Motion of Thanks
https://archives.anglican.ca/link/official167
- Date
- 1995 June 1-9
- Source
- General Synod. Minutes
- Type
- Act 103
- Mover
- Dean H. Munn
- Seconder
- Ms. C. Middleton-Hope
- Prologue
- A group of Synod members carrying provincial flags presented the following resolution in English and French.
- Text of motion
- That the members of General Synod express deep appreciation and gratitude:
- 1. to all those who were responsible for us on the way, and looking after the physical arrangements, and in particular:
- 2. to Ron Murray and all those who picked us up at the airport or elsewhere, registered us, and looked after getting us to and from Carleton, and retrieved lost luggage;
- 3. to Michael Burpee and Jamie Tomlinson and the members of the local arrangements committee who coped with our unpredictable needs and changes of plan, and to Peter Ward who arranged the communications;
- 4. to Judy Lackey and those who arranged the spouses' and visitors' programs who made touring Ottawa such a delightful alternative to touring the plenary hall, and to Peter and Susan Lackey, heralds of good tidings and hospitality;
- 5. to the officers of Carleton University and to Gordon Forth for the preparation of the site;
- 6. to all those who helped us lift up our voices and sing the good tidings, and in particular:
- 7. to Patrick Wedd and the volunteer choir who taught us so many new settings and when to change notes, and when not to;
- 8. to the daily meditation leaders and the Bible Study group leaders who poured out their hearts that we might receive the sweet ointment of their insights;
- 9. to all involved in planning and leading the opening service;
- 10. to the presiders at the daily eucharists from the Diocese of Ottawa, and to Desiree Stedman, the Synod chaplain;
- 11. to Peter Coffin and to Christ Church Cathedral for hosting the glorious choral Evensong and for supplying the Anglican Church of Canada flag; and to Monica Patten who arranged for the provincial flags;
- 12. to those who upheld the synod in prayer so faithfully and, particularly, to David and Leslie Dunkerley and those who kept the vigil at the Prayer Tent;
- 13. to all who prepared the way for this Synod for the past three years, and in particular:
- 14. to the Beginners, both staff and volunteers, and all who planned for a new structure in which the valleys of organizational problems could be filled in;
- 15. to the members of NEC (now of fond memory) and of all the former committees, councils, boards and units (many now also a fond memory) to whom we speak tenderly that they have served their term and will no longer receive double the motions for all their work;
- 16. to the presenters of the non-General Synod displays who enticed us with refreshments and enlightenment and who survived being jostled together in a perhaps unexpected intimacy;
- 17. to our ecumenical visitors and overseas partners and, in particular, to Bishop Singulane;
- 18. to making smooth the way of the Synod processes, and in particular:
- 19. to the members of the Nominations Committee who loved their work so much they didn't even stop to sleep;
- 20. to the members of the Agenda Committee who coped with numerous course changes required along the way by the Synod super-tanker;
- 21. to the Secretaries of Synod who made straight the crooked places of amendments to amendments;
- 22. to the Assessors and the Chancellor who levelled the rough places and made plain all procedural questions;
- 23. to all former members of the staff of the National Office, and to those who continue to serve with poise and professionalism even when it seemed the flower of their work might fade if the breath of General Synod should blow upon it;
- 24. to those who so cleverly operated the computer video screen motions;
- 25. to those who fed the weary flock like a shepherd with the food of laughter and entertainment and in particular:
- 26. to those who skipped ropes, fiddled violins, step-danced, Nass-Valley danced, ballet danced, told us of Ottawa history and Valley culture, and to those who hosted us in their parishes on the weekend;
- 27. to the representatives of religious communities who encouraged us to rejoice with good tidings and good food at their reception;
- 28. to the youth delegates who produced food like manna from heaven for the Primate and who formulated new procedures with which to make straight our paths through the wilderness of debate;
- 29. to Nancy Ferguson and the young youth who lightened our hearts and set us an example with their patience and attention-span;
- 30. to the members of Anglican Video for their judicious selection of sound bytes and particularly to Doug Tindal and to the technicians who cleverly edited out the fact that members of Synod (unaware) repeatedly walked through his TV interviews;
- 31. to those at home and in our parishes who made it possible for us to be here;
- 32. to those who had very public roles in this Synod, and in particular:
- 33. to the Governor-General and Mrs. LeBlanc for their gracious presence at our opening service, and for his encouraging words to us on the occasion of his signing of our church's heraldic documents providing our flag, coat of arms and badge;
- 34. to the Bishop of Ottawa for inviting us and ensuring that all 350 of us felt as if we were carried in the bosom of this diocese and of our capital city; and for hosting the Synod banquet;
- 35. to the two persons with the unpronounceable titles, James Isbister, the Deputy-Prolocutor, and Amy Newell, Prolocutor, for they were indeed faithful agents in delivering the chairing of our sessions;
- 36. to Jim Boyles, the General Secretary of General Synod, who generally kept things in order at the head table;
- 37. to all the members of Synod who coped with learning Synod traditions and terminology, with hard chairs and even harder Rules of Order and who can now distinguish between NEC and COGS, and who yet retained their sense of humour and eternal hope for a happy issue out of all their afflictions;
- 38. to everyone else who should have been included in this motion;
- 39. to our Primate, whose gentle but firm leadership prepared us to walk through some rough places together, who modelled for us a style of mutual care and profound respect within the struggles of disagreement, who patiently sorted out our idiosyncratic motions, and who had us lift up our eyes that we may proclaim to the cities and towns of our day, "Here is now your God!" CARRIED Act 103