Presbytery of Sydney

GUIDELINES FOR THE STANDING  COMMITTEE

Presbytery of Sydney

(February 2004)

1.         APPOINTMENT

The Presbytery shall appoint from among its members a Standing Committee to hold office for one year.

2.         MEMBERSHIP

The membership of the Committee shall consist of:

2.1       The Presbytery Chairperson, Deputy Chairperson, Mission Officer (from 2001), Presbytery Secretary, Presbytery Treasurer, and Chairpersons of Presbytery Committees, or Alternates for the Presbytery Committee Chairpersons as appointed by the Presbytery Committees. These members shall all be ex officio members.

2.2       Three Lay Persons, including at least one of Ethnic background elected by the Presbytery.

2.3       Two Ministers, including one of Ethnic background, elected by the Presbytery

2.4       Contact Persons

Contact person are invited to attend the meeting of the Standing Committee before each full Presbytery meeting if they have a report to present. Contact persons are requested to present at least one report each year to a Presbytery meeting.

2.5       The Committee may act, notwithstanding any vacancy in its membership. Any vacancy may be filled by the Standing Committee appointing a member.

3.         MEETINGS

3.1       Meetings of the Standing Committee shall be held as arranged and approved by the Presbytery or:

3.1.1    as may be directed by a previous meeting of the Committee;

3.1.2    as requested by the Chairperson

3.1.3    as approved by the Chairperson on advice from the Secretary as to the business to be done;

3.1.4    as requested in writing by not fewer than five (5) members of the Committee. The request to state the purpose/s of the proposed meeting.

3.2       All meetings described above shall be called by the Secretary.

3.3       Conflict of Interest

No member of the Committee will participate in the deliberations upon or determination of a matter before the committee in which they or their congregation has a material interest.

4.         NOTICE OF MEETINGS

At least seven (7) days notice in writing shall be given for convening meetings of the Standing  Committee provided that such time may be reduced if, in the opinion of the Chairperson, an earlier meeting is required for urgent reasons.

5.         QUORUM

A quorum for meetings of the Standing Committee shall be seven (7) members of the Committee.

6.         RESPONSIBILITIES

It shall be the responsibility of the Standing Committee:

a)         to transact such business as may be referred to it by the Presbytery and any such other business as may be required or be desirable to be done on behalf of the Presbytery between meetings of the Presbytery except as may be precluded by the Presbytery;

b)         to receive all correspondence for the Presbytery ;

c)         to, from time to time, require other committees, contact persons and officers of the Presbytery to undertake certain tasks which fall within their areas of responsibility;

d)         to make available to all ordinary meetings of the Presbytery the minutes of the Standing Committee meetings and the Presbytery Mailing Lists;

e)         to provide a written report to all members of the Presbytery for each Presbytery meeting;

f)         to publish any of its decisions in such other manner as it shall from time to time determine.

Approved June 1993, with additions: October and December 1994, December 1999, November 2001, February 2004, September 2004.

This version:  October 2005