OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION ON SALESIAN STUDIES (ICSS)
of the Congregation of the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales
(Revised August 2005)
In accordance with the instruction of the 14th General Chapter (1976), the General Council in agreement with the Provincials and Regional Superiors has set up a permanent institution for the promotion of Salesian Studies and given it the following statute.
I. Salesian Studies
The expression „Salesian Studies“ is intended to refer to studies relative to St. Francis de Sales, St. Jane de Chantal, Father Brisson, Mother Mary de Sales Chappuis, the Sisters of the Visitation of Holy Mary, the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales, The Oblates Sisters of St. Francis de Sales, the De Sales Secular Institute and the entire Salesian family. Studies relative to the above are in turn conceived in three concentric circles.
· A the very center is basic research. · The next wider circle includes popularizations that would make the findings of basic research available to people not interested in scientific research, but interested in knowing and living Salesian doctrine. · The outermost circle includes writings meant for people who are actively engaged in disseminating Salesian thought and spirit through the press, the media,preaching, and spiritual direction.
II. The International Commission
For the purpose of having as comprehensive a promotion of Salesian Studies as possible, an International Commission will be formed for which the following regulations apply:
1. The Commission consists of four Oblates, preferably experts in Salesian Studies. One of them is to represent the English-speaking areas, one the French and Italian, one the German and Dutch, and one the Spanisch and Portuguese.
2. The members of the Commission are appointed by the General Council in agreement with the respective Provincials and Regional Superiors. Their term of office is three years. In order to establish and preserve continuity, after the first three years, one of the members will be renewed for an additional year, and one for two years, and one for three additional years. A re-appointment is possible.
3. The Commission ist assisted in its work by consultors who have expertise needed by the ICSS in particular areas, such as languages, website publishing, archives, publishing, et. Consultors are not members of the ICSS, and ordinarily do not attend its meetings or participate in its deliberations. The ICSS suggests the name of a person to be appointed a consultor, with a rationale, to the General Council, which then offers its observations on the suggested nomination and/or, if appropriate, approves it. The term of office for consultors is three years. A reappointment is possible.
4. The Commission has the function to promote Salesian Studies: a) through communication of what exists and has been carried out; b) through the co-ordination on an international level of proposed studies and projects; c) through stimulating certain studies and projects, especially by cooperating very closely with the Archivist of the Generalate; d) through recommending certain projects for financial support according to the regulations of the procedures for approval; e) through the financial support of projects approved by the General Council according to the regulations in Section IV.
5. Each year the Commission will draw up a budget and present it to the General Council for approval and which will include the following expenses: a) the members expenses for correspondence and for traveling to a meeting of the Commission; b) the costs incurred by the Information Center for a regularly published bulletin, for circular letters and correspondence; c) for software/hardware needed to maintain the Salesian Studies Home Page; d) above all for financial support of projects in accordance with the guidelines of the procedures for approval.
make an annual report on its activities; evaluate the requests for financial support for projects; send a report to the Provincials and Regionals detailing the projects recommended and not recommended together with a budget for amounts requested for each projects. The Provincials and Regionals will be asked to notify the General Council concerning their evaluaion of the projects submitted. The General Council will then make the final decision as to which projects are approved for execution.
III. The Information Center
1. An Electronic Information Center will be set up as an organ of the International Commission and administered by a member of the ICSS or another person appointed for this purpose by the General Council. The latter individual will be under the direction of the ICSS.
2. The Information Center is to have the following tasks: a) It collects all communications on institutions, activities, studies and plans inside and outside the Congregation. b) It circulates information on the above through a regularly published bulletin and, in certain cases, through a special circular letter.
3. In each province/region (or, by arrangement, for several provinces/regions in a language area) a regional center for Salesian Studies will be set up, the administration and organization of which will be determined by the province(s)/ region(s) concerned. It is advisable, where possible, that this be an electronic center linked to the WORLD WIDE WEB, thereby making it relatively easy to be linked to the ICSS Salesian Studies Home Page. a) These centers will keep the International Information Center currently informed on everything that is worth knowing about Salesian Studies and activities existing in their area. b) They circulate the information received from the International Center in an appropriate manner. c) They co-ordinate the activities in their area and provide them with stimuli and assistance.
4. Even though the ICSS places an emphasis on new technologies in Salesian Studies, their dissemination and their promotion, this does not mean that the more traditional forms will become obsolete. The new possibilities that the Internet offers do not replace the more traditional methods of dissemination, but complement them.
IV. Financing
1. The ICSS will operate with an annual budget approved by the General Council. As a general rule, this will not exceed $15,000. 2. This sum will be raised in the following way: half will be contributed on an equal basis by the provinces , the other half according to the number of their members. 3. The financial year of the International Commission runs from September 1st to August 31st of the following year.
V. Approval Procedure Guidelines
For the financial support of projects which are of interest and importance to the whole Congregation, the following regulations apply:
1. The International Commission can on its own initiative suggest projects which lie in the immediate interests of the whole Congregation and recommend them for financial support.
2. Individual Oblates or groups of Oblates can apply for financial means for the promotion of specific projects according to the following procedure: a) For each project a separate application according to the approved form is to be submitted to the Chairman of the International Commission by April 30 before the beginning of the next financial year. b) The Commission assesses all applications according to their usefulness for Salesian Studies and presents them together with this assessment to the General and his Council, the Provincials and Regionals. c) The General Council, after having received the comments of the Pro vincials and Regionals, and the ICSS, decide on whether financial support is to be granted and the amount to be granted. d) All applicants will be informed in writing of the decision on their application by the Chairman of the Commission. The Congregation as a whole will be informed by the Generalate. e) Those who have received financial support are to present an annual written report on whether and how they have executed their project. This report is to be submitted to the Chairman of the ICSS by June 1st.
3. The financial support of projects in Salesian Studies takes place in the following manner: a) Payment for the work-time of Oblates will not, as a rule, be funded. b) Priority is given to those projects which are directly useful for the entire Congregation and which correspond to the current priorities recommended by the ICSS and approved by the General Council. These will be financed in toto from the budget of the International Commission. Projects and studies which are of value for Salesian research will also be financed in the future, even though they are not made available in a digitalized form. c) For the remaining projects half of the sum approved will be supplied by the Province from which the applications come and the other half from the budget of the International Commission. d) Translations of Salesian and Oblate documents deemed to be worthwhile may be eligible for funding e) Approved on-going projects will not be funded beyond three-years. On-going projects should be able to demonstrate their financial viability beyond the funding period.
