There are several committees and positions that serve the needs of the FGC Adult Young Friends group at the Gathering, and keep it running smoothly. We nominate new members to these committees each year. AYFs (age 18-35) can indicate their potential interest in serving in any of these roles during registration.
Co-Coordinators
Co-coordinators clerk the AYF planning committee, may attend Gathering Committee meetings, pick out-trip location and organize other AYF activities, coordinate with high school planners, look at AYF program evaluations (please fill them out at the end of the week), and work to guide the conference planning process so that next year people will bring up different concerns. The co-coordinators are invited members of Long Range Conference Planning Committee and are invited for writing a report for the October meeting of LRCP about how the AYF program went, drawing both on evaluations and the planning committee’s experiences. Co-coordinators receive full workgrants to compensate them for the time and energy that they put into this work. Co-coordinators serve staggered two-year terms.
Co-Clerks and Alternate Co-Clerk(s)
The co-clerks serve staggered two-year terms, during which they plan agendas for the business meetings, and clerk the business meetings. The alternate co-clerk(s) serves during the Gathering in the absence of a co-clerk.
Recording Clerk and Alternate Recording Clerk
The recording clerk serves a one-year term, during which the person takes minutes at the business meetings, works with the co-clerks to prepare agendas, and keeps the minutes of the AYF. The alternate recording clerk serves during the Gathering in the absence of the recording clerk.
Nominating Committee
The core group of two to five Nominating Committee Members serve a one-year term. This group may be supplemented with volunteers. Nominating Committee will bring a proposed slate as well as proposed alternates to the second Meeting for Business of the following year. The community will then have until the following Meeting for Business to bring their concerns to the Nominating Committee.
Planning Committee
The Adult Young Friends Planning Committee is a subcommittee of the FGC Gathering Committee. Planning committee members serve one-year terms, during which they may attend Gathering Committee and AYF planning committee meetings (2 meetings a year, usually in September and May), aid co-coordinators in planning the AYF program, and fill other volunteer positions.
Nurturing Committee
The purpose of Nurturing Committee is to listen to and nurture the AYF community as a whole, with particular attention to inclusiveness. The members of this committee are available during Gathering to hear concerns from individuals and to report those concerns to the committee where they are discussed as a group, and addressed as the committee sees fit. Select members of the proposed committee are available to hear concerns not related to the AYF community as a whole and to provide support to those in need of personal care and attention; these are pastoral care members. The committee reports to AYF meeting for business as necessary, no less than once per gathering, regarding any concerns brought to the committee as they deem appropriate.
Nurturing Committee is comprised of nine members, three of whom are chosen for pastoral care positions, in addition to their roles as committee members. Members of this committee serve staggered three year terms. In addition, one nominee from each class is also asked to serve as pastoral care for their time with the committee. Members of this committee should be representative of all aspects of the AYF community, with particular concern for age, sex, life stage, social group, and location. It is left to the discretion of the committee members to choose their own convener(s). We have a concern that the size of the committee may lead to voices not being heard. We also have a concern that this committee meet in a Spirit-led, worship-sharing environment. We encourage all Friends’ committees to invite the Spirit into their work, and we believe it to be especially important for the Nurturing Committee.
AYF Reps to FGC Long-Range Conference Planning (LRCP)
LRCP makes policy and has primary responsibility for the annual Gatherings. (The program for each Gathering is planned by a separate committee.) LRCP finds and arranges for sites, appoints clerks and key people for the programs, approves details of Gathering budgets, and does publicity and promotion for each Gathering, as well as making policy. AYF may nominate representatives to LRCP to help ensure AYF voices are heard in the planning process.
Support Group Leadership at the FGC Gathering
The goal of a support group is to create a smaller and safer environment in which it is easier to get to know people on a deeper level, to nurture each other, and to grow together. It is a small group, preferably 10 or fewer, meeting multiple times throughout the week that may use discussion, worship-sharing, games, and other community-building activities to strengthen existing friendships and to create new ones.