Secretariat Meeting
October 29-30, 2005
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The 91st meeting of the Secretariat was called to order in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit by President Terry Gilbreath at 9:36 am.
Steve Hollis, president of Northern Virginia Tres Dias was introduced by Ken Kessler. Both Ken and Steve Hollis welcomed us to their community. Rev. Kavakas gave a brief devotion.
Present: Eric Borman, Bill Boyd, Paula Boyd, Juli Bohl, Don Bohl, Wilson Burton, Tonya Busic, Bruce Cato, Paul Collins, Roberta Collins, Pat Fullerton, Terry Gilbreath, John Green, Pat Kessler, Ken Kessler, Judi LeMasurier, Merv LeMasurier, Paul Markowitz, Jeff Mehl, Valerie Mehl, Jeanne Norwood, Tim Real , A. Ben Seal, Adele Smith, Rene Stephenson, Mike Vigil.
Absent: Cathy Allen, John McKinney.
Bruce Cato acted as parliamentarian.
Reports distributed:
Agenda
Community Highlights report
Minutes from the last meeting
Financial Report.
Agenda:
Ken Kessler made a motion to approve the agenda for the meeting. Wilson Burton seconded it. Vote carried.
Minutes-
Judi LeMasurier made a motion to accept the minutes as written from the July meeting. This was seconded by Mike Vigil. Vote- unanimous. Minutes approved as written.
Merv LeMasurier gave his report. He took several questions. Wilson Burton moved that we approve the financial report. Seconded by Pat Kessler. Vote- passed. The financial is approved.
Communities Present:
Communities present (21) were recognized and include:
Abundant Life
Altoona /Johnstown
Birmingham
Central Connecticut
Cleveland
East Texas
Fairfield County
Maine
Mid Carolinas
Middle Tennessee
Mid Hudson
Music City
New Hampshire
North Georgia
Northern New Jersey
North Texas
Northern Virginia
RIMA
Southeast Tennessee
Tres Dias of Germany
Vermont
Community Highlights report given by secretary, Valerie Mehl.
Anyone interested in going to St. Petersburg, Voronezh, Kiev, Moscow or Rivne to serve on weekends, please contact Burton Wilson. Americans are needed to serve. They need to buy the plane ticket and $1300.00 cost.
Community Issues- Moscow and Russian communities have requested financial assistance with a request letter. Membership Committee should send out this request to the communities.
Northern NJ needs information on pre and post weekend duties. Eric Borman will send this information.
Middle Tennessee. They are looking for their 3 hour training to be considered for ...(see my sheet from the highlights) Membership Committee will be working on this. Judi LeMasurier feels that this is fine but they still need to do the Essentials training every two years.
Saeronam - Had a question about how other communities celebrate communion. They also have a minister as president. Judi LeMasurier is going back to Korea this May. Membership Committee needs to address this.
Tampa Bay – Catholics not taking communion as part of the weekend. There was brief discussion over different ways that the local communities handle this. We want all who attend a weekend to feel comfortable. Bill Boyd has a script that his community uses and will pass this on to Terry Gilbreath. Terry Gilbreath will respond to this community‘s question in a letter.
Adele Smith asked if these communities would receive a response. It was answered in the affirmative and it was also suggested that these questions and responses be added to the newsletter. This met with approval.
Judi Le Masurier will be going to Texas. Feedback on the essentials workshops have not been positive. She will be going to Texas with Margie Wallace, who does professional presentations, for input and suggestions.
Bill Boyd issued a notice of intent to rescind the motion, made at the Pennsylvania meeting in July, concerning the logo. This will be addressed later in the meeting. This concerns protecting our current logo.
Terry Gilbreath briefly explained the different committees and their responsibilities.
Announcement: Tim Real has been transferred to the Administration Committee.
Committee Issues to be discussed in committees:
“The Face of Tres Dias” - Bruce Cato explained. How do we look to outsiders? Each webpage is a face of Tres Dias. What information do they get? Do we tell them who we are and what we are about? When someone is asked to go to a weekend, they go home and Google it. What do they see? Confusion? Please discuss this in your committees for ideas so we can become one voice to the world.
