Stephen Petter, b 1937. Member of RSoF since c. 1975.

I have been Q for over 30 years - and interested in religion and spirituality before then and since. In Quakers I have attended many retreats, short courses and discussion groups. I have attended many courses at Woodbrooke including one of three months, and also courses in Powell House which is New York YM's equivalent. I have read a good few Q books but would not say I am deeply steeped in them. I have read other spiritual books especially "The Perennial Philosophy". I have led or facilitated discussion Quaker groups. I have given talks on Quakerism and relating it to other religious and mystical practices. I have had significant conversations with John Punshon, Rex Ambler, Tim Peat, Peter Eccles, and Janet Scott. Thus I consider I am quite familiar with Quakers' underlying philosophy.

I have worked at or held office at all levels within Quakers: FWCC; Europe and Middle East Section of FWCC; Meeting for Sufferings and two other central committees; YM Nominations Committee, London & Middlesex General Meeting, Monthly Meetings. At local meeting level in BYM I have served at least once as:: Overseer, Elder, clerk of Premises Committee of a busy Meeting, Assist Clerk of MM, currently a member of General Committee which is my MM's finance and property committee and trustees of its several charities. I have served on many Quaker committees, working groups etc. I was on 'Ministry and Counsel Committee' of a MM in Southeastern YM in the USA, then its clerk. I attended 8 annual meetings of EMES, on most of which I was one of the Exec Committee. During that time I set up the system for the recruitment of the governing committee of Friends School, Brammanah, Lebanon. I have attended one World Conference (in Honduras) and two FWCC Triennial Conferences (New Mexico and Birmingham, UK). I have attended almost every Britain YM since I joined, and also other YMs about four times. I have been active in Quaker Homeless Action and Alternatives to Violence Project. I have taken an active part in BYM debates such as 'RECAST' and its several predecessors. I am Assistant Clerk to Sidcot School General Meeting. I am currently on two Monthly Meeting working groups, in both of which I play a very active part. One is a charitable status working group where I drafted the terms of reference of the future trustees. I have served on a Warden recruitment panel, whose selection has proved very satisfactory. On three occasions (two issues, CCBI and Kosovo) my spoken ministry at Yearly Meeting has been said to have been decisive. Thus I consider I am familiar with Quaker structures and procedures.

I have been a 'spiritual traveller' visiting and praying and meditating in many faiths' temples, etc in several countries especially India - where I have spent weeks in several ashrams. I have attended many different Quaker Meetings for worship in Britain and abroad, including Evangelical Friends Churches. I occasionally attend services of other Christian denominations. I would like to be able to devote more time to seeking nearness to God.

In most of my working life I designed and implemented systems involving people, in departments such as Organisation and Methods, Systems and Data Processing, and Employee Communications and Participation. I was a leading member of a team which introduced fundamental changes into the motor industry, leading to success in reducing strikes. I was given probably the best Training Officer training there was, and became Management Training Manager in a major company. I have presented and designed management courses, also other communications such as launching a Company newspaper and specifying industrial relations films.

In the 1970s as a mature student I obtained a degree with the Open University, taking a range of courses centring on Socio-technical Systems which included Organisation, Psychology, and Sociology. The latter included some comparative religion. I also obtained a Certificate in Industrial Administration which was part 1 of a Diploma in Management Studies. It included statistics, accountancy, and law. Later I took a Post Graduate Certificate in Education (Further Education).

I have always been active in various voluntary organisations, usually as secretary but also as Chair, Clerk, or Treasurer, and as a delegate or representative. These include: a social club, a street pressure group, Labour Party, Trades Union, Trades Council, Green Party, Arts Club, Students Union. I have attended and spoken at large national conferences. Currently I am Company Secretary of two Registered Charities (AVP Britain and Friends of Sangam Foundation) which are also Limited Companies, and I recently resigned as Clerk to Governors of two schools.

I have founded or 'incorporated' several organisations, converting associations into Limited Companies and Registered Charities. With one of them I was able to get Companies House and the Charity Commission to accept Quaker organisation i.e. no voting, Quaker Decision Making process, no proxies, clerk rather than Chairman, etc. I have drafted initial constitutions several times. Thus I consider I know a bit about systems and organisations.

I am a member of the Alister Hardy Society which is closely allied to the Religious Experience Research Unit, and of the Bede Griffiths Sangha. I am a local organiser for Christian Aid. I have been an active member of the Labour Party, and since c 1987 the Green Party, for whom I have stood as a candidate in two General elections and many local elections. I am a member of the Institute of Advanced Motorists and also the Bristol Cycling Campaign. I represented Friends of the Earth as a co-opted member of one of the Scrutiny Commissions of Bristol City Council, and served on two transport related working parties there. I am founder and Chair of Bristol Arena Concern.

Thus I consider that my education and experience make me potentially useful to the Society of Friends, which, next to my large family, is the most important part of my life.

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