Christian Council for Monetary Justice: MINUTES of the CCMJ AGM Preparatory Meeting No 3 held on Tuesday 5th July 2016 at Friends House, Euston, London NW1.
1. PRESENT: John Courtneidge (chair), Simon Mouatt, Mary Fee (notes). Apologies: Peter Challen, Gian Andreone, Janos Abel (on holiday).
2. MINUTES of the meeting held on Wednesday 1st June were accepted. 3. MATTERS ARISING FROM THE MINUTES: We decided to deal with this as a go-round for individual updates:
3.1 Michael: again noting his email from Canada dated 3rd May 2016, no response yet formulated, but to ensure that it informs our planning for the AGM: Letter_MichaelSinclar_160503.
3.2 Gian: (by email), based on research including appraisal of the November 2014 House of Commons debate on the Banking System – see: http://comer.org/content/UK_MoneyCreation.htm – and video (two and a quarter hours): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBSlSUIT-KM had written a paper setting out the main ideas for two MonetaryReformProposals_GianAndreone. Monetary Reform Ideas 050716 GA – Gian was thanked for his contribution, to be added to the agenda for better consideration at a later meeting.
3.3 Peter: noting previous email correspondence: CCMJ-2016-Appraisal-Emails, we had also just received a circular dated Tuesday 5th May 2016: Dear LGOT Associates: Several dramatic changes have led to a decision that July 27th will be the last meeting of the London Global Open Table. CCMJ will not renew the annual contract with SES. There are so many other initiatives with potential to contribute to the Brexit future, that it is time for us to stand back awhile. I will continue CCMJ and LGOT networking with those who wish to retain their association; but without a weekly meeting place. That networking dialogue will be continued in the spirit of the attached statement of the purpose and process of CCMJ and LGOT, An association for the mutual support that it can encourage in the wide network of associates in their many forms of active witness in such a wide range of locations to a just society freed from usury. Attachment: CCMJ_for_public_understanding
3.4 Simon: reported on several conversations with Peter, from which he understood that his core position remains that he wishes CCMJ to remain an entity which exists as a ministry to serve the parish of the collective social justice movements in their entirely rather than having a specific objective in monetary reform. He does not want to engage in a dialogue and participate with our group on an ongoing basis, but likes the idea that what we are trying to do is to become a cell of CCMJ, so on this basis Simon feels we have a way forward to continue the work we are doing.
3.5 John: as promised, had contacted former Treasurer, Desmond Cumberland, for any background information re CCMJ’s financial management, which Peter was now handling as sole signatory. In their conversation Desmond had pointed out that there are four life members, which would point to the need for continuity in managing CCMJ without name-changes – he had sent John a copy of the latest accounts he had produced from 2010/11. Also, at a recent meeting at St Paul’s John had also spoken to Robert Gordon who promised to put him in touch with Peter Selby, former President of CCMJ – http://www.stpaulsinstitute.org.uk/dialogue/contributors/peter-selby – with a view to St Paul’s hosting the four themed meetings, and would do his best to follow this up.
3.6 Mary: as other commitments allowed, had been tidying up CCMJ’s various web-areas, including the original site, with the aim of presenting its history, current policies and updates as clearly as possible. Following member feedback at last year’s appraisal, she was also working on three options for more member participation: firstly, a moderated email-discussion list, enabling members to send papers and responses directl to other members, secondly a password-protected members’ area for individual profiles, showing locations, which could encourage members to develop regional groupings, and thirdly, the wordpress site, now separate from the Global Table website, which would potentially enable members to upload their own papers. Meanwhile, in addition to info@ccmj.org, going to Peter and the webmaster, a forwarder group@ccmj.org, currently going to those who attended on 5th May (Simon, John, Gian, Janos, Mary). Work was also in progress on an Economic Briefing paper, collating proposals for economic reform: http://www.themap.org.uk/?p=227
4. REFERENCE to CCMJ on Global Table website: Noting the text of the footer on Matters in the Air, discussion to be deferred for consideration at a future meeting –http://globaltable.org.uk/wp/.
The Christian Council for Monetary Justice [CCMJ] – is a wide ranging association of people examining enduring wisdom and contemporary evidence about money and its effect on society – utilising resources of wisdom from current evidence, scriptures, histories and evaluated publications to identify the deeper structural faults behind land [rent], money, lack of basic elements of very person’s inheritance of livelihood, and the over-powering by close boundaries with rigid and permanent hierarchies. It is not a membership organisation but an open association of explorers learning by collaboration and by shared evolving insights and possible actions. We long for more online reports, comments, questions etc. We dare to probe possible contemporary interpretations of the concept of the ‘Kin[g]dom of God; contributing to and learning from the specific formation of a political process, such as is being steadily evolved in ICUK described below http://www.ccmj.org
5. PRACTICAL STEPS TO MOVE FORWARD
5.1. John would review messages from Peter Challen, and respond to him by phone and/or by email.
5.2. John would pursue contacts at St Paul’s Institute regarding the idea of a series of open meetings.
5.3. He would also get in touch by email with Ken Palmerton, and outreach to any potential new members.
5.4. John will also contact Alison Stoker, for a meeting at Portcullis House with John McDonell + whoever else he wants to attend, to hear what he would like to receive from us.
5.5. Mary would confirm Saturday 24th September 2016, 11 for 11.30am-3pm, for the AGM, at Magdalene Hall, St Mary’s Church, Eversholt Street, London, NW1 1BN – nearest tube Euston – we would plan for a “bring and share” lunch – done. We would aim to cover the cost by donations, BUT John would under-write this.
5.6. Having confirmed these minutes with those present, Mary would firstly contact the members who had responded to the AGM notice, giving them links to the relevant papers on the CCMJ website, and invite feedback on our process, and then send a message to all known CCMJ members with links to minutes of our meetings, and details of the AGM, to be chaired by Peter Challen.
6. NEXT MEETING OF THIS GROUP: Wed 10th August 2016, 4pm at Friends House, Euston.
MF/mf – draft at 160708
