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Assembly Arrangements
This Committee plans and budgets for General Assembly
Committee Members
Convener: Revd D Alasdair Pratt Secretary: Mr Hilary Gunn Moderator, Moderator-elect, General Secretary, Clerk to Assembly, Convener of Local Arrangements Committee for the relevant year.
1 The work of the committee.
The committee meets in the early autumn to review the Assembly just completed. At the year end general consideration is given to the forthcoming Assembly, particularly local arrangements. (A local representative is a member of the committee for the relevant period). In the spring detailed planning goes into the programme, the order of business, special presentations, other meetings, and arrangements for distinguished visitors.
2 Forthcoming Assemblies.
At the Nottingham Assembly in 1998, it was agreed that for the years 2000-2002 the annual Assemblies should be residential. The decision to meet at Queen Mary and Westfield Colleges in the University of London, 1 - 4 July 2000 was confirmed at that time. This year we bring a resolution that in 2001, Assembly should meet in York from Monday, 16 July to Thursday, 19 July. Enquiries are being made about the possibility of meeting in Scotland in 2002.
3 Patterns of Assembly beyond 2002.
The Nottingham Assembly also asked us to consider alternative arrangements for future meetings. It was not difficult to conclude that in the years since residential Assemblies have been held, representatives have found them to have considerable advantages over those in which many people have had to travel every day.
In most cases, cost has not been significantly different, while the convenience of being on one site has been to everyone’s advantage. We therefore propose that residential Assemblies should become the norm and that they be held over a long weekend. This proposal will have to be amended at a future date if the frequency and/or form of Assembly were to change. (See next paragraph).
4 There are related issues which will require wider discussion. These include whether or not Assembly continues to be held annually and, if so, in what form. If Assembly was not annual various practical considerations would arise including e.g. what to do about constitutional changes or what arrangements would be needed for the election and induction of Assembly Moderators. The size and representation also needs to be considered. Papers setting out the fuller implications of these and related matters have been sent to committees, synods and district councils for discussion. We plan to present a completed report in 2000.
5 Voting Procedure for Moderator of Assembly.
Voting for Moderator of Assembly is conducted on the principle of the single transferable vote. It has been realised that a situation might arise in which, though the number of candidates is reduced to two, neither has actually achieved 50% or more of the total votes originally cast.
Resolution 43 proposes an addition to Rule 3(6) in Section C of The Manual in order to remove any uncertainty.
Resolution 41 General Assembly 2001
Assembly agrees that General Assembly in 2001 will be held from 16 - 19 July at the University of York.
Resolution 42 Residential Assemblies
Assembly agrees that from 2002 annual meetings of the General Assembly will be held residentially, over a long weekend.
Resolution 43 Rules of Procedure
Assembly agrees to add the following sentence at the end of Rule 3(6) Rules of Procedure: "If the process continues until only two names remain, the person who then has the larger number of votes shall be elected".
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