SA 2021: 16 October 2021
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Contents
Report
Submission Deadline:
3 September 2021 |
This is not the official call of the Synod
Assembly---that is yet to be issued---but we do have the
venue reserved. Synod Assembly 2021 will convene on
Saturday, 16 October 2021, at the Mon County 4H Center,
Mylan Park, near Morgantown, WV.
Things that are different this year
Because of the pandemic, we are meeting much later than
usual (by four months). We are changing some other things
because of the pandemic, and some of those things affect
those who make reports.
- SA 2021 is planned as a 1-day assembly.
- There will be two meetings (one before lunch and one
after lunch) as part of the session. BTW, we often get
the terms meeting and session reversed. The typical
synod assembly is one session over two days with three
meetings (one Friday afternoon, one Saturday morning,
and one Saturday afternoon).
- There is a possibility of an adjourned meeting on 13 November 2021---same venue---
- if required business is not completed by the end of the day, or
- if the Synod Assembly desires an adjourned meeting to tackle business that is not required by our governing documents and rules.
- Podium time will be limited in the proposed agenda.
- Oral reports and business required under our governing documents and rules will be on the proposed agenda.
- Those business activities (e.g., resolutions and memorials) that are of the rights of the assembly under RONR will be on the proposed agenda.
- Those oral reports that are not required under our governing documents and rules will not be on the proposed agenda.
As in past years, the Pre-Assembly Bulletin of Reports
includes options for inclusion of hypertext links for
- websites/pages
- downloadable documents
- Youtube videos
- etc.
The more adventurous and tech savvy may want to consider
a live stream event. More on this further down this
page.
Pre-Assembly Bulletin of Reports
| Help us plan for
the Pre-Assembly Bulletin of Reports by
completing this online form: |
Some agencies, institutions, ministries, etc. are
required to report to the Synod Assembly. Others have a
longstanding tradition of reporting even though it has
been optional. If you are in either of those categories,
please read the following carefully.
Submission deadline for the Pre-Assembly
Bulletin of Reports is close of Friday, 3
September 2021.
(Re)submitting a written report
We will still have a pre-assembly bulletin of reports,
and you are invited to contribute a report for that
bulletin. Perhaps you have already submitted a report (now
several months ago). We can use that report if you like,
but we also afford you the opportunity to substitute a new
report. We ask you to complete a short online form (WV-WMD SA 2021:
Report Query) to assist us in compiling that
bulletin even if you have already submitted a report.
Important: When
submitting a report,
- email to Bishop@WV-WMD.org;
- begin the subject line with "SA Report: " followed by
your institution, agency, ministry, office, etc.; and
- if you do not receive confirmation of receipt, contact
the bishop (first by email and, then, by phone if
there is no email response within a few days--things do
sometimes end up in the spam box).
Limited formatting power
Our online platform employed for the Pre-Assembly
Bulletin of Reports has limited formatting features.
Think of this like the old days when images, fancy
diagrams, cool formatting were not standard. Whether you
send your report in PDF, MS-Word, Word Perfect, RTF, or
TXT, we will be cutting and pasting on our end. Please, be
merciful to us.
We reserve the right not to include images we deem
gratuitous. We will attempt to convert charts and diagrams
to image files, but resolution cannot be guaranteed. It
may be best for you to take advantage of the hypertext
embed option.
Hypertext embeds
As mentioned, we will embed hypertext links. Feel free to
go wild with respect to website/page referrals,
downloadable documents, youtube and media sites, social
media links, etc.. Be sure to provide the raw URL
(because we can't make the hypertext link unless we know
the URL). If you have a lot of these, however, it would
make our lives a whole lot easier if you would create a
webpage with all those links that we can provide just one
link to.
Live stream, Zoom etc.
If you wish to offer a live stream or Zoom-type
videoconference to the Synod Assembly, use your report in
the Pre-Assembly Bulletin of Reports as a place to
advertise/announce and to provide the necessary weblinks
and/or login information. We cannot guarantee it at this
time, but we are investigating whether we can provide a
launch pad on our Synod Assembly website to advertise such
things. N.B., we will not provide the
hosting. Hosting is up to you. Since the Pre-Assembly
Bulletin of Reports is not published until 10 days
before the assembly convenes, you will have to consider
what timing works for you.
At the assembly
Oral reports
As mentioned, only required oral reports will be on the
proposed agenda. Likewise, live or pre-recorded video
reports will not be shown at the assembly. It is your
option to mount such things on the web, and we will embed
hypetext links to them in your written report.
Workshops, round tables, etc.
No workshops are scheduled for this year. On the other hand, a 2-hour lunch is being proposed. During that time, anyone is free to gather interested parties for presentation and/or conversation. The assembly chamber will not be available except by the consent of the chair (because there may be assembly-related business taking place in the chamber over lunch). Next to the chamber, however, is a huge covered pavilion that will be set up for registration, exhibition, and fellowship. If you are thinking about using the outdoor pavilion, visit our Exhibiting at Synod Assembly page.
Feel free to feed people if it is to your advantage.
Lunch (i.e., food) is not included as part of the
assembly. What's the old maxim? "Feed them, and they will
come?" There will be plenty of room under the pavilion
(though we aren't sure how many tables and chairs we will
have in that space) for eating or other activities. There
are also dozens of dining options within a reasonable
drive of the venue. We expect that many will scatter for
lunch, and you, likewise, are free to invite people to a
local dining establishment.
Handouts
We discontinued the "assembly packet" a few years back.
We will not receive by mail items for distribution to the
assembly except by prior arrangement. Distribution at the
assembly requires the consent of either the Synod
Secretary or the Committee for Reference & Counsel.
Approved exhibitors may distribute materials at their
respective exhibits with implied consent (which may be
withdrawn by the Synod Secretary or the Committee for
Reference & Council).