Outreach Committee Minutes

Conference Call Minutes, January 17, 2010

Participating: Ruth Hamilton, David Millar, John Payton, Susan Swanstrom (clerk)

Agenda:

* Need for QEW representative to FWCC Section of the Americas meeting in Baltimore in March

* Schedule for QEW spring meting

* Ambassador planning

* Report on mini-grants program

In response to a inquiry on how to deal with questions on how the Obama administration is doing on climate issues, Ruth was provided with information on how to subscribe to the energy and climate change listserv that Devin Helfich of FCNL publishes.

Susan announced she will continue as clerk of Outreach at least through the QEW Steering Committee meeting in Chicago in April.

David Millar and Hollister Knowlton will represent QEW at the FWCC meeting in Baltimore. David reported he has a general description of the 5 queries that will guide the world consultation on climate change that FWCC in planning. The consultation will meet in various geographically based clusters, the locations of which will be decided soon. QEW will probably be asked to take a major role in planning the consultation, and a likely result of this meeting is that the work of QEW will become better known. One issue being addressed in planning the consultation is how to involve more evangelical Friends. David asked those with connections to evangelical Friends to send him their contact information. David also mentioned that there is some fear on the part of Friends from other parts of the world that American Friends will take over the planning process.

Ruth reported that we are two grants (i.e. $500) short of where we would like to be in the mini-grant program. Her subcommittee would like to see some fund-raising so that we are able to make ten $250 awards. The policy of establishing a deadline for the receipt of applications to the min-grant program worked well the first year but not last year, when it was not announced in BFC. After some discussion, Friends agreed to recommend to Ruth's subcommittee that a deadline for receipt of applications be established with the understanding that applications received after the deadline would be held until the next round of awards. Friends also recommended that a line be placed on the registration form for the spring SC meeting, asking Friends to donate $10 to the mini-grant fund. Such donations would be voluntary. It was suggested that our mini-grant model might be suggested to the Alliance of Religions and Conservation, an inter-religious environmental organization.

Ruth has updated the slide show on projects funded by the mini-grant program and will make if available to SC members for use in their role as ambassadors.

David Abazs will be taking a group of students from the Scattergood Friends School down the Mississippi River this spring.

In response to the Outreach proposal that QEW hold one annual face-to-face meeting in Chicago in the spring., the CCC asked Outreach to season the proposal further. They were not in unity with holding the meeting in the spring, which would require changing QEW's fiscal year. Among Outreach members, there was some concern that Chicago was not a naturally "inspiring" location for our meeting, even though it is centrally located and closed to good public transit.

It was suggested that we contact experts on various aspects of earth care who work in the Chicago area to help plan theme-based programs and field trips to add to our contact with nature during our Chicago meetings. It is likely that these contacts would also be able to provide alternative ways for differently abled Friends to participate in outdoor events. Some Friends raised the issue of schedule conflicts or the press of other activities in the fall, a factor in favor of holing the annual meeting in the spring. CCC did like the idea of mixing business and program throughout the annual meeting schedule. Susan was asked to confer with Ruah on the numbers of participants we have had at spring and fall meetings over the last several years. This may shed some light on which time of year Friends prefer for our meetings.

Comment was made that we need to be kinder in our response to those who have not submitted their ambassador reports when due. The anger expressed on this issue last year might discourage Friends from taking on this role in the future.

There was no immediate news on the search for Ruah's successor as General Secretary.

John Payton

Recorder