ALLIANCE NEWSCHANNEL #241 - MARCH 2006

Award for Secretary General Emeritus

I am delighted to announce that our outgoing Secretary General, Brother Tony Rouse, has received a high honour from the Holy Father. Tony, who is already a Knight Commander of St. Gregory, has been created a Knight Commander Con Placca (with Star). This award was made to him in recognition of his many years of service to the Church through the International Alliance. It is a well-deserved honour and I am sure you all join with me in congratulating him. When we met in South Africa, the International Council agreed that as a mark of respect to Bro. Tony each member Order would organise a Mass to be celebrated for the intentions of Tony and Frances. I would ask each Order to arrange this and to let me know the date and location of each Mass being offered. It will give both of them great joy to know that the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is being offered around the world specifically for them. I would like to take this opportunity, once again, to thank the Knights of de Gama for the wonderful way in which they organised the International Council meeting. It was a great experience. The feed-back I have received indicates that in spite of some administrative difficulties at the beginning all delegates and observers felt the meeting was a good one. I wish you every Blessing on your Knightly endeavours Niall M. Kennedy KCSG Secretary General.

"The Way Forward"

Three of the four workshop presentations have now been submitted and the fourth is due shortly. These reports will then be collated and a committee will be formed to study the reports in depth. The committee will then issue its recommendations to all member Orders for further input. When these interventions have been considered a definitive set of recommendations will be issued. If it is deemed appropriate these recommendations will be out to a postal ballot. The composition of the committee, which will be chaired by the Secretary General, will be announced later.

ASSISTANT SECRETARIES

The Secretary General has re-appointed Deacon Brother Tony Bateman KSG as Assistant Secretary for Life Issues. Brother Tony is ideally suited to this responsibility and has carried out his duties in the past with efficiency and sensitivity. Brother Ken Hargreaves KSG has been appointed Assistant Secretary for Finance. Brother Ken has many years experience of running a business and will be able to bring this experience to bear in the maintenance of books of account. Our President, Brother Frank Wightman, has kindly agreed to continue to be responsible for Member Services. Brother Frank has struggled manfully with the International Directory for a number of years and has merged accurate information with an understanding printer. Brother Tony Rouse KC*SG, our Secretary General Emeritus will place his vast experience, patience and expert advice at the disposal of the Secretariat for the foreseeable future. He will also render invaluable assistance to his successor. Assistant Secretaries for Studies and Twinning have not yet been appointed.

UNUM OMNES

The 2005 Executive meeting of Unum Omnes was held in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in the first week of October. The Secretary General attended the meeting. A full report was prepared and was issued before this newsletter went to print.. As an experiment this report was issued electronically by email to all Supreme Knights and National Presidents as well as all whose email addresses are on file. If anyone did not receive it they can request a hardcopy. Alternatively, it can be sent by email once your address is known. Sending this kind of document by email saves a lot of time but more importantly saves considerable expense.

Niall M Kennedy

(Secretary General)