Kanton Glarus

Convocation

1 The Synod convenes in ordinary session once a year. The convocation is made by the President of the Synod in consultation with the Cantonal Church Council.

2 Extraordinary Synods and deliberative Synods may be convened by resolution of the Synod, the Bureau, the Cantonal Church Council, upon written request of at least one-fifth of the members of the Synod, or of two local church authorities.

3 The convocation of a Synod, together with the agenda, must be issued at least ten days prior to the meeting.

4 Ordinary Synods begin with a church service.

Time and Place of Meetings

1 The time and place of the Synods shall be determined by the Bureau of the Synod in consultation with the Cantonal Church Council.

2 The ordinary Synods shall take place in the Cantonal Parliament Hall in Glarus.

Constitution

1 The first Synod of a new term of office shall be opened and presided over by the Dean until the election of the President.

Vows, Inauguration Ceremony

1 After the constituent business, the members of the Synod take the oath of office. This is also taken by Synod members who are elected to office during a term of office, at the next ordinary Synod.

SBE VI/2 160 1

IV A/21/2

2 Members of the Cantonal Church Council and the Synod Bureau are, after their election, inaugurated into office and sworn in during a liturgical act by the President of the Synod, or by the Dean, respectively. The proceedings of the Synod are interrupted for this purpose.

Quorum

1 The attendance is recorded.

2 The Synod has a quorum if the absolute majority of its members is present.

3 The members of the Synod are obliged to attend all meetings of the Synod. Excuses must be submitted in writing to the Presidium before the meeting.

### Publicity

¹ As a rule, the deliberations of the Synod are public.

² For important reasons, the Synod may decide to hold confidential deliberations. The decision on this matter must be made in camera.

Extraordinary Situations

1. In extraordinary situations, the Bureau of the Synod decides how these are to be conducted. In particular, it may order written votes or elections, and resolve to conduct the Synod wholly or partially by electronic means.

2. Organization

Bureau

1. Das Büro der Synode besteht aus dem Präsidenten oder der Präsidentin, dem Vizepräsidenten oder der Vizepräsidentin sowie dem Aktuar oder der Aktuarin. Dem Büro werden aus der Mitte der Synode zwei Stimmenzähler oder Stimmenzählerinnen beigestellt.

2. Der Präsident oder die Präsidentin vertritt die Synode nach aussen, stellt die Verbindung zum kantonalen Kirchenrat her und leitet die Geschäfte der Synode.

3. Das Büro versammelt sich auf Einladung des Präsidenten oder der Präsidentin. Ueber die Verhandlungen wird ein Kurzprotokoll erstellt[[1]](#paragraphtext_content_fn_840902_2_1_c).

4. ...

5. Das Büro der Synode bereitet die Wahlgeschäfte der Synode vor. Es kann den kantonalen Kirchenrat anhören, Fachpersonen beiziehen und Auskünfte von Dritten einholen.

Business Audit Committee (BAC)

1 The election and activities of the BAC are carried out in accordance with Articles 54

and 55 of the Church Constitution (CC)2).

Temporarily Appointed Commissions

1. For the preliminary deliberation of matters of particular significance, the Synod establishes temporarily appointed commissions.

2. The Bureau of the Synod determines the number of members for the commissions resolved by the Synod and appoints their members.

3. The Cantonal Church Council delegates at least one of its members to the temporarily appointed commissions.

4. Commissions may, if necessary, call upon external experts.

5. Minutes must be kept of the commission meetings.

Secretariat

1 The Secretary of the Regional Church keeps the minutes of the Synod3). *

2 For secretarial work, the Synod Presidium may, in consultation with the Presidium of the Cantonal Church Council, avail itself of the services of the Regional Church Secretariat. *

3. Subject of Deliberation

1. Die Synode behandelt die ihr durch Kirchenverfassung und Kirchenordnung[[5]](#paragraphtext_content_fn_840913_2_5_c) übertragenen Geschäfte.

2. Sie trägt die Verantwortung für die Ordnung der Landeskirche und übt die Oberaufsicht über die gesamte kirchliche Tätigkeit aus.

Standing Orders

1 The Standing Orders are prepared by the Bureau of the Synod in consultation with the Cantonal Church Council and delivered to all Synod members by the Secretariat of the Regional Church in a timely manner.

