FCNL Representatives (also FCNL Committee)

(Adapted from 1998 Guide.  The 1998 Guide defines the FCNL Representative position primarily in terms of an FCNL Committee.  This revision defines the representative position itself and the committee function the Representatives carry out.  Recommendations from Bob Pearson, May 2007, and FCNL are also incorporated.) 

Purpose:  The FCNL Representatives support the relationship between FCNL and the constituent bodies of the Yearly Meeting through such activities as informing monthly and regional meetings about FCNL programs and their financial needs, and representing the Yearly Meeting at the annual General Meeting of FCNL. 

Appointment:  Representatives are nominated by the Regional Meetings to the Yearly Meeting for appointment.  These nominations are submitted to the clerk of the Nominating Committee.  FCNL specifies up to six representatives from IMYM.  Current practice is that CoRM and NMRM each have two representatives while AzHYM and UtFF each have one representative. 

Terms:  Three years beginning in October and ending in October three years later. (It is important that the beginning of a term allows for arranging participation in the annual General Meeting of the FCNL, held in November in Washington, DC.) 

Committee function:  Representatives should work together in committee fashion insofar as practical to coordinate efforts when representing the Yearly Meeting, arranging for travel, and reporting to the Yearly Meeting.  The committee selects its own convenor. 

Responsibilities include:

1.  Representing the Yearly Meeting and the respective Regional Meeting at the General Meeting of the FCNL held each November in Washington, D.C., and participate in the setting of legislative priorities and policies that guide the education and lobbying activities of FCNL.

2.  Bringing to the attention of FCNL the concerns of Regional Meetings and the Yearly Meeting.

3.  Interpreting to Regional, Monthly and Preparative Meetings and Worship Groups the activities, needs, and resources of FCNL and encourage financial contributions.

4.  Reporting annually to the Yearly Meeting.

5.  Maintaining contact with Worship Groups and Monthly Meetings within the Regional Meeting to encourage them to appoint an FCNL Contact and to inform FCNL of the identity and communication information for that Contact.

6.  Serving in one or more additional ways: legislative activism; catalyzing lobbying networks in Worship Groups, Monthly Meetings and Yearly Meeting; membership of a standing or ad hoc FCNL committee; bringing awareness of FCNL’s witness to a wider community. 

Financial arrangements:  The Yearly Meeting is in principle responsible for the expenses of representatives to attend the General FCNL Meeting (IMYM 01-21) in Washington, DC.  FCNL also offers the prospect of reimbursement according to need. 

Incidental operating expenditures for clerical supplies, communications, etc., may be submitted to the Treasurer for reimbursement.  The Treasurer should be consulted before incurring unusual expenses. 

Notes and Concerns:

1.  In an attempt to keep travel outlay within budget, the Yearly Meeting in 2003 approved a Finance Committee recommendation that "representatives (FCNL, AFSC, etc.) get together to decide how they will spend or allocate their budgeted (travel) monies... The treasurer is authorized to pay out only to the limit which has been budgeted.  At any point of financial need, it is suggested that Friends contact their monthly meetings, or have their monthly meeting contact other monthly meetings, for financial help." (IMYM 03-09).  This procedure appears not to be practiced at this time. 

The actual cost (registration, travel, and conference hotel) currently runs about $1,000 per trip, with typically five or six representatives traveling each year.  In recent years, only a fraction of FCNL Representative travel outlay has been reimbursed by the Yearly Meeting, apparently with much of the cost having been absorbed by the representatives themselves.  To what degree representatives have coordinated their travel and its reimbursement is unknown, and to what degree representatives have limited their travel because of unreimbursed cost is unknown.