Service on the committees and councils, and in clerking and treasurer roles, in the Yearly Meeting is nourishing for both the individual and their meeting. Friends who serve in this way help the yearly meeting both to be productive and communally follow where spirit is guiding us as a faith community.
On her experience as Nominating Council Clerk, Terri Whiteford (Downingtown Meeting) writes:
It was a gift to get to know so many people across the yearly meeting, serving as clerk as well as through the act of inviting people to participate in the yearly meeting. I was inspired by the spirit-led work being done by Friends individually and through their monthly meetings and motivated to deepen my Quaker practice.
Nominating Council Clerk is one of three key leadership roles that are open now. PYM invites nominations for each of these very important clerk roles.
- Treasurer
- Clerk of Quaker Life Council, the council which supports the yearly meeting’s spiritual and communal life
- Clerk of Nominating Council
These roles together with the Clerk of Administrative Council and the Presiding and Rising Clerks listen to the body and how Spirit moves among us and works with the councils and our business sessions to help our community go where the Divine is calling us. These opportunities offer a way to connect to testimonies, faith and practice.
Treasurer
Andrew Anderson (Monthly Meeting of Friends of Philadelphia) has served as Treasurer of PYM for the last six years. He has been a steady presence playing the unique role of stewarding our finances in the context of the ministry of both Quaker Life and Administrative Councils. We will miss his expertise and his wit! Reaching the limit of the term creates an opportunity for someone else to step into this view of our community. Linell McCurry, PYM’s CFO, says:
It’s hard to accomplish anything without partners. Andrew has been a wonderful partner to the Finance Committee, to the Councils and to staff in creating agendas and organizing ourselves to get important work done. I look forward to working with a new treasurer to keep PYM in good financial health.
The treasurer is a leadership role requiring strong communications skills and the ability to work effectively with people. Clerking experience and experience as an active monthly meeting member are highly desirable. The role requires business skills and a thorough understanding of financial accounting for nonprofit organizations. Previous accounting and/or finance experience in a management capacity is an asset to this role, as is management experience in a business or nonprofit organization.
Nominating Council Clerk
Nominating Council has the joy of bringing Friends with needed gifts and skills into service for the yearly meeting’s primary structures and roles. The council identifies yearly meeting officers, members of the councils, representatives to outside groups and ad hoc structures, and brings their names forward for approval by the yearly meeting in session. The clerk of Nominating is supported by a wonderful assistant clerk and with administrative assistance from PYM staff. The clerk also serves as part of the Clerks Group which allows them to know about what is moving in the councils and other roles that Nominating is responsible for filling.
Quaker Life Council Clerk
Quaker Life Council maintains the health and integrity of the community, supports spiritual depth, and cultivates relationships within Philadelphia Yearly Meeting. The council watches over yearly meeting activities, nurtures meetings, supports corporate work for peace and justice, and brings together members across meetings to collaborate on projects of common interest. The current clerk is Jean-Marie Prestwidge Barch (Schuylkill Meeting) who also served as presiding co-clerk of the yearly meeting for the two years prior to this service. Jean-Marie is a gifted and highly seasoned clerk who knows all the ins and outs of QLC and will support the incoming clerk for a transitional period.
Lift Up Names
Many names help us find the right people for our next Treasurer, Nominating Council Clerk and Quaker Life Council Clerk. All Friends are invited to email names for these roles to Melissa Rycroft, Presiding Clerk at mrycroft@pym.org by the end of June.
