Elections

Pre-election survey of ability to serve

This form is provided to inform nominating committees of members' willingness and ability to serve in the upcoming triennium.

Name: _______________

In order to facilitate the election process, we ask that you review and consider any position or positions that you would be willing to serve in during the 2008-2011 term. The Nominating Committee will then have information to help them develop the slate of candidates for the new Council, as well as an aid for the new council in assigning the other positions.

Please review Section III of the Statutes, "Community Elections," prior to the Elections.

After reviewing the following, please circle any positions you would be willing to serve in.

PRESIDENT
The President, elected from among those who have made final promises, has the duty to convoke and preside over the meetings of the community. He should show fraternal service to all the members of the community; foster a spirit of Christian and Carmelite affability, being careful to avoid any demonstration of preference for some members over others; coordinate contacts with those members of the community who because of age, illness, distance or other reasons, are not able to attend meetings; aid the Director of Formation and Spiritual Assistant in carrying out their responsibilities; in their absence, but only temporarily, he may take their place or designate another to do so from among those who have made definitive promises.

COUNCILORS
The responsibility of the three Councilors is to form with the President, the government of the community and to support the Director of Formation. Generally they are community members with definitive promises. In particular circumstances, members with first promises can serve as councilors.

The new council elects the following positions:

DIRECTOR OF FORMATION
Elected by the Council from among those who have made definitive promises, and has the responsibility of preparing the candidates for first and definitive promises. The Director works in collaboration with the Assistant and with the support of the President. In the absence of the President, the Director of Formation is his substitute for any function.

SECRETARY
Keeps up to date the register of the community, recording the elections, admissions, Promises and dismissals. The Secretary is to present the register to the Council when it meets and to the community at the time of the elections. The Secretary attends the Council meetings and records the minutes of the meeting, without the right to vote.

TREASURER
Takes charge of the administration of the funds of the community. The Treasurer is to present a report of the funds to the Council every six months, to the community and the Provincial, or Superior of the Circumscription, once a year. The local statutes are to determine how the community attends to the needs of the poor.

INFIRMARIAN
Maintain phone contact with someone who is ill, sends cards to our sick members, if someone is in the hospital, if possible visits them, sends flowers if approved by the Council. All information regarding sick members should be report to the Infirmarian.

FACILITATORS OF ASPIRANTS, OF 2-YEAR GROUP (CLOTHED), OF 3-YEAR GROUP (PROFESSED), OF DEFINITIVELY PROFESSED GROUP

From the Provincial Council, concerning upcoming elections

Outgoing councils encouraged to orient new councilors

A reminder that councils leaving office are asked to consider how to orient new council members to their duties. Newly elected members will need to know about current concerns of the council and might need training on certain council tasks, such as discernment. A rule of thumb: outgoing councilors should think back to their early days on the council, remembering areas they found confusing. These are the areas that will require orientation for the new councilors.


Preparing for elections

The Provincial Council encourages communities to review, prior to community elections, the following documents: the Constitutions, Articles 37-53, and the Provincial Statutes, Sections III and XVI.

Community members should also reflect on such questions as,

What are the current needs of the community?
Who on the ballot would be the best person to meet those needs?
Who has the gifts that will best serve this community over the next three years?

Communities are reminded that community elections are not popularity contests, about whom we like best. Rather, they are about who can best serve the needs of the community..

--OCDS Provincial Council

An Election Thought

A willingness to give of self in service to the community by accepting leadership roles is a way of putting into practice the three Evangelical Counsels: as an act of chaste love for fellow members, an act of self-emptying for the sake of the good of the community and as an expression of obedience in response to the needs of the community.

- Gerald Alford, O.C.D.S., provincial councilor