Green Circle    = Paid Staff currently employed.
Orange Circle  = Paid Staff currently employed to undertake committee duties.
Purple Circle   =  Proposed new paid staff or advisors.


Introduction
A large and ever growing aspect of the work of the NEC is dealing with legal requirements and regulations which apply to the SNU as a national charity dealing with the public and employees. Meetings of the NEC take far too long and many areas of responsibility require professional knowledge in different areas of law and regulations.  To that end the NEC feels that it must look at having more professional advisors/administrators to ensure that it has the specialised knowledge needed to avoid making mistakes leaded possibly to serious consequences. During 2007 the NEC took the first step toward a more professional approach to the work of the SNU in appointing Mr Graham Hewitt as the Trust Property Co-ordinator. This had been a step in the right direction, with important trust matters for our churches now being taken care of and dealt with on a daily basis instead of having to wait until a committee meets.


Composition of the NEC

The President
2 Vice-Presidents
Financial Director
Six other Directors with Portfolio*

*(This is just a working title) The six directors would be people of high calibre, interested in all aspects of the Union (not just one particular area), able to stay concentrated throughout NEC meetings and give constructive input on all Union matters.


The President and officers

The President is the ‘Managing Director’ and may attend any meeting of any committee.  His role requires a 'roving brief'  including getting out and about within the Union. Being the President is a 24/7 job, having to make day to day decisions, often important ones, and consulting with the other Officers. The President's duties, both administrative and spiritual, including ordination of Ministers, church dedications and re-dedications, and especially being the motivating force which drives the Union forward. He is the Captain of our ship, and it must be remembered that, “the buck stops with him”. A Big responsibility!

It is envisaged that the President and Vice-Presidents would still be elected bi-annually. Perhaps the two Vice-Presidents should no longer be sub-titled 'administrative' and 'spiritual', but both Vice-Presidents will continue to have a particular role. The Financial Director also to have a two year term of office, but appointed by the three elected officers from members' nominations, as is the current practice.


Below are listed the directors and the proposed areas which they would represent at NEC meetings.


Vice President 1

Minister Administration        (sub-committee)
Philosophy & Ethics            (sub-committee)
Council of Ministers            (to discuss spiritual matters)
Mission Work                     (focused upon opening new churches and recruiting new members)


Vice President 2

Head Office and the Employed Staff
Employment Disciplinaries
CRB Checks
Health & Safety.

These areas would require considerable input from professional advisors in different fields of expertise.


Financial Director

The role of the Financial Director would be to oversee all matters pertaining to Finance, Trust Property and Estates, all of which involve financial issues. A main area for the FD is the review of all SNU investments and insurance. For the time being, pending further discussion, Psychic Press and its Web-site would remain with this director. Trust Property currently has a paid co-ordinator as shown by the orange circle.


Replacement of the Standing Committees

All Standing Committees would be replaced by Sub Committees. The Trust Property Standing Committee was replaced by a paid coordinator, the AFC is now a sub-committee and these areas have become more efficient and successful. In the past, changes to committees have had to be made because of ‘Fire fighting’ that is dealing with emergencies. Changes need to be made constructively enabling the right people to chair committees. Chairing a committee is a time-consuming job, remembering that we are all voluntary workers. There are people who are very capable and willing to chair a committee who may not want to be directors and streamlining NEC meetings will allow directors to deal with National issues.

This does not mean that people who are capable of chairing a Committee could no longer be directors. The Directors would liaise with the Sub-committee Chairmen or Chair the Sub-committees themselves if appropriate, and would represent specific areas at NEC meetings.

THE UNION'S CONSTITUTION PROHIBITS ANY DIRECTORS FROM BEING PAID. Many people think that our Directors earn big salaries. This is simply not true - they do it voluntarily. It is a miracle that the Union functions as well as it does considering that its management it is done in service to Spirit not for financial gain.

However it is apparent that the Union needs more paid administrators and therefore we will need to ensure the income is forthcoming to pay for them. A possible way in which we could improve income is if we looked at professionally promoting events covering mediumship.


Director 1
The NEC responded to the need to re-establish a Publicity & Public Relations Committee and this is one area of responsibility allocated to Director 1. Other areas may be the SNU's Website and Spiritualist Aid. New areas being added here include promoting SNU International, an exciting way of enabling growth within our Union. This role will also include promoting the Image of the Union, Ideas for future Growth, and SNU Promotions which would include using a professional promotions company for big events.

The changes to the Law in respect of mediumship may mean that we need to look at registration of SNU Mediums as we do now for Healers. This would need a paid administrator, funded by registration fees, to deal with Education and Exponents in much the same way as Healers are currently dealt with. So many students give up on applying for courses and awards as they get poor or no response.  I know this statement may not be well received but it is true.  Volunteers can only do so much, and we expect too much of them sometimes.

Director 2
It is proposed that Director 2 would represent the following areas to the NEC:-

Education
Training & Award & Insurance for all exponents.
Healing
Spirit of Youth
Lyceum Union.


Director 3
Stansted Hall and the business side of what goes on within it is one area of responsibility for this director. Also the College programme content and training offered in the College. It is envisaged that Director 3 would represent both of these areas at NEC level including the AFC website. It is also envisaged that this director become responsible for Spiritualist Scientific Research.


Director 4
We need to ask ourselves why so many churches want to disaffiliate and look at what we can do to make the SNU so exciting that they are queuing up to be affiliated. We need to create a Union which makes individuals want to become Class B Members. This area would be covered by Director 4 and the various committees including:-

Council
District Council
Churches

This area would definitely need a professional administrator who could handle Church and DC enquiries efficiently and quickly and take that responsibility away from the General Secretary. This could be a future Assistant General Secretary.


Director 5
The role of Director 5 would be one which deals with some of the difficult areas of administration within the Union. An in-depth knowledge of the Union's Constitution would be needed for this position.

Arbitration
Appeals
Enquiries
Churches Under Supervision
GPC (Bye Laws, Church Rules and other constitutional issues)

The NEC have already moved to having one member responsible for dealing with churches with problems and those under supervision as, in the past, this area has taken up a huge amount of NEC meeting time. In future, one NEC member will collate items which need an NEC decisions and thereby streamline the procedure of the NEC meetings.  Churches with problems need our help and we need to focus on that need.


Director 6
This Director would have a roving role, being utilised wherever needed.


Selection of Directors
There are mixed feelings about whether Directors should be nominated and appointed or whether they should be elected and this will be part of the discussions regarding the re-structuring plans. Whether appointed or elected, perhaps some method of obtaining CV's should be incorporated into the process which would inform members and help in the selection process.


In Conclusion
Please remember that this plan is in its embryonic stage. If the SNU is not just to survive into the 21st Century, but also grow and flourish, then we need to make changes now. Give this embryo not only your support and additional input, but also let’s nurture it so that we can do the best for the Union we all believe in.

Please email YOUR views to  Minister Judith Seaman at vps@snu.org.uk