GUIDELINES

I.            Name

The name of this body shall be The Endorsers Conference for the Veterans Affairs Chaplaincy.

II.           Purpose and Responsibilities

1.    To provide a means of dialogue to discuss concerns and objectives, and when agreed upon, to take action with the appropriate authority to support the pastoral ministry to and the moral welfare of those in the Veterans Affairs health care system.

2.    To maintain communication with the  Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Director of the Chaplain Service.

3.    To represent before appropriate officials and agencies of government the concerns of the Conference.

4.    To provide an opportunity for the interchange of information in all matters pertaining to the procurement, endorsement and ecclesiastical support, care and supervision of chaplains.

5.    To provide information to the Conference on matters within the religious community and the Department of Veterans Affairs which relate to the ministry of the Department's chaplains and the spiritual and moral welfare of patients and staff of V.A. health care facilities.

6.    To support the institution of the chaplaincy and needs of the chaplains.

7.    To foster within the Conference an understanding of and a concern for the welfare and interest of each endorsing or certifying agency and the chaplain's denominational integrity.

8.    To manifest to the nation and to the Department of Veterans Affairs that there are common areas of spiritual and moral convictions to which those within the Conference affirm unified commitment.

9.    To foster ways and means to support the spiritual ministry of the chaplaincy and to resist any trends toward secularization.

III.          Representation

1.    Representation in the Conference with all privileges shall be open to all endorsing or certifying agencies which are authorized to provide and support chaplains or ministries to the Department of Veterans Affairs.

2.    The representatives shall be from those persons who are specifically related to the endorsing or certifying activity of the ecclesiastical bodies.

IV.          Authority

1.    The Conference shall not infringe upon the autonomy of an endorsing agency or representatives.

2.    No action shall be taken in the name of the Conference in violation of the principles of any faith group or denomination.

3.    Each representative present at a meeting shall be entitled to one vote.  A quorum shall consist of 50% of the representatives who have registered at that meeting.

4.    The Conference shall take action by a two-thirds vote of those present at the annual meeting.  When requested, dissenting and abstaining votes shall be noted in the record of minutes of the meeting and in any communication.

V.           Officers

1.    The officers shall be elected by two-thirds vote of those present, and will consist of a Chairperson, a Chairperson-Elect, a Secretary and a Treasurer.

2.    The duties of each officer shall be those which normally appertain to that office.

3.    The term of office shall be one year for the Chairperson and the Chairperson-Elect and two years for the Secretary and Treasurer.  The Treasurer shall be elected in odd-numbered years and the Secretary elected in even-numbered years.  The officers shall not succeed themselves in the same office; however, officers may be elected at any time to a new office.  Vacant offices shall be filled by election at the annual meeting.  The Chairperson, with the approval of the Executive Committee, may fill by appointment vacated offices until the meeting for regular election.  Under normal circumstances, the Chairperson-Elect will serve as Chairperson when that office is vacated either during the year or at the end of the term of the current Chairperson.

VI.          Organization

1.    The Conference shall organize itself into committees as needed for the performance of its task.

2.    There shall be an Executive Committee, comprised of the officers and four elected Representatives from the Conference. The >outgoing Chairperson will be a member of the Executive Committee for a period of one (1) year following the expiration of his /her term of office.  It shall implement the policies determined by the Conference, but is not empowered to determine policy itself.  The Executive Committee shall include one Representative from each of the traditions:  Eastern Orthodox, Jewish, Protestant and Roman Catholic.  In the event a representative(s) of one or more of the faith groups, with only one ECVAC member, is elected as an officer, that faith group representative office shall be vacant for the term.  The officers of the Conference shall serve in like capacities on the Executive Committee.  The Representatives shall serve for two years each.

3.    A Nominating Committee of three (3)  shall be appointed by the Chairperson to present nominations for election.

VII.         Meetings

1.    The Conference shall meet annually, and the Executive Committee, in consultation with the Director of Chaplain Service of the Department of Veterans Affairs shall attempt to schedule the dates of subsequent regular meetings two years in advance.

2.    The agenda for the regular meetings shall be prepared by the Executive Committee and distributed at least thirty (30) days in advance.

3.    Special meetings may be called upon the request of the Executive Committee.

VIII.        Finance

The Conference shall be funded through voluntary contributions from participating agencies.

IX.           Amendments

The guidelines may be amended by 2/3 vote of representatives at a regular meeting.  Written notice of a proposed amendment shall be given to representatives thirty (30) days in advance.

Adopted 7-26-77
Revised 10-28-82
Amended 10-23-84
Amended 12-2-86
Amended 12-8-88
Amended 12-7-89
Amended 12-6-90
Amended 12-3-92