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55784753175ST. VINCENT DE PAUL GEORGIACOUNCIL PRESIDENT ELECTION NOMINATION PACKETInspired by Gospel values, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, a Catholic lay organization, leads women and men to join together to grow spiritually by offering person-to-person service to those who are needy and suffering in the tradition of its founder, Blessed Frederic Ozanam and Patron St. Vincent de Paul.- SVdP USA MissionRespecting the dignity of each person, St. Vincent de Paul Georgia brings hope and help to those in need so they may achieve stability and move toward self-sufficiency.-SVdP Georgia MissionPrayers for Election of the Archdiocesan Council President“Heavenly Father, we are grateful for calling us to bring hope, compassion and material needs to those brothers and sisters in need. You have given us the inspiration of St. Vincent de Paul and Blessed Frederick Ozanam as our guide. You Spirit sustains us in our works and empowers us to seek new ways to meet the needs. We now ask you to call forth new leaders to inspire and enable us to live our essential elements of spirituality, friendship, community and charity. Entrust them with the courage to seek office and guide them as they begin to lead. We ask this in Jesus’ name and through the Holy Spirit. Amen.”“Do not be afraid of new beginnings.Be creative. Be inventive. Organize new works for love in the Service of the poor.You who have energy;Who have enthusiasm;Who want to do something of valueFor the future;Be inventive, launch out; do not wait.”--Blessed Frederick Ozanam51403251587500St. Vincent de Paul GEORGIA Hope in Action. Changing Lives...One at a Time, Since 1903Dear Vincentians,On September 30, 2020, the term of our current Council President, Mark Bataillon, comes to an end. Therefore, we must begin a search for his successor.A Nominating Committee has been appointed to begin the process. You will soon receive the appropriate information to begin your participation. Following the receipt of the nomination process, you will be asked to join all members in a period of reflection and prayer, which will enable you to reach out to your Vincentian brothers and sisters to come forward as a potential nominee.Nominations can be sent to any committee member who is listed below in this letter. The nomination is open now until July 9th.Thank you and God's Blessings upon all.St. Vincent de Paul Nominating Committee:John Kirksey, ChairBill WangerianJohn GriffinNomination Committee MembersJohn Kirksey, Chair678-832-9469Jckirksey4280@Bill Wangerien770-631-7625Bwangerien2@John Griffin678-592-7101Johnjmg@Society of St. Vincent de PaulElection Process for an (Arch)Diocesan Council PresidentTerm of ServiceThe (Arch)Diocesan Council is directed by a President elected through a process that culminates in a secret ballot for a three-year term (beginning on October 1st), which may be renewed once. Two key factors to remember here is that the term of office can only be renewed once and the term begins on October 1st of a particular year. This means the President can serve a maximum of six consecutive years.The term begins on October 1st and ends on September 30th three years later. There is no automatic renewal of a President’s term. There must be an election. A retiring President who has just served two consecutive terms is not eligible for re-election as President until a further period of three years has elapsed.Nominating CommitteeOn or about February 1st of the year when the (Arch)Diocesan Council President’s term ends, thePresident convenes a nominating committee to prepare for the upcoming election. The duty of the Committee will be to initiate and conclude the election process. The Committee Chairperson will report the status of the election at all subsequent (Arch)Diocesan Council Meetings. During the months of February, March and April, the Committee members will actively solicit nominations for the office of (Arch)Diocesan Council President from all of the Conferences within the (Arch)Diocese. Those who are nominated must accept the nomination or have their names withdrawn.Only Full (Active) members may be Officers at any level of the Society. Full (Active) status is given to members who are Catholic, attend Conference/Council meetings regularly, are actively involved in the life of the Conference/Council (decision making and works), are not members of ordained clergy, and receive no salary or remuneration (except for approved reimbursable expenses) from the Society at any level. It is the responsibility of the Nominating Committee to ensure that all candidates qualify. It is also the responsibility of the Nominating Committee to seek at least two candidates.The Nominating Committee will provide each nominee with a description of the role and responsibilities of the (Arch)Diocesan Council President. The nominees should know as much about what is expected of the President as possible before accepting nomination.To become a candidate, in accepting the nomination, the nominee must submit in writing an autobiographical summary, a platform statement and a photograph. The autobiography, platform and picture will be reproduced for distribution. No modification, correction or re-typing will be performed on any document.Know the CandidatesOn or about June 1st, the Committee Chairperson will reveal to the (Arch)Diocesan Council those members who are candidates. It is during the next three months (June through August) that Council members consult with Conference members within their District Councils and afford an opportunity to allow the candidates to be known to the members. Campaigning is not allowed within the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. Once the candidates have been named, accepted, have presented their qualifications and plans for the (Arch)Diocesan Council, the committee should ensure that Council and Conference members understand the role and responsibilities of the (Arch)Diocesan President. After (Arch)Diocesan Council members have consulted with their Conferences, it is left to the Holy Spirit to move the Council members and help them discern the person to vote for.In some (Arch)Diocesan Council structures, the vote for President is