Transfer and Removal of Membership
Transfer by Certificate
A member of a monthly meeting living beyond the meeting's reasonable limits should arrange for the transfer of membership to a more conveniently located meeting, preferably the one where residence has been established. Not doing so means a loss both to the individual and to the meetings involved, as well as failure to assume the full responsibilities of membership. When a monthly meeting receives a request for transfer, careful inquiry should be made by Ministry and Counsel to ascertain the conditions of the Friend's religious and temporal affairs. At the discretion of the monthly meeting, a certificate of transfer (see Appendix 2) should be issued when a member requests it or, in default of such a request, when the monthly meeting deems it appropriate.
When a certificate is received, it should be referred to Ministry and Counsel. It should be accepted promptly by the monthly meeting unless sufficient reason shall appear to the contrary. Until this is done, the Friend remains a member of the former monthly meeting. In every case the monthly meeting receiving a certificate of transfer should inform the meeting which issued it of the action taken. One or more Friends may be appointed to visit the transferred member and to extend a welcome.
A certificate of transfer should be issued only to a monthly meeting and should be sent to the clerk. If the member requesting a transfer is a recorded minister, this fact should be noted on the certificate of transfer.
Joining Other Bodies
If a member in good standing wishes to unite with some other religious denomination, the monthly meeting may grant a letter of recommendation (see Appendix 2), whereupon membership with Friends shall cease. Any member who unites with another denomination without having requested a letter of recommendation from the monthly meeting shall be dropped from the rolls and informed of this action.
Resignations
When a member resigns, the monthly meeting is advised to appoint a committee to visit in a tender spirit and to inquire into the cause of the action. If the Friend's purpose continues unchanged and the meeting accedes, a minute may be drafted granting the Friend's request for release, and the Friend shall be furnished a copy of this minute.
Discontinuance
When any member habitually neglects attendance at meeting, fails to contribute to its support, or in other ways evidences a lack of unity with Friends, the monthly meeting upon recommendation of Ministry and Counsel may remove the Friend's name from its list of members and should so inform the person concerned.
When any member's conduct is considered unbecoming a Friend, Ministry and Counsel should bring the matter to the attention of the monthly meeting. The monthly meeting shall appoint a committee to confer with the Friend in question. If the committee considers that the Friend is in error, it should endeavor in a spirit of love and tenderness to engender that state of mind and heart that will enable renewed fellowship with the meeting. If the exercise of due care and forbearance appears to be of no avail, the meeting should remove the Friend's name from its list of members and should so inform the person concerned.
A Friend whose membership has been discontinued by the monthly meeting may, if dissatisfied with the decision, file an appeal with the quarterly meeting within three months for a review of the matter. If either the Friend whose membership is in question or the monthly meeting concerned is dissatisfied with the decision of the quarterly meeting, an appeal may be addressed to the Permanent Board of the Yearly Meeting. The decision of the Permanent Board shall be final.