A New Year’s Message from our President

At our first Council meeting in April this year I asked if members could let their Branch and Deanery Leaders know what they felt was working in our diocese and what was not working so well.  I am really pleased that people have responded to this request and as a result of this feedback the following new proposals have been discussed and agreed by the board of Trustees.

TRUSTEE MEETINGS:	7th February 2017 6th June 2017 3rd October 2017
DEANERY LEADERS MEETINGS: Meetings to be chaired by the Vice President with the Elected Trustee in attendance: Meetings to be attended by Deanery Leaders and Deanery Officers i.e. Secretary & Treasurer.  Morgannwg:  Marie Harrison  VP                         Marian Godsall   ET  Llandaff:       Jayne Young    VP                       Nicky Webber  ET  Margam:     Jodie Taylor    VP                      Jen Hamilton Jones  ET	To meet TWICE a year within Archdeaconries,  to be held within 4 weeks of the Trustees Meeting and at a venue which is central, as far as possible, to Deaneries. Morgannwg:      Cynon,  Merthyr & Caerphilly, Pontypridd, Rhondda Llandaff:              Cardiff,  Penarth & Barry, Llandaff Margam:              Bridgend, Margam, Neath, Vale of Glamorgan
GENERAL MEETING:	ONE: to be held at a venue, possibly hotel, in centre of Cardiff within easy reach of train/bus stations where lunch can be arranged at the venue, there will be a guest speaker and the meeting will be open to all members. Provisional Date: 10th October 2017 10.30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
CATHEDRAL EUCHARISTS	There are currently 10 services a year but numbers attending have fallen quite considerably in the last couple of years.  Some deaneries have expressed difficulty in getting a priest to celebrate and to having no organist available and most deaneries have said that the access down to the Cathedral can be difficult for many of their members.  In recent years some deaneries have already started joining with neighbouring deaneries. Proposed for 2017, is to come together at the Cathedral as Archdeaconries on the 2nd Monday in the month as follows:- ·         June               Morgannwg ·         July                 Llandaff ·         September    Margam
PRAYING AROUND THE DIOCESE:	One to be held at the Cathedral on Tuesday 21st March 2017 and to be led by Rev. Canon Graham Francis. 2 – half days around the Diocese First one 16 March 2017 at St John Baptist Ystradafodwg, Ton Pentre at 11 a.m. Second half day in the Neath area, venue to be arranged

During the year, I have on many occasions said what a successful diocese we are, particularly in our fundraising and outreach work, we can be extremely proud of what we achieve, however, this success is the result of a lot of hard work and organising, very often by the same people who are not only extremely busy in their Mothers’ Union branches but also in their Parishes.

There are four main reasons for the new proposals:

(1) to cut down on the number of meetings held,

(2) better attendance at the new meetings,

(3) to cut down on travel so venues are more convenient,

(4) better communication.

I do hope you will view these changes as a positive move forward and at the end of 2017 we shall welcome your feedback on these changes.

Lynne Davies