1. Committees, Commissions, Agencies & Boards
The Work of General Convention
Between Conventions
Welcome to the First Meeting of Committees, Commissions, Agencies and Boards. In churchspeak, we refer to these bodies collectively as CCABs.

2. What is a CCAB?
Committees, Commissions, Agencies and Boards carry out the work of General Convention between conventions
There are two kinds of Committee:
Committees of Executive Council, authorized by General Convention to develop policy for a given area of work; for example, Executive Council Committee on Indigenous Ministries
Committees of a House of General Convention, charged by its House to carry out work for it between General Conventions; for example, the House of Deputies Committee on the State of the Church.
Joint Standing Committees draw their membership from both Houses of General Convention and carry out work on behalf of both houses between conventions; for example, the Joint Standing Committee on Nominations.
Standing Commissions, established by General Convention and named in the Canons, or laws of the church, which develop policy for a given area of the church’s life; for example, the Standing Commission on Anglican & International Peace with Justice Concerns.
Agencies with their own boards of trustees, which have considerable autonomy in carrying out their work, which may include both setting policy and doing program; for example, Episcopal Relief and Development.
Boards, which are created by General Convention and named in the Canons to manage a specific area of work; for example, the Board for Transition Ministry.

3. Mandates Each interim body has a mandate
Standing Commissions and Boards’ mandates are canonical
Joint Standing Committees’ mandates are in the Joint Rules of Order
Committees of Executive Councils’ mandates are in authorizing resolutions
Committees of a House of General Convention may be canonical (State of the Church), in the Rules of that House or in the charge of the Presiding Officer
Each CCAB has a mandate, or instructions, for what it is to do. The mandates for Standing Commissions and Boards are found in the Canons. The mandates for Joint Standing Committees are found in the Joint Rules of the House of Deputies and House of Bishops. The mandates for Committees of Executive Council are found in their authorizing resolutions. Mandates of Committees of a House of General Convention are sometimes found in the Canons (e.g., State of the Church) or in the Rules of Order of the authorizing House (e.g., House of Bishops Theology Committee) or in the charge of the Presiding Officer who appoints the committee (e.g., House of Deputies Study Committee on Church Governance & Polity).

4. What is a mandate? Mandates are areas of inquiry reserved to a CCAB
Mandates are not for a triennium, but for the life of the body
In addition to carrying out work referred by General Convention, CCABs choose some small portion of their mandate to address in each triennium
Mandates divide the responsibilities of CCABs one from another, but there is some overlap. For example, the Standing Commission on Ministry Development has a mandate to review theological education in the church, while the Standing Commission on Lifelong Christian Formation & Education has a mandate to review all education in the church. These two Standing Commissions will need to keep each other informed on their work. Another pair of overlapping mandates could be those of the Standing Commission on Constitution & Canons and the Standing Commission on the Structure of the Church. There are others, as well.
Mandates exist for the life of the CCAB. No CCAB can accomplish its mandate in a triennium, and most mandates are broad. In addition to addressing legislation referred by General Convention, CCABs should choose one aspect or project from within its mandate for work in a given triennium.

5. Where to Find Mandates
The Chair or Convenor of each interim body has a copy
Mandates are posted on each body’s Extranet site
Mandates are posted on line on the General Convention Office’s (GCO’s) website under “CCABs”
Members of CCABs will find their body’s mandate in a variety of places:
At this meeting the convenor or chair has a copy.
Each CCAB’s Extranet site includes the body’s mandate.
The Website of the General Convention Office (GCO) lists mandates. Click on CCABs from the GCO front page:

6. What do mandates include?
The area of policy the authorizing body or appointing officer expects the interim body to investigate
The membership of the interim body
How and by whom members are appointed
Terms of office
In addition to giving the area of interest for each CCAB, a mandate generally enumerates the number of persons on the CCAB and their distribution by order of ministry, how and by whom members are appointed and the term of office.

7. Who are the members?
Voting members of Committees, Commissions and Joint Standing Committees are appointees. The Presiding Bishop appoints bishops; the President of the House of Deputies appoints priest/deacons and lay persons.
Voting members of Boards are elected by the General Convention or appointed by a Presiding Officer and confirmed by the General Convention
The Presiding Bishop and the President of the House of Deputies are voting members of Standing Commissions, Committees of Executive Council and Joint Standing Committees and may attend all meetings
The voting members of CCABs are the members appointed by the Presiding Bishop and the President of the House of Deputies or, in the case of a Board, those persons elected by the General Convention or appointed by a Presiding Officer and confirmed by the General Convention.
The Presiding Bishop and the President of the House of Deputies are members ex officio of all Standing Commissions, Joint Standing Committees and Committees of Executive Council. When they attend a CCAB meeting, they have seat, voice and vote.

