Centre Piece Day 2

May 2011

Lets Go

Oceania Forum

Pat Kelly, Ted Magee and Pat White offers Reflections on the Forum

Pat Kelly

I found this Forum excellent, not only because of the input which was good, but also because of the time with other Brothers.
We spent time in reflecting and sharing on what Prophetic Leadership entails and how we might make the effort to be the Prophets of a future not our own.
The input from Dean McGlaughlin, Max Montisci Peter Tuite and Vince Sinagra – on the new Community Living Allocation was good. It has been a carefully worked out effort to bring together a common way of financing the Communities throughout Australia and New Zealand.
We looked at various new policies and procedures. We discussed the roles of OLT Liaison Person, Cluster Leader and Community Leader and saw how each supported the other in the care and support of all brothers in their daily living.
The Cluster Leaders assumed the role of a Plenary group in critiquing Brothers' Formation in the Province and nominated Terry Burke, Ian Robertson Iggy Kalok and me to work in collaboration with the Ted Magee and Mary Murphy, as a Standing Committee in discerning the best way forward from 2012 as we move towards Chapter 2014. In this time we also shared something of he experience of the work of Cluster Leader in the various areas of the Province.
We were presented with documents which showed detailed work in the Directorates of the Province. We received a copy of the new document – Edmund Rice Ministries Values and Characteristics Statement. This will be sent to all communities shortly. Also Julian presented" a way forward" in Vocations promotion.

Ted Magee

Sometimes those who do not attend the Forum may think that the Forum could be a talk-fest or at best an information-sharing few days. Certainly there is talk and there is information but the Forum is an opportunity for those with various leadership positions in the Province to come together and frankly discuss where we are, where we have been and where we could be if we were prepared to be the Prophetic Leaders which our Chapter urged us to be.

At this Forum we spent valuable time in reflecting and sharing on what Prophetic Leadership entails and how we might make the effort to be the Prophets of a future not our own.

We looked at the mountain of work done by our Regional and Finance Managers – Carmel Leonard, Peter Tuite and Vince Sinagra – on the preparation for the new Community Living Allocation. Both Ian and I believe that the implementation of the new CLA will not change much of what we have done in this region for many years. (As a matter of fact the preparation of budgets and the accounting for these seems to us to be much more simplified.) We thank Max and the three managers for their support of the brothers in their community living.

We looked at various new policies and procedures. We discussed the roles of OLT Liaison Person, Cluster Leader and Community Leader and saw how each supported the other in the care and support of all brothers in their daily living.

The Cluster Leaders assumed the role of a Plenary group in critiquing Brothers' Formation in the Province and nominated Terry Burke, John Webb, Ian Robertson and Iggy Kalok to work in collaboration with the Coordinator of Brothers' Formation and the Director, Mary Murphy, as a Standing Committee in discerning the best way forward from 2012 as we move towards Chapter 2014.

We were presented with documents which showed detailed work in the Directorates of the Province. We were delighted to receive a copy of the new document – Edmund Rice Ministries Values and Characteristics Statement. This will be sent to all communities shortly. Also Julian presented "a way forward" in Vocations promotion.

Perhaps, I have left some things out. My apology if I have.

The most important aspect of any gathering is not the information – important as it may be. Being together, sharing story and relating at a level below surface niceties are at the essence of gatherings such as these. We were fortunate that this aspect of the gathering was a highlight.

Ted Magee

Pat White

Pat White offers this insight into the Forum being held at Kensington. May we all keep this group in our prayers as they work at setting a direction for how we live and how we are to apply Edmund's Charism to our every daylives.

Day Three

Day three of the Forum began with morning prayer in the 1921 Chapel of the Sacred Heart Monastery. In that prayer we asked guidance of the Holy Spirt, and for blessing on our works of Leadership, and on all members of the ERN.

Some of the morning was spent in further discussion of the Financial Budgetary system, to be rolled out for the Province. There will be some hard work as far as education goes, to come to grips with all that is intended, but between now and the Official Roll Out of 01/01/2012, there will be plenty of opportunities for education and training.

Discussion and Study followed of the writing of the various roles in the Province. Guidelines for the roles of OLT Liaison Person ; the Cluster Leader ; and the Community Leader were analysed and returned for further amendments where necessary. An interesting paper, where the three roles were looked at, especially as they interact and intersect, is in production

From this followed some talk about those communities which do not have a designated Community Leader. The need for someone in that community to be a Contact person for the receipt of information was raised. It was acknowledge that in most, if not all Communities, there has been a designated Contact Person to receive emails and other communications. The need to have someone in the Community nominated as a bursar was also noted.

Various Guidelines and policy statements were presented and discussed. Among these were : Debriefing of Brothers returning from Overseas including those returning from sabbatical, and/or for home leave ; rejoining the Oceania Province after some years away ; Brothers' travel ; Hospitality for Oceania Brothers ministering outside of Oceania Province. These policies and others are a work still in progress, and will be sent out as completed.

Julian in his capacity as Vocations Coordinator, spoke to the Forum about moves to rejuvenate strategies in the vocations field. An interesting outgrowth from some sections of the ERN, is dealing with what is called, "New Pathways". This will need further development and explanation, and the concept is quite exciting.

