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Pebble Minutes - 28 March 2009

• Date: Saturday 28 March 2009
• Location: London
• Time: 2.00pm

Present:

• Dan Carpenter (Secretary)
• Bryn Colvin (TDN)
• Lee Davies (PM)
• Jacq Dobson (DP)
• Dragon (unattached observer)
• Jeanette Ellis (TR)
• Angela Grant (Chair)
• Shaun Hayes (OBOD)
• Fred Letch (TR - observer)
• Mario Malo (PN - observer)
• Lyn O'Callaghan (PM - observer)
• Jon Randall (PN)
• Steve Smyth (unattached observer)
• Thorskegga Thorn (HfP)
• Steve Wilson (CoBDO)
• Nicole (unattached observer)

Further Abbreviations Used Throughout:

• CoBDO: Council of British Druid Orders
• DP: Derbyshire Pagans
• HAD: Honouring the Ancient Dead
• HFP: Heathens for Progress
• OBOD: Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids
• PF: Pagan Federation
• PN: Pagan Network
• PM: Pentacle Media
• TDN: The Druid Network
• TR: The Ravens

MINUTES

1. Statement from the Chair
   AG reported that she has resigned as HAD representative, and that HAD were not putting forward another representative as no other special interest group was represented. She asked if it was the wish of the committee that she continue as independent Chair. This was agreed unanimously.
   LD asked whether this meant future special interest groups would be excluded, as Pagans for Archaeology were considering applying to be a special interest group for Pebble. It was agreed that future special interest groups need not be excluded.
2. Apologies for absence
   Apologies were received from Belinda Winder (PF) and Gwen Hopkinson (DP - observer).
3. Ratification of the minutes of the meeting on 12 September 2008
   These were agreed unaminously.
4. Report on actions resulting from the last meeting
   There were no issues arising.
5. Pebble partnerships
   JR reported that the Children of Artemis were preparing their accounts to present to Pebble, with a view to joining.
   AG noted that no more had been heard from Charnwood Grove.
6. Handfastings and civil registration
   DC reported that he had put some information about the legalities surrounding handfasting on the Pebble website. There were no further actions relating to this point, so AG proposed carrying it over to the next meeting.
7. Reburial of ancient British human remains
   LD reported that English Heritage's website had recently carried a consultation on the reburial of ancient human remains found near Avebury. It had included a list of organisations it believed might be interested in responding, one of which was Pebble. He asked whether it was possible for Pebble to publish a statement regarding its position on this topic.
   JR reported that two weeks prior to the meeting the remains of a witch had been buried in a Christian ceremony in the Diocese of Rochester. TT suggested that if remains are to be re-buried they should be done so respectfully and with no specific spiritual overtones, either Christian or modern Pagan. The group agreed that it was important not to impose our modern beliefs.
   SW spoke about the importance of archaeology to our understanding of ancient peoples. N suggested that treating their remains with respect did not necessarily mean returning them to the earth, and that they could be honoured in museums. Most of the group expressed support for the archaeological view, though BC expressed unease about remains being kept out of the earth.
   AG reported that the English Heritage consultation on the Avebury case was over, but that the Department for Culture, Media and Sport was reviewing the regulations surrounding the treatment of human remains, though Pebble was not one the organisations they had asked to input. PFA and HAD had been asked, and SW suggested that Pebble might only need to get involved if either of those organisations felt they would benefit from using Pebble's name.
   N suggested that museum collections could be sanctified respectfully, and without danger of contamination, by performing rituals outside of the buildings in which they were kept. Many of the group expressed interest in this idea, though MM suggested that it would be important that this didn't attract negative attention.
   LD agreed to draft a statement on Pebble's views for the website, including that views on this topic are diverse and that there were two organisations already looking at this matter.
   ACTION: LD to write statement and circulate on the forum for comments; DC to publish on the website.
8. Tolerance amongst/between Pagan groups
   A general discussion took place in which a number of points were raised that were felt to be outside Pebble's remit.
   TT suggested that some groups would not be prepared to join Pebble unless it was seen as actively promoting tolerance.
   SW suggested that a clause be added to the membership conditions that partner organisations only be allowed membership if they accept that all other Pagan groups have a right to be represented as long as they fulfil the published criteria.
   ACTION: DC to draft an amendment to the criteria and circulate on the forum before publishing on the website.
9. Censorship
   AG reported that the story about censorship of Pagan materials at Birmingham libraries turned out to be untrue.
   SW suggested that this issue was dependent on what software was used, while LD suggested that it was down to the settings imposed by administrators. JR suggested that the PDF document on Paganism that Belinda Winder had agreed to produce could be used with local councils, but that he would draft a statement for software companies.
   ACTION: JR to draft a statement for software companies that produce censoring software about the legitimacy of Paganism, and circulate on the forum for comments.
   JE and JR gave examples of censorship relating to books in libraries in Walthamstow and Wood Green.
10. End of life care
    BC reported that she had been contacted by an end of life coordinator for the NHS to say that the NHS was looking at alternatives to standard end of life care.
    SW suggested that hospices were often private organisations, but received some public funding and so would come under Pebble's remit.
    BC said that her contact was willing to write an article for the Pebble website, and JR said that he also had some content he could contribute. TT agreed to help with the Heathen perspective.
    ACTION: BC to add article to the forum for comments, and TT and JR to add supplementary information. BC to compile and send to DC for inclusion on the website.
11. Organ donation
    AG reported that she had received no further input so would write a piece for the Pebble website on this topic.
    ACTION: AG to write a piece about organ donation and put on forum for comments; DC to upload onto website.
12. Provision of local facilities for Pagans
    JR reported that a group in Hampshire was on the verge of being given a community centre. They wished Pebble to support them in communicating to the council that Pagans need space. He said that although the group was not yet big enough to join Pebble, it might be once it had got its building. The committee voted unanimously that a statement of support be written.
    ACTION: JR to contact group to ask them what they need included in a statement of support.
13. Ministry of Defence
    TT reported that Zin Walker of the MoD Pagan association was working towards getting paganism featured on dog tags. She agreed to get a report from Zin to fee back to the group.
    ACTION: TT to get report from Zin Walker and put on the forum.
14. Police
    JR reported that he had been in discussion with Michael Rowan, who had made some progress in setting up a Pagan police association. There was some confusion about whether Andrew and Charlotte Pardy had been invited to the meeting. JR suggested that all invitations should go through DC in future.
    ACTION: DC to invite Andrew and Charoltte Pardy to the next meeting.
15. Census
    JR reported that there was going to be a trial in Newham and two other locations in August. He said that as well as the Pagan-DASH initiative, it was important to have six or seven top-down choices (terms for each tradition) for the ONS to process the data.
    ACTION: All to send their terms to JR via the forum.
16. Dictionary
    TT reported that she had two submissions in draft, each taking four months of work. She said that she will be forwarding more later in the year.
17. Any other business
    Pebble chat room
    AG raised the issue of the three-monthly meeting due for December that had never happened. JR suggested a training session prior to another attempt.
    ACTION: Those requiring training on the chat facility to log in on Wednesday 15 April at 8pm.
    JR agreed to help set up the forum / chat room so that observers could take part as well. SH suggested that no major policy decisions be made online, but rather held over for ratification at the next meeting.
    Pebble forum
    AG reported that few people had been logging on to the forum, and that it was important to log in regularly.
    Society of Animists
    AG reported that she was involved in setting this up and that if anyone was interested they should contact her.
18. Date and venue for the next meeting
    Saturday 19 September 2009 in Birmingham.