Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL) Delegates

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Last Updated on 2 years by IMYM Tech Lead

Revised (03/15/18)
Purpose

The FCNL Delegates support the relationship between FCNL and the constituent bodies of the Yearly Meeting.  The Delegate’s role within IMYM is to encourage Friends, as FCNL constituents, to be aware of what national legislation is important to our testimonies.  Also, to be aware, as constituents, how they serve as a vital link through their communication to their delegations that then represent them at the annual General Meeting of FCNL.  The Delegates role for FCNL is to inform monthly and regional meetings about the programs and financial needs of FCNL.  In essence, the folks on Capitol Hill are the point; we Friends in the districts and states are the constituent force they need to mobilize to set priorities and drive the message home. 

Appointment

Delegates are nominated by the Regional Meetings to the Yearly Meeting for appointment.  These nominations are submitted to the clerk of the Nominating Committee.  FCNL specifies up to six delegates from IMYM.  Current practice is that CORM and NMRM each have two delegates while AHYM and UFF each have one delegate.  UFF no longer exists, so how this delegate is appointed is under discussion.

Terms

Three years beginning in October and ending in October three years later. (It is important that the beginning of a term allows for arranging participation in the annual General Meeting of the FCNL, held in November in Washington, DC.)

Delegates Committee

The FCNL delegates are members of the Delegates Committee and should work with its Clerk and other members of the Committee to better get information from their organization to local and regional meetings.

Responsibilities include:

  1. Representing the Yearly Meeting and the respective Regional Meeting at the General Meeting of the FCNL held each November in Washington, D.C. where legislative priorities and policies are set that guide the education and lobbying activities of FCNL.
  2. Bringing to the attention of FCNL the concerns of Regional Meetings and the Yearly Meeting.
  3. Interpreting to Regional, Monthly and Preparative Meetings and Worship Groups the activities, needs, and resources of FCNL and encouraging financial contributions and helping these same meetings set priorities to be sent to FCNL
  4. Reporting annually to IMYM by sending a combined report to the Clerk of the Delegates Committee who will prepare them for posting on imym.org.  This is done in addition to the annual report that comes directly from FCNL.
  5. Maintaining contact with Worship Groups and Monthly Meetings within the Regional Meeting to encourage them to appoint an FCNL Contact and to inform FCNL of the identity and communication information for that Contact.
  6. Serving in one or more additional ways: legislative activism; catalyzing lobbying networks in Worship Groups and Monthly Meetings; organizing the letter writing and displays at IMYM; becoming a member of a standing or ad hoc FCNL committee; bringing awareness of FCNL’s witness to a wider community.
  7. Forwarding any concerns to the Clerk of Delegates Committee who will take these to the Representatives Committee for consideration.
  8. Review your position description after you have finished your term and send any changes or additions you feel are needed to the Clerk of Procedures Committee.  If you find issues before that send them earlier.

Financial arrangements

The Yearly Meeting is in principle responsible for the expenses of delegates to attend the General FCNL Meeting in Washington, DC.  FCNL also offers the prospect of reimbursement according to need.  Incidental operating expenditures for clerical supplies, communications, etc., may be submitted to the Treasurer for reimbursement.  The Treasurer should be consulted before incurring unusual expenses.

Notes and Concerns

In an attempt to keep travel outlay within budget, the Yearly Meeting in 2003 approved a Finance Committee recommendation that:

“representatives (FCNL, AFSC, and FWCC.) get together to decide how they will spend or allocate their budgeted (travel) monies… The treasurer is authorized to pay out only to the limit which has been budgeted.  At any point of financial need, it is suggested that Friends contact their monthly meetings, or have their monthly meeting contact other monthly meetings, for financial help.”  

(IMYM 03-09)

This procedure appears not to be practiced at this time and this is being submitted to the finance committee for review.

The actual cost (registration, travel, and conference hotel) currently runs about $1,700 per trip, with typically five or six delegates traveling each year.  In recent years, only a fraction of FCNL Delegate travel outlay has been reimbursed by the Yearly Meeting, apparently with much of the cost having been absorbed by FCNL and the delegates themselves.  To what degree delegates have coordinated their travel and its reimbursement is unknown, and to what degree delegates have limited their travel because of unreimbursed cost is unknown.