Directory for the General Assembly, July 24-28, 2015

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Directory for the General Assembly, July 24-28, 2015, --- Salamanca, Spain

Initial comments:

  • - The Directory of the GA 2010 remains in effect until the next General Assembly modifies it (see, Article #13). Therefore all the proposed changes are in red.
  • The italized words indicate changes there were necessary.
  • The deleted text corresponds to the text that will disappear from the final text.


I. OBJECTIVES

1. 1º For its dynamism and direction, the International Association of the Vincentian Marian Youth, aside from the Director General, has, among other organisms, a General Assembly, (cf. Statutes, 14) which is held regularly at least every five years (cf. Statutes, 15)

2. The objectives of the Assembly are (cf. Statutes, 16):

  • 2.1. To elect the International President and the lay members of the International Council, in conformity with Canon 119;
  • 2.2. To propose revisions of the Statutes which must be approved by 2/3 of the members of the Assembly;
  • 2.3. To study the situation of the Association: spiritual, pastoral, financial, and all matters that require attention;
  • 2.4. To study themes in line with the spirit and the development of the Association;
  • 2.5. To approve pastoral plans

3. The General Assembly has the right to make Declarations of an exhortative, spiritual, orientative and organizational character.

4. The International President has the competence to convoke, with the consent of the Director General, the Regular General Assembly. (Statutes, 20.1) This will be convoked at least every five years. (Statutes 15)

5. The Director General can, in accordance with universal law and the law of the Association, convoke an Extraordinary Assembly of the Association.

II. MEMBERS

6. The following participate in the General Assembly:

6.1. Those with right of voice and vote:

  • 6.1.1 The International Council of the Association;
  • 6.1.2 The members of the International Secretariat;
  • 6.1.3 Two lay members from each country whose National Statutes have been approved by the Director General and who, in accordance with their National Statutes, have been chosen in a prior election by their National Council or National Assembly.

6.2. The following may also participate but without the right to vote: (Statutes 15)

  • 6.2.1 The National Priest Advisors;
  • 6.2.2 The National Sister Advisors;

6.3. The following may also be invited by the International Council:

  • 6.3.1 Two members from those countries where the Association exists but do not have approved National Statutes;
  • 6.3.2 Other persons deemed convenient

7. The International Council has the right to give its opinion regarding the designation of the persons invited to attend the Assembly.

7º.- Extraordinary Right to Vote

In the case of extraordinary circumstances that are beyond the competency of the National Council and the delegates to the Assembly, the President and the Director General, may grant an advisor the right to vote as a representative of the country that he/she represents.

Justification: the International Council understands the importance of having every country that is present at the General Assembly being able to enjoy the right to vote. Therefore, after having considered the mentioned independent circumstances, the Council can grant an individual the right to vote.

(Later, the numbering of all the later articles will be changed).

8. The International Council will decide on the place and date of the Assembly.

9º.- Decision making:.

  • 9.1. The Assembly is validly constituted if at least half (plus one) of the invited members are present.
  • 9.2. Except for what concerns the revision of the Statutes, all decisions are taken by an absolute majority. If after two ballots the outcome remains tied, the Director General, through his vote, can determine the outcome. (cf. Statutes, 16)

III. PREPARATORY COMMISSION

10. The International Council, after hearing the opinion of the members of the International Secretariat, appoints the Preparatory Commission, with sufficient time before the General Assembly.

11. The functions of the Commission are:

  • 11.1. To maintain communication with the different countries or National Councils in order to guarantee that the different realities, needs and concerns will be reflected in the dynamics of the Assembly;
  • 11.2. To study the method that will guide the work with regard to the proposal and postulate from the different countries, paying special attention to those which are more urgent and universal.
  • 11.3.To organize said proposals and postulate in a work document and one month before the Assembly send this document and the Directory to the members of the Assembly and their respective National Council so that they might be able to study them beforehand;
  • 11.4. To coordinate the preparation of all the details in order to provide good infrastructure for the General Assembly;
  • 11.5. To present at the start of the Assembly an explanation about the processes undertaken by the Commission;
  • 11.6. To propose to the International Council the different language groupings for the group discussions and the members of the Secretariat Commission of the Assembly;
  • 11.7. To receive and study the amendments to the Directory two months before the start of the Assembly;
  • 11.8. To present to the Assembly a project of the Directory that includes the amendments that were received and that were approved beforehand by the International Council.

