Structure Process
- Spring 2003 - Spring 2004
Spring 2003
- Nearly 100 Network member school administrators, regional
community leadership and invited board members gathered
March 25, 2003 or April 3, 2003 for the Spring 2003
consultation.
Objectives of the Spring 2003 Consultation:
·
To report on the results of the October 2002 consultation
·
To report on the results of the October 2002 assessment
·
To hear an update on the Reimagining/Reconfiguration Process
and its impact on the Structure
Process
·
To identify next steps.
A video taped presentation by Sister Helen Marie Burns, RSM,
Institute Liaison to the Network, placed this process within
the context of Reimagining. Results of the Leanings on
Potential Models and Learnings from the Assessment were
shared.
Fall 2003 -
Nearly 100 Network member school administrators, regional
community leadership and invited board members will gather
October 17, 2003 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Rhode Island for a
consultation on additional work for the Sponsorship
Structure Process. Two potential options were shared.
Neither of the Options presented adequately addressed the
needs and the committee took note of all that was said for
further revision.
With two open ended questions on land and property, the
Network asked for information on current relationships with
schools and regional communities in order to help frame the
dialogue on these issues.
Additional Information - from "Network News" Fall 2003
In response to a question of clarification for sponsored
elementary schools: Regional and school leadership of
sponsored elementary schools were invited to this gathering
as its purpose was addressing sponsorship structures. The
Network recognizes the ongoing work of the Mercy Elementary
Education Network and congratulates it on its most recent
conference in Albany , NY .
The Sponsorship Structure process of the Network and the
invitation of the Network for sponsored elementary schools
to attend this meeting and future meetings on this process
and to use and/or adapt any of its materials is designed as
a specific support for the need for ongoing education and
formation in the charism, values and tradition of Mercy for
sponsored works. The work of MEEN is broader in its scope
and includes all in elementary education, sponsored schools,
parish schools, etc. Four elementary schools, sponsored by
regional communities who also have secondary schools, are
currently members of the Network for Mercy Education. As
visioning continues the Network will invite the leadership
of sponsored elementary schools to further define their
needs, to consider issues of membership and to address how
the Network might be of service.
January 2004
Additional Information - from "Network News" January 2004
Faithful to the compelling reason: “The charism of Catherine
McAuley and our core values and tradition should and need to
be continued in the ministry of Mercy secondary and
elementary education”, sponsorship structure work has
continued.” The Sponsorship Structure Committee met on
January 15, 2004 and reported its work to the Network Board
on January 22, 2004 .
Material prepared by the Sponsorship Structure Committee and
discussed at the meeting of the Network board has been
forwarded for sharing with the ILC for discussion at their
upcoming meeting. Essential issues are the locus of the
public juridic person and delegation of some sponsor
responsibilities. The Sponsorship Structure Committee worked
to refine a model consistent with the challenges presented
in October 2003. The Sponsorship Structure Committee’s next
steps are further refinement if needed based on input from
the ILC meeting and plans for broader sharing with school
leadership. Broader sharing will include materials which can
be used locally. The Sponsorship Structure Committee’s will
also discuss whether a large group meeting will further
support the process.
In addition to preparing this preferred model, “with what we
know now” as a caveat to the work, the Sponsorship Structure
Committee is compiling responses to the land and property
returns summarizing issues needing further dialogue and
clarification. Moreover, the Network is compiling a
committee report on the current profile of boards of
trustees/directors on these components: size of the board,
years for a term, number of Sisters of Mercy required for
the board, number of meeting times per year and annual
meeting, who serves as the President of the school
corporation, role of the current Members in the choice of
president (if applicable) and/or principal of the school.
The Sponsorship Structure Committee will use this report to
help raise questions for further dialogue about board
profiles and functions.“ This was the best thinking of this
group of persons at this time.” Some key themes from the
meeting:
·
recurring themes of the value and importance of sponsored
ministries as continuing the charism, public witness,
meeting enduring needs;
·
when sponsorship is done well there is fidelity to need;
clarity of mission; clarity of roles and responsibilities;
effective leadership;
·
needs for the future – education and formation of sponsors;
partnership with lay colleagues; models appropriate to the
ministries; recurring theme of need for effective leadership
internally and at the sponsor level; issue of delegation at
sponsor level and persons serving in roles not solely by
election by the community but with expertise and experience
for the role;
·
issue of the locus of the public juridic person;
·
variety of “definitions” of sponsorship – perhaps we would
be served well by a descriptive document with the core
elements.
·
Health care, social services agencies, education, and a
variety of other types of sponsored ministries were
represented.
|