Merv Le Masurier – Some communities overseas have been removed for lack of payment of dues. An International Liaison for international communities has been suggested. He would like membership to have this addressed so that this person would contact them and thus prevent the communities from losing their charters.
To Committees -
Committee Chairs given the issues to work on. Committee meetings started at 11:11 am
General meeting reconvened at 3:25 pm.
Judi LeMasurier feels that we need a strong clarification of Spiritual Director/Clergy. Judi would like a scripture reference to back this up, like a charge from scripture,
In the essentials it states that no clergy can give lay talks and lay can not give SD talks.
She recommends that this be sent to policy for the purpose of the essentials.
There was much discussion concerning this issue and the definition of pastor and./or clergy. Bruce Cato reminded everyone that in trying to figure out how to put a unified face on a spiritual director/ clergy, we step all over different denominations and churches.
Jeff Mehl referred to a definition written by policy: prepared for the glossary/dictionary but needs approval by the Secretariat. “ Persons licensed or ordained by their local church/denomination who are qualified to serve as a Spiritual director on Tres Dias weekends.”
Terry Gilbreath referred to the minutes from the March, 2004 meeting in Tampa .
“The Policy Committee clarifies (regarding item 2), above: Once someone has
Served as a Spiritual Director, he/she may not serve as a lay Rollista nor as a
Rector. Other matters regarding Spiritual Directors are considered local issues.”
Much discussion followed. Jeff Mehl suggested that we look at the function of pastor rather than at titles. Do they preach, counsel, and give communion? If so, then the person qualifies as a Spiritual Director. Ken Kessler thinks that this is straight forward and once you become a Spiritual Director, you cannot go back.
Other questions raised:
Do we call them Spiritual Directors or clergy? Are you asking that we modify any references in the constitution/bylaws and refer to them as SD? Is so, then the terms need to be defined. Terry Gilbreath referred this to Policy Committee.
Pat Kessler recognized the local community members who had met our needs and provided for our comfort today. They have our appreciation and thanks for work well done.
Meeting recessed at 4: 00 pm. We will reconvene at 8:30 am tomorrow at the hotel.
Meeting resumed at 8:48 am. The meeting was opened in prayer by Bill Boyd.
Terry - Vote on any necessary matters. Need written committee reports from committees.
Jeff Mehl made an announcement inviting all to Mid Hudson Tres Dias in 2007. We are planning a 35th anniversary celebration in 2007. Committees are being put together now. This will be a celebration not only of Mid Hudson Tres Dias but of all Tres Dias.
Committee Reports:
Harriet Holmes asked that she be made a voting member.
- will continue as advocate and serving on elections committee.
Vote by Secretariat- unanimous. She is now a voting member of the Administration Committee.
Next year after Assembly, the survey will go out with the assessments. This way the communities will be paying for the number of “ active” pescadores that the communities declare in the survey at that time. This should make it clearer for them. The information will go back to Merv LeMasurier or Rene Stephenson. They have the checks as well as the survey sheets with the numbers. This information will then be transferred to Administration. Executive committee agrees.
Long term assignment – “N’ – how that number is calculated. There are no immediate plans for change. Following the Assembly, will appoint a commission to study this issue. It was never the intent that one community could control the vote ie: North Georgia vote –This commission will come back with suggestions to be sure that the vote becomes somewhat equalized.
Dates of the next Secretariat meeting in North Florida were announced – March 3-5, 2006.
They are working on a Depiction/graphic for explaining the two governing bodies, the Assembly and the Secretariat. They do not have the graphics yet, but they have the wording. It will be finished soon. It will then be published on website and sent out to all presidents of the communities.
Tanya Busic is developing a program to keep tract of officers terms.
Their continuity book is almost finished.
Policy Committee- Bruce Cato.
Shirley and Rick Lane had requested voting status but their names were not submitted to Secretariat at the July meeting. Voted – they will be made voting members.
The committee conducted a special meeting on Friday.
Mike Vigil has been working on the Glossary/Dictionary. – Mike has been working on this. Words that are included should be limited to those found in the Essentials and other documents used by Tres Dias.
They will be looking at the Essentials. This will be evaluated to modify names to agree with the talks. Also the “interdenominational” or “ecumenical”- remains an issue. The committee asked for clarification of this charge. Please entertain this now and give the committee a charge. What is our charge?
