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Why
is it important to do a statistical survey of the OFS?
Rosalvo
Mota
rosalvom@uol.com.br
First
of all, so we can know where, who and how many we are.
Second of all, the
reports should reflect the reality of each Fraternity. In addition to
being bureaucratic instruments, they are useful as subsides to have a
full view at the time of planning activities. Equally, they help us
have a diagnosis of the priorities for our lines of action. Without
this information we cannot build a future and we will not know our
history. They are of use so that the Councilors think together to
plan according to the specific requirements of our Fraternities. The
reports should indicate where the problems are, as well as their
nature. We cannot forget that we work as brothers and sisters, and
that we are humans, saints, and sinners. There is no such thing as a
perfect fraternity.
Up
to the present time, just 50% of the National Fraternities
(Constituted and Emergent) have elaborated and responded to the
Statistical Survey. The statistical results present the following:
The number of
Constituted National Fraternities and Emergent National Fraternities.
The Approved National Statutes. Where the National Assistants
Conference is constituted. The number of Local Fraternities
Canonically Constituted and the Emerging Fraternities. The number of
active and non-active professed members and total members. The
Spiritual Assistance to the SFO and Franciscan Youth fraternities.
The SFO statistical
survey is also by age, sex, civil status, educational level, place of
residency, and economical status. We know the percentage of members
above 65 years of age, the percentage of members below 65 years of
age, the proportion of members and Spiritual Assistants, the
correlation between the members below 65 years of age and the new
local fraternities. They indicate if National Elective Chapters, and
Fraternal and Pastoral Visits were carried out. Also, they let us
know the irregular situations, as Elective Chapters that have not
been carried out in the stated terms and the visits that have more
than 6 years.
It
can be checked in the survey that a number of National Fraternities
are being left too aged. With respect to the direct relationship
between the highest number of members below 65 years old, it is a
percentage that increases in the new local fraternities, and such
fraternities need to make an effort to idealized or establish plans
to rise young and middle age vocations for the SFO.
Where
the Spiritual Assistant is deficient, i.e. the proportion between the
total members and the Spiritual Assistance is unfavorable in the case
of Asia (141.7 members per assistant), and in Central America
(115.5).
The
Annual Report needs to be definitely implemented because it allows
two different analyses: about the reported year, we visualize the
status of the National Fraternity during that same year. The second
analysis, which we call “Dynamic”, on the last years, it
reveals the evolution of the results with respect to the projects of
the fraternity.
The
Annual report also allows doing evaluations regarding the
International, National, Regional, and Local Fraternity.
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Conference of the General Spiritual
Assistants