Fwd: Draft letter to our members

[Alice Hooker-Stroud]

Hey everyone,

Here is the draft email we would send out to members, though we have to wait until Mon/Tues to check with Tim about the group assemblies idea. It really depends on actually having someone to run it - and its quite a lot of work!

Anyhoos.

We can all put our thoughts/ideas forward.

Perhaps I should also make it more clear that if we don't have anyone come forward and put in their ideas/time then Young FoE will cease to exist!

Alice

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Alice Hooker-Stroud <alice.hoo...@gmail.com>
Date: 26 September 2014 13:49
Subject: Draft letter to our members
To: Greg Hewitt <g.hew...@gmail.com>, Greg Hewitt <in...@youngfoe.org.uk>

Dear [Insert name here],

How do you want to see Young Friends of the Earth go forward?

Last year, a steering group was elected to facilitate the running of Young Friends of the Earth (Young FoE). We are now at the end of our elected term, and as such, we opened nominations for the positions on the steering group.

Unfortunately, no-one put forward a nomination for the positions. This means it is unclear how Young FoE will work over the coming year, and although it is a bit disappointing, we want to a positive outcome for Young FoE.

We have a few suggestions on what could happen next, and we really need your opinion on them. But we are also open to your ideas, if you think something different would work better.

Our ideas were:

1) To re-open nominations. Perhaps we did not advertise the nominations well enough, or you were away over the summer and didn't have the chance to nominate yourself. Or perhaps we didn't explain the process of nomination and election clearly enough. This would give you (and other members) a second chance to nominate yourself and form a  steering group to take Young FoE forward over the next year. The way the steering group operates is up to the group, and positions and roles can be changed as the new steering group saw fit. As the outgoing steering group, we would help the new group settle in and offer a full handover, and support over the first month of term. 

2) To not have a steering group, and put all of Young FoE's focus on our 'Engaging Young People Project'. This was a group set up last year to help local FoE groups attract more young members. This has so far been a successful group, getting Young FoE members involved, and we believe it has an important role to play into the future of FoE national. We still have some strong active members of the 'Comms Group' in Young FoE, and so we propose that they work directly as part of the 'Engaging Young People Project', although this would obviously be up to those individuals! We as the outgoing steering group would help this facilitate this process.

3) To not have a steering group, and run Young FoE as a number of 'Group Assemblies' - meetings perhaps four times a year where you can get together and discuss what you want to do as Young FoE; and make plans for actions, campaigns or working groups. The process would be run by our Young FoE representative at FoE national. Travel and accommodation costs for the assemblies would likely have to be fundraised for by Young FoE members.  

Please respond to this email and let us know your thoughts and preferences on the above, or suggest your own idea. We cannot continue Young FoE as an organisation without your help. You are Young FoE and as such, we think you should have a say in what we do, and how we run into the future.  

Love, 

the outgoing Young FoE steering group.

--

Alice Hooker-Stroud

alice.hoo...@gmail.com

07976 207101

--

Alice Hooker-Stroud

alice.hoo...@gmail.com

07976 207101

[Tim Gee]

Hi folks,

Looks sensible to me. Would you like to have a deadline for people to get back to you and perhaps make it really clear which email address to use?

The assemblies would need two or three people to agree to help make them happen. It could be that those people emerge from the first assembly if there are enough people there..

Tim

---

From: steeringg...@googlegroups.com <steeringg...@googlegroups.com> on behalf of Alice Hooker-Stroud <alice.hoo...@gmail.com>
Sent: 26 September 2014 14:57
To: Young FoE Steering Group
Subject: Fwd: Draft letter to our members

 

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[Greg Hewitt]

But who would organise the first assembly and who would chair it? Is this something our foe rep could do?

Greg

[Cecily Spelling]

Hello.

Alice, I think that email is great. When are we sending it or has it already been sent?

I also think, from a comms point of views, that its really important to communicate it to the wider group too - the active foe list that get the monthly newsletter for example. I think they deserve to know what is happening too and being given the option to get involved properly again by becoming a member or just at least knowing that Young FoE is taking a new form.

James and I are happy to just use that email content into a newsletter and send it out.

Personally, I don't want to organise an assembly. I didn't nominate myself to continue with this because I lack the time to commit and wanted to leave when I still enjoyed it. I am not taking any Friends of the Earth actions forward, campaign organisers or engaging young people so I wouldn't want to commit to organising the assemblies and give up everything else.

Let me know your thoguhts on sending out to all the group but if we don't hear anything - James and I shall send it at the weekend to get the ball rolling.

Cecily

[Greg Hewitt]

Just so you know, I have just sent this out to our members tonight. I guess no harm in sending it to wider mailing list too - some people on there may have some feedback.

Greg

--

Greg Hewitt | Local and National Campaigner

• Transition Sherwood & Sharing Sherwood
• Nottingham Friends of the Earth
• Frack Free Nottinghamshire

[Alice Hooker-Stroud]

Err. I haven't sent anything out to members yet because of all the email cuffuffle and then I have been away. Umm. What did you send out to the mailing list? I thought we had agreed to only consult members. This is a bit annoying. 

Alice

[Greg Hewitt]

I have only sent to our registered members. Cecily wishes to send out to all people on our mailing list.

Greg

[Cecily Spelling]

I haven't sent it to the mailing list yet.
Greg sent it to the members last night.

I am saying I really think we need to communicate to the wider group on our newsletter list what is happening too. Lots of people read it every month so I feel they deserve to have an input too.

You and Greg agreed only members initially ut I was unable to come to the meeting because I was working that evening. I expressed this opinion to Greg in the comms group. I don't see any harm in sending to the wider group. Even if its an edited version telling them what's happened once we've had back from actual members would be ideal. We can't just completely stop talking to them at all.

[Alice Hooker-Stroud]

No, thats fine. I just think a smaller group's opinions might be better. There is a reason why we tried to separate 'members' from 'mailing list'. People who have actually bothered to sign up as a member are more likely to respond and then actually act/help/get involved? We need active members to form whatever YFoE ends up doing. Thats all. I think maybe we could send something out to the mailing list like  'Unfortunately, we didn't receive any nominations for steering group positions and so we're trying to find out from our members what they want from Young FoE in the future, and how we can go forward. If you'd like to be part of the consultation, or get involved, please email us and sign up to our membership list.' (but in a better way).

?

Greg - did you send out the email I wrote? Did you add the reply email (in...@youngfoe.org.uk), and dates for replying by? Did you edit the text about the assemblies pointing out that members would be expected to run them? And also, ask for people to put their names forward if they wanted to do any of the things...?

Ta,

Alice

[Greg Hewitt]

Sounds like a good suggestion to the wider mailing list. May get a few more people signing up.

Yes I sent it from info@. No respond dates. We agreed 2 weeks didn't we. I can send another email clarifying that. If people express about the assemblies then I can mention that.

If people express an interest in the last 2 options I can ask if they would like to put their name forward.

Greg

[Alice Hooker-Stroud]

OKay, I think we really should have put a date in it. Never mind. Also, the text for the assemblies suggested Tim/replacement would be running them so this isn't right. We should ave edited that. Oh well. Done now. 

Alice

P.S. I haven't received the email. I am a member.