The Serra Leader

The Serra Leader is published quarterly and mailed to all USA Council Club Officers, District Governors, USA Committee Members, and USA Council Board.

We hope that the Serra Leader is valuable to to you as a Serran working for vocations. If you have any questions, would like to submit an article, offer your suggestions please email the Communications Coordinator.

The Serra Leader

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The Serra Leader (Summer '06)

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The Serra Leader Spring 2006

Special Edition

How does Serra’s new policy affect you?
by USA Council President Don DeDecker

By now you've probably heard so much about Serra International's reorganizational plan for the councils and the USA Council's response to it that your head is spinning.

It would have been nice to be able to discuss the plan with the SI Board and come to some kind of understanding or conclusion before mobilizing our communications vehicles and staff to get the news to all of you. But a joint meeting could not be arranged right away due to various scheduling conflicts. (That meeting is now scheduled for May 20.)

Having received the news in January, I didn't want you to remain in the dark as I waited for such a meeting to convene. I'm glad I didn't. It is my responsibility, and my board's responsibility, to keep you informed of what could be a threat to our council and staff. I wanted to get the word out so that you could decide how you feel about it, formulate and ask relevant questions, and weigh options while there still might be room for action.

I also wanted you to know that we at the national level of leadership feel that our council's current structure is worth preserving. Despite the highest ideals and very best intentions, it is not difficult to understand why we feel that breaking up our council will diffuse some of the momentum we've worked so very hard to achieve.
Serrans in the field, in the USA and all over the world, will be the ones most affected by this policy change; and because it was passed as a policy change, that means that the SI board did not intend for any of us to have a vote in the matter.

How, exactly, will it affect you? I’d like to focus on something that will become immediately apparent: Serrans in the U.S. will lose its USA Council staff assistance in Chicago. These are the people you call to update your records or to request things like your tax-exempt ID number. This is the office that ships the merchandise you order, gets the right kind of logo to your printer, and custom-makes certificates for club awards ceremonies. This is the office you call when you need advice starting a new club or designing your club website. Well, Ed, Jan, Peter, Anne and Pat’s duties are to be assumed by Serra International’s office (also in Chicago), including new hires and volunteers. Our www.serraus.org website will likely disappear, as will this newsletter and the serraUSA magazine. The USAC staff coordinates the meetings of our council’s committees -- committees who have worked together with our staff for over a decade to put us on the map as a significant vocations presence in this country. Those dedicated Serrans will need to find a new way to facilitate their work, as the staff was very involved in executing committee-directed projects. National vocations organizations like the NCCV or NCDVD, who have come to rely on the USA Council staff’s assistance, will have to form new relationships with a new staff.

The SI Board has provided very little nuts and bolts information regarding exactly how the new structure will work and why it is so desperately needed. This alone should be cause for trepidation. And frankly, some of the reasoning SI offers - specifically, claims that they can't manage their financial affairs because we are withholding money from them - make our council and staff look dishonest.

There is no use arguing this point back and forth in any fashion, because the bottom line is that numbers don't lie. The USA Council staff's books are audited yearly and are open for review anytime to prove that we have never withheld money due to SI. We not only welcome but we encourage a third-party auditing of both our books and SI's to clear up this matter.

You've heard enough from me on this topic, both here and in personal letters. The rest of this issue of the Serra Leader is dedicated to the thoughts and opinions of others on our USA Council board. I hope you will read them and consider them carefully as you form your own views on this situation, which does affect you. I also hope that you will support our council in its attempt to preserve its staff and structure by voting FOR our amendment to block SI's policy change at the delegates' meeting at the international convention in Spokane. I respect your opinion, whether it agrees with mine or not. Thank you for all you do for Serra.

Lawful or unlawful?
SI's attempt to disestablish the USA Council
by Ernest Doclar, President-elect-elect

Leaders of your USA Council of Serra are still scratching our gray heads in wonderment. We're trying to figure out why our father organization, Serra International, feels it is necessary to enact such drastic changes as it has regarding USAC structure. These changes are those that you have been reading and hearing about for the past several months. Further, we wonder if the changes offered by the SI Long-Range Planning Committee (from now on referred to as LRPC) and passed by the SI executive board were approved lawfully. We think they were not.

First, some background:
The USA Council was legitimately established in 1994 under the terms of Serra International's bylaws Article IX. It is our contention that to be able to change our legitimate establishment would take an amendment to that effect or to show cause for reorganization/disestablishment. Such an amendment has not been offered. And, if we go by the bylaws, there should be only one justification for SI’s new plan: That "…such council is not conducting its activities in accordance with the duly adopted constitution and bylaws of such council." That justification has never been alleged.

But the real sticking point is that the LPRC report passed by a majority of the SI board was a change to policy, not a bylaws amendment as it should have been. We contend that the reason for trying to change policy is that an amendment that would disestablish the USA Council as we know it would not have passed when submitted to a convention vote. And that the only way SI could effect the changes it seems to desire regarding the USA Council would be to change policy. We further contend that bylaws supersede policy and since there was no bylaws change, the LRPC action passed by the SI board is null and void.

If you saw SI President Dennis Leiber's LRPC Power Point presentation, you may remember Slide No. 4. It supposedly offered legitimacy to SI's action to establish new councils in the USA to supplant present USA Council structure. It refers to Article VI, Sec. 1, of SI bylaws which says: "The [SI] board of trustees shall divide the member clubs into districts and shall determine district boundaries." As you see, this passage has to do with districts, not councils. There is no mention of the right of the SI board to form councils as it has proposed in the LRPC changes of Jan. 14, 2006.

Finally, another reference to Article IX of SI bylaws: Provision is made here of the ability of "…Serrans or the Serra clubs in any particular country…" to create Serra councils. There is NO provision for the Serra International board itself to create Serra councils as it has announced that it intends to do.

As you have seen, the three instances above show Serra International flouting its own bylaws. It cannot do so without the proper, legal steps being taken. If the above matters arise on the floor of the Spokane convention, we hope that you will consider all of the above and other facts in deciding whether the USA Council as we know it lives or dies.

New Serra policy increases district governor duties
by Betty Monaghan, USAC Communications Vice President

Having served my term as district governor, I would like to reflect a little, and share with you the challenge of that office. Like many officers in Serra, I did my stint while holding down a full-time management position, keeping up a home, a busy life with my family, and my parish work.

I agree that the role of the district governor is very important to the health, vitality, and maintenance of Serra clubs, in the USA Council and everywhere else in our organization. As District 46-E Governor,I was responsible for 13 clubs in four dioceses, in two states, with many miles of travel in very big, busy cities. Getting to meetings with Serra clubs in heavy traffic time was a challenge in itself, especially after a full day of work. Each club invites the district governor to attend their special programs, like dinners with altar servers, priests, and liturgy events.

The district governor is expected to visit each club to review the vocation work they do, give talks, and evaluate the general health of the club. You attend bimonthly district meetings. You prepare, manage, keep, and submit records. Attendance at the spring governors training is a must. Add to that participation at a regional conventions as well as a long weekend for the Serra International convention. WOW! The result is a mighty schedule.

If the SI Long-Range Planning Committee's policy changes come to fruition, the number of clubs for each district governor to manage could double, triple, or quadruple. In addition, the DG would be expected to be an officer on one of the five or six new councils to be formed. This comes down to so many, many more miles to travel, endless numbers of meetings, records, and reports and all this for a two-year term. These obligations come on top of your personal job, family, hobbies, and other duties.

In my view, even a retired person accepting the office of a governor under this new arrangement could not handle all of it. Elimination of our dedicated staff, as indicated in the LRPC report, could only compound matters. A retired man or woman still has a family and another life outside of Serra.

Serra International Board, we in the USA Council have operated successfully for some 14 years. We are not broken. We don't need fixing. Let us sit down like good Catholics and work through the issues facing USAC and SI so we can fulfill our mission and objectives.

Clarifying some cloudy statements from the Serra International Board and its Long-Range Planning Committee
by Patricia DeJarnett Carden, Incoming USA Council Vocations Vice President

Much frustration and concern has occurred within our USA Council since the Jan. 13, 2006, Serra International Board meeting where the decision was made to dissolve the USA Council as we know it. Having arrived in San Diego for a Serra International Convention Committee meeting following the SI Board meeting, I have experienced these uneasy feelings right from the beginning.

Since then, my initial reaction to the news has not changed. This was an emotional decision on the part of the Serra International Board. When I first heard the news, I was asked not to tell anyone until SI President Dennis Leiber could tell USAC President Don DeDecker about it. This request, which came from an SI board member, certainly piqued my curiosity about how the decision was made. Would one board actually make a decision about restructuring a council without involving the board of the said council? The unfortunate answer to that question is yes.

Having made a decision based on emotions, not facts, the Serra International Board is now trying to justify that decision with faulty logic and half-truths. The following are examples of where one must question their logic and sincerity.

Dennis Leiber, in his address to district governors/regional directors: “…Crockett, DeNike and Plaia (past presidents of USAC) gave thoughtful and prayerful consideration to the status of proceedings as they were and wrote a report that was taken very seriously by the Long-Range Planning Committee.”

^ One might read this statement to mean that the people mentioned above supported the LRPC’s recommendation. The report referred to did not support the recommendation. In fact, along with other board members from the US, these past presidents of the USA Council voted against the proposal.

Dennis Leiber, in his address to district governors/regional directors: “You may be asking yourself, ‘What is this restructuring going to look like?’ And I have to tell you: I don’t know.”

^ One must respond with shock to that answer. Was a feasibility study not completed prior to this decision? Was a cost analysis done? This is one thing the SI board is being honest about, and it appears the honest answer is that they have applied no practical analysis to this action!

Dennis Leiber, in his address to district governors/regional directors: “In addition, all of these papers … were also shared with Justin Cardinal Rigali. … His Eminence knew exactly what was being done.”

