses.