This month we will elect a new council who will lead our fraternity for the next three years. The election of a new council is an important matter for the fraternity because the council sets the course of study for the next three years as well as the tone of the fraternity meetings. A council bubbling over with Franciscan joy will be more likely to transmit that joy to the rest of the fraternity. On the other hand, a council that is petty and judgmental will probably run a meeting that tends to be more critical. So, then, what should we look for in a minister, a vice minister, a secretary, a treasurer, and a formation minister? We should look for people who are willing to welcome new people and new ideas while still ensuring that we keep to the Franciscan path as outlined in the Rule and in the Secular Franciscan Constitution. We should look for people who embody, as much as possible, the Franciscan charism; people who are willing to give of themselves to both the fraternity and the community.
What isn't as important as the qualities listed above when you consider who should be on the council? Please don't consider things like who has access to a computer and who can type up an agenda. These are all external things. We can run an meeting without an agenda per person. While none of us are probably as knowledgeable about economics as Alan Greenspan, most of us are capable of of balancing a checkbook and keeping track of expenditures. Therefore, most of us are also capable of filling the ministry of treasurer. None of us will never publish a book that garners as much attention as J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series, but most of us can keep track of what happens at a meeting and write minutes of the meeting. Most of us, too, can keep a file of our important papers at home. Is there any reason that we couldn't keep track of fraternity documents? Most of us will never run for any kind of political office, either on the local level or on the national level, but we have all managed to raise a family, sometimes while working outside the home. We have learned to organize our time and resources. We have taught our children how to tie their shoes and face life as adults. If you have done that, believe me, you can be minister or vice minister. Remember, God will never ask you to do something without also giving you the ability to accomplish the task.
So, please, consider accepting a nomination for the ocuncil and pray about who should be elected. If you are an active member, come to the meeting to cast your vote. The fraternity depends on the participation of all our members.
