Spring Sessions 2015

April 10–12
Oakwood Friends School
Poughkeepsie, New York

Welcome . . .

. . . to the landing page for Spring Sessions 2015. This page replaces the original landing page, which you can open by clicking this link.

Shan Cretin, AFSC General Secretary
Friday evening speaker:
Fostering Leadership for Social Change

Highlights of the Sessions.

• Click here to read a brief summary of the Spring Sessions (below).

Quicklinks to Sessions documents and information

• Minutes of Spring Sessions 2015
• Business from the Priorities Working Group (Saturday afternoon)
  • Priorities Working Group report to Sessions
  • Report on the Saturday afternoon session, in which Friends considered the implementation of the Priorities in small groups and a plenary session
  • Handout—used as a guide in the Saturday afternoon session
  • Statement of Leadings and Priorities—the Priorities approved at Summer Sessions 2014
• Minute on solitary confinement in New York State—approved
  • View the minute in which we approved the minute on solitary confinement
• Faith & Practice—proposed changes
  • Recording Gifts in Ministry section—first reading
  • Spiritual Care of Members section—first reading
• FGC invitation to NYYM to join host team for 2016 White Privilege Conference, Philadelphia, 2016—approved
  • Expectations for host team members of 2016 White Privilege Conference
• April 26 Peace & Planet Mobilization—NYYM sponsorship approved
• Young Adult Field Secretary report to the Shoemaker Fund on the past four years
• Reviving Our Meetings as Multi-Generational Communities—a proposal for a Children and Youth Field Secretary Position
• Agenda—Spring Sessions 2015
• Consent Agenda—Spring Sessions 2015
• A link to the original Fall Sessions information page

Highlights of the Sessions

Welcome and program. Nine Partnes Quarterly Meeting welcomed 158 Friends to Spring Sessions at Oakwood Friends School, including eight teens. We heard an inspiring messge from Shan Cretin, General Secretary of American Friends Service Committe, who spoke on Fostering Leadership for Social Change. Her talk focused on AFSC's programs nurturing youth leadership in locations around the world, including Guatamala City, Gaza, and cities in the US.

Solitary confinement—we approved a minute calling for Governor Cuomo to support legislation intended to reform the practice of solitary confinement.

Peace and Planet Mobilization. The gathered body endorsed the Peace and Planet Mobilization taking place April 24–26 in New York City to encourage renewal of the Nuclear Nonprolification Treaty.

White Privilege Conference. The gathered body approved joining the host planning team for the White Privilege Conference taking place in Philadelphia in the spring of 2016.

Young Adult Field Secretary report to the Shoemaker Fund. The Shoemaker Fund has supported the Young Adult Field Secretary position for the past four years. This is the report on that work.

Children and Youth Field Secretary. Friends heard of plans to establish and fund a Children and Youth Field Secretary position, working jointly with New England Yearly Meeting.

Faith and Practice. We heard first readings of proposed changes to two sections of Faith and Practice: the Care of Gifts and Recording Gifts in Ministry section and the Spiritual Care of Members section.