ALT + 5 Meetings
22 May 2003 (Thursday)
This morning began with a simple ritual closing the placement process for this year. A "dreamcatcher" device was hung on the windows with the names of all the new candidates grouped by countries.
After the liturgy, the Admissions and Orientation teams met with the ALT + 5 to discuss various thoughts and critiques of the experience of the intake process for the 25 candidates who will start their training in August this year.
Heidi Cerneka wanted to finish the roll of film in her camera so part of it was used for a group picture of the ALT + 5. From left to right: (back) Liz Mach, Gerry Lee, Heidi, Sam Stanton, Tom Bamat; (front) Sheila Matthews, Charlie Dittmeier, Alicia Butkiewicz.
- The last day of the two-session ALT + 5 meeting started off with a reflective prayer service in the Bethany chapel, led by Sam Stanton.
- The rest of the morning was spent at the cloister where the ALT + 5, joined by the three directors of Mission Services, Promotions, and Finance, met with Ken and Greg, the team of auditors working on the Association accounts. They presented a revised draft of the financial statement of the Association for 2002 for review and approval. They patiently led us through the document and answered questions. Some final questions will be answered in another meeting on Tuesday and then the auditing will be complete. After the session, we ate a Chinese lunch with all the staff there at Bethany.
- In the afternoon the ALT + 5 met back at Bethany. We discussed a few more ideas arising from the financial statement, spoke of involvements by the candidates coming into the orientation program in the fall, and then figured out a schedule for meetings for the rest of this year.
- The big item of discussion this afternoon was a follow-up to the session earlier on the guidelines for apostolic budgets. All agreed that we need to drastically contain and reduce expenses for the 2004 budget. How those limits should be set was the main point of discussion, and again the final decision on that will be made on Tuesday in consultation with the Promotions Department.
- We then approved beginning an endowment fund before ending with a short evaluation of our time together as the ALT + 5.
Then it was REALLY over and people started heading for the highways, railways, and airways. Here Liz Mach and Heidi Cerneka head for the Westchester Airport.
The End