2) SO IV A/1/4

3)

4) Subsequent publication, as decision was not reported

5) SO IV A/21/1

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IV A/21/2

2 For individual agenda items, the Cantonal Church Council and, where applicable, commissions of the Synod shall prepare written documents.

Motion

1 A motion allows a member of the Synod or a synodal commission to demand that the Cantonal Church Council submit a specific matter, for which it is responsible, to the Synod for decision.

2 The motion can be submitted in the form of a general suggestion or as a fully elaborated draft.

3 The motion must be submitted to the Presidium of the Synod with a brief written justification. The Presidium immediately forwards it to the Cantonal Church Council, which distributes the text and justification to all synodal members.

4 The motion must be justified at the next Synod. The Cantonal Church Council shall state its position no later than at the subsequent Synod. If it accepts the motion and no counter-motion is submitted from within the Synod, the motion is deemed referred.

5 If the Cantonal Church Council or a synodal member objects to a referral, the discussion on the matter is opened. After its conclusion, the Synod decides whether the motion is referred or rejected.

Postulate

1. With a postulate, a member of the Synod mandates the Cantonal Church Council to examine and report on

a. Submitting a draft at the level of the Constitution, Church Order, or Ordinance;

b. Taking further measures in a matter concerning the Cantonal Church.

2. The procedure for submitting and handling postulates corresponds to the provisions for motions.

Interpellation

1 With an interpellation, a member of the Synod may request information from the Cantonal Church Council concerning any matter that falls within the scope of duties of the Regional Church.

2 The interpellation must be submitted in writing to the Presidium of the Synod before the Synod meeting.

3 The Cantonal Church Council may postpone the answering of the interpellation to a later session of the Synod.

4 After the answer by the Cantonal Church Council, the respective member of the Synod declares whether they are satisfied with the answer. A discussion only takes place if the Synod decides to hold one.

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IV A/21/2

Resolutions

1 Resolutions are declarations by the Synod to the public, to specific groups or

authorities, concerning particular issues or events.

2 Members of the Synod may submit texts for resolutions in writing to the Presidium

before the session for consideration by the Synod.

3 The text of the resolution will be announced to the members of the Synod. A

discussion will only take place if the resolution is opposed or if textual changes

are proposed. Amendments to the draft can be adopted even without the

consent of the proposer.

4 The adoption of a resolution requires a two-thirds majority of the votes of the

Synod members present.

Petitions

1 Petitions are requests and demands directed to the Synod from outside. They must be submitted to the Presidium of the Synod for the attention of the Bureau, and the Bureau must make them known to the Cantonal Church Council. The Bureau and the Cantonal Church Council report to the Synod in a joint statement.

4. Rules of Procedure

Consultation

¹ The President of the Synod presents the rules of procedure for discussion and submits the business in the order approved by the Synod.

² For substantive matters, a member of the Cantonal Church Council or the preparatory commission first takes the floor. Provisions for motions, postulates, and interpellations remain reserved.

Discussion

1 Anyone wishing to participate in the discussion must register with the President. The floor will be granted in the order of registration, with priority given to those who have not yet spoken on the subject under consideration.

2 With the exception of members of the Cantonal Church Council and the commissions representing a matter of business, as well as the proposer of a motion, no Synodal shall speak more than twice on the same matter.

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IV A/21/2

Admonition

1 The President shall admonish speakers who stray too far from the subject of debate. In case of repetition, the floor may be withdrawn.

Debate on the Principle of Consideration

1 At the start of the consideration of a matter of business, a decision must be made on the question of whether to proceed with consideration.

2 If a bill consists of only a few articles, the detailed discussion can commence immediately.

Detailed Consultation

¹ Once entry into deliberation has been decided, the article-by-article consultation follows.

² The Synod may, upon application by the President, decide to deliberate on the proposal section by section or in its entirety.

³ Motions to amend that are put to a vote must generally be submitted in written form by the proposing Synod member.

Referral Back

1. After the decision to consider a matter, or during the detailed deliberation, the Synod may refer the entire proposal or individual articles back to the Cantonal Church Council or to the corresponding commission.