Bruce Cato made a motion that the statement of belief be allowed to be included in the preamble of the Essentials. Mike Vigil seconded the motion.
Discussion and comments followed:
If this is part of the Essentials, then it has to go to the Assembly.
Statement of Belief is a long document and would like to see it printed in the brochure so that can easily be seen.
No room to add to present brochure. Sounds like this should be a separate brochure.
We can’t call this brochure the “Essentials “and then add things that are not essentials.
Suggestion - Change brochure to the Statement of belief AND the Essentials. Is this possible?
Reason not previously done. The Essentials were done before the Statement of Belief. Statement of Belief was completed in 1997; Essentials were from the beginning.
No problems including the two separate together as long as they are clearly identified.
The committee will follow up on this idea of a brochure that includes both.
Ken Kessler made a motion to table the motion. A Ben Seal seconded it. Vote – carried. Motion tabled.
Policy committee will brain storm about the “Face of Tres Dias” – one suggestion (this is not a motion) is to envision a flash video. Imagine a conversation about who we are and what we do. If you want to know about the essentials, he would tell you about it or statement of belief, he would tell you. It would give a face to Tres Dias. When someone is talking to you and telling you that they love you, it puts a face on Tres Dias.
The new team guide -
Ken Kessler – committee voted to have book 12 pt font and 81/2 x11 with a hard plastic cover to help preserve the book. He will get three cost estimates for comparison.
Service will send a finished copy of the new team guide to each chartered community and to emerging communities who have requested chartering and have had at least two weekends. (Sponsoring communities should provide team guides to those budding communities they are sponsoring) Target date is Jan 30, 2006.
Newsletter –Another should be available before the March meeting.
Job descriptions within the committee were discussed.
Bumper stickers – Jeanne Norwood will be empowered to send a palanca greeting letter and enclose a bumper sticker with it to all communities.
We need palanca contacts. –
I mentioned that we contact communities 3 times a year, before each meeting, to try to obtain any new or changed information/contacts.
Ken Kessler will talk to John McKinney about putting something on the web about the bumper stickers.
Question about community contacts: A suggestion was made that John McKinney document every time that the website is updated. (For the whole list; not every addition)
Motion from Committee–
I move that we authorize the Services Committee to distribute at no charge, one copy of the new spiral bound “Tres Dias Guide for Lay Team Members and Spiritual Directors” to each chartered TD community with a target date of January 30, 2006.
Rene Stephenson made a motion to amend the motion to include a CD.
Amendment about sending CD was rescinded by Rene Stephenson after discussion.
Bill Boyd and Terry Gilbreath will send a letter with the book to communities. Pricing sheet and copies to be ordered.
Judi LeMasurier called the question.
Vote on calling the question: Majority voted to call the question.
Vote on the motion. Majority vote. None opposed.
Merv – Where are we taking the money from for this printing? Answer was from the Contingency fund.
Bill asked that in that decision and price per book, before ordering, please consult with the chairman, President and the treasurer.
Discussion over issuing CDs, pricing, licenses etc. This was tabled.
Face lift of the Tres Dias brochure – We have an informational brochure but it needs some updating. The committee recommends this be done.
Ray Crannell will continue to serve and will be the support technician for this committee.
John Green will be the liaison with Korean communities
Korea - They reuse names- Land of the Morning Calm – there are 6 of them.
Saeronam Tres Dias - has a pastor who will translate the rollos into Hongol for them.
Will also contact New York and Chicago Tres Dias- they need translations also.
Adele Smith is establishing a new Essentials manual. This will go to policy and they hope to use this by March, 2006. Judi LeMasurier will email this to Bruce Cato (Policy).
Judi LeMasurier will be going to Texas. Feedback on the essentials workshops has not been positive. She will be going to Texas with Margie Wallace, who does professional presentations, for input and suggestions.
Emerging agreement reviewed and will be corrected for any apparent conflicts.
Paul Weiss made a motion in committee that any expenses must be approved in advanced by the Vice President of Membership.
There are some concerns over Trinity Valley sponsoring Minnesota. Judi is planning a visit Trinity Valley to assess the process and help them in any way needed.
