 January/February 2001 (XXXIX 1) |
When the 1997 Faith and Practice was published, the new governing structure of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting had not been approved. The new structure --disbanding three coordinating committees and creating five standing committees -- was implemented on April 1, 1998. Now we need to adapt Faith and Practice to reflect that change so future editions are accurate.
The organizational structure of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting is mentioned in three different areas of the text, affecting 20 paragraphs overall. PYM Publications Service Group, the publisher of Faith and Practice, needs to get approval to replace those paragraphs. In keeping with the process stated in the 1997 Faith and Practice (page 204), the Publications Service Group is sending the proposed changes to Support and Outreach Standing Committee, which oversees publications. Support and Outreach will send its recommendation to Interim Meeting. Interim Meeting will take up the question January 25 and, if it finds the process to be rightly ordered, will refer the matter for placement on the agenda for the March 24 session of Yearly Meeting at the Fourth and Arch Street Meeting House in Philadelphia.
A document explaining the proposed changes will be sent to clerks of all Standing Committees and Monthly Meetings in February. The document will also be placed on the PYM Web site. Friends wishing a hard copy may obtain that by either checking with Monthly Meeting clerks or contacting PYM staff person Joan Broadfield at 215-241-7230* or joanb@pym.org
Howard Cell of Yardley Meeting (PA), who was clerk of the Faith and Practice Revision Committee, wrote the revised copy with input from PYM General Secretary Thomas Jeavons of Swarthmore Meeting (PA) and Publications Service Group member Jim Harrington of Birmingham Meeting (PA). Jim has implemented the changes recommended by the clerks of the five standing committees (Worship and Care, Education, Peace and Concerns, Support and Outreach, and General Services), the Nominating Committee and the Financial Stewardship Committee.
The revisions being proposed relate primarily to those required by the Yearly Meeting's change in structure. In order to simplify the task and minimize costs, revisions have been written in such a way that pagination and, thus, indexing will not be adversely affected. In addition to these governance revisions, the Publications Service Group plans to make a few typographical corrections and add some information to the bibliography section.
Odie LeFever
Newtown Meeting (PA)
Clerk of Publications Service Group
Last modified: Wednesday, February 18, 2004 at 08:18 AM