The Acts of Convention

House of Deputies

Deputy Pitts of Louisiana moved to suspend the Rules to immediately consider Resolution D066 (Official Youth Presence Vote).

Motion carried

Rules suspended

The House of Deputies Committee on Structure presented its Report #30 on Resolution D066 (Official Youth Presence Vote) and moved adoption of a substitute.

Original Text of Resolution:

(D066)

Resolved, the House of Bishops concurring, That each Diocese at its Diocesan Convention that takes place one year prior to General Convention, elect one youth to run as its provincial representative to General Convention as the Official Youth Presence; and be it further

Resolved, That each elected Diocesan candidate send a biographical profile with credentials to the convener of the next Synod meeting; and be it further

Resolved, That two youth and one alternate be elected at each Provincial Synod meeting that takes place one year prior to General Convention for the two seats allotted for each Province on the Official Youth Presence; and be it further

Resolved, That those candidates elected at Provincial meetings be part of the General Convention Official Youth Presence and have seat, voice and vote on the floor of General Convention.

Committee Substitute:

Resolved, the House of Bishops concurring, That the youth of the Church have seat, voice and vote as Deputies in the House of Deputies; and be it further

Resolved, That, to implement this, the following amendments to the Constitution be approved on first reading:

Amend Article I, Section 4 of the Constitution as follows:

Sec. 4. The Church in each Diocese which has been admitted to union with the General Convention, each area Mission established as provided by Article VI, and the Convocation of the American Churches in Europe, shall be entitled to representation in the House of Deputies by not more than four ordained persons, Presbyters or Deacons, canonically resident in the Diocese and not more than four Lay Persons, confirmed adult communicants of this Church, in good standing in the Diocese but not necessarily domiciled in the Diocese; but the General Convention by Canon may reduce the representation to not fewer than two Deputies in each order. Each Diocese, and the Convocation of the American Churches in Europe, shall prescribe the manner in which its Deputies shall be chosen.

There shall also be entitled to representation in the House of Deputies the youth of the Church, who shall be represented by eighteen Lay Persons who shall be Deputies, two each of whom shall be confirmed communicants in good standing, but not necessarily domiciled, in a Diocese in each Province. Deputies representing the youth shall not be less than sixteen years of age, nor more than eighteen years of age, as of the first legislative day of the General Convention for which they are chosen. The Canons of the General Convention shall prescribe the manner in which the Deputies representing the youth shall be chosen.

To constitute a quorum for the transaction of business, the Clerical order shall be represented by at least one Deputy in each of a majority of the Dioceses entitled to representation, and the Lay order shall likewise be represented by at least one Deputy in each of a majority of the Dioceses entitled to representation.

Amend Article I, Section 5 of the Constitution as follows:

Sec. 5. The vote on all questions which come before the House of Deputies shall be governed by the following provisions, supplemented by such procedural provisions as the House of Deputies may adopt in its Rules of Order:

Unless a greater vote on any question is required by this Constitution or by the Canons in cases not specifically dealt with by this Constitution or unless a vote by orders on a question is required, the affirmative vote of a majority of all of the Deputies present and voting shall suffice to carry any question. A vote by orders on any question shall be taken if required for that question by this Constitution or by the Canons or if the Clerical or Lay representation from three or more separate Dioceses shall so request at the time of the call for the vote on that question. In all cases of a vote by orders, the vote of each order, Clerical and Lay, shall be counted separately, each order in each Diocese shall have one vote, and a vote in the affirmative by an order in a Diocese shall require the affirmative vote of a majority of the Deputies present in that order in that Diocese. In all cases of a vote by orders, the Deputies representing the youth shall have one vote in the Lay order, and a vote in the affirmative by the Deputies representing the youth shall require the affirmative vote of a majority of the Deputies representing the youth present. To carry in the affirmative any question being voted on by orders requires concurrence in the affirmative by both orders and, unless a greater vote is required by this Constitution or by the Canons in cases not specifically dealt with by this Constitution, concurrence in the affirmative by an order requires the affirmative vote in that order by a majority of the Dioceses (including, in the Lay order, the Deputies representing the youth) present in that order.

And be it further

Resolved, That the manner in which Youth Deputies shall be chosen be referred to the Standing Commission on Constitution and Canons to propose such amendments to the Canons and other appropriate procedures to implement the foregoing proposed amendments to the Constitution and report such proposals to the 77th General Convention.

Deputy Ferrell of North Carolina moved to refer the resolution to the Standing Commission on Constitution and Canons.

Deputy Moss of Western Massachusetts moved the previous question.

Motion carried

Debate terminated

A vote was taken on Resolution D066.

Motion carried

Resolution referred to a Standing Commission

(Communicated to the House of Bishops in HD Message #275)