8. Vacancies Members resign to the person who appointed them
Copy the General Convention Office:
GCO keeps rosters current
Appointing officer(s) make(s) new appointment
It may be necessary for a member of a CCAB to resign from the body. He or she does this by writing (or ing) the Presiding Officer who appointed him or her (bishops resign to the Presiding Bishop; priests/deacons, lay persons resign to the President of the House of Deputies. Copies of resignations should also be sent to the General Convention Office.

9. Absence from Meetings
Members of CCABs who have two unexcused absences from meetings (including telephone/electronic) lose their seats
To be excused from a meeting a member must ask the CCAB’s chair
The CCAB votes to accept the excused absence or not
Members of CCABs who cannot attend a meeting (face-to-face, telephone or electronic), must ask the chair of their body to be excused. The chair brings the request to the CCAB meeting, and the body votes to excuse the member or not. Two unexcused absences in a triennium and the seat occupied by the absent member becomes vacant. [Canon I.1.2.(b.)]

10. Reasons for Resigning Change of ordination status
Change of canonical residence (PB&F)
Not being reelected as Deputy to General Convention (Nominations, PB&F, State of the Church, Other Committees of the House of Deputies)
Inability to attend meetings
Personal reasons
There are many reasons for resigning from a CCAB. Most interim bodies specify the number of bishops, other clergy and lay persons who may serve. When a member changes order of ministry, say, a priest is ordained a bishop, her or his ordination status changes, and she or he must resign.
Change of canonical residence affects few CCABs. One important exception is the Joint Standing Committee on Program, Budget & Finance, whose members represent the church’s nine provinces. If a member moves to a different province, he or she must resign. The memberships of Joint Standing Committees and Committees of a House of General Convention are drawn from a House of General Convention. If a bishop loses her or his seat in the House of Bishops, she or him must resign from a Joint Standing Committee or Committee of the House of Bishops. If a clerical or lay deputy is not reelected by her or his diocese, she or he must resign from Joint Standing Committees or Committees of the House of Deputies.
Members may resign if they find they are unable to keep the commitment they made to serve. They may find, for example, that their salaried employment leaves little time for service.
Members may resign for personal reasons, citing which the member does not have to say why he or she is resigning.

11. Officers Convenors (at First Meeting only) convene meeting
facilitate introduction of members
hold election for chair
At this First Meeting of CCABs, there are Convenors for bodies that do not have appointed Chairs. Convenors received a packet of materials that is thicker than other members. It includes “Conflict of Interest” policies for all members, “Emergency Notification Forms” for all members, an officer election form, a plan for the triennium form, the mandate of the CCAB and the legislation referred to the CCAB by the General Convention, Executive Council or me.
The Convenor will gather the CCAB together after lunch and provide opportunity for members to introduce themselves. The Convenor will conduct the election for chair of the CCAB. After the chair is elected, that person becomes the presider at the meeting, and the Convenor and the Chair exchange registration packets.

12. Chairs at First Meeting At all meetings
conduct election of Vice Chair and Secretary
submit list of officers to Secretariat
submit plan for triennium to Secretariat
attend Breakfast on 19 November
At all meetings
preside at meetings
work with GCO to schedule meetings
develop agendas
post meeting date/time/place and agenda
keep track of legislation referred to the body
keep in touch with subcommittees and monitor their work
inform the appointing Presiding Officer(s) and the GCO if a member misses two meetings unexcused
Chairs have duties for this meeting and for all meetings.
At this meeting chairs conduct the election of a vice chair and a secretary. They fill out and submit the “Officers” form to the Secretary. They distribute to their members the Conflict of Interest and Emergency Notification forms to members and submit the signed copies to the Secretariat. They fill out the plan for the triennium and submit it to the Secretariat, and they attend Breakfast tomorrow morning.
At all meetings Chairs preside at meetings. They work with the General Convention Office to schedule meetings. They develop agendas, which they post, along with meeting dates/times/places. They keep track of the legislation referred to their body. They coordinate the work of subcommittees. They inform the appointing Presiding Officers if a member has two unexcused absences.

13. Vice Chairs at First Meeting at all meetings
Attend Breakfast on 19 November
at all meetings
preside at meetings in the absence of Chair
undertake Chair’s duties when delegated
chair major subcommittees
At this meeting Vice Chairs are invited to attend Breakfast tomorrow morning, and at all meetings Vice Chairs preside when the Chair is not present, undertake duties assigned by the Chair and chair major subcommittees.

