Committee on Procedures

(EC 07-08: The “Committee to Revise the Guide” name is changed to the “Committee on Procedures”; and, the name of the “Guide to Operations” is changed to the “Guide to Procedures.”) 

The Guide:  The Guide to Procedures describes the operations of Intermountain Yearly Meeting.  Its purpose is twofold: (1) to codify accepted practices to help workers understand Yearly Meeting expectations; and (2) to help the annual gathering and the Yearly Meeting to function smoothly and with right order.  As an administrative tool for operating the Yearly Meeting, the Guide stands in a supporting relationship to the Faith and Practice, which describes the fundamental principles of structure and practice for the Yearly Meeting.  Beginning in 2004, the Guide has taken the form of a Web Guide to provide users with better access and to allow an improved updating process.  

Some of the procedures described in the Guide are specified by minuted action of the Yearly Meeting and other procedures are based upon practices that the Yearly Meeting has found by experience to be successful.  Overall, the Guide attempts to provide a description of what people in the Yearly Meeting have grown to expect from its officers and committees. 

In 2004 the Yearly Meeting accepted a proposal to move the Guide from paper form into a web-based form to make the Guide more accessible to Yearly Meeting workers and to make updating easier. 

Oversight of the Guide:  In 2005 the Yearly Meeting transferred direct oversight of the Guide and its upkeep to the Executive Committee, in recognition of the Guide's administrative nature. (IMYM 05-06) The Guide Committee will normally bring substantive changes occurring in the previous year to the Executive Committee for consideration at its summer meeting.  All matters of principle and the general evaluation of Yearly Meeting operation would remain the responsibility of Continuing Committee and the Yearly Meeting, and be directed accordingly to those bodies by the Executive Committee. 

Membership:  Members are the clerk, appointed by the Yearly Meeting, and two representatives from each of the Regional Meetings.  

Terms:  Three years for members and clerk. 

Responsibilities of the Committee include:

1.  Maintaining a Guide describing approved and accepted procedures for operating the Yearly Meeting.  Currently this involves maintaining the web-based Guide on the current website.

2.  Provide information about procedures to the Yearly Meeting and its Continuing and Executive Committees, both during sessions and through individual consultations.

3.  Working with the Nominating Committee to promote use of the Guide in considering appointments and clearness for such.

4.  Incorporating into the Guide those changes approved within the minutes of IMYM.

5.  Soliciting suggestions for changes from officers and others, so that the Guide accurately describes the desired current practices of the yearly meeting. 

6.  Identifying operational needs and difficulties and considering remedies.

7.  Presenting proposals involving substantive change in appropriate form for Continuing Committee and IMYM consideration.

8.  Reporting to the Executive Committee and Yearly Meeting. 

Financial arrangements:  Incidental operating expenditures for clerical supplies, communications, etc., may be submitted (normally by the committee clerk) to the Treasurer for reimbursement.  The Treasurer should be consulted before incurring unusual expenses.