Standing Committee

Purpose

Standing Committee carries on the work of Quakers in Australia between Yearly Meeting gatherings.

Members include the Presiding Clerk, Secretary and Treasurer, ex officio. Also included is the immediate Past Presiding Clerk, or, during the last year of the present Clerk’s tenure, the Friend appointed as the next Presiding Clerk. In addition, two Friends are appointed by each Regional Meeting, and two by Young Friends, usually for no more than three consecutive years. In short, there are 20 members of Standing Committee.

Standing Committee meets twice during the year, normally "mid-year" in January and in July just prior to Yearly Meeting. Standing Committee can be convened by the Presiding Clerk at 14 days’ notice for any extremely urgent and important matter. The quorum is six members from at least three Regional Meetings.

Standing Committee normally does the following tasks:
      - follows up on decisions taken at the previous Yearly Meeting
      - takes action on matters that cannot wait for consideration by the next Yearly Meeting
      - considers matters referred by Regional Meetings or national committees
      - approves changes of membership of any national committee where necessary
      - deals with administrative matters such as the timetabling of Yearly Meeting sessions
      - considers the annual budget of income and expenditure
      - considers the State of the Society at the Committee's mid-year meeting.
 
Standing Committee does not deal with matters that are properly dealt with by the Yearly Meeting (except in a preliminary way) nor usually does it initiate topics for decision. It cannot veto any Yearly Meeting decision.