1. About Young Adult Friends. New England Yearly Meeting Young Adult Friends (YAFs) is a Quaker community of people typically aged 18 to 35, which is woven into the larger body of New England Yearly Meeting (NEYM). The YAF community serves as a place for both young adults new to the Religious Society of Friends and Young Friends who have become adults to nurture their relationships with the Yearly Meeting.
As YAFs we minister to one another through community, worship, prayer, fellowship, service, eldering, and spiritual friendships. We commit ourselves to support each other and the entire YAF community as we recognize, discern, and practice our Divine leadings and spiritual gifts, navigate transitions in our lives, and seek to become what God would have us be.
2. About this Organizing Document. This document attempts to describe the way in which YAFs have organized themselves in order to help strengthen continuity during transitions of leadership and so serve as a reference to best practices within the community. It should never be seen as prohibiting future actions by the YAF leadership and/or community nor as mandating actions by either body. Take what you need and leave the rest.
3. YAF positions which have been traditionally filled. Our community annually discerns and appoints YAFs to serve as clerks, members of the Ministry and Oversight Committee and its subcommittees, and members of Nominating Committee. YAFs are also supported by a YAF Coordinator employed by the Yearly Meeting.
3.1. Clerk (or Co-Clerk or Assistant Clerk). A clerk (or clerks) is appointed annually to serve as the spiritual and organizational convener of YAFs. Clerks need to have a spiritual capacity for discernment and sensitivity to the group as well as an organizational capacity for working with a dynamic and geographically dispersed community. The primary roles of the clerk are to:
• Clerk Meetings for Worship with Attention to Business,
• Clerk Ministry and Oversight Committee meetings,
• Ensure that YAFs are giving attention to the work they are being called to do,
• Serve as the primary point of contact for YM business and external communication, and
• Provide organizational coherence to the group.
YAFs should take care to ensure that clerks are well supported. YAFs may also wish to appoint a co-clerk or an assistant clerk. The clerks serve as ex-officio members of both subcommittees of M&O.
3.2. YAF Coordinator. The YAF Coordinator is an employee of the Yearly Meeting. The Coordinator is responsible for pastoral and administrative functions of the community including:
• Helping Young Friends to transition into the YAF program,
• Acting as a liaison between YAFs and the wider Yearly Meeting,
• Scheduling and maintenance of the community’s calendar,
• Reserving space for events,
• Managing mailing lists and event registration,
• Maintaining the community’s files and archives, and
• Any discipline necessary during YAF-only events.
3.3. Nominating Committee. A committee of YAFs is appointed by the wider YAF community annually to discern the gifts of the members within the community. At each Midwinter, Nominating Committee will present for approval by the wider YAF community its nominations for:
• the Clerks,
• Ministry & Oversight and its subcommittees,
• Nominating Committee for the next year,
• Clerks for Planning, Nurturing, and Nominating Committees,
• YAF representatives to certain Yearly Meeting committees,
• and any other roles as led.
Between Midwinters, Nominating Committee should appoint YAFs to Planning Committee, Nurturing Committee, Nominating Committee, and other roles as needed, with those appointments being approved at the next YAF Business Meeting. Nominating Committee should meet two or three times between January and August and then once a month between August and January.
3.4. Ministry and Oversight Committee (M&O). Each Midwinter, the wider YAF Community appoints a Ministry and Oversight Committee, which is tasked with providing care for the YAF community and supporting the work of the clerks and the YAF Coordinator. M&O should meet twice a year as a whole. M&O is divided into two subcommittees, each of which should meet every one or two months. If Nominating Committee did not nominate a clerk of a subcommittee, that subcommittee should select a clerk from among its members. The YAF Clerk, the YAF Recording Clerk, and the YAF Coordinator are ex officio members of M&O and both of its subcommittees.
(Note: M&O is not a disciplinary body. At NEYM YAF retreats, this responsibility is held by the Coordinator. At other events, this responsibility is held by the larger gathering. M&O should, however, be informed of any relevant disruption in a reasonable time frame.)
3.4.1. Nurturing Committee. Nurturing Committee cares for the emotional and spiritual needs of the YAF community and the individuals within it, both immediate and long-term. They support community or individual ministries and leadings through encouragement and clearness committees. They undertake outreach to active and absent YAFs in between retreats.
3.4.2. Planning Committee. Planning Committee is responsible for the organizing and coordinating of community events, especially retreats. For each event, they will set the date, create the program, invite the speakers, promote the event, plan a schedule, run the retreat, and do any necessary follow-up. The Coordinator will work with Planning Committee to book the venue, hire the cook, handle registration, and create and distribute a ride list.
3.5. YAF Sessions Coordinator. The YAF Sessions Coordinator is a stipended volunteer of the Yearly Meeting selected and managed by the YAF Coordinator. The Sessions Coordinator works with the Planning Committee and the YAF Coordinator to plan and run the YAF program at Sessions.
4. Additional roles which may be filled. In carrying out their duties, either Nominating Committee or M&O may lift up the gifts of individual YAFs by asking them to serve in various roles, including but not limited to:
4.1. Recording clerk(s). One or more Recording Clerks can assist in minute and record keeping as well as administrative organization for YAFs. Recording clerks would be on hand to assist the YAF Clerk(s) in holding care of business meetings, and if need be, substitute for the presiding clerk. Any recording clerks serve as ex-officio members of M&O.
4.2. Outreach. One or more individuals can be appointed to coordinate outreach to new YAFs, the wider Yearly Meeting, or other groups of Friends or non-Friends. They should coordinate these efforts with M&O.
4.3. Support Committees. Support committees may be created to support the work of individual YAFs.
4.4. YAF Coordinator Transition Committee. When a new YAF Coordinator is hired by the Yearly Meeting, a transition committee should be created to support, guide, and assist the YAF Coordinator during their first year of work. Note that this committee is separate from the YAF Coordinator's support committee, which should be created by the Yearly Meeting.
4.5. Web Servant. A web servant can be appointed to maintain the YAF website and electronic mailing list, to answer questions about these two resources and to help people needing to contact the clerks or other YAFs when contact information is requested electronically. If there is no Web Servant, the YAF Coordinator will perform these duties.
4.6. Communication, Publication and Programs. One or more YAFs can take responsibility for updating the wider YM on YAF activities, preparing mailings, and planning YAF activities and programs. In the past YAFs maintained a news letter circulated to YAFs in the YM. These YAFs need not be part of another committee, although effort should be made to keep them up-to-date on retreat planning and other happenings relevant to the wider YAF body.
5. Expectations at Retreats. YAFs feel that the discipline that facilitates and deepens our community should not be codified into behavior rules. Instead, we are guided by these queries:
• To what do we need to commit to ensure the continued existence of the YAF community?
• What are we willing to sacrifice for the spiritual growth of the community?
• What is our goal as a community? That is, for what are we willing to sacrifice some personal freedom when we are in community together?
6. Annual Timeline of YAF Activities