14. Secretaries attributes take minutes
be computer savvy, own a laptop and bring it to meetings
attend Breakfast on 20 November
take minutes
include date, time and place of meeting
record members and others who are present
record any motion that is brought to a vote
note tasks and the member(s) who agree to do them
post draft minutes on Extranet site
receive and note corrections to minutes
publish approved minutes on-line
Secretaries must be computer literate, own a laptop and be willing to bring it to meetings. There will be a breakfast for secretaries on Friday morning.
Secretaries’ chief duty is to take minutes of both face-to-face and telephone meetings. Minutes must include the date, time and place of meeting, the members present and the members absent, noting if an absent member has been excused or not. The minutes must record any motion that is brought to a vote and tasks decided by the committee and who has agreed to do them. The Secretary will post draft minutes on the CCAB’s Extranet site, accept additions and corrections to minutes submitted by members and publish approved minutes on-line.

15. Who else attends meetings?
A personal representative of the PB and/or PHoD
A member of the PB’s staff.
The Executive Officer as coordinator of the work of interim bodies
A liaison from Executive Council
Consultants engaged by the interim body
The public
In addition to appointed and ex officio members, additional persons may attend CCAB meetings. When the Presiding Bishop or President of the House of Deputies cannot attend a meeting, she may send a personal representative. The Presiding Bishop may appoint a member of her staff as liaison to a CCAB. Sometimes I may attend a meeting pursuant to Canon I.1.13, which gives me the authority to coordinate the work of CCABs. Many CCABs have liaisons from Executive Council, members of Council who will make report on your progress to the appropriate Standing Committee of Executive Council. You may have consultants whom you have hired to do work on your behalf. All meetings of CCABs are open to the public, which is why your chair is required to post agendas and meeting information on line.

16. Presiding Bishop/ President of the House of Deputies
Seat, voice and vote, when present
May send a personal representative
seat and voice
When the Presiding Bishop or President of the House of Deputies attends a meeting of a CCAB, she has seat, voice and vote. When she sends a personal representative in her place, that person has seat and voice.

17. Staff Presiding Bishop appoints a staff liaison Duties seat and voice
act as conduit for communication between Presiding Bishop and interim body
inform and counsel interim body about on-going and former work
The Presiding Bishop may appoint a member of her staff as liaison to a CCAB. The staff person has seat and voice at the meeting. The staff person brings the Presiding Bishop’s concerns to the CCAB and keeps the PB abreast of the CCAB’s work. Staff can also serve as advisors to CCABs, informing the body of work that has been undertaken in the past and work that is presently underway. Staff are the CCAB’s link to the persons who carry out program, which results from the CCAB’s work in recommending policy to the General Convention.

18. Executive Officer Duties seat and voice
coordinate interim bodies’ work
serve as conduit with GCO
advise on writing resolutions
When I attend meetings of CCABs, I have seat and voice. I can often inform a CCAB of parallel work being undertaken by another CCAB. I can bring concerns of CCABs to the General Convention Office and vice versa. I can advise CCABs on writing resolutions.

19. Executive Council Liaisons
Appointed by Presiding Bishop and President of the House of Deputies
Duties
seat and voice
serve as conduit with Executive Council
keep Executive Council apprised of body’s work via written report
Executive Council liaisons are elected members of Executive Council, jointly appointed by the Presiding Bishop and President of the House of Deputies (as Chair and Vice Chair of Council). They have seat and voice at CCAB meetings. They may bring concerns of Council to the CCAB and vice versa. They keep Executive Council apprised of your progress in working on resolutions referred by General Convention.

20. Duties of CCAB Members Prepare for meetings
Attend meetings (face-to-face and virtual)
Take part in the body’s deliberations
Bring experience to the table
Vote conscience
Volunteer for work on subcommittees
View triennium’s work through lens of anti-racism/anti-oppression
CCAB members should
Prepare for meetings
Attend meetings (both face-to-face and virtual)
Take part in the CCAB’s deliberations
Bring their experience to the table. There is a reason you were appointed: your voice is important.
If there is a vote, vote your conscience.
When asked, volunteer for work on a subcommittee. Particularly in this era of strained resources, CCABs will rely on subgroups to do their work between meetings. Members should be willing to help with that work.
General Convention has committed the church to nine more years of anti-racism. CCABs should make a conscientious effort to regard their work’s impact on marginalized communities: how would a new canon, say, work in dioceses outside the United States? how would a resolution’s import be made known to non-English speakers? how would a proposed program be implemented in a rural congregation of Native Americans or an urban congregation of African-Americans?

21. Resolutions
The General Convention and/or Executive Council has directed some interim bodies to undertake specific work by resolution
The Secretary of the General Convention has referred resolutions that affect all interim bodies
Work must be reported to appropriate body
CCABs may have resolutions referred to them by General Convention or Executive Council.
There were only five incomplete resolutions from GC 2009, and I have referred them to a CCAB.
Throughout the triennium, and especially at the end of the triennium, CCABs report on their work.