^ His Eminence also stated that “the more we fragment the organization, the more difficult it will be for Serra to be effective.” In breaking our one large council in six smaller ones, isn’t the Serra International board doing exactly that -- fragmenting? In a conversation with Bishop Cupich, Cardinal Rigali said that he hoped Serra International would proceed slowly and with caution because it will be much more difficult to put Serra back together than it will be to break it apart. Cardinal Rigali may have known exactly what was going on, but what Leiber fails to mention is that his Eminence also voiced his caution and even disapproval of the policy change advocated by the SI board.

Dennis Leiber, in video on Serra International website: “USAC, over the past three years, has been chronically late in remitting these semi-annual payments due to Serra International. … How much is the arrearage? Well, as of March 18… The closer figure is $100,000.”

^ Of course, all Serrans in the US will react with shock and embarrassment to this statement. The truth is that an arrearage does not exist. This is supported by annual independent audits of the USA Council finances.

Darryl Ross, in video on Serra International website: “Well, in fact, Serra Councils, USAC, for instance, is part of the total Serra International picture. Because Serrans, from around the world, most of them are parts of Serra councils. But all those councils constitute the entire Serra International organization. These wrong perceptions are what we need to correct in our organization of Serra, so Serrans everywhere know, no matter whether they are parts of councils, whether they are United States, or Brazil, or Thailand, or Canada, whatever they may be, we are all part of the total Serra International group, an organization to help further, as a lay apostolate, further our church’s goals in bringing more vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life.”

^ “Wrong perceptions?” Every Serran knows that the USA Council is a part of Serra International. We pay $28 per year of our dues to Serra International. Our membership pins and cards say we belong to Serra International.

From the Long Range Planning Committee presentation: “Serra must meet the needs of a world with a changing landscape and emerging technology.”

^ One must question what exactly this has to do with restructuring councils or how restructuring councils will have any effect upon or be affected by emerging technology.

From the Long Range Planning Committee presentation: “The LRPC reached consensus that Serra must: … Mirror the organization of the Universal Church by having Serra district boundaries coincide with diocesan boundaries.”

^ In the USA Council’s case, it already coincides with diocesan boundaries. The USA Council organizes itself according to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ 14 regions, for which diocesan boundaries are the guide.

From the Long Range Planning Committee PowerPoint: “Any restructuring (of the councils) must achieve the following: … A broader representation on the SI board.”

^ According to the SI Policy Manual, the USA Council already has at least 6 representatives on the board. Thus the restructuring, which gives us one representative per new council formed, may not have any effect on our representation.

As a member of Serra International, I am personally embarrassed that our internal bickering was made public and that emotion, faulty logic, and half-truths were placed on the Serra International web page. It appears that the decision to restructure the USA Council was based on a new management principle a pundit calls EOE -- Egos, Opinions and Emotions.

I pray that the Holy Spirit will guide Serra in our further negotiations and that our organization can go forward to promote our mission. Blessed Junipero Serra, pray for us.

Performance and Documentation vs Emotions and Egos
by Doug McRoy, Incoming USA Council Programs Vice President

Most Serra members I have known through my own club, members I have met through the position of district governor and regional director, and Serrans who are members and work on our national committees, are very dedicated to our Serra mission. To paraphrase that mission, we are all about fostering and promoting all vocations; affirming and supporting our clergy, religious and all those who help, right down to our parish altar servers; and we are very aware that our own faith can be very much enhanced through prayer and Serra involvement.

These activities and responsibilities, with possibly the exception of prayer, are best done in groups with like-minded people sharing roles and communicating with one another. It is difficult to do this job alone -- hence the need for Serra clubs! This concept can be taken further by realizing that one Serra club can benefit greatly by being involved with other Serra clubs certainly in nearby areas, but also throughout the country.
Many of our clubs face similar challenges. Many clubs are graying. Some smaller clubs need to recycle their officers, and this often leads to the lack of creativity. To help rise to these challenges, it is my opinion that strong involvement by many clubs in district and regional activities, united by a strong national council, is mandatory for our clubs' success.

Our Serra USA Council and its staff’s performance and activities are well documented. Staff assistance and information is always available to our clubs: live help is just a phone call away; Serrans visiting the www.serraus.org website find it full of relevant, useful and current information; up-to-date manuals exist (downloadable for free on the website) for every Serra officer position; and printed help and instructions are available on Serra activities such as hosting a convention, building a new club and many others. To further facilitate the spread of information, our council's officers, committee members and staff make personal visits to various Serra conventions and meetings to pass on ideas and recommendations that the national committees put forward.

The overall purpose of a Serra council, I believe, is to support the clubs. It is the prime function of the local club to make vocation activities work. A strong club needs to have membership growth and retention, well-prepared and worthwhile programs to foster attendance at meetings, and well-established Programs and Communications committees for everyone's benefit. It is hard for me to imagine success in these areas without a central source.

If we depend on the Serra International Board to replace our USA Council board and staff with a group of two-year term district governors, volunteers, and new staff unaccustomed to the ins and outs of Serra clubs and the Serra year, this seems overly positive at best and terribly naive at worst.

The USA Council's has established a proven track record in effectively and efficiently providing the aforementioned help to Serrans nationwide. The rapport our council leaders and staff have established with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and other national vocations organizations is a tremendous benefit to our success and mission.
SI President Dennis Leiber’s remarks at the SI website have raised questions about the financial responsibility of our council. All Serrans should know that the financial records of your council are available for review and they are made available several times during the Serra year. The USA Council's financials are audited once a year, and have been every year since the Council's inception. There is no money being withheld by your council that belongs to Serra International, nor has there ever been. All dues received are disseminated on a monthly basis so the portion of your dues that is earmarked for Serra International is received regularly. The fact that Serra clubs have been invoiced does not create an accounts receivable balance for Serra International owed by any council.

In conclusion, I would ask all Serrans to review and research what is available to you in forms of official records and your own personal experiences with the USA Council staff and anything else that can be established as fact. Put no stock in gossip, half-truths and desires for power based on emotional appeals by some! The report by the Serra International Long-Range Planning Committee, in my opinion, is just that. Not only has it appeared out of the blue, but there are no concrete, identifiable reasons nor plans for what they say their goals are.

May we settle this matter in service to Mary, Mother of Vocations, and the work we all strive to do.

A proposal from USA Council President-elect Gary Davis

The January announcement that Serra International had taken action, by a narrow margin, that would result in the demise of the United States of America Council, the elimination of its Chicago office, and the creation of five or six mini-councils "staffed" with volunteers, was a surprise and a great shock to Serrans in the United States, especially the many Serrans who have worked long and hard to make USAC the effective organization that it is today.

Many Serrans wanted to know the reasons for the Serra International Board's action. The response was that the board was enacting recommendations made in a report of the Serra International Long-Range Planning Committee. However, a review of that committee's work reveals that the report does not support, in any significant way, the action that was taken by the SI Board.

As a result, at its late January Super Weekend the USAC Board unanimously passed a resolution rejecting the Serra International Board's action and requested that the Serra International Board rescind its action.

Further, at the district governor training meeting in February in Kansas City, after viewing a DVD furnished by Serra International promoting the changes, a future district governor, on his own initiative, circulated his own handwritten petition in support of USAC and its Chicago staff in opposition to the intended Serra International action. Almost all of the attendees signed the petition.

At the Serra International convention this summer in Spokane, the delegates will be asked to vote on an amendment co-sponsored by USAC, districts, and clubs that would substantially limit the ability of the Serra International Board to take such unilateral action in the future without providing a fair hearing to a council, based on a specific standard for the action.

This amendment would also have the effect of making the January Serra International Board action null and void.

Needless to say, the action of Serra International in passing its resolution and the reaction of a proposed convention amendment would be a divisive one, although a necessary one if an effective Serra is to be preserved.

In the closing moments of the district governor training meeting in Kansas City, one of the attendees asked that since open lines of communications are important between district governors and others, "Why don't Serra International and USAC communicate with each other?"

These were wise words and they offer a challenge to both USAC and SI.
I, for one, will take up that challenge when I assume the position of USAC president at the convention this summer. I know that those who have come before me and that those who are likely to come after me feel similarly.

Therefore, I propose the following:

1. That the Serra International Board take immediate action to rescind its resolution of January, 2006; halt implementation of the report of its Long Range Planning Committee; and agree not to take up the topic for a three-year period of time.

2. In response USAC will agree that its proposed amendment be tabled for a period of three years.

3. In the meantime, the two parties will agree to appoint a Joint Conference and Communications Committee made up of the immediate past president, the president, and the president-elect together with one additional board member for each. The JCCC will meet not less than four times per year, at least two of which will be in-person meetings in Chicago. Others meetings may take place via teleconference, satellite or web conferencing.

4. The JCCC shall explore actions which will benefit Serra International and USAC in encouraging and supporting vocations throughout the United States and the world. It shall focus on collaborative efforts to increase effectiveness and efficiency and to promote collaboration and cooperative activities in fostering the purposes of Serra.

The point is that both Serra International and the United States of America Council must begin immediately to foster an open and earnest dialogue that will rejuvenate Serra as a whole, and enable all of Serra to carry out its goals. We owe it to ourselves as Serrans to fulfill Serra's mandate and this is the time to accomplish that objective.

ALWAYS GO FORWARD--NEVER TURN BACK.

Blessed Junipero Serra, pray for us!

Sincerely,

Gary A. Davis
President-elect
United States of America Council of Serra International

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The Serra Leader Spring 2006

Help us keep your Serra USA council intact

by USA Council President Don DeDecker

As you are probably aware, in January the Serra International Board approved, on a nine to seven vote, to accept the recommendations of the Serra International Long Range Planning Committee to reorganize the existing structure of Serra councils and districts across the world. (For the report)

Council leadership in the USA (and perhaps in any of the other nine councils across the world) was not consulted prior to the vote to adopt the recommendation of the Long Range Planning Committee. Furthermore, the Serra International Board passed the action as policy, which means only a board vote was needed to pass it, rather than a vote from delegates at the convention. A complete restructuring of the entire organization is a pretty drastic action to take with the support of only nine to seven and no discussion with the Serrans who would be the most affected.

