National Council for the U.S.

The purpose of the National Council of the U.S. Regions of the St. Francis de Sales Association is to coordinate and oversee the activities and finances of those regions in order to foster and ensure unity of practice under the direction of the General Council of the association. (Statutes, First Part, Chapter II, Art. 6 & Second Part, Chapter IV, Art. 20 & Chapter VI, Art. 36.)

A convergence of events brought us to this point in the history of the association in the U.S. In 1979, Delphine Madill asked to divide the U.S. into two regions using the Mississippi river as the dividing line. The membership had grown from a handful to over a hundred people spread over several dioceses and residing in different parts of the country, we continued to grow and develop. It soon became clear that there needed to be a national treasury, to pool some funds so that all groups shared in the cost of the bi-monthly "Bond" publication and Probations. Previously, all printing and mailing was done by the St. Louis Group, at its own expense. Nell R. and later Mary Ellen S. served as national treasurers and Kay J. took care of mailing. A National Council was a natural development and was built upon the shoulders of these and many other capable women. We are deeply grateful to them.

We grew to four Regions in 1997 and five in 2003, which made it desirable to improve communication with Paris and between the regions. Since our traditions were, mostly, passed on verbally, they could easily get lost, distorted or misinterpreted. There was a need for a vehicle to share the background of the association and a means to communicate and receive feedback on the directives that come from the General Council. In short, a National Council could preserve essential unity.

It also became apparent we needed to take some action to prepare for future growth and to recruit younger members. A "from the grassroots" meeting of Companions in St. Louis in 2005 was inspired by Kay C. It gave ownership to a broader spectrum of membership, with the introduction of the concept of Service Teams. We needed a way to coordinate the Teams within the parameters of the Statutes and Interior Rule of the Association, another reason for a National Council. Additionally, Congress' passage of the Pension Protection Act of 2007 raised concerns about the future in regard to our tax-exempt status. We needed to be organized on a national level to clarify and protect that.

The members of the U.S. National Council include:

• The two Councillors elected to serve on the General Council, meeting at the Centre in Paris, France.      
• The five Regional Directresses named by the General Council.
• Assistants to Regionals and the National Treasurer, attend the meetings as non-voting members.

The National Council meets monthly by telephone conference, and a yearly meeting is held in person. ( Regional Directresses meet together at least once a year with other Regionals and Councilors of the same linguistic group to consider questions concerning their responsibilities, Chapter IX, Article 23 of the Interior Rule.)

RESULTS:

A. Bylaws and financial policies (2008)

B. Service Teams (2005) to energize and further the Association in U.S.:

Salesian Life: two Delphine Madill books, Card-"Means of Deepening Our Life of Prayer" (2007)

Communication: "Bond" archive, email option (2007-08), National Directory (2006), Website (2009)

Leadership: Training Manual (2008)

Membership (2007): standardized aspirant kit and exit question survey (2009)

    Progress reports of these Service Teams appear in the "Bond".

C. Future Goals: new associates join the Council after General Assembly (2009)

This should give you a glimpse into the reasons the leadership in the U.S. formed a National Council. They are to ensure the unity, continuation and growth, in number and devotion, of the St. Francis de Sales Association in the United States. It seems to be the Lord's "gentle breeze" urging us forward. Our General Directress, Annie Trabichet, and the General Council have been kept informed and approve of this development.

Thanks for the efforts of so many, the work of those who have gone before and upon whose skillful foundation we have built; you are loved and appreciated. They include those who have compiled the "Bond" for many years, our team of translators; and guides of the Auxiliaries. Thanks to those serving on the National Council and those who are working and have worked on the Service Teams.

Please pray that, together, we may be "leaven in the dough" of the Church, for years into the future, in the United States. The members of the National Council are your servant leaders and are open to your questions and suggestions. Our contact information is inside the back cover of the "Bond".