given to the Conferences within the (Arch)Diocese, overriding the formal Society structure of vote by District Council Presidents. Under this circumstance, the autobiographies, platforms and pictures of the candidates must be given as wide a distribution as possible among Conference members.The ElectionThe election will take place during the September (Arch)Diocesan Council meeting. This may be a normally scheduled meeting or a special meeting. A process for breaking a tie must be established before the vote occurs. Voting is done in the form of a secret written ballot. The Chairperson of the Nominating Committee will present the candidates, distribute the ballots to the (Arch)Diocesan Council members, and collect the filled in ballots. If established in advance, mail-in votes may be acceptable; those would then be included in the count of ballots. Members of the committee will then count the ballots and report to the Committee Chairperson the results of the election. The Committee Chairperson will then reveal the name of the person elected to the office of District Council President. At no time will the ballot count be revealed to the members or the candidates.If the vote is to be performed by the Conferences, then, the Conferences would be sent ballots and asked to return them to the Nominating Committee before August 15. The Nominating Committee would count the ballots and report to the (Arch)Diocesan Council the results of the voting at the September Council meeting.If there are more than two candidates, the candidate who receives more than 50% of the total ballots cast (taking into account quorums defined in bylaws) becomes the President-Elect. If none of the candidates receives this simple majority, the Committee Chairperson will announce the two candidates with the most votes. There will then be a runoff election held as soon as possible with those two candidates’ names.There are times when only a single candidate comes forward. When this occurs, the election process must still be followed. There must still be a secret ballot. There are members who may choose to not vote for the single candidate. The secret ballot allows for that anonymity. The secret ballot should be made in such a way that the person voting may vote in favor of the individual (YES) or withhold their support for the candidate (NO). A “yes” or “no” vote must be cast. Only the votes cast are counted. If the single candidate does not receive a simple majority of approval, then the Nominating Committee must find other candidates.Post-Election ResponsibilitiesThe newly elected (Arch)Diocesan Council President will take office on October 1st. This gives the President-Elect less than one month to appoint the other officers (Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer) and Spiritual Advisor who will make up the (Arch)Diocesan Council board beginning October 1st. As is true with the President, all officers must be Full (Active) members of the Society. The President-Elect will also have to begin thinking about selection of committee chairs for various active committees. The outgoing President must ensure that the Conferences, District Councils and upper Councils are informed of the upcoming change in Officers. After a (Arch)Diocesan Council President has been elected, the name of that person shall be submitted to the National Council President. Thereupon that person shall be enrolled as a member of the National Council and installed at the next National Council Meeting. Notification must then be sent to the National Office to ensure the Conference database is properly updated.For serious reasons, and in accordance with The Rule, an election can be annulled by the next higher Council.InstallationIt is highly recommended that the (Arch)Diocesan Council hold a special installation ceremony on October 1st (or the first meeting in October) for the new President and slate of officers. There is available through the National Office a publication titled Vincentian Celebrations: Rituals and Ceremonies from which you can obtain an appropriate installation ceremony.Extraordinary CircumstancesShould the President resign, become permanently incapacitated, be removed from office or die during the term of office, then the Vice President of the (Arch)Diocesan Council shall act as President until the election of a new President. Upon the vacancy of the office of President prior to the completion of the term of office, all other officers remain in office until a new President takes office. Upon the vacancy of the office of President prior to the completion of the term of office, the Vice-president shall within ten days from receipt of the notice of the vacancy of the office of President initiate the election process. Because of the complexity of the (Arch)Diocesan process, the election process must follow the steps and timeframes defined above. The newly elected President’s term of office begins on the date of election to that position and installation occurs on October 1st following the election. Irrespective of the months involved, the portion of year one in office is counted as the first year; with the remaining 2 years of a three-year term of office beginning October 1st of that year.7763510116268500OFFICERS SECTIONARTICLE 28- DUTIES OF OFFICERSOfficersArchdiocesan Council President- ElectedRole and responsibilities of PresidentThe Archdiocesan Council President attends to the progress of the Archdiocesan Council Board. The Archdiocesan Council President supports the Council members in their Vincentian action, helping and assisting them as circumstances require.The Archdiocesan Council President shall be principle person to animate and inspire all Vincentians in the Archdiocese to live the Society's Core Values and Virtues through the principle of servant leadership.The Archdiocesan Council President ensures that links and communication are effectively maintained between the Conferences and the Councils for which it has responsibility or to which it is attached. The President attends National Council meetings and represents the Archdiocesan Council Board. The Archdiocesan Council President develops working relationships with neighboring Councils and with agencies and governmental welfare organizations