More information

What are the major elements of the changes?

We no longer have an AYM Secretary. Instead, we have 4 new part-time roles, 2 paid (Coordinator and Communications & Publicity Manager) and 2 unpaid (Probity Adviser and Staff Oversight & Support). The task descriptions are here:

• 2023_QA Coordinator Duty Summary (FINAL 29Mar 23).pdf
• 2023_QA Comms Duty Summary (FINAL 28Mar23).pdf
• QA StaffOversight&Support Duty Summary_FINAL.docx
• QA ProbityAdviser Duty Summary_FINAL.docx

The role titles are different so that we don't all forget that there have been changes!

Some Myths Busted:

1. The Coordinator supervises the Communications & Publicity Manager. Busted! They are equals. Both are informally supervised by the Staff Oversight & Support Friend, and formally by our Presiding Clerk.
2. Our Handbook, when it describes the Secretary's role and other matters pertaining to the Secretary, is applicable to the Coordinator. Busted! Our Handbook is seriously out of date on these matters. We understand the Handbook Revision Committee will rewrite the relevant sections after YM23, and bring them forward to YM24.
3. The Staff Oversight & Support Friend's role will be extremely time-consuming. Busted! We envisage an online meeting either weekly or fortnightly, plus any other support as required for unforeseen eventualities. (We encourage all Friends to have personal support groups.)
4. The Probity Adviser's role will be extremely difficult. Busted! They will be responsible for ensuring that all compliance matters, which we already do, continue to be done by the responsible person or committee in an accurate and timely manner.

Our former AYM Secretary, Jacque Schultze, laid down her service in mid-September 2023. TIWG will continue to support the transition until YM25.

The new configuration looks like:

• Coordinator, whose focus is on Australian Friends and the support of YM business, 27h/w (paid) (David Tehr)
• Communications & Publicity Manager, whose focus is on external bodies and outreach including social media, 17h/w (paid)  (Holly Dhynes)
• Staff Oversight & Support, the Friend who acts for the Presiding Clerk in supervising and supporting the paid staff (unpaid) This role is temporarily being filled by TIWG members.
• Probity Adviser, who is responsible for all the compliance functions previously managed by the Secretary (unpaid). This role is temporarily being filled by TIWG members.

All these new positions formally report to the Presiding Clerk.

Finding out more:

We - Kerstin, Jonathan, and Jennifer - have held a number of Info Sessions, e.g. for Standing Committee in January 2023, and two open sessions in March. Click for our Info Session March 2023 presentation, and for our Info Sessions MayJun23.pdf presentation. Click for the Questions & Answers developed from these sessions. Q&A_March2023.pdf We also ran a Share-&-Tell during YM23, and will report at the JanuaryYM24.

Read the AF article here.

Read our report to January YM 2024: Twig report_JanYM24_final.pdf.

Get in touch

We liaise as widely as we can with Committees and other Friends. Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions or comments.