A variety of different starting times were considered!
Prior to the meeting everyone received a present which they were not allowed to open until afterwards
Minutes Silence
Attendance
Present-Sarah, David,Bruce, Chris, Bev
Apologies-Henry Pares will be on holiday, Apologies from Richard, Paul, Mark, Zvi, Mustafa, Ashok and Fr John!
It was noted that these apologies were understood, as many of them involved complimentary activities to the group anyway. Apologies were appreciated as the main requirement was to be supportive and stay in touch with the group.
Minutes of Last Committee Meeting –taken as read
Friendship Walk
We think it went well with a larger number of participants than previous years. This may however be our capacity for this event. Everyone enjoyed themselves even though the route was a little long. It was notable how relaxed everyone was, with the purpose of this event well understood. Media publicity proved harder as this event now lacks originality and there is often a preference for more newsworthy bad stories.
Amnesty event
This is being organised by Sarah in conjunction with the local group. We encourage everyone to attend, contributing their knowledge and to support an organsiation that works exceptionally hard to promote human rights.
Preparation for AGM
Membership newsletter
(Bev will get an updated membership list though liaising with Bruce and then sending out a mailing to all our members. This will include a letter of thanks to all new members (of which there are several) a letter from Sarah telling them about the Amnesty Event and a letter from Bev inviting them to the AGM and asking for any memberships to be renewed..
Bev will also bring an updated membership list to the AGM and members cards.
Refreshments tba
AGM Agenda
Chair's report
This will include a review of last years programme in which the need for team-work, self-discipline and a shared sense of responsibility will be emphaised if we wish to attain our (at times, very ambitious) objectives.
The importance of working co-operatively and in partnership to support other organsiations, to encourage many interfaith initiatives without being territorial about our own. When needed we may encourage greater respect understanding, expertise and offering our resources (such as the web site) to help advertise their events.
The importance of remaining a fully inclusive organsiation with shared responsibility, in which everyone within it is respected as an individual and supported.
Constitutional Changes
http://www.readinginterfaith.org/resources/constitution.html
Significant changes took place last year.
It was unanimously agreed that a motion would be put at the AGM to replace
Item 4- “Reading Interfaith Group is supported by members of the following faith communities: Baha'i, Brahma Kumaris, Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim and Sikh.”with “Reading Interfaith Group is supported by members of many faith communities and strives to include and support all faiths.” Care would be taken to fully explain this alternation prior to the vote.
Elections- All nominations need to be submitted prior to the AGM
Chair- (please can you speak to David if you would like to nominate someone or put yourself forward for election.
Other officers n/a
Committee members who have already been elected do not need to seek re-election this year. If someone you know would like to be a member of the Committee, please be aware of the constitution
10 possible places on the committee so only one vacancy unless someone stands down .It was agreed that Bev should be nominated to the committee since she is already acting as Secretary
Co-opted committee membership- These distinctions will not be necessary if the previous motion is passed.
It was noted that non-executive committee members may have a less demanding role this year as committee and public meetings will be combined.
Membership report= Bev will produce this at the AGM
Treasurer's Report- Bruce noted that we have sufficient capital in our bank account to continue providing events such as the Friendship Walk. He will give a full report of our accounts at the AGM.
Programme for next year
Sarah will approach other organsiastions to see if they would like to share an event on Feb 1st.
A working group will be set up early in the year to explore the feasibility of another Friendship Walk and (if appropriate) select a date that does not coincide with the Heritage Weekend. The working group will consist of anyone interested in the planning, support and organsiation, since this will allow the event to develop, recognises the scale of work and responsibility required. Such external support would be welcomed by the group (including funding) since it is not necessary for us to claim sole ownership when the nature and purpose of this event is now generally understood.
We recoognised that the need for such an event may change over the coming months and that certain circumstances (eg war) may make it seem more necessary.
We should not however use the Friendship Walk as an opportunity to exhaust the committee, prevent us for doing other things, forgetting to publicise the rest of our programme or from using our imagination in the planning of future events.
We recognised the potential for a lively interesting debate for our May and June meetings!
We looked forward to a summer social and expressed some concern that there might be more up=beat subjects than death to have at our AGM!
Despite being very busy, Bruce is still entrusted with de-bunking paganism.
External correspondence and events(these are covered on the news item section of our web site as and when they occur) For the past month they include meetings with PREVENT, Holocaust Memorial Group, Contact with Buddhists, and maintaining our links with the faith Forum
Our next meeting will be the AGM on Sunday 13th November starting at 3 pm.
