KY 2010: News From The WEG

Elder brothers,

I just got back from the WEG last night and wanted to inform you of some of the results of the Elder Council meeting held this last Saturday. The items below are from my memory as the minutes won’t be in for some days yet.

First the new Elder Chair, effective Jan.1st is Terry Jones from the NW center. Welcome Terry, may your tenure be one of inspiration, blessings and joy. I feel confident that you are the one that will effectively take the elders into the changes that are happening at a rapid rate in MKP. Terry will be the MKPI and MKP-USA Elder Chair until the regional Elder Chairs are selected and then they will select a new MKPI Elder Chair. My hope is that these regions will submit their Elder Chairs names shortly and this selection process will be completed by Jan. 1st 2011.

Phil Wolpe was elected the new Vice Elder Chair and his term will also begin on Jan.1st. This change to Jan.1st was needed because the MKP-USA and MKPI Governance document states that Elder Chairs will begin their terms on odd numbered years. Some years back while Kirby was the elder Chair this was thrown off since Kirby served for 3 years.

A big welcome to you Phil also , support is only a phone call or e-mail away.

The Regional Chair proposal was passed unanimously with some minor changes. This is historic. We are the first constituency body that has followed MKPI’s new structure of 8 International regions. Since these regional Elder Chairs will select the new MKPI Elder Chairman, who will sit on the MKPI Council, there is a much higher probability that our next MKPI Elder Chair will be from a region Outside the USA. This will be a first. He will represent all Regions within MKP while the other Regional Chairs will represent their own region. There will be many details to work out as we go forward and I am confident we will set many precedents over the next year or two that will truly bring us into being an International body of elders cognizant of the differences of cultures and more aware of our similarities.

Another major change for us is that the Elder council Chairman does not need to be a Ritual Elder. Any Declared elder can now stand for this position. We did assert that the RE Coordinator has decision making authority over matters pertaining to the RE’s. Which brings me to the next new/old policy.

The RE Coordinator was elected at the RE Council and ratified by the Elder Council. In recent years the RE Coordinator had been appointed by the Elder Chair although originally it was slated to be elected. We basically affirmed the past policy of this position being elected rather than appointed. John de Strakosch was elected. John has served in this position for a little over a year now and we all acknowledged that he has held the reins firmly and with compassion. He eased a huge burden on me during this time. A deep bow of gratitude John.

There is one issue that I would like to give my wholehearted support to John. We have clear written protocols on becoming an RE. Although we sometimes give an exception it seems that there are more requests for exceptions to the policy than elders following it. Usually this is after a center announces that they have a new RE on board and some steps have not been followed. This adds much more work for John than needed. An exception to the rule needs to be a rare occurrence not normal procedure.. I invite all elders here who sit on RE’s panels (hot seats) to re-read the protocol for becoming an RE and then actually fulfill them. Enough said, let’s walk the talk.

So these items were off the top of my head. When I receive the minutes I will post them and add any other comments then. I will also be completing the Elder Chairs’ end of year report updating you on the changes MKP has been going through the last year. My intention is to have this ready around the end of November.

Please feel free to ask any questions here , if you are thinking about something chances are that there are others thinking the same thing.

Blessings ,

Gene McMahon, Outgoing Elder Chair