Core Team

Core Team Membership

The Core Team consists of five people elected at large at biennial ABFC symposia using a discernment model. The term of office is four years; core team members are not eligible for immediate re-election. To assure continuity of leadership two members  and an alternate are elected at one symposium, three members at the next one. Ideally the Core Team is representative of all federations.

The officers of the Core Team are chair, vice-chair, recording secretary, corresponding secretary, treasurer. Members of the Core Team decide among themselves who assumes what role based on individual gifts and preferences.                                                                                                    

Core Team Meetings

The Core Team regularly meet in-person for three days in early fall and via a conference call in January. Other conference business may necessitate additional meetings between those regularly scheduled; the Core Team determines a suitable meeting format. For bonding and balance, opportunities for prayer and leisure are part of the fall gathering.

Core Team Responsibilities

Generally the responsibilities of the Core Team include arranging electronic correspondence with the membership via the ABFC website twice annually; planning and implementing a biennial ABFC symposium; determining site, staff and fees for such ABFC sponsored programs as the symposium, NADI, BSWR; determining amounts of funds available for scholarships and financial assistance and arranging for their dispersal; attending to needs and requests of ABFC membership. The detailed job descriptions outlined below list the responsibilities of individual Core Team members.

Core Team Expenses

The American Benedictine Formation Conference assumes the following expenses on behalf of the Core Team members: travel to Core Team meetings, conference call costs, printing and mailing costs on behalf of ABFC, symposium fees, symposium room and board, miscellaneous expenses (supplies, etc.)

Management of Archives

The archives of the American Benedictine Formation Conference are temporarily housed at St. Mary Monastery in Rock Island IL. A small annual stipend ($75 in 2008) is determined by the Core Team and paid to the archives host for this service. Each September all Core Team members submit archival materials to the recording secretary who forwards them to the archives.

The following are designated archival material: correspondence, emails dealing with conference business, meeting minutes, financial reports, policies and procedures, guidelines, brochures for ABFC sponsored programs, reports from directors of BSWR and NADI, pictures of ABFC sponsored events, newsletters, membership lists, memorabilia.