How would the reorganization affect our council?

The reorganization would create additional councils, as many as five in North America. This would result in the dissolution of the USA Council as we know it. Based on comments by Serra International President Dennis Leiber at the SuperWeekend meeting in January 2006 to all in attendance, it can be reasonably assumed that the USA Council’s Chicago staff on Wacker Place would be eliminated. As you will see in the report, the aim is to replace paid staff with volunteers across the nation, and to create up to six council boards composed of district governors.

How will the changes be implemented?

The details and immediate ramifications of this large-scale endeavor have not been determined by Serra International’s Long Range Planning Committee. Two task forces are to be formed to create the plans for structure and re-organization. These task forces are to form, map a new structure for Serra worldwide, come up with a transition plan, and implement all of it by June 2007 -- a little over a year from now. We do not understand the urgency of this action.

Maintaining our national presence and identity

At its January meeting, the USA Council Board voted unanimously to ask the Serra International Board to rescind this policy because, among other reasons, it is the belief of the USA Council Board that our council needs to be one national organization to fairly represent the needs of our bishops and national vocation organizations. Further, our board believes that Serrans in the USA are best served by their own dedicated staff.

Over a decade ago, we recognized that the needs and challenges of Serrans in North America were different from those in other parts of the world, and our council was formed to address them. In supporting Serra’s mission, we have worked hard to forge significant relationships with other national vocations organizations while trying our best to cater to the needs of Serrans at the club and individual level. If you read through the report on later in this report , you will see that one of the reasons for the reorganization is to address the perceived “fragmentation” in Serra. You may wonder, as we do, how breaking down (in our case) one large council that works can be an appropriate response to “fragmentation.”

What you can do to keep the USA Council intact

By now, district governors and club presidents should have received a letter from me containing a proposed amendment to the Serra International bylaws that would prevent further action by the Serra International Board or Long Range Planning Committee to dissolve or modify a duly formed council or council’s structure without following the existing bylaw provisions.

We are asking you leaders at all levels of Serra in the USA to inform your clubs about this situation and to support our amendment. You can do this by voting to accept the amendment change at the Spokane Serra International Convention this summer. Hopefully by now clubs and districts have chosen to support us by becoming cosponsors for the amendment and have submitted the amendment to the Serra International office at 70 E. Lake Street in Chicago.

If you will be supporting us by voting for the amendment change at the convention, you must submit your delegate credential form to the Lake Street office, postmarked no later than May 30, 2006. You may also deliver your credentials personally at the Spokane convention before noon on June 28, 2006. Please see the delegate credential form included in this newsletter for specific details.

Closing thoughts

Our council Episcopal adviser, Bishop Blase Cupich, and the Episcopal adviser of Serra International as a whole, Cardinal Justin Rigali, identified a gap in communication in this situation which needs desperately to be bridged. As of this writing, I and several other USA Council officers are attempting to arrange a personal meeting with Serra International Dennis President Leiber and members of his board to discuss our concerns and objections surrounding this matter.

The USA Council’s vitality, size, structure and achievements do not detract anything from the mission that unites us all, worldwide, as Serrans. I hope you will all support us in maintaining our identity as a national council dedicated to our work for vocations.

Did the USA Council know about Serra International’s plans to restructure the organization?

by Jim DeNike, USA Council Past President

Comments made by Serra International President Dennis Leiber at our January Super weekend and in his address to the leadership in training may lead some to believe that members of our USA Council board were well-informed about the organization changes approved by the Serra International board in San Diego.

I have been on the Serra International board since June 2004, and I don’t remember it that way. I decided to carefully check the minutes of SI board meetings since I joined to see if I had missed something.

On June 28, 2004, in Pittsburgh, mention was made of the Long Range Planning Committee reviewing the Serra International’s objectives with Cardinal Rigali. Serra International Executive Director John Woodward stated what changes were being considered. There was general agreement that these changes seemed appropriate.

At the January 2005 board meeting in Chicago (I was not present for this meeting), the recommended new objectives were approved for presentation to the delegates in Bangkok in June.

On June 21, 2005 in Bangkok at the outgoing board meeting, these changes were again reviewed prior to the delegates meeting later that week. At the delegates meeting, the bylaw changes were approved with minimal discussion.

At the incoming board meeting on June 27, John Woodward distributed a collection of papers describing discussions at Long Range Planning Committee meetings about organization which he expected would be discussed by the board at the January 2006 board meeting. I studied these papers over the next month with the following observations:

These were not minutes of meetings, but more a rambling collection of notes of comments by various people.

There was no specific recommendation of organization changes.

My analysis of these notes led me to the conclusion that the most likely recommendation to come forth was a return to the pre-1998 structure where district governors would report to Serra International Area Trustees, who would be members of the Serra International board. The councils would be only advisory.

I wrote a draft of a paper critical of this structure and reviewed it with USA Council past presidents Lloyd Crockett and Tony Plaia in Breckenridge in August 2005. The final draft was sent to John Woodward so it would be available at the Serra International Executive Committee meeting scheduled for Mexico in October.

At the meeting in Tehuacan, Mexico, organization was discussed but only briefly. There was no comment that our criticisms were off the mark or that another structure was coming forward. Either the latest structure had not yet been determined, or we were purposely not told about it. Dennis Leiber closed the discussion with a statement that councils would remain as they are (this is paraphrased; I do not have a transcript). Leiber made a similar statement in his speech at the USA Council Annual Meeting in Breckenridge.

After returning from Mexico I reported to USA Council President Don DeDecker and Executive Director Ed Verbeke that there would be no change to USAC.

The first time I received any information about this restructuring of our organization was when the Long Range Planning Committee submitted its PowerPoint report to the Serra International Board on the morning of January 14, 2006, in San Diego. We voted on it that same morning.

Serra International President Dennis Leiber addresses
district governors and regional directors

This message was delivered on DVD to attendees of the USA Council Leadership Training and Planning Conference last February. President Leiber addresses the reorganization initiative passed by the Serra International board in January.

I’m Dennis Leiber, president of Serra International. Last August in Breckenridge, Colo., at the USA Council Super Weekend, I approached Tom Walsh and indicated my desire to be with you this weekend in Kansas City, as you in particular, the district governors-elect, are trained to the important role that you are going to perform in the coming year. Well, unfortunately, we cannot predict the future, and I would not have expected that I would have received an invitation as I have from his holiness Pope Benedict XVI to represent you and Serrans throughout the world at an audience on Ash Wednesday. So we’re using this new technology, and also depended on Nate McKenzie, who drove it from Grand Rapids, so I have a few opportunities to share with you thoughts that have been on my mind over the past couple days.

I’ve often said – and my reason for wanting to be with you – the most important role in Serra, the most important office in Serra, is not any council office, nor this distinct honor that I have as your president for this year, but it is you, this district governor. The health, the vitality, and the maintenance of the Serra movement resides in the Serra club. And it is the district governor whose special responsibility is to maintain the integrity and the vitality and the growth of that club that ensures Serra’s presence throughout the world.

As I’ve often said, Serra is a global, grassroots, lay apostolate. In Bangkok, I encouraged those in attendance to remember that Serrans should always think globally, but act locally.

Let me show you a picture that’s important to all of us and explains why I’m going to Rome. (Shows a photo of John Paul II blessing several monstrance.)

The date is Nov. 24, 2004. Our late beloved John Paul II is blessing the first of the monstrance dedicated for the Eucharistic year of adoration for priestly vocations. Now let me tell you the story behind the picture. It’s only because of Serra International that the Vatican asked us to be a participant in this worthy work. You see, five years ago, when Serra International first started coming to Rome to recreate that relationship that was started in 1951 when Pope Pius XII aggregated us, joined us, to the Pontifical Work for Priestly Vocations, that we have improved upon a dialogue so that the Church now more fully knows who we are, and what we do. When the monstrance program was begun not by Serra, it was Father Francis Bonnici, the director of the Pontifical work for Priestly Vocations, who knew us, who knew the work that you and I do, that said “We can’t have this program without Serra’s active involvement.” Now, three more monstrance will be blessed on Ash Wednesday for distribution throughout the world.

Recently you may have learned that the Serra International board, on Jan. 15, adopted the Long Range Planning Committee report which has to do with the restructuring of Serra as an organization. Maybe you even received a letter, as I did, from Don DeDecker, Jan. 30 of this year. I had hoped that we were going to be able to issue a joint communiqué, but it didn’t happen, and that’s all right, because I have pledged with Don that we’re going to meet at the end of March and work out these issues.

A couple of things that I want to say, though, especially that you hear it from me, is the importance of this work has absolutely no effect whatsoever on the objects and purposes of Serra, on the structure and maintenance of the individual clubs, and importantly, has absolutely no effect on your important role as district governor. There have been a number of myths or misconceptions that have been circulating (I’ve read some of them on the internet). I want to address some of them now.

One is that this was a hasty or ill-conceived report. I beg to differ. The Long Range Planning Committee started in 2002 and met regularly over the past three years to discuss the issue of how Serra should be configured for its future in order to be effective and efficient and to be productive and to share that message of vocational support throughout the world. This then became my responsibility as president when I chose then to circulate all the working papers to all members of my board, including 10 from the United States, three of whom are past Serra USAC council presidents.

In response to that circulation to the board, members Crockett, DeNike and Plaia (past presidents of USAC) gave thoughtful and prayerful consideration to the status of proceedings as they were and wrote a report that was taken very seriously by the Long Range Planning Committee. I know, because I was there. On the 13th of January, the final report was produced and presented to the board on that following day.

I want to explain also that this was not the result of any kind of punishment that some people, I think, unfortunately perceive because of how it’s been communicated to them by others. There is absolutely nothing about the report, its source or its purpose that is in any way critical of the fine work that Serra has been doing throughout the world in all of its councils, and in particular, in the United States. So please, don’t think that this was some sort of – or believe anybody who suggests that it was some sort of – retributive measure. It is not.

