Last Updated on 2 years by IMYM Tech Lead

Revised (11/21/17)

Purpose

The Program Working Group is a sub-committee of the Arrangements Committee and has responsibility for programming the adult activities during the annual gathering. The Working Group should solicit ideas from Friends throughout the Yearly Meeting, and aim to provide an integrated program of seminars, interest groups, and resource people. The Program Working Group reports its progress and any concerns to the Arrangements Committee.

Long Range Purpose

Members of this working group could facilitate consideration of a theme, in greater depth and develop budgetary resources to create a more meaningful program. They could explore ways for sharing and deep consideration across Regions of an issue of broad interest to Friends (e.g. immigration, racism, spiritual development, religious education). They should plan well in advance in order to allow the best resource people to be invited to participate in the IMYM annual gathering. They could invite Friends from other Quaker groups (e.g. FCNL, FGC, FWCC, AFSC) with expertise relevant to the theme. This would provide a context for Yearly Meeting considerations and possible action.

Membership

The Regional Representatives are appointed by their Regions and the Senior Young Friends and Young Adult Friends Representatives by their groups. If a Region is unable to appoint a member, Clerks of the Program Working Group may do so. Below is a complete list of the members of the Program Working Group:

Clerk of Program Working Group
Clerk of Youth Working Group
Interest Group/Seminar Coordinator(s)
Worship Sharing Group Coordinator
Regional Meeting Representatives
Clerk of Peace and Service Committee
Presiding Clerk of IMYM (ex-officio)
Clerk of Arrangements Committee
Clerk of Representatives Committee (ex-officio)
Representative of Senior Young Friends
Representative of Young Adult Friends

The Program Working Group has the responsibility:

To determine a theme or topic for the Yearly Meeting Annual Gathering.
To select and arrange for a keynote speaker.
To arrange seminars, workshops and interest groups around the chosen theme.
To recommend resource person/s to assist with the program.
To oversee the evening programs at the annual gathering. (Note 1 at bottom)
To coordinate with the Youth Working Group Clerk to schedule time with the keynote speaker and maybe consider appropriate youth activities (e.g. minutes, service initiatives, or youth programs for Monthly Meetings).
To keep the Arrangements Committee Clerk fully informed of their progress and any concerns they might have and to write a report covering this for the January Arrangements Committee meeting.
To write a report by late summer evaluating the program, to aid in planning for the next year’s annual gathering. This report is sent to the Arrangements Committee Clerk.

Most communication among the members of the Program Working Group will happen at the annual gathering or will be done by email and conference calls, but some people (as determined by the Program Working Group Clerk) may attend the face-to-face meeting of the Arrangements Committee in January where the program schedule is determined. Regional Representatives would not need to attend.

Regional Representatives should obtain input on Friends’ areas of interest for future themes, and report those interests to the working group.

Financial Arrangements

The Yearly Meeting pays, upon request, the travel expenses of the members of the committee to the January meeting of the Arrangements Committee.

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.

Note 1: Pelican Lee, as Clerk of Arrangements Committee, understood that this responsibility was given to the committee when the IMYM committee restructuring took place, but it then was not included in the original job description. The wording of this was left vague, since this has not yet been resolved as of 11/21/17.

Program Working Group Clerk/s

Appointment

The Nominating Committee appoints the Clerk/s of the Program Working Group for a three-year term beginning at the rise of an annual gathering, but they need to attend the Group’s meetings during this gathering.

Responsibilities

Ageneral description of clerking duties and responsibilities, and over-all work and attitudes begins on page 57 of IMYM’s Faith and Practice. There are also other useful guides to the work of the clerks of Meetings and committees. In addition, the Program Working Group Clerk is:

To preside at Program Working Group meetings in June, record and keep minutes, maintain all communication and follow-up work as requested by the committee.
To make sure Working Group work is proceeding in a timely manner.
To keep the Clerk of Arrangements Committee fully informed of the progress and concerns of all the coordinators and other members of the working group. More details are given in the Timeline below.
To furnish the Clerk of Arrangements Committee with all the reports needed for the Representative Committee meetings in Feb/Mar and June, in a timely manner. More details are given in the Timeline below.
To arrange for the travel and coordinate the participation of the keynote speaker at the annual gathering.
To attend the annual gathering and assist in its coordination.

