17 February 2005: The new SCMA website is being launched tonight. New and updated information will be available at http://www.scm.org.nz/home/ from this time. Please direct any questions to webmaster@scm.org.nz.

The Newsletter of the Student Christian Movement of Aotearoa

July-August 1999

No. 42

It's Recruitment Drive season. Every fashionable SCM Unit is doing it!

National Conference 1999 has been declared a resounding success! Congratulations to SCM Canterbury/Lincoln and SCM Otago for organising it. Thanks also to Sonia Petrie, Katherine Hardisty and Michael Perkins (the Conference Working Group) for taking on the responsibility. Popular highlights included the day trip to Hinewai Reserve, the creative protest party (which probably got the most media coverage for an SCMA event ever!) and the morning worship spaces. Thanks to all who came to conference and made it such a special time. We also said sad goodbyes to Martin Dickson and Brian Galliven, leaving for England. The best wishes of SCMA go with them both.

National Conference 2000 does not have a home yet. Would your unit like to host it? Talk to your NCG rep if you want to take this opportunity. SCM Canterbury's food team is compiling a purchasing, planning and menu-ing guide from their extensive experience! Funding deadlines generally close in September, so applications need to be made soon.

Upcoming National Events: Leadership Conference and the Women's Retreat in Christchurch.

AGM

The elected officers of SCMA 1999-2000 are:

• Convenor of the NCG: Rebecca Oliver
• Treasurer: Sonia Petrie
• NCG Unit Reps: Auckland: Roger Pym, Waikato: open, Victoria: open, Canterbury/Lincoln: Anne-Marie Donnelly, Otago: Katherine Hardisty (proxy Tony Fortunato)
• Main Account signatories: Rebecca Oliver, Michael Perkins (ex officio),
• Anne-Marie Donnelly, Sonia Petrie (ex-officio)
• SCMA Representative on the SCMA Trust: Ellen Murray
• CCANZ Liaison: open
• Maori Coordinator: open
• Tau-iwi coordinator: open
• Women's coordinator: Jo Rees (nominated by Women's caucus)
• Men's coordinator: Roger Pym (nominated by Men's caucus)
• Senior Friends coordinator: Andrew Harvey
• Movement Animator: Marie McMillan
• Human Rights & Solidarity coordinator: Ken Wright
• Webmaster-mistress: Fiona Mclaughlin
• Administrator's supervisor: Current supervisors Sonia Petrie and Lois Warburton to remain until two new supervisors are found.

Other decisions by the AGM: The SCMA Trust has finally been approved! Three trustees were appointed and the final wording of the deed agreed to. Now SCMA will slowly begin handing control of its assets over to a group of talented and dedicated Senior Friends who will manage them for us. There is interest in producing Akonga 4, another edition of the SCMA magazine.

SCM Auckland August 2-6 was Auckland Uni's Queer Pride Week, and SCM Auckland has organised a church service.

SCM Victoria has decided to meet fortnightly to conserve their energy, after some brushes with burn-out. They have had forums on APEC and are concentrating on useful and empowering sessions for the current members. Daniel List is producing an SCM pamphlet for local and national use.

SCM Canterbury/Lincoln held a planning meeting a few weeks after National Conference finished. Planned sessions include disability, liberation theology in the history of SCM, faith science and technology, labyrinth prayer, and reading the feedback slips from Conference! SCM Canterbury is also looking for Senior Friends in Christchurch who can be the Administrator's supervisors. If you know someone who might be interested encourage them to contact SCM Canterbury. SCM Canterbury is also co-sponsoring with the Department of Political Science and Department of Feminist Studies a public talk by Nicky Hagar. He will be speaking on neo-liberal economics.

SCM Otago marked the moving on to Senior Friend status of the prominent and fab Mary Mclaughlin! They are having a planning retreat at Taieri Mouth soon, and have just had a nostalgia night (which was an excuse for op-shop-frock-swapping!). Otago chaplain and excellent friend of SCM, Hugh McCafferty, has got a new job as the Warden of Selwyn College. Congratulations, Hugh. Hugh and Abel Huie-Jolly ran a forum on creating their own theology. There will also be an event for recent and not-so recent Senior Friends, with Malcolm Mclean from the university as a speaker.

