At Diocesan Convention in February we will be presented with four propsed canonical changes, the purpose of which is to clarify that people can "attend" meetings electronically, to eliminate some redundant language, and to put this diocese in conformity with The Episcopal Church's standards for offering health insurance to employees. This email serves as your notice at least thirty days in advance of convention, and the text of these proposed changes is as follows:
AMENDMENT TO CANON 13, SECTION 11
Add at the end of Section 11, the following sentence:
“Members of the Executive Council may participate in meetings of the Council by conference call.”
REASONS FOR CHANGE:
Currently, due to weather or other circumstances, members of the Executive Council will sometimes participate by conference call. This change permits that action and will allow such members participating by conference call to be included for purposes of determining a quorum and majority vote.
AMENDMENT TO CANON 14, SECTION 3
Add at the end of Section 5, the following sentence:
“Members of the Board of Trustees may participate in meetings of the Board by conference call.”
REASONS FOR CHANGE:
Currently, due to weather or other circumstances, members of the Board of Trustees will sometimes participate in meetings of the Board by conference call. This change permits that action and will allow such members participating by conference call to be included for purposes of determining a quorum and majority vote.
AMENDMENT TO CANON 20
Add the following as Section 5 to Canon 20
“In conformity with the legislation adopted by the General Convention of 2009 in Resolution 2009-A 177, which established the principals to be followed by the Church Pension Fund in establishing and administering a denominational health plan for lay employees of the Episcopal Church, the Diocese of Arkansas accepts and enters into the system of the Church Pension Fund for the provision of health plan benefits for lay employees of the Congregations in the Diocese. The Executive Council of the Diocese is hereby directed to do any and all things that may be required from time to time, or that it may deem necessary or proper, fully to conform to and implement a plan for health benefits for lay employees.”
REASONS FOR CHANGE:
This change incorporates in the Canons of the Diocese the directions from General Convention in 2009 and conforms our Canons to Canon I.8, Section 1 of the Canons of the Episcopal Church.
AMENDMENT TO CANON 18
Of Deputies to the General Convention
Section 1. The Convention shall, at the regular Annual Meeting in the calendar year next preceding a stated meeting of the General Convention, elect by ballot four members of the clergy and four lay persons to act as deputies from this diocese to the General Convention. It shall also elect by ballot four members of the clergy and four lay persons as provisional deputies, to act in the case hereinafter mentioned; which deputies and provisional deputies shall hold their respective offices until their successors are appointed, and shall be deputies, or provisional deputies, to any General Convention which may be held during their continuance in office. The qualifications to serve as deputy or provisional deputy to General Convention are as follows: Each of the clergy and lay persons elected shall be members in good standing of a parish or mission in the Diocese and canonical residents of the Diocese, frequent attendants upon the services of their parish or mission, and regular contributors and pledgers of record for the support of their parish or mission and/or the Diocese of Arkansas for a minimum of one year preceding their election as deputy or provisional deputy to General Convention.
REASONS FOR CHANGE:
The last two sentences in Section 1 are duplicative of Section 4 and should be deleted. Larry R. Benfield
Bishop
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