PEBBLE Minutes - 29 September 2007

The Public Bodies Liaison Committee for British Paganism

PEBBLE Minutes - 29 September 2007

Date: Saturday 29 September 2007
Location: Birmingham
Time: 11.00am

Present:

Jacq Dobson (DP)
Belinda Winder (PF)
Pam Gardner (PF)
Clement Jewitt (PA)
Thorskegga Thorn (HFP)
Jon Randall (PN)
Gwen Hopkinson (DP)
Maria Malo (PN)
Angela Grant (TDN)
Emma Restall Orr (TDN)
Steve Wilson (CoBDO; PEBBLE)
Dragon (HFP)

Further Abbreviations Used Throughout:

CoBDO : Council of British Druid Orders
DP : Derbyshire Pagans
HFP : Heathens for Progress
PA : Pagan Association
PF : Pagan Federation
PN : Pagan Network
TDN : The Druid Network

MINUTES

Apologies for Absence
Apologies were received from Dan Carpenter (TDN).
Minutes of Previous Meeting
The minutes of the previous meeting were checked for accuracy and approved.
PEBBLE partnerships
JD contacted Pagan Leicester Alliance regarding joining PEBBLE but had received no response; JD agreed to contact them once more.
Jim from South West Pagans United has contacted PEBBLE with a view joining pending clarification of a number of questions.
Jeanette Ellis (The Ravens) has asked if she could join PEBBLE. The Ravens is a moot located in Chingford; membership of The Ravens is estimated at just over 50 people. It was agreed that Jeanette should be invited to the next PEBBLE meeting with a view to joining PEBBLE.
JR asked if Pentacle as an organisation could be approved for membership. JR explained that membership was over 50, and that the organisation was not solely internet based – and that they fulfilled all the remaining criteria. Membership was approved pending approval by the membership of Pentacle.
ERO asked if there were any issues outstanding between the PF and Pentacle; both JR and BW confirmed that were very happy to work together and that there were no issues outstanding.
Action: JR to confirm he has approval of membership of Pentacle.
Amendment to the Membership Criteria
It was agreed that the criteria relating to finances should be amended to: ‘the organisation’s accounts are available to its members and/or there are transparent financial procedures in place’.
Action DC to update website.
2011 Census
On 28 September 2007, PEBBLE was added to the Census Diversity Advisory Group (DiAG).
In terms of the latest version of the Census 2011, Paganism is currently included as a tick box on the form (this is being piloted on a sample of the general public). Feedback on the inclusion of a Pagan tick box will be sent to JR (for PEBBLE) once available.
JR reported that he had sent DiAG two versions of the statement of ‘what is Paganism’ and they selected: ‘PAGANISM : The umbrella term for spiritualities and religions that recognise the sacred in nature, the environment, ancestry and heritage.’
TT requested that the word ‘Heathen’ should replace ‘Northern Tradition’ as an umbrella term to represent this strand of Paganism and this was agreed by the Committee.
ERO reported that the NHS job application form did not include Paganism as a specific religion despite listing eight other religions – so that Pagans could only tick an ‘other’ box. ERO is pursuing this matter with the NHS and JR will take this information back to DiAG.
Diversity / Equality
This statement was agreed and is now available on the PEBBLE website.
Pagan Oaths
MW reported via CJ that he had sent the letters out to local Courts including information about the Pagan Oath but that he had had no responses as yet.
TT reported that Steve Jones (Pagan) who is employed by the Court Service is looking at expanding Pagan oaths to include names of gods and goddesses. TT agreed to make contact with Steve to get further information.
BW contacted the DCA to ask about the use of Pagan Oaths in Northern Ireland. She was told that there should be no problems but that individual Courts may operate differently, and any problems should be taken up with the individual Court.
Media coverage of Pagans and Paganism
ERO will gather media contact information from people and will share this out between PEBBLE partners. PG agreed to contact the PF Media Spokesperson regarding sharing details.
Festival of Remembrance
BW confirmed she had sent round details of the Royal British Legion. JD agreed to check on the possible case of a Pagan ex-serviceman who had tried to contact the British Legion with a view to joining the march and had been refused.
Following a negative response with regard to the Pagan faith being represented at the Cenotaph, BW agreed to continue to try to make progress on this front.
BW to send round contact details of Royal British Legion.
Website and Domain Hosting
ERO confirmed that since the PF had paid for the domain name for PEBBLE for the last two years, TDN has now paid for the domain name for the next two years. JR offered to pay for the cost of the domain after this.
Dan Carpenter (TDN and Organiser of Pagan Camp) has agreed to take over the editing of the PEBBLE website from Angela. The Committee thanked AG for her hard work over the last few years. She would continue to run the e-list.
MOD and Armed Forces
TT reported that the website listing the information about Paganism and other religions had been withdrawn. TT agreed to update PEBBLE at the next meeting on any further developments.
TT also reported that Zin had managed to successfully get Pagan festivals included in the MOD’s work diaries.
Police Force
JR reported that has recently joined the Faith Forum for Enfield Metropolitan Police and is advising the Faith Officer on Paganism. JR’s details have also been passed on to other London boroughs and the Central Diversity Group.
Action: JR to send further information on this issue to the PEBBLE webmaster for the website.
SACREs
Following on from the previous meeting, SW agreed to check and resend information on SACRES for the website. It was mooted that we should request information from anyone applying to join a SACRE and that this information would be posted on the PEBBLE website.
JD stated that her application to join the Derby SACRE was under consideration.
The Cornwall application(s) were reported as being at an impasse, with the situation probably not being helped by having two separate Pagan applications under considerations.
ERO reported that another application from a TDN member was under consideration in Warwickshire.
Action: SW to send information on SACREs to DC.
Pagan Handfasting
BW reported that she had contacted PF Scotland for help and information (which they had kindly provided) and that she had also contacted the DCA who had forwarded appropriate details.
JR suggested that BW contact LifeRites as an organisation concerned with this issue.
It was agreed that PEBBLE should pursue this as a matter of urgency and that DC should set up a separate page on the PEBBLE website to start gauging interest and providing information on this key issue.
AOB
Academia and Paganism
BW reported that she had been asked to give a lecture on fire rituals at Nottingham Trent University as both psychologist and Pagan. This had been received very well.
Dictionary Definitions
TT reported that she had contacted the OED with a view to listing Pagan terminology in this dictionary; she had already submitted over 100 definitions for Heathenry words. PG, ERO and others to go back to home organisations and to start drawing up lists of additional words.
Action: TT to send round details of contact in OED.
Action: DC to post TT’s definitions on the PEBBLE website.
Forum
JR suggested that a PEBBLE forum should be set up to help those members who could not access the e-list.
Action: JR to look into setting up a forum in discussion with DC.
Burial Policy
PG reported that she had been to a recent meeting on Burial Policy within the UK. PG agreed to send contact details to ERO so that these could be passed on to HAD. BW to send the email address of the project to ERO so that HAD could join the discussions.
Action: BW to send website address to ERO. Action: PG to send contact details to ERO.
Date of Next Meeting
The next meeting (date and location) to be decided.