Purpose

The Nominating Committee provides nominations for Yearly Meeting appointments and maintains an ongoing record of representatives appointed by Regional and Monthly Meetings.

In current practice, the Committee meets as often as needed during the annual gathering and by telephone conferences as needed during the year.

Membership

Members are a clerk who is appointed by the Yearly Meeting and one representative from each Monthly Meeting. The Clerk is a member of the Representatives Committee. It is recommended that the Monthly Meeting representative also be a member of their Monthly Meeting’s Nominating Committee and/or a member of their Regional Meeting’s Nominating Committee.

Terms

Three years for the clerk. Member’s terms are set by individual monthly meetings, but three years is recommended.

Responsibilities of the Committee include:

Being mindful of the nominating process within a Friends’ Meeting.
Remaining informed about the structure of Yearly Meeting and the functions of its leadership and administrative positions through attendance and participation at the Annual Gatherings.
Identifying in the Monthly Meeting those individuals who demonstrate appropriate skills and talents, and appear willing to serve the Yearly Meeting’s various needs.
Spiritually discerning with loving honesty and care the right match between person and position.
Respecting confidentiality in all sensitive aspects of the nomination process.
Assisting individuals being considered for a position to understand both the nature and responsibilities of the position.
Providing each nominee with the position description and responsibilities from the current Guide to Procedures, and the name and contact information for person or persons most recently in the position.
Reporting to the annual session a roster of nominees for consideration. This report is normally submitted for the Documents in Advance.
Reporting to the Representatives Committee the status of nominations, and submitting for approval those nominations coming out of the previous annual session too late for consideration there.
The Communications Assistants will maintain on the Yearly Meeting web site an ongoing list provided to them by the Committee of “Current Appointments” to assist Monthly and Regional Meetings, Senior and Junior Young Friends, committee clerks and others track appointments and anticipate vacancies. The list should include the representatives named by Regional and Monthly Meetings. The web page should also include instructions for reporting nominations and appointments to the clerk of the Nominating Committee.

Representatives Committee

The Clerk of the Nominating Committee is a member of this Committee and will provide a written evaluative report in advance of the Representatives Committee meetings. In its winter meeting the Nominating Clerk attends and reports on the status of nominations and presents for consideration any nominations coming out of the last annual session too late for consideration there (e.g., SYF and JYF nominations, etc.).

Financial arrangements

The Nominating Committee has a budget allocation to be used for the Clerk’s travel to Representatives Committee winter meeting, telephone conferencing and incidental operating expenditures. The Treasurer should be consulted before incurring unusual expenses. Travel expenses of Monthly Meeting representatives are borne by the respective Monthly Meeting.