was unusually wealthy and powerful, female interests often went unheard. (All meetings now have mixed membership.) During the twentieth century, Meeting for Sufferings absorbed various other powerful bodies, including the old Morning Meeting in 1901. It came under the direct authority of the Yearly Meeting as part of a process of normalisation of Quaker institutions. The subcommittees of the two Meetings merged, and in 1965 Meeting for Sufferings was given the role of appointing their members. In return, it had to become more representative, drawing its membership directly from the monthly meetings (the basic unit of Quaker organisation) rather than quarterly meetings (larger assemblies of several monthly meetings). Meeting for Sufferings is subordinate to Yearly Meeting, which ratifies its minutes and has overall constitutional authority. Structure Most members are appointed by Yearly Meeting, based on nominations put forward by each monthly meeting or by Meeting for Suffering's own standing committees. It may also co-opt a few members on its own initiative. Members normally serve a three-year term - the next round of appointments is in 2006. The table below shows the role of the relevant committees that provide members, as of 1999. Various officers of Yearly Meeting, and staff employed by Meeting for Sufferings, also attend. Meeting for Sufferings Committee A special subcommittee recommends policies and budgets for the main Meeting, including the Yearly Meeting budget. It also carries out oversight of Meeting for Sufferings on behalf of Yearly Meeting. It has twelve members, all drawn from Meeting for Sufferings; each year, four are replaced. No member may serve for more than two terms (six years). Current changes Britain Yearly Meeting is implementing a number of constitutional changes. Among these is the appointment of a small body of Trustees, who took over some of the functions of Meeting for Sufferings in January 2007. References Quaker Faith and Practice, Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in Britain. ( [1999 revision]). Meeting for Sufferings web page. Quaker organisations based in the United Kingdom Religious organizations established in the 1670s Quaker organizations established in the 17th century