Financial Arrangements

Upon request, the Yearly Meeting pays the travel expenses of the Clerk to the January meeting of the Arrangements Committee.

Timeline for Clerks of IMYM Program Working Group

June

At Annual Gathering:

Provide support for the keynote speaker and his/her elder
Arrange to meet them upon their arrival
Help them through registration, finding their lodging
Arrange to meet with them at appointed times (usually mealtimes) throughout the week
Walk with them to their activities, if needed
Ask whether they would like you to sit with them in worship before the keynote and other activities
Suggest relaxation activities (hikes, labyrinth, Ghost Ranch facilities and tours, pool, etc)
Ask IMYM treasurer if payments can be made on-site (expense reimbursement plus honorarium)

Meet with PWG at least once, preferably twice.

Agenda:

Troubleshoot any issues that are arising
Discuss potential themes for next year. Reach unity on the theme, if possible
Discuss potential speakers to address the theme
Get all PWG members’ preferred contact info
Set dates/times for summer conference calls

After Gathering, send out minutes of PWG meetings, reminders about scheduled conference calls

JULY AND AUGUST

Review Evaluation survey; consider whether PWG needs to re-think any aspects of program in response to the survey. If so, arrange for conference call for this purpose.

Once a theme is defined (via conference call if it hasn’t been decided at the gathering), draft a Call for Keynote Speaker so that all PWG members can circulate it. Via conference calls, narrow field of potential speakers to 3. Send minutes to all PWG members.

Make sure IMYM treasurer has made payments to keynote speaker (reimbursement of expenses plus honorarium)

Write a report evaluating the program, to aid in planning for the next year’s annual gathering and send this report to the Arrangements Committee Clerk.

AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER

Make phone calls to potential speakers, discuss the theme and the person’s “fit”. Send minutes to PWG.

Consult with full PWG to select top pick

Make verbal agreement with keynote speaker

Send report to IMYM clerk, Arrangements Com clerk and Representatives Committee clerk

Include: Theme title; Keynote speaker’s short bio; suggested Fall Queries related to the theme

Reminder to clerk to include information in Fall Queries about how to propose Interest Groups and Early Days Seminars (link to online proposal form, deadline for submission criteria)

OCTOBER – DECEMBER

Coordinate with IMYM clerk and Arrangements Com clerk

Finalize MOU with keynote speaker; signed by keynote speaker and IMYM clerk

Make sure information about submitting proposals for Early Days Seminars and Interest Groups is sent to monthly meetings and posted on IMYM website

Plan to attend Arrangements Com meeting in January

JANUARY

Submit report to Arrangements Committee; make sure Worship Sharing coordinator and Interest Group coordinator also submit their reports.

Attend Arrangements Com meeting

Recommend schedule for keynote address and other activities of keynote speaker (e.g., meetings with

YAFs, SYFs, JYFs, CYM), Early Days Seminars, Interest Groups, Worship Sharing Groups

FEBRUARY

Coordinate with IMYM clerk and Registrars to submit text about theme and speaker for Registration

Materials

Coordinate with Representatives Com clerk

Ask if Rep Com would like to arrange skype call for keynote speaker to “meet” Reps

Interest Group coordinator receives and vets proposals; submits Interest Group and Early Days Seminar descriptions to Registrars for inclusion in Registration materials

Advise keynote speaker and Interest Group presenters that they can ask Bookstore Manager to order books related to themes and topics. Ask Bookstore Manager to set deadline for requests.

MARCH – APRIL – MAY

Assist Interest Group coordinator in assigning locations for Interest Groups and Early Days Seminars. For IGs with fewer than 5 people registered, the IG Coordinator will suggest that they combine with another IG or withdraw their IG. If they insist, they will be advised that they will have lowest priority in location assignments.

Check with Worship Sharing coordinator on development of queries

Make sure registration information is available to plenary speaker and make arrangements for Keynote speaker and elder’s transportation

Schedule PWG meetings at annual gathering; send info to all PWG members

Print a personal schedule for keynote speaker; share this with them and their elder

Prior to Gathering, ask Nominating Com for names and contact info for new members of PWG. Confirm the identities of the 4 Regional Reps

Prior to Gathering, schedule PWG meetings, best times: 7:00 or 7:15 am at breakfast