Quaker Blog

Job Posting: CYM Secretary

At Yearly Meeting 2016 in Camrose, Canadian Yearly Meeting approved a new CYM Secretary position to foster the growth and deepening of Quakerism within CYM through supporting and enhancing the work of the CYM Clerks and Committees.

Interested candidates should review the job description and posting for the CYM Secretary. We ask interested candidates to respond by March 17th through Charity Village (https://charityvillage.com/jobs/find-jobs.aspx) with a resume and cover letter. For interested candidates outside Ottawa we ask, in addition, that the application reflect on the ways in which the candidate would provide effective collaboration with the CYM Office Administrator and the CYM Bookkeeper, both of whom are based in CYM’s Ottawa office.  Should candidates have any questions these may be sent to Elaine Bishop, Mentoring Clerk, who is clerking the Hiring Committee, at .

We look forward to the exciting opportunity that this process is creating. We hope that the process will be completed in time for the newly appointed CYM Secretary can attend the June Representative Meeting.

“Safe Nurture of Vulnerable Persons in Our Care” Policy

Representative Meeting, November 2016, approved the revised policy, Safe Nurture of Vulnerable Persons in Our Care.  This Policy describes how we will act, as a Yearly Meeting, to prevent harm coming to children, youth and vulnerable persons attending CYM activities. These activities include CYM-in-Session, Camp NeeKauNis, and any CYM committees that provide child care for their  committee meetings.

Statement on Islamophobia

January 31, 2017

Quakers in Canada join with other Canadians in expressing deep sadness and grief in response to the shooting that took the lives of six Muslim worshippers and caused grave physical and emotional injury to others in le Centre Culturel Islamique de Québec Mosque in Québec City on Sunday, January 29.   We hold all of those affected, including the families, friends and fellow worshippers, in the healing Light and love of God.  We are thankful that some of our members have had the opportunity to take part in vigils and prayer services across Canada.

Our Testimony to Peace compels us to seek justice, relationship and reconciliation, and to condemn violence and hatred wherever found. We are called to witness to a ministry of love which overcomes fear.  As stated in a letter to the Canadian government after the events of September 11, 2001:  ‘We need to dampen the fires of hate and fear that could lead to more militarization, more targeting of victims, scapegoating of the innocent, more killing and devastation.  Let us enter into a time of quiet and together fully mourn this latest addition to the course of human suffering, to the agony that our species inflicts upon itself.

‘Out of this tragic event our hope is that together we may find a way to free ourselves from the mindless cycle of violence and counter-violence. There is an opportunity her to set out on a new path, where our guides may be not anger, vengefulness and murderous intent but justice, mercy and mutual forgiveness. ’ (Canadian Faith and Practice, 4.28)

In light of these events we re-release our statement against Islamophobia believing that it continues to have significant relevance.

Nancy McInnes, Presiding Clerk      Elaine Bishop, Mentoring Clerk

 

NOW CLOSED – Call for Proposals Reopened: Editor for The Canadian Friend and Quaker.ca

THIS SEARCH IS NOW CLOSED.

Canadian Yearly Meeting (CYM) is reopening the Call for Proposals for a contractor to edit The Canadian Friend and to upload materials to our website, quaker.ca. CYM is a religious organization of Quakers (Religious Society of Friends) in Canada.

This Call for Proposals was originally posted in the summer of 2016.  However, due to unexpected delays, no hiring decision was made. Previous applicants are welcomed but not required to submit updates; they will continue to be considered unless they notify the Committee to withdraw their application.  Please note the change in number of issues of The Canadian Friend from 2 to 3.

The contractor will solicit material, edit and produce three issues of The Canadian Friend (CF) per year, to appear throughout the year. Working with an editorial committee, the contractor will set editorial direction for The Canadian Friend. The contractor will receive requests for advertising in The Canadian Friend and communicate with advertisers. The contractor will work in InDesign, and send the issue of The Canadian Friend to the printer, as well as creating a PDF version to be posted on the website. Past issues of The Canadian Friend can be viewed at https://quaker.ca/resources/the-canadian-friend/

Material from The Canadian Friend will also be used as content on quaker.ca, our website.