In addition, all of these papers, not only shared with the board, were also shared with our Episcopal adviser, Justin Cardinal Rigali. He is the Episcopal adviser of Serra, in the United States, and throughout the world. His Eminence knew exactly what was being done, what was being discussed, and the progress that was made, and in fact was present when the final report was compiled by the Long Range Planning Committee.

So, what’s the result of my giving three years of the Long Range Planning Committee reports to my board, the Serra International board, in June of 2005? It’s namely the recognition that the real work of Serra is done at the Serra club and district level. However, Serra must act as a global lay apostolate, at the service of the universal church. Therefore, it’s essential to strengthen Serra’s foundations, the Serra clubs and the Serra districts.

Serra is a volunteer organization. Dues must be allocated as much as possible to vocations work rather than administration. There is no “national Catholic church” here in the United States or anywhere else in the world. The church exists either as the universal church, or as the local church, that is to say, the diocesan church. Serra clubs always have been, and always will, operate with the approval and under the direction of their local ordinary, who is the shepherd and the teacher of their flock.

Distilled to its essence, the Long Range Planning Committee report, which was adopted by the Serra International Board, believes that in terms of growth, outreach, and overall cost effectiveness, the Long Range Planning Committee recommended that a model Serra council should encompass 10-12 districts and be governed by a board consisting of district governors.

I’ve heard a lot of concerns and criticisms over the last six weeks, that the restructuring adopted by the Serra International Board will have some disastrous effect on the hard work and successful programs that have been accomplished here in the United States through the various committees. I’ve read the Long Range Planning Committee report thoroughly, and I take these criticisms seriously, because I served on the Vocations Committee. And let me tell you in that context: there’s no reason why the present work of the Vocations Committee of the United States council cannot continue; in fact it must continue. I can see easily that representatives of each future council would meet together with the same frequency that they do now in Chicago over Super Weekends, and address the same issues and the same programs and vocations on a national level.

You know, by now you may be asking yourself, “What is this restructuring going to look like?” And I have to tell you: I don’t know. But I can tell you, people who will know the answer. You see, as president, I have to appoint two task forces: The first to identify the number of Serra Councils and the districts in each of them and the second to include past Serra council presidents to study and recommend actions to be taken to ensure a smooth transition.

I have to tell you, both personally and by my schooling and profession, I hate change. Lawyers and judges depend on the predictable, the known, the old and the reliable. But in the world of Serra, everything changes. We’re not the same world we were 70 years ago, not even 10 years ago. Just today, His Holiness appointed new cardinals, and now the number of cardinals in the United States equal the number in Asia. We have to be responsive to the needs of the Church, to the vocational needs, whether it’s to address a surplus or to stimulate growth. It’s through our restructuring that we can be responsive.
And I also say this. This restructuring doesn’t just affect us in the United States. It affects every Serra council throughout the world. In some cases, like the United States, the representation on the board will increase to reflect the strength and vitality of Serra here in my country. In other countries, councils will totally lose their national identity, and be subsumed into a different group.

So, all I can say is, join me in prayer: Mary, Mother of Vocations, pray for us.

Help Serra clubs affected by Katrina

Hurricane Katrina devastated many of our coastal and New Orleans clubs. Our council has decided to waive their dues for six months.

I recently talked with Dick Ebert, Serra Club of Biloxi president. He said that many members of his club have lost their homes and possessions. The same goes for several other clubs in the area. Dick said that as a club they contribute $600 to their seminarians who evacuated to Indiana with just the clothes on their backs.

As a council, we are asking clubs and Serrans who would like to donate funds to help cover their losses to send them to the USA Council Katrina Relief Fund. You can send these to our office on Wacker Place.

-- Don DeDecker,
USA Council President

Serra International Long Range Planning Committee Report

The following is the Serra International Long Range Planning Report as given in a PowerPoint format to the Serra International Board of Trustees on Jan. 14, 2006.

The Long Range Planning Committee came together in June 2002, and started its work with a thorough review of the report of the Organizational Structure Review Committee of June 1996 and the Reid Report of April 1999.

While both documents were considered of real value, the committee felt that neither one went far enough in defining the working relationships between the SI Board of Trustees and the boards of the various Serra Councils around the world; neither did they lay down a timetable and a process for carefully assessing what were the real outcomes of the significant changes in the governance of Serra that were approved in 1997 and implemented thereafter.

Article VI, Section 1 of SI Bylaws provides:

Section 1. Formation. The board of trustees shall divide the member clubs of SI into districts, and shall determine the geographical boundaries of each district. The Board of Trustees may alter these boundaries at its discretion. (Emphasis supplied.)

I. At its 13 January meeting, LRPC held wide-ranging discussions on all of the papers presented and made the following observations:

1. The objectives and purposes of Serra are:

To foster and promote vocations to the ministerial priesthood in the Catholic Church as a particular vocation to service, and to support priests in their sacred ministry.

To encourage and affirm vocations to consecrated religious life in the Catholic Church, and

To assist its members to recognize and respond in their own lives to God’s call to holiness in Jesus Christ and through the Holy Spirit.

2. Serra must meet the needs of a world with a changing landscape and emerging technology.

3. Serra must take serious steps to achieve its goal to have a Serra club in every diocese.

II. In determining its future, Serra must embrace the principles of:

Consolidation

Collaboration

Consistency

Communion with:

The Universal Church

The local Church

III. LRPC reached consensus that Serra must:

Address the “fragmenting” of the organization

Mirror the organization of the Universal Church by having Serra district boundaries coincide with diocesan boundaries

Acknowledge that a “one size fits all” approach is not appropriate with regard to Serra councils

Create councils of more equal size (this may require approving the formation of five additional Serra councils in North America, two additional Serra councils in South America and one additional Serra council in Europe)

Speak with one voice

Serra’s organizational structure must emphasize:

Responsiveness

Clear communication

Accountability

Efficiency

Effectiveness

Cohesiveness

Why are Serra councils being retained?

Serra councils are expressions of the natural tendency for people with common interests to come together to address challenges and issues.

IV. Any restructuring must achieve the following:

The allocation of more resources for vocations

A more unified system of governance

A broader representation on the SI board

V. The model Serra council must have the following characteristics:

Made up of 10-15 Serra districts

A board consisting of district governors

Each governor is elected by Serra clubs within his or her own district

Low overhead costs by emphasizing volunteerism

Recognition and accommodation of differences in history, economics, culture and language

The officers of the Serra council must include a president and president-elect who will serve for two-year terms

Serra council presidents-elect (or their alternates) will be designees of their council to the SI board for a two-year term

VI. Structure – comparison of present organizational chart with proposed organizational chart
(Organizational structure is represented identically in present and proposed organizational structures but notes are added to reflect changes mentioned above.)

VII. Implementation

SI Board of Trustees adopts the LRPC Report as policy at its meeting of 14-15 January 2006

SI President appoints a task force to identify the number of Serra councils and the districts in each of them

SI President appoints a second task force to include past Serra council presidents to study and recommend actions to be taken to ensure a smooth transition

All present Serra council presidents-elect serve their terms until 30 June 2007

Implementation of the LRPC report to be completed by 30 June 2007

It’s a ‘what’ without a ‘how’

Why we oppose Serra International’s plan to reorganize our council

by Ernest Doclar, President-elect-elect

In 1992, somehow my name got tossed into the pot of those who might make likely members of a USACC (Canada was with us then) committee. I joined the communications gang and eventually became the chair, then VP for programs of the council. And having been Navy, not Army, I never heard that warning from basic training, “Don’t never volunteer for nothin.’” So when they asked if I’d run (ha!) for USA Council 2007-08 president, I heard the Holy Spirit say, “You’ve got to do this!” And I said yes.

OK, now to the point: Over the past 14 years of working closely with the USA Council (or USACC), I’ve always admired my fellow Serrans who yearly devoted thousands of hours and spent thousands of dollars for vocations, and sweat mightily over working for vocations. And I admire even more the indefatigable paid staff in Chicago who support local clubs and are absolutely indispensable for us who work at all levels to be as effective as we have been. (I hope you read the piece I did in serraUSA’s February 2005 issue that told exactly what they do and why we need to keep our Chicago coordinating staff.)

So, when Serra International recently announced that its Long-Range Planning Committee had proposed, then its board voted on, and passed a plan that would eliminate the USA Council as we know it AND dissolve the Chicago office and fire the staff, I was alarmed and incredulous. In fact, everyone I know on the national top leadership, on national committees, plus district governors and regional directors was flabbergasted. You can read the proposed changes for yourself (next page), in addition to SI President Dennis Leiber’s talk on DVD to those attending the district governors and regional directors training in Kansas City in late February (p. 6). You can draw your own conclusions about how this will be implemented, how long it would take, its effects, its cost, and more. You won’t find any of that in what’s come out of SI so far. Nor will you find any strong, concrete reasons for the changes.

What struck most of the USA Council leadership so forcefully is that these changes are being imposed on us by SI without consultation with us beforehand. Further, there was no mention of any recourse from the terms of these changes. How could these measures be prescribed in a Catholic organization operating in an era in which we stress collegiality, the idea of talking things out, adult to adult, to arrive at a mutually-acceptable conclusion?

Your USA Council board didn’t take these proposed changes lying down. It reacted immediately by letting Serra club presidents know about the terms of the Serra International’s proposals and by officially registering their unanimous disapproval to SI’s board. We hope club presidents briefed their members but, if not, then the contents of this newsletter should tell you what we know. It should also tell that we’re going to resist this attempt to dissolve our USA Council of Serra. We feel in the long-run, the changes will hurt our work for vocations at a time when we need every effort possible to recruit new vocations to priesthood and vowed religious life, and preserve our existing committed clergy and religious. We need coordination on a national level to maintain good relationships with our bishops and with all the other national vocations-oriented groups.

How could we ever operate a national vocations strategy or any national plan without meshing and timing efforts? We must strengthen our USA Council to extend Serra’s effect in our nation and to keep Serra vital and focused.