within the Archdiocesan Council Board's responsibilities.The Archdiocesan Council President shall, in general supervise all affairs of the Archdiocesan Council Board. The Archdiocesan Council President shall preside at all meetings of the Archdiocesan Council Board and the Executive Committee (if any) and shall be an ex-officio member of all other committees.The Archdiocesan Council President shall have responsibility for governance of the Archdiocesan Council and shall see that all orders and resolutions of the Archdiocesan Council Board or Executive Committee are carried into effect. The Archdiocesan Council President or duly authorized agent of the Archdiocesan Council President, shall execute all deeds, mortgages, bonds, contracts and other documents requiring a seal, under the seal of the corporation and shall have the general powers and duties of the supervision and management usually vested in the office of Archdiocesan Council President of a corporation.The Archdiocesan Council President will advise the Archdiocesan Council Board of the requisite financial support that is to be provided to higher Council(s) and the Region annually.Ten Characteristics of a Vincentian Servant-LeaderLISTENINGThe Vincentian Servant Leader cultivates a deep commitment to listening intently to others and seeks to identify the will of the group and helps to clarify that will in the context of the Vincentian value structure and the Rule. He or she listens receptively to what is being said and unsaid. Listening also encompasses getting in touch with one's own call to service and spirituality. Listening, coupled with periods of reflection and contemplation, are essential to the spiritual growth and well-being of the Vincentian servant-leader."Vincentians serve the poor cheerfully, listening to them and respecting their wishes, helping them to feel and recover their own dignity, for we are all created in God's image. In the poor, they see the suffering Christ."(Rule, Part 1:1.8)2.EMPATHYThe Vincentian Servant-Leader strives to understand and empathize with others. People are accepted and recognized for their special and unique spirits and gifts. The servant leader assumes the good intentions of colleagues and does not reject them as people, even when she/he may be forced to refuse to accept certain behaviors or performance. The most successful servant-leaders are those whobecome skilled empathetic listeners, grounded in Vincentian spirituality."Vincentians endeavor to establish relationships based on trust and friendship. Conscious of their own frailty and weakness, their hearts beat with the heartbeat of the poor. They do not judge those they serve. Rather, they seek to understand them as they would a brother or sister."(Rule, Part 1:1.9)3. HEALINGOne of the great strengths of Vincentian Servant-Leadership is the potential forhealing one's self and one's relationship to others, inspired by the healing ministry of Jesus Christ. The healing of relationships is a powerful force for transformation and integration. Many people have broken spirits and have suffered from a variety of emotional hurts. Although this is a part of being human, Vincentian Servant-Leaders recognize that they have an opportunity to help make whole those with whom they come in contact."Vincentians serve in hope. They rejoice in discovering the spirit of prayer in the poor, for in the silence, the poor can perceive God's Plan for every person. The acceptance of God's Plan leads each one to nurture the seeds of love, generosity, reconciliation and inner peace in themselves, their families and all those who lives they touch. Vincentians are privileged to foster these signs of the presence of Risen Christ in the poor and among themselves.(Rule, Part 1, 1.11)4.AWARENESSGeneral awareness, and especially self-awareness supported by prayer and reflection, strengthens the Vincentian Servant-Leader. Awareness helps one to understand issues involving ethics, values, and tensions in the SVDP Society Communities. Awareness helps the servant to be able to view most situations from a more spiritually grounded and integrated, holistic position."Faithful to the spirit of its founders, the Society constantly strives for renewal, adapting to changing world conditions. It seeks to be ever aware of the changes that occur in human society and the new types of poverty that may be identified or anticipated. It gives priority to the poorest of the poor and to those who are most rejected by society.(Rule, Part 1:1.6)5. PERSUASIONA Vincentian Servant-Leaders is reliant on persuasion rather than on one's positional authority. Persuasion, listening and awareness support the servant leader to sustain decision making processes within a volunteer driven organization consistent with the value of subsidiarity. The Vincentian Servant-Leader seeks to convince others, rather than coerce compliance. This particular element offers one of the clearest distinctions between the traditional authoritarian model and that of servant-leadership. The Vincentian Servant-Leader is effective at building consensus within groups."All decisions are made by consensus after the necessary prayer, reflection and consultation. The democratic spirit is fundamental at all levels of the Society and, when appropriate, matters are put to a vote.”(Rule, Part 1:3:10)6. CONCEPTUALIZATIONThe ability to look at a problem or an opportunity from a conceptualizing perspective means that one must think beyond day-to-day realities. Vincentian Servant-Leaders seek to nurture their abilities to inspire Councils and Conferences to dream great dreams. For many leaders, this is a characteristic that requires discipline and practice. The traditional leader is consumed by the need to achieve short-term operational goals. The leader who wishes to also be a servant-leader must stretch his or her thinking to encompass broader-based conceptual thinking and to harvest the wisdom and enthusiasm of SVDP Society colleagues."Members of all ages strive to preserve the spirit of youth, which is characterized by enthusiasm, adaptability and creative imagination."