Prior to the silence everyone was allowed to finally open their presents.
We concluded our meeting with a few moments silence followed the rousing theme music of Blake's 7 courtesy of Sarah's mobile phone!
Pervious committee meeting
Apologies: Richard Bentley.
The meeting was chaired by Sarah Griffin.
It was agreed that attendance at meetings had been very poor.
There is a need to increase our membership and attendance at meetings
Sarah introduced a proposed standard agenda for our meetings, which would combine the content of an open meeting with the content of a committee meeting. This was discussed.
Sarah suggested that there should be seven public events of this format in a year running monthly January- July, plus in the autumn the Friendship Walk and the AGM. The public events and the AGM should be at the Friends Meeting House, which acceptable to lots of people.
It was counter-proposed that there should instead by four public events plus FW & AGM. These proposals were discussed.
It was suggested that in practice we currently attract very few Muslims, Sikhs, or Hindus. We appear to be mainly white and middle class. Sarah however has many links with different faith communities, and told us that faith leaders are committed to interfaith.
It was proposed that the programme for 2012 should include:
Feb 1: Holocaust Memorial theme
Mar 7: Depiction of women
Apr 4: Faith in action
May 2: Faith schools
June 2: Belief (Tom Woodman)
July 4:Social Event
Sep 9: possible date for a Friendship Walk
Nov 2: AGM (theme?)
Dec 7:to be arranged
It was suggested that we should have a membership card, and that this should carry an expiry date and the programme for the year.
It was suggested that committee members should collect membership subscriptions during the Friendship Walk.
Sarah is considering finding and making contact with an interfaith group in Ireland (as in twinning?).
RIFG Committee meeting
Wednesday 9th Feb 2011, Friends Meeting House, Reading.
Present: Bev Heslin, Bruce Denney, David McKnight, Esme Weithers, Father John, Mark Drukker, Paul Kingston, Sarah Griffin, Zvi Solomons.
Apologies: Chris Knowles, Mustafa Chaudhary. Richard Bentley.
Sarah welcomed Bev Heslin (from Tilehurst Mormon Church) to the committee.
Matters arising from the minutes of last time: David will send a card thanking the mayor, Councillor Gul Khan, for his hospitality at our last meeting.
Appointment of a vice-chair: David has agreed to stand in for Sarah at external events and at our own meetings where Sarah is unable to make it. He warned us that he is heavily involved in his role with the Humanists, which will have to remain his first priority. For this reason he does not expect ever (should it be proposed) to take over as chair.
Bruce will produce a 3-fold leaflet with future events and a short description of the RIFG, aimed at distribution points like libraries.
Please fill in the form about poster sites (on the agenda for this meeting, and copied below) and send to David.
“Women of Spirit” event: Sarah has promoted through many of those on the publicity contacts list which she recently circulated. Bruce will email members to tell them of this event. Esme has put “Women of Spirit” posters in all poster locations she has committed. Zvi will distribute this to all SACREs.
“Power of Love” event. This will be at the Mormon Church 280 The Meadway, Tilehurst, 7:30-9pm, Wednesday 6th April. Esme and Richard are the organisers. A Buddhist speaker is signed up. Bev will look for a Mormon speaker. Esme and Richard will propose a theme to speakers, although we feel that there is no need to restrict the detailed content of contributions. Zvi mentioned that he has a little book full of quotations about love.
“Politics and Religion” event. Zvi was thanked for his contribution. He will write to the other speaker thanking him on behalf of the committee.
Newsletter: the print of the newsletter (produced by Swami A.) is out of date. People were asked to take a few and use them to introduce the group. (An up-to-date newsletter has since been distributed.)
Notices: (a) Esme reminded us of the Interfaith retreat at Newman Courtenay near Oxford. She has circulated details. (b) There is a celebration of the centenary of St Andrew’s Church Caversham on the evening of the 27th April. Bev and Paul will attend. (c) We are reminded of the withdrawal of funding from RCRE, which we understand will deprive them of about 10% of their income.
Next committee meeting: 16th March 2011, 7:30pm, Friends Meeting House, Church St. Esme has given her apologies.
Members of the committee who are prevented from attending a committee meeting are asked to send their apologies in advance of the meeting, so that we know that we are still in touch with them.
PRK (draft)
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Poster sites I am prepared to cover for each event |
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My postcode |