12. The functions of said Commission cease at the beginning of the Assembly.

IV. APPROVAL OF THE DIRECTORY

13. The Directory will be approved by the Assembly and remains binding until such time that it is modified or revoked by another Assembly.

V. ORGANIZATION

14. The International President and the Director General are responsible for presiding at, guiding and coordinating the work of the General Assembly, both in the plenary sessions and in the different commissions.

15. The International Council, after hearing the opinion of the International Secretariat, selects with ample time, the Secretary and the moderators of the General Assembly, so that they will be able to prepare themselves for said tasks.

16. The Secretary of the Assembly will:

  • 16.1. Write the minutes and prepare the documents of the sessions;
  • 16.2. Take an active part in the Central Commission;
  • 16.3. Coordinate the Secretariat Commission.

17. The Moderators will:

  • 17.1. Facilitate the plenary sessions in an orderly manner;
  • 17.2. Present the Work Agenda of the Assembly;
  • 17.3. Indicate who will speak during the sessions and see to it that the given time limit is observed;
  • 17.4. Give announcements and pertinent information to the Assembly.
  • 17.5. Form part of the Central Commission

18. The two youngest members of the Assembly will take charge of counting the votes.

19. The Secretary, as well as the Moderators, works during the Assembly under the guidance and direction of the Central Commission.

VI. CENTRAL COMMISSION

20. The Central Commission is composed of the Director General, the International President, the General Councilor, the Sub-director General, the Secretary of the Assembly, the Moderators and two members of the International Council.

21. The function of this commission is to direct and coordinate all the work of the Assembly and supervise the functioning of the commissions.

VII. METHODOLOGY

22. The work of the Assembly is done through plenary sessions, reflection groups, working committees and personal study.

VIII. PLENARY SESSIONS

23. With regard to the plenary sessions during the Assembly, the Director General, as well as the International President, have the right to speak at the start or end of the sessions and, if they feel it necessary, at any moment during the discussion.

24. All the members of the Assembly have the right to speak, when authorized by the Moderator.

25. The maximum time for the sharing of any member of the Assembly is three minutes, except in cases approved by the Moderator.

IX. REFLECTION GROUPS

26. The Preparatory Commission takes charge of suggesting the members of the group, using language as the basic criterion. With the approval of the Central Commission, the members of the Assembly may transfer to another group.

27. Each group chooses a Moderator and a Secretary, who can be changed during the course of the Assembly.

28. The groups communicate their sharing to the Assembly through the Secretary of the group.

X. WORKING COMMITTEES

29. The Central Commission may propose to the Assembly the creation of Committees to study pertinent topics and present them during a plenary session for discussion and voting. . XI. ELECTIONS

30. The lay members of the International Council (to make this explicit) are elected by the General Assembly, giving proper attention to geographical representation (Statutes, 18) Only those members with full rights, that is, from those countries with approved Statutes, may be elected.

31. The National Council of each country may send to the International Secretariat at least six months (too short a period) before the Assembly, the names of at most two candidates, with their annexed curriculum vitae, for the positions of International President or member of the International Council. However, the Central Commission may extend the time until the second day of the Assembly. Said candidates may come from a different country but, for this, the country that nominates them must have the approval of the National Council of the candidate’s country.

32. The Preparatory Commission will receive and present to the International Council the list of names, with their attached curriculum vitae, which will be distributed to the members of the Assembly upon arrival.

33. The International President and the Director General will preside over the elections, except for the case when the President is a candidate for re-election.