The editor will solicit and receive additional content to be posted on quaker.ca

The editor will also use our Facebook presence to post information about material in The Canadian Friend, upcoming deadlines, and quaker.ca posts.

Quaker.ca is a WordPress multisite web page, with public-facing and private sections. Maintenance of the public site will include posting materials, updating contact information, and other updates as requested. The private sections of quaker.ca consist of internal documents and committee web pages. The contractor may be asked to post materials, or to provide technical support to committees posting their own materials.

The contractor is responsible for providing space, software and hardware required for the work, including InDesign, image processing abilities (such as resizing and cropping photos for web use and print), and internet access.

The contractor should have demonstrable experience with InDesign, WordPress and the production of print and/or on-line magazines. Experience with unprogrammed Quaker meetings, particularly within CYM, is desirable. Previous experience or training in journalism, editing and social media is an advantage.

Deliverables:

  • three issues of The Canadian Friend per year
  • regular posting of materials for quaker.ca, to be posted twice weekly on a schedule mutually agreed upon by the editor and Publications and Communications committee.
  • regular posting of new material on the blog for quaker.ca (at least 2 posts per month)

Production of The Canadian Friend will be paid for up to 100 h per issue. Web editor work is expected to be 10 h / month.

This is a one-year contract, to be renewed on mutual agreement for an additional two years, with the possibility of further extension. Work is to be invoiced monthly, and will be paid at a rate of $35/h by the CYM bookkeeper following approval by the Clerk of Publications and Communications committee.

To apply, please send a letter outlining experience and interest in the position, with resume and any other supporting information. Questions and applications may be sent to 

Applications should be received by Monday, February 6, 2017 by 5PM Pacific Time.

Shortlisted candidates will be contacted by Friday, February 10, 2017, and notified of the final results by February 27, 2017.

Canadian Young Friend & Young Adult Friends Gathering: Camp NeeKauNis

This is the Registration Form for the 2017 Canadian Young Friends and Young Adult Friends Gathering at Camp NeeKauNis, June 29-July 2, followed by Friends General Conference (FGC) Gathering in Niagara, NY, July 3-8. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfewHLwJrx63ze_-0ttVXiPhecyhS52SBGFocn5JneGsznOOA/viewform Education and Outreach Committee has generously offered to cover NeeKauNis charges and to provide funding for travel to NeeKauNis and to FGC Gathering. The gathering at NeeKauNis welcomes Young Friends and Young Adult Friends ages 13-35. Children of attendees are also welcome!

Registration for FGC Gathering opens on April 3rd, 2017. For information, visit: http://www.fgcquaker.org/connect/gathering

What can Friends expect to experience as part of the YF/YAF Gathering?

We’re excited to bring a critical mass of Young Friends and Young Adult Friends together to energize and strengthen our community and rejoice in our time together in worship, play, and good conversation. We hope to rejuvenate the Canadian Young Friends community and discern our collective path forward, asking what we want to be doing and what makes sense for us. Planning is well under way for exciting and enriching programming for both YFs and YAFs!

How does the funding work? Who is eligible?

Funds will be allocated by members of the YF/YAF Gathering Planning Committee , who will take into account financial need and home region. Anyone 35 and under with a connection to the Religious Society of Friends is eligible! Young Friends are typically defined as being at least 12 or 13, but there may be funding available for younger Friends as well, particularly if they are the children of Young Adult Friends also attending the NeeKauNis Gathering.

We ask that Friends also seek financial support from their Monthly Meetings. We realize that not all YFs have a close connection to a Monthly Meeting, so if you are in this situation or need assistance in approaching a Monthly Meeting for support, please e-mail us. Support could also come in the form of travel planning, a loan of items such as sleeping bags, knowledge about Quaker gatherings, etc.

Please send any questions or concers to