Motion to Suspend Rules/Procedural Motion

1. Motions to suspend rules/procedural motions are motions that relate to the conduct of the deliberations and the voting procedure, particularly to the conclusion of the discussion of an item of business or of the session.

2. Motions to suspend rules/procedural motions can be made at any time during the deliberations and must be dealt with and decided upon immediately.

Motion to Reconsider

1. Motions to reconsider must be made at the conclusion of the detailed deliberation of a matter or before the final vote.

Motion to Reconsider

1 Motions to reconsider propose to re-open a matter already decided.

Votes

1 Before each vote, the President provides a brief overview of the motions and

explains the voting procedure.

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IV A/21/2

2 Voting is done by a show of hands. One-quarter of the Synod members

present can request a secret ballot or a roll-call vote. If a roll-call vote is taken,

the vote of each individual member must be recorded in the minutes.

3 The President declares undisputed motions as adopted without a vote. In

cases of obvious majorities, counting of votes may be dispensed with.

4 The President of the Synod does not vote in the ballots but has the casting

vote in the event of a tie.

5 Instead of voting by a show of hands, votes are usually counted electronically.

In open votes, the voting behavior of individual members of the Synod is

displayed. In secret ballots, the result is merely presented as a total. Roll-call

votes are not counted electronically. *

Elections

1 All elections that are assigned to the Synod in accordance with Article 44 of the Cantonal Constitution

are conducted by open show of hands.

2 One quarter of the present members of the Synod may demand a secret ballot.

3 In the first round of voting, an absolute majority applies; in the second round, a relative majority applies.

Abstention, Recusal

1 Members of the Synod who are directly affected by the outcome of business or elections

must abstain from voting.

2 The Synod may also decide on recusal. Members obligated to recuse themselves may

participate in the deliberation at the beginning, but must leave the meeting room

subsequently upon request by the President.

3 In any case, recusal is obligatory for

a. anyone who has a personal interest in a matter as an applicant or contractual partner;

b. anyone who is a candidate in an election to be held by the Synod for a full-time or

part-time office;

c. in matters concerning remuneration, those members of the Synod who are employed

full-time or part-time in a church service relationship.

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IV A/21/2

5. Deliberative Synods

Meaning and Purpose

1 The discussion synods serve to discuss and deepen fundamental topics that require ecclesiastical reflection, as well as to prepare synodal resolutions and statements.

2 The discussion synods do not adopt binding resolutions.

Preparation

¹ For the preparation, execution, and processing of conversational synods, a commission is appointed by the Bureau of the Synod in consultation with the cantonal Church Council. The commission may, if necessary, seek assistance from external experts.

Invited Guests

1 The members of the local church councils, and depending on the topic of discussion, church employees, members of cantonal church commissions, as well as representatives of other organizations are also invited to discussion synods. Experts may be consulted.

**6. Minutes**

Contents

1 The minutes of the Synod must contain

a. Name of the President, of the Actuary;

b. Place of meeting, date of session, and duration of session;

c. Confirmation of presence;

d. The essential content of the statements, the motions and proposers, as well as the resolutions on all motions, including the number of votes, if determined;

e. The vote of each individual member in a roll-call vote;

f. The results of elections and the names of those elected.

2 If deliberations are recorded on sound carriers, these serve exclusively as an aid for minute-taking.

Approval

1 The minutes shall be approved by the Synodal Bureau, expanded to include the two tellers, within four weeks of the Synod.

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IV A/21/2

2 The minutes shall be made available for inspection at the Secretariat of the Evangelical Reformed Cantonal Church.

3 Objections from members of the Synod or the Cantonal Church Council must be submitted to the expanded Bureau within 30 days of approval and decided upon by the Bureau. Objections may only relate to errors or to misleading representations and omissions of content.

7. Remunerations

1. Die Entschädigung der Synodalen ist Sache der Kirchgemeinden. Für Beauftragte der Kantonalkirche und eingeladene Fachleute erfolgt die Entschädigung durch den kantonalen Kirchenrat.

2. Sitzungen des Büros und von Kommissionen der Synode werden gemäss Reglement der Kantonalkirche entschädigt.

1. Dieses Geschäftsreglement ersetzt die «Geschäftsordnung für die evangelische Synode des Kantons Glarus» vom 18. November 1930 und tritt auf den 1. Januar 1996 in Kraft.