Dear Peter...

Sound advice from USAC Membership Coordinator
Peter Cunningham

Dear Peter,

I have a top-notch club. We sponsor all kinds of excellent activities and membership is on the rise! Does the USA Council recognize outstanding clubs?
Proud Serran

Dear Proud Serran,
The USA Council awards as described online and in an award booklet available from the Chicago office include:

Annual Outstanding USA Council Serran Award

This award recognizes an outstanding Serran in the United States. The USA Council will present this award when the outstanding Serran is identified at the annual USA Council meeting held this year at the Serra International convention in Spokane. Letters of nomination are accepted throughout the fiscal year. They may be addressed to the USA Council of Serra International Relationships Committee Chairman at our office on Wacker in Chicago.

Outstanding Newsletter Award

This award is presented to Serra clubs who show excellence in communications via outstanding club newsletters (see back cover!).

"Spirit of Serra" Award

This award is presented to members of the secular media who produce books, magazine and newspaper articles, or television programs that support the goals and mission of Serra by portraying vocations in a positive, thought-provoking manner. Submissions may be mailed to the USAC office by May 16.

Distinguished District Governor Award
Distinguished Serra Club President
Honor Club

Nominations for the above three awards must be submitted at the USA Council of Serra International Office on or before May 1. Additional information may be found online here:
http;//www.serraus.org/serra_usa/serra_awards.htm

USA Council Awards Program Forms

Distinguished Club President Award
Distinguished District Governor Award
Honor Club Award

Club Membership Campaign Awards:

1 Fall Campaign - Serra clubs that meet or exceed a net gain of five new members in the first six months of the fiscal year will receive a Membership Award.
2. Spring Campaign - Serra clubs that meet or exceed a net gain of five new members in the first six months of the fiscal year will receive a Membership Award.
3. Full Year Campaign - Serra clubs that meet or exceed a net gain of 10 new members during the full fiscal year will receive a Membership Award.

Serra Club Anniversary Banners:

The USA Council recognizes and presents 25th, 50th, 60th, and 70th anniversary banners to those Serra clubs celebrating these anniversaries of their charter. The regional director or district governor will present the banners at the district/regional convention.

Serran Years of Service Lapel Pins:

The USA Council recognizes Serrans celebrating 50 years or more of service with a special lapel pin. The regional director or district governor will present this pin at the district/regional convention.

The USA Council encourages clubs to recognize their members’ milestone anniversaries of service to Serra by adopting a program of peer recognition. Each year, our office prepares a list of each club’s Serrans who are celebrating their 10th and 25th membership anniversaries. We send these lists to the club presidents annually in August. The club then can choose to honor these members with a 10- or 25-year service pin, available from the USA Council merchandise catalog. You may purchase these items from the USA Council office in Chicago by calling 888-777-6681.

District/Regional Awards:

The USA Council Meetings and Convention Committee also encourages districts and regions to adopt a program of peer recognition for the efforts of Serrans and Serra clubs that actively advance the mission and objectives of Serra at the district and regional level. The appendix of the convention manual includes nomination forms and criteria that may be used to identify and recognize chaplains, Serrans, and Serra clubs. The award nomination form due dates are subject to local scheduling.

If someone asked you, “What does Serra do?” could you give an answer?

Did you read our article in the last issue of this newsletter about brushing up on your invitation skills? It included a self-evaluation of what Serra means to you. We hope everyone in your club has completed the exercise; it will give you that extra confidence to approach someone about our great organization.

Here’s something similar from Dick Toren, communications vice-president of the Serra Club of Morgantown, W. Va.:

“What does Serra really accomplish in helping provide new priests and religious for the church?

A Serra friend told me some weeks ago that this question was put to him by another member, and he had trouble answering. That evening I sat down and quickly wrote up this list.

Morgantown Serra:

1. Provides moral support for priests and religious.

2. Our very existence in Morgantown tells all ordained and consecrated ministers that we value them and their ministries, that we want more men and women like them.

3. Stands ready to help in many ways that support efforts to increase vocations.

4. Awards to altar servers -- crosses, arm bands, etc.

5. Testifies to the whole faith community that vocations are worth working for; helps establish a culture that welcomes vocations.

6. We pray to the Lord of the Harvest to send more workers into his vineyards as Christ taught us to do.

Results? Can’t tell what part Serra plays, but (there are) 15 seminarians (currently in our diocese), three ordinations this year, and two or three ordinations most years.

The job is big, but clearly progress is being made. I say to myself -- and to all Serrans, take courage!

Draw up a list for your club so you don’t get caught searching for words when someone asks you what Serra really does for vocations!

Introduce your diocese to Serra on the radio Norma Swanson from the Serra Club of North-Minneapolis sent us this script of a spot she did for her club on Relevant Radio. What a great way to get the word out about Serra! Feel free to take the text and adapt it for your own club.

60 Second Serra Imaging Spot

"District 7 Serra Clubs support the mission of Relevant Radio and Pope John Paul II's call for a New Evangelization. Here's Norma Swanson District Governor with The SERRA CLUB.

What would the world be like without priests and religious orders? We're not taking chances!

Serra International advances Church vocations
through information, affirmation, invitation and prayer
under the guidance of the club's diocese.

Members are lay men & women who grow their Catholic faith through programs which enrich their knowledge of God and Church.

Pope John Paul II called Serra the "Vocation Arm of the Church."

Our patron is Blessed Junipero Serra, a Franciscan missionary.

From a lunch group of 4 men in 1935, Serra has grown to 19,000 members in 36 countries. 15 clubs are located in Minnesota.

When it comes to vocations - think Serra!

For information on the web:
S - E - R - R -A --- U- S "DOT" org
or call 888-777- sixty-six eighty-one

Boring but important: Club files: to keep or not to keep?

Spring will be here soon (I hope!), which means it’s time for spring cleaning. Here is the recommended retention schedule for club records:

Retain permanently

Legal correspondence (club charter, bylaws, EIN letter)

Chart of accounts and general ledger (If you use Quicken, Money or any other program, save a backup disk)

CPA audit reports

Minutes of all meetings

Retain for seven years

Accounting ledgers

Cancelled checks

Any contracts

Retain for five years

Bank reconciliations

Convention records

General correspondence

Payment records

Membership records

Retain for two years

Any other records

-- Ed Verbeke, USA Council Executive Director

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The Serra Leader Winter 2005

The simple ministry of invitation

by USA Council President Don DeDecker

First, I’d like to wish an early Happy New Year to all you loyal Serrans!

Our Serran year still has six months to go and I want to ask each and every one of you to help our great organization swell its ranks by getting out and bringing in new members. Serra is a sleeping giant. It's the greatest secret in the Catholic Church. Let's be visible in our church activities, like our fellow Knights are. Spreading public awareness of our mission and work can only help to attract joyous new members to our organization.

How long has it been since you brought a guest to a meeting or even signed up a new member? I was speaking on this topic at a club meeting recently and an older member came up to me afterward and said, "We all should bring in our replacement before we die." I don’t think our situation is quite that dire, but his humor really stuck with me. Death isn’t exactly my favorite motivator, but it is true that we need new members if we want Serra’s work to continue.

Why are you a Serran? Why did you join Serra? Who asked you to join? Would you have joined if you hadn't been invited?

Not too long ago, I brought in a new member. He is a lector in our parish and is in his forties. We were having lunch and I said, "Bill, do you know what Serra is?" "I think so,” he said. "So why aren't you a Serran?" I asked. His reply was, "Nobody asked me."
Much like the Catholic vocations we exist to support, to be a Serran, too, is a calling. We often hear of priests who didn't seriously consider the priesthood until someone suggested it to them. It is just the same with some of the potential Serrans out there.

Don't be afraid to simply invite someone to join; you may have found the person who was just waiting to be asked!

Who wants to be on your team?

To attract and keep winning members, keep your club in all-star condition

by Ed Husler,
USAC Membership Committee

Remember the sometimes brutal practice of “choosing teams” during childhood phys ed? Every potential player in the line crossed his or her fingers and prayed not to be humiliated by being picked last.

But suppose that you could choose what team you want be on instead of the other way around.

And suppose Team A has nice new uniforms, accomplished players, a positive team ethic and several trophies in a case. Plus they go out for a well-earned pizza after daily practice.

Team B, on the other hand, has shabby uniforms, if they remember to wear them at all. They’ve got one or two players who do all the work and know it; a few players who hardly ever show up to practice, and several others who just criticize everyone else. If they have any trophies they’re from years ago when they were a different team altogether. And don’t even ask about pizza.

In the world of volunteer organizations, new members get to choose what team they would like to join. Is your Serra club more like Team A, mentioned above, or Team B?

Stock your trophy case by focusing on Serra’s mission.

In order to attract new members and keep the members they have, a club must display vitality and be able to show that it has completed worthwhile accomplishments. People join and stay in organizations that strive to complete the work they believe in. If a club has little to show for, that club will be hard pressed to convince people to get excited about joining (or staying). A good, long, honest evaluation of your own club should tell you whether or not you are in the game or sitting on the sidelines.

Most people, especially younger people, are far too busy to join another socially oriented club that does not actively strive to solve society and/or church problems. Most people have far more things to do than they can comfortably accomplish and priorities must be set. These priorities are usually set unconsciously by the pressing needs of family, etc. But people will adjust their priorities if they feel their membership will be worthwhile as far as doing good works for the church and if they feel they can make a difference. The internet and TV rob so much of our time and it takes a strong incentive to pull us away from these daily entertainment routines. If a club can gain high visibility especially in churches and church-related activities, and show that it has completed many worthwhile deeds, more people will want to become active members. This will also help in creating new clubs because these active clubs can be used as examples when talking to the potential members of a proposed club.

Encourage bona fide teamwork.