(The numbering of the remaining articles will be changed later)

33. There will be a straw ballot on the third day of the Assembly wherein which each member with active voice writes, according to his/her opinion, the name of the best candidate for President. They may indicate here any member of the JMV with full rights.

34. The results, based on the order of preference of candidates, will be posted on the same day without mentioning the corresponding number of votes obtained.

35. The Central Commission will organize the way in which the chosen candidates will be introduced to the Assembly

36. The first round of voting will take place on the next day wherein each member with active voice writes, according to his/her opinion, the name of the best candidate for President. They may indicate here any member of the JMV with full rights.

37. The Canvassers, with the Moderator, the President and the Director General, will verify the number of votes to confirm the validity of the election. Afterwards, they will read each vote publicly, proclaiming the results at the end.

38. Various rounds of voting shall be done until such time that someone will be elected as established in the Code of Canon Law 119. 1.

In regard to elections, provided a majority of those who must be summoned are present, what is decided by an absolute majority of those present has the force of law. If there have been two inconclusive scrutinies, a vote is to be taken between the two candidates with the greatest number of votes or, if there are more than two, between the two senior by age. After a third inconclusive scrutiny, that person is deemed elected who is senior by age.

39. The successive elections of the four lay members of the International Council shall be held separately the day after, following the same procedures indicated in numbers 36-38.

40.The President and the other four lay members shall exercise their office for five years, with the possibility of being reelected for five more years, but not beyond. (Statutes 19)

41. It shall be noted also that:

  • 41.1. The elections shall be done by secret ballot;
  • 41.2. The three way of voting are: for (yes), against (no), and blank ballot;
  • 41.2.b. A majority of votes is determined by the votes of those members who are eligible to vote and by the number of persons who are present at a specific session (Thus avoiding any contradiction to Canon 119.1 mentioned in article 38).
  • 41.3. Blank votes are null; (Blank votes are the expression of an opinion)
  • 41.4. No one can vote twice;
  • 41.5. No one (on their own account) can act as a substitute for another in the Assembly.

XII. PROPOSALS

42. The International Secretariat, as well as the Preparatory Commission, must receive three months before time the proposals and postulate related to the Assembly.

43.- Each National Group and the International Team can present proposals and amendments that will be studied by the Central Commission and presented to the Assembly for discussion and a vote (this will be done before the approval of the Final Document). Postulatum are approved by an absolute majority of the members present who have full rights (the exception being those changes that are referred to in the Statutes).

XIII. CONCLUSIONS

44. For the drafting of the conclusions of the Assembly, proposals, pastoral plans or final document of the Assembly, the Central Commission chooses during the Assembly a Redaction Commission which will formulate said conclusions, proposals, pastoral plans or final document.

45. There shall be a plenary session in which the Assembly expresses its opinion on the document made by the Redaction Commission, giving rise to the possibility of presenting amendments in writing within the given period of time set by the Central Commission.

46. After having studied the amendments, the Redaction Commission presents the conclusions, proposals, pastoral plans or final document to the Assembly for voting, either the whole document or by parts, explaining briefly and in writing the reason for accepting or rejecting each of the amendments.

47. Any member of the Assembly has the right to ask for a separate voting for a particular amendment if 51% of the total number of Assembly members approves. He/She shall be given three minutes to express his/ her position. Then, an opportunity will also be given for anyone to speak out against the amendment for three minutes maximum. Afterwards, the amendment will be subjected to a vote.

48. Once approved, the text will become the Document of the Assembly and will be given to the International Secretariat for translation and distribution.

XV. CLOSURE

49. After dealing with all the topics, and with the consent of the Director General, the new International President will close the General Assembly. If he/she is absent, the Director General will proceed to the closure.

50. Any other matter regarding procedures or methods not included in this Directory which may come up during the course of the Assembly, will be decided on by the Central Commission. This does not exclude the right of the Assembly itself to decide otherwise.


Salamanca, July 24, 2015

Translated: Charles T. Plock, CM

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