Tag: Quaker A-Z
Part of MBS’s Quaker A-Z series. Published bi-weekly on an annual theme throughout the calendar year.
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Quaker A-Z: X is for Xerophilia
Xerophilia From the Greek xēros ‘dry’, and philos ‘loving’ This was a new word for me – I put out a prompt on Facebook asking for ideas for the clerk’s A-Z and Rhiannon Grant offered this lovely word for archives and record keeping. Photo by Wolfgang Hasselmann on Unsplash So what is a xerophile? A xerophile is
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Quaker A-Z: W is for Worship
Foundation not garnish… Quakers hold and make decisions at their Business Meetings – more formally called ‘Meetings for Worship for Business’, sometimes called ‘Meetings for Worship with a concern for Business’. But whatever you call it is the foundation not a garnish or decoration like the flowers on the clerks’ table above. Every business meeting begins
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Quaker A-Z: V is for Visiting
Visiting Meeting Houses – in person or virtually… It may not surprise you to know I love visiting new meeting houses or revisiting those I’ve been to previously. Area Meetings or other occasions can be a great motivation to ensure that community members travel and get to see places they’ve only read or heard about
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Quaker A-Z: U is for Underlying Issues
Clear as… There are many items which have underlying issues that make them just too big and complicated to cover in a short meeting. Documents in advance can be helpful in ensuring that people are aware of what will be on the agenda, and what they might expect to make decisions on, wait for discernment
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Quaker A-Z: T is for Timekeeping
Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash One of the questions which comes up frequently during MBS clerk support & training is agenda timekeeping, especially how to keep to time while still allowing time during the meeting for the spirit to move.Anyone who has attended a Yearly Meeting will be familiar with the way those clerks
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Quaker A-Z: S is for Silence and Spirit-led
Photo by Nick Fewings on Unsplash S is for silence Which is oh so very useful. and S is for Spirit-led Essential in a Meeting for Worship, Meeting for Worship for Business, or a Meeting for Worship with a Concern for Business… Actually, any sort of meeting would benefit from both of those things. As
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Quaker A-Z: R is for Reservations
Unseen reservations & resistance As those who know me would affirm – I am a committee nerd. Was tickled to be welcomed as one at a Woodbrooke course on serving nationally – the facilitator saying it was unlikely we’d all turned up to learn about becoming a better committee member if we weren’t! So, I
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Quaker A-Z: Q is for Quiet not Querulous
Don’t be afraid to stop and ask for quiet! A bit of quiet time goes further than you think. This could be to support the clerks as they try to write a minute, to give more time between contributions, or just because things have been a bit fraught and everyone should try to centre down
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Quaker A-Z: P is for Publicity or Promotion
Photo by Charlie Deets on Unsplash All publicity is good publicity? Publicity and Promotion are two words that often get a negative reputation. You hear them combined with ‘spin’, or ‘stunt’, or as ‘gimmicks’. Yet – internal and external communication is necessary to ensure your organisation thrives! Internal communication To ensure that people know things
