Six Weeks Meeting Newsletter
November 2006

Dear Friends,

Six Weeks Meeting met on 13th November :

The main item on the Agenda was "Meeting Houses and Climate Change".

Our Friend Peter Ranken presented a paper setting out how this effects us and how we might respond to the issues in how we manage our Meeting Houses. This was well received by SWM Trustees. We have set up a sub-committee to take this matter forward. They will no doubt be in touch with you over the coming months. If anybody would like to have input into this committee then please get in touch with me. We would particularly welcome anybody with knowledge or experience of energy efficiency and other ‘green’ building issues.

We agreed the Quota for 2007 with the following minute:

When the Quota for 2006 was increased by 20%, the first increase for five years, some Monthly Meetings expressed a preference for small annual increases. Six Weeks Meeting therefore agreed for 2007 a rise of 3% (in line with RPI inflation) bringing the total Quota of £123,600.

This would be apportioned between our seven Monthly Meetings, based on current membership, as follows:

Devonshire House & Tottenham £ 8,552.85
Hampstead £ 22,025.47
Kingston & Wandsworth £ 13,472.63
Purley & Sutton £ 18,013.96
Ratcliff & Barking £ 21,041.52
Southwark Lewisham & Bromley £ 13,245.56
Westminster £ 27,238.01

This is equivalent to £75.69 per member.

It was noted that this rise in line with RPI is in effect keeping the figure the same in real terms but also that the RICS expects construction costs to rise ahead of general inflation over the next few years.

We have been working on a budget for 2007 which will go to SWM in December.

Notice
There will be a memorial meeting for our Friend Alec Holmes, who served on SWM in the past and died in September, at Kingston Meeting House on 3rd December at 14.30.

Six Weeks Meeting Newsletter
October 2006

Dear Friends,

Six Weeks Meeting met on 2nd October :

The main item on the agenda was the Accounts for Jan-Dec 2005. Monthly Meetings will be sent copies of these Accounts and I am happy to provide further copies if these are required.

This was the year when we realised that we were begining to use up our capital reserves and would therefore require a period of financial restraint to prevent this from becoming a problem. The 2005 accounts showed an end of year ‘profit’ of £11,000 - the previous year hada loss of about £105,000 - so applying the brakes had clearly been the right thing to do. Whilst we are now moving in the right direction there is still some way to go before we get back to our previous spending budgets.

It is hoped to prepare the 2006 accounts by about April 2007.

It was agreed that Kingston Meeting House be considered to have been in the Pooled Funds system as of 1st Jan 2006.

Works to Muswell Hill Meeting House - improving the side access steps and providing showers and accessible toilets have just been completed.

Croydon’s new heating system will go out to tender in 2007 with a view to having the work done in 2008 (to avoid their anniversary celebrations).

Open House
It was good to see a number of Meeting Houses open to the public as part of Open House Day over the weekend of 16-17th September.
If Friends wanted to share their experiences the SWM Office would be happy to be a conduit. Perhaps some comments could be published in this Newsletter.
One issue that struck me was the number of different titles that were given to the Meeting Houses.
If we could agree on a particular form of ‘title’ I am sure that would help potential visitors identify the Meeting Houses which are open.

My suggestion would be :       Xxxx Quaker Meeting House

but I am sure others may have better ideas. Do let me know.