22. Reporting
Standing Commissions, Joint Standing Committees, Committees of a House of General Convention, Agencies and Boards report to General Convention in the Blue Book
Committees of Executive Council report to General Convention through Executive Council
The Blue Book is the report of CCABs to the General Convention. Standing Commissions, Joint Standing Committees, Committees of a House of General Convention, Agencies and Boards report to the General Convention through the Blue Book
Committees of Executive Council report to the General Convention through Executive Council, which reports through the Blue Book.

23. Reporting cont’d
All interim bodies report to Executive Council throughout the Triennium
Council liaisons report in writing to the appropriate Standing Committee of Council
Bodies without liaisons report in writing to the appropriate Standing Committee of Council
All CCABs report to Executive Council during the triennium.
Council liaisons report to the appropriate Standing Committee of Council.
CCABs without a Council liaison must file their own written report with the appropriate Standing Committee of Council.

24. Meetings Face-to-face and virtual meetings both count as meetings
Most interim bodies have meetings budgets
A few of your meetings in the triennium will be face-to-face. Most of your meetings will be by telephone or on-line.
General Convention has budgeted for most CCABs’ meetings costs.

25. Budgets
General Convention has budgeted for meetings of CCABs for the triennium
CCAB budgets are triennial budgets
CCABs may allocate their meetings money to accomplish their work
In any given year CCABs may run a surplus or a deficit, but they must remain within their budget for the triennium
CCABs have triennial budgets. There may be funds budgeted for 2010, 2011 and/or 2012.
CCABs may allocate their funds to accomplish their work, spending money from a future year, if it is necessary. The triennial total is what matters. CCABs are expected to end the triennium in the black, even if they may be in the red at the end of individual years.

26. Expenses charged to Meetings Budgets
Face-to-face and virtual meetings costs
telephone charges
airfare
hotel
meals
individual expenses
consultants’ fees and travel
The General Convention Office will charge the following expenses to your meetings budget: telephone charges, airfare, hotel rooms, meals and individual expenses (e.g., local transportation, tips, internet, health club). There are additional expenses that will be charged to your line item like consultants’ fees and travel, if you engage a consultant to help you in your work.

27. Expenses not charged to Meetings Budgets
Translation of documents
Translators at meetings
Staff travel
Executive Officer’s travel
Executive Council liaisons’ travel
There are expenses that are not charged to your account. The cost of written and oral translation is billed to a general line item in the CCAB budget, not to the individual CCAB. Staff, GCO and Executive Council liaison travel are billed to their own accounts.

28. Keeping Track of Budgets
Real time budget available on Extranet
Help from General Convention Office:
budgets – Cheryl Dawkins
face-to-face meetings – Patrick Haizel
virtual meetings – Mikah Leon
In the upcoming triennium your budget will be available to you in real time on your Extranet site. As expenses are incurred, your budget will decrease, but you will have a day-to-day view of the status of your budget. You may also get help from the General Convention Office. Cheryl Dawkins can discuss with you the state of your budget and the expenses charged to it. Patrick Haizel can work with you to find inexpensive meeting sites. And Mikah Leon can help you schedule telephone conference calls.

29. Meetings
Call or Mikah Leon to set up a telephone conference call:
(ext. 6329)
Call or Patrick Haizel to set up a face-to-face meeting:
(ext. 6046)
Here are the contacts for setting up meetings.

30. Face-to-Face Meetings
Provide Patrick Haizel with your budget and the number of people invited to attend
Depending on where members live, the cost per person per meeting will be between $750 - $1000 (2 night stay)
The GCO can help with recommendations of less expensive meeting venues
A face-to-face meeting will cost about $15,000 for the average sized CCAB. If you have $15,000 in your triennial budget, that means you will have only one face-to-face meeting in this triennium, not counting this First Meeting. Remember, there are other expenses that must come out of your meetings budget, so be careful in allocating your resources. The General Convention Office has a list of inexpensive conference centers, which we have used in the past.

31. Transparency Rosters kept up-to-date by GCO
Meeting dates and times posted by chairs
Interim Reports to Executive Council
Reports to General Convention
Meeting minutes posted on GCO website
One of the goals of CCABs ought to be transparency. The church and the public-at-large ought to know what CCABs are doing throughout the triennium. To that end, the General Convention Office will keep rosters up-to-date, but we need your help in reporting vacancies. Meeting dates and times, together with a proposed agenda, should be posted by the chair. Throughout the triennium, but at least annually, Executive Council should be apprised of a CCAB’s progress (by the Executive Council liaison, if there is one; by the CCAB’s designee, otherwise). At the end of the triennium each CCAB will report to the General Convention, either directly, or through Executive Council. Minutes of all meetings should be posted on line.

32. Minutes Minutes serve two functions within the interim body
keep members on task
inform absent members of work
outside the interim body
inform the church of the body’s work
Posting minutes reminds members of the tasks they agreed to do. They keep absent members apprised of the CCAB’s work. They inform the church and the public-at-large of the CCAB’s work.

33. Questions ?