Too many clubs, whether they are fraternal, business related, or other, tend to fall into a mode of being mostly socially oriented and end up with a few people who do all the work. Around this dynamic, sometimes cliques are formed. These cliques tend to ignore input from newer members or members whose ideas do not seem to fit their thinking, resulting in disgruntled members who will probably leave because they feel their ideas do not matter. The clique mentality also leads to crusty, dated club programs with no opportunity for fresh ideas in sight because no one is allowed to have a crack at the job. Naturally, this affects the club’s membership potential as a whole, because stale programs are not exactly attractive to potential members.

As if all this weren’t bad enough, members who do all the work (whether it’s because no one else wants to help or because the workers refuse it) tend to get “burned out” and lose enthusiasm. With no relief waiting in the wings, suddenly club operations come to a halt. This is a crisis that can be averted. You just have to be astute enough to see it coming and brave enough to point it out.

Don’t waste all that work you did recruiting new players just to have them warm the bench!

Another well publicized problem is losing new members, usually in the first couple of years. For example, when I was much younger, I joined an organization because of aggressive recruiting and good salesmanship. I later dropped out because I felt that I was getting nothing from my dues. The organization had good goals and accomplishments but I never found out enough about them because of lack of follow-up on my part and on the part of the people who recruited me. This is a common problem and many clubs tend to forget that new members can’t possibly know much about the club’s accomplishments, let alone higher levels of the organization. The onus of keeping them informed is on the club.

Sometimes new members don't show up at meetings because they feel awkward, especially if they haven't been exposed to the other members and customs of the club. Therefore it is critical that an existing experienced member “buddy up” with the new member for a few meetings, introduce them to the members, and get them involved in some meaningful way so the reasons that they joined can be fulfilled. Asking the individual at orientation what they would like to be involved in helps the officers know how to approach them to ask for help. A good start is to get them assigned as a co-chairman or committee member so that they can work with someone else and have time to learn about the assignments before taking on full responsibility.

Practice makes perfect. Invest time in crafting quality meetings.

Some new members leave because they come to a few poorly conducted meetings that are allowed to exceed the scheduled time and/or have no apparent goal. For people on tight schedules this is very important for obvious reasons. Committees should be formed to discuss and solve lengthy problems outside the main meeting to keep the meetings concise. As officiator, the president should be aware that he or she has to move the meeting along at all times and not allow it to be hijacked by any one topic.

In summary, a club that is dynamic, active and shows a record of worthwhile accomplishments will succeed in all facets of membership. None of these ideas are new and have been heard many times. The important thing is to keep a vigilant eye to spot these tendencies, act on the shortcomings, and constantly strive to be a better club. If, like a great sports team, the job is distributed among the many members, this is not a great burden and many of the membership problems will be resolved.

Dear Peter...

Sound advice from USAC Membership Coordinator Peter Cunningham

Dear Peter,
Our club wants to invite Serrans who resigned to join us again. We no longer have their contact information. Can you help us?
---Welcome Back

Dear Welcome Back,
The USA Council of Serra International retains in its database current and past Serran membership records. We can query the database for inactive Serrans by club number, district or zip code and send you a report for those who have retired from your club. This report can include retired Serrans from other areas who have relocated to your area. However, once a member becomes inactive, we are unable to guarantee an up-to-date mailing address for them. Your “welcome back” program is wonderful idea; not only can it increase your membership, it is also great a way to renew old acquaintances and friendships.

Dear Peter,
When is the best time to nominate our district governor? We have always done it at our spring leadership and planning conference in April.
---Contemplating Nominating

Dear Nominating,
We need the names of your district governor and governor-elect now, in December (at the time of this printing), so we can prepare for the Training/Planning Conference in February. That means your district should have already nominated and selected your governor and governor-elect by now. The district governor’s term traditionally starts July 1. So, if you have always nominated your governor in April, that should work.
Some of you reading this may ask, “But do we really need a district governor-elect?” Well, yes, mainly because the governor’s job is no cake walk. The USA Council recommends that districts have both a district governor and district governor-elect serving simultaneously throughout the Serra year. This way, the governor-elect will have the opportunity to learn the ropes of the office by shadowing the currently serving governor.

This year, the District Governor and Regional Director Planning and Training Conference takes place in Kansas City, Mo., from Feb. 24-26. This session is a great opportunity to orient new district and regional leaders to what may seem to be the nebulous and daunting tasks of their office. We feel it is essential to the formation of an effective district governor or regional director. Don’t let your governor and governor-elect miss it!

Boring but important:
Honoring consecrated and religious life

by Ed Verbeke, USA Council Executive Director

The Serra International Foundation gave a $5,000.00 grant to the USA Council's Vocation Committee to promote the National Coalition for Church Vocation’s National Vocation Awareness Week by providing planning kits free to any club that requested them. The response was exceptional! Hopefully, this will be the beginning of an ongoing campaign by our clubs.

Speaking of vocations awareness, the current Catholic Directory lists the following 2005 grand total statistics for the U.S.:

Diocesan Priests 28,826
Diocesan Seminarians 3,509
Religious Order Priests 14,520
Religious Seminarians 1,676
Brothers 5,517
Sisters 69,963

These data can be manipulated in many ways, but what is clear is that we have a very large number of men and women religious working in our dioceses and parishes. We sometimes forget that many of our parishes are staffed by priests from religious orders.

Now we are ready to offer you another parish planning opportunity. Many of you are aware that in 1997, Pope John Paul II called for consecrated life to be promoted throughout the universal church. He declared that February 2, the feast of the Presentation of the Lord to be observed as the World Day of Prayer for Consecrated Life. When February 2 is not a Sunday we celebrate it on the Sunday after the Presentation. That is why it falls on February 5 this year.

Buoyed by the success of the collaborative Vocation Awareness Week effort, the NCCV has prepared kits to assist in planning for the World Day of Prayer for Consecrated Life. The USA Council has purchased some of these kits and can sell them to you for $3.00 each plus postage, a substantial discount of the ordinary price. These are available on a first-come, first- serve basis by e-mailing or calling our office.
So, what exactly is “consecrated life"? People living a consecrated life live in Christian community and dedicate themselves to God by their commitment to celibate chastity, poverty, and obedience.

Is consecrated life the same as “religious life”? Not exactly. Consecrated life has two components: religious life and secular institutes. Religious life is the term that we traditionally use for communities of sisters and monks or friars. Secular institutes were formed about 1948 for people to live unobtrusively in the midst of the secular world but still to live lives of celibate chastity, poverty, and obedience. Religious take vows of celibate chastity, poverty, and obedience. Persons in secular institutes usually make promises of celibate chastity, poverty, and obedience.

And, your parish can plan even further ahead in the national vocations calendar: In 1963 Pope Paul VI designated the Feast of the Good Shepherd as the World Day of Prayer for Vocations. It will be celebrated on May 7, 2006. The NCCV has produced planning kits for this day as well, and the USA Council has purchased some of these kits and can sell them to you for $3.00 each plus postage, again a substantial discount of the ordinary price. These are also available on a first come, first serve basis by emailing or calling our office.

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The Serra Leader Fall 2005

ACCENTUATE THE POSITIVE

by USA Council President Don DeDecker

Leaders of Serra, I’d like to thank each and every one of you for taking the responsibility of your very important office. As all of you know, our mission in support of vocations is a very challenging one, and I want you to know that as your Council president, I am very grateful for every leader who steps up to the plate.

I ask all of you to look at your position description and really study it. Are you doing all you can to lead your flock, whether it be club, district, or region, in a positive, constructive way? The Church has suffered enough negative media. It is high time we eliminate the negative and accentuate the positive! We must celebrate Serra now and work harder to promote and foster vocations. Have you thanked your priests and religious for their vocations? Let us do this and teach our members to do the same.

Priesthood Sunday, Oct. 30th, 2005, really needs your individual efforts to get everyone in Serra’s USA Council to recognize our priests with a card or gift and treat the day just like you would Father’s or Mother’s Day. Take your pastor out to lunch that week and have your parish contact members do the same with pastors and priests in other parishes. We have included the Parish Planning Guide in this newsletter so you can get a jump on Priesthood Sunday activities, whether you do them on the appointed day or at a time better suited to your parish.

Have you conducted the annual “In His Steps” program for your club yet? It's time to recommit ourselves to Serra. See the Serran self-evaluation exercise on page two; I’m sure it will help you and your members to feel more keenly why they decided to become a part of our mission. This will also help members gain the focus they need to recruit new members effectively.

One other important subject: membership. Please accept a goal of a 10 percent increase before May 31, 2006. Let’s go after the baby boomers and all active people in your parish. The best kept secret in the Catholic Church is SERRA! How can you make Serra more visible to others? Wear a badge, cap, shirt or pin with the Serra emblem at all church functions. If your club attends Mass together, make sure you all wear your pins and sit in a group. Give people an opportunity to ask, “What is SERRA?” Let us “sell Serra” every chance we get. Need a target? Try the people who attend daily Mass in your parish.

Thank you for all you do for Serra in the USA. I look forward to serving you as USA Council President this year.

Boring but important: Saying “thank you”

by Ed Verbeke, USA Council Executive Director

We don’t need Emily Post to remind us when it is appropriate to say, “Thank You,” but the IRS has an etiquette all its own.

For example, the IRS requires that a letter be sent acknowledging all single gifts more than $250. So if your club receives a contribution for more than $250, you must send a letter to the donor.

The USA Council has a policy to send a “Thank You” letter for all gifts, no matter what the amount. Jan Cholke maintains a complete file of all contributions made to the Council, so if you have misplaced this tax receipt, give her a call 888.777.6681. (Please note: contributions to the Serra International Foundation are recorded by them, so questions concerning contributions made to the Foundation should be directed to them at 800.488.4008.)

At the USA Council Board Meeting in August, the Board passed a motion that requires our staff to track all individual contributions; when an individual’s cumulative contributions reaches $1,000, they will be eligible to receive the St. Andrew Award. In calculating this amount the staff was directed to include contributions made in the 2004-2005 fiscal year that ended on May 31, 2005. I had the honor of receiving the first award from Fund Development Committee Chairman and Past Council President Tom Benson. Needless to say, receiving the award came as a total surprise. More about this award will be published in the serraUSA magazine in the near future.

