NEWS - ACTA National Delegate Council (NDC) meeting
22nd-23rd November 2013, Hinsley Hall in Leeds.
 
The NDC passed a resolution about membership which is in line with the Interim Constitution. It establishes what is, effectively, a federal structure with individual supporters becoming members of their Diocesan Groups and the affiliated Diocesan Groups themselves being the members ('Member Organisations') of the national organisation. In this structure, the Diocesan Groups are the primary operational units of the organisation, with the national body being an umbrella organisation which is representative of, and responsible to those Groups. This model allows for great autonomy in individual dioceses. There are some key questions which remain to be answered and a sub-committee has been formed to consider these issues in depth, reporting back for decisions to be made at the next Council meeting in May 2104.
The NDC decided that naming ACTA groups geographically – by city, town or district as each group chooses, would be convenient, as growing numbers within any diocese will mean groups begin to sub-divide, with each group meeting closer to home. Now our biggest ACTA group has over two hundred members and members from the far north or south of the diocese will probably want to call their group after their own town or district. But however many sub-groups develop within a diocese, and wherever they are located within it, they will all constitute together one single diocesan group – looking for dialogue with their own local bishop. They will together elect a single Diocesan Co-ordinator and either one or two Diocesan Delegates, depending whether they are in a Diocese or an Archdiocese.
 
A Non-Geographical ACTA Group, not aligned to any diocese at all, will be set up for members who reside abroad or prefer to join in that way.
Signing up to a new supplementary paragraph and to the Mission Statement will be the condition of membership. Gerry Hughes has drawn up the supplement in consultation with the other officers. The NDC decided not to ask for a membership fee but to continue to count on donations. This matter will be kept under review.
 
Five sub-committees of the Council were formed to deal with Constitution, the Media, Finance, Conference planning & execution, and Membership issues.
 
The Bishop’s Conference Questionnaire for the Synod was warmly welcomed, details about collation procedures were discussed and it was resolved to write to Archbishop Nichols and the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales to thank them for putting it online so quickly. Difficulties arising from some obscurity in the questions did not at all prevent us from appreciating the opportunity to offer opinions. ACTA used its network of contacts to promote the questionnaire as widely as possible.