Second Legislative Day
Our second day of legislative session started slowly again, with lots of administrative matters in the morning session. We did pass resolutions providing increased resources to various mission and missionary programs.
One thing that surprised me is that at noon each day, regardless of where we are in the deliberations, we stop for noon day prayers (about 10 minutes). The chaplain's message today was about community. His response to those that believe they can worship along (on a hike, on a golf course, etc), is that in community we learn humility, we learn compassion, we learn patience. If we worship alone, how are we to grow in these areas and more. God means us for community.
The afternoon session was a hysterical romp through the use of the voting keypads. The House of Delegates had to elect 12 trustees to the board of the Pension Fund. The ballot had 25 on it. After yesterday's fumblings, the voting secretary took the deputies through the process by asking them again to vote for the top three hymns out of five on the ballot. Although the result was Lift High the Cross, The Church's One Foundation, and Veni Santos Spiritus, 20% of the ballots were spoiled (yesterday approximately 1/3 of the ballots were spoiled).
A delegate rose to move that the electronic voting be suspended in favor of paper ballots due to the high error rate. After the chair of the meeting was unable to determine the result of the voice vote (needed a 2/3 majority to pass) we had to vote electronically on whether to vote electronically! That vote went well, and the motion to use paper ballots was rejected.
Next, a delegate rose to move that if the result of the vote for Pension Fund Trustees returned with a 10% or greater failure rate, the result be determined invalid and voting move to paper ballots. (Russ Babcock of our Deputation is the chair of the Credentials Committee which will have to count any paper ballots, must have been cringing through all this.) The chair wisely determined that we had a 2/3 majority voice vote in favor, thus eliminating the need to use the keypads for this vote. The motion was passed and we moved to the electronic voting for Trustees.
During the electronic vote, many delegates rose to ask technical questions. The keypads acquired several affectionate (?) nicknames, such as the Awakened Beast. My favorite was coined by the male delegate that stood to ask what he should do if his "Little Doohickey" wasn't working. The chair replied, "You bring your Little Doohickey here to the front," to howls of laughter.
The first several votes (we had to vote 12 times, once for each of our 12 choices of the 25 candidates) went slowly as the voting secretary allowed time for people to ask questions and become comfortable with the process. The last part went more smoothly.
The result of the voting...
Of the more than 800 ballots (12 votes equalling one ballot), 94 were spoiled, a greater than 10% failure rate! Russ says paper ballots have about a 10% failure rate anyway, but there you are. We move to a paper ballot this morning. I suggested to Susan Wiltsey that she rise to move that if the paper ballot has a 10% or greater failure rate, we return to electronic voting.
After the failed election, we moved to voting on several resolutions, first passing a resolution allowing the church's national entities (commissions, etc) to use electronic tools to perform their work more efficiently. The irony was palpable.
The most hotly debated resolution sought to establish budget priorities for the Committe on Program, Budget and Finance to use in forming the budget for the church. Some delegates wanted to change the priorities to place more emphasis on Young Adults, Youth and Children, or on Reconciliation and Evangelism. As passed, the priorities are:
1. Justice and Peace (including the Millennium Development Goals - which I will discuss in a separate post)
2. Young Adults, Youth and Children
3. Reconciliation and Evangelism
4. Congregational Transformation
5. Partnerships
So, I'm off to the third day of worship and legislation.
One thing that surprised me is that at noon each day, regardless of where we are in the deliberations, we stop for noon day prayers (about 10 minutes). The chaplain's message today was about community. His response to those that believe they can worship along (on a hike, on a golf course, etc), is that in community we learn humility, we learn compassion, we learn patience. If we worship alone, how are we to grow in these areas and more. God means us for community.
The afternoon session was a hysterical romp through the use of the voting keypads. The House of Delegates had to elect 12 trustees to the board of the Pension Fund. The ballot had 25 on it. After yesterday's fumblings, the voting secretary took the deputies through the process by asking them again to vote for the top three hymns out of five on the ballot. Although the result was Lift High the Cross, The Church's One Foundation, and Veni Santos Spiritus, 20% of the ballots were spoiled (yesterday approximately 1/3 of the ballots were spoiled).
A delegate rose to move that the electronic voting be suspended in favor of paper ballots due to the high error rate. After the chair of the meeting was unable to determine the result of the voice vote (needed a 2/3 majority to pass) we had to vote electronically on whether to vote electronically! That vote went well, and the motion to use paper ballots was rejected.
Next, a delegate rose to move that if the result of the vote for Pension Fund Trustees returned with a 10% or greater failure rate, the result be determined invalid and voting move to paper ballots. (Russ Babcock of our Deputation is the chair of the Credentials Committee which will have to count any paper ballots, must have been cringing through all this.) The chair wisely determined that we had a 2/3 majority voice vote in favor, thus eliminating the need to use the keypads for this vote. The motion was passed and we moved to the electronic voting for Trustees.
During the electronic vote, many delegates rose to ask technical questions. The keypads acquired several affectionate (?) nicknames, such as the Awakened Beast. My favorite was coined by the male delegate that stood to ask what he should do if his "Little Doohickey" wasn't working. The chair replied, "You bring your Little Doohickey here to the front," to howls of laughter.
The first several votes (we had to vote 12 times, once for each of our 12 choices of the 25 candidates) went slowly as the voting secretary allowed time for people to ask questions and become comfortable with the process. The last part went more smoothly.
The result of the voting...
Of the more than 800 ballots (12 votes equalling one ballot), 94 were spoiled, a greater than 10% failure rate! Russ says paper ballots have about a 10% failure rate anyway, but there you are. We move to a paper ballot this morning. I suggested to Susan Wiltsey that she rise to move that if the paper ballot has a 10% or greater failure rate, we return to electronic voting.
After the failed election, we moved to voting on several resolutions, first passing a resolution allowing the church's national entities (commissions, etc) to use electronic tools to perform their work more efficiently. The irony was palpable.
The most hotly debated resolution sought to establish budget priorities for the Committe on Program, Budget and Finance to use in forming the budget for the church. Some delegates wanted to change the priorities to place more emphasis on Young Adults, Youth and Children, or on Reconciliation and Evangelism. As passed, the priorities are:
1. Justice and Peace (including the Millennium Development Goals - which I will discuss in a separate post)
2. Young Adults, Youth and Children
3. Reconciliation and Evangelism
4. Congregational Transformation
5. Partnerships
So, I'm off to the third day of worship and legislation.
posted by Toni Marie | 6:10 AM
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