Finally, a word about insurance — each club is covered by the insurance policies carried by the Council. So you don’t need to buy insurance. If you need a certificate of insurance, call Jan Cholke. Please give her at least 72 hours to get the certificate from the insurance company.

How to hold a club membership drive

by Ramon Jesch, USAC Membership Vice President

When your club decides to hold a membership drive, approach it with prayer, commitment and determination. Remind yourselves what a great privilege it is to be involved in such an important part of God's work, and you will be able to clearly convey that to prospective members. Planning, preparation and marketing are crucial to a successful membership drive. Below are five tips:

1. Decide on a campaign method and make sure every club member plays a part in it. Will you make announcements at Mass? Will you recruit by personal invitation only? How will you publicize your club? See the Membership Manual for ideas.

2. Schedule extra meetings during the drive. These meetings should provide a time for progress reports, encouragement, and exchange of ideas on individual members’ recruitment efforts.

3. Follow up. After potential members attend an informational meeting (at which they are personally made welcome), send them a thank you note and restate your invitation.

4. Set up a display table at the church entry highlighting Serran activities both at the club and district level. Distribute informational brochures, prayer cards and Serra publications. Customize your display to reflect the personality and activities of your club.

5. Wear items that identify you as a Serran. Easily visible hats, shirts and pins featuring the Serra logo will give people the chance to ask you what Serra is.

Recruiting new members is a challenge. If you need inspiration, look no further than our own patron, Blessed Junipero Serra, whose travails show us what prayer, faith and sacrifice can achieve.

But before you try to recruit another new member, do this:

Your club has given you your marching orders: Your job is to introduce one potential member to the idea of Serra, and invite that person to attend an informational meeting.
There are plenty of potential members waiting to be asked, but how do you do it? What will you say about Serra? Are you really clear on what our mission is, what your club does, and what is attractive about belonging to this great organization?
Here is an exercise for you to complete before you try to recruit a new member. Ask yourself the following questions, and write the answers down:

Why am I Serran? What convinced me to join?

In your own words, what is Serra's mission?

Why do I, personally, believe in this mission?

How many years have I been a Serran? What keeps me in my club, working for vocations?

Name three blessings you have received as a part of your membership to Serra.

Name three activities conducted by your club that fulfill Serra's mission.

What would the world be like without Serrans?

Name three reasons why the Church needs Serra.

Finally, think about the person you want to invite to join your club. What about this special person made you think that he or she would find membership in Serra fulfilling?

What qualities does this person possess that could make him or her a valuable member of your club?

After you have answered these questions, you may find yourself much better prepared to approach someone about joining Serra. Writing down your answers will give you a clear picture of your own personal experience of Serra and how you and your club play a part in its mission.

A snapshot of what Serra means to you, personally, could be much more effective than reciting the scripted mission statement on the back of every Serra brochure, and certainly more effective than saying something nebulous like "Serra: We're for vocations!" And if you remember what convinced you to join in the first place, you may have the key to recruiting many new members.

Don't forget to tell your potential member why you chose to ask him or her. This will show that you value what this person can offer, and that your choice to invite him or her was a thoughtful one. Try it! — the editor

Officers: You may reprint this article and distribute it to all members as part of a club program that focuses on expanding membership. The questionnaire above also ties very nicely into recommitment activities.

Priesthood Sunday event provides opportunity for Parish Contact Program to flourish

by Homer Radford
Serra Club of Southeast Kansas City, Mo.,
USAC Vocations Committee Chairman

Can you recall the name of the priest who . . .

- heard your first confession?
- gave you your First Communion?
- officiated at your wedding?
- baptized your children?
- consoled you and your family when a loved one died?

How about the bishop who confirmed you? Will your children and grandchildren be able to answer these same questions 10 or 20 years from now?

In the Serran Prayer for Vocations, shared at nearly every Serra club meeting and activity, we pray for "an increase of laborers for your Church, to spend and consume themselves for souls." We need not only to pray for priestly and religious vocations, but also to become an active part of the national religious vocation strategy, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Vocations Committee Pastoral Plan, which calls for the creation of a true culture of vocations in North America.

As leaders in Serra, we have a responsibility to provide support for parish activities that create this culture. The USAC Vocations Committee has developed a plan to help each Serra club meet this responsibility.

This plan focuses on awareness (inviting), affirmation, prayer, and support. The first step in implementing it is to encourage each Serra club to establish and maintain the Parish Contact Program. The Parish Contact Program began several years ago and is a time-tested program in many dioceses. In this program, every club sends a volunteer Serran (called the “parish contact person”) from the club into each parish in the club’s service area. This includes parishes where we don’t yet have Serra representation. The purpose is to establish and maintain a vocations awareness relationship between the club and each parish to assist in the vocation activities of the parish.

Priesthood Sunday

One activity that every Serran can participate in this year, and can present to their parish staff or parish vocation committee, is Priesthood Sunday, which takes place on Oct. 30, 2005.

The involvement of your club vocations vice president and committee is essential for the success of this event in the areas we serve. Priesthood Sunday gives us an opportunity to build positive relationships between parishes and Serra clubs. The Vocations Committee encourages each club to establish and maintain the Parish Contact Program as a follow-up service to parishes.

The objective at this time is to make good use of the parish relationships you build via the Parish Contact Program while promoting Priesthood Sunday. After the event is over, don’t just disappear; while Serra is fresh in the parish staff’s mind, follow up and offer them service in the area of parish vocations activities. You may leave with them a copy of our Parish Vocations Activities Manual and some information about your club, for starters. Make Serra’s name synonymous with vocations activities in the parish.

In the beginning of this article you were asked to recall the names of the priests who are close to you and have helped you live your faith. Through the Parish Contact Program and by sponsoring Priesthood Sunday in your club's geographic area, you can help create a more positive culture for vocations. Your children and grandchildren will be able to answer the same questions with ease, because they will have priests available to them as we have had. Our work together can start a practical and tangible program to increase laborers for our Church.

Find out more about starting your parish contact committee at www.serraus.org or call the USAC office at 888.777.6681.

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The Serra Leader Fall 2004

KEEPING IN FOCUS by USA Council President Tony Plaia

Have you noticed how easy it is to get pulled off the track? You start off with enthusiasm for something you want to accomplish and then some other brilliant idea or thought enters your mind and derails you completely; or you get interrupted with a more urgent matter at hand and you are off and running in another direction, never to return to your original idea.

One of the best ways to keep on the track of Serra's mission is to review the mission and vision statements frequently. (See below for these.) When you plan a program, review our mission statement and ask yourself if you are on target. If not, the mission and vision statements will help you figure out why.

To accomplish our goal as Serrans, we may need to refocus; there is more than one way to achieve our mission, and sometimes we find that the old ways are no longer as useful as they once were. Perhaps a mission statement tailored to your club, in line with the council’s statement, is in order.

When you bring in a new member, review our mission statement and ask yourself if this new member will help you accomplish your goal as a Serra club.

Will your club fulfill its obligation to this member in helping him/her to be part of that goal fulfillment?

When you spend club funds, review our mission statement and ask if the money is being used in the best possible way toward accomplishing our objectives.

When you pray, review our mission statement and ask if we are seeking to fulfill our mission as Serran.

Spending time, talent and treasure in Serra can be rewarding if it is WELL SPENT. Keeping your eye on the rabbit (the mission and vision statements of Serra) will ensure success. The psychic income you will receive for a job well done will refill your coffers of time, talent and treasure.

USA Council of Serra International Mission Statement

As Serra International is the lay vocation arm of the Church, our mission is to foster and affirm vocations to the ministerial priesthood and vowed religious life in the USA, and through this ministry, further our members’ common Catholic faith.

USA Council of Serra International Vision Statement

We hope:

to affirm the priesthood and religious life as positive lifestyles to invite all men and women to follow their baptismal call s

to educate and inform our members, collaborators and the Catholic community of our commitment to promote priesthood and the religious life

to inspire and call forth a well-trained and dedicated corps of leaders at all levels of Serra by spiritual and practical formation to develop openness to the opinions of others

BORING BUT IMPORTANT The 501(c)(3) dance

The Patriot Act is causing some problems for our club treasurers as they change signatories to add the new officers. Unfortunately some bank employees don’t understand our 501(c)(3) status and have created some unnecessary anxiety for the treasurers.

In a nutshell: Serra International applied to the IRS and received a Group Exemption Number (GEN) stating that Serra International and all subsidiary units are exempt as 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organizations. This GEN, 1059, covers the USA Council and all clubs in the United States. To be included under this GEN, all clubs have been issued an employer identification number (EIN). This number is unique to each club. If you cannot locate your number, call us at 888.777.6681.

Each year the Council must verify to the IRS the name and address of each club and their EIN number. For ease, because of the ever-changing club officers, we have listed the “official” address of each club as the Council’s offices. Very soon, some of you will be spending quality time with your tax preparers. Generally speaking, because the clubs and the council are 501(c)(3) organizations, contributions are usually deductible less anything of value received. However, you should discuss this issue with your tax preparer.

In order to assist you, the Council will be providing to you “tax letters” during the month of January 2005. This letter will cover all of the Council meetings you attended during 2004, such as Super Weekend, District Governors Training, and the Serra International Convention.

Contributions made directly to the Serra International Foundation must be covered by them because the Council does not have these records. If you happen to be called by the IRS for a review of a prior year’s income tax returns, we can provide you with “tax letters” for the requested period. Please don’t call and ask for a letter, “just in case.”

Dear Peter,

I'm looking for all the presidents in the history of my Serra club. Where do I go for this information? Researching Who’s Who

Dear Who’s Who,

Call, email or write USA Council of Serra International requesting the information you require. We keep the paper files for all the Serra clubs in the USA. In addition, we maintain a computerized database for the Serra clubs in the USA. This database has evolved since 1994 and we have worked to record current and historical information for each club and Serran in the USA. Because we can only record what the clubs have given us over the years, our information is only as complete as what we receive.

