II
ADMINISTERING MATERIAL GOODS BASED ON GOSPEL STANDARDS

To see ourselves as, and to truly be, humble administrators

18. "The Brothers put in charge of the administration of the goods of the Institute are not owners, but simply administrators, of the goods of the Church." (Constitutions, Article 156) It is obvious that all of us are administrators, even though we may delegate certain tasks to Brothers who help us get things done. It's a matter of taking care of what belongs to others for the benefit of others.

Administering involves paying attention not only to "safeguarding and increasing" the material holdings of the Institute in sound and prudent ways. It carries with it the meaning of "allocating resources" and applying them in accordance with the aims of our "works" - communities and apostolates.

Often enough, having to administer possessions has been looked upon as a "necessary evil" in religious life. Sometimes it is accepted reluctantly because there's no way to avoid it, and we wind up not giving it the attention and follow-up that we do indeed lavish on other areas of our lives. Nevertheless, it is an important aspect, and we must not be intimidated by the topic. Sometimes it happens that a Provincial and his Councilors see these matters as "too complicated," and consequently, they feel uncomfortable when they have to face them. Routinely, they entrust the Provincial Econome with all this responsibility.

I gratefully acknowledge the service rendered to us by the Brothers in financial administration. I know that their work is not easy, and that their assignments can contribute to a numbing of their apostolic hearts; that frequently, they get all wrapped up in their work and become like professionals and experts in business administration. But many of them have shown themselves to be "true-blue" sons of Champagnat, good stewards of our material household, exercising their responsibilities with honor and integrity.

If our administrations have been operating without scaring us half to death and with only one or another blunder every now and then, it's due to the integrity and good will of our Provincials Treasures more than from any guarantees from the system that we have in place. In many cases, it's an "all in the family" system, a makeshift way of doing things; work without clear-cut oversight and verification procedures necessary to avoid risks from certain financial operations and to insure respect for the established procedures that are found the Constitutions. Those two signatures needed for signing checks - isn't it a just a mere formality? Personally, I really don't know if that is a satisfactory way of doing things today.

19. In carrying out his duties and responsibilities, a Provincial Treasurer is to show concern for the common good, justice, poverty, charity, and the apostolic labors of the Brothers. (Cf. Constitutions, Article 158) This means that he is to feel a shared responsibility for animating the Brothers. He is to serve us by pairing up justice and charity, animating, sensitizing, and being a social conscience and motivating presence at the very heart of our works and communities. He can open up new ways for us to be in solidarity in dealing with challenges all around us. Knowledgeable in his field, and with the information he has at his fingertips, he can help us to check and see if the construction and maintenance of our educational works makes sense - whether or not we are wasting money in some cases. The time when budgets and financial reports are being drawn up is an opportune one for getting the Brothers to do something about such situations. What means does the Provincial Council have for keeping the Brothers informed and helping them to reflect on the financial state of affairs in their Province? What kind of analysis and evaluation does the community, the Province Finance Team, and the Provincial Council make in regard to construction projects and plant improvements? Devoting time and thought to budgeting and bookkeeping, what effect does this have on the community?

I'm concerned about the qualifications needed by a Provincial Treasurer. It goes without saying that he needs to be an honest man, transparent in his dealings, trustworthy, and firmly committed to his vocation. And we must not forget that he needs to be well trained and very competent in his field. Given the complexity of economics, it is not prudent to place all responsibility in the hands of one single man. The Constitutions ask each Administrative Unit to establish a finance commission. In some places, commission members are lay people, and I think that's a good idea, provided that we train these co-workers and instill in them our spirit. Any old money manager won't do. We need individuals who, being competent and upright in their profession, also keep in mind the best interests of our Institute, its goals in mission, and the concerns we face as Brothers in today's world. Plus, laymen must commit themselves to abide by the internal norms and rules that govern our Congregation.

20. Accompanying Provincial Treasurers in human and religious ways is every bit as important as tending to the needs of formation personnel and directors in communities. For the life of me, I can't figure out why administrative jobs are so often considered to be incompatible with tasks directly tied in with evangelization, as for example catechizing, animating Marist Fraternities, moderating youth groups, working on solidarity projects, etc. I'm referring to ministries that allow for flexible scheduling, and which don't take place every day. The Provincial, each community - what can they do to inspire and get these Brothers involved in apostolic work?

The preceding paragraphs apply to Provincial Treasurers and Brothers who are responsible for the administration of material goods in schools. But the same set of standards can also be applied to anyone in administration - directors of communities, groups, and associations. All of them, because of the jobs they occupy and the information they have at their disposal, have access to economic resources and make decisions about budgets and spending in areas in which the religious dimension is not always clear. It often happens that they get into the habit of making decisions and spending money without letting anyone else know what they're doing. What can be done to help these Brothers live more responsibly as members of our religious family and be more forthcoming about their expenditures and personal budget as members of a Marist community?