One project undertaken by the NEYM Faith and Practice Revision Committee has been to search NEYM Minute Books from 1944 to 2003 for "substantive minutes," as defined by the four types listed below. We were seeking for actual words by New England Friends—words that might be used in the next edition of Faith and Practice—as well as hoping to gain an idea of the direction of New England Friends' thinking and action over the past 60 years.

A word of caution: what is "substantive" to one person may not be to another. We have done our best to be consistent, but it is likely that we have overlooked some materials; we welcome corrections or additions. Send comments to us at the contact information to the right. Please note that this is a compilation by several persons. Formatting and references do not follow a consistent pattern; we were primarily interested in content, not form.

Minute Type 1: Action/Thought  
Minutes that call Friends to action or thought on a specific topic

Minute Type 2: Reflection/Wrestling 
Minutes that reflect that Friends are wrestling with an issue

Minute Type 3: Public Statements  
Minutes that call on people outside the Yearly Meeting (including but not limited to public officials) to act or to consider a topic

Minute Type 4: Structural Change  
Minutes that reflect a structural change in NEYM organization & practice

Download "Compilaton of NEYM Substantive Minutes 1944-2003"
120 pages, 2.3 MB, Adobe PDF Format

Last Updated Wednesday, June 07 2006 @ 09:15 AM EDT