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Prot. N. 1759 Circ. 60/02-08 Eve of
the Immaculate Conception To the
SFO and Youfra International Councilors To the
SFO and Youfra National Councils Dear
Brothers and Sisters, May the Lord
give you Peace! We are
writing to you with joy to give you news on the 2008 General Chapter
following the last CIOFS Presidency Meeting held in Assisi from November 10
-18, where we celebrated the “8th Centenary of the Birth of St.
Elizabeth of Hungary” together with the Franciscan Family and many brothers
and sisters of the SFO Italy. The 2008
General Chapter will be celebrated from November 15 to 22, 1.
Documents for visa to enter The International Councilors throughout the
world who require a visa to travel to
§
First name and surname
§
Place and date of birth
§
Nationality
§
Number and expiry date of passport
§
Profession
§
Exact mailing address (where official invitation for
visa can be sent from Hungary with original signature and seal). Although
applicants must apply for their visa at the Consulate of Hungary, or at
affiliated consulates if there is no Consulate of Hungary in their country,
the application must be approved beforehand by the Hungarian State
Department. For this reason it is important that the above data be sent
urgently to the following email addresses so we can start preparing the
necessary documents: ciofs@ciofs.org y
generalchapter.2008@fvr.hu (At the
end of this letter you will find a list of countries which do
not require a visa to enter In those
national fraternities where a national elective chapter is scheduled to be
celebrated before the General Chapter, the newly elected International
Councilor, after his/her appointment, will provide the above information to the President of
the voting session of the chapter so that they can be forwarded to us
immediately. 2. General
Chapter 2008 participation fees The
CIOFS Presidency has prepared the Chapter budget and has set the minimum
fees to be paid by the National Fraternities. There is a 20% increase with
respect to the General Chapter 2005 which is the only possible way for us to
cover the expenses of the General
Chapter 2008. To
enable all the National Councils to begin organizing, financially speaking
also, their participation in this chapter - the most important event in the
life of the SFO International Fraternity
- we are sending you the range of the participation fees. Considering
the current cost of air tickets, the expenses connected with the organization
of the Chapter, and also taking into account the problems of some national
fraternities, the Presidency has decided to introduce a new intermediate
level of participation fees which was not in use in the previous chapters,
i.e.:
The participation
fee covers travel expenses, accommodations, meals and the material necessary
for the Chapter. Consequently, travel expenses will be deducted from the
participation fee; for example:
§
1,800€ (participation fee) less 350€ (travel exp.) = amount
to be paid at the Chapter = 1,450€
§
2,400€ (participation fee) less 350€ (travel exp.) = amount
to be paid at the Chapter = 2,050€ Enclosed herewith
you will find a reference price list for air tickets which must be respected
because it is the maximum amount that will be accepted for your journey. The organization will not be able to
reimburse higher amounts, therefore, we advise you to start booking your
tickets as soon as possible. 50% of the participation fee must be sent,
together with the registration form and travel details, before September
21, 2008. Those countries
which do not send this information within the above date will be obliged to
take care of their own participation and bear any extra costs involved.
Regarding observers, we cannot guarantee their participation until we know
the exact number of capitulars and participants from Emerging Fraternities . In due course,
together with the official General Chapter convocation, we will send you the
registration form and other necessary documents. We did, however, want to
inform you as quickly as possible the participation fees so that you can
start taking the financial initiatives that are necessary to ensure the
participation of your National Fraternity in the chapter. We are at your full
disposal for any clarifications you may require. On behalf of the
CIOFS Presidency and Secretariat, I wish all of you a fruitful season of Advent,
in the hope that this will truly be a time of hope and preparation for the Birth of the Lord. With fraternal love,
Encarnación del Pozo
SFO General Minister Encl.1 : 1*) Citizens of the following countries do not
require a visa: Citizens of the EU and EEA
countries Citizens of: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Brunei,
Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong
Kong, Iceland, Israel, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Monaco, New Zealand,
Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, San Marino, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland,
United States of America, Uruguay and
Venezuela. |
