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.