CLC
COMMUNIQUÉ
2010/6 - August
The Communication of the South African Region
Western Cape – Eastern Cape – Gauteng
Dear National Community
This edition of Communiqué is concerned with the:
CURRENT STRUCTURE AND FUNCTIONING OF NATIONAL AND REGIONAL FINANCES.
INTRODUCTION
Over the years CLC members have questioned the reason for membership contributions, regional levies and the amounts suggested. In this document National Exco attempts to clarify the position. To understand the finances we need to accept that The Christian Life Community is one world wide community, not a loose federation or affiliation of independent bodies. That means that when I join CLC I become a member of the world community and share in the operations and responsibilities of that body. SA is a full member of CLC World so each of us shares in the operations of the world body. This means we follow the World Constitution, General Norms and Principles, Charism and share in the financial commitments. This we do through levies to the world, and to the national bodies. Our individual contribution to the region, where we are members, is used to cover those levies as well as the operational costs in the region.
MEMBERSHIP OF CLC
Becoming a full voting member of CLC requires that one makes a regular financial contribution, according to what he/she can afford, in addition to faithfulness to daily prayer and to participation in a local community group. CLC SA is a full member of CLC World Community so pays a levy to assist the World Body in its continued operation for the benefit of all of us.
RELEVANCE OF FINANCES
The Christian Life Community has to survive and offer members opportunities and material for growth. This requires that we pay for what we receive and what we give to members.
WORLD LEVY
The amount of the levy paid by a national body is based on the anticipated expenditure of the world body and is portioned out to countries according to the number of full members in each country. Each national body is required to “register” the number of full (contributing) members with the world secretariat.
REGIONAL LEVY
The levy paid by each region to SA CLC (national exco) is based on the projected expenditure of the national executive on behalf of the national community, including formation such as leadership courses, attendance at world, Africa and national encounters, services of EA’s and outreach to Botswana. The total projected cost is divided by the total number of members and then proportioned to regions in terms of the actual number of members per region.
MEMBER CONTRIBUTIONS
The contributions of members are the only definite source of income for CLC. We were asked to give an estimate of the average contribution required per member and in 2009 we took the actual expenditure of national exco, and the actual expenditure of each region in the previous financial year and divided by the number of members and came up with the round figure of R110 per month per member. That was the average amount needed. How each region or group raises the deficit between their operational cost, national levy and actual contributions is up to each region and group.
OTHER SOURCES OF INCOME
The income from contributions goes into the regional accounts. National Exco has no contributing members. The regional levies finance the operation of the national executive.
In the past two years where there were special events, rather than increase the levy to cover the full costs, regions were asked to do some fundraising and make up the deficit. All 3 regions did wonderfully well for the Fatima Assembly 2009.
In the past Germany contributed to the development of CLC SA, and this was discontinued in 2005. We have renegotiated funding from CLC Germany for development in Botswana. The Society of Jesus also funded the full costs of the activities of the EA in support of CLC until 2010 when we were granted a subsidy based on estimated costs and contracted to reduce the subsidy to zero over 5 years. Other sources of income can be fundraising, donations, and bequests. We can receive donations and bequests from non-members, but this will only happen if our members promote it.
ACCOUNTS
In principle CLC SA has one audited account, national exco. Each region has an account.
Each regional treasurer, with the approval of regional exco, submits an end-of-year statement to the national treasurer, who ensures that it is complete.
The Audited account is:
Name: National Secretaries. Market Link Investment. Standard Bank. PE Branch, 050017. Account 004874625.
This currently operated by Bruce Verity, via internet banking. The signatories are Mandy, Graham, and Kaye.
In each region members pay subs either directly into the account or in cash to group leader, who keeps a record and pays in.
CONTROL AND MANAGEMENT OF EXPENDITURE
All Expenditure from the National Exco account is supported either by a requisition form completed by the claimant, and signed (or confirmed by emails) by 2 members of exco other than claimant and person making the payment, or by formal approval at a meeting and confirmed by relevant minutes. All documents are submitted for audit after the end of the financial year, (28th Feb each year).
BUDGET
It is assumed that each region develops an event and formation plan each year, and a budget to cover the anticipated costs.
NATIONAL BUDGET
National Exco works on a 5 year budget. This enables us to spread the costs of National and World Assemblies over a few years. We have a National Assembly every 30 months so in theory we have 2 years to accumulate the funds needed. World Assemblies occur every 5 years so we include a portion of the total anticipated expenditure for the 2014 Assembly in projected expenditure for 2010, 2011 and so on.
We put the 5 year draft budget on paper in January 2009, and have now adjusted the projection in view of the actual expenditure since then.
IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNITY.
In terms of our Constitution and Charism we are one World Community, and one National Community, and being Community is one of the pillars of CLC. Belonging to CLC means that we belong to the World Christian Life Community and therefore share in the responsibility for financing that body. In the same way each region shares in the responsibility of funding the national body, and each member in the region shares the responsibility of helping the region to meet the levy required from the region. Each region and group should supplement the amount received from members in contributions with fundraising etc to enable them to cover the costs of their operation and pay their levy.
CONCLUSION
CLC SA has responded wonderfully to the call to fund our own operation over the past couple of years and we congratulate all members on their participation in the call for increased contributions and support of fundraising events in their regions.
We each need to remember that each contribution is important as CLC SA has only our contributions as a guaranteed source of income.
On behalf of National Exco, I thank you all for the generous financial support. This is what enables us to continue to serve you and maintain CLC.
Kaye Henrick
Coordinator CLC SA