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This document is a provisional draft written before the formal establishment of the first circle.
It defines the initial structure for collective refinement.
Upon founding, the circle will review, amend, and formally adopt or reject each section.

Decision Meeting Protocol

Purpose

To make collective decisions in a way that maintains attention, honesty, and compassion — without voting or hierarchy.
The goal is clarity that everyone can live with, not majority rule.

This protocol adapts the Quaker Meeting for Business model for a secular, practice-based framework.

2. Opening

  1. Begin with silence (2–3 minutes) to settle attention.
  2. The facilitator reads a short statement of purpose, e.g.:

    “We are here to listen carefully and find a course of action that reflects our shared understanding.”

4. Recording and Agreement

  • The scribe summarizes each contribution neutrally (no names, only content).

  • When a potential decision becomes clear, the facilitator drafts a minute aloud:

    “It seems the sense of the group is that we will [decision].”

  • The group sits in silence to test the minute.

  • If someone feels it does not reflect the shared sense, they say so.
  • The facilitator rephrases until no one objects in substance.

Consensus means “I can live with this”, not “I got my way.”
Once confirmed, the minute is recorded in the circle’s documentation.

6. Closing

  • End with one minute of silence.
  • The scribe reads all confirmed minutes aloud.
  • The facilitator thanks participants and closes the meeting.
  • The written minutes are uploaded to the circle’s shared record
    (e.g. /circle_records/2025-10_DECISIONS.md).

8. Cultural Guidelines

  • The facilitator serves the process, not the outcome.
  • Every voice is equal in value.
  • Experience gives perspective, not rank.
  • Records, not personalities, hold authority.

Decisions arise from attention, not persuasion.