Who Pays IMYM Travel?

[THIS PAGE IS UNDER DEVELOPMENT.  PLEASE REVIEW FOR COMPLETENESS AND ACCURACY.]  

This is a listing of special arrangements for IMYM reimbursement of travel expenses as described in the 1998 Guide or minuted by the Yearly Meeting in sessions since 1998.  

[NOTE:  NEED DESCRIPTION of current practice dealing with more travel expense than IMYM funds.  Is there a statement of a first-come-first-paid basis, or some other description in Finance Committee reports?  Finance Committee or Treasurer, please help here if you can.]  

 [GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS about filing vouchers for travel reimbusement?]  

Yearly Meeting Officers and Representatives to Other Organizations:  IMYM pays the expenses of its officers to meetings of the Executive and Continuing Committee meetings, and for its representatives who travel to meetings of other organizations such as FWCC, AFSC, and Brinton Memorial Visitor Committee of Pacific Yearly Meeting.  Regional Meetings are responsible for the travel expenses of their representatives to annual FCNL meetings.  Travel expenses to meetings of IMYM committees are the responsibility of the Regional Meeting, Monthly Meeting, Preparative Meeting, or Worship Group making the appointment, except where IMYM makes other arrangements.  (1998 Guide) 

Change for FCNL Representatives from 1998 Guide:  Since representatives to Friends Committee on National Legislation represent IMYM, the Yearly Meeting will fund their travel.  (Recommendation in Finance Cmte. Report 2001, Accepted by Yearly Meeting, IMYM 01-21.) (THIS WILL be incorporated into the above paragraph.] 

Committee on Faith and Practice:  Expenses required for travel and accommodations of the members to as many as two meetings per year (exclusive of meetings held during the Annual Session) will be borne by the Yearly Meeting. (1998 Guide) 

Regional Representatives to Senior and Senior Young Friends:  Regional Representatives of Young Friends to Continuing Committee are expected to travel to Continuing Committee meetings at the expense of their regional or monthly meetings, in order to assist with planning Young Friends activities for Yearly Meeting sessions.  (1998 Guide) 

Senior and Junior Young Friends Clerks and Adult Coordinators:  The Yearly Meeting is financially responsible for the expenses of attending Continuing Committee and Yearly Meeting sessions.  (1998 Guide)  

Advocate for Persons of Differing Abilities and Kitchen Liaison:  Yearly Meeting will cover the Advocate's expenses at the midyear Continuing Committee meeting.   (IMYM 96-4) [THIS POSITION was not described in the 1998 Guide even though it was established in 1996.] 

Nominating Committee:  Travel expenses of representative members will be reimbursed by monthly meetings.  Other expenses will be budgeted and reimbursed by Yearly Meeting.  However, no monthly meeting should be denied participation because of financial limitations.  Monthly meeting requests for financial assistance should be made to the Continuing Committee, which in turn will provide guidance to the Finance Committee for funds required.  (IMYM 99-4.2) 

Special Note on Travel for Committee on FWCC:  Members of the Committee on FWCC begin a three-year term in January and are expected to attend the annual FWCC Section of Americas meeting in March of each year of their appointment, and attend the following meeting, i.e., three months after the end of  three years.   The reason for this arrangement is to promote continuity of representation within each Region.  With four representatives, this means that for three years in a row, five people (four members and one recently retired member) would be attending the Section of Americas meeting, and in the fourth year, six people (four members and two retired members) would attend.  The consequence is that the Yearly Meeting is responsible for the travel expenses of 5.25 travelers per year.  [IS THIS WHAT THE YEARLY MEETING INTENDS?] 

Executive Committee:  [WHAT IS CURRENT PRACTICE FOR OFFERING ASSISTANCE TO EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBERS FOR TRAVEL TO THE AUGUST MEETING?]

Other:  [PLEASE ADD INFORMATION HERE AS NEEDED.]

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Payment of the cost of attending meetings for those serving the Yearly Meeting was formally addressed in 1996 by the following minute: 

IMYM 96-5.  To assure access to the services of Friends whose skills and capabilities would otherwise be denied the Yearly Meeting, the Executive Committee may, at its discretion, authorize the coverage of such portion or all, as may be required in specific instances, of the costs of attending the annual sessions and the committee meetings or retreats required in their planning.  These costs include room and board, registration fees and transportation.  Funds for this purpose will be budgeted by the Finance Committee.  Executive Committee will report to the 1997 Yearly Meeting on the operation of this procedure.

 [As current practices for covering such costs ARE CLARIFIED, it may be prudent to issue a new minute?]