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>> Ordinary Session 2001

Circular to the Members of the 45th Synod - 20 August 2001

Re: 3rd Session of the 45th Synod

Contents

• Archbishop's Summons to Synod
• Arrangements and Likely Business
• Notice of Elections for this Synod Session
• Schedule of Elections Required
• Nomination Form
• Precis of Nominee in a Synod Election

This circular has information that members of Synod need to know. Items 2.10 (notices for motions) and 3.7 (closing time for nominations) refer to deadlines to be observed.

Summons to the 3rd Session of the 45th Synod

Under the Article 1(2) of the Schedule to the Anglican Church of Australia Constitutions Act 1902, I hereby summon you to the Synod to be held in the Wesley Theatre, 220 Pitt Street Sydney commencing at 3.00 pm on Friday 26 October 2001.

The opening service will be held in the Wesley Theatre at 2.30 pm on that day and I hope that as many members as possible will attend the service.

(THE MOST REV) PETER F JENSEN
Archbishop of Sydney

2. Arrangements and Likely Business

Meeting Places and Dates

2.1 The days of meeting are Friday 26 and Saturday 27 October and Friday 2 and Saturday 3 November 2001 at the Wesley Theatre, 220 Pitt Street Sydney. The proposed meeting times are as follows -

Synod Mailings

2.2 This is the first mailing to members for this session. The second mailing will be sent about 2 October 2001 and will contain the Standing Committee's Report, the draft legislation, other reports, the Notice of Contested Elections and the Business Paper for 26 October 2001.

Declarations by Lay Members - Certificates of Election

2.3 Before taking part in debate or voting on any matter, the lay members of a Synod must sign a declaration that they are communicant members of the Anglican Church of Australia and not members of any other church. You do not have to make another declaration if you made your declaration at an earlier session of the 45th Synod.

2.4 Members may make the declaration at the 2nd floor reception desk at St Andrew's House during office hours, or in the Wesley Theatre during the session. For lay representatives of parochial units, notice of election must have been given to the Registrar in accordance with clause 17 of the Synod Membership Ordinance 1995 before the declaration is made.

Synod Procedures, Acts & Ordinances Book and Diocesan Year Book

2.5 The Acts & Ordinances book has the Acts of Parliament by which the Anglican Church of Australia is constituted in New South Wales and the principal ordinances of the Sydney Synod. A copy of Acts & Ordinances can be obtained from the Diocesan Secretary upon request. Note the following -

(a) The Standing Orders Ordinance 1968 printed on pages 290 to 307 inclusive of Acts & Ordinances was repealed in 2000. The business rules of the Synod are now contained in the Conduct of the Business of Synod Ordinance 2000, a copy of which is enclosed.

(b) The Elections Ordinance 1970 printed on pages 187 to 194 of Acts & Ordinances was also repealed in 2000. The rules for conducting elections at the Synod are now contained in the Synod Elections Ordinance 2000, a copy of which is also enclosed.

The latest versions of the principal ordinances can be accessed on the Synod's website at -

www.sydney.anglican.asn.au/synod/ords/index.htm

2.6 Useful information about the Synod and the Diocese can be accessed on the Synod's website at -

www.sydney.anglican.asn.au/synod/handbook/index.htm

2.7 There are 2 "orders" or "houses" in the Synod - the clergy and the laity and there is provision for votes to be taken by "orders", if required. It helps in identification during debates and the counting of votes if the clergy wear their clerical collars.

2.8 Earlier this year, copies of the 2001 Diocesan Year Book, which has summaries of the proceedings of the 2000 Synod session and a reprint of the Standing Committee's Report etc, were posted to parishes for Synod members. You can also read the summaries on the Synod's website at www.sydney.anglican.asn.au/synod.

Membership of the Synod

2.9 The "life" of a Synod is about 3 years. A list of members will be tabled in the Synod on 26 October 2001.

Notices of Motions for the Session

2.10 Notices of motions to be included on the business paper for the first day of the session must be in writing and received by the Standing Committee (address letters to the Diocesan Secretary) by 26 September 2001. A member of Synod may give up to 2 notices of motions in this manner.

2.11 Any member of Synod may give notice of a further motion or motions at the start of business on the first 3 days of the session.

Guidelines for the Moving of Motions

2.12 Part 4 of the business rules contain the general rules of debate in the Synod. The various stages for the consideration of ordinances and rules are described on the Synod's website at www.sydney.anglican.asn.au/synod/dioadmin/synodprocedure.htm. Most business is transacted through motions and amendments.

2.13 The subject matter of a motion must relate to the order and good government of the Church within this Diocese, or the declaration of views on matters affecting the Anglican Church of Australia or affecting the spiritual, moral or social welfare of this Church, otherwise it may be out of order.

2.14 A notice of a motion should be brief and to the point, it should not contain argument, it should not have a long preamble or be written as a speech, and it should not contain material which is unbecoming or defamatory.