Request will be sent to the communities concerning funds for Russian communities.
A motion was made in committee that Membership Committee purchase a laptop computer with Power Point software, with capability of connecting to either a projector or TV; the appropriate cabling for both uses; a projector, and a memory stick, to be used for the Essentials training.
Question: Do you have enough money/? This may be put in their budget for next year.
We have already purchased a projector with John McKinney. This is available for Tres Dias use.
You may want to consider purchasing an aluminum case for shipping. Any software can be purchased using the charity license. Terry Gilbreath can help with this.
Judi LeMasurier - We have not investigated this yet and there is no time frame yet.
Valerie Mehl Reporting.
1st Motion concerning logo:
We make a motion that we rescind the motion made in July, 2005 to change to the logo of the Assembly.
Pat Kessler re-read the motion from page 7 of the July, 2005 Secretariat Meeting in Pennsylvania.
Bill Boyd explained that the committee voted unanimously and that we feel that this would protect our trademark. This was made with some emotion since it was a beautiful logo for the Assembly.
Discussion followed:
Could we have a second logo? Yes but it would be a long process and expensive.
Other comments concerned that it was a lovely logo for Assembly rather than Tres Dias.
Question as to using it on materials.
If we want to use this logo for the Assembly, then we could just add Assembly under it. If used in other places then we are messing with our trademark.
The initial motion was to put the logo on all printed materials but it was asked to rescind because it is not our formal logo.
Terry Gilbreath - When you use the logo any way other than the way it is currently used, it subverts its copyright meaning from a business perspective.
Rene Stephenson called the question.
Vote to call the question. Vote for – majority. Opposed - one.
Vote on the motion; Vote for – majority; Opposed – none.
2nd Motion concerning Logo:
We make a motion that, to save the integrity of our trademark cross, our logo, that we continue to use our copyrighted logo on all printed publications and material.”
Discussion:
Rene Stephenson had a point of clarification in asking that printed materials use our official logo. Our committee spoke to A Ben Seal about this yesterday.
Amendment to the motion – Rene Stephenson made a motion to amend the current motion and add “all future” publications. This was seconded by Mike Vigil.
Motion would now read:
We make a motion that, to save the integrity of our trademark cross, our logo, that we continue to use our copyrighted logo on all future printed publications and material.”
Discussion about what will be on the cover of the new manuals/publications. It was mentioned that the logo could still be used a on the front of the books. Terry Gilbreath thinks the cover should be our official logo.
Rene Stephenson called the question.
Vote on the amendment – Vote For – Majority.
Vote on the amended motion – Vote for – Majority. Opposed – None.
Bill Boyd made a motion that the Pennsylvania logo from the 2005 Assembly not be included on the front cover of the layman’s book.
Rene Stephenson made a motion to amend the current motion to include that “we use our official trademark on the cover. This was seconded by Merv LeMasurier.
The amended motion reads: We make a motion that the Pennsylvania logo from the 2005 Assembly not be included on the front cover of the layman’s book and we use our official trademark on the cover
Vote on the amendment: Vote for – majority. Opposed – none.
Vote on the Amended motion: Vote for – Majority. Opposed one. Motion carried.
Our committee is working on splitting the constitution and bylaws into two distinct documents, renumbered and with a table of contents.
Continuity documents for our jobs need to be gone over and possibly revised.
Bylaws. We are going to look at the bylaws sent to new communities at present and try to establish a better set to send out.
Final Issues:
Juli Bohl mentioned attendance requirements from Pennsylvania Assembly, 2005. Secretariat members must notify the chairman of their committee and the President by phone and email. (Please refer to this sheet). If you are a chair and get an absence notice, please notify the host community also!
Service Committee will send flowers to John McKinney.
Terry in his closing remarks thanked everyone for all the work accomplished.
Prayer requests made. Special requests for John McKinney’s recovery and Teague, Korea.
We closed in prayer.
Judi LeMasurier made a motion to adjourn the meeting.
This was seconded by Mike Vigil. Vote- unanimous.
The meeting was adjourned at 11: 24 am in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Respectfully submitted,
Valerie Mehl
Secretary