Cambodia SCM is the host of this year's Human Rights and Solidarity Workshop for the Asia-Pacific Region. Cambodia SCM was accepted for affiliation to WSCF by the last Regional Committee Meeting, attended by Michael Perkins. SCMA has budgeted to send a delegate to this workshop. If you are interested in going to the workshop then contact the National Office urgently for information and an application form. Please have completed application forms to the Office by 26 August. This is a great way to learn about WSCF, the Asia-Pacific region and human rights.

Speaking of International travel... Andrew Harvey (SCM Canterbury/Lincoln) was endorsed by the NCG to represent SCMA at the General Assembly of the WSCF! He leaves for Beirut on 25 August. The Inter-Regional Office in Geneva asked Andrew and SCMA to prepare a discussion paper on "Faith, Science and Technology" for a working group during the Assembly. The draft version is included with this SCM Update. Please read it-send responses, resources and suggestions to Andrew.

Sonia Petrie (SCM Canterbury/Lincoln) is travelling to the Regional Women's Assembly & Committee meeting. She leaves for Bangalore on 28 September.

The Convenorship of the NCG is open. Rebecca Oliver (SCM Victoria) has resigned in order to concentrate on her studies. SCMA recognises and thanks Rebecca for her convenorship of the previous NCG, and of the recent AGM. The Convenor's job is very important to the life of SCMA. It is excellent meeting-facilitation practice and good general experience. The job description is in your SCMA Handbook. If you are interested in the job contact the Office with any questions, soon!

Consensus decision-making resources are needed by the NCG. The NCG needs to provide material on consensus processes for the Trustees to use in their work. Handouts, stories, personal opinions, academic tracts, anecdotes are all welcome. Send them to the office.

Women's Talk is going to be published soon. Send "fab and dodgy contributions" to Jo Rees in SCM Otago C/- OUSA PO Box 1436 OTEPOTI/DUNEDIN 9015

A Men's newsletter is also in preparation. Roger is appealing to SCM men for contributions! 9a Keppell St, Grey Lynn, Auckland 1001

When you have a planning meeting why not send the ideas and the resulting programme to the office and to the webmaster/mistress?

SCM'ers are having babies! Kiersten Larsen and Graham Dewhirst announce the birth of Maria Daranie Larsen. Emmeline Taptiklis and Michael Haymes announce the birth of a boy. Congratulations to you all!

The National Administrator is now Michael Perkins (SCM Canterbury/Lincoln). "Being on the Conference Working Group and having the job changeover during National Conference was stressful for me, but everything has been going well so far. Due to working extra hard to get into the job I have time-in-lieu stored up for taking a holiday! Therefore there won't be anyone answering the phone in the office between 6-13 August. Urgent matters by email, or 021 805 941."

Donations and offers of support and resources have been flowing into the office at quite a steady rate since the Senior Friends event during National Conference. This is really fantastic and shows that the support and trust of Senior Friends is returning to SCMA. Don't be hesitant in getting Senior Friends and other Friends of SCMA to consider donations or tithes to the movement. Senior Friends are a great source of support, fellowship, ideas and inspiration.

IF YOU MOVE please send a change of address card or email to the National Office.

RECENT ARRIVALS AT THE OFFICE: No, not more babies, but books and pamphlets!

The office gets buried in fascinating correspondence and newsletters every week. I don't have time to read them all, and they are no use sitting on the floor! All these publications are for SCM'ers to read. If you are interested in any of them contact the office and I'll send them to you, free of charge!

"Small Arms, Big Impact: A challenge to the Churches" World Council of Churches; "Globalisation and its impact on Human Rights" Christian Conference of Asia; "Christian World Service Update"; Christians Concerned for Burma Newsletter; "Ecustics" Conference of Churches in Aotearoa New Zealand newsletter-Features Nairn St Property Manager Richard Davis large as life on the cover!; "Losing their Religion" (article on queer Christians and Churches in the US); Women's Resource Centre Newsletter, "Crumbs" Youth Ministry magazine from Churches Youth Ministry Association.

SCM UPDATE is compiled by the National Administrator. It is for SCM'ers, to communicate ideas, reflections, reports, requests and news. Ring, email, fax, snailmail, carrier pigeon the office if you have something cool to communicate.

Do you like SCM Update? How can it be improved? What else do you want to see in it?