Minute on Becoming a Member of the Southern Illinois Society of
Friends
1. Anyone seeking membership of the Southern Illinois Society of
Friends should be encouraged to attend meetings for a time long
enough for him or her to become familiar with the ways of Friends
and the unspoken as well as manifest testimony of Friends. He or
she should also be encouraged to read about Friends to get a
sense of the history, diversity, breadth, and tensions within the
Society. The prospective member should not be pushed into a
decision, but rather led. Encouragement and help, however, should
be sensed as readily available. Convincement is a long process of
growth, based on deep, stable, abiding feeling, not the result of
a sudden passion or crisis.
2. To become a member, one should write a letter to the clerk of
the meeting stating why the applicant is drawn to apply for
membership in the Society of Friends. While the applicant may
wish to stress how his or her spiritual values and beliefs may be
best reflected in the practices of Friends, it is also advisable
that any troubling concerns or unresolved attitudes toward the
Society also be reflected. The letter should give as genuine a
sense as possible of the applicant’s true condition so that he or
she will be able to be accepted into membership without feeling
that there have been any forced compromises or unuttered
reservations.
3. It is strongly advised that the applicant request a clearness
committee. The desired members of this committee can be indicated
by the applicant, but it is the responsibility of the meeting to
make sure that they be individuals who not only know something of
the situation of the applicant, but have experience of the ways
of Friends. Members of the committee do not necessarily have to
be members themselves, though it is strongly advised that at
least some of them be members.
4. After meeting with the clearness committee, if there are no
obstructions, the letter will be brought before the meeting at
its next Meeting for Business. If there are obstructions, the
committee should report to the clerk. The clerk will speak with
the applicant and, should he or she wish, the issue will be
brought before the next Meeting for Business. The committee and
the clerk should express care for the applicant and be willing to
help remove the causes for the obstruction if possible.
5. Upon reaching consensus, the meeting will welcome the new
member and the fact of membership will be forwarded to the yearly
meeting.
6. In special or extraordinary circumstances the process of
membership may be expedited.
7. The meeting will welcome applications from children under the
age of 12 under the guidance of a parent or guardian.