(Rule, Part 1:3.5)7. FORESIGHTOne knows foresight when one experiences it. It is closely related to conceptualization, the ability to foresee the likely outcome of a situation is hard to define, but easier to identify. Vincentian foresight is a characteristic cultivated through prayer and study that enables the servant-leader to understand the lessons from our rich heritage, applied to the present and the future. "In exercising freedom of action to face the challenge of poverty in their area, Vincentians feel called to pray together for guidance and strength and for that creative imagination which is the promised gift of the Holy Spirit, "Your old men shall dream dreams and your young men shall see visions."(Rule, Part 1: 3.9)8.STEWARDSHIPVincentian stewardship, like Vincentian Servant Leadership, assumes first and foremost a commitment to serving the needs of others. It is a commitment to balancing the passion for charity with the need to sustain the ministry of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. It also emphasizes the use of openness and persuasion in the context of discernment and participative decision making whenever possible."Vincentians should never forget that giving love, talents and time is more important than giving money. Nevertheless, the Society uses money and property to help relieve the suffering of those in need. The Society's funds must be handled with the utmost care, prudence and generosity. Money must not be hoarded. Decisions regarding the use of money and property are to be made after reflection in the light of the Gospel and Vincentian principles.”(Rule, Part 1:3.14)MITMENT TO THE GROWTH OF PEOPLEVincentian Servant-Leaders believe that people have an intrinsic value beyond their tangible contributions as volunteers or paid staff. As such, the Servant-Leader is deeply committed to the spiritual growth of each and every individual within his or her Conference and Council."Vincentians are sincerely concerned with the deeper needs and spiritual well-being of those they help, always observing a profound respect for their conscience and the faith they believe in, listening and understanding with their hearts, beyond both words and appearances.”(Rule, Part 1:1.11)10. BUILDING COMMUNITYThe Vincentian Servant-Leader understands that the essence of the Vincentian tradition is rooted in the spirituality of Christian Love expressed in community through service to the poor. Servant Leadership in the Society of St. Vincent de Paul is focused on building and sustaining a community of individuals formed in a common vision and Rule who are dedicated to expressing their Christian spirituality through reverent service to the poor and marginalized. Vincentian Servant-Leaders create the environment for ongoing spiritual formation through education, prayer and reflection, and meaningful service to the poor."The members meet as brothers and sisters with Christ in the midst of them, in Conferences that are genuine communities of faith and love, of prayer and action. Spiritual bonds and friendship between members are essential, as is the common mission to help the poor and marginalized. The entire Society is a true and unique worldwide Community of Vincentian friends."(Rule, Part 1:3.3)NOMINEE'S AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL STATEMENTComplete all of the following autobiographical items. To be valid, every question must be answered. If more space is needed, use reverse side and indicate on this front page additional material has been written on the back.PLEASE PRINT OR TYPEFull name: _______________________________________________________________________________________ Telephone number (include area code): ______________________________________________________________Email: __________________________________________________________________________________________ Date of birth: month/date/year: _____________________________________________________________________Marital status:single marrieddivorcedwidowedSpouse's name (if living): __________________________________________________________________________ Names and ages of children: _______________________________________________________________________ Education (circle the highest level of schooling and enter years of schooling at that level):High School College Graduate College Indicate colleges or universities attended and degrees earned: _________________________________________ Profession or occupation: _______________________________________________________________________Your experience as a member of the SocietyDate of admission to active membership: ___________________________________________________________ List offices and positions held in the Society and years served in these capacities. Also list any important and unusual assignments carried out by you as an SVdP member: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________List other significant achievements or involvement in civic, cultural, community service, and church activities: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Signature of Nominee: _________________________________________________________ Date: ____________NOMINEE'S PLATFORM STATEMENTThe SVdP President serves for three years. This demands, on the part of the successful candidate, a major sharing of his/her available time and talents. On the part of the Society, a Presidential election involves the conferring of substantial authority to the chosen leader and implies confidence in his/her character and capabilities.Before making such a choice, therefore, members ask you to set forth briefly what might be called a "Platform Statement". It must include:1)Your views about the most urgent needs of our Society at this time;2)The SVdP goals or objectives you would hope to achieve during your three-year term as President;3)Some indication about how you would expect to reach these goals;4)Any other "Platform" comments or observations that you consider to be important in relation to the growth and future of the Society.Your "Platform Statement" may not exceed one side only of an 8 ? by 11 typewritten page, single-spaced, with a half inch margin on all four sides.Please use the reverse side for your "Platform Statement".BEGIN by entering your signature: __________________________________________________________________ ................
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