Dear Peter,

Is it more cost effective for me to print out a manual from the web or to ask you to print it out and send it to me? Thrifty Serran

Dear Thrifty,

Well, this is a matter of personal opinion. I believe that it would be more cost effective for you to download and print the manuals from your own personal computer. We chose to publish the club officer manuals and many other frequently requested club resources on the website in order to reduce the costs associated with producing, warehousing, and mailing these items to clubs. In addition, the online resources offer Serra clubs greater flexibility in how they use the materials. For example, you download the material and save it on your computer for future reference as well as print the manual or selected pages. Finally, changes and new revisions of the materials can be more readily made available online. We do have a few hard copies of all of the online resources available if you decide not to print at home.

Dear Peter,

In a nearby diocese, the bishop is not interested in having a Serra club, but we would like to help organize a new club in this diocese. What can we do? New Club Builder

Dear New Club Builder,

First, thank you for your efforts to share Serra with your neighbors! We could request the help of the USA Council of Serra International Episcopal Adviser. Bishop Blase Cupich would enjoy the opportunity to discuss the unique ministry Serra provides and how Serra could potentially serve your neighboring diocese with the reluctant bishop.

Falling for Serra, jumping for joy!

Current membership campaign targets enthusiastic members It has been said that enthusiasm is contagious and can uplift an entire organization. One of the traits that new members can bring to your own Serra club is a real sense of enthusiasm and desire for accomplishment. Certainly those characteristics can be found in seasoned Serra members, but they are especially inspiring when they are found in a new Serran -- someone who can look at your club with fresh eyes and can bring his or her own talents to bear where they are needed most.

As an example of such a new member I’d like to mention a recent addition to our St. Paul Serra Club who already has made some dramatic improvements benefiting all our members. So as not to embarrass her I will not mention her name -- just some of her accomplishments since she joined only five months ago. She has attended virtually every meeting and club event while bringing her skills with the personal computer for the benefit our club. She has agreed to become Communications Vice President and has already started composing our club’s newsletter, e-mailing it to members with personal computers while continuing to provide paper copies to other members.

In addition, she has used her computer skills to provide identification badges for new members as soon as they join, thereby easing their transition into our club while cutting printing costs. Our new member has also started to take evening classes in website design in the expectation of being able to create our club website in the near future. She will also be our contact person for the new Serra International computerized membership information management system. Also in the membership area, her enthusiasm for Serra has resulted in her hosting several potential new members at our club’s meetings, giving us additional hope for continued membership growth.

As you can see, our new member has been a wonderful addition to our club, providing us with all sorts of new assets to assist us in our mission. Let us be on the lookout for those active Catholics who, like our St. Paul Serra Club’s new member, will bring interest, enthusiasm, and talent to our vocation as Serrans. As if that alone isn’t incentive enough, all new member sponsors’ names will be entered into a drawing for a prize of $250 plus a free registration to the Serra International Convention in Bangkok. Two winners will be drawn. Hurry -- the drawing deadline is April 30, 2004!

| By Gary A. Davis, Membership Vice President

Expanding our call to the harvest:

Is your club afraid to go outside of its comfort zone and actively invite minorities to join Serra? Can we afford not to? A nationwide study published in 2003 by the Barna Research Group found that the strong link between the Hispanics and the Catholic Church is weakening. A decade ago, 68% of adult Hispanics said the church they attended most often was Catholic. It has shrunk to 49% today.

Serra club members believe that daily prayer for vocations, the promotion of parish vocation programs, appreciation, and recognition of priests, deacons and religious sisters and brothers, as well as seminarians, will help to increase the numbers of vocations within our community. But in addition to that, we must be proactive by inviting members of our Catholic community to consider the religious life. Part of that invitation process is for Serrans (traditionally older white males) to expand their membership, inviting more minorities to join us in our mission and also to grasp a better understanding of the melding of many of the many different cultures and to appreciate the many differences in our rituals and worship styles that make us a united and unique church, worldwide.

In the National Migration Week (Jan. 4-10) issue of the Catholic New World, Cardinal Francis George of Chicago said St. Paul calls all disciples of Jesus Christ strangers in any land that is not the kingdom of heaven. Both our own experience and the gospel for the feast of the Epiphany encourage us to look on migrants and refugees with a sympathy born of faith. The history of immigration to this country has been and is today a story of opportunity and of opposition.

We celebrate National Migration Week during Respect Life Month, and rightly so. Respect for human dignity is based in faith, which teaches us to see a human person in every unborn child, in every elderly and ill person, and in every immigrant or refugee. America has a long history of ethnic and racial diversity. Wave after wave of immigrants found homes here and built the Church and society. Many of them were Catholic: Irish, German, Polish, Italian, Slovak, Bohemian, Hungarian, Lithuanian, French Canadian, Flemish, Dutch, Luxembourger, Croation, Slovenian, and many other European nationalities shaped our archdioceses.

Many left their homelands because of conflicts with civil authorities in Europe as well as for economic reasons. All eventually found a home here and contributed richly. Who are the immigrants today? Apart from their national origin, many are workers. They prepare food in our restaurants, clean our hotel and hospital rooms, farm our fields and nurture our lawns and gardens, work in our factories, do our laundry and care for our children and old people. Their coming here is evidence of the globalization of labor.

More than 13 million immigrants entered the United States between 1991 and 2001. Not all entered legally. Of the roughly 5 million illegal or undocumented workers in the U.S. labor force, one million are employed in manufacturing, 600,000 in construction, 700,000 in restaurants and 1.2 million in agriculture. Government statistics report that 1.5 percent of immigrants receive welfare; 2.1 percent of those born here are on welfare. Over a year ago, the U.S. and Mexican bishops issued a joint pastoral letter, calling upon the officials of both governments to reform immigration laws and procedures.

The present family visa system needs revision, so that families can stay together. The present employment-based visa system does not adequately protect the dignity of workers. A broad-based amnesty for illegal immigrants, which was part of the political discussion before Sept. 11, needs to be discussed again. People should not live indefinitely in limbo; either we should make their presence here legal or face the economic and social and political disruptions consequent to large-scale deportations.

The Church’s concern for immigrants, however, is not based in

Find out more...

USA Council Serra Leader Newsletter!

The Serra Leader

The Serra Leader (Summer '07)

The Serra Leader (Winter '07)

The Serra Leader (Summer '06)

The Serra Leader Spring 2006

Special Edition

How does Serra’s new policy affect you? by USA Council President Don DeDecker

Lawful or unlawful? SI's attempt to disestablish the USA Council by Ernest Doclar, President-elect-elect

New Serra policy increases district governor duties by Betty Monaghan, USAC Communications Vice President

Clarifying some cloudy statements from the Serra International Board and its Long-Range Planning Committee by Patricia DeJarnett Carden, Incoming USA Council Vocations Vice President

Performance and Documentation vs Emotions and Egos by Doug McRoy, Incoming USA Council Programs Vice President

A proposal from USA Council President-elect Gary Davis

The Serra Leader Spring 2006

Help us keep your Serra USA council intact

How would the reorganization affect our council?

How will the changes be implemented?

Maintaining our national presence and identity

What you can do to keep the USA Council intact

Closing thoughts

Did the USA Council know about Serra International’s plans to restructure the organization?

Serra International President Dennis Leiber addresses district governors and regional directors

Help Serra clubs affected by Katrina

Hurricane Katrina devastated many of our coastal and New Orleans clubs. Our council has decided to waive their dues for six months.

Serra International Long Range Planning Committee Report

It’s a ‘what’ without a ‘how’

Why we oppose Serra International’s plan to reorganize our council

Dear Peter...

Annual Outstanding USA Council Serran Award

Outstanding Newsletter Award

"Spirit of Serra" Award

Distinguished District Governor Award Distinguished Serra Club President Honor Club

USA Council Awards Program Forms

Club Membership Campaign Awards:

Serra Club Anniversary Banners:

Serran Years of Service Lapel Pins:

District/Regional Awards:

If someone asked you, “What does Serra do?” could you give an answer?

Boring but important: Club files: to keep or not to keep?

Retain permanently

Retain for seven years

Retain for five years

Retain for two years

The Serra Leader Winter 2005

The simple ministry of invitation

Who wants to be on your team?

To attract and keep winning members, keep your club in all-star condition

Stock your trophy case by focusing on Serra’s mission.

Encourage bona fide teamwork.

Don’t waste all that work you did recruiting new players just to have them warm the bench!

Practice makes perfect. Invest time in crafting quality meetings.

Dear Peter...

Sound advice from USAC Membership Coordinator Peter Cunningham

Boring but important: Honoring consecrated and religious life

The Serra Leader Fall 2005

ACCENTUATE THE POSITIVE

Boring but important: Saying “thank you”

How to hold a club membership drive

Priesthood Sunday event provides opportunity for Parish Contact Program to flourish

Can you recall the name of the priest who . . .

Priesthood Sunday

The Serra Leader Fall 2004

KEEPING IN FOCUS by USA Council President Tony Plaia

BORING BUT IMPORTANT The 501(c)(3) dance

Dear Peter,

Falling for Serra, jumping for joy!

Expanding our call to the harvest:

How does Serra’s new policy affect you?
by USA Council President Don DeDecker

Lawful or unlawful?
SI's attempt to disestablish the USA Council
by Ernest Doclar, President-elect-elect

New Serra policy increases district governor duties
by Betty Monaghan, USAC Communications Vice President

Clarifying some cloudy statements from the Serra International Board and its Long-Range Planning Committee
by Patricia DeJarnett Carden, Incoming USA Council Vocations Vice President

Performance and Documentation vs Emotions and Egos
by Doug McRoy, Incoming USA Council Programs Vice President

Serra International President Dennis Leiber addresses
district governors and regional directors

Distinguished District Governor Award
Distinguished Serra Club President
Honor Club

Boring but important:
Honoring consecrated and religious life