2.15 If in doubt about the form of a motion, try and find a precedent from the resolutions of the previous session (in the 2001 Year Book) or ask the Diocesan Secretary, a Regional Bishop, an Archdeacon, the Chairman of Committees or someone else who has experience of the business of Synod. But these things need thought, so do not leave it until the last minute when it will be too late to do anything.

Likely Reports and Ordinances for the Session

2.16 Reports and audited accounts from approximately 60 committees etc will be tabled during the session.

2.17 Proposed ordinances include -

Church Discipline Ordinance 1996 Amendment Ordinance 2001
This bill is to amend the Church Discipline Ordinance 1996 which provides a means for disciplining persons who fail to meet the standards of behaviour expected of ministers and persons holding positions in the church. The bill is at the approval in principle stage.

General Synod - Constitution of a Diocese Alteration Canon 1995 Ordinance 2001
This bill seeks to adopt the General Synod - Constitution of a Diocese Alteration Canon 1995. The bill is at the approval in principle stage.

Incapacity Ordinance 2001
Tribunal Ordinance 1962 Amendment Ordinance 2001
These 2 bills arise from the report of the Select Committee on Clerical Tenure. The Incapacity Ordinance is at the approval in principle stage. The Tribunal Ordinance is at the committee stage.

Parish Development Review Ordinance 2001
Parish Review (Monitoring Panel) Ordinance 2001
Parish Relationships Ordinance 2001
These bills are recommended by the Synod Committee on Clerical Tenure which reported to the Synod in 1999. The first bill was passed as an ordinance at Synod last year but did not receive assent. It will be reintroduced this year. The second and third bills are at the approval in principle stage.

Synod Membership Ordinance 1995 Amendment Ordinance 2001
This bill seeks to allow for the appointments of alternates to attend Synod in the place of ministers and parish lay representatives. The bill is at the approval in principle stage.

2.18 Detailed information on the bills will be provided in the second Synod mailing.

3. Notice of Elections for this Synod Session

Note: Please read paragraphs 3.1 to 3.9 carefully. With the passing of the Synod Elections Ordinance 2000 there have been several changes to the nomination procedures. The new procedures are referred to in paragraphs 3.1 to 3.9. If you have any questions about the new procedures please contact the Diocesan Secretary.

3.1 The elections for offices to be conducted before or during the 3rd session of the 45th Synod in October this year are set out in the Schedule of Elections Required below.

3.2 In the Schedule of Elections Required -

(a) the relevant organisations are listed in alphabetic the order and the names of retiring members are shown with their attendances at meetings in the year to 30 June 2001, and

(b) an asterisk (*) besides the name of a retiring member means that there is good reason to believe the member is willing to be nominated, a cross (+) means the retiring member is not willing to be nominated, and the absence of either character means that it is not known whether the member is willing to be nominated.

Invitation to make Nominations

3.3 Members are invited to make nominations of persons for each of the elections to be conducted.

3.4 Under clause 3.2(2) of the Synod Elections Ordinance 2000, a nomination is -

(a) to be in writing, and

(b) to specify the office for which the nomination is being made, and

(c) to specify the name, address and occupation of the nominee, and

(d) to specify the details of the qualification held by the nominee, where a particular qualification is required for election to the office, and

(e) to be signed by 2 members of the Synod, other than the nominee, as nominators, and

(f) to contain a certification from at least one of the nominators that the nominee has consented to the nomination (it is sufficient grounds for one of the nominators to certify that a nominee has consented to the nomination if in the Schedule of Elections Required the willingness of the nominee to be nominated is indicated with an asterisk (*)), and

(g) to contain an address for acknowledgement of the nomination.

3.5 A nomination which does not comply with rule 3.2(2) is invalid except that an error in the specified address or occupation of the nominee does not of itself invalidate a nomination.

3.6 A nomination form accompanies this Notice although any document which complies with clause 3.2(2) of the Synod Elections Ordinance 2000 is in order.

3.7 Nominations are to be delivered to - "The Secretaries of Synod, PO Box Q190, QVB Post Office, SYDNEY, 1230". The closing time for the making of nominations is 5.00 pm on Friday 14 September 2001.

Invitation to submit precises

3.8 A precis of a nominee in an election may be delivered to the Secretaries no later than 5.00 pm on Friday 14 September 2001.

3.9 Under clause 3.3(1) of the Synod Elections Ordinance 2000 a precis of a nominee is-

(a) to be not more than 35 words in length, and

(b) to be signed by the nominee.

3.10 A form of precis accompanies this Notice although any document which complies with clause 3.3(1) of the Synod Elections Ordinance 2000 is in order.

4. Schedule of Elections Required

Click here for the nomination form.

6. Precis of Nominee in a Synod Election

Click here for the precis form.

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