The Life and Mission Teams gave a "Progress Briefing". From Support and Administration Services came updates on the unified accounting/finance system ;

notes on possible fleet management Province wide ; guidelines for a new and equitable Community Allocation system. [ Note : Allocation is the new title].

Ministry Life and Mission Directorate has produced an agreed statement after much research and consultation on "Edmund Rice Ministry" - Values and Characteristics Statement.

Under the heading Characteristics there are these five headings

- " The Sacred [heart-centred presence] ; Right Relationships [ compassionate presence] ; Prophetic Leadership [ Transformative presence ] ;

Community [ Inclusive presence ] ; Cross Cultural Awareness [ respectful and sensitive presence].

The Values :

- The following values of Oceania Province are touchstones for each ministry to be a contemporary expression of Edmund's charism.

Presence [ Alive to the wonder of all creation opening us to intimacy with the Mystery of God ] ; Compassion [Opening our hearts to and standing in solidarity with the suffering world ] ; Liberation [ Freeing and enlivening a world groaning under the weight of injustice.]

Formation Directorate provided reports on the Missiology framework ; Restructure of the Volunteers and Immersion Project ; Edmund Rice Communities' Research Project ; Project Spirit Amberley ; Project Dreaming Mulgoa.

Networking, Communication and Development Directorate presented reports on the working with Networking Coordinators in the Regions ; working with the Manager of Development and his various activities ; and the wrestling with personnel Data Base systems, and the integration of various data bases.

Province Secretariat Directorate reported on the complexity of Filing Systems ; updating personal records ; Archives .

Somewhere in the day was a mention and some discussion of the necessity for what is called in NSW, "Enduring Power of Guardian". Different States of the Commonwealth have different requirements. Some Regions already have sighted and signed such documents, thus making their "Advanced Care Planning" well known. Other Regions have plans to discuss, and consider completion of the planning instrument.

My Opinion : I believe I have covered most of the activities of the Forum. The content of discussions will be formalised and in time, distributed to all appropriate members of the Oceania Province.

This was my seventh Forum since the commencement of the Province, and I would say the most satisfying one for me. There has been enormous and laborious effort carried out by the OLT, the Directorates, the secretaries and all involved in our New Enterprise.

You may remember an icon released some years ago, maybe by SOFCO, of the "Good Ship Oceania ". I think it is sailing well.

Many thanks to our OLT - individually and as a Team, for their vision, and for the hard "yakka" to make visions reality.

Day 2

Day 2 started with a presentation by the CREAT Team. This group of Luke, Terry and Cyril gave us a warm, creative overview of the ministry done by the Team now over three years. The animating force in the Province has presented to at least 266 Brothers over the time of their response to the Munnar Chapter's request that such a team be formed in all provinces.
Surely, "In you I am doing something new." There was much affirmation for the work of CREAT, and for the example of the TEAM.

Next the Cluster Leaders met as a full group for the next session. This gave them a chance to discuss and share experiences, to tap into wisdom, and generally to raise matters for clarification.  Topics included, Living Wills, the collection of up to date personal data, some financial matters, formation, and such like.

The Directors were next to report. The question of Edmund Rice Ministries was raised and explained. More information on this will be forthcoming, as will be information and discussion on the ERN.

The day ended with a closing prayer, which circled us back to the beginning of the day.
The day on the whole was a reflective day, with input from various ministries in the Province.

Patrick White

Day One

Today was Day 1 of the May Forum. The topic is "Prophetic Leadership". All members of the OLT, the Cluster Leaders, the Directors - except for Mary Murphy, who had urgent surgery this morning, and CREAT were present. The day opened with a Theological Reflection led  by Peter Harney on the question of Prophetic Leadership.

 This was followed by a presentation by Dean, Vince Sanagra, Peter Tuite, Max Montisci. The topic concerned material concerning the Community Living Allocation.  The Finance Team has gone to great pains to draw together the finances of Oceania, and the management of these finances.

At first glance, as you would expect, it seemed to be  quite overpowering. However, the resources of the Team, plus the assistance of the Region Support Offices, will make the management of the new system somewhat easier. It will take up to three years to fine tune the system.

In my opinion, full marks to the Finance Team for the enormous effort undertaken on our behalf, in producing what will prove to be a manageable, equitable method of Community Accountability and increased Community responsibility.

Other sessions of Day One, dealt with the results of Action Plans, left over for completion and report, from the last Forum.

The final session went back to a theological reflection on the day.

This is the fourth year of my CLship, and I am just beginning to realise the enormous challenges taken up some years ago, to  firstly make a decision to collapse the then separate Provinces into one Oceania ;  to deal with the separation of the schools into EREA ; to wrestle with making sense out of  five or more diverse financial operating systems ; to wrestle with the Vision for the Future ; and to deal with the problems still hanging from the past.

I feel OK about saying that the action of those Brothers and others who are bringing such momentous changes to birth, can be realistically labelled as "Prophetic Leadership."

In closing, may I wish Mary Murphy safe healing, and may she know that she was missed from our Forum.

Pat White